In My Mailbox: Feb. 7th (7)

Okay so I had been planning on postponing doing IMM until I had a couple more reviews up, but this weeks goodies were wayy too awesome to resist. Also, technically this is 3 weeks of books, but only 2 came 3 weeks ago, and only 3 last week, 90% of them came this week and were bought by me! And yet again, sorry for the extreme length:)
Oh yeah, and credit for IMM goes to The Story Siren & Alea, thanks guys!



























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The Won:

Ballad by Maggie Stiefvater

In this mesmerizing sequel to Lament: The Faerie Queen's Deception, music prodigy James Morgan and his best friend, Deirdre, join a private conservatory for musicians. James' musical talent attracts Nuala, a soul-snatching faerie muse who fosters and feeds on the creative energies of exceptional humans until they die. Composing beautiful music together unexpectedly leads to mutual admiration and love. Haunted by fiery visions of death, James realizes that Deirdre and Nuala are being hunted by the Fey and plunges into a soul-scorching battle with the Queen of the Fey to save their lives.


--- I am super excited for this one! I loooooooved Shiver, so as soon as I track down a copy of Lament I shall have to devour both books immediately! Thanks Andrea! <---whos book might I add is one of the ones I am most looking forward to! :)


The next two are from Georgia from YA LIT CHAT, and from LEAP BKS. Thank you Georgia and all you over at Leap Books!


Freaksville by Kitty Keswick

High school is hard enough when you’re normal. There’s peer pressure, book reports, the in crowd and the enormous zit that has a life of its own. Having a family whose skeletons in the closet lean toward the paranormal is not a topper on anyone’s list. Sophomore Kasey Maxwell is busy juggling the typical teen angst. Add visions, ghosts and hairy four-legged monsters into the mix and you get FREAKSVILLE. It’s a wonder Kasey has survived.

Every woman in the Maxwell family has the gift of sight. A talent sixteen-year-old Kasey would gladly give up. All she wants is a normal life. Shopping and talking about boys with her best friend and long-time sidekick Gillie Godshall consume her days. Until Kasey has a vision about Josh Johnstone, the foreign exchange student from England. The vision leads her into new waters, a lead in a play, a haunted theater…and into the arms of the Josh. Yet, both Kasey and Josh have secrets lurking in dark corners. Can Kasey’s new romance survive FREAKSVILLE?

-- I've read mixed reviews about this one but I'm super excited to draw my own conclusions, I think it sounds really good, and have you seen this trailer.


Island Sting by Bonnie J. Doerr

Kenzie Ryan's New York know-how and private girls' academy education prove useless in the middle of an island wildlife refuge.

Upon arrival in the exotic Florida Keys, she is thrown into the midst of an ecological mystery involving the endangered Florida Key deer. How can she navigate this upside down world? A world deftly maneuvered by Angelo--island native and nerve-wracking hunk. The two team up to accomplish what perplexes law enforcement, but Angelo exposes Kenzie's insecurities, as well as her inexperience with nature and the opposite sex.

Danger and disagreement follow the pair wherever they go. Enamored with Angelo and his local savvy, Kenzie hopes to secure his loyal friendship. But how can she win Angelo's trust when what she must tell him will crush his ego?

Island Sting includes notes on the endangered Florida Key Deer and the National Key Deer Refuge.

--This one looks very inrtiguing. I haven't heard an awful lot about it so far, but I'm eager to find out!


Storm Glass by Maria V. Snyder

As a glassmaker and a magician-in-training, Opal Cowen understands trial by fire. Now it's time to test her mettle. Someone has sabotaged the Stormdancer clan's glass orbs, killing their most powerful magicians. The Stormdancers—particularly the mysterious and mercurial Kade—require Opal's unique talents to prevent it happening again. But when the mission goes awry, Opal must tap in to a new kind of magic as stunningly potent as it is frightening. And the further she delves into the intrigue behind the glass and magic, the more distorted things appear. With lives hanging in the balance—including her own—Opal must control powers she hadn't known she possessed…powers that might lead to disaster beyond anything she's ever known.

-- I am DYING to read her Poison Study series, so I am very happy to have this book too! And squee! its signed & personalized! Thanks again Mandy & Maria!



And now all the WONDROUS books I bought(!!!):
They were either bought via Borders or Barnes & Noble, but all with my own money. Apparently when you order a pre-order from B&N they don't start shipping until all the books are in, so 17 books came to me yesterday even though I ordered them in December:p


All Unquiet Things by Anna Jarzab

Carly: She was sweet. Smart. Self-destructive. She knew the secrets of Brighton Day School’s most privileged students. Secrets that got her killed.

Neily: Dumped by Carly for a notorious bad boy, Neily didn’t answer the phone call she made before she died. If he had, maybe he could have helped her. Now he can’t get the image of her lifeless body out of his mind.

Audrey: She’s the reason Carly got tangled up with Brighton’s fast crowd in the first place, and now she regrets it—especially since she’s convinced the police have put the wrong person in jail. Audrey thinks the murderer is someone at Brighton, and she wants Neily to help her find out who it is.

As reluctant allies Neily and Audrey dig into their shared past with Carly, her involvement with Brighton’s dark goings-on comes to light. But figuring out how Carly and her killer fit into the twisted drama will force Audrey and Neily to face hard truths about themselves and the girl they couldn’t save.

-- I have wanted this for sooooo long, and there have been sooo many good reviews, and well, squee!


Bleeding Violet by Dia Reeves

Love can be a dangerous thing....

Hanna simply wants to be loved. With a head plagued by hallucinations, a medicine cabinet full of pills, and a closet stuffed with frilly, violet dresses, Hanna's tired of being the outcast, the weird girl, the freak. So she runs away to Portero, Texas in search of a new home.

But Portero is a stranger town than Hanna expects. As she tries to make a place for herself, she discovers dark secrets that would terrify any normal soul. Good thing for Hanna, she's far from normal. As this crazy girl meets an even crazier town, only two things are certain: Anything can happen and no one is safe.

-- Oh my word, how I have waited for this book! I was full of squees when I got it! It sounds and looks AMAZING!


Dirty Little Secrets by C.J. Omolulu

Everyone has secrets. Some are just bigger and dirtier than others.

For sixteen years, Lucy has kept her mother's hoarding a secret. She's had to -- nobody would understand the stacks of newspapers and mounds of garbage so high they touch the ceiling and the rotting smell that she's always worried would follow her out the house. After years of keeping people at a distance, she finally has a best friend and maybe even a boyfriend if she can play it right. As long as she can make them think she's normal.

When Lucy arrives home from a sleepover to find her mother dead under a stack of National Geographics, she starts to dial 911 in a panic, but pauses before she can connect. She barely notices the filth and trash anymore, but she knows the paramedics will. First the fire trucks, and then news cameras that will surely follow. No longer will they be remembered as the nice oncology nurse with the lovely children -- they'll turn into that garbage-hoarding freak family on Collier Avenue.

With a normal life finally within reach, Lucy has only minutes to make a critical decision. How far will she go to keep the family secrets safe?

-- Okay so seeing as this was the book that made me wait a month and a half to get the other 16 books you would think that I show some sort of resentment towards it, but I don't hold a shred of resentment because this looks absolutely fabulous!


Incarceron by Catherine Fisher

Incarceron -- a futuristic prison, sealed from view, where the descendants of the original prisoners live in a dark world torn by rivalry and savagery. It is a terrifying mix of high technology -- a living building which pervades the novel as an ever-watchful, ever-vengeful character, and a typical medieval torture chamber -- chains, great halls, dungeons. A young prisoner, Finn, has haunting visions of an earlier life, and cannot believe he was born here and has always been here. In the outer world, Claudia, daughter of the Warden of Incarceron, is trapped in her own form of prison -- a futuristic world constructed beautifully to look like a past era, an imminent marriage she dreads. She knows nothing of Incarceron, except that it exists. But there comes a moment when Finn, inside Incarceron, and Claudia, outside, simultaneously find a device -- a crystal key, through which they can talk to each other. And so the plan for Finn's escape is born ...

-- THIS LOOKS SOOOOO COOL! Even my brother flipped out when he saw this one! (I'm going to have to hide this from him until I can read it first)


Heartless by Sara Shepard

The newest installment in Sara Shepard’s bestselling Pretty Little Liars series is packed with juicy drama and delicious surprises that will keep readers guessing to the very end.
Hanna, Aria, Emily, and Spencer have been telling some outrageous tales; only, the proof always seems to go missing. The friends insist they’re telling the truth, but all of Rosewood thinks they’re just out for attention—and nobody likes a girl who cries wolf. So when the big bad killer comes after them, will anyone believe the girls. . . or will they be the next to disappear?

-- Holy crap you have no idea how much I have wanted this one! I AM SO INCREDIBLY HAPPY TO HAVE THIS YOU DONT KNOW! The Pretty Little Liars series is of my 3 favorite series ever, and the only one that doesn't have to do with dystopia or fantasy!


Wondrous Strange by Lesley Livingston

17 year-old Kelly Winslow doesn’t believe in Faeries. Not unless they’re the kind that you find in a theatre, spouting Shakespeare—the kind that Kelley so desperately wishes she could be: onstage, under lights, with a pair of sparkly wings strapped to her shoulders. But as the understudy in a two-bit, hopelessly off-off-Broadway production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, wishing is probably the closest she’s going to get to becoming a Faerie Queen. At least, that’s what shethinks... In this fun, urban fantasy, Kelly's off-stage life suddenly becomes as complicated as one of Shakespeare’s plot twists when a nighttime trip to Central Park holds more than meets the mortal eye.

-- I have heard sooo much good things about this book! So excited to get this one:D


Darklight by Lesley Livingston


Much has changed since autumn, when Kelley Winslow learned she was Faerie royalty, fell in love with changeling guard Sonny Flannery, and saved New York City from a rampaging Faerie war band. When a terrifying encounter in Central Park sends Kelley tumbling into the Otherworld, her reunion with Sonny is joyful—but cut short. For they’ve been plunged into a game of Faerie deception and wavering allegiances in which the next move could topple a kingdom...or part them forever.

The fans who flocked to Lesley Livingston’s Wondrous Strange will fall hard for Darklight, the soaringly romantic second book in the trilogy. Breathless high stakes and vividly magical characters make this a can’t-miss fantasy for readers of Melissa Marr and Holly Black.

-- Yeah I buy sequels to books I have not even read the first one of, but it looks wayy to good to have to wait until I can track down the sequel! :)


Magic Under Glass by Jaclyn Dolamore

Nimira is a music-hall performer forced to dance for pennies to an audience of leering drunks. When wealthy sorcerer Hollin Parry hires her to do a special act - singing accompaniment to an exquisite piano-playing automaton, Nimira believes it is the start of a new life. In Parry's world, however, buried secrets stir. Unsettling below-stairs rumours abound about ghosts, a mad woman roaming the halls, and of Parry's involvement in a gang of ruthless sorcerers who torture fairies for sport. When Nimira discovers the spirit of a dashing young fairy gentleman is trapped inside the automaton's stiff limbs, waiting for someone to break the curse and set him free, the two fall in love. But it is a love set against a dreadful race against time to save the entire fairy realm, which is in mortal peril.

-- Yay! I've heard great things about this one! And I think the cover is gorgeous, even in alu of the contravercy surrounding it.


Boys, Girls, and Other Hazardous Material by Rosalind Wiseman

Looking for a new beginning after a terrible mean girl past, Charlie Healey realizes there’s no escaping high school drama

Charlie Healey thinks Harmony Falls is the beginning of a whole new life. Middle school was brutal. But high school is Charlie’s big chance to start over and stay out of drama, except that on her first day she runs into Will, her ex–best friend, who had moved away. Now a varsity athlete and hotter than Charlie
remembered, Will hangs with the crowd running the school. But Charlie doesn’t understand their power until an innocent delivery guy falls victim to a near-deadly hazing prank.

Torn between doing what’s right and her secret feelings for Will, Charlie must decide whether to turn in her very best friend or live with the guilt of knowing what he did.

Rosalind Wiseman’s first novel for young adults is a fresh, funny, and juicy read about friendship, betrayal, and how far some will go to be accepted.

-- Creator of Mean Girls and has a Tina Fey quote? Count me in!


The Mark by Jen Nadol

Cassandra Renfield has always seen the mark—a glow around certain people reminiscent of candlelight. But the one time she mentioned it, it was dismissed as a trick of the light. Until the day she watches a man awash in the mark die. After searching her memories, Cassie realizes she can see a person’s imminent death. Not how or where, only when: today.

Armed with a vague understanding of the light, Cassie begins to explore her “gift,” seeking those marked for death and probing the line between decision and destiny. Though she’s careful to hide her secret—even from her new philosophy-obsessed boyfriend—with each impending death comes the temptation to test fate. But so many questions remain. How does the mark work? Why is she the only one who sees it? And finally, the most important of all: If you know today is someone’s last, should you tell them?

-- I do have the ARC too, but this was wayy too pretty to pass up! Also, I'm reading it right now and its really good!


Numbers by Rachel Ward

Whenever Jem meets someone new, no matter who, as soon as she looks into their eyes, a number pops into her head. That number is a date: the date they will die.

Burdened with such an awful awareness, Jem avoids relationships. Until she meets Spider, another outsider, and takes a chance. But while they’re waiting to ride the Eye Ferris
wheel, Jem notices that all the other tourists in line flash the same number. Today’s number. Today’s date. Terrorists are going to attack London. Jem’s world is about to explode!

-- This looks awesome! As a huge sci-fi nerd I am super psyched for this! Oh and my mom saw this and just about flipped out in her want for this book- another one I am going to have to hide until I get a chance to read it!


The Secret Year by Jennifer Hubbard

Seventeen-year-old Colt has been sneaking out at night to meet Julia, a girl from an upper-class neighborhood unlike his own. They’ve never told anyone else about their relationship: not their family or friends, and especially not Julia’s boyfriend.When Julia dies suddenly, Colt tries to cope with her death while pretending that he never even knew her. He discovers a journal she left behind. But he is not prepared for the truths he discovers about their intense relationship, nor to pay the price for the secrets he’s kept.

-- Yay for Tenner books, especially ones that look as good as this book! :D


By The Time You Read This, I'll Be Dead by Julie Anne Peters

Daelyn Rice is broken beyond repair, and after a string of botched suicide attempts, she's determined to get her death right. She starts visiting a website for "completers"- www.through-the-light.com.

While she's on the site, Daelyn blogs about her life, uncovering a history of bullying that goes back to kindergarten. When she's not on the Web, Daelyn's at her private school, where she's known as the freak who doesn't talk.

Then, a boy named Santana begins to sit with her after school while she's waiting to for her parents to pick her up. Even though she's made it clear that she wants to be left alone, Santana won't give up. And it's too late for Daelyn to be letting people into her life. Isn't it?

National Book Award finalist Julie Anne Peters shines a light on how bullying can push young people to the very edge.

"23 Days and Counting

Dear
___mother
___father
___other

There was nothing you could do to stop me because:

___I’d already made up my mind
___I have been suffering my whole life
___ you were too slow to notice

I offed myself because:

___my life sucks
___the world sucks
___ you suck

Good-bye,
Daelyn"

-- This one looks good, maybe sad and depressing too, but good nonetheless.

Cracked Up to Be by Courtney Summers

What's the worst thing you've ever done?

When "Perfect" Parker Fadley starts drinking at school and failing her classes, all of St. Peter's High goes on alert. How has the cheerleading captain, girlfriend of the most popular guy in school, consummate teacher's pet, and future valedictorian fallen so far from grace?

Parker doesn't want to talk about it. She'd just like to be left alone, to disappear, to be ignored. But her parents have placed her on suicide watch and her counselors are demanding the truth. Worse, there's a nice guy falling in love with her and he's making her feel things again when she'd really rather not be feeling anything at all.

Nobody would have guessed she'd turn out like this. But nobody knows the truth.

Something horrible has happened, and it just might be her fault.

-- I've heard so many good things about Courtney Summers! And of course before I read Some Girls Are I had to read this one!

Some Girls Are by Courtney Summers

Climbing to the top of the social ladder is hard--falling from it is even harder. Regina Afton used to be a member of the Fearsome Fivesome, an all-girl clique both feared and revered by the students at Hallowell High... until vicious rumors about her and her best friend's boyfriend start going around.

Now Regina's been "frozen out" and her ex-best friends are out for revenge. If Regina was guilty, it would be one thing, but the rumors are far from the terrifying truth and the bullying is getting more intense by the day. She takes solace in the company of Michael Hayden, a misfit with a tragic past who she herself used to bully. Friendship doesn't come easily for these onetime enemies, and as Regina works hard to make amends for her past, she realizes Michael could be more than just a friend... if threats from the Fearsome Foursome don't break them both first.

Tensions grow and the abuse worsens as the final days of senior year march toward an explosive conclusion in this dark new tale from the author of Cracked Up To Be.

-- This one I've had since the release day and have been drooling over, but I had to wait until I read Cracked Up to Be first:D

Going Too Far by Jennifer Echols

All Meg has ever wanted is to get away. Away from high school. Away from her backwater town. Away from her parents who seem determined to keep her imprisoned in their dead-end lives. But one crazy evening involving a dare and forbidden railroad tracks, she goes way too far... and almost doesn't make it back.
John made a choice to stay. To enforce the rules. To serve and protect. He has nothing but contempt for what he sees as childish rebellion, and he wants to teach Meg a lesson she won't soon forget. But Meg pushes him to the limit by questioning everything he learned at the police academy. And when he pushes back, demanding to know why she won't be tied down, they will drive each other to the edge - and over...

-- I don't know how many times I saw this as a "Favorite Read of 2009", but I was convinced I had to read it!

The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

Meghan Chase has never fit in at her small-town high school, and now, on the eve of her 16th birthday, she discovers why. When her half brother is kidnapped, Meghan is drawn into a fantastical world she never imagined--the world of Faery, where anything you see may try to eat you, and Meghan is the daughter of the summer faery king. Now she will journey into the depths of Faery to face an unknown enemy . . . and beg the help of a winter prince who might as soon kill her as let her touch his icy heart. The Iron King is the first book in the Iron Fey series.

-- Insert 100 squee's here! Soooooo excited!

Hearts At Stake by Alyxandra Harvey

The Blakes are rather different to your usual neighbours. They are vampires and some of the members of the family date back to the twelfth century. One of the children, Solange, is the only born female vampire known and, as such, she poses a direct threat to the vampire queen. Her best friend Lucy is human, and when Solange is kidnapped Lucy and Solange's brother, Nicholas, set out to save her. Lucy soon discovers that she would like to be more than just friends with Nicholas. But how does one go about dating a vampire? Meanwhile, Solange finds an unlikely ally in Kieran, a vampire slayer on the hunt for his father's killer.

-- Also, VERY excited for this one too! Despite the hype I still looooove vampires, and havent read a vamp book in like 4-5 months! OH NO!

Stupid Cupid by Rhonda Stapleton

Felicity's no ordinary teen matchmaker...she's a cupid!
Felicity Walker believes in true love. That's why she applies for a gig at the matchmaking company Cupid's Hollow. But when Felicity gets the job, she learns that she isn't just a matchmaker...she's a cupid! (There's more than one of them, you know.)

Armed with a hot pink, tricked-out PDA infused with the latest in cupid magic (love arrows shot through email), Felicity works to meet her quota of successful matches. But when she bends the rules of cupidity by matching her best friend Maya with three different boys at once, disaster strikes. Felicity needs to come up with a plan to set it all right, pronto, before she gets fired...and before Maya ends up with her heart split in three.

-- This looks adorable! Can't wait!

Firespell by Chloe Neill

As the new girl at the elite St. Sophia’s boarding school, Lily Parker thinks her classmates are the most monstrous things she’ll have to face…

When Lily’s guardians decided to send her away to a fancy boarding school in Chicago, she was shocked. So was St. Sophia’s. Lily’s ultra-rich brat pack classmates think Lily should be the punchline to every joke, and on top of that, she’s hearing strange noises and seeing bizarre things in the shadows of the creepy building.

The only thing keeping her sane is her roommate, Scout, but even Scout’s a little weird—she keeps disappearing late at night and won’t tell Lily where she’s been. But when a prank leaves Lily trapped in the catacombs beneath the school, Lily finds Scout running from a real monster.

Scout’s a member of a splinter group of rebel teens with unique magical talents, who’ve sworn to protect the city against demons, vampires, and Reapers, magic users who’ve been corrupted by their power. And when Lily finds herself in the line of a firespell, Scout tells her the truth about her secret life, even though Lily has no powers of her own—at least none that she’s discovered yet…

-- I LOVE books about Boarding Schools, and I LOVE fantasy, so I supsect I will quite enjoy this book!

Stake That by Mari Mancusi

Two sisters—as different as the sun and the rain. For one, getting into the Blood Cover is to die for, but it seems destiny has something else in mind...

Rayne McDonald had it all figured out. Get turned into a vampire, become the mate of the Blood Coven leader, and live the high-life for all eternity. Too bad the head vamp took a bite out of her twin sister by mistake. Now, not only is Rayne still not a vampire, but she learns she's a slayer instead—destined to destroy vamps gone bad.

After being recruited by a secret organization, Rayne is given her first mission: infiltrate a seedy bar downtown and expose its vampire owner, Maverick, for purposely spreading a nasty blood virus. Luckily the Blood Coven sends some help—in the form of sexy vampire Jareth. Will vampire and slayer be able to settle their differences and work together to bring down the evil Maverick? Or will they find their own hearts on the line?

-- I have heard good things about this series, and now I own them all, yay!

Girls That Growl by Mari Mancusi

Rayne McDonald thought getting into the Blood Coven was the hard part. But now there's a new breed of trouble in town...and the former slayer and her vampire boyfriend may be the only ones who can stop it.

Now that she's an official vampire and full-fledged member of The Blood Coven, Rayne assumes her vampire slaying days are over. Sure, she doesn't have any vampire powers, thanks to a mutated blood virus, but she and Jareth can go out in the sun, which is a pretty good trade-off.

But just when Rayne's starting to enjoy her afterlife, she's contacted by Slayer Inc once again. It seems that a member of her high school's football team has disappeared—and the powers-that-be think the cheerleaders had something to do with it. Now Rayne has to infiltrate the squad before the cheerleaders have a chance to sink their teeth into someone else...

-- Yay for Vampire books! :D

Bad Blood by Mari Mancusi

Sunny McDonald is in the ultimate forbidden relationship. Her boyfriend Magnus is a vampire, and the leader of the Blood Coven. Their differences have never been an issue, until now…

When the Blood Coven decides that Magnus needs a mate to be his co-ruler, Sunny’s humanity puts her out of the running. The Coven’s chosen candidate is Jane Johnson, a magna cum laude graduate of Oxford University who just happens to look like a vampiric celebutante.

Sunny is suspicious of a Rhodes Scholar who can’t answer the most basic poly-sci questions, but Magnus brushes it off as petty jealousy. Still, when the Blood Coven goes to Las Vegas for a vampire convention—where Magnus and Jane’s bonding ceremony will be the main event—Sunny and her sister Rayne secretly tag along. And Sunny’s not going home before she learns the truth about Jane. Because not everything stays in Vegas—especially bad blood…

-- Oh my word, how gorgeous is this cover???

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

Percy Jackson is about to be kicked out of boarding school...again. And that's the least of his troubles. Lately, mythological monsters and the gods of Mount Olympus seem to be walking straight out of the pages of Percy's Greek mythology textbook and into his life. And worse, he's angered a few of them. Zeus's master lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect.

Now Percy and his friends have just ten days to find and return Zeus's stolen property and bring peace to a warring Mount Olympus. But to succeed on his quest, Percy will have to do more than catch the true thief: he must come to terms with the father who abandoned him; solve the riddle of the Oracle, which warns him of betrayal by a friend; and unravel a treachery more powerful than the gods themselves.

-- I've been wanting to read this series for awhile now, and with the movie coming out it seemed like the perfect time! :D

From Library:

Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta

MOST OF MY friends now go to Pius Senior College, but my mother wouldn’t allow it because she says the girls there leave with limited options and she didn’t bring me up to have limitations placed upon me. If you know my mother, you’ll sense there’s an irony there, based on the fact that she is the Queen of the Limitation Placers in my life.

Francesca battles her mother, Mia, constantly over what’s best for her. All Francesca wants is her old friends and her old school, but instead Mia sends her to St. Sebastian’s, an all-boys’ school that has just opened its doors to girls. Now Francesca’s surrounded by hundreds of boys, with only a few other girls for company. All of them weirdos—or worse.

Then one day, Mia is too depressed to get out of bed. One day turns into months, and as her family begins to fall apart, Francesca realizes that without her mother’s high spirits, she hardly knows who she is. But she doesn’t yet realize that she’s more like Mia than she thinks. With a little unlikely help from St. Sebastian’s, she just might be able to save her family, her friends, and—especially—herself.

-- I read this and it is now one of my ALL TIME FAVORITE BOOKS EVER! I loooove it so much, I want to read everything Melina Marcchetta has ever written now!

The Spectacular Now by Tim Tharp

In the last months of high school, charismatic eighteen-year-old Sutter Keely lives in the present, staying drunk or high most of the time, but that could change when starts working to boost the self-confidence of a classmate, Aimee.

-- {I couldn't find a longer summary} Anyway, I read this one and liked it, it was very, uhm, peculiar though.

Project Sweet Life by Brent Hartinger

For most kids, fifteen is the year of the optional summer job: Sure, you can get a job if you really want one, but it isn't required or anything. Too bad Dave's dad doesn't agree! Instead of enjoying long days of biking, swimming, and sitting around, Dave and his two best friends are being forced by their fathers into a summer of hard labor.

The friends have something else in mind, though: Not only will they not work over the summer, but they're determined to trick everyone into believing they really do have jobs. So what if the lifeguard doesn't have a tan or the fast-food worker isn't bringing home buckets of free chicken? There's only one problem: Dave's dad wants evidence that his son is actually bringing in money. And that means Dave, Curtis, and Victor will have to get some . . . without breaking the law and without doing any work!

Project Sweet Life is designed for the funny and lazy bone in all of us—a true comedy of errors (without any effort!) from seasoned storyteller Brent Hartinger.

-- Reading right now- not very far, but seems like a funny read!

In My Mailbox: Jan 4 (6)

Ahhhhh, I'm late once again on posting IMM. I didn't do it yesterday because I wanted to take a *literal* IMM picture like I usually do. And now it is way too cold (and dark) to take one, so I'm sorry but your stuck with a regular old picture of the stack of books I got. :[

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Isabelle's Boyfriend by Caroline Hickey

WHAT DO YOU DO IF THE GUY OF YOUR DREAMS IS SOMEBODY ELSE’S BOYFRIEND?
Taryn has found the perfect guy. Epp is tall, athletic, handsome, and best of all, she is sure he likes her, too. There’s only one problem: He’s dating someone else. But when Taryn becomes friends with Epp’s beautiful girlfriend, Isabelle, her life begins to change. New friends, movie dates, and a first kiss—life couldn’t get any better, could it? Except that Epp is still Isabelle’s boyfriend. Girls will relate to Taryn’s sincerity and humor as she tries to balance family, friendship, and, of course, romance.

--Got this one for review from InGroup. It looks really cute and fun, I can't wait!

Boys That Bite by Mari Mancusi

This is not your typical boybites-girl love story.

Technically Sunshine can't get killed-because she's immortal. Well, not quite yet. Due to the worst case of mistaken identity with her dark-side-loving twin sister at a Goth club called Club Fang, Magnus, a vampire hottie, went for Sunshine's innocent neck. Now if she doesn't reverse it in time, Magnus will be her blood mate forever and she's doomed to be a blood-gulping, pasty, daylight-hating vampire. That would seriously bite.

And now, after the unfortunate slaying of the vampire leader, Sunshine, her sister Rayne, and Magnus must find the one thing that can solve her problem: the Holy Grail. They wish it were a joke but it's not. It's absolutely necessary that Sunshine gets out of this in time, because somehow she scored the hottest prom date in her school, the mouth-watering Jake Wilder. So she just can't be a vampire for the prom-let alone the rest of eternity.

--I bought this one because this series looks sooooo good! The others are on their way (including the newest one), and I'm really excited to start reading them!


Linger by Maggie Stiefvater

In Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver, Grace and Sam found each other. Now, in Linger, they must fight to be together. For Grace, this means defying her parents and keeping a very dangerous secret about her own well-being. For Sam, this means grappling with his werewolf past . . . and figuring out a way to survive into the future. Add into the mix a new wolf named Cole, whose own past has the potential to destroy the whole pack. And Isabelle, who already lost her brother to the wolves . . . and is nonetheless drawn to Cole. At turns harrowing and euphoric, Linger is a spellbinding love story that explores both sides of love -- the light and the dark, the warm and the cold -- in a way you will never forget.

--I just finished Shiver and I AM SO GLAD that I have gotten to read this book early, the wait would have been grueling! Currently, I have a few books to read before this one, but I'm so excited for when I do! Oh, did I mention it's signed!!!! Thank you Karin!


All the rest are from Lenore. Thank you Lenore, you are SO AWESOME!

The Naughty List by Suzanne Young

As if being a purrfect cheerleader isn’t enough responsibility!

Tessa Crimson’s the sweet and spunky leader of the SOS (Society of Smitten Kittens), a cheer squad–turned–spy society dedicated to bringing dastardly boyfriends to justice, one cheater at a time. Boyfriend-busting wouldn’t be so bad . . . except that so far, every suspect on the Naughty List has been proven 100% guilty!

When Tessa’s own boyfriend shows up on the List, she turns her sleuthing skills on him. Is Aiden just as naughty as all the rest, or will Tessa’s sneaky ways end in catastrophe?

The Naughty List. Is your boyfriend on it?

-- Yay! I am so excited for this one, it looks sooooo good! And I've only heard amazing things about it!


Wanderlust by Lucy Silag

Will they save their lost friend before it’s too late?
Angst and betrayal abound as teens search the French countryside for their missing classmate in this exciting sequel to Beautiful Americans.

The book opens with PJ on a train, racing toward Rouen to meet her sister, Annabel. But Annabel’s life may be fraught with troubles far worse than her own.

Alex persuades Jay and Zack to hunt for PJ at one of her absentee father’s ritzy estates in the country. But a painful encounter with her dad leaves Alex weeping—on Jay’s shoulder. Three’s a crowd for Zack; he heads to Amsterdam seeking an old friend, and a place to belong.

Back in Paris, Olivia’s escapades with Thomas are interrupted when they discover reason to believe PJ is in more peril than she knows. Will the crew find PJ in time? Have they lost themselves along the way?

-- This series looks really good, I just have to pick up the first book and then I can get onto reading it!


The Lonely Hearts Club by Elizabeth Eulberg

Penny is sick of boys and sick of dating. So she vows: no more. It's a personal choice. . .and, of course, soon everyone wants to know about it. And a few other girls are inspired. A movement is born: The Lonely Hearts Club (named after the band from Sgt. Pepper). Penny is suddenly known for her nondating ways . . . which is too bad, because there's this certain boy she can't help but like. . . .

--This one looks sooooooo good, I am so unbelievably psyched for it! My copy is the ARC so it has the original cover, but I love the new cover so much that if I like this I'm probably going to pick up a finished copy!


The Mark by Jen Nadol

Cassandra Renfield has always seen the mark—a glow around certain people reminiscent of candlelight. But the one time she mentioned it, it was dismissed as a trick of the light. Until the day she watches a man awash in the mark die. After searching her memories, Cassie realizes she can see a person’s imminent death. Not how or where, only when: today.

Armed with a vague understanding of the light, Cassie begins to explore her “gift,” seeking those marked for death and probing the line between decision and destiny. Though she’s careful to hide her secret—even from her new philosophy-obsessed boyfriend—with each impending death comes the temptation to test fate. But so many questions remain. How does the mark work? Why is she the only one who sees it? And finally, the most important of all: If you know today is someone’s last, should you tell them?

--Another one I'm really excited to read! Also, I actually already pre-ordered this one so now I get to read it early and get the pretty new cover, yay!


The Line by Teri Hall

An invisible, uncrossable physical barrier encloses the Unified States. The Line is the part of the border that lopped off part of the country, dooming the inhabitants to an unknown fate when the enemy used a banned weapon. It’s said that bizarre creatures and superhumans live on the other side, in Away. Nobody except tough old Ms. Moore would ever live next to the Line.

Nobody but Rachel and her mother, who went to live there after Rachel’s dad died in the last war. It’s a safe, quiet life. Until Rachel finds a mysterious recorded message that can only have come from Away. The voice is asking for help.

Who sent the message? Why is her mother so protective? And to what lengths is Rachel willing to go in order to do what she thinks is right?

--Yay, I dont have to wait until March! I've heard good things about this one so I'm super excited!


Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green & David Levithan

One cold night, in a most unlikely corner of Chicago, two teens—both named Will Grayson—are about to cross paths. As their worlds collide and intertwine, the Will Graysons find their lives going in new and unexpected directions, building toward romantic turns-of-heart and the epic production of history’s most fabulous high school musical.
Hilarious, poignant, and deeply insightful, John Green and David Levithan’s collaborative novel is brimming with a double helping of the heart and humor that have won both them legions of faithful fans.

--Squeeeeeee! I AM SO FRICKEN EXCITED YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW! I loooooooooooove John Green so much, and though I have never read any of David Levithan's books, I hear they're really good! Who knows I might have to pick some up after reading this! :]

So, thats what I got. What did you?

In My Mailbox: Dec. 28 (5) Xmas Edition

Wow, 5 thats it? I'm a terrible blogger! Though now that I finally got caught up on all my reviews, typing up as we speak, I should be better. If I dont catch myself right as I'm getting behind I tend to get WAY BEHIND as we've seen in the last month and a half. But anywho, on with the fun stuff....

First off, In My Mailbox is a meme that explores all the books you got within a week (or if you get behind like I did, multiple weeks), whether it be for review, bought, borrowed, traded, won, from the library, or any other way. The mastermind behind this is The Story Siren who was inspired by Alea.

**I'm sorry but there was too many pictures to do the literal In My Mailbox pictures this week. Next week they will be back though!**

This Christmas I got some really sweet book and non-book gifts, but I'll just share with you the book ones. My parents didn't buy me any physical books, but I did get a $100 Borders card! Then after we had our family Christmas, I had got seven books from my grandma, a $25 Borders card from my aunt, and about $175 in cash (which I'm planning to buy books with.)
Here are the ones from my Grandma*:

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl
There were no surprises in Gatlin County.
We were pretty much the epicenter of the middle of nowhere.
At least, that's what I thought.
Turns out, I couldn't have been more wrong.
There was a curse.
There was a girl.
And in the end, there was a grave.

Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she's struggling to conceal her power and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.

Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town's oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.

In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.

I am so psyched to read this one- SO MANY GOOD REVIEWS! I don't think I've seen a remotely bad one!

Bad Girls Don't Die by Katie Alender
Alexis thought she led a typically dysfunctional high school existence. Dysfunctional like her parents' marriage; her doll-crazy twelve-year-old sister, Kasey; and even her own anti-social, anti-cheerleader attitude.
When a family fight results in some tearful sisterly bonding, Alexis realizes that her life is creeping from dysfunction into danger. Kasey is acting stranger than ever: her blue eyes go green sometimes; she uses old-fashioned language; and she even loses track of chunks of time, claiming to know nothing about her strange behavior. Their old house is changing, too. Doors open and close by themselves; water boils on the unlit stove; and an unplugged air conditioner turns the house cold enough to see their breath in.

Alexis wants to think that it's all in her head, but soon, what she liked to think of as silly parlor tricks are becoming life-threatening--to her, her family, and to her budding relationship with the class president. Alexis knows she's the only person who can stop Kasey -- but what if that green-eyed girl isn't even Kasey anymore?

I've heard good things about this one too! (Though most said it creeped them out.) I personally think it sounds amazing!

Fire by Kristin Cashore
Fire, Graceling's prequel-ish companion book, takes place across the mountains to the east of the seven kingdoms, in a rocky, war-torn land called the Dells.

Beautiful creatures called monsters live in the Dells. Monsters have the shape of normal animals: mountain lions, dragonflies, horses, fish. But the hair or scales or feathers of monsters are gorgeously colored-- fuchsia, turquoise, sparkly bronze, iridescent green-- and their minds have the power to control the minds of humans.

Seventeen-year-old Fire is the last remaining human-shaped monster in the Dells. Gorgeously monstrous in body and mind but with a human appreciation of right and wrong, she is hated and mistrusted by just about everyone, and this book is her story.

Wondering what makes it a companion book/prequel? Fire takes place 30-some years before Graceling and has one cross-over character with Graceling, a small boy with strange two-colored eyes who comes from no-one-knows-where, and who has a peculiar ability that Graceling readers will find familiar and disturbing...

Hmmm, so techinically I haven't even read Graceling yet, but it looks so good, and yet another book I have yet to see a bad review on.

*Ha, next two books were in previous IMM posts*
Skinned by Robin Wasserman
Lia Kahn was perfect: rich, beautiful, popular -- until the accident that nearly killed her. Now she has been downloaded into a new body that only looks human. Lia will never feel pain again, she will never age, and she can't ever truly die. But she is also rejected by her friends, betrayed by her boyfriend, and alienated from her old life.

Forced to the fringes of society, Lia joins others like her. But they are looked at as freaks. They are hated...and feared. They are everything but human, and according to most people, this is the ultimate crime -- for which they must pay the ultimate price.

I have already read this book, (and LOVED it), but now I have it for my collection! :)


Crashed by Robin Wasserman
The followup to the debut novel Scott Westerfeld called "A spell-binding story about loss, rebirth, and finding out who we really are inside...intense and moving."

Months have passed, and in that time, Lia has joined Jude and his roving gang of mechs, an eclectic collection of bored teenagers looking for trouble, and uniquely capable of finding it. It’s a carefree life at first, but as the download process becomes more common, the opposition to the process becomes more vocal - and more hostile.

Lia gets swept up in the idea of being a revolutionary and fighting for a cause, but as the plans escalate, she starts having second thoughts — especially when she figures out Jude’s real agenda. Yes, he’s loyal to his cause — fiercely, desperately, blindly loyal. But only to his cause. Not necessarily to his people. In the end, Lia must make a choice. How many people — mechanical and organic — is she willing to hurt to protect her freedom? How far is she willing to go to protect the people she loves? And, when she betrays Jude—as she eventually realizes she must—how will he take his revenge?

I NEEDED this book, and have been dying to read it for awhile now! I originally had it from the Library but after my crazy Library Fiasco of '09, I wasn't able to read it enough time! (And I wanted my own copy.)

*My Grandma also got me Need and Hush, Hush, but I already had copies, so I returned them! Thanks Grams!

Per tradition, me and my dad go shopping the day after Christmas (this time my whole family joined us) we go out and spend our money! So obviously I headed over to Borders! I used by $25 Gift Card and my money from the returns, and I got...

Strange Angels by Lili St. Crow
Dru Anderson has what her grandmother called “the touch.” (Comes in handy when you’re traveling from town to town with your dad, hunting ghosts, suckers, wulfen, and the occasional zombie.)
Then her dad turns up dead—but still walking—and Dru knows she’s next. Even worse, she’s got two guys hungry for her affections, and they’re not about to let the fiercely independent Dru go it alone. Will Dru discover just how special she really is before coming face-to-fang with whatever—or whoever— is hunting her?

I'm so excited! When Betrayals came out awhile back, there was soooo much good buzz about this book I had to pick it up!


Betrayals by Lili St. Crow
She’s no angel . . .
Poor Dru Anderson. Her parents are long gone, her best friend is a werewolf, and she’s just learned that the blood flowing through her veins isn’t entirely human. (So what else is new?)

Now Dru is stuck at a secret New England School for other teens like her, and there’s a big problem— she’s the only girl in the place. A school full of cute boys wouldn’t be so bad, but Dru’s killer instinct says that one of them wants her dead. And with all eyes on her, discovering a traitor within the Order could mean a lot more than social suicide. . .

Can Dru survive long enough to find out who has betrayed her trust—and maybe even her heart?

I plan on falling in love with Strange Angels, so I've become prepared with the sequel! =)

Hunger by Michael Grant
It's been three months since everyone under the age of fourteen became trapped in the bubble known as the FAYZ. Things have only gotten worse. Food is running out, and each day more kids are developing supernatural abilities. Soon tension rises between those with powers and those without, and when an unspeakable tragedy occurs, chaos erupts. It's the normals against the mutants, and the battle promises to turn bloody.

But something more dangerous lurks. A sinister creature known as the Darkness has begun to call to the survivors in the FAYZ. It needs their powers to sustain its own. When the Darkness calls, someone will answer -- with deadly results.

Like Strange Angels, I plan to fall in love with Gone, (yet another I've only seen positive reviews for), so of course I had to pick up the sequel!

Rampant by Diana Peterfreund
Forget everything you ever knew about unicorns...

The sparkly, innocent creatures of lore are a myth. Real unicorns are venomous, man-eating monsters with huge fangs and razor-sharp horns. And they can only be killed by virgin descendants of Alexander the Great.

Fortunately, unicorns have been extinct for a hundred and fifty years.

Or not.

Astrid Llewelyn has always scoffed at her eccentric mother's stories about killer unicorns. But when one of the monsters attacks her boyfriend in the woods — thereby ruining any chance of him taking her to prom — Astrid learns that unicorns are real and dangerous, and she has a family legacy to uphold. Her mother packs her off to Rome to train as a unicorn hunter at the ancient cloisters the hunters have used for centuries.

However, at the cloisters, all is not what it seems. Outside, the unicorns wait to attack. And within, Astrid faces other, unexpected threats: from crumbling, bone-covered walls that vibrate with a terrible power to the hidden agendas of her fellow hunters to — perhaps most dangerously of all — her growing attraction to a handsome art student... and a relationship that could jeopardize everything.

Ha, another book had from library but had to return before read due to Library Fiasco of '09. I've heard really good things about it though, and personally can't resist a book about killer unicorns!

Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles
A fresh, urban twist on the classic tale of star-crossed lovers.
When Brittany Ellis walks into chemistry class on the first day of senior year, she has no clue that her carefully created “perfect” life is about to unravel before her eyes. She’s forced to be lab partners with Alex Fuentes, a gang member from the other side of town, and he is about to threaten everything she's worked so hard for—her flawless reputation, her relationship with her boyfriend, and the secret that her home life is anything but perfect. Alex is a bad boy and he knows it. So when he makes a bet with his friends to lure Brittany into his life, he thinks nothing of it. But soon Alex realizes Brittany is a real person with real problems, and suddenly the bet he made in arrogance turns into something much more. In a passionate story about looking beneath the surface, Simone Elkeles breaks through the stereotypes and barriers that threaten to keep Brittany and Alex apart.

Holy Crap, I've heard more rave reviews or "this is my/ one of my all-time favorite book(s)" than any other book, EVER. So naturally I had to see what everybody is buzzing about!


Also, I can't resist showing you the books I got in my absense, but due to the already extreme length of this post, I'll just link them to their GoodReads page! I bought a couple, but again a good chunk are contests wins. That kinda makes me feel guilty, but I did buy a lot of books recently (you havent seen them because their either pre-orders or haven't arrived yet), so I feel better. And thank you to everyone who sent me a book via contest!

*In A Heartbeat by Loretta Ellsworth (for Around the World tour here)
*Gettin' Hooked by Nyomi Scott (for InGroup)--there will be no review because lets just say I did not like it remotely.
*The Espressologist by Kristina Springer (also for InGroup)
*The Dark Devine by Bree Despain (from Street Team)-- I also got like 300 bookmarks and stickers (which I passed out most of to promote), a T-Shirt, and some pretty purple nailpolish. I also, got a second ARC and nailpolish, but I had a giveaway for that! Am keeping one of them because its signed, though I plan to get a finished-copy too! :)
*Invisible Lines by Mary Amato (for review)
*The Maze Runner by James Dashner-- went to signing of his at B&N and got myelf a nice signed copy! Also, my 11 yr. old bro read this too and loved it! Picture of signed page is at bottom of post.
*DupliKate by Cherry Cheva(Won from The Bookologist)-- It's signed to me! Yay! Ha, it also came with the newest Family Guy DVD since Cherry's a co-writer of it! Picture if signed page is at bottom of post. Thank you Cherry and Mavie!
*The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (ARC)-- Awhile back I won a contest on Jackie Dolamore's blog. There were multiple prizes you could win, and when I was claiming my prize I told her I had a tough time deciding between the signed cover flat of her book with handdrawn pictures of her characters on it (which I chose), or her ARC of The Hunger Games so I could re-read it anytime I wanted. Well, Jackie was so nice she sent me both! Picture of cover flat is at bottom of post. Thank you Jackie! Review here.
*Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater (bought)-- Had to have this one, sounded too good! Actually am reading right now, and it is indeed amazing!
*Graceling by Kristin Cashore (bought)-- Sounds, and reviewed, way too good, had to have!
*The Van Alen Legacy by Melissa De la Cruz (bought)-- Have been waiting on since January!
*Hannah by Kathryn Lasky (won on GoodReads First Reads)-- Honestly, I didn't think you could win on First Reads until I won this! :)
*Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick (won via Simon&Schuster's Twitter RT Contest)-- Another thing I was totally surprised when I won. I was desperately wanting this though, so I was extremely happy! Thank you Simon & Schuster!
*Marked by P.C. & Kristin Cast (won from taking TeensRead.com survey)-- Again, totally surprised when I won. I already read over summer, but its always nice to add another book to the collection! Thank you Cristina!
*Marni by Marni Bates (won from The Page Flipper)-- Chelsea also gave me a whole bunch of bookmarks too! Thanks Chelsea!
*Devoured by Amanda Marrone (won from Imperial Beach Teen Blog)-- Thank you Perla!
*Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove by Lauren Kate & Posessions by Nancy Holder (won from A Good Addiction)-- Thank you Kari!
*Evermore & Blue Moon by Alyson Noel (won from Lost In Ink)-- Thank you Staysi!
*Mudville by Kurtis Scaletta (won from The O.W.L.)-- Thank you Jill!
*Struts & Frets by Jon Skovron (won from contest from Charity Tahmaseb & Darcy Vance, authors of The Geek's Guide to Cheerleading, {their blog})-- All I had to do was say if I thought Kurt Cobain could survive the zombie appocalypse or not, which he could FYI. Thank you Charity & Darcy!
*Are These My Basoombas I See Before Me? by Louise Rennison (won from Elizabeth Scott's {super cool author btw} blog)-- I am dying to read this series! I joined the Geogia Nicolson Reading Challenge but have yet tracked down the books yet. I now have the final book though! Thanks Elizabeth!
*Gone by Michael Grant (won from The Shady Glade)-- Actually, someone else won it first but they never claimed it, I'm sorry, but I'm glad I now have this bad baby, it looks amazing! Thank you Alyssa!
*The Demon's Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan (won from Page Turners)-- I won a Mini-Challenge for their Holiday Blowout. Thanks Pixie!
*Intertwined by Gena Showalter (won from Readergirlz)-- Came with Intertwined T-Shirt! :) Thank you Harlequin Teen & Readergirlz (specifically Melissa)!
*Need by Carrie Jones (won from Katie's Book Blog)-- Thank you Katie!
*Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink (won from YA Book Releases)-- Thank you Kaila!
*Hold Still by Nina LaCour (won from The Book Obsession)-- Thank you Lizzie!

Oh. My. Word. That was a lot of typing/linking! Like I said I also pre-ordered LOTS of Tenner books just for the months of January, February, and part of March (2010 is going to cost me a lot- I need a job!), and a couple recently released 2009 books. The 2009 ones should be here soon, and the rest as they release! :)

Oh, I also got a hanging shelf. Thats good because I was starting to fill up my standing, floor-length bookcase! Heres some pictures of it:

And here's the signed books mentioned above:



So, thats what I got. What did you?

And yet another extremely long post by Dani. Sorry guys!