In My Mailbox (69)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren to share what books you received for review, purchased, or checked out from the library during the past week.


This week, it was all about YA books as I got a ton of new books from the library that came in on hold.

For review:

The Gathering Storm by Robin Bridges

What drew me to want to read this book is the combination of historical fiction with paranormal elements. I am interested in Russian history and I have high hopes for this book.

Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally

This reminds me a little bit of Dairy Queen with the female football player angle. I think it is pretty cool that she is the QB of her team. 

The Unbearable Book Club for Unsinkable Girls by Julie Schumacher

As someone who enjoys being in book clubs I hope this will be as interesting as it sounds. 

Purchased:

Tamar by Mal Peet

This was one of the Kindle daily deals this past week and I thought it sounded really interesting. I don't know how popular it is with teens but I love historical fiction set during World War II.

From the library:

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

I have seen many, many good reviews of this book so I decided that I had to read it for myself. Hopefully I will like it as much as everyone else does!

How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr

I actually received this from NetGalley but didn't realize that I hadn't downloaded it to my Kindle till it was too late. Thankfully I was able to order it from the library.

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

I really wanted to read this last month for Halloween but it is so popular that I didn't get my hands on a copy till now. Oh, well. 

Drink Slay Love by Sarah Beth Durst

I am hoping that this will be as humorous as Sucks To Be Me (Kimberly Pauley). The description certainly makes it sound like a funny book.

Fateful by Claudia Gray

I don't think I would have picked this up if it wasn't set on the Titanic. With the 100th anniversary fast approaching, I am sure there will be more and more books featuring the Titanic. This one has a paranormal twist with werewolves.

Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick

I think this one has potential to be a really interesting dystopian book. I have heard mostly good things about it.

Beauty and the Werewolf by Mercedes Lackey

This was my WoW pick not too long ago so I'm glad I was able to get it so soon. I've enjoyed the other fairy tale retellings in this series and I hope this will be just as fun.

So I thought I'd try something new...

I currently have Review Writer's Block-the dreaded words for a book blogger. I am in the middle of writing several reviews and just can't seem to put my thoughts in order. Hopefully I will be able to complete a review soon! 

In the meantime, this is an exciting week in the world of YA lit with the release of The Hunger Games trailer and the upcoming release of Breaking Dawn Part I. I thought that the trailer for The Hunger Games was fantastic. I was concerned at first when I saw who was cast to play Peeta but I think the movie will be really good based on what I saw in the trailer.

While I am not as big of a Twilight fan as I once was (before I read Breaking Dawn and saw the first film), I am still eager to see this movie. I happen to like weddings, even fictional ones and I am curious about how the movie will play out. I bought my ticket last night and I will be watching the film on Saturday in what is sure to be a packed movie theater.

What did you think of the trailer for The Hunger Games movie? Did it meet your expectations?  Will you be going to see Breaking Dawn? 

Waiting on Wednesday (74)

"Waiting on" Wednesday is a weekly meme to discuss upcoming books we can't wait to get our hands on. Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

This week, I'm waiting on:

The Springsweet by Saundra Mitchell

Publication date: April 17, 2012

Description from Goodreads:

It’s a long way from Baltimore to Oklahoma Territory. But Zora Stewart will go any distance to put the tragic events of her sixteenth summer behind her. So this city girl heads to the tiny frontier town of West Glory to help her young widowed aunt keep her homestead going.

When another Baltimorean shows up in West Glory, Zora couldn’t be more surprised. Theo de la Croix made the long trip out west hoping to court Zora, whom he has long admired from afar.

But Zora has developed an attraction to a rather less respectable fellow: Emerson Birch, a rough-mannered young "sooner" whose fertile land is coveted.

As Zora begins to suspect that there may be more than luck behind Emerson’s good land, she discovers an extraordinary, astonishing power of her own: the ability to sense water under the parched earth. When her aunt hires her out as a "springsweet" to advise other settlers where to dig their wells, Zora feels the burden of holding the key to something so essential to survival in this unforgiving land.

Even more, she finds herself longing for love the way the prairie thirsts for water. Maybe, in the wildness of the territories, Zora can finally move beyond simply surviving and start living.

I really liked The Vespertine and I am eager to read this companion novel.

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain

Publication date: January 24, 2012

Description from Goodreads:

At least one-third of the people we know are introverts. They are the ones who prefer listening to speaking, reading to partying; who invent and create but prefer not to pitch their own ideas; who favor working on their own over brainstorming in teams. Although they are often labeled “quiet,” it is to introverts we owe many of the great contributions to society—from Van Gogh’s sunflowers to the invention of the personal computer. 

Passionately argued, impressively researched, and filled with the indelible stories of real people, Quiet shows how dramatically we undervalue introverts, and how much we lose in doing so. Susan Cain charts the rise of “the extrovert ideal” over the twentieth century and explores its far-reaching effects—how it helps to determine everything from how parishioners worship to who excels at Harvard Business School. And she draws on cutting-edge research on the biology and psychology of temperament to reveal how introverts can modulate their personalities according to circumstance, how to empower an introverted child, and how companies can harness the natural talents of introverts. This extraordinary book has the power to permanently change how we see introverts and, equally important, how they see themselves.

I am very excited about this book! Though it takes me a long time to get through nonfiction books, I really want to read this as I am a major introvert. Early buzz is really good!

Top Ten Books I Own But Haven't Read

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. There is a new subject each week and this week's topic is "Top Ten Books I Own But Haven't Read".

1. Eona by Alison Goodman


I've only had this book since April but considering the years I waited to read this sequel I am ashamed of myself for not picking it up yet!

2. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen


I bought this at the same time that I bought Eona but I wanted to read it right away and then I just never did. I am afraid I won't get to it till next year.

3. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson


My sister gave me this book (and the sequels) last year for Christmas and I still haven't started it yet. I must be one of the few people left who haven't read it :)

4. The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson

5. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson

6. Marley and Me by John Grogan


My sister gave this to me for my birthday in 2010 and I still haven't read it. She even got it signed by John Grogan. I feel so awful that I haven't read it. I loved the movie!

7. The Confident Woman by Joyce Meyer


I have had this book since 2006. I started reading it but I was in grad school and life got really busy and complicated and I never picked it up again. I did like it and found it had some good advice for building confidence which I sorely need!

8. Birthmarked by Carah M. O'Brien


I won this book last year from another book blogger. I was really excited about reading it but somehow it just never happened. Now the sequel is out too. Oh, well...

9. My Name is Memory by Ann Brashares


This is one of those books that I went out and bought without thinking about it. Then I read some negative reviews and changed my mind about reading it. It sounds too much like a YA book I didn't care for that even has protagonists with the same name. I keep forgetting to donate this to my library book sale.

10. The Deathly Hallows Lectures by John Granger


I am a huge Harry Potter fan and I enjoy reading nonfiction about the books too. I consider John Granger to be something of a Harry Potter expert and I always learn more about the books from reading his essays. I loved his Looking For God in Harry Potter so I snatched up a copy of this right away. Unfortunately I have yet to finish it. It takes me a long time to read nonfiction. I do plan to read it someday.




Have you read any of these books? Am I a total failure for not having read them yet? :)

Teaser Tuesdays (68)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page

Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My teasers this week:

"'It's just that Greg has spent a decade hoping and praying I would be the perfect preacher's wife, who doesn't get her back up so easily. That I would turn out to be the superwife and the supermom. And every time I'm not, I swear Greg leaves me just an inch. You add up all those inches over time and see the miles you come up with.'" p.128

"'Life was easier to bear when I thought there was meaning to it, when there seemed to be reasons for why things happened or didn't happen. When life was one great algorithm. But it's not. Bad things happen, good things happen, then more bad things happen. There's no logic to it.'" p.129

Come Sunday by Isla Morley

Description from book:

Abbe is a restless young mother living on the outskirts of Honolulu with her husband, Greg, the pastor at a small church. Their lives are suddenly riven by tragedy when their three-year-old daughter, Cleo, is struck and killed by car. As Greg turns to God and community for comfort, Abbe turns inward and reflects upon her own troubled past.  Isla Morley brilliantly weaves the story of Abbe's grief with a gripping tale of her tempestuous childhood in apartheid South Africa---and how Abbe's father, a villainous drunk, held her family hostage for decades with his rage, until they finally began to plot their escape from him. Come Sundayis a spellbinding drama about a woman breaking free of her grief and of her past, and what it takes to revive hope when all seems lost. 

It's Monday, What Are You Reading (86)

It's Monday, What Are You Reading is a fun weekly meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journey where we share what we've read and reviewed over the past week and what we plan to read next.


I skipped last week's What Are You Reading since I was sick so this is two weeks worth of books. Even though I had a sore throat and cold, I was able to get some reading done. Unfortunately, I am behind on writing reviews!

Books read:

Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder

Even though I read the Glass series first, I still really enjoyed Poison Study. I liked being introduced again to Yelena, Valek, Janco, and Ari and I look forward to reading book two, Magic Study.

When She Woke by Hillary Jordan

At first I really liked this retelling of The Scarlet Letter and felt for Hannah and all she was going through. but then the plot took some bizarre turns. I thought the protagonist acted out of character and the story really lost focus and disappointed me in the end.

The Rose Garden by Susanna Kearsley

I love time travel novels and while I didn't think The Rose Garden was as good as The Winter Sea, I still really liked it even when it wasn't believable.

Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce

I was just a bit disappointed with this book. I think because Alanna is so young and a little naive I found her to be annoying at times. It is still a good book and I hope that I will like the rest of the series more. 

Romancing Mister Bridgerton by Julia Quinn

Another fun historical romance by Julia Quinn! I really liked that the protagonist wasn't known as a beauty and that she was a wallflower. That made her more relatable and the romance more sweet. Now I know which author to try next time I am sick and need a good distraction.

Books reviewed:

The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan

Currently reading:

Come Sunday by Isla Morley

I knew going into it that this book was going to be really sad. I am only on chapter three and this is a definite tearjerker! It is my evening book discussion's November pick.

Bright Young Things by Anna Godbersen

I was reading Bright Young Things on my Kindle when I realized that I have two book discussion books that I need to read by November 29th. I hate having to put this to the side because I am really enjoying it. My favorite character so far is Letty though Cordelia is also fun to read about. Will I like this book more than the Luxe series? Stay tuned...

What I plan to read next:

Sister of My Heart by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

I will be rereading this book because it is my afternoon book discussion group's November pick. It is a book I have read twice before (and I love it) but it has been awhile.

The Kitchen Daughter by Jael McHenry

I have started this book but haven't gotten very far yet. I love all the descriptions of food, the recipes, and the writing style.

Bellfield Hall by Anna Dean

I really need to read this soon! I have had it checked out from the library since August. Thankfully we get to keep our books for four weeks and renew them for four more weeks but time is running out. I just read a really good review of this from Mystica that makes me want to read the book even more!

So that is what I have planned for my week. 

What have you been reading and what do you hope to read next?

In My Mailbox (68)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren to share what books you received for review, purchased, or checked out from the library during the past week.

For review:

The Agency: The Traitor in the Tunnel by Y.S. Lee

I was really excited to see this available for request from NetGalley. I love Y.S. Lee's Agency mysteries and look forward to reading The Traitor in the Tunnel.

Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu

Though I am not a fan of The Snow Queen, I have heard really good things about this retelling. 

The Traitor's Daughter by Paula Brandon

The cover of The Traitor's Daughter makes it look like a historical romance but it is fantasy. I don't know much about the book but hopefully I will like it. 

Unraveling Isobel by Eileen Cook

Purchased:

The Lost Letters of Brother Gabriel by Bree Despain

Magic Study by Maria V. Snyder

I finally read Poison Study and I really liked it so I went ahead and bought Magic Study. I am a fan of Snyder's Glass series which is a spin-off from this one. Unfortunately since I read that series first, I already know a lot of what will happen in the Study series.

StarCrossed by Elizabeth Bunce

From the library:

11/22/63 by Stephen King

This will be my first ever Stephen King book and it doesn't sound like what he usually writes. I like the time travel/historical aspect of it.

Lost in Time by Melissa de la Cruz

I am not sure I will read this one cover to cover. I am kind of tired of this series but I still want to know what happens :)

Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick by Joe Schreiber

This sounds like a fun book though I think it has received mixed reviews. I don't get the chance to read many YA contemporary novels written with male protagonists.

A Little Break

I am unfortunately sick again with a cold and lovely sore throat so I will be taking a little break from blogging. I don't really like coughing and sneezing all over my laptop :)  

I have been reading a lot so I will have plenty of books to write about when I recover. Be back in a few days--I hope!

Review: The Son of Neptune

The Son of Neptune

By Rick Riordan

Publication date: October 4, 2011

My review:

In this sequel to The Lost Hero, we find out what Percy Jackson has been up to away from Camp Half-Blood and we are introduced to a whole new cast of characters. There is a new threat to civilization and a prophecy (made at the end of The Last Olympian) and on top of that Percy has amnesia. With only days to stop Gaea from rising, Percy and his new friends journey to Alaska, the "land beyond the Gods".

I found this book to be more enjoyable than The Lost Hero because Percy is back as one of the main characters. We also get to see glimpses of Grover and Annabeth as well as Tyson. I enjoyed the introduction of two other main characters, Frank and Hazel. Frank is a favorite new character in the series and I was surprised by the identity of his godly parent-not at all what I was expecting and kind of funny. I think young readers will be inspired by Frank's growing courage and relate to his insecurities. Hazel also has had a lot of hardships in her life and shows strength and bravery. It is nice to see imperfect characters who grow and find their place.

The addition of Roman mythology to the mix was fascinating. I never knew that there were differences between Greek and Roman mythology beyond the different names for the gods. I did find Percy's amnesia to be annoying after awhile though it does serve a purpose. Frank and Hazel's stories helped to make up for it as did the humor. Some of my favorite scenes involved Percy's continuing fight with Medusa's sisters (who work at a Bargain Mart). The alternating viewpoints work much better here because readers will already be familiar with Percy. It also gives insight into the new characters.

Overall I was really pleased with this sequel. It advances the overarching story line and entertains the reader at the same time.  In The  Son of Neptune, we see some of the brilliance of the original series. I can't wait to read The Mark of Athena. 

Waiting on Wednesday (73)

"Waiting on" Wednesday is a weekly meme to discuss upcoming books we can't wait to get our hands on. Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

This week, I'm waiting on:

Midnight in Austenland by Shannon Hale

Publication date: January 31, 2012

Description from Goodreads:

When Charlotte Kinder treats herself to a two-week vacation at Austenland, she happily leaves behind her ex-husband and his delightful new wife, her ever-grateful children, and all the rest of her real life in America. She dons a bonnet and stays at a country manor house that provides an immersive Austen experience, complete with gentleman actors who cater to the guests' Austen fantasies. 

Everyone at Pembrook Park is playing a role, but increasingly, Charlotte isn't sure where roles end and reality begins. And as the parlor games turn a little bit menacing, she finds she needs more than a good corset to keep herself safe. Is the brooding Mr. Mallery as sinister as he seems? What is Miss Gardenside's mysterious ailment? Was that an actual dead body in the secret attic room? And-perhaps of the most lasting importance-could the stirrings in Charlotte's heart be a sign of real-life love? 

The follow-up to reader favorite Austenland provides the same perfectly plotted pleasures, with a feisty new heroine, plenty of fresh and frightening twists, and the possibility of a romance that might just go beyond the proper bounds of Austen's world. How could it not turn out right in the end?

I am looking forward to this because I really enjoyed Austenland and any Jane Austen-related book is of interest to me so I want to read this companion novel.  Austenland is currently filming with Keri Russell starring as the main character, Jane Hayes.

The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler

Publication date: November 21, 2011

Description from Goodreads:

It's 1996, and less than half of all American high school students have ever used the Internet.

Emma just got her first computer and an America Online CD-ROM.

Josh is her best friend. They power up and log on--and discover themselves on Facebook, fifteen years in the future.

Everybody wonders what their Destiny will be. Josh and Emma are about to find out.

I am very excited about this book, partly because I graduated from high school in '96. I think it sounds like a fun and creative book and I've read only positive reviews so far.