In My Mailbox #17

In My Mailbox explores the books I received during the week. If you would to have your own "In My Mailbox" post, you can find more information at The Story Siren.

Step Up and Dance (Girlfriend Fiction, #6) by Thalia Kalkipsakis

1st August 2008 | Allen & Unwin

As I leaped and kicked, taking care to be perfectly in line, I felt a quickening in my chest, a secret dance in my heart. I just had to get through rehearsal and the game itself, then I would finally get to talk to him . . .
Saph's life is pretty perfect. At sixteen, she's already doing what she loves: dancing in a cheerleading squad for a professional basketball team.

So when she gets a Valentine from her secret crush, all her dreams seem to be within reach. But the harder Saph dances after her dreams, the more her real life starts to get in the way. Worst of all, the Valentine turns out to be a hoax. Humiliated and angry, Saph and her best friend, Summer, are determined to get revenge.


A funny, energetic story about forgetting the moves and remembering what's important.

Into the Wild Nerd Yonder by Julie Halpern

29th September 2009 | Feiwel & Friends

It's Jessie's sophomore year of high school. A self-professed 'mathelete,' she isn't sure where she belongs. Her two best friends have transformed themselves into punks and one of them is going after her longtime crush. Her beloved older brother will soon leave for college (and in the meantime has shaved his mohawk and started dating . . . the prom princess!) . . .

Things are changing fast. Jessie needs new friends. And her quest is a hilarious tour through high-school clique-dom, with a surprising stop along the way - the Dungeons and Dragons crowd, who out-nerd everyone. Will hanging out with them make her a nerd, too? And could she really be crushing on a guy with too-short pants and too-white gym shoes?

If you go into the wild nerd yonder, can you ever come back?

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

1st February 1999 | MTV

Standing on the fringes of life...

offers a unique perspective. But there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor.

This haunting novel about the dilemma of passivity vs. passion marks the stunning debut of a provocative new voice in contemporary fiction: The Perks of Being a Wallflower.

This is the story of what it's like to grow up in high school. More intimate than a diary, Charlie's letters are singular and unique, hilarious and devastating. We may not know where he lives. We may not know to whom he is writing. All we know is the world he shares. Caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it puts him on a strange course through uncharted territory. The world of first dates and mixed tapes, family dramas and new friends. The world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite.

Through Charlie, Stephen Chbosky has created a deeply affecting coming-of-age story, a powerful novel that will spirit you back to those wild and poignant roller coaster days known as growing up.

Shrinking Violet by Danielle Joseph

5th May 2009 | MTV

High school senior Teresa Adams is so painfully shy that she dreads speaking to anyone in the hallways or getting called on in class. But in the privacy of her bedroom with her iPod in hand, she rocks out -- doing mock broadcasts for Miami's hottest FM radio station, which happens to be owned by her stepfather.

When a slot opens up at The SLAM, Tere surprises herself by blossoming behind the mike into confident, sexy Sweet T -- and to everyone's shock, she's a hit! Even Gavin, the only guy in school who she dares to talk to, raves about the mysterious DJ's awesome taste in music. But when The SLAM announces a songwriting contest -- and a prom date with Sweet T is the grand prize -- Sweet T's dream could turn into Tere's worst nightmare....

Blue Bloods and Masquerade (Blue Bloods, #1 & #2)

by Melissa de la Cruz

Invisible I (The Amanda Project, #1) by Stella Lennon

Notes from the Teenage Underground by Simmone Howell

Everything Beautiful by Simmone Howell

Lady Gaga: "Just Dance" - The Biography by Helia Phoenix

The Spell Book of Listen Taylor by Jaclyn Moriarty

Cassie (Girlfriend Fiction, #8) by Barry Jonsberg

Q: Where do you get most of your books from and how do you first hear about them?