In My Mailbox #60

For more information on the blogopsheres obession with In My Mailbox, check out The Story Siren.

This Week I Received:

The Ghost and the Goth #1 | Across the Universe

Both of these books look awesome, I've heard so many good things about ACROSS from fans who aren't usually into this type of genre just like me but after reading the first chapter, I know I'm going to love it. GHOST looks awesome and I'm shocked it's taken me this long to even get close to reading it but now I'm torn on whether to add the ARC or regular copy to my reading pile.

Slayed | It Happened One Summer | The Twin's Daughter

I haven't heard much about IT HAPPENED, it's more of a chick-lit novel in an interesting cover/format that I haven't really seen before. TWINS has a much darker theme than I expected so I'm thinking it'll be a little less my style and it'll take a lot for me to get into the vampires of SLAYED so it'll probably sit on my shelf for awhile.

Q: Which of these books would you enjoy the most?

(ARC) Tour: The Summer of Firsts and Lasts

The Summer of Firsts and Lasts by Terra Elan McVoy | Three sisters. One life-changing summer. Calla loves summer because summer means Duncan. They’ve been best friends for years, but Calla has never worked up the nerve to tell him how she really feels. This summer, the summer before college, is Calla's last chance.

Violet isn't much of a rule breaker in real life. But this isn't real life, this is summer, and Violet is determined to make the most of it. Besides, a little sneaking out never hurt anyone. And sneaking out with James is 100% worth the risk...even though James is completely off-limits.

Daisy has never been the sister that boys notice, but when sparks fly with Joel at the first bonfire of summer, it seems so easy and right. So why is being his girlfriend so complicated?

SIGN-UPS ARE NOW CLOSED FOR THIS TOUR.

1. Jessica | IL 
2. Andrea | WA 
3. Kathy | UT 
4. Miranda | TX 
5. Gabrielle | NC 
6. Joli | VA 
7. Keris | UK 
8. Asriani | Indonesia 
9. Paula | NZ 
10. Alice | Australia 

Reading time is limited to 7 days and reviews need to be written within a month.

(ARC) Tour: Dreams of Significant Girls

Dreams of Significant Girls by Cristina Garcia | Brought together each summer at a boarding school in Switzerland, three girls learn a lot more than just French and European culture. Shirin, an Iranian princess; Ingrid, a German-Canadian eccentric; and Vivien, a Cuban-Jewish New Yorker culinary phenom, are thrown into eachother's lives when they become roommates. This is a story of 3 paths slowly beginning to cross and merge as they spend the year apart, but the summers together. Through navigating the social-cultural shoals of the school, developing their adolescence, and learning the confusing and conflicting legacies of their families' past, Shirin, Ingrid, and Vivien form an unbreakable bond.

Like The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, this story takes readers on a journey into the lives of very different girls and the bonds that keep them friends.

SIGN-UPS ARE NOW CLOSED FOR THIS TOUR.

1. Aliyah | NJ
2. Lindsay | PA
3. Jessica | IL
4. Shannon | KY
5. Tara | UT
6. Emma | NV
7. Ivy | CA
8. Jenna | CA
9. Jessica | WA
10. Nichole | AUS

Reading time is limited to 7 days and reviews need to be written within a month.

Waiting on Wednesday #36

Sometimes It Happens by Lauren Barnholdt

Released: July 12th 2011

A very pretty cover for an author I've heard so many awesome things about, I love the idea of starting the first chapter with the climax point of facing your issues and then working your way through the backstory of falling for your best friend's boyfriend. I'm sure this'll be a hit!

Summary from Goodreads: On the last day of her junior year, Hannah's boyfriend Ryan dumped her. Facing a summer of loneliness, Hannah turns to her best friend Ava for comfort. Ava does what BFFs do: she stays by Hannah's side...until it's time for Ava to head up to Maine for the summer. Also left behind is Ava's boyfriend, Noah, who's such a great guy he gets Hannah a job at the diner he waits tables at. Slowly, Hannah comes out of her funk thanks to Noah's good conversation and their fun times at the diner. But things get complicated when their friendship turns into attraction--and one night, into a passionate kiss. The novel opens on the first day of senior year; the day Hannah is going to see Ava, Ryan, and Noah all in one place. Over the course of the day secrets and betrayals are revealed, and alliances are broken and reformed. In the end, everyone is paired up once again, but not the way you might think... 

(ARC) Tour: Shine

Shine by Lauren Myracle | When her best guy friend falls victim to a vicious hate crime, sixteen-year-old Cat sets out to discover who in her small town did it. Richly atmospheric, this daring mystery mines the secrets of a tightly knit Southern community and examines the strength of will it takes to go against everyone you know in the name of justice.


Against a backdrop of poverty, clannishness, drugs, and intolerance, Myracle has crafted a harrowing coming-of-age tale couched in a deeply intelligent mystery. Smart, fearless, and compassionate, this is an unforgettable work from a beloved author.

If you're interested in participating in this blog tour, please first sign-up here and then comment on this post with your name and location.

Book #1

1. Jessica | IL
2. Julia | AZ
3. Shannon | KY
4. Amelia | NC
5. Lindsay | PA
6. Mrs. Deraps | ME
7. Aliyah | NJ
8. Eva | DE
9. Asriani | Indonesia
10. Holly | Australia

Book #2

1. ?
2. ?
3. ?
4. ?
5. ?
6. ?
7. ?
8. ?
9. ?
10. ?

Reading time is limited to 7 days and reviews need to be written within a month.

In My Mailbox #59

For more information on the blogopsheres obession with In My Mailbox, check out The Story Siren.

In Order of Anticipation:

Delirium #1 | Rival

I'm hoping I enjoy Delirium a little more than Lauren Oliver's debut, Before I Fall which everyone but me seemed to rave about. I'm excited about Rival and it fits into two challenge categories - the contempts and 2011 debut author so I'm sure I'll be reading this one asap.

Freefall | Entangled

Freefall is another one for the contempts challenge and Entangled has to have one of the best covers of this year and it's making me want to dye my hair red even more, it also wins because it was released on my birthday.

How to Say Goodbye in Robot | Winter Longing

I've wanted to read GOODBYE for a little while now and a book trade has finally put this cute cover in my hands. I've always felt 50/50 about WINTER and I'm still thinking, I'll either love or hate it once I finally manage to read it.

Waiting For You | Notes from the Teenage Underground

I'm really surprised that WAITING will be my first ever Susane Colasant novel, I guess I'm getting her mixed up with Deb Caletti and I'm glad to be finally attempting the Aussie YA novel NOTES.

Shattered Sky | The Fallen Blade

I haven't heard much about either of these novels so I'll probably shelve them both until I hear something more ultra convincing than their summaries.

Q: Which of these books would you love to read first?

(ARC) Tour: Popular

Popular by Alissa Grosso  | Meet the clique that rules Fidelity High: Olivia, Zelda, Nordica, and Shelly, each one handpicked by über-popular Hamilton Best. You know you're "in" when you make the guest list for one of Hamilton's parties. And in the thralls of senior year, everyone wants to get noticed by Hamilton. 

But Hamilton's elite entourage is coming apart at the seams. Olivia fantasizes about finally having a boyfriend, Zelda dreams of ditching high school, Nordica wants to be alone with her photography, and Shelly's plotting to dethrone Hamilton. Lies and secrets are ripping away the careful ties that have kept them together for years. But Hamilton has the biggest secret of all, one that only her boyfriend Alex knows. If the truth got out, it would shock everyone and destroy Hamilton's fragile world—and she'll do anything to protect her secret and keep her clique.

SIGN-UPS ARE NOW CLOSED FOR THIS TOUR.

1. Jessica | IL
2. Aliyah | NJ
3. JL | PA
4. Gabrielle | NC
5. Melissa | KY
6. Yani | FL
7. Kathy | UT
8. Jessica | WA
9. Paula | NZ
10. Cheree | Australia

Reading time is limited to 7 days and reviews need to be written within a month.

(ARC) Tour: Will Work for Prom Dress

Will Work for Prom Dress by Aimee Ferris | Quigley Johnson has, reluctantly, given up the rest of her last year of high school to take part in her best friend Ann's Betterment Plan, which will turn them into the best-dressed, most sought-after, most admired girls at their senior formal. Because - hey - who doesn't want the perfect prom, complete with a dream dress and a devastatingly handsome date? 

But the prom costs money - lots of money - and even though the girls could easily have Ann's mom design their dresses (she's only Victoria Parisi, one of the most famous designers in the world), Ann insists that they pay their own way.  And that's how Quigley gets stuck making artistic topping masterpieces on frozen pizzas canvases, before becoming a live model for Ms. Parisi's fashion design class, where she meets Zander.

He's cute, and cool, and funny, with a killer design sensibility (even if he can't sketch).  But is he too good to be true? And what about David, the hot, talented artist at school, who's also kind of a jerk, but won't leave Quigley alone? And Ann - she started the Betterment Plan to improve Quigley and herself, but it seems like it's ripping their friendship to shreds.

This road to the prom dream may just end in disaster.

SIGN-UPS ARE NOW CLOSED FOR THIS TOUR.

1. Cindy | Canada
2. Jessica | IL
3. Jessica | WA
4. Lexie | UT
5. Nancy | UT
6. Kathy | UT
7. Jenna | CA
8. Jessica | CA
9. Paula | NZ
10. Rachel | NZ

Reading time is limited to 7 days and reviews need to be written within a month.

Review: Graffiti Moon

Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley

1st August 2010

Rating: 3/5

Challenges: 2011 Aussie YA

Review: However much I wanted to support homegrown YA, I just wasn't able to scream Graffiti Moon from the rooftops as much as I'd originally hoped. I'm sure young appreciators of art will be overjoyed with the topics regularly discussed in this novel of intrigue and teenage romance. 

Lucy has always believed art is more important than money, a lesson learnt from both her creative parents but she starts to question their happiness when her dad moves out of the family home and into the back-shed temporarily. For a long time she has craved the sort of romance her parents once held but she's truly fed up with the immaturity of the boys at her school so when Shadow's graffiti art of social and political messages captures her attention, she sets out to find her one and only soulmate. 

In alternating chapters, we learn that Lucy's partner-in-crime, Ed is also in discovery of the real Shadow. Together they bike ride into the night and keep things humorous with regular mentions of the time Lucy gave Ed a blood nose a few years back on an ill-fated date. 

Overall, the characters are very realistic and easy to assimilate with any student regularly found hiding out in your school's own art building. If you don't come away from this novel craving your own graffiti artist to swoon over then I'm pretty sure you're entirely dead on the inside.

Graffiti Moon is available for purchase in e-book and paperback from the publisher's website here.

Waiting on Wednesday #35

We'll Always Have Summer (Summer #3)

by Jenny Han 

If you haven't picked up this series yet, please do. It has a way of transporting me to a calm summer day almost instantly and I can't wait to see how Belly's relationship with all-round nice boy Jeremiah in sight of the tiresome Conrad.

Summary from Goodreads: It's been two years since Conrad told Belly to go with Jeremiah. She and Jeremiah have been inseparable ever since, even attending the same college-- only, their relationship hasn't exactly been the happily ever after Belly had hoped it would be. And when Jeremiah makes the worst mistake a boy can make, Belly is forced to question what she thought was true love. Does she really have a future with Jeremiah? Has she ever gotten over Conrad? It's time for Belly to decide, once and for all, who has her heart forever.

In My Mailbox #58

It looks like my book drought has finally dried up as we're well and truly on our way into 2011 and I'm only just starting to tackle some of the challenges I signed up for late last year. For more information on the blogopsheres obession with In My Mailbox, check out The Story Siren.

In Order of Excitement:

Prom and Prejudice | The Ivy #1

I loved The Lonely Hearts Club so much that I couldn't resist buying a copy of PROM, it looks cute and wins at my favourite book of the week. It's been a long wait for THE IVY, I've heard a few good things about it but most of the reviews were so-so, I'll have to check it out for myself soon. 

Charmed Thirds (Jessica Darling #3) | Very LeFreak

Both of these were library borrows and however many times my fam pesters me about borrowing more books from the library when I already have a huge shelf at home won't stop me from quietly killing off my wish list. The JESSICA DARLING series is such a delight and everyone should go order Megan McCafferty's next novel Bumped. I know VERY didn't live up to most peoples expectations but I have trust in Rachel Cohn and just hope my experience of this book is a little different.

Being Here | Pearl | Rosebush

BEING HERE is a book of seconds; it'll be the second book I complete in the Aussie YA Challenge later this month and it's the second book I've read by this author, I'm just hoping it goes over a little better than The Whole Business with Kiffo and the Pitbull. For some reason, I continue to think of PEARL as a middle-grade novel, I think it has something to do with both the cover and the character names. I haven't heard much about ROSEBUSH but I'm hoping it goes over as well as the other memory-loss novels I've read.

Palo Alto | The Crazy Things Girls Do for Love

James Franco is a well-known star from all three Spider-man movies and the idea of an actor turned author often catches my attention, the glistening cover will probably double the chances of me actually reading the book sometime this year. I've already got a copy of CRAZY and I'm looking forward to reading Dyan Sheldon's latest novel as My Worst Best Friend was a surprisingly good read.

Q: Which of these books would you most love to read?

(ARC) Tour: Enclave

Enclave (Razorland #1) by Ann Aguirre | In Deuce's world, people earn the right to a name only if they survive their first fifteen years. By that point, each unnamed 'brat' has trained into one of three groups-Breeders, Builders, or Hunters, identifiable by the number of scars they bear on their arms. 

Deuce has wanted to be a Huntress for as long as she can remember. As a Huntress, her purpose is clear--to brave the dangerous tunnels outside the enclave and bring back meat to feed the group while evading ferocious monsters known as Freaks. She's worked toward this goal her whole life, and nothing's going to stop her, not even a beautiful, brooding Hunter named Fade. 

When the mysterious boy becomes her partner, Deuce's troubles are just beginning. Down below, deviation from the rules is punished swiftly and harshly, and Fade doesn't like following orders. At first she thinks he's crazy, but as death stalks their sanctuary, and it becomes clear the elders don't always know best, Deuce wonders if Fade might be telling the truth. 

Her partner confuses her; she's never known a boy like him before, as prone to touching her gently as using his knives with feral grace. As Deuce's perception shifts, so does the balance in the constant battle for survival. The mindless Freaks, once considered a threat only due to their sheer numbers, show signs of cunning and strategy... but the elders refuse to heed any warnings. Despite imminent disaster, the enclave puts their faith in strictures and sacrifice instead. No matter how she tries, Deuce cannot stem the dark tide that carries her far from the only world she's ever known.

SIGN-UPS ARE NOW CLOSED FOR THIS TOUR

1. Lillie | PA
2. Shannon | KY
3. Christin | TX
4. Serena | KS
5. Reagan | SD
6. Shelbie | MN
7. Jessica | WA
8. Tasha | UK
9. Isabel | Phillipines
10. Cheree | Australia

Reading time is limited to 7 days and reviews need to be written within a month.

Review: Here Lies Bridget

Here Lies Bridget by Paige Harbison

Feb 1st 2011

Interesting Facts: We may be seeing Here Lies Bridget at the big screen in 2014 as the screen rights have been acquired by the same team working on the Halle Berry starring film Shoe Addicts Anonymous, a novel originally written by Beth Harbison - Paige's mother.

Review: Here Lies Bridget could actually be described as a teen modernization of the old Scrooge tale that we're all so familiar with in one form or another. Bridget is not only the mean girl at her school but creates a living hell for her step-mother at home. She has managed to keep things on her side of the court for years now but this all changes when a new student enrols at her school and the fellow students start facing up to Bridget's mistreatment of them.

This sends Bridget into a tailspin of the worst kind resulting in a car accident and a living state of limbo where she meets the key members of her life for the difficult decision on whether she should live or die.

Bridget realises she has been sent here to ultimately resolve her attitude problems or be rid of her altogether. With a step into the shoes of people she has wronged, Bridget gains the ability to hear the thoughts and feelings of those directly involved. 

I could put my disinterest of this novel down to the adjustment of reading my first novel on an e-reader but it didn't really go over as well as I'd hoped. The first half of the novel seemed to move at a snails pace and the ending was wrapped up so neatly that it seemed totally unrealistic.

If I were to recommend a novel in place of this book, I would suggest Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver as it's a much better attempt at a mean girl revisiting her wrongs.

THREE OUT OF FIVE STARS