Carrie's In My Mailbox #11

 Hey its my newest IMM post. No Vlog again today as I'm currently out running a marathon but I promise to do one soon. All books shown are ones I received between October 16th-29th.

In My Mailbox is a meme created by Kristi@ The Story Siren, its purpose is to encourage blogger interaction, as well as highlight books for our readers. IMM is not only for books you have received through the mail, but also library, borrowed, and bought books.

For Review:

~The Dressmaker by Kate Alcott

~Beautiful Chaos by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

(Thank you to NetGalley, Doubleday & Little Brown BFYR)

Won:

~Perfect by Ellen Hopkins - (From YALLFEST Twitter contest)

~Exiled by M. R. Merrick - (Courtesy of the Author)

Library:

~Impulse by Ellen Hopkins

~The Magicians by Lev Grossman

Bought:

~zero, nothing, nada (book buying ban was in effect) 

  

Well that's it for me. So what did you all get in your mailboxes?

What's Going On - November Edition

 We at Stalking the Bookshelves, thought it would be nice to keep our readers in the know. The 1st week of every month we will be listing some fun book events happening in our local areas (Utah & Tennessee). If you live anywhere near by, be sure to go out and support these great authors & events!

TENNESSEE EVENTS

Grand Opening of:

~Nashville's Newest Independent Bookstore!

November 18th, 2011
More info coming soon...

 HUGE SOUTHERN YA EVENT

YALLFEST

In CHARLESTON, SC

November 11-12th

 UTAH EVENTS (Salt Lake City & Surrounding Areas)

Ally Condie - Crossed

Nov 1st – The King’s English @ 7:00 pm

 Ally Condie (Crossed), Kristen Landon, 

Robison Wells & Elana Johnson

Nov 12th – Teen Book Fest, Provo Library @ 2–5pm

 Courtney King Walker - On the Fringe

Nov 16th –The King's English @ 7:00pm

  If you live in either Utah or Tennessee and are heading to any of these events, please leave a comment and let us know. Maybe one of us will even see you there! Also if you know of any events in these two states, please let us know so we can update the page. Thanks!

Review: Between

Need to Know Info:

Title: Between
Author: Jessica Warman
Format: Hardcover, 464 pages
Publisher: Walker & Company
Release Date: August 2nd, 2011
Rating: 5 out of 5 HEARTS

Received ARC for Review from Publisher

Synopsis from Goodreads
Elizabeth Valchar--pretty, popular, and rich--wakes up the morning after her eighteenth birthday on the yacht where she'd been celebrating with her closest friends. A persistent thumping noise has roused her. When she goes to investigate, she finds her own drowned body is hitting the side of the boat. Liz is dead. 

Liz has no memory of what happened to her and can only observe in horror the fallout of her death.

Soon she's joined by Alex, a boy killed by a hit-and-run driver the year before, and the two sets out to piece together her life. But their small coastal town is hiding many secrets and soon Liz will find that no one around her, least of all herself, was perfect-or innocent. 

Shannon's Review 
Between is a haunting, all-consuming character study of how one girl chose to live her life and the things she discovers after her death.

At the start of the novel we're introduced to Liz, a snotty, rich, mean girl who's life seems all but perfect till she discovers her own dead body floating in the water. Together with Alex, another ghost, Liz must figure out what happened the night she died and what kind of person she truly was.

I have NEVER, EVER liked a mean girl in a YA book before.  Even after her death Liz is rude, selfish and entitled, I shouldn't care that she died, but I do. Through the use of flashbacks, which are interwoven throughout the novel, we get a deeper understand of Liz and how she ended up the way she did. It doesn't really justify the awful things she said or did to people, but I do think it helps you understand her better. There is a redeeming quality to Liz (you do root for her) and its wonderful to see how she starts to listen and learn from Alex.

Alex is shy, sensitive and awkward, everything Liz is not. He's the perfect companion for her, showing her how her actions in life effected others, most notably him. He isn't afraid to be tough on her and though their interactions could be hostile at times, there's also a nice kinship there.

While she was alive Liz surrounded herself by a popular clique of friends and a wealthy family. After her death everyone begin to fall apart revealing their secrets, lies and betrayals. Richie (Liz's boyfriend and Caroline (best friend) held the biggest surprises for me and through their eyes you get a much larger picture of who Liz was.

The novel's pacing isn't very quick focusing more on character interaction then building up suspense, though there are plenty of twists and turns. Although one key plot point was easy to predict, it didn't ruin my enjoyment of the novel. The ending was wrapped up well and felt perfect for this kind of story.

Between is so much more then just a mystery about a dead girl. Its about the people who shape use, the decisions we make and the ability to change. I look forward to reading more books by Jessica Warman, she has a distinct YA voice and an incredible knack for encompassing you in her novel's world. I would highly recommend the book to fans of Lauren Oliver, Gayle Forman or any who enjoys YA contemps. Its not a contemporary but it sure reads like one.

"Waiting On" Wednesday #36

"Waiting On" is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

What I'm "Waiting On" this week...

Shannon's Pick~

GILT by Katherine Longshore
Release Date: May 15th, 2012 from Viking Juvenile

Synopsis from Goodreads
In the Tudor age, ambition, power and charismatic allure are essential and Catherine Howard has plenty of all three. Not to mention her loyal best friend, Kitty Tylney, to help cover her tracks. Kitty, the abandoned youngest daughter of minor aristocracy, owes everything to Cat – where she is, what she is, even who she is. 

When Cat worms her way into the heart of Henry VIII and becomes Queen of England, Kitty is thrown into the intoxicating Tudor Court. As the Queen’s right-hand-woman, Kitty goes from the girl nobody noticed to being caught between two men – the object of her affection and the object of her desire.

But the atmosphere of the court turns from dazzling to deadly, and Kitty is forced to learn the difference between trust and loyalty, love and lust, secrets and treason. And to accept the consequences when some lessons are learned too late.

Here are just 3 reasons I want & will read Gilt:
1). Its YA historical fiction
2). Its set during the Tudor era
3). The main character is the young, queen's best friend.

I could just keep listing reasons why this one is a must read for me, but I won't...cause I'm sure you get the idea. Plus if you're a Historical Fiction fan like me & Carrie you already understand. :)


Carrie's Pick~ 


THE DRESSMAKER by Kate Alcott
Release Date: February 21st, 2012 from Doubleday

Synopsis from Goodreads
Tess, an aspiring seamstress, thinks she's had an incredibly lucky break when she is hired by famous designer Lady Lucile Duff Gordon to be a personal maid on the Titanic's doomed voyage. Once on board, Tess catches the eye of two men, one a roughly-hewn but kind sailor and the other an enigmatic Chicago millionaire. But on the fourth night, disaster strikes. Amidst the chaos and desperate urging of two very different suitors, Tess is one of the last people allowed on a lifeboat. 

Once on dry land, rumors about the survivors begin to circulate, and Lady Duff Gordon quickly becomes the subject of media scorn and later, the hearings on the Titanic. Set against a historical tragedy but told from a completely fresh angle, The Dressmaker is an atmospheric delight filled with all the period's glitz and glamour, all the raw feelings of a national tragedy and all the contradictory emotions of young love.

I was drawn to The Dressmaker for several reasons. The first being that I love historical fiction and then they totally sweetened the deal for me with the addition of the Titantic. Add in fashion and romance and I'm hooked. Aren't you?

What are you "Waiting On"?

Teaser Tuesday: The Future of Us

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of 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 & Author, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Shannon's Teaser:

  Emma touches her finger to the last photo, a shot of her butt in a light tan bikini. "What's this?"
  She clicks on the image and a larger version begins to appear in the center of the screen.
  "Is that Crown Lake in the background?" I manage to keep my voice innocent, but I know exactly where that photo was taken. I snapped it a few weeks ago when we all drove to the lake before it officially opened for the season.
  The caption below the picture says, "The good ole days."
  "I just bought that bikini a month ago," Emma says.
  "You know," a mumble, "I think I accidentally took that picture."
  "Josh," Emma looks me straight in the eyes. "This Facebook thing is not a joke. There's no way anyone could be pranking us."
"Someone could've stolen your pictures. I wouldn't say there's no way."
  She reaches into her desk drawer and pulls out a yellow disposable camera. "I haven't developed the lake photos yet."

~pg. 82, The Future of Us (ARC) by Jay Asher & Carolyn Mackler

Review: The Predicteds

Need To Know Info:

Title: The Predicteds
Author: Christine Seifert
Format: Paperback, 342 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Release Date: September 1st, 2011
Rating:4 out of 5 HEARTS

Finished Copy received for Review from Sourcebooks

Synopsis from Goodreads
Your future is not your own...

"We wanted to know what makes a good kid good and a bad kid bad. Can you blame us for that? We found an astoundingly, marvelously simple answer: The brain isn't so much a complicated machine as it is a crystal ball. If you look into it, you will see everything you want to know."
    -Dr. Mark Miliken, senior researcher at Utopia Laboratories

Who will it be? Will the head cheerleader get pregnant? Is the student council president a secret drug addict? The whole school is freaking out about PROFILE, an experimental program that can predict students' future behavior. The only question Daphne wants answered is whether Jesse will ask her out...but he's a Predicted, and there's something about his future he's not telling her.

Shannon's Always Spoiler-Free* Review (*unless otherwise noted)
The Predicteds is a novel about how much our individual futures are predetermined and whether or not we can every truly change our destines. The premise may sound like some kind of Minority Report futuristic Sci-Fi plot but with the exception of PROFILE, the story and characters are very firmly in the present.

The novel easily grabbed my attention right from the start with the school shooting and the community fallout that inevitably follows. This includes releasing the PROFILE records of all the high school students, something that has an immediate impact on everyone. If your Predicted, can you be trusted?

I found the main character Daphne very easy to relate to since I also moved around a lot when I was younger. She's very defensive and sarcastic but there's a lot of insecurity there too. She's the kind of person who feels like she doesn't really fit in anywhere, choosing to be a bit of a loner even when surrounded by people. Thankfully in the midst of PROFILE she doesn't loose her brain either. She can't help but be influenced by PROFILE but doesn't jump to conclusions about others based solely on it.

Jesse and January were two characters I had a harder time with. Jesse seems like the prefect combo of mysterious and attainable but never stops running off to help January long enough for you to get to know him. January, who's the shooter's sister, is left too far in the background becoming much more of a looming presences then a fully defined character.  I did like them both but wanted to know so much more about them. Also their friendship/relationship was never fully explained and for Daphne's sack I really wanted that.

There's a great mystery set in motion about halfway through the novel after a student is attacked. It hits all the right notes as far as intensity, believability and pacing adding another layer to a very complex story. My one and only complaint was that I think it could have been introduced sooner since the chapters right before had started to drag. The wrap up to both the mystery and main storyline is well done leaving it open-ended but without making you frustrated for answers.

Though PROFILE wasn't featured as much as I originally hoped, I think the author did a good job of introducing an original concept and explaining its rules.  Honestly I'm kind of hoping its not the last time we hear of PROFILE.

In My Mailbox 32, vlog #11

Hey look, its a vlog!!! I haven't done one of these in forever but thankfully I had time and enough books to do one this week. That's right...the book buying ban is officially over and soon to start back up again, LOL!

In My Mailbox is a meme created by Kristi@ The Story Siren, its purpose is to encourage blogger interaction, as well as highlight books for our readers. IMM is not only for books you have received through the mail, but also library, borrowed, and bought books.

Sorry if the audio is a bit quiet and for all the rambling. :D

Bought:

~The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

~Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon

~Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson

~Dreamland Social Club by Tara Altebrando

~HereAfter by Tara Hudson

~The Shattering by Karen Healey

~Sweet Venom by Teri Lynn Childs

~Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Gifted:

~The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkins 

(Carrie is the best sister EVER!)

*Eternal Starling Bookmarks 

(Thanks to author Angela Corbett for the bookmarks)

That's everything I got over the last 2 weeks, what did you all get in your mailboxes?

Review: Envy

Need to Know Info:

Title: Envy
Author: Gregg Olsen
Format: Hardcover, 285 pages
Publisher: Splinter Publishing
Release Date: September 6th, 2011
Rating: 4 out of 5 HEARTS 

Synopsis from Goodreads

Crime lives--and dies--in the deceptively picture-perfect town of Port Gamble (aka “Empty Coffin”), Washington. Evil lurks and strange things happen--and 15-year-olds Hayley and Taylor Ryan secretly use their wits and their telepathic “twin-sense” to uncover the truth about the town's victims and culprits. 

Envy, the series debut, involves the mysterious death of the twins' old friend, Katelyn. Was it murder? Suicide? An accident? Hayley and Taylor are determined to find out--and as they investigate, they stumble upon a dark truth that is far more disturbing than they ever could have imagined.

Carrie's Review
I was initially drawn to this book by the eerie cover so I really wasn’t too sure what to expect when I started it. Was it going to be scary, the mystery to easy to figure out or just another YA paranormal book? Well I can tell you I was pleasantly surprised with what I got. Envy is a dark, cleverly written mystery with a very real threat.

Envy takes place in Port Gamble, a small town in Washington State, and centers around twin girls Hayley & Taylor. The central plot of the book revolves around the mysterious death of another local teen Katelyn. The girl’s desperately want to learn the truth surrounding her death and as they delve deeper into the mystery, we soon come to realize that there is more to Hayley & Taylor as well.

I thought the plot was interesting (especially as a parent) but I have to admit I was a little nervous at the beginning that I knew exactly where the story was going since Gregg uses a true event as the basis for his story. I don’t want to give anything away in case you aren’t familiar with the actual case but I can say he twisted it up and gave me a bit of a surprise at the end. My biggest pet peeve in mystery novels is when I can figure out what happened to easily so I was happy that Gregg threw me for a bit of a loop at the end.

I enjoyed the paranormal elements in the book but hope we get a little more information in the next book. His characters are definitely a bit on the darker side and I wasn’t quite expecting that. Can you say mean girls? It makes me thankful that I am no longer in high school but makes me nervous as a parent.

My biggest complaint with the book was the text/IM messages between characters. Gregg uses them a lot throughout the beginning of the book and they were so distracting. I had no idea what they were trying to say half the time. I found it so frustrating trying to decode them and it completely took me out of the story. Do teens really text like that? If so, it’s annoying. UGH!

Overall I really liked the book. I thought it touched on a real issue that needs to be addressed but at the same time gave readers a clever mystery to unravel as well. I look forward to discovering more about Hayley & Taylor and what other secrets may be revealed in Port Gamble.

"Waiting On" Wednesday #35

"Waiting On" is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

What I'm "Waiting On" this week...

Shannon's Pick (x2)~

ALL THESE LIVES by Sarah Wylie
Release Date: June 5th, 2012 from Farrar, Straus & Giroux

Synopsis from Goodreads
Sixteen-year-old Dani is convinced she has nine lives. As a child she twice walked away from situations where she should have died. But Dani’s twin, Jena, isn’t so lucky. She has cancer and might not even be able to keep her one life. Dani’s father is in denial. Her mother is trying to hold it together and prove everything’s normal. And Jena is wasting away. To cope, Dani sets out to rid herself of all her extra lives. Maybe they’ll be released into the universe and someone who wants to live more than she does will get one. Someone like Jena. But just when Dani finds herself at the breaking point, she’s faced with a startling realization. Maybe she doesn’t have nine lives after all. Maybe she really only ever had one.

I know, I know...All These Lives is another contemp. How shocking? Its just these are the kinds of stories I'm gravitating towards right now. The premise doesn't sound all that unique (healthy sister deals with others sister's illness) but its the twin thing that really hooked me. Also Dani sounds like she might be an adrenaline junkie and I'm curious to see how that plays into the story.


LIES BENEATH by Anne Greenwood Brown
Release Date: June 12th, 2012 from Delacorte Press
 
Synopsis from Goodreads
Calder White lives in the cold, clear waters of Lake Superior, the only brother in a family of murderous mermaids. To survive, Calder and his sisters prey on humans, killing them to absorb their energy. But this summer the underwater clan targets Jason Hancock whom they blame for their mother's death and charge Calder with the task of seducing Hancock's seventeen-year-old daughter Lily.  Soon Calder screws everything up by falling in love. Now he’s in the unenviable position of trying to love the girl while simultaneously plotting her father’s murder. Suffice it to say, his sisters aren’t pleased with his effort, and Calder’s running out of time (and excuses).

Seriously, Lies Beneath had me at "murderous mermaids" LOL! I'm also digging the fact that the main character isn't a girl but a merman with some crazy pissed off sisters. Wish it was June already...I'm longing for some warmer weather and a beach where I can read this one.

What are you "Waiting On"?

Release Me (Cover Reveals #6)

Our Release Me cover posts focus on upcoming novels that have recently had their covers revealed. Hopefully this post will help you get excited about these books and maybe you'll even discover a few you hadn't heard of before. All links go to goodreads so you can find out more about these titles and easily add them to your "to-read" pile. :D

 ~Lies Beneath by Anne Greenwood Brown
RD: June 12th, 2012 from Delacorte Press

~Sisters of Glass by Stephanie Hemphill

RD: May 8th, 2012 from Knopf Book for Young Readers

~Never Enough by Denise Jaden
RD: July 2012 Simon Pulse

~Flirting In Italian by Lauren Henderson
RD: June 12th, 2012 from Delacorte BFYR

 ~After the Snow by S.D. Crockett
RD: March 27th, 2012 from Feiwel & Friends

~Above World by Jenn Reese
RD: February 14th, 2012 from Candlewick Press

~Starters by Lissa Price

RD: March 13th, 2012 from Delacorte BRYR

~Revived by Cat Patrick
RD: May 8th, 2012 from Little Brown BFYR

~Innocent Darkness by Suzanne Lazear
RD: August 8th, 2012 from Flux

~The Book of Blood and Shadow by Robin Wasserman
RD: January 12th, 2012 from Knopf Books for Young Readers

~Insignia by S.J. Kincaid

RD: July 10th, 2012 from Katherine Tegen Books

 Had you already seen or heard about these books? Which covers do you like best? Which ones have you the most excited? Sound off below!

Carrie's In My Mailbox #10

Hey everyone, its my newest IMM post. No Vlog again today, as I was having technical difficulties. It's a shame to because I had cute hair. Anyway...all books shown are ones I bought or received between October 2nd - October 15th.

In My Mailbox is a meme created by Kristi@ The Story Siren, its purpose is to encourage blogger interaction, as well as highlight books for our readers. IMM is not only for books you have received through the mail, but also library, borrowed, and bought books.

For Review:

~Eternal Starling by Angela Corbett (ARC provided by author)

 

 

Bought:

~Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick (signed)

~The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin (signed)

~Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon

~The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Library Book Sale:

~Winter Garden by Kristen Hannah (book sale score for $1.00)

~Little Bee by Chris Cleave (book sale score for .25 cents)

~Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert (book sale score for .25 cents)

Borrowed from the Library:
~My Soul to Take by Rachel Vincent
~Chime by Franny Billingsley

Free Nook Book:
~Wuthering Heights (Barnes & Noble Classic Series) by Emily Bronte

Received for Free:
~The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte (from work function)
~Virtuosity by Jessica Martinez (ARC provided by Simon & Schuster)

Well that's it for me. I'm officially on a book buying ban now or until Crossed is released anyway. :-P So what did you all get in your mailboxes?

Friday Five: Halloween Reads

Its time for another Fabulous Friday Five! For the month of October Shannon & I have decided to try and read some scary, spooky or creepy books in celebration of Halloween. After we picked our books, we asked our kiddos to pick their favorite Halloween themed books. So in no particular order, here are the books that made our lists.

Carrie's 5 Halloween Inspired Reads:

~The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

~Possess by Gretchen McNeil

~Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

~The Revenant by Sonia Gensler

~Desires of the Dead by Kimberly Derting

Shannon's 5 Halloween Inspired Reads:

~Cryer's Cross by Lisa McMann

~Texas Gothic by Rosemary Clement-Moore

~The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson

~Between by Jessica Warman

~The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff

(Carrie's son) D's 5 Favorite Halloween Books:

~ Haunted Hayride (Phineas & Ferb) by Scott Peterson

~T. Rex Trick-or-Treats by Lois G. Grambling

~Little Witch’s Big Night by Deborah Hautzig

~The Spooky Sound (Disney/Pixar Cars) by Melissa Lagonegro

~Frangoline and the Midnight Dream by Clemency Pearce

(Shannon's daugher) LA's 5 Favorite Halloween Books:

~Where's my Mummy by Carolyn Crimi

~Skeleton Hiccups by Margery Cuyler

~There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bat by Lucille Colandro

~Fancy Nancy: Halloween...or Bust by Jane O'Connor

~Bear Feels Scared by Karma Wilson


What Halloween inspired books are you all reading this month? Anything you want to recommend? Also if you've got kids, what are their favorite Halloween books?