Sunday, November 06, 2011

In My Mailbox 40

Welcome to another edition of In My Mailbox. IMM is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi of The Story Siren in which bloggers get the chance to share with their readers the books that have recently come into their possession. I really love this meme and I look forward to seeing all my favourite blogger's books each week. Thank you to Kristi for hosting something that is such fun!

Here are the books that I acquired this week...


Threads by Sophia Bennett - Fashion fairy tales really can happen. Nonie, Edie and Jenny are best friends with very individual tastes. Nonie's a real trend setter and her passion is fashion. Humanitarian Edie is on a mission to save the world. And budding actress Jenny has just landed a small part in a Hollywood blockbuster. But when these three friends meet a young African refugee called Crow, sketching a dress at the Victoria and Albert Museum, they discover a common passionnd somehow find a way to make all of their dreams come true.

I requested this book on ReadItSwapIt in order to read it in time for my British Authors themed month going on for the entire month of November. I've already read it and it is wonderful. Look out for my glowing review of it soon. Now I really must get my hands on the other two books in the series!


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Tiger's Voyage by Colleen Houck - The third book in the gripping Tiger's Curse series!

With the head-to-head battle against the villainous Lokesh behind her, Kelsey confronts a new heartbreak: in the wake of his traumatic experience, her beloved Ren no longer remembers who she is. As the trio continues their quest by challenging five cunning and duplicitous dragons, Ren and Kishan once more vie for her affections--leaving Kelsey more confused than ever.

Fraught with danger, filled with magic, and packed with romance, TIger's Voyage brings Kelsey and her two tiger princes one step closer to breaking the curse.

I've already read this book as well! What can I say? These books about tigers by Colleen Houck absolutely sweep me away. I cannot get enough of them. This third book in the series is superb.

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All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin - Sixteen year-old Anya becomes the head of a mafia family after her parents are both murdered by rival gangs. Although Anya is embrolied in the criminal world, she is determined to keep her brother and sister out of the mafia family, but her father's relatives aren't so keen to let them go. When Anya's violent ex-boyfriend is poisoned with contaminated chocolate – chocolate that is produced illegally by Anya's mafia family – she is arrested for attempted murder and sent to the notorious jail on Manhattan Island.

Eventually she is freed by the new D.A. in town, who believs she has been framed. But this D.A. is the father of Win, a boy at school to whom Anya feels irresistibly drawn, and her freedom comes with conditions. Win's father wants to be mayor, and he can't risk having his ambition jeopardised by rumours spreading that his son is seeing a member of a notorious crime family. Anya knows she risks the safety of her family by seeing Win again, but the feeling between them may be too strong to resist...


I'm very excited about this book. I've heard some wonderful things already from American book bloggers and I was thrilled to hear that this book will be published in the UK next year. Will probably read this book closer to publication, but might not be able to wait quite that long!

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Love and Other Drama-Ramas by Sarah Webb
- Love is in the air! Everyone in Amy’s life is loved-up: her mum’s getting remarried, her crazy aunt Clover’s dating a hot singer and her best friend Mills has fallen Big Time for the swoon-tastic Bailey. But drama-rama – Bailey is cheating on Mills! How can a boy go from Love God to Love Rat in just a few days? Amy is determined to investigate … and uncovers more than she bargained for.

This book arriving was a complete surprise! I'd emailed Sarah Webb a few times (she's lovely!) and she mentioned that her books have a character called Clover in them and she said she'd send me a copy of her newest one. What a lovely, lovely author. I can't wait to read all it :)

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The Book of Blood and Shadow by Robin Wasserman - It was like a nightmare, but there was no waking up. When the night began, Nora had two best friends and an embarrassingly storybook one true love. When it ended, she had nothing but blood on her hands and an echoing scream that stopped only when the tranquilizers pierced her veins and left her in the merciful dark.

But the next morning, it was all still true: Chris was dead. His girlfriend Adriane, Nora's best friend, was catatonic. And Max, Nora's sweet, smart, soft-spoken Prince Charming, was gone. He was also—according to the police, according to her parents, according to everyone—a murderer.

Desperate to prove his innocence, Nora follows the trail of blood, no matter where it leads. It ultimately brings her to the ancient streets of Prague, where she is drawn into a dark web of secret societies and shadowy conspirators, all driven by a mad desire to possess something that might not even exist. For buried in a centuries-old manuscript is the secret to ultimate knowledge and communion with the divine; it is said that he who controls the Lumen Dei controls the world. Unbeknownst to her, Nora now holds the crucial key to unlocking its secrets. Her night of blood is just one piece in a puzzle that spans continents and centuries. Solving it may be the only way she can save her own life.

I've never read anything by Robin Wasserman before, but she's one of those authors that I've been quite curious about for awhile. Thrilled to recieve a bound manuscript of this book and to take part in a blog tour in the New Year! Watch out for that.

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Double Shadow by Sally Gardner - Arnold Ruben has created a memory machine, a utopia housed in a picture palace, where the happiest memories replay forever, a haven in which he and his precious daughter can shelter from the war-clouds gathering over 1937 Britain. But on the day of her seventeenth birthday Amaryllis leaves Warlock Hall and the world she has known and wakes to find herself in a desolate and disturbing place. Something has gone terribly wrong with her father's plan. Against the tense backdrop of the second World War Sally Gardner explores families and what binds them, fathers and daughters, past histories, passions and cruelty, love and devastation in a novel rich in character and beautifully crafted.

A huge thank you to Nina from Orion/Indigo for this one! I always like to support British authors and this book in particular sounds wonderful. I can't wait to get started.

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Darkness Falls by Cate Tiernan - I'm still here. Still immortal. The eagerly anticipated sequel to Immortal Beloved, the deeply alluring gothic romance.

Reyn: the thorn in my side, nightmare of my past, destroyer of my family, constant irritant of my now . . . and the one whose fevered kisses I had relived over and over as I lay exhausted and unable to sleep.

And yet night after night, he--who has kicked down hundreds of doors--had not brought himself to knock on mine.

Are you dizzy from being flung into my world like this? I feel the same way every morning when I open my eyes to find I'm still me, still here.


This is the book I'm currently reading. I absolutely fell in love with Immortal Beloved when I read it and I've been gasping for the sequel ever since.

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Crossed by Ally Condie
- The hotly awaited second book in the dystopian Matched trilogy

In search of a future that may not exist and faced with the decision of who to share it with, Cassia journeys to the Outer Provinces in pursuit of Ky - taken by the Society to his certain death - only to find that he has escaped, leaving a series of clues in his wake.

Cassia's quest leads her to question much of what she holds dear, even as she finds glimmers of a different life across the border. But as Cassia nears resolve and certainty about her future with Ky, an invitation for rebellion, an unexpected betrayal, and a surprise visit from Xander - who may hold the key to the uprising and, still, to Cassia's heart - change the game once again. Nothing is as expected on the edge of Society, where crosses and double crosses make the path more twisted than ever.


Hurrah for this book. The second in this cool dystopian series. I was very excited to recieve this book and I'm sure that it won't be long before I dive straight into it.

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John Belushi Is Dead by Kathy Charles - In the end, we all fade to black...

Pink-haired Hilda and oddball loner Benji are not your typical teenagers. Instead of going to parties or hanging out at the mall, they comb the city streets and suburban culs-de-sac of Los Angeles for sites of celebrity murder and suicide. Bound by their interest in the macabre, Hilda and Benji neglect their schoolwork and their social lives in favor of prowling the most notorious crime scenes in Hollywood history and collecting odd mementos of celebrity death.

Hilda and Benji’s morbid pastime takes an unexpected turn when they meet Hank, the elderly, reclusive tenant of a dilapidated Echo Park apartment where a silent movie star once stabbed himself to death with a pair of scissors. Hilda feels a strange connection with Hank and comes to care deeply for her paranoid new friend as they watch old movies together and chat the sweltering afternoons away. But when Hank’s downstairs neighbor Jake, a handsome screenwriter, inserts himself into the equation and begins to hint at Hank’s terrible secrets.

Hilda must decide what it is she’s come to Echo Park searching for . . . and whether her fascination with death is worth missing out on life.

I can't quite remember where I first came across this book. Perhaps an author collab blog? Either way, it caught my eye so when I saw it listed on ReadItSwapIt, I thought I'd snap it up.

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Wonder by RJ Palacio - I won't describe what I look like. Whatever you're thinking, it's probably worse.

August (Auggie) Pullman was born with a facial deformity that prevented him from going to a mainstream school—until now. He's about to start 5th grade at Beecher Prep, and if you've ever been the new kid then you know how hard that can be. The thing is Auggie's just an ordinary kid, with an extraordinary face. But can he convince his new classmates that he's just like them, despite appearances?

R. J. Palacio has written a spare, warm, uplifting story that will have readers laughing one minute and wiping away tears the next. With wonderfully realistic family interactions (flawed, but loving), lively school scenes, and short chapters, Wonder is accessible to readers of all levels.


I've been hearing really wonderful things about this book! Which is quite nice and I'm sometimes a bit wary to start books completely blind. I hope this book is as good as the rumours make it out to be!

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Unleashed by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie - When Katelyn starts at her new school. the only person she knows is the handsome and intriguing Trick Sokolov, an acquaintance of her grandfather. She's surprised when the popular Cordelia Fenner invites her home and when she meets Cordelia's hot brother, she begins to think her new life might be OK after all.

But as she spends time with the family, she realises that the Fenners are harbouring a deep dark secret. Every bone in Katelyn's body tells her that the Fenners are mad, bad and dangerous to know - but how can she give up her only friend, and how can she ignore the way Justin sets her blood on fire with a single look?

Katelyn finds herself caught between three major werewolf clans who have been at war with each other for centuries - a war, it seems, that Katelyn is destined to end.


You may know this already about me? But I'm a HUGE fan of werewolves. I absolutely adore them, they are by far my favourite paranormal creature to read about. So I was very happy to hear of this new book, which I'm hoping is really good! I'm so looking forward to it.

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And that's what I recieved this week. Which books came into your possession lately?

20 comments:

  1. you got some really good books this week, I cant wait to hear what you think of them! I'moff to add John Belushi is Dead to my wishlist!

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  2. Big mailbox there Clover! I'm jealous of Tiger's Voyage and Thread's sounds great.

    I can't believe you got Crossed, i am DYING to read it!

    I got All These Thing's I've Done too, so I'm so excited :)

    My Mailbox

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  3. I'm excited to read All These Things, Darkness Falls & Crossed too :D

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  4. I'm reading Darkness Falls right now after finishing Immortal Beloved yesterday what a great series.

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  5. really wanna read all these things! looks SOOOO good!

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  6. You got a TON of great books this week! I hope you enjoy them all!

    Here's my IMM!

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  7. Awesome mailbox! Glad you enjoyed Threads, thanks for the swap! I really want to read the Amy Green series and Crossed - happy reading :)

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  8. I can;t wait to get started reading Crossed! Enjoy :)

    Come visit my IMM and enter to win an Amazon Kindle Fire!

    -Amanda
    Hippies, Beauty, and Books. Oh My!

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  9. oh my gosh!!! I can't believe you got robin wasserman's book!

    here's my FIRST ever IMM! stop by?! :)

    http://lindsaycummingsblog.blogspot.com/

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  10. Great mailbox! A lot of those books look really good! I also got Crossed this week! Enjoy your books!

    My IMM: http://hopefaithbooks.blogspot.com/2011/11/in-my-mailbox-13.html

    -Brittani

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  11. Great set! Threads looks really cute. I wonder if it's out in the US.
    My IMM

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  12. Great haul! I got All These Things I've Done last week, and I think it sounds great! I hope you enjoy your books.

    Books of Amber

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  13. I have the Australian version of John Belushi is Dead, which is called Hollywood Ending. I'm really looking forward to reading it!
    Hope you enjoy all your great books!

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  14. Wow, some great books you have! I'm super excited about All These Things I've Done too! I want to read it soon, so I'm really curious about your thoughts.

    I've read and enjoyed books by Robin Wasserman so I'm definitely going to read The Book of Blood and Shadow. Thanks for bringing it to my attention! I hope you like it :)

    I'm excited for Darkness Falls, John Belushi Is Dead and Unleashed too!

    Basically, I think you got some great books and you've reminded me of many books to add to my TBR. Have fun reading them all!

    -P.E.
    Tantalizing Illusions

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  15. Some amazing books this week! I've been hearing a lot of great things about coleen Houck's tiger series. I must look into them. I've been wanting to read All These Things I've Done for ages too but I think I prefer the US cover a little more. A lot of people seem to have got Wonder this week and it looks like an awesome story. I hope you enjoy all your new books :)

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  16. I have actually only heard of Matched out of those books. I won a copy earlier this week, but haven't received it yet:)

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  17. Raimy - Thank you! I hope you like John Belushi Is Not Dead! (I hope *I* like it too :) )

    Jade - It is a pretty big mailbox, I got very lucky this week :) I hope you enjoy All These Things I've Done! I'm really looking forward to that one.

    theprettybooks - They all sound wonderful, don't they?

    My Keeper Shelf - I completely agree, I absolutely love these books.

    Laura - It really really does. UK publication date not until April though?!

    Jessica - I really did, thank you!

    Zoe - You're welcome :) Happy reading to you too!

    Amanda - I'm sure it will be the next book I pick up!

    Lindsay - It is pretty exciting, isn't it?!

    Brittani - You enjoy your books as well, thanks for stopping by.

    Alison - It'd be worth checking out, it's a really wonderful book.

    Amber - Thanks! You too.

    Luisa - Interesting, I find different titles in different countries really interesting. I hope we both enjoy it :)

    PE - Thank you so much for the great comment :) There are so many great books there that I really don't know where to start!

    TLO - Yes! You should definitely read the Tiger books.

    Nina - I really liked Matched and I hope to get to Crossed very, very soon.

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  18. Holy crap! I want to comment on all this awesomeness, but there's so many! ENJOY(:

    - Asher (from Paranormal Indulgence)

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  19. Great haul! All the Things I've Done looks really good!

    Giselle
    Xpresso Reads

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  20. Asher - Pretty much my feelings exactly :)

    Giselle - Thank you and YES it does :)

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