In My Mailbox #29

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.  It's a weekly meme where we all get to brag about the books and swag we got in the mail, for review, won in contests, etc.

So, I debated whether to continue with this meme in the future, in light of recent developments, but I enjoy doing it each week and comparing hauls with other bloggers and the discussions it leads to.  And it's not like we haven't all made mistakes.  I'm not condoning what went down, not by any means.  But I believe in forgiving and letting bygones be bygones. "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone" and all that.  I do think, however, that I will stop linking up on the host site while still giving credit where credit is due.  And I may search for a similar meme to use in the future, but for now, I will stick it out with this one.  If you have any suggestions or alternatives, though, I'd be more than happy to take them into account.

ANYWAY, here's my haul:

For Review:

Dreamless by Angelini Josephini, thanks to HarperTeen
Glitch by Heather Anastasiu, courtesy of Netgalley
Wings of Arian by Devri Walls, from author for blog tour
Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan, courtesy of Netgalley
Goddess Interrupted by Aimee Carter, thanks to Harlequin Teen

Timepiece by Myra McEntire, courtesy of Netgalley

One Moment by Kristina McBride, courtesy of Netgalley

 

Purchased:

Sabriel by Garth Nix (ebook deal)
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan (ebook deal)
Insurgent by Veronica Roth
Shade series by Jeri Smith-Ready, signed
The Carrie Diaries by Candace Bushnell (part of THIS promotion)
Deadly Cool by Gemma Halliday (also part of THIS promo)
Soulless by Gail Carriger (ebook deal)

  

  

Gifted:

Bookmarks & signed swag from Andrea at The Bookish Babes
Zogan trading card from Kilt & Keeley
Care package/bday presents from Michele at A Belle's Tales (pictured below)
The Princess Bride wine and leatherbound copy of Hans Christian Andersen's The Complete Fairy Tales from Kat (pictured below)

care pkg/bday prezzies from my BBS

bday prezzies from my older sis (does she know me or what?!?)

And so ends the IMM for the best birthday week EVAR!!!  :D  What did your haul look like this week?  Share it in the comments!

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Labels: bbs, ebook deals, in my mailbox (imm)

Epic Deals from Epic Reads - May

Epic Reads has done it again!  In the same vein as their promotion that ran back in December, HarperTeen/Epic Reads are offering up EIGHT awesome eBooks for $2.99 each.  Check them out:



That image will take you directly to the Facebook page for Epic Reads, and you can click through to purchase each eBook, but I've also got the direct links for Amazon and Barnes & Noble below:

13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson (Amazon | Barnes & Noble)

The Carrie Diaries by Candace Bushnell (Amazon | Barnes & Noble)

Deadly Cool by Gemma Halliday (Amazon | Barnes & Noble)

Epic Fail by Claire LaZebnik (Amazon | Barnes & Noble)

Kiss Crush Collide by Christina Meredith (Amazon | Barnes & Noble)

L.A. Candy by Lauren Conrad (Amazon | Barnes & Noble)

Love and Other Things I'm Bad At by Catherine Clark (Amazon | Barnes & Noble)

Where I Belong by Gwendolyn Heasley (Amazon | Barnes & Noble)

But there are other Epic Deals to be had, so be sure to visit the Epic Reads Facebook page for more goodies!  I've already picked up my deals!  :D



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Labels: ebook deals, epic reads, freebies, harper-collins

Guest Review: A Greyhound of a Girl by Roddy Doyle

Today, I'm welcoming back the lovely Mckenzie Kate to review another middle-grade title for us.  I love hearing what actual teens think about the books that are targeted toward their age group, and Mckenzie never disappoints.  So, without further ado, here is her engaging review of Roddy Doyle's A Greyhound of a Girl:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Title:  A Greyhound of a Girl
Author:  Roddy Doyle
Series:  n/a
Publisher:  Amulet Books
Publication Date:  May 1, 2012
Source:  ARC

Mary O’Hara is a sharp and cheeky 12-year-old Dublin schoolgirl who is bravely facing the fact that her beloved Granny is dying. But Granny can’t let go of life, and when a mysterious young woman turns up in Mary’s street with a message for her Granny, Mary gets pulled into an unlikely adventure. The woman is the ghost of Granny’s own mother, who has come to help her daughter say good-bye to her loved ones and guide her safely out of this world. She needs the help of Mary and her mother, Scarlett, who embark on a road trip to the past. Four generations of women travel on a midnight car journey. One of them is dead, one of them is dying, one of them is driving, and one of them is just starting out.

Mary O’Hara is a twelve-year-old girl living in Dublin, Ireland. Unfortunately, things haven't been going very well for Mary lately. Not only has her best friend just moved away, but her grandmother, Emer, is extremely sick and has been admitted to the hospital. To add to that, a strange woman keeps appearing in Mary’s neighborhood. Mary assumes she is a new neighbor, but finds out later that that is not true at all. The woman, Tansey, short for Anastasia, is a ghost. A ghost of Mary’s grandmother’s mother. She’d heard of Tansey plenty of times in stories, but, of course, had never met her in person. Now, Tansey is asking Mary and her mother (who, oddly enough, are not all that shocked about a ghost in front of them) to help her reach Emer again so she can talk to her. Mary and her mother agree to help Tansey and take her to the hospital to see her daughter, and that’s where the adventure begins.

This book was so fun and interesting to read. And set in Ireland? Even better! A lot of Irish references and words throughout the story had me laughing out loud, along with several other parts, but then, there were parts that had me on the verge of tears, as well. I’ve never read any books by Roddy Doyle before, and, though A Greyhound of a Girl may be my first, it definitely won’t be my last! The writing style was unique and captivating, and I was hooked from beginning to end. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun, exciting read. Also, the cover and pages are beautiful, and that is always a plus!

Now, for my favorite characters!

~ Scarlett: Scarlett, Mary’s mother, was so hilarious and eccentric that I couldn’t help but love her. Though my mother is not eccentric by any means, she is also hilarious and always in good spirits, and Scarlett reminded me of her. She was always shouting things and ending sentences with !!!s, as Mary said.

~ Tansey: Tansey’s story, though sad, was enjoyable to read about. I loved reading about her and what happened, how she died, and how she was able to stay on earth as a ghost. Tansey and Emer had a beautiful mother/daughter relationship, and I could really relate to that, as well.

~ Dommo and Killer (Dominic and Kevin): Though these two boys (Mary’s older brothers) did not appear in the story often, it was interesting, to say the least, when they did. They were usually very funny, and a lot of parts involving these two had me cracking up. Like this (also an example of Mary’s hilarious, overly-excited mother):

… the boys charged into the kitchen, in a race to the fridge that Killer was winning.
The boys stopped when they saw Tansey.
“We’re talking about death, boys!” said Scarlett.
“Cool,” said Dommo.

This was an amazing story, and, after reading in the back of the book where some of Roddy Doyle’s books have become movies, I hope this is made into a film, also. I have a feeling it will - such a wonderful book deserves to be on the big screen! I hope to read more of Roddy Doyle’s fabulous work… and soon!

Thank you so much, Ms. Jen, for sending me this book for review!

Rating: 

***********

Thank YOU, Miss Katertot, for taking the time to read and review another book for us!  I know this one, in particular, was a little emotional for you, but I really appreciate your thoughtful, insightful review.  If you do pick up any more of Roddy Doyle's works, please do share your thoughts with us!

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Labels: amulet, guest reviews, katertot, middle-grade, reviews

Waiting on Wednesday - Outpost by Ann Aguirre

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

This week's WoW selection is...

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Title:  Outpost

Author:  Ann Aguirre

Series:  2nd book in the Razorland series

Publisher:  Feiwel & Friends, an imprint of Macmillan

Publication Date:  September 4, 2012

Deuce’s whole world has changed. Now living topside in a community called Salvation, she has a whole new set of problems. Down below, she was considered an adult, and she contributed to the whole. Now, topside, the people of Salvation think she’s a brat in need of training. She hates school, and she doesn’t fit in with the other girls. They’ve spent their lives learning to cook and sew–suitable woman’s work. Deuce only knows how to fight. To make matters worse, Fade keeps her at a distance, and the band of four has broken into fragments.

 

Stalker presses for a closer relationship, but Deuce sees him as a training partner, and she’s busy trying to find her place in Salvation. She refuses to accept that she’s wrong for being who she is, but tensions rise as she struggles against the status quo. Her feelings for Fade haven’t changed, but he seems not to want her around anymore. Confused and lonely, she starts looking for a way out.

Once she’s free from school for the year, Deuce pursues a chance to serve in the summer patrols–those responsible for making sure the growers and planters can work the fields without danger of Freak attack. It should have been routine, little fighting, but things have been changing on surface, just as they did below ground. The Freaks are smarter. They’re watching. Waiting. Planning. The monsters don’t intend to let Salvation survive, and it will take a girl like Deuce to turn the tide.

 
 
Why I'm waiting:  I loved the audiobook for Enclave, the first book in this series.  I can't wait to see what happens now that Duece and Fade are living in the outside world.  And have you seen that creepy cover?!?  Nothing calls to me more than a well-done cover.
 
So, what are you waiting on this week?  Share in the comments so I can add it to my TBR...if it's not already there!  :P
 

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Labels: ann aguirre, dystopian, macmillan, razorland trilogy, src 2012, waiting on wednesday (wow), zombies

Teaser Tuesday #4

Teaser Tuesday 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, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!


This week's teaser comes from the following book:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Title:  Until I Die
Author:  Amy Plum
Series:  2nd book in the Revenants series
Publisher:  Harper Teen
Publication Date:  May 8, 2012
Source:  ARC provided by publisher

Kate and Vincent have overcome the odds and at last they are together in Paris, the city of lights and love.

As their romance deepens there’s one question they can’t ignore: How are they supposed to be together if Vincent can’t resist sacrificing himself to save others? Although Vincent promises that he’ll do whatever it takes to lead a normal life with Kate, will that mean letting innocent people die? When a new and surprising enemy reveals itself, Kate realizes that even more may be at stake—and that Vincent’s immortality is in jeopardy.

In Die for Me, Amy Plum created a captivating paranormal mythology with immortal revenants and a lush Paris setting. Until I Die is poised to thrill readers with more heart-pounding suspense, spellbinding romance, and a cliff-hanger ending that will leave them desperate for the third and final novel in the series.

My teaser:

"The curtains came up, but we didn't move.  We spent the rest of the performance kissing and laughing and peeking out at the ballet and then kissing some more." -- p. 121 of ARC

Eeek!  Well, at least we know things are still going well enough that they're making out in public places, right?!?  Okay, back to reading!

Share your teaser in the comments!

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Labels: amy plum, beautiful covers, ghosts, harper-collins, revenants series, src 2012, teaser tuesday