In my mailbox (2)

In My Mailbox is a fun little meme where we share what books we've received during the week. Hosted by The Story Siren.

Here's what I got this week!

Once Upon a Marigold by Jean Farris
Captivate by Carrie Jones
Deadly Little Secret by Laurie Faria Stolarz
The Hourglass Door by Lisa Mangum
Snap by Carol Snow

I officially have TOO many books home from the library. :) At least my hubby says I do. Hourglass Door and Deadly Little Secret were purchases with the last of my birthday gift cards.

What did you get??

Review: The Dark Divine

The Dark Divine by Bree Despain

released: December 22, 2009

publisher EgmontUSA

372 pages

intended audience : Young Adult

RATING:

Description:
Grace Divine, daughter of the local pastor, always knew something terrible happened the night Daniel Kalbi disappeared--the night she found her brother Jude collapsed on the porch, covered in his own blood--but she has no idea what a truly monstrous secret that night held.

The memories her family has tried to bury resurface when Daniel returns, three years later, and enrolls in Grace and Jude's high school. Despite promising Jude she'll stay away, Grace cannot deny her attraction to Daniel's shocking artistic abilities, his way of getting her to look at the world from new angles, and the strange, hungry glint in his eyes.

The closer Grace gets to Daniel, the more she jeopardizes her life, as her actions stir resentment in Jude and drive him to embrace the ancient evil Daniel unleashed that horrific night. Grace must discover the truth behind the boy's dark secret...and the cure that can save the ones she loves. But she may have to lay down the ultimate sacrifice to do it--her soul.

REVIEW: This book is so amazing. SO. AMAZING. I whizzed through this one in just a few days. I was awed that within just the first few pages, I already had a strong sense of each of the main characters. The Divine family dynamic was so interesting to me, each one seems to have their own strength. I thought one of the most interesting characters was the father, it took some time to sort of figure him out, how he was really feeling about his place in the family and the community, and how much he knew or didn't know about what was going on with Grace,Jude and Daniel. The only character I didn't like was April, Grace's best friend. I mean, she was beautifully written just like the rest of the characters, but I didn't like her. Poor Grace, I can't imagine having such a flakey, unsupportive best friend, especially when she could have used someone to confide in!! The plot was strong and unfolded with the just the right amount of suspense and romance..each chapter unveiled something new until the end just explodes off the page. I had originally climbed into bed thinking I would read a bit and finish the next day---not happening! I ended up glued to the page until the very end (at 3 am!!) . This is a buyer...I can't imagine anyone being disappointed with this one!

In my mailbox (1)

In my mailbox in a meme post hosted by The Story Siren! It's normally posted on Sunday, and I know, I missed it by a day, but I am too excited to wait until next week to play! :)

This week I got a fun pile of books from the library:

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
The Dust of 100 Dogs by A. S. King
Give Up the Ghost by Megan Crewe
The Splendor Falls by Rosemary Clement-Moore
The Everafter by Amy Huntley
Old Magic by Marianne Curley
Ash by Malinda Lo

AND it was my birthday this past week! My best friend got me the middle two, and I grabbed the outer two with my gifty Barnes and Noble card!!

The Dark Divine by Bree Despain
Devoured by Amanda Marrone
Darklight by Lesley Livingston
Breathe: A Ghost Story by Cliff McNish

Sooo...what's in your mailbox?

I'm taking the challenge!

I'm joining the 2010 Debut Authors Challenge! You can get the full details about this fun event at The Story Siren, but in short, it's a challenge to read and review 12 or more YA/MG books by any of the brand-spanking-new authors of 2010! And believe me, it will be hard to pare a list down, because the titles coming out this year look absolutely fabulous!

Here is my current list:

The Dark Divine by Bree Despain (done)
Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken
Forget-Her-Nots by Amy Brecount White
Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins (done)
The Body Finder by Kimberley Derting
Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver (done)
Claire de Lune by Christine Johnson (done)
The Iron Thorn by Caitlin Kittredge
Iron King by Julie Kagawa
Freaksville by Kitty Keswick (done)
Angel Star by Jennifer Murgia
Whisper by Phoebe Kitanidis (done)
A Blue So Dark by Holly Schindler (done)
Glimmerglass by Jenna Black
The Reinvention of Edison Thomas by Jacqueline Houtman
Birthmarked by Caragh M. O'brien
Dark Life by Kat Falls
Shadow Hills by Anastasia Hopcus (done)
Hearts at Stake by Alyxandra Harvey
Paranormalcy by Kiersten White (done)
Stork by Wendy Delsol (done)
Manifest by Artist Arthur
Prophecy of Days by Christy Raedeke

That's the list for now! May edit more in later as I hear about them!! :)

And away we go!

Well hello there! I'm new to the book blogging world, but not so new to blogging itself. I'm an avid reader (that may be an understatement!) and for the past year I've been reading YA fiction almost exclusively. I'm a total library addict, have been since I was little, so I guess it's fitting that I'm also a library employee! I love making recommendations of the good books I've read to our library visitors and even people I run into in bookstores, so this seemed like a good way to spread alittle of that joy! Here I'll be reviewing YA books and middle grade books, as well as the odd adult and children's books that I feel cross over well. I'm hoping to offer contests and other features if I get a few readers and followers here, so check in often!

As for the cupcakes...another of my passions! There's nothing better to munch while curled up on the couch reading! I'll be throwing in the occasional post about these yummy delights---recipes and recommended cupcake books just for fun! If anyone out there needs a cupcake or other baking book reviewed, I'd be more than happy to feature it as well---I'll gladly try out a recipe and, if permissable, post a sample recipe here! I mean, really...who doesn't love a good cupcake??

Please bear with me...this is my first post and I'm still playing abit with the look and setup here! I hope you decide to visit often, the fun is just beginning!!