In My Mailbox {27}

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren, where we all share what we got during the week!

I had a fantastic book week. The hubby and I got on a crazy used-bookstore kick and found a ton of them this week in Concord and Monterey. Got a few for review, bought a few new, too. Here we go:

For review:
Firelight by Sophie Jordan (from HarperTeen--YAY!! Thank you!!)
Literally jumping up and down excited and doing the happy nerd dance when this one came in the mail.
Every Little Thing in the World by Nina De Gramont
I've been dying to read this one since its release, and was so happy to get an email form Nina offering me a copy! She even signed it, which is awesome!
Bought:
Grimm Legacy by Polly Shulman
Searched everywhere for this one..finally found in the children's section at Barnes. Go fig. The cover is gorgeous, though!!
Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa
no explanation needed, I think :)

Used bookstore finds:
got all of these for around $50, and they are all in almost new condition!

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
Have you read this one?? If not, you should, it's one of the most mindblowing books I've read.
Suicide Notes by Michael Thomas Ford
I received a copy of this author's new book, Z, last week, so I thought I would grab more of his work when I saw it!
Graceling by Kristin Cashore
Been wanting to read this series!
Epoch by Timothy Carter
The cover on this one got me. So cool :) The back cover is even cooler!
The Good Fairies of New York by Martin Millar
Don't think this one is actually YA, but its about punk fairies and came with a high recommendation from Neil Gaiman. That was enough to sell me on it!
Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen
I saw the movie preview for this one a few days ago and it looks like such a sweet story.
Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles
Another that barely needs explanation. I've been reading rave reviews of this forever.
Briar Rose by Jane Yolen
This one looks fascinating, and of course, I love a good fairy tale retelling.
Incantation by Alice Hoffman
Alice Hoffman, one of my all-time favorite authors of both Adult & YA books.
Remembering Raquel by Vivian Vande Velde
Another cover that got me. Love the red and the butterflies. Story sounds great, too!
A Curse Dark as Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce
Retelling of Rumpelstilskin. Looks amazing. Couldn't resist.

So what did you get this week?? Be sure to check back in a few day when I'll be announcing the winners of the Book Birthday Bash contest!!

Contest Reminder and Applause for Lauren Kate!!

Just poppin' in with a few random things!

First off, today is the last day to enter my Book Birthday contest for a chance to win a copy Linger, Shadow Hills, Sleepless, or Siren!! I'll be cutting this off at tonight at midnight PST. Click HERE to enter before it's too late!

Secondly, I want to give a huge shout out to one of my favorite authors who is using her powers for good!! :) Lauren Kate, author of Fallen and the upcoming Torment (can't wait!!) is running the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team in Training in two months! Now, as most of you who have been reading my blog for awhile have heard me mention before, I'm a leukemia survivor myself---okay, well, still fighting the fight,...but I'm almost there and determined to win!! So, seeing my own favorite writers participate and give back with things like this strike a particularly special chord with me. :) AND you'll never believe what she came up to help raise money for her fundraising goal: She is auctioning 40 signed copies of her books to the first 40 people who donate (actually I think she tweeted that she's got 20 more books to add to that!). She's even including a few copies of Torment!! Check out her post about it here, and I definitely encourage everyone who can to donate to this awesome cause---I know my life would be very different without organizations like the LLS and Team in Training and all the money they raise for leukemia and lymphoma research! And to Lauren, thank you so much for what you're doing!

Review: Guardian of the Gate

Guardian of the Gate by Michelle Zink

publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

release date: August 1st, 2010

hardcover, 340 pages

intended audience: Young adult

Other books in the series: Prophecy of the Sisters
(link goes to my review)

rating:


description from goodreads:
The ultimate battle between sisters is nearing, and its outcome could have catastrophic consequences. As sixteen year-old Lia Milthorpe searches for a way to end the prophecy, her twin sister Alice hones the skills she'll need to defeat Lia. Alice will stop at nothing to reclaim her sister's role in the prophecy, and that's not the only thing she wants: There's also Lia's boyfriend James.

Lia and Alice always knew the Prophecy would turn those closest to them against them. But they didn't know what betrayal could lead them to do. In the end, only one sister will be left standing.

Review: I'd been looking forward to the continuation of this story since turning the last page of Prophecy of the Sisters. It felt like a long, torturous wait, but in the end it was worth every second. Guardian of the Gate not only lived up to the amazing story that was started with Prophecy--- for me, it surpassed it. All of the same beauty was there, the sweeping Edwardian surroundings, the charming manners and propriety. The same mystery and magic---but as the adventure continues, its seems that all the best parts of the story leap forward and intensify!

Lia's quest takes off like a shot, as she races against time to find the missing pages of the book her father left her and the missing keys that she needs to bring an end to the prophecy and close the gate forever. She is joined by her friends from the first book, Sonia, Luisa, and Edmund, but she is forced to hold back at fully trusting even those closest to her because the souls working for evil can overtake anyone at any time. This story had more of a fantasy feel to as Lia and her companions travel to a land called Altus where the other sisters of the Prophecy live, and she must find her aunt to help her locate the missing pages. It is a completely different surrounding than the dark and dreary Edwardian London, and it change everything for Lia! You really get to see her character develop in ways you'd never expect at the beginning of the story.

The synopsis is a little deceiving regarding the turn in the love story between Lia and James...I don't want to ruin any juicy plot points, but I will tell you that the love story that is there is so much better this time around! While the first book concentrated more on discovering the prophecy and had very little to do with a love interest for Lia, the romance in this installment is almost at the forefront of the story and is part of what drives the plot along. It was heartfelt, intriguing, and exciting! I loved it!

The official release date for this one is August 1st, BUT this one is already out in the wild, on shelves and shipping from everywhere! The wait for the third book in this series is going to be another torturous one! I'm already excited to see how this story will end!

FTC Disclosure: Received from the publisher for an honest review.

New blog on the block :)

I'd like to welcome a brand new YA review blog to the community! Introducing Mary from Sparkling Reviews! She is just starting out and already has some pretty great stuff going on at her blog! Click on her banner below to visit and welcome her to our great community of YA book reviewers!!

She also has a 20 Follower Giveaway going on right now! Its going until Aug 10th and once she reaches 20 followers, she will add 2 books! For every 10 followers after, she will add one more book! You can enter here!

Congrats on your new blog, Mary, and welcome to a great community! :)

Waiting on Wednesday: Favorite Authors Edition

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. It lets us all gush about what soon-to-be released books we are jumping-up-and-down excited for.

Two of my favorite YA authors have new books or series coming out next year and I'm beyond excited to read them!!

Cryer's Cross
by Lisa McMann

release date: February 8th, 2011 by SimonPulse

Description from Goodreads:
The small town of Cryer's Cross is rocked by tragedy when an unassuming freshman disappears without a trace. Kendall Fletcher wasn’t that friendly with the missing girl, but the angst wreaks havoc on her OCD-addled brain.

When a second student goes missing - someone close to Kendall's heart - the community is in an uproar. Caught in a downward spiral of fear and anxiety, Kendall¹s not sure she can hold it together. When she starts hearing the voices of the missing, calling out to her and pleading for help, she fears she’s losing her grip on reality. But when she finds messages scratched in a desk at school - messages that could only be from the missing student who used to sit there - Kendall decides that crazy or not, she’d never forgive herself if she didn’t act on her suspicions.

Something's not right in Cryer’s Cross - and Kendall’s about to find out just how far the townspeople will go to keep their secrets buried.


The Gathering
by Kelley Armstrong

release date: April 12th, 2011 by HarperCollins

Description from Goodreads:
Maya lives in a small medical-research town on Vancouver Island. How small? You can’t find it on the map. It has less than two-hundred people, and h...more Maya lives in a small medical-research town on Vancouver Island. How small? You can’t find it on the map. It has less than two-hundred people, and her school has only sixty-eight students—for every grade from kindergarten to twelve.

Now, strange things are happening in this claustrophobic town, and Maya's determined to get to the bottom of them. First, the captain of the swim team drowns mysteriously in the middle of a calm lake. A year later, mountain lions start appearing around Maya's home, and they won’t go away. Her best friend, Daniel, starts getting negative vibes from certain people and things. It doesn't help that the new bad boy in town, Rafe, has a dangerous secret—and he's interested in one special part of Maya's anatomy: Her paw-print birthmark.


My thoughts: Both great authors, and both saw a great series to an end earlier this year: the Dream Catcher series by Lisa McMann and The Darkest Powers series by Kelley Armstrong were both awesome! All the more reason to count the days down to these new releases!!

Author interview with Stacey Kade!

Have you read Ghost and the Goth yet?? If not, you really should. It's a fun book. If you haven't had a chance to read my review, you can find it here. I was lucky enough to be able to interview debut author Stacey Kade and get the scoop on this great book of hers!! Thanks, Stacey!


Describe Ghost and the Goth in your own words.
For me, it's always a story about a boy and a girl. In this case, it's a weird boy and a dead girl, but you get the idea. :)

Will we get to see any more of Will and Alona? If so, when will the sequel be out?
Yes, absolutely! Book two, title is still be determined, will be out next summer. And then the third book will be out in summer 2012.

Did you hang out with the Alona crowd or the Will crowd in high school?
The Will crowd. In some ways, he is an easier person for me to understand because his experience in high school was more like mine--minus the ghosts, of course!

Can you tell alittle about how you got interested in writing?
I've been writing for a long time. Even before I could write for myself, I would dictate to my mom who would write it down for me. I have always loved starting stories, but I didn't know how to finish them. It wasn't until I got to college and was REQUIRED to finish a short story for a class that I even knew I could do it.

Tell us about your ideal writing space.
Lots of natural light, a comfy chair, my laptop, and my giant Roswell poster (from the Season Three promotion) for inspiration. :)

How would you describe your writing style?
Oh, boy. I don't know. Let me say this: I aim to be funny and kind of sarcastic while commenting on some aspect of life. Whether I achieve that every time...well, that's more up to you guys to decide! :)


Who are your favorite authors? What are you reading right now?
I have too many favorite authors! Jane Austen is my favorite "classic" writer. My mentor, Linnea Sinclair, writes fabulous science fiction romance. But I have dozens of authors that I "autobuy" whenever they have new books coming out. Next up on my stack to read is an ARC of Extraordinary by Nancy Werlin. Love her books!

What kind of books did you love to read as a child/teenager?
Anything with a paranormal or science fiction twist to it. I liked the strange stories! And mysteries.

Which of the characters that you've written is your favorite?
Nope, I can't choose. Sorry! I love all of them, though some are easier for me to understand than others.

Fun questions:
Favorite snack while writing?
*Sigh* Raw cookie dough. I know, I know. It's terrible for me and really bad for my keyboard. So I just try not to buy it because if it's the house, I'll eat it!

Favorite movie?
Oh, it's hard for me to choose! I love movies almost as much as I love books. But I will say this, it's summer and my favorite summer movie is Disturbia.

Favorite flower?
Tulips! They're just happy flowers. :)

Favorite band and song?
This fluctuates for me, depending on what I'm writing.

Favorite teacher from your school years?
I have two, actually. Mrs. Koshinski, who taught me to keep a writer's journal, and Mrs. Buske, who was the first person outside my family to say that she thought I had a talent for writing.

Like cupcakes? More cake or more frosting? :)
I do like cupcakes. My favorites are yellow cake with chocolate frosting, and I like an equal balance of both cake and frosting! :)

Be sure to check out Stacey's website!

In my mailbox {26}

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren, where we all share what we got during the week!

Here's what I got this week! Ordered a few from Barnes, found Wintergirls and Carrie Pilby (I'd never heard of this one but the cover is so cute and sounded like a fun story) at Safeway of all places for 25% off, and found The Magicians and Poison Apples (which I had also never heard of but sounded fun) at a second hand store while searching for formals for a Trash the Prom Dress session with my daughter. "Z" came for review this week (thank you, HarperCollins!) Look at the eyes on Siren! They are so eerie in person, but in the photo, it caught the flash in a funny way and she got a little red-eye! I was so excited to get my own copies of Shadow Hills and Linger...I loved them both!!For review:
Z by Michael Thomas Ford

Bought:
Linger by Maggie Stiefvater
Shadow Hills by Anastasia Hopcus
Siren by Tricia Rayburn
Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson
The Magicians by Lev Grossman
Carrie Pilby by Caren Lissner
Poison Apples by Lily Archer

What fun stuff did you get? Do show me!!