In My Mailbox [2]

In My Mailbox is a weekly post hosted by Kirsti at The Story Siren and is a chance to share the books we've bought/received over the past week.

Once again this was a week full of new books for me. Too many. Far, far too many cause not only didn't I get get through many, but I'm more than a little over what money I actually have...oops. As a result I'm going to implement a self imposed month long book buying ban, 28th Sept - 28th October. Oct will be a long month...

Anyway, this week I bought:

Stargazer by Claudia Gray [Evernight #2]
Crusade by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie [Cursed Ones #1]
Firelight by Sophie Jordan [Firelight #1] [review]
Fade by Lisa McMann [Dream Catcher #2]
Linger by Maggie Stiefvater [Wolves of Mercy Falls #2]
Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare [Infernal Devices #1]

Far too many books...it sort of caused a book shelf re-org, which was not fun but actually worked out well. Shelves look all neat again, though still almost maxed =/

So what did you get in your mailbox this week?

Nine Years

I've been thinking for the past few days, wondering how it can possibly be nine years since 9/11 already. The day that changed the world. Really, there are no words. I've read two stories from authors last night and today, Meg Cabot and Susane Colasanti, who both live in NYC, and, I have nothing to say. Read them.

http://www.megcabot.com/2007/09/91101/

http://windowlight.livejournal.com/126776.html

9/11. Never Forget.

Firelight by Sophie Jordan

"With her rare ability to breathe fire, Jacinda is special even among the draki - the descendants of dragons who can shift between human and dragon forms. But when Jacinda's rebelliousness leads her family to flee into the human world, she struggles to adapt, even as her draki spirit fades. The one thing that revives it is Will, whose family hunts her kind. Jacinda can't resist getting closer to him, even though she knows she's risking not only her life but the draki's most closely guarded secret."

Draki are the decedents of dragons. Their ability to take human form is their biggest secret, and their greatest defense from the hunters who track them to capture them for their skins and abilities. 16 year old Jacinda is the first fire breather in her Pride for generations. She's rarely seen as more than a prize, and all her Pride wants her. Cassian, son of the alpha, intends to win her however he can. He already sees her as 'his.' But after she and best friend Az have a very near miss with hunters, her mom takes her and her twin Tamra away in the middle of the night.

Stuck in the middle of the desert, away from the life giving cool, moist mountain earth and air, Jacinda's draki will fade and die. Her mother's draki faded years ago, and Tamra never manifested. They're both human and very happy to be out of the Pride in the human world, for Tamra it's a chance to finally be normal away from all the attention Jacinda gets. For Jacinda, it's a death sentence. Her draki isn't just some part of her, it's who she is. She can't live without it.

Then she meets Will. A guy who literally gets her hot. When she's near him, or touching him, Jacinda's draki thrives. And the attraction seems to be mutual. But Jacinda knows Will is a hunter. And he has no clue she's a draki. Being near him is dangerous, possibly deadly, but Jacinda will do almost anything to keep her draki alive, including getting close to the enemy.

I loved this book from the start. Jacinda's voice, her passion for her draki, for flight and freedom, drew me right in and didn't let go. I held my breath right along with her in the second chapter when the hunter got too close. I felt her pain, anguish and uncertainty as she tried to understand and keep her mom and sister happy in a place that was killing her.

I loved the tension between Jacinda and Will. He isn't like most of the hunters, that much is obvious from the start. His family are killers. But Jacinda's draki gets very close to the surface when she's near him, and I loved seeing how she tried to keep it hidden from him, constantly running away at inappropriate times. Which doesn't make things easy for either of them as she can't be honest with him about why she keeps withdrawing from him.

There was an almost constant dark, tense edge to the book as well, with two main sources. One was Cassian, who Jacinda knew would find her eventually, and that he'd try to force her back to the Pride to be his. Something she was very keen to avoid. The other came from Xander. He's Will's cousin and probably Jacinda's biggest threat. He's noticed her because Will did, and the competition between the two means Xander wants her as well, but not in a good way.

I loved the mythology used as well. The idea of dragons having evolved to draki, shifters, with different kinds and abilities, worked very well. I actually would have been happy with more on the myth and details of the different types of draki, and how the Prides work, than we got. There was enough to get in to and to explain things, but there wasn't any extras. Which probably works great for some people, who will prefer the bigger focus being on the romance side. Personally, I'm very, very curious about the draki and I want to know more!

There is a little predictability to this book at times. You can see some things coming, work them out before they happen. But I didn't actually mind this too much because I was really enjoying getting to know Jacinda, and Will (who, by the way, = HOT (very literally for Jacinda...)), and following their story. Their reactions to the issues and obstacles thrown their way made the predictability of certain things not matter. The heart of this book is the love story between two sworn enemies, I don't doubt that at all. But it's also about the draki, Jacinda's draki, surviving as the hunters chase them. And it's about a girl, torn from everything she knows, facing huge life changing decisions and secrets, learning about herself and trying to make the right decisions. I was really impressed with her towards the end of the book, because there were times I didn't exactly like how she was acting, but she grew up a lot. Lost some of the naivety surrounding her at times. A very, very good read I highly recommend. The ending isn't a cliff hanger exactly, but it definitely left me wanting more! Easily finished it in a few hours because I couldn't put it down as well, they went far too quick! 9/10

Kisses From Hell Anthology Review

This is a new young adult anthology featuring vampire stories from 5 different authors: Kelley Armstrong, Richelle Mead, Alyson Noel, Kristin Cast and Francesca Lia Block.

Sunshine by Richelle Mead - 8/10 - This short story is set in Richelle's Vampire Academy series and is the story of how Lissa Dragomir's parents met (for non VA fans, Lissa is the best friend of the protagonist). I loved getting to meet these two characters who we've heard very little of and never met (they died a couple of years before we meet Lissa in VA). For those up to date on the VA series, you'll understand why I was so curious to see Eric and Rhea together. It's a really good short story that I loved, a great 'extra' for VA fans, but I would hope that non VA fans would enjoy it as well. Really wished it had been longer!!

Bring Me To Life by Alyson Noel - 5/10 - Danika has travelled to England from the US to go to an exclusive art academy, an escape from her inattentive father, her ex-best friend and ex-boyfriend who hooked up. But what she finds is a mansion more than a little creepy. And no other students around. I kind of liked this story, I liked the start a lot. Danika was likable, and the crazy situation she found herself in was interesting. But I didn't particularly like the outcome. It wasn't a bad story, but it wasn't to my taste.

Above by Kristin Cast - 2/10 - This story was...one of the strangest I've read (or tried to read) in a long while. Above and below don't mix, they hunt and kill each other, and in theory there is a star-crossed love story in here, somewhere. It was twisted, strange and I could barely figure out what was going on.

Hunting Kat by Kelley Armstrong - 8/10 - I loved this short story a lot! It's another short story set in Kelley's YA world, which started with her Darkest Powers trilogy and will continue with her Darkness Rising one next year. Kat was first introduced with a short story in The Eternal Kiss anthology. Kat's stories are (for the moment at least) completely unconnected to the main novels, just in the same world. This short story is set about 6 months after Kat's first short, though you wouldn't have to read it to understand this one. I actually enjoyed this a lot more than Kat's first short, and wished it was a lot longer. Kat is being hunted again, but this time, she's not alone.


Lilith by Francesca Lia Block - 3/10 - bit of an odd story. A boy who spends most of his time living in a fantasy world of his own creation suddenly has the attention of a girl who's far too beautiful to be human. He welcomes her unnaturalness, the chance to be strong, if only he has her by his side he feels he'll be just fine. I didn't like the way things went in this story. Didn't really like anything about the main character and thus didn't care what happened, and what happened all worked out kind of strange.

So I only liked two of the five stories, but those two, Hunting Kat (Kelley Armstrong) and Sunshine (Richelle Mead), made it worth buying for me. I wish they'd been longer, but for short stories they had a lot of detail and depth to them, very enjoyable and great additions to the series/worlds they're set in. Or I think they'd make good introductions to the authors if readers haven't read anything by them yet. Shame about the other three, but anthologies are always hit and miss. Wouldn't be surprised to see others thinking a lot of the stories I didn't enjoy. Overall 6/10

The Duff by Kody Keplinger

"Seventeen-year-old Bianca Piper is cynical and loyal, and she doesn't think she's the prettiest of her friends by a long shot. She's also way too smart to fall for the charms of man-slut and slimy school hottie Wesley Rush. In fact, Bianca hates him. And when he nicknames her 'the Duff,' she throws her Coke in his face.

But things aren't so great at home right now, and Bianca is desperate for a distraction. She ends up kissing Wesley. Worse, she likes it. Eager for escape, Bianca throws herself into a closeted enemies-with-benefits relationship with him.

Until it all goes horribly awry. It turns out Wesley isn't such a bad listener, and his life is pretty screwed up, too. Suddenly Bianca realizes with absolute horror that she's falling for the guy she thought she hated more than anyone."

The Duff: Designated, Ugly, Fat Friend. Apparently every group has one, and according to Wesley Rush, hottie man-slut who doesn't mind everyone knowing it, Bianca Piper is the one within her group of three. Bianca knows she's not as pretty as either of her two best friends, but 'the Duff' is a lable she never considered and instantly loathes. Enough to throw her cherry coke on Wesley when he informs her of it. See, Wesley, who is considered the hottest guy in school, wants to get either (or possibly both) of Bianca's best friends in to bed. And apparently they're more likely to notice and care if he's seen to be paying attention to 'the Duff' of the group. Actually telling Bianca that's what she is and what he's doing though, is not a smart move. She hated him before, now she despises him.

But then a few nights later disaster strikes. Bianca's parents are divorcing. She saw it coming, but her father, a recovering alcoholic, didn't. She's sat at the bar of the club all the high schoolers hang out at, where she first spoke with Wesley and he called her the Duff a few nights before, and when he sits to talk with her again, she does the unthinkable. She kisses him, and likes it. It's the escape she was looking for. Despite her loathing for him, she continues to find ways of getting in to his bed, hiding it from her friends and everyone else. Seemed like a simple escape for her, until she realises she's falling for him.

I really struggled to put this book down. Bianca is loud, not out loud, not to her friends, but her voice, the tone of the book, it's loud, brash and I couldn't turn away from it. She's insecure, already feeling inadequate next to her two best friends, but when Wesley actually says it, the way he does, she starts to reevaluate things in a very serious manner, wondering if maybe that's why her friends like her, because she's not as pretty as they are. Her life starts spinning out of control after that. She uses sex with Wesley to try and feel in control, but the more she does, the dirtier she feels, the more she loses control. Vicious circle. And some uncomfortable reading at times, relating (as I suspect everyone can) to Bianca's issues. And her biting sarcasm just makes things more fun and interesting.

Wesley. Typical asshole, the kind of guy you assume you know really well from a glance, but really don't. I wanted to slap him so hard so many times through this book! And yet, I ended up falling for him just like Bianca. Didn't like him a whole lot most of the time, but I did care as I got to know him better.

I loved how the relationship between them developed. I felt so bad for Bianca through so many things and could see just why she reacted the way she did to things. I was really proud of her at times as well, when she was standing up for herself. I think it's so easy to get in to this because everyone feels like the Duff some times. It's not always strictly fitting 'ugly, fat' part of the duff, but feeling that way, that next to the ones around you, you're not worth notice.

And that's where this book hit awesome for me. It's so believable, so realistic. The mess Bianca gets in to, how she tries to control things, how she ends up falling for a guy she hates and how Wesley learns a whole lot about himself as well. We only get to see things from Bianca's point of view, but it's not hard to see. The witty dialogue and the interplay between Bianca and Wesley, or Bianca and her friend even, doesn't hurt. There is a fair bit of bad language and a lot of sex in the book as well, which fits the realness factor, but it's something to be aware of if you're not such a fan, or for younger readers. Personally, I really loved this book. Not the most comfortable read at times, but it's completely compelling and very, very well done. The ending felt very fitting to me, and I was really pleased with how things worked out in the end. 9/10

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly post hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine that highlights the future releases we're excited for.

My WoW pick this week is Boy's Don't Cry by Malorie Blackman published October 28th by Doubleday Children's Books. Malorie's Noughts and Crosses series is probably the very best YA series I've ever read, and this book sounds interesting as well, so it's a no-brainer for the top of my wish list...even if I failed to realise she had a new book coming out next month until earlier *FAIL*

"You're waiting for the postman - he's bringing your A level results. University, a career as a journalist - a glittering future lies ahead. But when the doorbell rings it's your old girlfriend; and she's carrying a baby. You're fine to look after it, for an hour or two, while she does some shopping. Then she doesn't come back and your future suddenly looks very different."

It's Monday, What Are You Reading?

It's Monday, what are you reading? is a weekly post hosted by Sheila over at Book Journey which gives the chance to share what we've read over the past week, and what we're looking forward to over the coming one.

As I was away last Monday, I'm going to catch up on two weeks reading which included some really great books!!
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins [review]
Waiting For You by Susane Colasanti [review]
Blameless by Gail Carriger [review]
The Better Part of Darkness by Kelly Gay [review]
Wake by Lisa McMann [review]
How To Ruin a Summer Vacation by Simone Elkeles
Return To Paradise by Simone Elkeles [review]
Evernight by Claudia Gray [review]
You by Charles Benoit [review]
Paranormalcy by Kiersten White [review]
The Duff by Kody Keplinger
Kisses From Hell (YA anthology)

The ones above which haven't been reviewed yet, I hope to get to either later today or tomorrow...but don't hold me to it.

This week I have lots new books I'm hoping to read, though I suspect I won't get through half of them, so here are just the ones I'm most likely to get through!

Firelight by Sophie Jordan is the first in a new series featuring dragon shifters know as Draki. It's released tomorrow, Sept 7th, in the US and I can't wait to read it! (beautiful cover as well...)

Crusade by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie is the first in a new vampire series from them. The main character was first introduced in a short story in the Immortal anthology [review] which I adored! Very glad to see the world explored for a full novel!

Stargazer by Claudia Gray is the second in he Evernight series, and in I think all my recent gushing for Evernight easily explains why this is high on the TBR list.

So what have you been reading/planning to read?

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

"Evie's always thought of herself as a normal teenager, even though she works for the International Paranormal Containment Agency, her ex-boyfriend is a faerie, she's falling for a shape-shifter, and she's the only person who can see through paranormals' glamours.

But Evie's about to realize that she may very well be at the center of a dark faerie prophecy, promising destruction to all paranormal creatures.

So much for normal."

Paranormalcy is the debut book from Kiersten White. It's been one I've been looking forward to for a while. It sounds great and while I know you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover, I do love it! But when I first started reading it, I started to wonder if I was going to like it at all. Evie is bubbly, fashion savvy and never without her favourite accessories (top of the list being 'Tasey' her pink taser). Not the kind of character I can easily get on with or take seriously. However, I kept going because despite being unsure of Evie, I still liked the premise. And you know what? So totally worth it.

Evie may come across as a little shallow to start with, but what ended up convincing me to keep going and give her a chance was how early on her desire to be normal, to live a normal teenage life in the real world, and how strong it was. She was in the foster care system as a little kid, then became a member of International Paranormal Containment Agency (IPCA) and has worked for them for years. Sure she's treated well, fed, clothed, personal tutors as 'school', but she's very much alone. She's the only one who can see through glamours and her contact with her best friend Lish is limited in several ways on account of Lish being a mermaid and having to remain underwater. Not to mention her seriously creepy ex. So while Evie make like to think of herself as 'normal' it's more her wishing she was.

Things aren't quite normal at IPCA right now. Some strange things have been happening in the paranormal world and when IPCA is broken in to by an unheard of paranormal, Evie decides it's a good time to start digging in to what's going on. I loved seeing the changes in her, the way she dealt with certain issues that came up and how she grew from learning things that had been well hidden from her. Life has never been easy for her, but she finds it just getting worse and she doesn't know who she can turn to.

I was really pleased with the almost understated romance side to this book. I don't like when girl meets guy and does nothing but obsess over him and happily that's not close to what happens here. There is a romantic plot for sure, but its more of a sub-plot. It gets plenty of page time, but not nearly as much as I'd expected it to get. Evie has far too much going on in her life to be able to focus on just a guy for any real length of time.

The plot moves along quickly and after the first few chapters when I'd gotten used to Evie's voice and really started warming up to her and her rebellious nature, I struggled to put it down. It's funny, smart, and has a very well done darker edge to it. I can't say that I didn't roll my eyes at Evie a few times later on, but then I care very little for fashion/shopping and it's kind of a big deal to her. But when it came to the paranormal side, the way IPCA works, what demons/vampires/weres etc are like, the faerie prophecy and what it could mean, I was completely sold. And aside from the fashion stuff, I loved Evie by the end as well. I don't think she's the kind of girl I could be best friends with, (too much energy and too much love for pink!) but she's likable enough. And she does grow up a lot through this book with the issues she faces. That's what I love most about her, is that she does change, she doesn't just deal with these things and go on being the same girl.

The majority of the more prominent side characters are well rounded as well, and there were certainly some interesting characters in that bunch as well! There is something very fresh about Paranormalcy, and it was nice to read a YA book that is a little crazy and serious at the same time without falling flat anywhere. Ultimately I really enjoyed it, thought the ending was great and I'm really looking forward to the second book! 9/10

You by Charles Benoit

"You're just a typical fifteen-year-old sophomore, an average guy named Kyle Chase. This can't be happening to you. But then, how do you explain all the blood? How do you explain how you got here in the first place?

There had to have been signs, had to have been some clues it was coming. Did you miss them, or ignore them?

Maybe if you can figure out where it all went wrong, you can still make it right. Or is it already too late?

Think fast, Kyle. Time's running out. How did this happen?"

This is the debut YA novel from Charles Benoit and one I could not put down. Kyle is an instantly recognizable slacker type, the kind of guy we've all seen. His story is told in honest, realistic tones, and the way it starts, it grabs you, drags you in and doesn't let go. 'You' shows, almost brutally at times, how decisions and relationships which seem innocent lead to a downward spiral, and sometimes with huge consequences. 

I'm actually pretty lost for how to talk about this book past that, other than saying it's awesome. There is something darkly real to this book that meant I simply couldn't put it down. It's not pretty, or softened at all, it's simply what it is. The ending is stark and shocking, but absolutely the right ending for it. It's very well done and a must read in my opinion. I loved it. 

Rating: 9/10

Book of the Month

Brand shiny new meme started by AtenRa over at Just Another Book Blog. Exactly what it says on the tin. A chance to share the book that's been your favourite of the month, maybe share a little about it, why you liked it, link to a review of it or alike.

I've been lucky enough to read some awesome books through August and this is a hard decision.

Shortlist:
Blameless by Gail Carriger [review]
Wake by Lisa McMann [review]
The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa [review]

My winner though is Evernight by Claudia Gray. Technically I finished it in September, but I started it in August so it counts ;)

I love it because it's not your typical teen vampire love story. And it's freaking awesome!! My review of it is here.

Bianca has just left the small town where she's spent her whole life. She's a new student at Evernight Academy, a creepily Gothic boarding school where her classmates are somehow too perfect: smart, sleek and almost predatory. Bianca knows she doesn't fit in. 

Then she meets Lucas, another loner, who seems fiercely determined not to be the "Evernight type." There's a connection between Bianca and Lucas that can't be denied. She would risk anything to be with him—but dark secrets are fated to tear them apart... and to make Bianca question everything she's ever believed to be true.

So what's your Book of the Month?