In My Mailbox #35

Thanks to Kristi, The Story Siren, for hosting In My Mailbox every week!

It's been a while since I had anything to post for an IMM. However, I have discovered the joy that is Ollie's Bargain Outlet which, thankfully, is just minutes away from my house.

Bloodrose by Andrea Cremer
Leviathan by Scott Westerfield
Bloodlines by Richelle Mead
Graceling by Kristin Cashore
Fire by Kristin Cashore
Wolfsbane by Andrea Cremer
Impossible by Nancy Werlin
If I Stay by Gayle Forman

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
Divergent by Veronica Roth
Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma
The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff

How awesome is that? With the exception of 2 of those books, I got them all from the same store and they cost me, in addition to books for my kids, $36. I mean really? And most of them are hardcover. Most I spent on 1 book from that store was $2.99.

I'm smelling a giveaway in the works! Maybe 2 because Maggie Stiefvater is going to be downtown next month and I'm going to go see her!! More details on those later. Can't wait to see what you guys got this week!



In My Mailbox #34

Thanks to Kristi, the Story Siren, for hosting In My Mailbox every week.

I know I said I wanted to get a week's worth of reviews up before doing anymore memes, but I've got 4 in the last couple of weeks so I think I'm ok for now.

This week I got book number three in the Deep in the Heart of Texas series, Catch Me a Cowboy by Katie Lane. The first two books were wonderful. You can read my review for Going Cowboy Crazy: here, and for Make Mine a Bad Boy: here.

Shirlene Dalton has it all: a dream marriage to a man who spoils her rotten and the most outrageous mansion Bramble, Texas, has ever seen. But when her husband unexpectedly dies, Shirlene finds herself right back where she started-in a rundown trailer on the wrong side of the tracks. Never the type to let a little bad luck and a whole heap of heartache get her down, Shirlene is ready to prove to the local gossips she can make it on her own... until she ends up living next door to the most tempting cowboy in town.

Billy Wilkes has a score to settle and a plan to wipe Bramble right off the map. But when his sexy, redheaded neighbor figures out what he's up to, his good ol' boy charm won't be enough to save him. With the town on his tail, Billy will have to come clean quick -- or kiss Shirlene goodbye.

In My Mailbox #33

Thanks to Kristi, The Story Siren, for hosting In My Mailbox every week.

This week, well, actually for the last couple of weeks, all my books have been on my Kindle. No hard copies for me to brag about yet.

Ember by Bettie Sharpe

Everyone loves Prince Charming. They have to—he’s cursed. Every man must respect him. Every woman must desire him. One look, and all is lost.

Ember would rather carve out a piece of her soul than be enslaved by passions not her own. She turns to the dark arts to save her heart and becomes the one woman in the kingdom able to resist the Prince’s Charm.

Poor girl. If Ember had spent less time studying magic and more time studying human nature, she might have guessed that a man who gets everything and everyone he wants will come to want the one woman he cannot have.

In Dreams by J. Sterling

When Katherine Johns starts dreaming about a boy she doesn't know, her college roommate Taylor is determined to find him. Convinced he must exist, Taylor is relentless... until she finds out exactly WHO the mysterious stranger really is.

The realization rocks the girls to their core and sends them down a path of unimaginable heartbreak as they learn to navigate their new reality.

Follow Katherine & Taylor's journey through love, friendship and tragedy in this emotionally captivating debut novel by J. Sterling.

Dark Waters by Shannon Mayer

The bonds of family are stretched to the breaking point as legendary monsters, a deadly prophecy, and soul swallowing fears threaten to destroy them. Magic, secrets, sensuality and mind numbing terror all rolled into one to keep the pages flying.

Dragon Aster by S.J. Wist

Sybl has endured the first years of being a teenager both unloved and forgotten. When an Awl takes her from Earth to the realm of Aster, she will discover a place where fantasy is the reality. A world of dragons. But that will not be all that she finds.

Still distraught from having lost his best friend, Cirrus has tried to move on with his life. His world is falling apart, and it is a fight the High Guard cannot win. All that remains is a Prophecy from the ghostly memories of those he loved. A Prophecy that a Fay would return to Aster, restoring the balance of life and death. For without her, his kind will side with the forces of war. An onslaught of destruction would follow, and he is a dragon tired of death.

When he finds Sybl, he takes it on himself to become her protector. Within her memories, she holds one from the friend he lost. She may be the last hope that the Prophecy has yet to come about. But he will have to outfly the shadows from his past first, for the demon who is after them does not fear a death it can weave.

Wake to a world tangled in the Threads of Fate.

Dream back the memories that can save it.

Jabberwocky by Daniel Coleman

The story behind Lewis Carroll's masterpiece poem. You know how it ends, but you won't believe how it happens.

Awakening by Karice Bolton

Alone in snowy, remote Whistler village, Ana tries to build a new life since losing her parents. With a cozy condo, a sweet-faced bulldog and an evening job to leave the days free for the slopes, life slips into a great routine. If only she could shake the guilt for not remembering anything about her parents and banish the night terrors that haunt her every dream.
On a whim, Ana goes out with Athen, a guy she's just met in the Grizzly Pub... The only problem is that she feels like she already knows him.

Within 48 hours of meeting Athen and his family, Ana's world implodes. She falls for Athen quickly and before she knows it, a past life begins to resurface. As thrilling as the revelations appear at first, she fights against the chilling information that Athen is from the underworld. Soon she begins to struggle as her own supernatural gifts are slowly unveiled, and she realizes that the nightmares she's been having might be premonitions and not dreams at all.
It is up to Ana to decipher between fact and fiction before it is too late, and her new love, Athen, follows in her same fate - one that is lost between two worlds.

That's it for now. There's more but I'm being summoned to play Lego Harry Potter!

In My Mailbox #32

Thanks to Kristi, The Story Siren, for hosting IMM every week.

This week my mailbox wasn't really book related. It wasn't really even in my mailbox to be honest. We had to go about an hour away to pick his one up.

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Her name is Hope. She's a bluetick coonhound/labrador retriever mix. :-P

In My Mailbox #31

Thanks to Kristi, The Story Siren, for hosting In My Mailbox every week.

This week, I got a few different things.

The Caldecott Chronicles No. 2 by RG Bullet

The Earl of Rothshire has decided to leave Caldecott manor and find his son, Albert. His plans to ride his surviving horse, Willow, to London have derailed and the only other way to get there is to venture forth in a newfangled horseless carriage. Saffy insists on accompanying him, and together they make their way through the local villages encountering fights with undead and...the living.

And... the greatest thing my mailman has brought me in AGES:

That's right. My swag from the So Silver Bright book trailer contest!! Lisa sent me, not only the t-shirt I was hoping to win, but a bunch of other cool things too!

Sweet greeting-like cards

A backstage pass magnet

A thank you card

And there was also a backstage pass bracelet that I was wearing at the time, so I didn't get a photo of it. Here's a close up of my Team Nate t-shirt:

How cool is that? Thanks Lisa!!

In My Mailbox #29

Thanks to Kristi, The Story Siren, for hosting In My Mailbox every week.

This week I got a couple of books (I couldn't help it!).

Hollowland by Amanda Hocking (book one in the Hollows series) was free from Amazon.

"This is the way the world ends - not with a bang or a whimper, but with zombies breaking down the back door."

Nineteen-year-old Remy King is on a mission to get across the wasteland left of America, and nothing will stand in her way - not violent marauders, a spoiled rock star, or an army of flesh-eating zombies.

Who doesn't love flesh eating zombies? I mean really.

Wither by Lauren DeStefano (book one in The Chemical Garden series) I got at Books - a - Million. I couldn't not go in anymore. And this was on SALE! Score.

At age sixteen, Rhine Ellery has four years to live. Thanks to a botched effort to create a perfect race, all females live to be twenty, and males live to age twenty-five. While geneticists seek a miracle antidote, orphans roam the streets and polygamy abounds. After Rhine is kidnapped and sold as a bride, she is desperate to escape from her husband's strange world, which includes a sinister father-in-law in search of the antidote and a slew of sister wives who are not to be trusted. On the cusp of her seventeenth birthday, Rhine attempts to flee--but what she finds is a society spiraling into anarchy.

Can't wait to see what you all got this week!

In My Mailbox #28

Thanks to Kristi, The Story Siren for hosting In My Mailbox every week!

I didn't get anything last week but I DID get a few great books THIS week. One, I finished and put my review up for yesterday. Hehe. I couldn't put it down.

Forever by Maggie Stiefvater

In Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver, Grace and Sam found each other. In Linger, they fought to be together. Now, in Forever, the stakes are even higher than before. Wolves are being hunted. Lives are being threatened. And love is harder and harder to hold on to as death comes closing in.

Blue by Lou Aronica (for review)

Chris Astor is a man in his early forties who is going through the toughest stretch of his life. Becky is Chris's fourteen-year-old daughter, a girl who overcame enormous challenges to become a vibrant, vital young woman - and now faces her greatest obstacle yet. Miea is the young queen of a fantasy land that Becky and Chris created when Becky was little, a fantasy land that has developed a life of its own and now finds itself in terrible, maybe fatal trouble. Together, Chris, Becky, and Miea need to uncover a secret. The secret to why their worlds have joined at this moment. The secret to their purpose. The secret to the future. It is a secret that, when discovered, will redefine imagination for all of them. Blue is a novel of trial and hope, invention and rediscovery. It might very well take you someplace you never knew existed.

The Visitor by Karen McDermott (for review)

Sometimes things happen to test us, it's only if we pass the test do we receive the true gift. The time has come for the visitor to arrive. When this happens it is a life changing event for those he encounters. Their lives have reached a turning point and with the watchful eye of the Visitor they will each recieve a gem. By passing the test comes the opportunity to recieve the true gift if they are fortunate enough. His journey with each of these five women leads him to not only change their lives but also his own.

In My Mailbox #27

Before we get started, I wanted to let you all know, just incase you'd missed it, that there is a giveaway happening one entry back. So you can CLICK HERE and comment to win a copy of a super cool novel by Monique Doucette (giveaway is US only).

Now, on with the show.

In My Mailbox is hosted every week by Kristi, The Story Siren.

I did get one book in the mail this week. But I've actually thrown it away (honestly, I had to have someone else do it... even with the kind of book that it was, I couldn't bring myself to throw it in the trash on my own). It was offensive (don't get me wrong, I've read some offensive stuff, but this?), and negatively stereotyped a lot of people (and yes, even though I know that sort of thing DOES go on, I mean really... EVERY black male character in the book?), and I believe that the description is misleading. And I don't like being tricked in to reading something.

Anyways. Moving on...

I did get some new Kindle reads though.

Bumped by Megan McCafferty

The Vampire with the Dragon Tattoo by JR Rain

The Secret Holocaust Diaries: The Untold Story of Nonna Bannister by Nonna Bannister

Exiled by Rashelle Workman

The Way Life Was Forever by Carey Corp

Grey Eyes by B. Alston and Q. Ramey

There you go. I think that's all I snagged this week. What about you guys? 

In My Mailbox #26

Thank you to Kristi, The Story Siren, for hosting IMM every week!

As I've said before, I am not in town this week. I'm in Missouri visiting with family!

But I wanted to share with you all some of the books I got this past week.

FIRST of all, I got a Kindle Fire and I have to tell you, it is amazing. I've always been kind of against e-readers or online reading (with a few exceptions) because I LOVE being able to put a hard copy of a book on my shelf when I'm done. But, I will admit, this has won me over.

For Christmas I got 2 books.

The Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook by Dinah Bucholz

&

The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan

Totally excited to cook up some Harry Potter recipes. And equally excited to read the first book in the Heroes of Olympus series (I know, I'm behind... what can I say).

Now, because I've been on a Kindle book buying binge, I'm not going to list ALL of the books I got, because that would take forever, but I want to give you all an idea.

Humanity Scar by Monique Doucette

Entwined by Heather Dixon

War Horse by Michael Morpurgo

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Alice in Deadland by Mainak Dhar

Luthiel's Song: War of Mists by Robert Fanney

The Poison Diaries by Maryrose Wood

The Scarlet Pimpernel by Emmuska Orczy

The Strange Case of Finley Jayne by Kady Cross

That's just some of my great finds for the week!

What did you guys get this go around?

In My Mailbox #25

Thanks to Kristi, The Story Siren, for hosting IMM every week.

This week I'm doing mine on Saturday instead of Sunday, since tomorrow is Christmas.

I got another book I'm looking forward to reading from R.G. Bullet called The 58th Keeper. I absolutely LOVED The Caldecott Chronicles Excerpt No. 1, so I definitely have high hopes for this one as well!

The 58th Keeper is the story of a boy called Archy Bass, who stumbles upon a mysterious and powerful relic. The moment he touches it, two warring forces race to find his whereabouts. One side thinks he’s simply too young and too inexperienced to keep it, and the other just want him dead. Hold on to your seats! The 58th Keeper is a roaring trip that takes the reader on the most wonderful and hair-raising scenes imaginable. R. G. Bullet pulls out all stops in his debut novel to deliver an incredible journey with unforgettable characters. This book will resonate with you for ages past the last line.

Hope everyone has a Merry Christmas!

In My Mailbox # 24

Thanks to Kristi The Story Siren for hosting In My Mailbox every week.

This week for review I got:

The Caldecott Chronicles #1 by RG Bullet

Although the word zombie is never used in the Caldecott Chronicles the undead, the ungodly, the beef squad, and stumblers certainly are. The bizarre and gruesome details are narrated in a journal by a very Aristocratic British gent. Get a first hand look on how the Victorian upper class deal with stumbling trespassers and see how one draws ones inspiration from a teenage girl born to kill.

What did you get this week?

*Edit*

I just went out to my mailbox (against my better judgement because it's midnight and below freezing) and found a wicked cool surprise!!

Tears of the Broken by A.M. Hudson! I'm excited! It's beautiful!

When you love someone, there's nothing you wouldn't forgive.

But what about murder?

Ara-Rose will learn that life is fashioned from one tragedy after the next, and that sometimes, the truth people hide from you is nothing you could have imagined.

But Ara has secrets of her own, and she's willing to take them to her grave--a place David Knight will fight to keep her from.

In My Mailbox #23

Thanks to Kristi, The Story Siren, for hosting IMM every week!

I got a couple cool books this week.

For Review:

The Wish List by Gabi Stevens. And I just have to say that I love this cover. It's bright and fun and just wicked cute!

Kristin Montgomery is more than a little shocked when her aunts inform her they're fairy godmothers. Worse, after dropping that bombshell they hand her a wand and head off on a world cruise. Now Kristin's uncomplicated life as a CPA in San Diego has disappeared like magic and she not only has to deal with her burgeoning magical powers, but also a reluctant and distractingly sexy magical arbiter.

Tennyson Ritter is a historian. A scholar by choice, he is yanked from his studies to act as arbiter for the newly chosen fairy godmother. He doesn't want to waste his time with a woman who doesn't know anything about magic or the magical world, but soon the beguiling Kristin draws him away from his books and into her life.But before Kristin can hone her skills and pass the tests necessary to fully claim her powers, she and Tennyson must work together to defend the world - both magical and human - against those that would claim her powers for their own.

Bought:

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher. I've heard about this book, and reading the back cover I feel like I'm in for an emotional read with this one. Definitely.

Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a strange package with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers several cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker - his classmate and crush - who committed suicide two weeks earlier. Hannah's voice tells him that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out why. Clay spends the night crisscrossing his town with Hannah as his guide. He becomes a firsthand witness to Hannah's pain, and learns the truth about himself-a truth he never wanted to face.

Can't wait to see what you all got this week!

Follow Friday #24

It's time again for Follow Friday! I'm a bit late posting this one, but better late than never right?
This weeks question:

Q: It’s Thanksgiving Day in the U.S. so we want to know what you are Thankful for – blogging related of course! Who has helped you out along the way? What books are you thankful for reading?

A. Well, there are a few different things.

1. First of all, I'm thankful for Jess aka The Cozy Reader. I don't remember how exactly I found her blog, but in doing so, I found literally HUNDREDS of books that I couldn't wait to get my hands on. Some of them, unfortunately, I'm still waiting on. But I'd been in a reading rut, and I got so many great "suggestions" from reading her.
2. Second, I'm thankful for Siobhan at Totally Bookalicious for being my ONLY follower for the longest time when I restarted my blog.
3. I'm thankful for memes. Without them I wouldn't have gotten to meet some of the coolest book bloggers. I love checking in with The Story Siren every week to see what new books she has. It's a blast looking for teasers every Tuesday to post on Miz B's wall at Should Be Reading. And then of course there's Follow Friday brought to us by Parajunkee. I love reading her BB101 posts too. It's so fun to participate in these things and it gave me a chance to "meet" a lot of really cool people.
4. I'm thankful that blogging has opened up the book world to me. I've had the good fortune to meet Maggie Stiefvater in person during a book signing as well as authors like A.M. Hudson, Shelley Watters, and Lisa Mantchev online. They are all fantastic people and are all wonderful authors.

Books that I'm thankful for?

Harry Potter. Definitely. I used to read. A lot. And I know I've posted about this in here before somewhere, but I'm going to do it again. There was a time when I was severely depressed and couldn't figure out how to get out of my own way. I probably hadn't picked up a book in forever. And then I remembered Harry Potter. I'd read it in highschool, but I decided to pick it up again. Which was a big for me because I hadn't felt like even opening the cover of any other book in a long time.

Reading Harry Potter took me away from all the stuff that was being thrown in my face left and right. It let me be someone else for as long as I could stay awake and read it. It gave me something to look forward to and be excited about. And as silly as this may sound, while I'm reading, the characters in the books are my friends. It was my escape. They took me away to somewhere better. They let me stop hurting and being angry. I could breathe again.

I think Harry Potter will forever be my all time favorite series.

And with that, I've written too much and bored you all.

What were you all thankful for this year?

4th Annual Debut Author Challenge

I'm signing up for the 4th Annual Debut Author Challenge hosted by Kristi, The Story Siren. I'm excited. I missed out on doing this years challenge so I wasn't going to have the same thing happen for next year.

Here's the info from Kristi:

CHALLENGE OBJECTIVE:

• To read & review a minimum of twelve young adult or middle grade debut novels between the dates of January 1, 2012 - January 31, 2013.*

*The 2013 extension is so that December Debuts can be read and count toward the challenge.

RULES & GUIDELINES:

• You must have a Blog to post your reviews or be a member of Goodreads.
• Your blog must be written in English.
• Deadline to join is May 31, 2012.

BOOK GUIDELINES:

• Must be a young adult or middle grade title.
• Must be the author’s YA or MG debut, released in 2012.
• If an author has a previous novel published for adults or children, they can still qualify for the challenge.
• If an author has a previous YA or MG title, they do not qualify for the challenge

Head on over to her page and sign up with me!

In My Mailbox #19

IMM is hosted every week by Kristi The Story Siren.

I didn't receive any new books in the mail this week.

But I got something almost better.

I found a ton of OLD books! Books that I'd been missing for years and had counted as lost completely.

I found all of my Harry Potter books that I'd been missing (and I now have 3 copies of The Sorcerer's Stone) so now I don't have to rebuy them! I found all the of the books in the original Bartimaeus Trilogy (although now I understand there's a 4th book) by Jonathan Stroud. I found my copies of Eragon and Eldest, by Christopher Paolini, to go on the bookshelf with my copy of Brisingr. I found Inkheart by Cornelia Funke. I found Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke. And more that I can't remember.

In My Mailbox #18

IMM is hosted every week by Kristi, The Story Siren.

This week was a library week again. I'm about halfway through The Regime by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins. It's book 2 in the Before They Were Left Behind series. I read the first 1, The Rising, many years ago and this was the first time since the initial release date that I've seen book 2. I've also read the entire Left Behind series and I definitely recommend all books.

I also picked up Eragon by Christopher Paolini on audio CD to listen to in the car. I'm anxiously awaiting Inheritance so I figured I'd give myself a refresher and listen to/read books 1-3. I love listening to Gerard Doyle narrate the books. I've listened to them before.

For the girls I got Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl on audio CD as well. It was relatively short so it wasn't too hard for them to listen to and it kept their attention for the most part. I must say, I wouldn't have picked Eric Idle as a narrator, his voice is just a little harsh at times, but it was fun to listen to.

In My Mailbox #17

Thanks to Kristi The Story Siren for hosting In My Mailbox every week.

I did better this week than the last 4 combined. Hehe.

So I have to thank my dad for:
 Alanna by Tamora Pierce
 In the Hand of the Goddess by Tamora Pierce
The Woman Who Rides Like a Man by Tamora Pierce
Lioness Rampant by Tamora Pierce
...and...
The Tales of Beedle the Bard by JK Rowling

He's moving in a little over a week and had these books sitting around and told me that I could have them. I love you Dad!

Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce I bought at Walmart today! I've seen Sweetly several times but since I haven't read the first book, I didn't want to pick up the second. I know they're retellings of old fairy tales, but I still wanted to read the first retelling before moving on. So I was wicked stoked when I saw this and couldn't pass it up!

Can't wait to see what you all got!

In My Mailbox #16

Thanks to Kristi The Story Siren for hosting In My Mailbox every week!

It's been a while since I've done one of these posts but I have a couple of books to show you guys (and I got them a while ago, I just haven't been up for doing an IMM post, and... as you can tell... I haven't gotten any new books since these 2)!

And lemme tell you, I love me some cowboys. I won these books in a giveaway from Sara, The Brazen Bookworm.

Without further ado....

Going Cowboy Crazy: Deep in the Heart of Texas #1

Make Mine a Bad Boy: Deep in the Heart of Texas #2

Both by Katie Lane. And I have to say a big fat THANK YOU to whoever chose the covers for these. :-P Can't wait to read them!!

In My Mailbox #15

I want to say, first off, that I'm wicked sorry. I've got terrible reader's block. I just haven't been able to sit down and read for more than a few minutes at a time and I don't know why. :-(

NOW. On with our regularly scheduled programming. In My Mailbox is hosted every week by The Story Siren.

I've gotten some interesting reads.

The first is called The Canary List by Sigmund Brouwer.

The second I just got in the mail yesterday. The Forgeiners by Maxine Swann.

These next two I got from Walmart for $1.00. How awesome is that. I got Peter Pan and The Secret Garden. They're large print and illustrated! B&W illustrations but it's better than not at all. :-) When I find them (kids have sticky fingers) I'll post the pictures of the covers. They're wicked simple, but I don't care. They were a dollar!

Can't wait to see what you all got in your mailbox! 

In My Mailbox #13

In My Mailbox is hosted every week by Kristi The Story Siren.

THIS week, I got an advanced readers' edition of Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan. I won this in a Goodreads giveaway and had forgotten about it until I received it yesterday. It's set to be on shelves September 27, 2011!

I love the cover. It's simpley, but pretty.

Description from Amazon (Goodreads is down right now for some reason):

If a violent battle destroyed the only world you’ve ever known, would you be brave enough to save who was left? Would love be strong enough to survive the fight? Either way, there’s no turning back.


What did you all get in the mail?