In My Mailbox (16)

In My Mailbox is inspired by Alea and memefied by Kristi. Check out Kristi's post to see more people's IMM posts for this week!

The Life of Glass by Jillian Cantor

(HarperTeen / ARC / Feb. 2010)

Before he died, Melissa’s father told her about stars. He told her that the brightest stars weren’t always the most beautiful—that if people took the time to look at the smaller stars, if they looked with a telescope at the true essence of the star, they would find real beauty. But even though Melissa knows that beauty isn’t only skin deep, the people around her don’t seem to feel that way. There’s her gorgeous sister Ashley who will barely acknowledge Melissa at school, there's her best friend Ryan, who may be falling in love with the sophisticated Courtney, and there’s Melissa’s mother who’s dating someone new, someone who Melissa knows will never be able to replace her father.

To make sure she doesn’t lose her father completely, Melissa spends her time trying to piece together the last of his secrets and completing a journal her father began—one about love and relationships and the remarkable ways people find one another. But when tragedy strikes, Melissa has to start living and loving in the present, as she realizes that being beautiful on the outside doesn't mean you can't be beautiful on the inside.

Sarah from Blue Slip Media has been raving about this ever since she first contacted me, and so I'm ecstatic to have received an ARC--and this early before publication, too!

Rooftops of Tehran by Mahbod Seraji

(NAL Trade / PB / May 5, 2009)

In a middle-class neighborhood of Iran's sprawling capital city, 17-year-old Pasha Shahed spends the summer of 1973 on his rooftop with his best friend Ahmed, joking around one minute and asking burning questions about life the next. He also hides a secret love for his beautiful neighbor Zari, who has been betrothed since birth to another man. But the bliss of Pasha and Zari's stolen time together is shattered when Pasha unwittingly acts as a beacon for the Shah's secret police. The violent consequences awaken him to the reality of living under a powerful despot, and lead Zari to make a shocking choice...

I've heard nothing but good things about this book since it came out in May, so I'm honored to have the opportunity to review it. Thank you!

Ripley's Believe It or Not: Seeing is Believing!

(Ripley Publishing / HB / Aug. 4, 2009)

Following hot on the heels of last year's best-selling edition, "Ripley's Believe it or Not 2009" offers a whole new feast of bizarre facts, fiends and freaks -all guaranteed to fascinate, surprise and amaze. Stare in wonder at the man who swallowed a solid steel sword underwater; gasp at the pelican who ate a pigeon; and, marvel at the man who swam down the Amazon, dodging piranhas, pirates and whirlpools. Illustrated throughout with extraordinary colour photographs, this fascinating book is a must-have for anyone intrigued by the stranger aspects of our planet and its inhabitants.

Yeah, yeah, I don't read much nonfiction, but strange-but-true facts are one of my weaknesses, hehe. Plus, my boyfriend will probably be very happy to help me review this. :) Thanks, Carolina!

Hate List by Jennifer Brown

(Little, Brown / ARC / Sept. 1, 2009)

Five months ago, Valerie Leftman's boyfriend, Nick, opened fire on their school cafeteria. Shot trying to stop him, Valerie inadvertently saved the life of a classmate, but was implicated in the shootings because of the list she helped create. A list of people and things she and Nick hated. The list he used to pick his targets.

Now, after a summer of seclusion, Val is forced to confront her guilt as she returns to school to complete her senior year. Haunted by the memory of the boyfriend she still loves and navigating rocky relationships with her family, former friends and the girl whose life she saved, Val must come to grips with the tragedy that took place and her role in it, in order to make amends and move on with her life.

Came for a Traveling to Teens tour. Yay!!! I've wanted to read this for so long.

Skulduggery Pleasant, Book 1: The Scepter of the Ancients by Derek Landy

(HarperCollins / PB / reprint May 2009)

Skulduggery Pleasant, Book 3: The Faceless Ones by Derek Landy

(HarperCollins / HB / Sept. 1, 2009)

Summary for Book 1: Stephanie led a pretty quiet existence until her uncle died. Not only did he leave her his mansion, he left her a new best friend—Skulduggery Pleasant, a skeleton detective (sorry, a supernatural skeleton detective)—who waltzes into her life for keeps. Now she's acquiring magical powers, endangering her life to fight evil, and trading snappy comebacks with something without a body.

So much for her quiet existence.

Stephanie's big job is to find the Scepter of the Ancients—a weapon capable of destroying anyone and anything—before the evil Faceless Ones steal it for themselves. She just has to defeat a bunch of ghouls, kick the butts of a clan of vampires, and hide her powers from the entire world (oh, and her parents).

No worries. She's got a bunch of bones on her side.

I've been curious about this series ever since I first heard about it several months ago. Aren't the reprints gorgeous? Thank you, John Michael and HarperCollins!

The Sky Always Hears Me, and the Hills Don't Mind by Kirstin Cronn-Mills

(Flux / PB / Sept. 1, 2009)

Sixteen-year-old Morgan lives in a hick town in the middle of Nebraska. College is two years away. Her mom was killed in a car accident when she was three, her dad drinks, and her stepmom is a non-entity. Her boyfriend Derek is boring and her coworker Rob has a very cute butt that she can't stop staring at. Then there's the kiss she shared with her classmate Tessa...

But when Morgan discovers that the one person in the world she trusted most has kept a devastating secret from her, Morgan must redefine her life and herself.

I've been wanting to read this ever since I found it and featured it as one of my Waiting on Wednesday picks. I'm reading it right now and it is awesome. Thank you, Kirstin and Courtney at Flux!

Awakening Consciousness: A Girl's Guide! by Robin Marvel

(Loving Healing Press / PB / Nov. 2008)

Awakening Consciousness is a workbook designed to encourage spiritual growth on a path of self awareness. The fun hands-on exercises in this motivating, easy to use workbook are for girls of all ages and will encourage great exploration into universal Awareness. In this book you will:

Exercise your seven chakras

Learn about crystals

Discover how to keep a healthy aura

Explore your inner self

Practice learning the pendulum

Create your own future

Try aromatherapy with easy to do, fun crafts

Like I said earlier, I don't read much nonfiction, but I accepted this for review because this is exactly the type of book I would've read when I was in middle school, lol.

Leaving the Bellweathers by Kristin Clark Venuti

(EgmontUSA / ARC / Sept. 22, 2009)

Meet the Bellweather family: Spider, a 14-year-old boy who surrounds himself and his family with dangerous--very dangerous--endangered animals; Ninda, a 13-year-old self-righteous do-gooder whose good deeds somehow always end in disaster; the 9-year-old triplets Spike, Brick, and Sassy, who speak to one another in Loud and Strong Voices; their hapless parents who only contribute to the chaos; and their wonderful, buttoned-up, and organized butler, Tristan Benway, who tells the tale of his attempted escape from the endangered alligators, scientific experiments run amok, smuggled-in circus performers, and general mayhem of the Bellweather family.

I'm rediscovering my love for all things middle grade, and this seems like it will be a ton of fun. Thanks, Beth!

Bought this week:

None (need money for college books *cries*)

From swaps:

A College of Magics by Caroline Stevermer

Les Miserables by Victor Hugo

Evil Genius by Catherine Jinks

How to Steal a Car by Pete Hautman

From the library:

After by Amy Efaw

Hollywood is Like High School With Money by Zoey Dean

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

So all in all, I had an extremely happy week book-wise, hehe. What about you?