In My Mailbox (27)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme inspired by Alea and hosted by Kristi. Check out Kristi's blog to see what others got in terms of books this week!

I went happy-time buying books this week, so in this IMM and the next you'll probably see a lot of books I bought, lol. It makes me happy!

For review:

Vintage Veronica by Erica S. Perl
(Knopf / March 9, 2010)

Veronica Walsh is 15, fashion-minded, fat, and friendless. Her summer job in the Consignment Corner section (Employees Only!) of a vintage clothing store is a dream come true. There Veronica can spend her days separating the one-of-a-kind gem garments from the Dollar-a-Pound duds, without having to deal with people. But when two outrageous yet charismatic salesgirls befriend her and urge her to spy on and follow the mysterious and awkward stock boy Veronica has nicknamed the Nail, Veronica’s summer takes a turn for the weird. Suddenly, what began as a prank turns into something else entirely. Which means Veronica may have to come out of hiding and follow something even riskier for the first time: her heart.

Morpheus Road, Book 1: The Light by D. J. MacHale
(Simon & Schuster / April 20, 2010)

#1 NYT bestselling author D.J. MacHale's Morpheus Road trilogy brings readers down an ethereal pathway between the worlds of the living and dead. An older middle-grade supernatural series that tells the story of a sixteen-year-old boy who is being hunted and haunted by ghosts.

I've seen this author's name around A LOT, and while it doesn't seem like the time of book I'd normally pick up (I'm not really a ghost kind of girl), I think I'll give this a try.

Bought:

Anahita's Woven Riddle by Meghan Nuttall Sayres
(Abrams / Nov. 2006)

In this enchanting historical novel, a nomad in nineteenth-century Iran takes fate into her own hands when her father promises her in marriage to a man she dislikes. Anahita convinces her father to let her hold a contest in which potential suitors must correctly answer the riddle she has woven into her wedding carpet. A diplomat, a schoolteacher, a shepherd, and a prince compete in Anahita's battle of wits for the heart of this extraordinary girl.


Weaving a bit of fairy tale into her rich exploration of Persian life, Meghan Nuttall Sayres has written a debut novel that delights and fascinates.

Seriously, this looks FANTASTIC. I found it on sale for a dollar at a local library sale. It sounds like a retelling of a fairy tale that I remember loving when I was younger. That, combined with the Middle Eastern setting and characters... I look forward to reading this book!

Mirrorscape by Mike Wilks
(EgmontUSA / Oct. 2009)

Melkin Womper is thrilled to escape his dull future as a village weaver and develop his artistic talent when he’s apprenticed to Ambrosius Blenk, one of Vlam’s most famous masters. Mel is especially excited by the colors that he’ll be able to use, since color is a very expensive Pleasure, strictly controlled by the sinister Fifth Mystery.


Mel can’t wait to enjoy the wonders of the grand city and begin his important work for Blenk. Instead, his dreams are quickly crushed by the reality of days filled with unimportant tasks and bullying by the other apprentices whose wealthy families have purchased their positions. Still, the promise of working under the great Blenk and studying his legendary paintings makes the misery bearable.


But when Mel and his new friends, Ludo and Wren, inadvertently stumble into a battle between the Fifth Mystery and the Rainbow Rebellion, an underground band fighting to make Pleasures affordable for all, the trio must step through Blenk’s paintings into the Mirrorscape. In this alternative world, the friends encounter monsters, mazes, talking houses, angels, and more.

I've seen this book around but have heard very little of it. Yet when I found it on sale I couldn't resist. The synopsis does sound pretty good, doesn't it?

The Naughty List by Suzanne Young
(Razorbill / Feb. 2010)

As if being a purrfect cheerleader isn't enough responsibility! Tessa Crimson's the sweet and spunky leader of the SOS (Society of Smitten Kittens), a cheer squad–turned–spy society dedicated to bringing dastardly boyfriends to justice, one cheater at a time. Boyfriend-busting wouldn't be so bad . . . except that so far, every suspect on the Naughty List has been proven 100% guilty!


When Tessa's own boyfriend shows up on the List, she turns her sleuthing skills on him. Is Aiden just as naughty as all the rest, or will Tessa's sneaky ways end in catastrophe?

Hooray for Tenners!

Never After by Dan Elconin
(Simon Pulse / Oct. 2009)

There is no place like a dysfunctional home.


Leaving everything behind for the Island was Ricky's dream come true. When his happily ever after is not quite what it seems, he discovers that running away means running toward bigger problems.


Trapped on the Island, Ricky must join together with the only people he can trust to help him face his fears and return home. But the only way off the Island is to confront the person who trapped Ricky and his friends in the first place. With countless enemies and true peril staring them down, Ricky's mission to leave this so-called paradise will become a battle for their very lives.

I've heard good things about this novel and decided to finally check it out!

The Dead & the Gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer
(Houghton Mifflin Harcourt / June 2008)

Susan Beth Pfeffer’s Life as We Knew It enthralled and devastated readers with its brutal but hopeful look at an apocalyptic event—an asteroid hitting the moon, setting off a tailspin of horrific climate changes. Now this harrowing companion novel examines the same events as they unfold in New York City, revealed through the eyes of seventeen-year-old Puerto Rican Alex Morales. When Alex's parents disappear in the aftermath of tidal waves, he must care for his two younger sisters, even as Manhattan becomes a deadly wasteland, and food and aid dwindle.


With haunting themes of family, faith, personal change, and courage, this powerful new novel explores how a young man takes on unimaginable responsibilities.

The first book in this series, Life As We Knew It, is one of my favorite books of all time, and yet I haven't been able to pick this book up yet. In preparation for the release of the third book next month, however, my blogger friend Meg and I are going to have a mini read-along of this book next weekend! Basically we're just going to Tweet each other back and forth as we read this; if you want in just let one of us know! :)

The Sky Is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson
(Penguin / March 9, 2010)

17-year-old Lennie Walker, bookworm and band geek, plays second clarinet and spends most of her time tucked safely in the shadow of her outgoing sister, Bailey. Their mother left when Lennie was one, and their sisterhood — and the support of their wacky and loving Gran and perfectly Northern Californian hippie uncle — has pulled them through. So when Bailey suddenly dies, Lennie crumples. At first, it seems the only person who truly understands the depth of her loss is Bailey’s ex-boyfriend, Toby. Their mutual grief turns into something that seems confusingly like romance. Then there’s the nearly magical allure of Joe Fontaine, new boy in town and thrillingly talented musician, who is falling for Lennie as fast as she’s falling for him.


One boy is like the sun, the other the moon; one takes her out of her sorrow, the other comforts her in it. But Joe’s been hurt before, and when he walks in on Lennie and Toby, Lennie is forced to take responsibility for her actions. What she discovers is not just love, but the strength to admit to her dreams of Julliard, confront her anger towards her mother, and ultimately, claim her rightful position as first clarinet — not just in the band, but in the crazy cacophony of her life.

I was a bad girl: I walked into Borders one night, not really expecting to buy anything. This book kept jumping into my hands and refused to leave me alone. I read the first few pages, my attention was captured, and before I knew it, this book was taking up space in my car on my way home. Grrr. *grins* Just kidding. I've heard nothing but good things about this book. I can't wait to read it.

Borrowed from library:

The Returners by Gemma Malley
The Way He Lived by Emily Wing Smith
The Hunchback Assignments by Arthur Slade
The Poison Eaters and Other Stories by Holly Black
This Book Isn't Fat, It's Fabulous by Nina Beck - on Lenore's Unsung YA recommendation!
Boys, Girls, and Other Hazardous Materials by Rosalind Wiseman
The Line by Teri Hall

Since I'm on spring break, I'm making March my "Read Borrowed and Bought Recently Released Books" month. These are all books that have been on my wishlist for forever, and I'm having a blast reading through them.

Such a happy book week for me! I hope yours was good as well!