In My Mailbox- Week of Dec. 22

Only 1 book this week, but a good one that I can't wait to read!


3 Willows: The Sisterhood Grows by Ann Brashares
summer is a time to grow

seeds
Polly has an idea that she can't stop thinking about, one that involves changing a few things about herself. She's setting her sights on a more glamorous life, but it's going to take all of her focus. At least that way she won't have to watch her friends moving so far ahead.

roots
Jo is spending the summer at her family's beach house, working as a busgirl and bonding with the older, cooler girls she'll see at high school come September. She didn't count on a brief fling with a cute boy changing her entire summer. Or feeling embarrassed by her middle school friends. And she didn't count on her family at all. . .

leaves
Ama is not an outdoorsy girl. She wanted to be at an academic camp, doing research in an air-conditioned library, earning A's. Instead her summer scholarship lands her on a wilderness trip full of flirting teenagers, blisters, impossible hiking trails, and a sad lack of hair products.
It is a new summer. And a new sisterhood. Come grow with them.

My Thoughts: I got this from Random House earlier this week. I hadn't asked for it, but was so glad to receive it. I'd actually completely forgotten that it was even coming out until I got it (same with Parties and Potions). It looks like a fantastic book and I can't wait to read it. I also finally got the second Sisterhood movie from my library and I'm so excited to see it!! :)


That's all for this week!

PS Added just a couple minutes later. I knew I was forgetting something! I also got (I don't know where to find a smaller picture- sorry!!)


Wings by Aprilynne Pike
Aprilynne Pike's Wings is the first of four books about an ordinary girl named Laurel who discovers she is a faerie sent among humans to guard the gateway to Avalon. When Laurel is thrust into the midst of a centuries-old battle between faeries and trolls, she's torn between a human and a faerie love, as well as her loyalties to each world. Coming from HarperTeen May 5, 2009!

My Thoughts: This also came sort of randomly- the publicist warned me beforehand that it would be coming, but she hadn't asked if I had wanted the book (I did though, so it's ok, lol), just that she was sending it and that it would be arriving soon. So I got it in the mail and it looks fantastic. I can't wait to read it! :)

In My Mailbox- Week of Dec. 13 Part 2

OK so I lied, lol. I didn't have enough time to do it on Monday or Tuesday and then didn't have access to a computer on Wednesday or Thursday due to the library being closed. Yes, my computer is still down. My neighbor's trying to fix it so we'll see how that goes. Some exciting news has occurred though! My parents got me a BRAND NEW digital camera which can record videos with sound, which means that soon I'll be doing vlogs just like everyone else!! Well, when my computer starts working again and I can start uploading things... So I'm quite excited about all of that. Anyway, on to Part 2!


Shimmer by Dallas Reed and Thomas Pendleton
When the box is opened, everything starts to change. On a freezing night in Winter, Colorado, there's a party going on—and it will change the town forever. Justin, the party's host, doesn't know that the box in his dad's study contains a shimmering dust that has the power to transform all it touches. Emma, the cute new girl, doesn't know she will spend the next twenty-four hours running for her life through a freezing blizzard. Russ, a local snowboarder, doesn't know that the person he loves most is about to betray him. And Tess, the queen of the school, only knows she wants to see what's in that box. Nobody knows what's coming—yet. But as the party gets under way, the residents of Winter will find themselves face-to-face with forces darker than any December storm.


Repossessed by A.M. Jenkins
Don't call me a demon. I prefer the term Fallen Angel. Everybody deserves a vacation, right? Especially if you have a pointless job like tormenting the damned. So who could blame me for blowing off my duties and taking a small, unauthorized break? Besides, I've always wanted to see what physical existence is like. That's why I "borrowed" the slightly used body of a slacker teen. Believe me, he wasn't going to be using it anymore anyway. I have never understood why humans do the things they do. Like sin—if it's so terrible, why do they keep doing it? I'm going to have a lot of fun finding out!

My Thoughts: I got these together in a HarperTeen package randomly. They both look really good, but they're gonna be going at the bottom of my TBR pile. Has anyone read Repossessed yet? Shimmer doesn't come out until next week, but Repossessed has been out for over a year now, I think.


In Too Deep by Jennifer Banash
If you don’t belong here— you just don’t belong…

The Bramford building’s newest resident and small-town transplant Casey McCloy is adapting to life in the Big Apple and loving it. She’s got the look, the attitude, and a delish new boyfriend, Drew Van Allen. But she’s starting to have second thoughts as to whether the “New York” Casey is the real Casey. And she’s not so sure she likes herself much anymore. She’s not the only one.

Madison Macallister has always had her Manolo Blahniks firmly planted on the top rung of the social ladder—until that corn-fed cow Casey stole Drew away from her and made her look the fool. So what if Madison wasn’t exactly dating Drew at the time? She wanted him. And everyone knows that Madison gets what she wants, like Drew—and a little revenge.

My Thoughts: I got an ARC of this about a couple months ago, and then I got a finalized copy in the mail from Berkeley Jam. I absolutely love the cover, so I'm keeping the finalized version and will be giving away the ARC version in a contest on my Myspace blog when I post the review of the book.



Hmmm, I can't seem to find the cover or synopsis for this final book. I'll post the cover and synopsis once my computer is up and running and I can take a picture of the cover. Anyway, the final book I got was Gorgeous by Rachel Vail, the second book in the Lucky trilogy. It'll be out in May 2009. I only have two minutes left on this computer, so I need to get going. I'll tell you all the story about it later!

In My Mailbox- Week of Dec. 13 Part 1

This will be divided up into two parts only because I don't have much time before family members start showing up for our Christmas lunch and also because I'm on dialup. So I'm doing 4 books today and 4 books tomorrow (and I will do my best to do this consecutively, lol).


Lords of Misrule by Rachel Caine
In the college town of Morganville, vampires and humans coexist in (relatively) bloodless harmony. Then comes Bishop, the master vampire who threatens to abolish all order, revive the forces of the evil dead, and let chaos rule. But Bishop isn’t the only threat.

Violent black cyclone clouds hover, promising a storm of devastating proportions as student Claire Danvers and her friends prepare to defend Morganville against elements both natural and unnatural.
My Thoughts: I got this randomly earlier this week- the first one I got. I have not read any Rachel Caine book, but I really want to, so now this gives me some incentive to get started on the first four books in the series before reading this fifth book. Has anyone else read this series? What do you guys think about it?


Parties and Potions by Sarah Mlynowski
Perfect hair, cute clothes, healthy tans—life’s a breeze when you’re a witch! Even special witchcraft classes Rachel agrees to attend with Miri turn out to be fun. The sisters meet other teen witches just like them—who knew? Everyone’s preparing for a magical party called a Samsorta—a debutante ball for witches. And it wouldn’t be a ball without warlocks. Cute ones. Like Adam, who wants to slow dance with Rachel, and ski with her in the Rockies—on a school night! Of course, Rachel is madly in love with her boyfriend, Raf. So why can’t she bring herself to tell Adam—funny, charming Adam—that Raf exists? Rachel knows Raf likes her. Maybe even, gulp, loves her. But Raf doesn’t know her secret. Unlike Adam, Raf doesn’t know who she really is. And she can never tell him. Or can she?


Zombie Queen of Newbury High by Amanda Ashby
Quiet, unpopular, non-cheerleading Mia is blissfully happy. She is dating super hot football god Rob, and he actually likes her and asked her to prom! Enter Samantha—cheerleading goddess and miss popularity— who starts making a move for Rob. With prom in a few days, Mia needs to act fast. So she turns to her best friend, Candice, and decides to do a love spell on Rob. Unfortunately, she ends up inflicting a zombie virus onto her whole class, making herself their leader! At first she is flattered that everyone is treating her like a queen. But then zombie hunter hottie Chase explains they are actually fattening her up, because in a few days, Mia will be the first course in their new diet. She’s sure she and Chase can figure something out, but she suggests that no one wear white to prom, because things could get very messy.

My Thoughts: This week was really funny, in that I ended up receiving both of these books back to back almost and both of them were my first two Waiting on Wednesday posts. Guess I didn't have to wait too long for them, lol. I'm excited for Parties and Potions because I absolutely love this series, though I may have to re-read the first three books to get myself back into the series, but I might not. *shrugs* I'm excited for Zombie Queen of Newbury High because it sounds like a fabulous book, plus the cover looks AMAZING in person, and because Amanda is such a sweetheart. I really need to get around to reading both of her books; I now own both of them, but have yet to read either one. Must get on that!


David Inside Out by Lee Bantle
David Dahlgren, a high-school senior, finds solace in running with the track team; he’s a fast runner, and he enjoys the camaraderie. But team events become a source of tension when he develops a crush on one of his teammates, Sean. Scared to admit his feelings, David does everything he can to suppress them: he dates a girl, keeps his distance from his best friend who has become openly gay, and snaps a rubber band on his wrist every time he has “inappropriate” urges. Before long, Sean expresses the thoughts David has been trying to hide, and everything changes for the better. Or so it seems. In this thoughtful yet searing coming-of-age novel, Lee Bantle offers a raw, honest, and incredibly compelling account of a teenager who learns to accept himself for who he is.

My Thoughts: I saw this book while looking through the Henry Holt Spring '09 catalog that Sean had sent me with the ARC of Betraying Season. And you know how much I love reading books about gay guys, so obviously I wanted this one so bad. hehe. It looks really good, but also way too short to be a hardcover (less than 200 pages). But ah well, I got it for free, lol. YAY! I can't wait to read it. Plus, the guys on the cover are HOT!

In My Mailbox- Week of Dec. 8 Part 3

Yes, finally, it's here!! The remaining seven or eight titles I got last week.


Going Too Far by Jennifer Echols
All Meg has ever wanted is to get away. Away from high school. Away from her backwater town. Away from her parents who seem determined to keep her imprisoned in their dead-end lives. But one crazy evening involving a dare and a forbidden railroad tracks, she goes way too far...and almost doesn’t make it back.

John made a choice to stay. To enforce the rules. To serve and protect. He has nothing but contempt for what he sees as childish rebellion, and he wants to teach Meg a lesson she won’t soon forget. But Meg pushes him to the limit by questioning everything he learned at the police academy. And when he pushes back, demanding to know why she won’t be tied down, they will drive each other to the edge--and over...

My Thoughts: Got this book from Jennifer herself. I absolutely loved her Simon Pulse RoComs and have been looking forward to reading something new by her for a while now. This looks like a fantastic book and I can't wait to get to it.



Poison Ivy by Amy Goldman Koss
"IVY: I told Ms. Gold about how The Evil Three have been after me, feeding off me since fourth grade.MARCO: It isn't a very pretty story, so if you're looking for 'nice, ' you better ask someone else. ANN: We just have to come up wiht some witnesses for our side. Think! Does anyone owe you any favors? BRYCE: I figure, Dude, why not make a little spare change on the side? A buck a bet. All's I has to do was explain that liable was civil for guilty, and they swarmed like flies." Eight first-person narrators give different versions of the same event. Lessons about the inner workings of the judicial system pale beside the insights into human nature. With pathos and a great deal of humor, Amy Goldman Koss keeps you turning pages.

My Thoughts: I haven't read anything by Amy before, but when she contacted me about the paperback of her book coming out recently and wanting to send me a copy, I said sure. So it came in the mail about a month later from her publisher (she told me it would be there in a "jiff") and it does look like a very good book. All I know about Amy though is that she is a LAYA (Los Angeles Young Adult Author- obviously one of those As is left off but don't take that up with me- take it up with Lisa Yee) and is Peepy's sworn enemy since she keeps trying to eat him. Not much to go on, but eventually a review will be up and you can see what my opinion will be of her then.

No Picture Available for this book- there is a cover but I can't find it anywhere online. If you can get to the PDF file featuring Penguin's Summer 2009 titles, the cover is in there and it is EFFIN' AMAZING!!!
Strange Angels by Lili St. Crow
Dru Anderson has been “strange” for as long as she can remember. She travels from town to town with her father, hunting the things that go bump in the night and eat the unwary. It’s a weird life, but a good one–until it all explodes and a zombie busts into her new house.

Alone, terrified, and trapped in an icy town, Dru’s going to need every inch of her wit and training to stay alive. Can she trust the boy who is just a little too adult–and just happens to get bit by a werwulf? Or the strange blue-eyed boy who tells her she’s heir to a long-forgotten power? Can she even trust her own instincts?

Because Dru is not the first in her family to be killed by the darkness of the Real World. The monsters have decided to hunt back–and now Dru has to figure out who to trust, who to fight, and when to run. And not incidentally, she has to figure out how she’s going to get out of this alive.

And she has to do it in the next 24 hours, or it’s all over…

My Thoughts: What immediately caught my eye was the cover, esp. since I saw it twice. Penguin had it as a full page and then a smaller version on the next page where it talked about the book. Then I read the summary and was like "OMG ME WANT NOW!!" And now I finally have it- it looks even more amazing in person. I can't wait to read it.


Just One Wish by Janette Rallison
Seventeen-year-old Annika Truman knows about the power of positive thinking. With a little brother who has cancer, it’s all she ever hears about. And in order to help Jeremy, she will go to the ends of the earth (or at least as far as Hollywood) to help him believe he can survive his upcoming surgery.

But Annika’s plan to convince Jeremy that a magic genie will grant him any wish throws her a curveball when he unexpectedly wishes that his television idol would visit him. Annika suddenly finds herself in the desperate predicament of getting access to a hunky star actor and convincing him to come home with her. Piece of cake, right?

My Thoughts: When I read Rallison's How to Take the Ex Out of Ex-Boyfriend back in 2007, I was like "I need to read more from her." So when I saw that she had two books coming out in early 2009, I requested them and I got both about a month ago. This was another repeat that Jillian sent me.


Beautiful Americans by Lucy Silag
Pretty Little Liars meets My So-Called Life in this story of four American teens in Paris and the scandals that haunt each of them.

There’s rich New York girl Alex; Cali-born dancer Olivia; closeted Memphis boy Zack; and finally PJ, an elusive beauty from Vermont who’s hiding a dark past.

Studying abroad for their junior year of high school, they run wild in the Tuileries, hold clandestine parties in their host families’ luxe apartments, take over tiny crowded cafes and generally live the glamorous life.

But in the end they all must face the lies they’ve told and secrets they’ve kept when the unthinkable happens.

My Thoughts: I am so excited to read this book. I asked Anne for this book a couple months when I read the synopsis of it somewhere- probably on a Waiting On Wednesday post or in one of Kristi's Books to Pine For- and got it (yes, another repeat from Jillian, which is good for you guys cuz repeats= contest!). Anyway, I'd mainly been excited about it because of the closeted boy bit- I'm always excited to read about gay boys, which you'll find out again when I post on Sunday something else I got this week, lol. And then I read a review of it basically condemning the book because it had profanity, sexual situations, homosexuality, and other "bad" things (which aren't really bad since if a book has those things, that means it's mainly for OLDER teens who can handle that kind of stuff or for the younger teens who are mature enough to handle that stuff). This review made me MORE excited to read the book because I LOVE profanity and sexual situations, esp. homosexual ones! YAY! I think it's coming out (haha) next month, so expect a review of it in the coming weeks!

I can't find a singular image for this one either, but you can see the cover here at The Story Siren
Lipstick Apology by Jennifer Jabaley
Emily Carson’s sure she’ll get busted for throwing a party while her parents are on vacation. She has no idea her parents’ plane will crash that night. Or that her mother’s last words will appear on the news in the form of a message scrawled in lipstick on a tray table: “EMILY, PLEASE FORGIVE ME.”

Now it is fall and Emily’s moved to New York City, where her public tragedy gets her noticed by the popular girls at her posh new Tribeca school. In turn, they introduce her to the perfect distraction: hottie Owen. As Emily discovers more about her mother’s infidelity to her father, she embarks on a rollercoaster relationship of her own with Owen. Emily also forms an unlikely friendship with her quirky chemistry partner, Anthony—and so a sort of love triangle begins. It is Anthony who brings Emily donuts fresh from his mom’s bakery. It is Anthony who encourages her to face her grief and uncover her mother’s secret. It is Anthony who will be there when popularity comes crashing down around her. So when her fling with Owen takes a nosedive, will Anthony be the one she runs to in the end?

My Thoughts: I really like the idea for this book and it intrigued me enough to ask for it while I was looking through the Penguin Summer 2009 catalog. Plus, the cover is really pretty. And love triangles are the best, hehe.



The King's Rose by Alisa Libby
Appointed to the queen’s household at the age of fourteen, Catherine Howard is not long at court before she catches the eye of King Henry VIII. The king is as enchanted with Catherine as he is disappointed with his newest wife — the German princess Anne of Cleves. Less than a year from her arrival at court, Catherine becomes the fifth wife of the overwhelmingly powerful, if aging, King of England.

Caught up in a dazzling whirl of elaborate celebrations, rich gowns and royal jewels, young Catherine is dizzied by the absolute power that the king wields over his subjects. But does becoming the king’s wife make her safe above all others, or put her in more danger? Catherine must navigate the conspiracies, the silent enemies, the king’s unpredictable rages, as well as contend with the ghosts of King Henry’s former wives: the abandoned Catherine of Aragon, the tragic Jane Seymour, and her own cousin, the beheaded Anne Boleyn. The more Catherine learns about court, the more she can see the circles of danger constricting around her, the threats ever more dire.

My Thoughts: Like the books from Part 2, I know nothing about this book but hey, it's worth a shot! It does look intriguing and I seem to be enjoying more historical fiction these days (Ransom My Heart, Fever 1793 and Bewitching Season), so we'll see if I like this one too!

I think that's all but since I'm not at my house and I forgot to bring a list of the remaining titles, I may have missed one. If I did, I'll write about it on Sunday when I talk about this week's books.

Waiting on Wednesday (3)

Death by Denim by Linda Gerber
Even though Aphra Connolly knows there are some very dangerous people on their tail when she met her mom, Natalie, in Paris, she envisioned the two of them strolling along the Champs-Elysées, sharing Nutella-smeared crepes and mother-daughter bonding. But the only strolling they’ve been doing is from one cheap hostel to another, and the “moments” they share consist of Natalie instructing Aphra on the finer points of anonymity and survival. When Natalie’s CIA contact in Paris is found floating in the Seine with a deadly message stuffed into his mouth, Aphra realizes that, like Seth Mulo and his family, she will never be able to stop running unless she confronts the situation head-on. Sneaking away from her mom and her CIA protector Ryan, Aphra tracks down a criminal mastermind in Italy, only to discover that Seth had the same idea, and her presence may have just put Seth in mortal danger...


My Thoughts: The final book in the Death by... trilogy is one I've been eagerly waiting for. I absolutely loved the first two books and am excited to see what happens next as well as see how everything ends. Gerber's done a great job with this series, and Puffin's done a fantastic job with the covers! I love the whole stepback/hole-in-the cover thing. This book will be released in May.


For those wondering when the final part of In My Mailbox will be up, I'll try and do it either tomorrow or Friday. I just don't have the time to do it today. This week is shaping up to be a one-parter (though I got a fun surprise in the mail yesterday) so that'll be up on Sunday as usual.

In My Mailbox- Week of Dec 8 Part 2

This may be a fairly short edition. Using Firefox allows me to log in to Amazon Associates, so I can provide links and all that now. But I don't have much time before I have to head back home to have some lunch before work, so here we go.


Willow by Julia Hoban
Seven months ago, on a rainy March night, sixteen year- old Willow's parents died in a horrible car accident. Willow was driving. Now her older brother barely speaks to her, her new classmates know her as the killer orphan girl, and Willow is blocking the pain by secretly cutting herself. But when one boy- one sensitive, soulful boy- discovers Willow's secret, it sparks an intense relationship that turns the safe world Willow has created for herself upside down.

Told in an extraordinary fresh voice, Willow is an unforgettable novel about one girl's struggle to cope with tragedy, and one boy's refusal to give up on her.


Flygirl by Sherri L Smith
Ida Mae Jones dreams of fl ight. Her daddy was a pilot and being black didn’t stop him from fulfilling his dreams. But her daddy’s gone now, and being a woman, and being black, are two strikes against her.

When America enters the war with Germany and Japan, the Army creates the WASP, the Women’s Airforce Service Pilots—and Ida suddenly sees a way to fl y as well as do something signifi cant to help her brother stationed in the Pacific. But even the WASP won’t accept her as a black woman, forcing Ida Mae to make a difficult choice of “passing,” of pretending to be white to be accepted into the program. Hiding one’s racial heritage, denying one’s family, denying one’s self is a heavy burden. And while Ida Mae chases her dream, she must also decide who it is she really wants to be.



Eon: Dragoneye Reborn by Alison Goodman
Eon has been studying the ancient art of Dragon Magic for four years, hoping he'll be able to apprentice to one of the twelve energy dragons of good fortune. But he also has a dark secret. He is actually Eona, a sixteen-year-old girl who has been living a dangerous lie for the chance to become a Dragon-eye, the human link to an energy dragon's power. It is forbidden for females to practice the Dragon Magic and, if discovered, Eon faces a terrible death. After a dazzling sword ceremony, Eon's affinity with the twelve dragons catapults him into the treacherous world of the Imperial court, where he makes a powerful enemy, Lord Ido. As tension builds and Eon's desperate lie comes to light, readers won't be able to stop turning the pages...


If I Stay by Gayle Forman
In a single moment, everything changes. Seventeen year- old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall riding along the snow-wet Oregon road with her family. Then, in a blink, she fi nds herself watching as her own damaged body is taken from the wreck...

A sophisticated, layered, and heartachingly beautiful story about the power of family and friends, the choices we all make—and the ultimate choice Mia commands.


Because I Am Furniture by Thalia Chaltas
Anke’s father is abusive. But not to her. He attacks her brother and sister, but she’s just an invisible witness in a house of horrors, on the brink of disappearing altogether. Until she makes the volleyball team at school. At first just being exhausted after practice feels good, but as Anke becomes part of the team, her confidence builds. When she learns to yell “Mine!” to call a ball, she finds a voice she didn’t know existed. For the first time, Anke is seen and heard. Soon, she’s imagining a day that her voice will be loud enough to rescue everyone at home—including herself.


My Thoughts: I know virtually nothing about these books, lol. Jillian included them in the package and none of them were things I asked for. They do all look really good, but they weren't books that I was particularly ecstatic and excited over wanting. But I will be reviewing them eventually whenever their release dates are. Eon is actually a repeat book. I got it a couple months ago randomly from Anne at Penguin. By the way, I'll probably be holding a Christmas contest soon to give away the 4 remaining duplicate books (someone has already claimed 2 of them), so keep an eye out for that!

That's all for today. Hopefully tomorrow, I might be able to do the rest since my computer is still out of order, but I'm not sure since Tuesday is my busy day.

We Interrupt This Blog for a Special Bulletin

Hey everyone,

Just a quick note to let you all know that there may not be an In My Mailbox post today or even tomorrow. My computer refuses to turn on and probably won't until I get a new power cord. At least, I hope that'll work. And the computer I'm using refuses to log me into Amazon Associates so I can't provide the links I want to provide as part of my post.

So check out other blogs' In My Mailbox posts. You can find a whole bunch here: http://www.thestorysiren.com/2008/12/in-my-mailbox_14.html

I will do my best to try and get them up as soon as possible, perhaps by using a friend's computer instead of a school computer. But whatever.

Wish me luck in getting my computer up and working again!!

In My Mailbox- Week of Dec. 8 Part 1

I'm just gonna do this in three parts since I got SO MANY BOOKS this past week, mainly from one package, lol. Here's Part 1.


Betraying Season by Marissa Doyle
Penelope (Pen) Leland has come to Ireland to study magic and prove to herself that she is as good a witch as her twin sister, Persy. But when the dashing Niall Keating begins to pay her court, she can’t help being distracted from her studies. Little does Pen know, Niall is acting upon orders from his sorceress mother. And although it starts as a sham, Niall actually falls deeply in love with Pen, and she with him. But even if he halts his mother’s evil plan, will Pen be able to forgive him for trying to seduce her into a plot? And what of Pen’s magic, which seems to be increasingly powerful?

My Thoughts: I really enjoyed reading the first book in this series and I'm so excited to read the sequel! Unfortunately, it didn't show up in my mailbox... well, ok, it sorta did, just not my current one. It showed up in my dorm mailbox cuz they sent to the address I used when I asked for the first book way back when I still actually was going to school, lol. But the post office people at the college know me so they held it aside for me and let me know it was there. I also got a fun catalog in the package too, and have asked for another ARC from it. Hopefully you guys will find out all about it next week, or heck maybe on Sunday if I get it in the mail today. This book will be released in May 2009.


Triple Shot Bettys in Love by Jody Gehrman
Geena is freaking out. She's been going out with Ben for five months, their relationship is comfortable and perfect, and then BAM he's suddenly putting the pressure on to be way more physical. She's not sure she's ready.

Enter Mr. Rex Sands, Geena's delectably hot and brilliant English substitute teacher (he speaks to her soul), on whom her best friend Amber develops an immediate crush when he stops by the Triple Shot Betty coffee shack. Amber needs Geena's help talking to him because he is such an intellectual, so Geena finds herself writing love notes, MySpace messages, and texts to Mr. Sands under Amber's name. And he writes back. Geena is just doing it all for Amber (sort of), so it's not technically cheating on Ben . . . right? In this romantic and playful update of Cyrano de Bergerac, Jody Gehrman reintroduces readers to Geena, Amber, and the Sonoma gang as they walk the rocky and confusing path toward true love.

My Thoughts: Another sequel I'm looking forward to reading. The copy I got this week is actually a duplicate. I originally got one from Jody herself and she included some fun craft items with it. I'll post a picture of them eventually when I'm feeling less lazy and can also find said items in the mess that is my room. But anyway, doesn't the summary sound awesome?! I love reading retellings of old stories. It's fun to see them done in modern times and the differences between the original and the retelling. Plus, it should be absolutely hilarious since the first book was so witty. I've seen some reviews floating around already and they've gotten me more amped to read this book. This book will be out in mid-January 2009.


Hottie by Jonathan Bernstein
Alison Cole's got it all: She's gorgeous, dating a steamy surfer boy, and has just been crowned Beverly Hills High Freshman Class President. Then during a special asymmetry surgery, a lightning bolt zaps her, and Alison instantly transforms into Hottie- that is, a totally sizzling superhero with the power to shoot fire from her fingers.

Shunned as a Pyro-Freak, Alison must adopt dorky David Eels as her crime-fighting sidekick. Worse, she's falling for the one guy who wants to extinguish her forever, Junior Class President of Cuteness and wannabe firefighter T. Hull. But she doesn't realize that a supervillain's lurking. . . .

Has Hottie met her match?

My Thoughts This is another duplicate. I got my first copy from Anne Heltzel during the summer. I absolutely LOVE the cover but according to Jonathan, they're gonna change it. It'll still be the same pose and everything, but they're bringing in an actual model for the cover so it'll be a real person there rather than a cartoon. Ah well. I'm excited to read this one cuz I love superhero stories (btw, I absolutely love the book Confessions of SuperMom by Melanie Lynne Hauser- it's hilarious). Which is kind of odd since I'm not a huge fan of superhero movies, yet I love novels featuring superheroes. This is quite the conundrum. Moving on... (BTW this book will be out in April 2009)


Look Both Ways by Jacquelyn Mitchard
In the second book of the Midnight Twins trilogy, Meredith and Mallory Brynn are finally coming to terms with their special gifts: Meredith to see into the past, Mallory to see into the future. But they never expect that their powers will reveal danger so close to home.

Mallory must help her best friend, Eden, find the strength to defy her destiny as a shape-shifter, before Eden gets hurtaor hurts somebody else. And Merry has her own friends to worry about when her visions reveal trouble brewing on the cheerleading squad in the form of Kim Jellico.

Both Mallory and Meredith must join together to rescue their friends before itas too late.

My Thoughts: After finishing The Midnight Twins, I was eager to read more but thought that this was all there was. Luckily, Anne Heltzel informed me that it was gonna be a trilogy so I had two more books to look forward to. You have no idea how happy that news made me, lol. I'm really excited to get the ARC of the sequel and can't wait to open it and dive on in. The first book was simply amazing and probably would've been something I'd never have known about if Anne hadn't given me a copy for review and extras for the June anniversary giveaway. Plus, isn't the cover absolutely GORGEOUS?!?! It looks even better in person. I love the way they're designing these covers and I can't wait to see the third cover. This book will also be out in April 2009.


The Debs: Love, Lies, and Texas Dips by Susan McBride
I can't find a summary online and the one on the back of the ARC is WAY too long for me to transcribe here. So you'll just have to deal.

My Thoughts: I recently read and reviewed The Debs, and absolutely loved it and am now hooked. I chatted a bit with Susan and she sent me an ARC of the second book, which is longer than the first book and also has a prettier cover, I think. Plus, the ARC is all glossy- it's so much fun to pet! Yes, I know that might make me sound weird, but it's true! Anyway, I'm mainly excited to see what's going on with Dillon (I have a feeling what it is and Susan pretty much confirmed it, lol) so I want to see what goes down with all of that, hehe. This book will be released in June 2009.

and the final book for today:


Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson
Lia and Cassie are best friends, wintergirls frozen in matchstick bodies, competitors in a deadly contest to see who can be the skinniest. But what comes after size zero and size double-zero? When Cassie succumbs to the demons within, Lia feels she is being haunted by her friend’s restless spirit.

My Thoughts: Ever since reading Fever 1793 in my Children's Literature class last fall, I've wanted to read more of Laurie Halse Anderson, and this book sounds simply amazing. So I'm very excited to read it! The cover is also very breath-taking. This book (along with only like 3 others, and then I ended up with a little over 3 times as many books, lol) was one of the main reasons I contacted Jillian Laks about ARCs earlier this week. This book will be out in March 2009.