In My Mailbox (26)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi from The Story Siren, in which we get to discover the new books that each blogger got for the week. It also encourages us to connect with other bloggers.

Won:

Everneath by Brodi Ashton (Signed)

Elemental by Brigid Kemmerer (ebook)

For Review:

*contest reminder - win The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa (US/Can, ends on April 24th)

TheImmortal Rules by Julie Kagawa (ARC - read, reviewed and loved!)

The Call of Eirian by C. Aubrey Hall (ARC)

The Lost Code by Kevin Emerson (signed ARC)

Skin Deep by Laura Jarratt (Finished copy)

The World of Norm by Jonathan Meres (unsolicited copy – I got it because I’m officially a member of the Review Crew of Hachette UK)

Growing Pains: Kendra’s Diaries by K.P. Smith (ebook – for blog tour)

Oh and I forgot to add this (just realized it when I woke up):

Any Love But Mine by Debbie Davies (ebook) - omg. Another Cupid story!! 

From Lauren Oliver Signing

Read about the Lauren Oliver signing experience here. More pictures!

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver (signed) – this was the copy that Lauren, herself, sent me in 2010 for a blog event

Liesl and Po by Lauren Oliver (signed)

Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver (signed)

Delirium by Lauren Oliver (signed)

From Netgalley:

Yesterday by C.K. Kelly Martin

The Girl in the Clockwork Collar by Kady Cross

The Peculiars by Maureen Doyle McQuerry

Kill Me Softly by Sarah Cross

Borrowed:

Slated by Teri Terry (ARC)

Freebies:

Airel by Aaron Patterson and Chris White

In His Eyes Anthology

Bridger by Megan Curd

Jenny Pox by JL Bryan

Big thanks to: Brodi and Lisa from Badass Bookie, Brodie from Eleusinian Mysteries, Karen and Harlequin Teen, Bridget and Marshall Cavendish, Jenny and Egmont UK, Hachette UK, KP Smith, Stormi, Netgalley, Random House, Abrams Books, Jessie Harrell (because she gave me the link to In His Eyes on Amazon) Lauren Oliver, NBS and Kai from Amaterasu Reads!

What’s in your mailbox? Leave a link so I could visit you, too!

Review: The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

Book Description via Goodreads:

ARC, 485 pages

April 24, 2012, Harlequin Teen

In a future world, Vampires reign. Humans are blood cattle. And one girl will search for the key to save humanity.

Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a vampire city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten.

Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of them. The vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself is attacked—and given the ultimate choice. Die… or become one of the monsters.

Faced with her own mortality, Allie becomes what she despises most. To survive, she must learn the rules of being immortal, including the most important: go long enough without human blood, and you will go mad.

Then Allie is forced to flee into the unknown, outside her city walls. There she joins a ragged band of humans who are seeking a legend—a possible cure to the disease that killed off most of humankind and created the rabids, the mindless creatures who threaten humans and vampires alike.

But it isn't easy to pass for human. Especially not around Zeke, who might see past the monster inside her. And Allie soon must decide what—and who—is worth dying for.

Source: Karen and Harlequin Teen (Thank you!)

Contest reminder: Don’t forget to enter my giveaway of a Hardcover of The ImmortalRules! Ends April 24^th. US/Canada only, my lovelies. (sorry – prize will be mailed by the publisher!)

My Thoughts:

Allison Sekemoto was an Unregistered. After the death of her mother, she refused to be Registered and serve as blood cattle to the vampires within the walls of New Covington. Together with her gang, Lucas, Rat and Stick, she scavenged, stole, begged and basically, did anything for food. She looked out for herself and even though she lived in a world where you’re supposed to survive on your own, she took care of Stick because he couldn’t do it for himself. I loved how Allison strived for survival on a daily basis. She was strong, brave and stood up for herself. She might not be the most hopeful and positive person in the world but she definitely burned with the desire to live.

One of the characteristics of a Julie Kagawa book is this: after reading I always feel like I went on a journey. In The Immortal Rules, Allison’s journey was different. It wasn’t the kind of walk-this-long-road-until-I-get-to-my-destination-journey. It was a journey beyond humanity, through vampirism and stretched over Allison’s adapting, struggling with her new self and existing as the very kind of monster that she loathed all her life. Seeing Allison change from being a human to a vampire, from being the prey and becoming a predator, from being weak to being strong was entirely satisfying. Kagawa showed Allison’s evolution in a very realistic way, with attention to the smallest detail, from the flickering of her feelings and her Hunger to the shift in her way of perceiving the world and everyone around her.

The characters in the novel were well-developed. I enjoyed reading about each and every one of them, from the mysterious kickass Sire, Kanin, who was very intriguing and complex, to the hero-type human, Zeke, who was strong, sweet, and positive.

After Allison adapted to her inhuman state, she was forced to leave New Covington behind, to survive out in the wild and to get stronger. She stumbled upon a group of humans headed to a city of hope and she stayed with them. Fighting off the monster in her was not an easy thing to do. It was a part of her and she could not get rid of it. She lived with that dark side of hers while somehow she maintained, held on to her humanity. She considered other people, tried to do the best in each situation and she felt – she felt guilt, hurt, pity and concern, not just Hunger and anger. But traveling with humans was very difficult, could Allison keep pretending and playing by the rules or would she lose control and feed on them?

The Immortal Rules offers a dark, strengthening and trying journey in a world filled with monsters. With the bite and terror of The Hunt by Andrew Xia Fukuda, The Immortal Rules is ugly and beautiful at the same time, horrifying and addicting. Join a kickass katana-wielding vampire heroine as she sets foot out of the city that caged her. I highly recommend this to post-apocalyptic readers and paranormal readers.

Rating:

Interview with Julie Kagawa + Giveaway: The Immortal Rules

Hi everyone, for those of you who have read The Iron Fey and loved it and for those of you who like vampire and post-apocalyptic novels, you’re in for a treat today. You can win a hardcover of The Immortal Rules, the upcoming novel of Julie Kagawa. But first, if you want to know more about The Immortal Rules, Allison – the kickbutt heroine – and the other characters of the story.

After writing the Iron Fey series for so many years, how difficult was it to immerse yourself in a futuristic world filled with vampires, rabids and an enslaved human race?

            It was...very different.  I think the hardest thing for me was the fact that this story does take place in the real world -- a futuristic, vampire-infested world, but the real world nonetheless.  Things had to make sense, for example: how far can a large group walk in a single day if there were no roads, they were going through thick woods, and there were children in the group?  I had to have logical reasons for everything; I couldn't just make something work "because of faery magic," lol.

Just like Meghan Chase in the Iron Fey series, the main character in The Immortal Rules, Allison Sekemoto, is a “take charge and kick butt” kind of girl.  Is this intentional? What woman – real or fictional, alive or deceased – do you look up to or admire?

            Yes, Allison comes from a very different world than Meghan Chase.  Meghan's upbringing was pretty normal; Allison grew up among vampires and monsters, where every day was a fight to live, so she couldn't afford to be weak.  While Meghan had to learn to "take charge and kick butt," Allison's first impulse is stab first, talk later.  

            As for female role models, the first that comes to mind--when it comes to kicking vampire butt, anyway -- is Buffy Summers.  Thank you, Joss Whedon, for making me love feisty, snarky, heroines who can dust all sorts of nasties but who also look good in a cheerleading outfit. ;) 

You mention in your acknowledgements in The Immortal Rules that at the beginning of your writing career you promised yourself you wouldn’t write a vampire book.  What changed your mind?

            Well, there were already so many really good books about our favorite bloodsuckers, so many stories and ideas, I thought I didn't have anything new to add to the masses.  I was actually toying with a post-apocalyptic YA novel when my agent mentioned I might want to try writing a vampire series.  I wasn't intrigued with the idea at first, but then I thought about combining vampires with the post-apocalyptic novel and then rest sort of fell into place.   

Allison claims she hates vampires and believes they are monsters yet when faced with a choice of die or become one, she becomes a vampire.  Would you have made that same decision? 

            Me personally?  No.  I'm like Zeke in the belief that there is something better waiting for me beyond this life, and I just have to do my best until it’s time for me to go.  Besides, I love pizza and Mountain Dew too much to give it up.

Who do you think the most complex character is in The Immortal Rules?

            Probably Kanin, Allie's sire.  He's a vampire who has made his peace about being a monster, yet chooses to live by his own set of moral rules.  He warns Allison about getting too close to humans, yet he does not kill unless he absolutely has to.  He is tormented about something in his past that he refuses to share with anyone.  He is certainly the most mysterious of all the characters, if not the most complex.

How many books will be in the Blood of Eden series?  When will the next book be coming out?

            At the moment, there are three books planned, with the second coming out sometime next spring, after the release of the new Iron Fey series this fall.

Before you starting writing full time you were a professional dog trainer.  Do the professions share any similarities?

            Lol, well you have to think on your feet a lot.  And some of the small dogs could be compared to tiny snapping goblins, but writing requires less dodging skills, though perhaps the same amount of creativity and problem solving.

When starting a new series, like Blood of Eden, do you have the entire series mapped out in detail or do you let the story develop book by book?

            I have a high point that I write toward in each story; I know this and this has to happen, but getting from point A to point B usually develops as I go along.

And for the speed round:

What book have you read and re-read, and read yet again?

            Any of the Harry Potter books.

Favorite song to play when writing a fight scene?

            My "favorites" change daily.  Right now its "Awake and Alive" by Skillet.

Worst job?

            Working a kiosk in the mall during Christmas.  It sold glass figurines, and the maneuvering space around the hundreds of very breakable merchandise was quite small.  I was like a bull in a china shop.

Best vacation spot?

            Walt Disney World

Sweets or salty?

            Sweet.

One thing most people don’t know about you – and would never guess!

            I used to play the flute when I was a kid.  I was really good at it too, but my instructor stopped teaching to have a family, and I never went back to it.          

Growing Pains Blog Tour: Who Should Read Growing Pains and Why

Today I’m supposed to review Growing Pains but I just found out (my email is so mean, putting messages to my spam folder *shakes fist*)

But instead of reviewing, I’ll just make a simple post on WHO should read this and WHY.

1. People who like stories about finding oneself - Kendra is in the middle of growing up. She’s in that middle phase, struggling to find out who she really is and who she should be.

2. People who read contemporary novels- I know most contemporary novels revolve around romance and heavy, emotional stuff but there are also light, fun ones. I think this novel leans to the light side, with a few issues thrown in for the character to deal with.

3. People who are reflecting about the future and the past – the author mentioned in Goodreads that Growing Pains might just be the perfect read for those people, probably because the story lets the readers  see the full of process of the change, of struggling and coming to terms with the things that happened and will happen to the character.

About the book:

Kendra Foster is just an ordinary girl trying to get through her growing pains. Join her for her eight grade year and the struggles she goes through such as her parents fighting, cheerleading tryouts, friendship ups and downs, first crushes, etc. Growing pains is a fun look at life and its ups and downs, its bumps and its bruises. But with perseverance, determination, and faith you can be all you were born to be.

Follow the author on Twitter and Facebook!

Add the book on Goodreads.

Tour Schedule:

April 4th Precious @ Fragments of Life

April 5th Heather @ Fire and Ice

April 6th Michelle @ Much Loved Books

April 7th Victoria @ Always a Booklover

April 8th Michael @ Author Michael Allen (Guest Post)

April 9th Jo Ann @ Book Faerie

April 10th Ruth @ My Devotional Thoughts

April 11th Sheila @ Sheila Deeth

April 12th Jennifer @ My Life With Books (Guest Post Only)

April 13th Stormi @ Books, Movies, Reviews. Oh my!

Thanks to Stormi for organizing the tour!

 

Review: Glimmer by Phoebe Kitanidis

Book Description via Goodreads:

ARC, 344 pages

April  17, 2012, Balzer + Bray

What if you forgot your identity and had to rely on other people to tell you who you were?

And what if to discover your true self, you first had to unravel a mystery so big and terrifying you were not sure you’d survive solving it?

When Marshall and Elyse wake up in each other’s arms with zero memory of how they got there or who they are, it’s the start of a long journey through their separate pasts and shared future.

Terrified by their amnesia, the two make a pact to work together to find the answers that could jog their missing memories. As they piece together clues, they discover they’re in the idyllic mountain resort town of Summer Falls, where everyone seems mysteriously happy, but as Marshall and Elyse quickly learn, darkness lurks beneath the town’s perfect facade. Not only is the town haunted by sinister ghosts, but none of its living inhabitants retain bad memories of anything—not the death of Marshall’s mom, not the hidden shame in Elyse’s family, not even the day-to-day anguish of high school.

Lonely in this world of happy zombies, Marsh and Elyse fall into an intense relationship...but the secrets they uncover could be the death of this growing love—and the death of everyone, and everything, they love in Summer Falls.

Source: Phoebe Kitanidis (Thank you!!)

My Thoughts:

First of all, the story started with two teens - a boy and a girl, waking up naked in a bed. They were both amnesiacs, having no idea why they were in bed together, having no idea where they were and who they were. It was a problematic, awkward and panicked beginning for Elyse and Marshall. Together, they ventured out into the streets of Summer Falls and discovered that something was very, very wrong.

Elyse was pretty, petite, popular and perfect. But the girl who woke up, not remembering who she was, didn't possess the confidence that the true Elyse did. She didn't want her eyes, her hair, her height, her body and even her name. She felt that everything in her life was randomly assigned to her by a superior being, like everything she had didn't fit with who she felt and imagined she would and should be. Throughout the novel, she struggled to blend in and to find out who she really was. She had a pretty mom, Liz, who ran the family business, a BFF, Carla and a boyfriend, Dan, who was convinced that she was the one for him.

Marshall was the hero-type of guy. He was considerate and protective gentleman. He wanted to make sure Elyse was okay at all times. He was quite attracted to her, too. Unlike Elyse though, no one in Summer Falls seemed to notice or know him at all. But as he and Elyse dug deeper for answers, he started to find out more and more about himself. He was not exactly a nobody in Summer Falls. He was somebody - the type of somebody who could make a change. Marshall was one of the most complex characters I've read about. He has changed drastically from the beginning of the story to the end. He has lost, gained and learned so much.

Elyse and Marshall's relationship was complicated. They were partners in uncovering the truth. They trusted each other. There was a zing of something between them - a lightness, a magnet and a warmth that drew them together. They had that compatible thing down. But what they were about to discover would change them and affect them forever.

Summer Falls was the perfect place for a vacation. It had the perfect weather and the happiest people on earth. But something dark and sinister plagued Summer Falls. Ghosts were everywhere. People kept losing consciousness, lost in a heatnap which was normal in the town. Everyone only remembered happy times. Summer Falls' perfection was its own imperfection. 

The plot that Kitanidis weaved was perfect. There were twists and turns here and there. The mystery was sustained very well. She never forgot to drop hints throughout the novel. Her style of writing also matched the progression of the story. When Elyse and Marshall woke up as amnesiacs, she named them 'Him' and 'Her' and as the story progressed and Elyse got her name while Marshall didn't, she named him 'Dark-Eyed-Boy' as Elyse called him.

Glimmer is beautiful, sinister and intriguing. Be lost in a world filled with magic, memories and forgetfulness. Glimmer reminded me a bit of the Bleeding Violet by Dia Reeves minus the monsters and hunters, plus ghosts, happy zombies constantly having heatnaps and two amnesiacs bent on uncovering the truth. This unpredictable read will suit paranormal readers.

Rating: