In My Mailbox (88)

We have Kristi at The Story Siren to thank for hosting IMM every week. 

So, it's been a couple of weeks since I've done an In My Mailbox. This isn't all that I have gotten in the past few weeks, but they are the ones I could round up.

Bought:

My local Hastings went out of business which is sad, but it means I got all of these books (hardcover) for a grand total of $13. Not bad.

Library:

Ebooks:

(From library and NetGalley)

So that's about all I got in these past few weeks. 

What's in your mailbox?

Charming Covers [29]

Charming Covers is a feature here at Book Fanatics where I show off covers that have recently been revealed/that I've recently found. 

Hidden by Sophie Jordan 

September 11, 2012

Jacinda was supposed to bond with Cassian, the "prince" of their pride. But she resisted long before she fell in love with Will—a human and, worse, a hunter. When she ran away with Will, it ended in disaster, with Cassian's sister, Miram, captured. Weighed down by guilt, Jacinda knows she must rescue her to set things right. Yet to do so she will have to venture deep into the heart of enemy territory. 

The only way Jacinda can reach Miram is by posing as a prisoner herself, though once she assumes that disguise, things quickly spiral out of her control. As she learns more about her captors, she realizes that even if Will and Cassian can carry out their part of the plan, there's no guarantee they'll all make it out alive. But what Jacinda never could have foreseen is that escaping would be only the beginning.... 

Loyalties are tested and sacrifices made in the explosive conclusion to Sophie Jordan's Firelight trilogy

I'm not going to lie, I am not a huge fan of this cover. The others are so gorgeous (especially the first one) and I just don't think this one is very pretty. I don't know if it's the girl's face that bothers me or the green-ish color on the title or both. It's not hideous. But nothing compared to the others in this series. 

However, I am in love with this series, and I'm dying to read the conclusion. Although, I'll be sad when the series is over. 

E-book Deal!

I am pleased to announce that The Dark Divine and The Lost Saint are available in ebook for for only $1.99! It's just in time for the third and final book in the series, The Savage Grace, which comes out March 13.  Now if I were you, I would take advantage of this offer. This is a fabulous series, one of my favorites as a matter of fact.

 

This offer only runs for two weeks so get them soon!

Review: The Secret Sisterhood of Heartbreakers

The Secret Sisterhood of Heartbreakers
Lynn Weingarten
HarperTeen
December 27, 2011

If there’s an upside to having your heart broken, it’s this: A broken heart makes you brave. 
The first day of sophomore year doesn’t go the way Lucy planned. After a summer apart from her boyfriend, she’s ready to greet him with a special surprise and instead gets a shocking one in return: He’s breaking up with her. Beyond devastated, Lucy has no idea how she’s going to make it through homeroom, let alone the rest of her life. 
Enter three stunning girls with the unnatural ability to attract boys and an offer Lucy can’t refuse: They can heal her heart in an instant. And then she’ll be one of them—a member of a sisterhood that is impervious to heartbreak and has access to magic distilled from the tears of brokenhearted boys. But to gain their power, Lucy must get a guy to fall in love with her the old-fashioned way, and then break his heart in the next seven days. 
While the sisterhood may need another Heartbreaker, Lucy’s only desire is to get her ex back. But how far is she willing to go, and who is she willing to cross to get what she wants?

I was excited yet a little reluctant to read The Secret Sisterhood of Heartbreakers. It seemed very unique and cute but I had a hunch that there would be a few issues. I was right. While The Secret Sisterhood was a fun read, there were a few problems.

The premise to this book was very intriguing. And it was a fun adventure. It had it's more serious moments, too, but overall very cute.

My main problem with this book was Lucy herself. She was very immature--a characteristic I just can't handle. On top of that she was needy--another aspect that I can't stand. I was hoping that Lucy would grow over the course of the book, and she would be redeemed. But she didn't--at least not as much as I would have liked.

I did not like the girls in the Sisterhood, either. I wasn't really expecting to, but these girls were heartless. I had hoped that Lucy would see through them eventually. 

I was not happy with the ending. I think it has a lot to do with Lucy's growth, or lack thereof. 

As intriguing and cute as Secret Sisterhood was, it didn't play out as I had hoped. 

Review: Girl at Sea

Girl at Sea
Maureen Johnson
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: May 27, 2007

Sometimes you have to get lost . . .The Girl: Clio Ford, seventeen, wants to spend the summer smooching her art-store crush, not stuck on a boat in the Mediterranean. At least she'll get a killer tan.
The Mission: Survive her father's crazy antics. Oh, and also find some missing underwater treasure that could unlock the secrets of civilization.
The Crew: Dad's wacky best friend Martin, his bizarre research partner Julia, her voluptuous daughter Elsa . . . and then there's Aidan, Julia's incredibly attractive, incredibly arrogant assistant.
What's going on behind Aidan's intellectual, intensely green eyes, anyway?
As Clio sails into uncharted territory she unveils secrets that have the power to change history. But her most surprising discovery is that there's something deeper and more cryptic than the sea—her own heart.
. . . to find what you're looking for

I'm not going to lie, I wasn't expecting a lot from this book. I wasn't a huge fan of Suite Scarlet, which is the only other Maureen Johnson book I've read. But I was blown away by Girl at Sea. It was not what I was expecting at all, and I loved it. 

Although Clio whined a lot for the first half of the book, I still grew to like her a lot. I thought she was a really unique character. She did grow a lot over the book, which I was happy about. I also liked a lot of the other characters, such as Elsa, Martin, and even Clio's father. And Aidan. All I have to say that if I was stuck in a small boat for weeks, I would want to be stuck with Aidan. I found his and Clio's bickering hilarious. Aidan himself was just a funny character.

The only reason this book isn't one of my favorite books is that, as stated before, Clio's whining did get annoying. The first half of the book, while I was still intrigued and really liked it, wasn't anything compared to the second half of the novel.

Which brings me to that point. I can't say much about the second half without giving away any spoilers, but wow. It was so intense and amazing. I loved the adventure and the mystery in it.

Girl at Sea is one of the best books I've read in a while. I don't know why I waited so long to pick it up. I won't make the same mistake with other Maureen Johnson books.

Filled with mystery, adventure, romance, and intrigue, Girl at Sea is such a fun read.

Waiting on Wednesday: Live Through This

Live Through This by Mindi Scott

October 2, 2012

Sometimes hiding the truth requires more than a lie . . . 

From the outside, Coley Sterling’s life seems pretty normal . . . whatever that means. It’s not perfect—her best friend is seriously mad at her and her dance team captains keep giving her a hard time—but Coley’s adorable, sweet crush Reece helps distract her from the annoying drama. Plus, she has a great family to fall back on—with a stepdad and mom who would stop at nothing to keep her and her siblings happy and safe. 

But Coley has a lot of secrets. She won’t admit—not even to herself—that her almost-perfect life is her own carefully-crafted façade. That for years she’s been burying the shame and guilt over a relationship that crossed the line. Now, Coley and Reece are getting closer, and as Coley has the chance at her first real boyfriend, a decade’s worth of lies are on the verge of unraveling. 

Mindi Scott offers an absorbing, layered glimpse into the life of an everygirl living a nightmare that no one would suspect in this unforgettable powerhouse of a novel

I loved Mindi Scott's debut novel, Freefall, and I can't wait to read this one. It sounds  so heartbreaking yet so good. 

Top Ten Tuesday (11): Books that Broke My Heart

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. For more information or to participate visit here.

This week (in case you couldn't figure it out from the post title) is books that broke my heart. This isn't necessarily a bad thing. There are books that broke my heart in the best possible way.

1. Looking for Alaska by John Green- This books was so sad yet so good. It really had an impact on me. 
2. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green- On the same vein, another fabulous yet heart-breakingly beautiful novel by John Green. 
3. Sweethearts by Sara Zarr-I have no idea why this book affected my the way it did. Nothing particularly sad happens in this book, yet, once I finished, I just felt sad and depressed. And I didn't get over it quickly, either.
4. Before I Die by Jenny Downham- This broke my heart in the worst way possible. Yes, I should have been expecting that. Yet I read it when I was fairly young and just getting into reading. I think I bit off a little more than I could chew with this one. 
5. Cracked Up to Be by Courtney Summers- There was so much truth in this one. This is the book that made me fall in love with Courtney Summers' writing. I haven't like one of her books quite as much as this one. 
6. Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta- One of my favorite books. So heart-breaking yet so good!
7. The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak- You can tell just from the subject-matter how heartbreaking this book is going to be. Yet it was so beautiful and so truthful.
8. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins-(Spoiler alert!) Out of all the books in this series, definitely the most depressing. I still haven't quite recovered from Finnick dying. Prim, eh. But Finnick, hell, no.
9. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver- This one was really good, yet very sad. 
10. Harmonic Feedback by Tara Kelly- Another so good yet so sad one. 

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!