In My Mailbox (27)

First thanks to The Story Siren for coming up with this great idea to get readers excited about our reviews.

This week I got 3 books. The first is titled Breathing by Cheryl Renee Herbsman. I received this as part of 1 ARC tours.

Savannah would be happy to spend the summer in her coastal Carolina town working at the library and lying in a hammock reading her beloved romance novels. But then she meets Jackson. Once they lock eyes, she’s convinced he’s the one–her true love, her soul mate, a boy different from all the rest. And at first it looks like Savannah is right. Jackson abides by her mama’s strict rules, and stays by her side during a hospitalization for severe asthma, which Savannah becomes convinced is only improving because Jackson is there. But when he’s called away to help his family-and seems uncertain about returning–Savannah has to learn to breathe on her own, both literally and figuratively.

The next two are from my library and are titled Gone by Michael Grant, and Shadow Kissed by Richelle Mead. I'm not going to put the summary of Shadow Kissed up because I don't want to give away anything for those of you who haven't read the series.

In the blink of an eye. Everyone disappears. GONE.

Except for the young. Teens. Middle schoolers. Toddlers. But not one single adult. No teachers, no cops, no doctors, no parents. Just as suddenly, there are no phones, no Internet, no television. No way to get help. And no way to figure out what's happened.

Hunger threatens. Bullies rule. A sinister creature lurks. Animals are mutating. And the teens themselves are changing, developing new talents—unimaginable, dangerous, deadly powers—that grow stronger by the day.

It's a terrifying new world. Sides are being chosen, a fight is shaping up. Townies against rich kids. Bullies against the weak. Powerful against powerless. And time is running out: On your birthday, you disappear just like everyone else...

That's what I got this week I'm excited to see what everyone else got!

Green Books Campaign: Chasing a Star

This review is part of the Green Books campaign. Today 100 bloggers are reviewing 100 great books printed in an environmentally friendly way. Our goal is to encourage publishers to get greener and readers to take the environment into consideration when purchasing books. This campaign is organized by Eco-Libris, a a green company working to green up the book industry by promoting the adoption of green practices, balancing out books by planting trees, and supporting green books. A full list of participating blogs and links to their reviews is available on Eco-Libris website.

When Sophie LaGrange hears that her idol, Olympic gold medal winner Barbara Ann Scott, is coming to town to star in the Hollywood Ice Review in the fall of 1951, she can’t wait to meet the famous figure skater. But Sophie’s mother says they can’t afford the tickets for the show, so Sophie plots to meet Barbara Ann some other way, including asking her older brother Joseph to take her to his hockey practice on the back of his new motorcycle on the chance that she’ll see Barbara Ann practising. As Sophie tries to figure out a plan to see Barbara Ann, she also worries about running into an infamous motorcycle gang, the Satan’s Rebels. Sophie is horrified when she learns that the Satan’s Rebels are trying to convince Joseph to join them. Will Sophie get to see her idol? And how can she prevent her brother from joining such a dangerous gang?

What makes this book "green" is that it is printed on FSC certified paper, and also recyled paper. So I thought there were really good aspects and some I would have done differently. So when I got the email about books it said it was YA but I think this is more of a kid's book. I'm not completely sure. But I'm reviewing it as a YA so some things would be different, in this review, if this was a children's book. I liked the plot but at the end I felt like this was just a really long story I would tell to a friend. It isn't that thick of a book but it just felt to big for such a simple story. Also it didn't have much conflict in it. The book seemed like a story with out much substance. I did like how it had Barbara Ann in it and so it was sort of historical. I thought the characters were also really likeable and it was a good story just I guess not as good as I hoped it was going to be. My favorite character was Barbara Ann, she was just really nice and seemed really down to earth for someone so famous. I like the cover and I don't like it. I like it because it fits the book so well with the motorcycle mirror and ice skates. Bit I like covers to have a person on them, that's just my personal taste though. Looking for more Norma Charles? Her other books that I found where children's books but are titled, The Girl in the Backseat, and All the Way to Mexico. Overall this is a good book for elementary maybe middle school students but I don't recommend it for anyone older than that.

For those of you who don't know who Barbara Ann is this is a clip of her at the Olympics and there is a little about her in the beginning.

Please comment, talk to other people, and in general spread the word!! This is a great campaign and I encourage everyone to take part in greening up the book industry.

In My Mailbox (26)

First thanks to The Story Siren for coming up with this great idea to get readers excited about our reviews.

I didn't get any books this week =[ but I did finish 3 books! Yay I'm finally reading more. I'm not getting as much sleep but I'm reading more =].

So that's what I didn't get in my mailbox I hope everyone had a better week then I did.

Ruined Paula Morris

Rebecca couldn't feel more out of place in New Orleans, where she comes to spend the year while her dad is traveling. She's staying in a creepy old house with her aunt. And at the snooty prep school, the filthy-rich girls treat Rebecca like she's invisible. Only gorgeous, unavailable Anton Grey seems to give Rebecca the time of day, but she wonders if he's got a hidden agenda. Then one night, in Lafayette Cemetery, Rebecca makes a friend. Sweet, mysterious Lisette is eager to talk to Rebecca, and to show her the nooks and crannies of the city. There's just one catch: Lisette is a ghost.

A ghost with a deep, dark secret, and a serious score to settle.

As Rebecca learns more from her ghost friend -- and as she slowly learns to trust Anton Grey -- she also uncovers startling truths about her own history. Will Rebecca be able to right the wrongs of the past, or has everything been ruined beyond repair?

A fantastic ghost novel. This book had mystery, suspense, drama, romance, and my favorite... plot twists. Although I don’t know how accurate, there is history and culture in this novel also. I found it different to read a book about a city so affected by Katrina but not have Katrina as the main focus. I could believe every word in this novel and I felt as though I were watching a movie. There was description but not enough to bore me. I never wanted to put this book down and found myself thinking about it all of the time that I wasn't reading it. There are so many secrets in the novel that Rebecca has to figure out and I was wondering about them too. Some things were slightly predictable but not much did I guess. I was fascinated by Lisette and her past. She was my favorite character and I couldn’t wait until Rebecca saw her next. I loved the cover I think it’s gorgeous except I have one complaint. Is the girl on the cover Rebecca or Lisette? If it’s Rebecca then it’s fine, but Lisette is from Haiti descent and has dark skin. If it is Lisette then I have a problem with the cover. Looking for more Paula Morris? I couldn't find any other books by Paula Morris but I'm going to look out for them because this book was really good. I highly recommend this book for sci-fi lovers, and mystery lovers as well.

In My Mailbox (25)

First thanks to The Story Siren for coming up with this great idea to get readers excited about our reviews.

This week I bought three books at a church book sale, and it benefited some teens trip. So it was for a good cause too. I got the first two books in the series and the fourth one in the Confessions of Georgia Nicolson. The first is titled Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging.

Her dad’s got the mentality of a Teletubby (only not so developed). Her cat, Angus, is trying to eat the poodle next door. And her best friend thinks she looks like an alien – just because she accidentally shaved off her eyebrows. Ergghhhlack. Still, add a little boy-stalking, teacher-baiting, and full-frontal snogging with a Sex God, and Georgia’s year just might turn out to be the most fabbitty fab fab ever!

That's what I got this week, sorry it's really late. But I loved seeing what everyone else got! Oh and this is officially my 100th post!! Yay!!!

Tutu Deadly Natalie M. Robert

I know it's late in the day but it is still Halloween! I hope everyone had a good day and had lots of fun with their costumes! So I was trying really hard to make a contest for this book, but the reality is that I don't have a job yet because I'm to busy so I'm broke. Either way this is a really good book and I hope you enjoy my review.

Meet the dance instructor who puts criminals behind bars.

Meet Jenny T. Partridge, founder of Ogden, Utah's premier school for budding prima-and not-so-prima-ballerinas. For Jenny, dealing with difficult stage mothers is business as usual...until murder cuts in.

When the obnoxious mother of Jenny's most talented student meets her maker-courtesy of poisoned cookie dough purchased through the Academy's fund-raiser-Jenny must dance as fast as she can to clear her name.

This novel is amazingly cute! I was trying to get into the Halloween spirit so I thought I would read a mystery.I really didn't expect much from this book and I actually thought it would be pretty bad but it was amazing! I get really mad when mystery novels have random things happen just to make it more interesting. I'm not saying this was predictable. Not at all! I love novels that have twists and turns and this definitely did. My favorite parts were with the dance moms. I dance, and so I get what jenny thought of some of the stereo typical stage moms. I loved the description of how people danced and acted it was really realistic for me. I could picture my dance studio and some people in it while reading it. My only complaint is the cover. I personally like photographed covers and I personally love the title but some of my friends just shook their heads or laughed at me when I took it out to read. Looking for more Natalie M Roberts? Here next book is called Tapping Out and the third is Pointe and shoot. I recommend this novel especially if you like mysteries and if you dance I think you'll laugh at the characters realness just like me.

Godmother Carolyn Turgeon

Lil is an old woman who spends her days shelving rare books in a tiny Manhattan bookstore and lonely nights at home in her apartment. But Lil has an intriguing secret. Tucked and bound behind her back are white feathery wings–the only key to who she once was: the fairy godmother responsible for getting Cinderella to the ball to unite with her Prince Charming.

But on that fateful night, something went terribly and beautifully wrong. Lil allowed herself the unthinkable: to feel the emotions of human beings and fall in love with the prince herself, going to the ball in place of Cinderella in her exquisitely gorgeous human guise. For her unforgivable mistake, she was banished to live among humans, far from her fairy sisters and their magical underwater world. But then one day she meets Veronica–a young, fair-skinned, flame-haired East Village beauty with a love of all things vintage and a penchant for falling in love with the wrong men–and suddenly it becomes clear to Lil that she’s been given a chance at redemption. If she can find a soul mate for Veronica, she may right her wrong and return to the fairy world she so deeply longs for. . . .

I thought I was going to love this book but I was really disappointed. First this book has way too much description for me. I don’t mind descriptions of things that much but every single little thing was described. If you like to get what everything looks like exactly this is the book for you. I personally like to make my own pictures in my head. The next thing was I felt it was lengthened more than it needed to be but that might have been because of all of the descriptions. The last thing I felt like it made Cinderella look like the bad guy and I was really confused at the end of the book. If someone wants to explain it to me please feel free to comment or email me because I still don’t understand the ending. I however did like how the fairy world was described. That I didn’t think had too much description. I also liked the plot but I would have liked it better had Cinderella been portrayed differently. Looking for more Carolyn Turgeon? Her first novel and only other novel is titled Rain Village. You can check out her website here. Overall I don’t highly recommend this book unless you love descriptive novels.