Sunday, February 8, 2009

In My Mailbox (5)

This was made possible by The Story Siren!

Leaving Paradise by Simone Elkeles (Paperback)

Nothing has been the same since Caleb Becker left a party drunk, got behind the wheel, and hit Maggie Armstrong. Even after months of painful physical therapy, Maggie walks with a limp. Her social life is nil and a scholarship to study abroad—her chance to escape everyone and their pitying stares—has been canceled.

After a year in juvenile jail, Caleb’s free . . . if freedom means endless nagging from a transition coach and the prying eyes of the entire town. Coming home should feel good, but his family and ex-girlfriend seem like strangers.

Caleb and Maggie are outsiders, pigeon-holed as "criminal" and "freak." Then the truth emerges about what really happened the night of the accident and, once again, everything changes. It’s a bleak and tortuous journey for Caleb and Maggie, yet they end up finding comfort and strength from a surprising source: each other.

Flowers in the Attic by V. C. Andrews (Paperback)

The four Dollanganger children had such perfect lives -- a beautiful mother, a doting father, a lovely home. Then Daddy was killed in a car accident, and Momma could no longer support the family. So she began writing letters to her parents, her millionaire parents, whom the children had never heard of before.

Momma tells the children all about their rich grandparents, and how Chris and Cathy and the twins will live like princes and princesses in their grandparents' fancy mansion. The children are only too delighted by the prospect. But there are a few things that Momma hasn't told them.

She hasn't told them that their grandmother considers them "devil's spawn" who should never have been born. She hasn't told them that she has to hide them from their grandfather if she wants to inherit his fortune. She hasn't told them that they are to be locked away in an abandoned wing of the house with only the dark, airless attic to play in. But, Momma promises, it's only for a few days....

Then the days stretch into months, and the months into years. Desperately isolated, terrified of their grandmother, and increasingly convinced that their mother no longer cares about them, Chris and Cathy become all things to the twins and to each other. They cling to their love as their only hope, their only strength -- a love that is almost stronger than death.

I got these from the library on Monday. I've already read Flowers in the Attic, so hopefully you can expect a review for that soon enough.

Swoon by Nina Malkin (ARC)

Sin is Coming...Prepare to Swoon!

Torn from her native New York City and dumped in the land of cookie-cutter preps, Candice is resigned to accept her posh, dull fate. Nothing ever happens in Swoon, Connecticut...until Dice's perfect, privileged cousin Penelope nearly dies in a fall from an old tree, and her spirit intertwines with that of a ghost. His name? Sinclair Youngblood Powers. His mission? Revenge. And while Pen is oblivious to the possession, Dice is all too aware of Sin. She's intensely drawn to him—but not at all crazy about the havoc he's wreaking. Determined to exorcise the demon, Dice accidentally sets Sin loose, gives him flesh, makes him formidable. Now she must destroy an even more potent—and irresistible—adversary, before the whole town succumbs to Sin's will. Only trouble is, she's in love with him.

This one came for review from Simon Pulse. It looks extremely good. It comes out this May.

Oblivion Road by Alex McAulay (Paperback)

Courtney Stanton thinks she's on just another ski trip with her friends -- until a horrific car accident strands them all on an isolated Colorado road during a blizzard. Frightened but alive, Courtney and her companions discover an abandoned vehicle nearby, and seek help. But the vehicle turns out to be a prison van, with the inmates missing, and the guard's dead body in the front seat.

Soon after, a stumbling figure emerges from the snow, a handcuffed refugee from the van. He says he's been in prison for selling meth, but that he once served in the army. Dare they trust him? He pleads innocence about the guard's murder, warns them about the other fugitives, and promises he will help guide them out of the wilderness. But as the group begins a nightmare trek across the frozen landscape, they start to get the feeling he hasn't told them the entire truth, and someone -- or something -- is secretly watching their every move.

Undone by Brooke Taylor (Hardcover)

When Kori Kitlzer, the “dark angel” of the 8th grade, tells Serena Moore that they are more alike than she thinks, Serena is instantly intrigued. As their friendship solidifies and their lives entwine, Serena tries to become more like the fearless, outspoken, and ambitious Kori. Soon Serena doesn’t know where she begins and Kori ends. But when a twist of fate yanks Kori away from Serena, she will need to find a way to complete her best friend’s life left undone.

Undone is a striking debut novel about friendship, family, and the secrets we keep from the people to whom we are closest.

Forever Princess by Meg Cabot (Hardcover)

It's Mia's senior year, and things seem great. She aced her senior project, got accepted to her dream college(s), and has her birthday gala coming up . . . not to mention prom, graduation, and Genovia's first-ever elections.

What's not to love about her life? Well . . .

• Her senior project? It's a romance novel she secretly wrote, and no one wants to publish it.
• Prince Phillipe's campaign in the Genovian elections isn't going well, thanks to her totally loathsome cousin René, who decided to run against him.
• Her boyfriend, J.P., is so sweet and seemingly perfect. But is he the one?
• And her first love, Michael, is back from Japan . . . and back in her life.

With Genovia's and her own future hanging in the balance, Mia's got some decisions to make: Which college? Which guy? How can she choose? Especially when what she decides might determine not just the next four years, but . . . forever!

Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles (Paperback)

When Brittany Ellis walks into chemistry class on the first day of senior year, she has no clue that her carefully created “perfect” life is about to unravel before her eyes. She’s forced to be lab partners with Alex Fuentes, a gang member from the other side of town, and he is about to threaten everything she's worked so hard for—her flawless reputation, her relationship with her boyfriend, and the secret that her home life is anything but perfect. Alex is a bad boy and he knows it. So when he makes a bet with his friends to lure Brittany into his life, he thinks nothing of it. But soon Alex realizes Brittany is a real person with real problems, and suddenly the bet he made in arrogance turns into something much more. In a passionate story about looking beneath the surface, Simone Elkeles breaks through the stereotypes and barriers that threaten to keep Brittany and Alex apart.

Braless in Wonderland by Debbie Reed Fischer (Hardcover)

Allee Rosen is a lot of things: high school senior, overachiever, brain. The one thing Allee is not is supermodel material-at least that's what she thinks until modeling scouts spot her and she moves to Miami to work with an elite modeling agency. Suddenly Allee is swept up?p in a whirlwind of designer labels, photo shoots, go-sees and some seriously backstabbing models. Will this fabulous new life go to her head? New author Debbie Reed Fischer offers readers a fresh, fun, and honest peek into the crazy and glamorous world of professional modeling.

Lost Summer by Alex McAulay (Paperback)

When Caitlin Ross's mother takes her and her brother to an island in the remote Outer Banks for the summer, Caitlin is furious. She was planning on spending the summer hanging out by the pool, partying, shopping, and singing backup in her boyfriend's band, Box of Flowers. North Carolina isn't anything like California, and Caitlin doesn't fit in. But her troubled mother is too busy popping pills and trying to win back her creepy ex-boyfriend to care.

At first, the only friend Caitlin makes on the desolate island is a local misfit named Danielle. but things start to improve when she meets a bunch of visiting prep school boys and gets swept up in their exciting world. Then, one dark night, she witnesses a murder and begins to suspect that her new friends aren't really her friends at all. With a powerful hurricane approaching, and the island cut off from the outside world, Caitlin has no one to turn to but herself...and whether she'll live to see another summer is the biggest mystery of all.

The Dust of 100 Dogs by A. S. King (Paperback)

In the late seventeenth century, famed teenage pirate Emer Morrisey was on the cusp of escaping the pirate life with her one true love and unfathomable riches when she was slain and cursed with "the dust of 100 dogs," dooming her to one hundred lives as a dog before returning to a human body—with her memories intact. Now she's a contemporary American teenager named Saffron and all she needs is a shovel and a ride to Jamaica.

I recieved the above 7 books from Amazon on Wednesday. I've been waiting forever for most of these books, so I'm glad I finally have them Also, the pictures next to them are pictures I took when I was taking them out of the box. Thanks Carol for making me take the pictures.

Go Figure by Jo Edwards (Paperback)

Ryan is not obsessing....But she does want to lose weight. Ever since she was outted as a "fat girl" at chearleading camp in fifth grade, Ryan's been on a mission to shed more than a few pounds. Lately she's also on the hunt for a new relationship. Now that her ex-boyfriend is a rock star - currently posing on the cover of Rolling Stone - Ryan seriously needs to move on. They haven't spoken in months, but in the magazine Noah's wearing the bracelet Ryan gave him. She can't wondering what that means...Not that she wants him back or anything. No, Ryan's plan is to make the most of senior year. After all, she's popular, funny, a talented photographer...she's got a lot going for her. So it's not all about losing weight or gaining a boyfriend. It's about getting what she wants. And it's about time.

I got this one from Bookmooch on Thursday.

Purge by Sarah Darer Littman (ARC)

Janie Ryman hates throwing up. So why does she binge eat and then stick her fingers down her throat several times a day? That’s what the doctors and psychiatrists at Golden Slopes hope to help her discover.But first Janie must survive everyday conflicts between the Barfers and the Starvers, attempts by the head psychiatrist to fish painful memories out of her emotional waters, and shifting friendships and alliances among the kids in the ward.

I got this one from Yan on Friday! Thanks Yan! It looks great!

EDITED TO ADD:

In Too Deep by Jennifer Banash (Paperback)

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.

So, apparently, FedEx dropped this book off at the beginning of the week, and I didn't find it until now. See what happens when you let your parents handle the mail? (J/K Mom and Dad! <3) But, anyhow, I'm happy, I've been waiting for this book to get here from Berkley since the beginning of January, and it looks great, so I'll have to add it to my pile!

16 comments:

  1. Sweet! I can't wait for the Flowers in the Attic review!

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  2. Yeay! You definately had a great week. Wow, flowers in the attic. I remember reading that....hmmm...well a long time ago and It was stunning.

    Swoon looks like an interesting read. I cannot wait to see what you think about it.

    I also like the way you displayed your box-o-books :)

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  3. Swoon sounds good, can't wait for your review!

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  4. oh Swoon. Yay! I'm eager to see what you think of it. I'm love your box filled with books.

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  5. awesome week Kelsey!! I'm so very jealous over Swoon!!

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  6. What a great week! Happy reading.

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  7. I am so adding Oblivion Road by Alex McAulay to my wish list!!!

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  8. Awesome pile of books! Have fun reading!

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  9. I love how you had them coming out of the box. I felt like I was opening it with you! Reviews I'll be looking for:
    Purge, The Dust of 100 Dogs, Go Figure, and Perfect Chemistry.

    Happy Reading!

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  10. oooh...Perfect Chemistry sounds great! I'm ordering Dust of 100 Dogs and Braless today off of Amazon...You had a really great week, huh? (:

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  11. Hehe, I like the box of books pictures! My parents have also found packages outside a day or so later, last time my mom found one buried under some snow!

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  12. Ah, awesome! Swoon sounds amazing. I did like the pictures as well. Fun fun!

    -Lauren

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  13. Swoon looks really good and I've been wanting to read Undone.

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  14. Purge sounds interesting. I want to know why and what happed so bad.

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