In My Mailbox 4/24-4/30

Won:

India Black by Carol K. Carr

Save My Soul by Zoe Winters

Memento Nora by Angie Smibert

This fun weekly meme comes from The Story Siren.

All images come from Goodreads.

Elsewhere Online: April 2011

As you may have guessed from my In My Mailbox posts, I review for another website (bookloons.com). As I cannot post my reviews there and here, but I would still like to count the books I read for the challenges, I am going to have a post like this at the end of the every month listing the books I reviewed and what challenges the went towards.

Title: Miss Scarlet's School of Patternless Sewing

Author: Kathy Cano-Murillo

Challenges: People of Color, Chick Lit, 100 Books in a Year

Title: A Discovery of Witches

Author: Deborah Harkness

Challenges: Horror & Urban Fantasy, iChallenge, Vampire, Chunkster, 100 Books in a Year

Title: You Killed Wesley Payne

Author: Sean Beaudoin

Challenges: Mystery & Suspense, Young Adult Contemporary, 100 Books in a Year

Title: The Dark-Hunter Vol. 4

Auth

or: Sherrilyn Kenyon & Claudia Campos

Challenges: Manga, 100 Books in a Year

Title: A Thousand Times More Fair

Author: Kenji Yoshino

Challenges: Non-Fiction (Science/Nature), 100 Books in a Year

Title: Huntress

Author: Malinda Lo

Challenges: iChallenge, Fantasy, Chinese Literature, Once Upon a Time, YA LGBT Paranormal, 100 Books in a Year

Because of Winn-Dixie

Title: Because of Winn-Dixie

Author: Kate DiCamillo

Publisher: Candlewick

ISBN: 0-7636-1605-2

Why Read?: Book Club

Challenges: Young Adult Contemporary, Borrowed, 100 Books in a Year

Thoughts: Normally, I shy away from books about dogs (especially ones for MG), but my book club was reading this, so I had to. I am glad I did. There was a sad part, but unlike some children's classics, this did have (SPOILER ALERT!) a happy ending. DiCamillo has written a heart-filled story about a lonely little girl, her stay dog, and the meaning of friendship.

Rating: 4 stars

Hoppy Easter Extravaganza - WINNER!

Random.org has spoken and a big congrats go out to...

Tabitha B!

An email has been sent. Winner has 48 hrs to respond before a new winner is chosen.

Grand Guignol Orchestra Vol. 1

Title: Grand Guignol Orchestra 1

Author: Kaori Yuki

Publisher: Viz

ISBN: 978-1-4215-3636-1

Why Read?: For Fun

Challenges: Manga, Horror & Urban Fantasy, 100 Books in a Year

Thoughts: Kaori Yuki is one of my top favorite manga-ka. Her artwork is dark yet detailed and it fits well with her twisted, Gothic tales. Her newest series to hit Stateside is no exception. This is a dark, creepy tale of doll-like zombies and the musicians who have the power to vanquish them. At times it does get a little confusing, but eventually all is laid bare.

Rating: 4 stars

Most Wanted

Title: Most Wanted

Author: Michele Martinez

Publisher: Harper Torch

ISBN: 978-0-06-072399-6

Why Read?: For Fun

Challenges: Mystery & Suspense, TBR Pile, People of Color, 100 Books in a Year

Thoughts: This is a fast-paced novel that will keep the reader guessing. Martinez expertly draws the reader in and keeps them frantically turning the pages until the end with a tightly plotted suspense storyline. I really can't say more except go pick this gem up today!

Rating: 3 stars

In My Mailbox 4/17-4/23

Won:

The Sweet Scent of Blood by Suzanne McLeod

Eldest by Christopher Paolini

Tattoo: The Awakening by Toni Leland

Swaps on Swap-Bot:

Trying to Save Piggy Sneed by John Irving

Love in the Driest Season by Neely Tucker

100 Poems to Lift Your Spirits by Leslie Pockell

From Paperbackswap.com:

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

This fun weekly meme comes from The Story Siren.

All images come from Goodreads.

The Crime Stories

Title: The Collected Short Stories of Louis L'Amour Vol. 6: The Crime Stories

Author: Louis L'Amour

Publisher: Bantam

ISBN: 978-0-553-80531-4

Why Read?: For Fun

Challenges: Mystery & Suspense, 100 Books in a Year

Thoughts: The title of this collection is slightly misleading. While many of the stories do deal with crime, quite a few would fall under the category of sports better (especially boxing, which is the what the cover picture portrays). Actually, my favorite story in the whole collection, "Dream Fighter", was one of the boxing stories. I also really enjoyed the noir stories featuring Kip Morgan, the title character from "Dream Fighter". Some of the other stories, though, just were not up my alley, but all were very well-written, as one would expect from an author like L'Amour.

Rating: 3 stars

The Incredible Origins of the Onyx Sun

Title: The Incredible Origins of the Onyx Sun

Author: Christopher Mahoney

Publisher: Pariah

ISBN: 978-0-9795202-4-2

Why Read?: First Reads

Challenges: 100 Books in a Year

Thoughts: The Incredible Origins of the Onyx Sun started out like a fun MG novel aimed at boys of that age. While it did stay firmly rooted in that classification, it began to drag a little once they left Earth. And the origin of the Onyx Sun only took up a bried explaination at the begining. A little tightening of storyline, and this could be a great choice for younger reluctant readers.

Rating: 2 stars

Hoppy Easter Extravaganza Giveaway Hop - US Only

It's Easter, so that means its time for the Hoppy Easter Extravaganza Giveaway Hop! I am giveaway away a great stocking...er, basket stuffer: More Rootabaga Stories by CarlSandburg.This is a fun collection of "American Fairy Tales" and this copy has not be read.

To enter, fill out this FORM.

+1 for becoming a GFC follower

+1 for following my onGetGlue

+1 for friending me on Goodreads (see sidebar)

And when you're done here, don't forget to check out the other great giveaways:

In My Mailbox 4/10-4/16

This is Borders' last weekend (for the one by me), so I admit I went a little overboard, but who could resist no book higher than $2.50?

For possible review elsewhere:

Master and Apprentice by Sonya Bateman

Surrender the Dark by L. A. Banks

Rotters by Daniel Kraus

Faerie Winter by Janni Lee Simner

Flip by Martyn Bedford

Swap on Swap-Bot:

The Bourne Sanction by Eric Van Lustbader

Bought at Borders:

Drood by Dan Simmons

The Night Villa by Carol Goodman

Hexbound by Chloe Neill

The Dead Girls' Dance by Rachel Caine

Sisters of Misery by Megan Kelley Hall

The Way to Fairyleland by Belen Ramos

The Devlin Diary by Christi Phillips

A Density of Souls by Christopher Rice

FearScape by Simon Holt

The Named by Marianne Curley

The Dark by Marianne Curley

The Last Days of Judas Iscariot by Stephen Adly Guirgis

Rabbit Hole by David Lindsay-Abaire

The Laramie Project by Moises Kaufman

This fun weekly meme comes from The Story Siren.

All images come from Goodreads.

YA LGBT Paranormal Challenge

As Huntress is next in my TBR pile (and because I think this is a great topic for a challenge), I decided to join Mission to Read's YA LGBT Paranormal Challenge. As I do only currently have the 1 book on my shelf, I am doing the Just Curious level (1 book).

1. Huntress by Malinda Lo

In My Mailbox 4/3-4/9

I did a LOT of shopping at Borders this week - they are almost closed :( ! We did get two tall bookshelves from there, also.

For possible review elsewhere (bookloons.com):

The Stormchasers by Jenna Blum

Eona by Alison Goodman

In Zanesville by Jo Ann Beard

Dead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris

Swaps on Swap-Bot:

Dragons of Autumn Twilight by Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman

Trades for on Paperbackswap.com:

The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury

Bought at Borders:

What Alice Knew by Paula Marantz Cohen

Poison by Sara Poole

Something Rotten by Jasper Fforde

Daughters of the Witching Hill by Mary Sharratt

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

The Next Queen of Heaven by Gregory Maguire

Star of the Morning by Lynn Kurland

This fun weekly meme comes from The Story Siren.

All images come from Goodreads.