Elsewhere Online: May 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: Instructions for a Broken Heart

Author: Kim Culbertson

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

Title: The Cypress House

Author: Michael Kortya

Challenges: Mystery & Suspense, Horror & Urban Fantasy, Historical Fiction, All-Male Review, 100 Books in a Year

Title: The Time-Traveling Fashionista

Author: Bianca Turetsky

Challenges: Debut Author Challenge, YA Historical Fiction, 100 Books in a Year

Title: Missing Persons

Author: Clare O'Donohue

Challenges: Mystery & Suspense, Chick Lit, Cozy Mystery, 100 Books in a Year

Title: Exit the Actress

Author: Priya Parmar

Challenges: Historical Fiction, 100 Books in a Year

Title: Western Classics

Author: Graphic Classics

Challenges: Graphic Novel, 100 Books in a Year

Alice in the Country of Hearts 4

Title: Alice in the Country of Hearts Volume 4

Author: Soumei Hoshino & Quinrose

Publisher: Tokyopop

ISBN: 978-1-4278-1890-4

Why Read?: For fun

Challenges: Manga, 100 Books in a Year

Thoughts: This volume definitely takes a walk on the dark side. The longer Alice stays in Wonderland, the more the real personalities of the men there come out - plus, they are all in love with Alice since she is an outsider! Alice really has some tough decisions to make here, and both Hoshino and Quinrose bring that out in this volume. Also, the side story, "Alice in the Country of the Joker" is a very interesting concept.

Rating: 4 stars

In My Mailbox 5/22-5/28

A lot to post today, but as I was on vacation last week, some of these were probably from then (had a huge load on my door Monday when we resumed mail delivery).

For possible review (on bookloons.com):

Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey

All You Desire by Kirsten Miller

Wolfsbane by Andrea Cremer

Concrete Savior by Yvonne Navarro

Dead on the Delta by Stacy Jay

Demon by Kristina Douglas

The Influencing Machine by Brooke Gladstone

Sirenz by Charlotte Bennardo & Natalie Zaman

Won:

So Shelly by Ty Roth

The Uncoupling by Meg Wolitzer

Hidden by Helen Frost

Secrets by Laruen Kunze & Rina Onur

Falling Under by Gwen Hayes

The Summoner by Layton Green

The Raising by Laura Kasischke

Juniper Berry by M. P. Kozlowsky

Swaps on Swap-Bot:

Light Boxes by Shane Jones

Cross-Stitch from a Country Garden

The Scarlet Empress by Susan Grant

The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff

Via Paperbackswap:

Reincarnation by Suzanne Weyn

Bought on Amazon:

The Prince of Mist by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

This fun weekly meme comes from The Story Siren.

All images come from Goodreads.

Books to Movies Challenge

I am currently reading a few books that have movies coming out, so I thought I should join Two Bibliomaniacs' Books to Movies Challenge. Since I have to both read the book and watch the movie, I am going with the lowest level, Straight to Video (2 books/movies).

1. The Help by Kathryn Stockett

2.

Splash Into Summer Giveaway (US/CAN Only)

Summer is just around the corner, hence the Splash Into Summer Giveaway!

For this hop, I will be giving away something perfect for a road trip, a audio CD copy of Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff. I won this copy a few months ago, listen to it and thoroughly enjoyed it, and now I am passing it on to one lucky winner. The box does show some wear but the CDs are all fine.

To enter, fill out this FORM.

+1 for becoming a GFC follower

+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 5/15-5/21

For review (on bookloons.com):

Divergent by Veronica Roth

This fun weekly meme comes from The Story Siren.

All images come from Goodreads.

The Allegra Biscotti Collection

Title: The Allegra Biscotti Collection

Author: Olivia Bennett

Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky

ISBN:

Why Read?: For Fun

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

Thoughts: This was sort of a Hannah Montana-type story (except with the fashion industry), but it was so much cuter. Emma/Allegra was very likable and seemed like any middle-school girl. Her choices were interesting, but that made her character all that more real.

Rating: 4 stars

In My Mailbox 5/8-5/14

Won:

Urban Shaman by C. E. Murphy

A Crafty Killing by Lorraine Bartlett

Beaglemania by Linda O. Johnston

Cookie Dough or Die by Virgina Lowell

Swaps on Swap-Bot:

Angels & Demons by Dan Brown

Light Muffins by Beatrice Ojakangas

Bought on Amazon:

Halloween Sky and Other Nightmares by Robin Morris

This fun weekly meme comes from The Story Siren.

All images come from Goodreads.

Before I Fall

Title: Before I Fall

Author: Lauren Oliver

Publisher: Harper

ISBN: 978-0-06-172680-4

Why Read?: Book Club

Challenges: Book Blogger Recommendation, 100 Books in a Year

Thoughts: Bravo, Oliver, for not taking the expected ending! This book definitely deserves all of the praise it has been getting. It is sort of like Mean Girls meets Groundhogs Day, but it is also much deeper than that. This is a wonderful, unprecedented YA novel that is simply a must read. I do not want to say too much because you need to go read this for yourself.

Rating: 5 stars

YA LGBT Paranormal Challenge - Completed

I signed up for Mission to Read's YA LGBT Paranormal Challenge because I thought it was a great challenge. I only signed up for the 1 book level because I only had one book on my shelf:

1. Huntress by Malinda Lo

Alice in the Country of Hearts 3

Title: Alice in the Country of Hearts Volume 3

Author: Soumei Hoshino & Quinrose

Publisher: Tokyopop

ISBN: 978-1-4278-1818-8

Why Read?: For fun

Challenges: Manga, 100 Books in a Year

Thoughts: Wow, this story just keeps becoming more complex as it goes! Volume 3 is filled with new twists and plenty of intrigue as we see more and more how Wonderland works (and Alice does not). However, there are plenty of lighter moments, too - especially when Peter reverts to his rabbit form which is just adorable!

Rating: 4 stars

In My Mailbox 5/1-5/7

For review (on bookloons.com):

I Used to Know That: Shakespeare by Liz Evers

Who What Wear by Olivia Bennett

Won:

Nickel Plated by Aric Davis

Dear Stangers by Meg Mullins

Zitface by Emily Howse

Miss Hildreth Wore Brown by Olivia deBelle Byrd

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

From Paperbackswap:

The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards

Gift:

Manga Shakespeare: Othello by William Shakepseare & Ryuta Osada

This fun weekly meme comes from The Story Siren.

All images come from Goodreads.