In my mailbox (11)

 In My Mailbox idea from Kristi @ The Story Siren. 

All links go to The Book Depository. 

Now that I look back on them I realize that my few latest IMM:s have all been nicely color-coordinated. Totally unintentional, I might add. This one is blue-ish in tone, whereas the last one was brighter and more yellow-beige-ish and the one previous to that black and red themed (at least the back of "The Ghost and the Goth").I wonder what color next week will bring... green?

Bought:

Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

I've read many good reviews of this novel and I look forward to reading it. I did prefer the hardback cover though, but paperback is much more practical to bring on the bus or train or someplace else than the comfort of my own home. I usually read more away from home than I actually do at home.

I am number four by Pittacus Lore

I saw the movie trailer on Apple and was immediately interested in the movie, and when I learned it was a novel I was even more intrigued to read that. When I heard about the manner in which this novel was created and published though, I felt less declined to read it. But then my curiosity took over and I got it anyway.

Tiger's curse by Colleen Houck

Deciding to get this novel was an impulse purchase based partly on the pretty cover and the unique sounding premise plus I've read some good reviews about it. I'm very curious about this. And on the upside: if I like it the sequel is released in only a matter of days.

What did you get in your mailbox this week?

Review: The body hunterby Kimberly Derting

Plot: Violet Ambrose is grappling with two major issues: Jay Heaton and her morbid secret ability. While the sixteen-year-old is confused by her new feelings for her best friend since childhood, she is more disturbed by her "power" to sense dead bodies—or at least those that have been murdered. Since she was a little girl, she has felt the echoes that the dead leave behind in the world... and the imprints that attach to their killers.

Violet has never considered her strange talent to be a gift; it mostly just led her to find the dead birds her cat had tired of playing with. But now that a serial killer has begun terrorizing her small town, and the echoes of the local girls he's claimed haunt her daily, she realizes she might be the only person who can stop him.

Despite his fierce protectiveness over her, Jay reluctantly agrees to help Violet on her quest to find the murderer—and Violet is unnerved to find herself hoping that Jay's intentions are much more than friendly. But even as she's falling intensely in love, Violet is getting closer and closer to discovering a killer... and becoming his prey herself. (Summary from goodreads.com)

Cover: Although I don't think it's eye-gripping, I don't mind it either. It's just kind of... mah. 

First sentence: "Violet Ambrose wandered away from the safety of her father as she listened to the harmony of sounds weaving delicately around her."

My opinion: This novel has been sitting on my bookshelf for a few weeks now, but I haven't picked it up for some reason. Big mistake! Because if there ever was a unique premise to a YA paranormal romance, this was it. A girl who "feels" the echoes of the dead and their killers, it's entirely new to me. This novel definitely hooked me right from the start. Too often, I feel that prologues don't add to the story, but this one captivated me. To speak movie: it had me at 'hello'. 

I've been complaining a bit about the relationships and lack of me 'feeling it' lately, but this romance was right up my alley. There was some great romantic/sexual tension as there usually is when one - and sometimes both - is acutely aware of their own feelings but at the same time completely oblivious to the other person's and is afraid to spoil a wonderful friendship by putting emotions into the mix. I felt this love!

All in all, I really enjoyed this novel. It is one of the best I've read in some time now. It was unique, romantic and downright creepy. Good thing I have the sequel sitting on my shelf too...

Review: Die For Me by Amy Plum

Plot: My life had always been blissfully, wonderfully normal. But it only took one moment to change everything. Suddenly, my sister, Georgia, and I were orphans. We put our lives into storage and moved to Paris to live with my grandparents. And I knew my shattered heart, my shattered life, would never feel normal again. Then I met Vincent. 

Mysterious, sexy, and unnervingly charming, Vincent Delacroix appeared out of nowhere and swept me off my feet. Just like that, I was in danger of losing my heart all over again. But I was ready to let it happen. 

Of course, nothing is ever that easy. Because Vincent is no normal human. He has a terrifying destiny, one that puts his life at risk every day. He also has enemies . . . immortal, murderous enemies who are determined to destroy him and all of his kind. 

While I'm fighting to piece together the remnants of my life, can I risk putting my heart—as well as my life and my family's—in jeopardy for a chance at love? (Summary from goodreads.com)


Cover: This is one of those covers that I never grow tired resting my eyes upon. I love the color scheme, the ornate flower frame around the title and of course, the silhouette of Paris in the background.*sigh*

First sentence: "The first time I had seen the statue in the fountain, I had no idea what Vincent was."

My opinion: This is one hard review to write, because I can't quite make up my mind about the book. Sometimes while reading it I loved, loved, loved it and sometimes I felt quite blasé. The storyline with the revenants was, I have to admit, rather unique whereas many other storylines were more predictable. Pretty girl who doesn't know it herself. Check. Dangerous, paranormal, gorgeous man. Check. Mortal enemies that goes way back. Check. Instant attraction. Check. Stalker tendencies. Check.

Kate is a very likable protagonist and the writer succeeds in making the reader care about her and feel for her. She stands up for what she wants and believes in and is easy to relate to for us book nerds. Her love interest Vincent will make girls swoon all over the world, being such a gentleman and French at that (I have understood that being French is a popular trait of character). Many are the bloggers who have swooned not only over Vincent though but the entire love story. I found it very sweet and well-written but yet, somehow I couldn't feel it. Even when they were apart and supposedly heartbroken I still couldn't feel it. I was glad however that the writer went with just one doomed relationship without adding another love interest. I really hope that the perhaps-not-so-subtle hints about a possible future love triangle will not progress into one, so I don't have to add yet another Check to the predictability. 

For a debut novel, I think Die For Me was well-executed. That real jumping-off-the-page love was lacking for me, but on the whole, I enjoyed the novel and will probably read the sequel.

In My Mailbox (10)

 In My Mailbox idea from Kristi @ The Story Siren. All links go to The Book Depository. 

 Bought:

 Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

I've heard some great things about this one and what could make a better light summer read than a road trip across the US..?

Corsets and Clockwork edited by Trisha Telep

Short stories actually really aren't my thing, so I'm not entirely sure why I got this one. Perhaps it will surprise me though.

Review: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins *Spoiler alert*

The plot: Young Katniss Everdeen has survived the dreaded Hunger Games not once, but twice, but even now she can find no relief. In fact, the dangers seem to be escalating: President Snow has declared an all-out war on Katniss, her family, her friends, and all the oppressed people of District 12. The thrill-packed final installment of Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games trilogy will keep young hearts pounding. (Summary from goodreads.com)

The cover: I like the symbolism of the bird breaking free and chattering its bonds, so to speak. Also the hopeful light blue suits the cover. I definitely prefer the US versions.

First sentence: "I stare down at my shoes, watching as a fine layer of ash settles of the worn leather."

My opinion: I picked up Mockingjay just after finishing Catching Fire and I was really eager to find out what'll happen to Katniss, since I've gotten to really like her and feel for her in the first two books. Maybe it was too soon or I had to high expectations, I don't know, or maybe the third books just wasn't as good as the others. It does have another direction in the premise. No more surviving the Games in the arena as in the other, but rather a full-scale guerrilla war. I feel that I should find this interesting enough, since it draws many parallels to what actually happens in the real world at the moment with the people standing up to dictators. But sadly, Mockingjay doesn't capture my interest the way the others did, and this form of it might be one reason. I am more interested in relationships (not only romantic) between a few characters that I "know well" and there was little time for that.

In The Hunger Games and Catching Fire, it revolved around one or a few people whereas Mockingjay is about one entire nation, and I just feel it more difficult to connect to that. Katniss is thrown into the war against her will or is at least persuaded, because the rebels need their "Mockingjay" as a symbol. The rebels attitude to civilian casualties is another thing that bothers me.

As far as the love story is going, given all that's happening in Panem, is it natural that the love story from the other novels are toned down (who would've time to think about somethings as trivial as romance when your life is a stake?) but that dulls the store somewhat for me. And Katniss is also acting very cruelly and keeps leading both Gale and Peeta on, and it disturbs me. Make up your mind already! Still in the end Katniss makes a decision between her two suitors, although in a way it is done for her. Just like everything else in this novel.

It sounds like I hate this novel but I don't. I'm glad I read it. It just wasn't as over-the-top crazy good and unputdownable as the other two. But if you've read the first two, of course you have to read Mockingjay too. 

In My Mailbox (9)

 In My Mailbox idea from Kristi @ The Story Siren. All links go to The Book Depository. 

(Except for one this time that comes from a Swedish online bookstore)

 Bought:

Die For Me by Amy Plum

I pre-ordered this book as early as February and finally it arrived. 

I've been dying to read this and it is just so pretty to look at. 

The Ghost and the Goth by Stacey Kade

Another pre-order that I ordered because I felt like a light read. 

Plus I've read some good reviews.

Vampyrer by Anna Höglund

This is a Swedish book and I do believe that most of you, although perhaps not speaking Swedish, still understand the title which obviously translates into 'Vampires'. It is something as perhaps unusual as a dissertation from a Swedish university on vampires from a cultural and literary perspective. It discusses the development in vampire lore over the centuries and the role of the vampire and the vampire fiction in human society, just to mention a few things. Sounds very interesting. I have just started the introduction, but it's not exactly a novel one would read from cover to cover but rather a chapter here and there.

What did you get this week?

Patience is a virtue

I was gonna write and post a review on "Mockingjay" yesterday but Blogger was down all day, so I couldn't. And I have a suspicion that I won't today either, so perhaps I'll do double posts towmorrow. Both review and IMM. Be patient with me.

Re-reading

The observant person might notice that The Hunger Games are featured twice on my "Books read"-list and that Catching Fire can be found in "Read books" as well as "Currently Reading". Why? one might wonder. Well, that's easy. 

You see, I read installments one and two in Swedish the first time. I had actually ordered The Hunger Games in English (US version) from a Swedish online bookstore (bokus.com), but the delivery took forever so I ended up buying the Swedish paperback in an actual bookstore in town instead, because I just couldn't wait. However, after I'd finished the first two parts, part three was not yet available in Swedish. Sigh! That's why I got the US hardbacks instead in a nice boxed set.

Since I did read the first two in Swedish and the last one was only available to me in English, I decided I wanted to read the first two in original language too, as was my first intention anyway. Although I understand books written i Swedish perfectly fine, it being my mother tongue and all, there are still terms and concepts that have been translated and I felt it better to read the first two books in English as well, so that when I start with Mockingjay I understand that the title actually refers to the bird. In the Swedish translation this is not evident since they're translated into härmskrika (which is actually a pretty neat translation) and the Swedish title of the last novel in the series is Revolt.

But I tell you, it does not matter what language one might read this series in, it still kicks some serious butt.

In My Mailbox (8)

In My Mailbox idea from Kristi @ The Story Siren. All links go to The Book Depository.

 Since I'm spending the weekend at my parents' in the countryside I do have a bit difficulty doing IMM this week. Not that my parents lack Internet access just because they live in the countryside, but I don't have this week's book harvest with me, so I'm just gonna steal a picture somewhere. Sorry. 

Bought:

Linger by Maggie Stiefvater

Yes, only one book this week too, but then again, what a book! 

I read and loved "Shiver" more than over a year ago, and have been waiting for the US paperback version of "Linger". I have Shiver in the blue (US) paperback version and being rather square in personality I always like my books to fit together. The right version of Linger was pre-ordered in March and finally arrived last week, after having been released on May 1st. Now, the only question is whether or not I should re-read Shiver or just simply dive into Linger..?

 Anyone else had a good week?

Review: The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter

Plot: It's always been just Kate and her mom—and her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate's going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear her mother won't live past the fall. Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld—and if she accepts his bargain, he'll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests.Kate is sure he's crazy—until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems crazily possible. If she succeeds, she'll become Henry's future bride, and a goddess. (Summary from goodreads.com).

Cover: Just beautiful. Love the colors, love the font. Simply love it!

First sentence: "How did it happen this time?"

My opinion: I had high expectations of this novel and I am glad to say they were met. As I've always been interested in fairy tales and myths and legenda, I naturally liked this modern version of an old Greek myth. For a first installment in a series, there was remarkably easy to get into the novel, what with the incredibly captivating prologue.Of course, Carter didn't need to build a new world per se since the Greek myths already exist.

Our heroine Kate is an enormously likable character, almost to the point where she is too perfect to be likable at all. She is loving, caring, smart and just plain selfless. And as far as Hades goes, Henry was far from what you'd expect the ruler of the Underworld to be (you know, cruel, old, ugly).Given previous reviews on this novel though, I expected more romance. There were no butterflies. Thus the mother-daughter relationship was the strongest and most interesting in the novel, as far as I'm concerned.

Aimee Carter delivers twist on twist, which makes The Goddess Test a real page-turner. As apposed to many first installments I've read lately, I very much enjoyed the fact that this one works as a stand-alone too. Although I could see a continuation of several subplots, I also feel satisfied with this open ending.

Sorry

I've been a bad girl, I know. I'm sorry. I haven't posted a review in a long time. Hell, I haven't read a book in over a week..! But I've just been completely swamped! Thank God I'm back at work again to I have time to get some reading done. I started "The Goddess Test" this morning on the bus, and am halfway through already. Review coming up any day soon!

 

In My Mailbox (7)

In My Mailbox idea from Kristi @ The Story Siren. All links go to The Book Depository.

I'm very pleased with myself for keeping my book buying ban so well. You see, this week's book I pre-ordered in March, so although it arrived in my mailbox this week I technically didn't break my ban. Kudos to me. However, I got my month's salary a few days ago so perhaps I can allow myself to order one or maybe two books this month. Decisions, decisions...

Bought:

The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter

I presume that the only way one could have missed the hype concerning this novel is if one has been living under a rock in the Siberian tundra for the last few months. Given all the fab reviews I really look forward to reading it.

Now, what'd you get?