In My Mailbox (20)

In My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren.

Bought:

Let It Snow: Three Holiday Romances - John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle

Summary from Goodreads: Sparkling white snowdrifts, beautiful presents wrapped in ribbons, and multicolored lights glittering in the night through the falling snow. A Christmas Eve snowstorm transforms one small town into a romantic haven, the kind you see only in movies. Well, kinda. After all, a cold and wet hike from a stranded train through the middle of nowhere would not normally end with a delicious kiss from a charming stranger. And no one would think that a trip to the Waffle House through four feet of snow would lead to love with an old friend. Or that the way back to true love begins with a painfully early morning shift at Starbucks.

Thanks to three of today's bestselling teen authors John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle the magic of the holidays shines on these hilarious and charming interconnected tales of love, romance, and breathtaking kisses.

What can I say? It's Christmas time. I'd been eyeing this for a while, but I decided to leave it until the festive season. Plus, I know for a fact that John Green and Maureen Johnson both rock, and have it on good authority that Lauren Myracle does too... so I need to read this one.

For review:

The Thirteen Curses - Michelle Harrison

From book cover: When fairies stole her brother, Red vowed to get him back. Trapped in the fairy realm, Red must beg an audience with the fairy court. There, she strikes a bargain. Her brother will be returned - but only if she can find the charms of Tanya's bracelet, scattered in the human world.

Returning to Elvesden Manor, Red is assisted by Tanya and Fabian, and a desperate hunt begins. Soon they make a shocking discovery. The charms are now cursed with the twisted qualities of the thirteen treasures they represent... and the longer they are missing, the worse the consequences will be. Can Red, Tanya and Fabian find all the charms? And even if they do, will the fairies keep their promise?

Oooh... exciting! I'm just about to start reading The Thirteen Treasures, the first of this series, and suprise! The upcoming sequel lands on my doormat thanks to Simon and Schuster UK. I'm excited to read both of them, so I'm super glad I have the holidays coming up. It's awful when real life gets in the way of a good read, isn't it?

A Million Shades of Grey - Cynthia Kadohata

From book cover: At twelve years old, Tin is the youngest elephant handler in his village. He loves nothing more than spending his days looking after his elephant, Lady, and dreaming of being an elephant trainer when he grows up.

But as Tin dreams of his future, the world around him is being changed dramatically by the events of the Vietnam War, and when Viet Cong attack his village, Tin's life is turned upside down. Suddenly held hostage by soldiers who don't care if he lives or dies, Tin has to harness all his courage to escape from his captors and save not only his own life, but his precious elephant's too.

See, this is why I love blogging. Until I started I Was A Teenage Book Geek, I really don't think I'd have ever picked up a book about a twelve-year-old elephant handler. I'm reading outside of my comfort zone a lot these days and finding myself falling in love with books I would have missed out on before. This one is another surprise from Simon and Schuster UK, and I have a really good feeling about it.

Wicked: Legacy and Spellbound - Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie

From book cover: Holly Cathers is not the same person she was almost a year and a half ago. After discovering her connection to an ancient legacy of witches, Holly has accepted her destiny as a descendant of the House of Cahors and is determined to end an intergenerational feud that has plagued her family for centuries.

But Holly will have to overcome unworldly obstacles as she battles to protect her loved ones - including Jer, a member of the rival House of Deveraux and her one true love. A war of magical proportions is being waged, and Holly is right in the middle of it. Lives will be lost - and sacrifices will have to be made...

Surprise book number three from S&S UK this week, so major thanks to them. It's almost like they know I have ten! whole! days! off work coming up. Days I wish to fill with Cadbury's Roses, Christmas movies and books. This volume is books three and four in the Wicked series. I haven't read books one and two, but I am so going to.

Borrowed:

Beautiful Creatures - Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

Summary from Goodreads: There were no surprises in Gatlin County.
We were pretty much the epicenter of the middle of nowhere.
At least, that's what I thought.
Turns out, I couldn't have been more wrong.
There was a curse. There was a girl. And in the end, there was a grave.

Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she's struggling to conceal her power and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever. Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town's oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them. In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.

Does this one need any explanation? It's definitely one of the buzziest titles around at the moment. The Bookette, Steph Su and The Crooked Shelf all rated it highly, and I always trust the power of three. And since it's not out in the UK until February, the very generous Carla of The Crooked Shelf has loaned me her ARC.

I'm excited about all of my books this week. What did everyone else get?