In My Mailbox (51)

In My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren.

I had an awesome week for books, thanks to the Royal Mail, some fab blogger buddies and a super enthusiastic member of the Random House publicity team.

All links go to Goodreads.com.

Bought:

Silver Phoenix - Cindy Pon

I've been wanting to read this ever since I first saw its incredibly eye-catching cover. It's gloriously Asian and I just adore the fact that the model on the front looks so strong and yet feminine at the same time - especially with all that gorgeous pink! When I heard the book was being reissued with a less Asian-looking, less (in my opinion) all-round amazing cover I figured I'd better act fast to pick up a copy of the hardback.

Pink - Lili Wilkinson

I'm on a bit of an Aussie author kick recently. I also sometimes take issue with the fact that people sometimes assume that a book with a pink cover is automatically going to be trivial, mindless fluff. Especially since that assumption seems to be based on the fact that pink is girly. I have a feeling this book and I are going to agree on a lot of things.

For review:

The Alchemyst, The Magician and The Sorceress - Michael Scott

Recently I attended a bloggers' event at Random House UK, where (among other things) the publicity team enthused about upcoming and current YA titles. Among them, the fabulous Corinne talked animatedly about Michael Scott's The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel series. And you know what? The way she talked about them was completely infectious. I'll be reading these in preparation for the fourth book in the series, currently sitting in my TBR mountain. Thanks Random House!

Gifted:

White Crow - Marcus Sedgwick

After reading Becky's review of this one over at The Bookette, I was convinced I should give it a try myself. She was lovely enough to offer to send me her copy. Thanks Becky! Everyone else can check out her review here.

What My Mother Doesn't Know - Sonya Sones

Jenny from Wondrous Reads asked me last week if I'd like her copy of this one, as she thought I might enjoy it. Having loved Sones' One of Those Hideous Books Where The Mother Dies, I jumped at the chance. Thanks so much, Jenny.

TimeRiders - Alex Scarrow

This one arrived in Jenny's parcel as a suprise, and as it happens I'm currently reading book two of this series. I'm finding that one fascinating (yay! for time travel), so I'll definitely backtrack to read this one afterwards.

Infinite Days postcard and The Naughty List bookmark - also included in Jenny's parcel. Does she rock or what?!

Review: If I Stay - Gayle Forman

When Mia's parents are killed instantly in a car accident, she finds herself facing a monumental choice. Separated from her comatose body, Mia watches as her extended family and friends keep a vigil at the hospital. In flashbacks, we learn about her life so far: about the family she's lost, and whether what's left is enough to stay for.

In many ways, Mia has always felt different to her family. Her parents are punk at heart, but she loves classical music and is devoted to the cello. Yet their bond is a strong one - a rarity in YA fiction these days - and she would rather spend time with them and her little brother Teddy than almost anyone else. Almost anyone. Mia’s relationship with rock musician Adam is the kind of genuine, believable first love you don’t often find in YA novels. Adam himself is a character who’ll have readers going a little weak at the knees, I’m sure: edgy, exuding coolness, yet tender in every way that matters. We follow Mia’s relationship with him in flashback from awkward beginnings to a sweet and true love that utterly convinces. Like their favoured musical instruments, they complement each other – but not at the cost of their own identities.

At the heart of If I Stay is the decision that Mia faces - to let go, or to hold on to life. There were several points along the way that I was sure I knew what choice Mia would make... and then the scales would subtly tip the other way, keeping me guessing until the end. There doesn’t seem to be anything calculated about this constant shifting: it’s just that the more we learn about Mia, and the greater our bond with her, the more we appreciate what she has to lose – and gain – either way.
If I Stay isn’t a religious book, but it does have a spiritual quality. Throughout the story there’s a sense that Mia’s parents have gone somewhere, and that if she dies she’ll join them there. But at the same time this is a story that reminds us how spiritual the best things in life are: the love of family members for each other, the pure joy to be found in music, the bond between best friends and generous love of soulmates.

If I Stay is a contemplative and poignant story that will resonate with readers of all ages. Don’t let its slender appearance fool you: this is a satisfying tale, the characters are exceptionally well-developed, and the story will touch your heart. Tears? A few. Uplifting? Eventually. Recommended? You bet.

Out: 2nd April 2009, US / 7th May 2009, UK

Thank you to Random House UK for providing a review copy.

Waiting On Wednesday (39)

Waiting On Wednesday is where we squee about books we just! can't! wait! to read. And it's hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine.

This week I'm waiting on...

Guardian of the Gate by Michelle Zink

Summary from Waterstones.com: Sixteen-year-old Lia Milthorpe must journey to the uncharted isle of Altus to continue her search for the missing pages of the Book of Chaos - the pages that could tell her how to end the prophecy that has turned generations of sisters against each other. But the journey will test more than just her courage, it will also test her loyalty to her beloved boyfriend, James. Meanwhile, twin sister Alice will stop at nothing to reclaim Lia's role as the Gate. And that's not the only thing she wants from her sister: there's also Lia's true love. The outcome of their battle could have consequences of Biblical proportions and, in the end, only one sister will be left standing.

I usually try to avoid featuring sequels as Waiting On Wednesday choices, but sometimes I make an exception. Y'know, if the last book was really REALLY good. Prophecy of the Sisters? Sublime - and that's a direct quote from my review, which you can find here. Hence my choice this week, Guardian of the Gate.

If you haven't read the first book in this series, take my advice: do it! It's an unsettling gothic fantasy very different from most of the paranormal YA out there right now. I've been antsy to read the sequel for nearly a year, and as the publication of Guardian of the Gate draws near I've been showing all the telltale signs of book desperation: counting the days, constantly googling for reviews, checking bookstore shelves in case they've put it out insanely early. Excited ain't the half of it.

ETA for this one is August 1st 2010 for the US and August 5th 2010. Yay!

Time Travel Tuesday: author Stephanie Burgis revisits Crocodile on the Sandbank by Elizabeth Peters

This week, I’m jazzed to present a guest post from debut author Stephanie Burgis. Stephanie’s first novel, A Most Improper Magick, is published in the UK on August 1^st 2010 and in the US during April 2011. It’s the first ‘unladylike adventure’ of magical Regency heroine Kat Stephenson, and I reviewed it right here.

Read on, and you too can say you knew about Stephanie Burgis way back when. Take it away, Stephanie!

I still remember the moment I opened Elizabeth Peters’s Crocodile on the Sandbank for the first time. I was at Camp Blue Lake, a two-week-long music camp which I was attending - unfortunately - as a piano major. I’d been there for a week so far, which was more than long enough to prove that, although I really did like the piano, playing it for more than two hours a day was enough to make my head spin with boredom…and attending a piano-related concert every single night was enough to make me want to shrivel up and die.

(I actually came close to tears one night when I found out that the voice majors got to go to an actual musical - with a story! And humour! And dialogue and romance! - but as a piano major, I wasn’t allowed to go with them. I had to go to yet another piano recital instead. That was a very, very bad night.)

I’d already sent whining letters back home begging to be allowed to leave. I’d gone through all the books I’d brought from home. I was desperate.

Then my dad posted me a paperback with a note saying I think you’ll enjoy this one. The cover showed a picture of a crocodile, smiling lazily out at me. I had no idea what the book was about, but by that point, I didn’t care. I took it with me to one of the big round tables outside the snack hut, during one of the lovely rest periods when - thankfully - I was allowed to spend an hour thinking about something that did NOT have eighty-eight keys and three pedals. I was willing to give any non-piano-related distraction a fair try.

I opened it up and was immediately swept away. Amelia Peabody, the narrator, was a thirty-two-year-old Victorian Englishwoman…and she was AWESOME. “I had, as I have always had, purpose enough for two,” she announced on the very first page - and she went on to prove it. By the standards of her time, she was a middle-aged spinster, someone who should rely on male support. Instead, she took charge - of her life and of everyone who strayed into her path.

She decided to go to Egypt and she WENT, regardless of all the sputtering shock of her male relatives. She collected friends and made enemies and continued to have serene confidence in herself and her own intelligence, even when confronted by groaning, apparently-undead mummies in the night.

She couldn’t have cared less about her personal appearance or any of the other superficial things that women are expected to feel insecure about. What she cared about was having adventures, exploring ancient tombs, chasing down walking mummies, engaging in battles of wits with snarling, sexist Egyptologists who needed to be taught the error of their ways…and she won.

That’s what really blew me away, even more than the humour - and oh, the book was so sparkling and funny - or the romance - and there were multiple romances in the book, including a perfect and hilarious one for Amelia herself, which really snuck up on her while she wasn’t looking. But more than all the rest: here was a strong, smart woman who believed in herself and stood up for herself even when other people disapproved of her…and she had so much fun doing it!

Then, when she found her perfect romantic partner, someone just as smart and confident as herself, he genuinely became her partner, in a marriage of true equals…and marriage didn’t slow her down one bit.

I was overwhelmed - and in awe. When I finished the book, I went back to page one and read it all over again. It was the first book in a series of Amelia’s adventures, and the moment I got home at the end of camp, I raced to the library to find all the other books that came after it. I devoured them all - and I learned from them, too.

I learned that what I loved more than anything else were books that mixed humour and history with strong, smart women who powered through exciting adventures without stopping to worry about their make-up along the way. I learned that people could write that kind of book and get it published. And I became determined to find my own writing voice and do the same. By the time I was twelve, Elizabeth Peters was my personal writing hero.

I still like the piano, but when I look back at that summer, all those piano-related concerts and hours spent practicing didn’t have much of an effect on the rest of my life…not compared to that one paperback with the grinning crocodile on the cover.

Thank you Stephanie, for being my Time Travel Tuesday guest and for introducing us to another awesome-sounding female heroine. Amelia sounds amazing, and it’s been fascinating to hear about how she played a part in the creation of Kat Stephenson.

Review: Posse by Kate Welshman

Set in the oppressive heat of summer in the Australian bushland, this tale of a traumatic incident that occurs during a year 11 camp is insidiously atmospheric from the outset. I'm not sure whether it was author Kate Welshman's intention to evoke the classic Picnic at Hanging Rock, but many of the same ingredients are there: tensions rising among a group of Australian schoolgirls, the sense of foreboding mirrored in the ever-so-slightly malevolent landscape. However, Posse is very much a 21st century tale. When main character Amy finds herself getting out of her depth with camp leader Bevan, the events that follow see her having to make some tough decisions about loyalty, truth, and responsibility. Allegations are made, and friendships are tested.

Where Posse differs from other novels that deal with similar situations is in the way that Amy's story is informed by an awareness of the law. Compelled, thanks to the courts, to live with her mean-spirited mother and grandmother, Amy is someone whose life has been shaped by the manipulation of the legal system. Yet when faced with a situation where Amy is forced to question her own actions and the actions of those in authority around her, the law takes on a new significance. It's a fascinating approach, and Welshman's resolution is sure to leave readers mulling over their interpretation of the tale's events as they unfolded.

Posse is striking in its characterisation, most notably in the group of schoolgirls at the heart of the story. Drawn largely in shades of grey, they're characters you can truly love and hate at the same time - and that's what makes them so real. Admirable in her fierce determination to be herself, protagonist Amy narrates with an honesty that is often fearless, sometimes darkly humorous, and highly engaging. Yet at the same time, she's not always likeable. Amy is sixteen; her girlfriend Marina is two years younger, but (we're told in retrospect) made all the first moves. At an age where two years can make a lot of difference, Amy's participation in the relationship makes for uncomfortable reading. While this suggestion of poor judgement is eventually essential to the story, readers looking for an uncomplicated, innocent protagonist should probably pass Posse by. This is a book that challenges, and its main character is no exception. Although I do have some minor reservations about the depiction of the various adult players, who tend to have few redeeming qualities, on the whole I was impressed by the authenticity of Welshman's characters.

Posse is a riveting, unusual and uneasy read. There are some adult scenes, and for that reason I wouldn't recommend it for younger teenage readers. However, older YA readers looking for a thoughtful and brave novel will find it here.

Out: May 1st 2009, Australia

In My Mailbox (50)

In My Mailbox is the show and tell of the book blogging world, hosted by The Story Siren.

This week, I received a couple of books for review and picked up a much-anticipated sequel. Woo-hoo! All links go to Goodreads.com.

For review:

Jealousy (A Strange Angels Novel) - Lili St. Crow

I haven't read any of this series before, but I've heard intriguing things about it. I was also super excited to see a quote from Jenny at Wondrous Reads on the front page. Coolness! Thanks to Quercus for this one.

My Rocky Romance Diary - Liz Rettig

This looks so much fun! I already know I'm going to start reading it on my Monday morning commute, to cheer me up after the sad demise of the weekend. Thank you Random House.

Bought:

Linger - Maggie Stiefvater

I really enjoyed Shiver last year, and I've been looking forward to this one ever since. I have to confess I kind of prefer the US cover, so I might pick myself up a copy of that one too.

In other news, my contest to win a UK ARC of A Most Improper Magick by Stephanie Burgis is open until the 27th July 2010. Don't forget to stop by here and enter.

Review: The Chosen One - Carol Lynch Williams

Thirteen year old Kyra is one of The Chosen Ones. She has three mothers and countless siblings, is forbidden from leaving the compound where they live, and is secretly in love with her classmate Joshua... and books.

But Kyra isn't allowed to love Joshua, and she definitely isn't allowed to sneak out to the mobile library beyond the chain link fence. When Prophet Childs announces that Kyra is to be the seventh wife of her own uncle, her fragile happiness is shattered. God's will or not, she can't bring herself to do it.

I wasn't sure that Carol Lynch Williams' The Chosen One, the story of a girl raised in a polygamous cult, was going to be a hit with me. I'll be honest with you: after reading the cover blurb, I thought this would be an educational read... but not one I'd be swept away by.

More honesty: I was completely wrong. I connected instantly with Kyra, the secret reader at the heart of this powerful tale, and a week later her story is still floating around at the edges of my consciousness. In Kyra, Carol Lynch Williams has created a character who commands the reader's attention by not sensationalizing her story. Unworldly and uncalculating, her voice draws its power from the fact that we see how terrifying her life is even before she does. She's a character who will appeal to all those voracious readers out there, because she reminds us that reading is a freedom and we should cherish it. At the same time, she cuts an endearingly quaint figure - blanching at the sight of what passes for clothing in on her one chaperoned trip into to town, marvelling at the taste of restaurant food, daydreaming to herself about how cute her classmate looks in his blue jeans. There's a certain beautiful symmetry to the way that books from the outside world give Kyra a means of escape, and her story gives the reader an insight into a very insular way of life. We're looking in at her peering out, and that's part of what makes her story so poignant.

While The Chosen One is impossible to put down, it's not always an easy book to read. Kyra is thirteen, and as you'd expect the idea of marrying her own uncle is something that both repulses and terrifies her. There are shades of grey in Carol Lynch Williams' depiction of polygamy, and Kyra's own extended family has its strengths - but this is a book that draws a clear line between religion and exploitation. Since the leaders of her cult sanction forced marriage as God's will, Kyra's reluctance is met first with disapproval and then with violence that escalates as the wedding day nears and her rebellion becomes more and more urgent. It's intense reading, by turns heartbreaking and nerve-wracking and uncomfortable. The romance with fellow teen Joshua is sweetly written, but this is very much the tale of Kyra's fight for freedom rather than a great love story.

I expected The Chosen One to be moving and thoughtful, and it is - but it's also fast-paced and gripping. At under 250 pages, it's a book full of feeling: anger, desperation, and finally hope. It surprised me. I'd urge everyone who believes in the power of storytelling to read this one.

Out: August 5th 2010, UK

A huge thanks to Simon and Schuster UK for sending a copy of this book for review.

Waiting On Wednesday (38)

Waiting On Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine. It's where we share those titles that are so firmly on our wishlist that we just need to talk about them to anyone who'll listen. Like you, for instance.

This week I'm waiting on....

Steel by Carrie Vaughn

Summary from Goodreads.com: When Jill, a competitive high school fencer, goes with her family on vacation to the Bahamas, she is magically transported to an early eighteenth century pirate ship in the middle of the ocean.

Okay, so that summary doesn't tell me all that much, but what it does tell me is seriously intriguing. Time travel, pirates and a female lead character who plays competitive sports? I'm sold.

The internets tell me that Carrie Vaughn has written a lot of books before, although mainly for the grown up market. Which means I don't get to do my debut novel dance*, but I do get to look forward to a book from an author who has already been on the bestseller list. Swings and roundabouts, people.

This one's set to hit the US on March 15th 2011. No news on a UK publication yet, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

* Which is cooler than it sounds.**
** Except for not.

ARC giveaway: A Most Improper Magick by Stephanie Burgis

Recently, I read and adored A Most Improper Magick, a super fun fantasy adventure from debut author Stephanie Burgis. Haven't read my review yet? Go. Read it. Here!

Back? Good. Because thanks to Stephanie and Templar Publishing, I have one lightly used UK proof copy of A Most Improper Magick to give away to one lucky entrant. The very same proof copy, in fact, that I (and a few other bloggers) have read in anticipation of this book's UK release on August 1st 2010.

Want to be in with a chance of winning? Of course you do. And it's easy peasy to enter - just fill out the form linked to below. But first please read my privacy policy and check out the contest rules:

• Contest is open internationally.
• There will be one winner, chosen at random.
• Entrants must be aged 13 or over.
• Entrants aged under 16 must have permission from their parent or guardian, and must provide an email address for their parent or guardian - not their own!
• Multiple entries will be disqualified.
• Contest closes at midnight GMT on the 27th July 2010.
• Winner will be chosen, announced and contacted by email on the 28th or 29th July 2010. If no response is received after 48 hours an alternative winner will be chosen.
• Details provided will not be used for any other purpose, and I will delete all entry information once the winner has been picked and the prize sent out.

This giveaway is now closed.

Review: A Most Improper Magick (The Unladylike Adventures of Kat Stephenson) - Stephanie Burgis

Regency England. As historical settings go, it's one of the most romantic. Young ladies in long dresses, swooning at the sight of eligible bachelors. Nice manners, fluttering fans, and an emphasis on respectability at all times.

Unless, of course, you're Kat Stephenson. Twelve years old, and determined to rescue your family from ruin not by making a prudent marriage, but by hacking off your hair, dressing as a boy, and running away to London to make your fortune. And, when hauled back again, by facing off against notorious highwaymen and evil lords and wicked stepmothers... with a little help from the magic powers you never knew you had.

Lookout Regency England: Kat Stephenson has landed. We may be in Jane Austen territory, but my guess is that Mr Darcy and co wouldn't last five minutes with the unladylike heroine of A Most Improper Magick. In the midst of polite Regency society, Kat Stephenson is a character who swims against the tide of social-climbing stepmothers, villainous lords and very proper older sisters in empire line dresses. Where the Bennett sisters would swoon, she swaggers. She's easy to relate to: as the youngest of four, she's forever bossed around and treated like a nuisance by the older siblings who foolishly fail to recognise how quite formidable their kid sister really is. She's boisterous, independent and doesn't care for etiquette. And if all that isn't enough to tell you that she's the kind of character who'll turn this polite society upside down, she's also MAGIC. What could be better than that?

Because the most intriguing thing about A Most Improper Magick has to be its take on the supernatural world. There's your regular witchcraft, of course: love spells and enchantments and more sinister dark varieties. And then there's the power of the Guardians: a potent inherited magic possessed by those who belong to the secret Order that Kat stumbles across when her late mother's golden mirror transports her to another dimension. As this is the first book in a series, we're shown just enough of this world to pique our interest, as Kat has her first taste of magic, sorts out her sisters' love lives and makes her own mind up about the mysterious Order of Guardians. It's clear there'll be much to discover in the next instalment, and I can't help wondering whether Kat's family - particularly witchcraft-practising middle-sister Angeline - will be the cause of her troubles next time around.

Amidst all the magic and matchmaking, A Most Improper Magick gives us a proper page-turning adventure story. Kat fearlessly encounters shady aristocratic villains, sneaks around the gothic Grantham Abbey and even throws herself in the path of highwaymen - and all with a cheeky wit and resourcefulness that makes her exactly the kind of heroine a reader can't help rooting for. It's a story that shows a different side to the refined Regency world you read about in other books or see on TV: an unladylike side that's more fun than I ever could have expected to find there.

A Most Improper Magick is a treat of a book. Packed with magic, mischief and peril, it's a good old fashioned yarn with a 21st century style heroine. I'd recommend it to tweens or younger teens looking for a wicked supernatural adventure with added girl power.

Out: 1st August 2010, UK / April 2011, US

Thank you to Stephanie Burgis and Templar Publishing for providing a review copy of this book.

In My Mailbox (49)

In My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren.

This week, I was lucky enough to be invited to a bloggers' brunch at Random House. I'll try to get a full report written up later in the week, but in the meantime I should point out that this week's 'mailbox' was significantly boosted by shameless bookshelf plundering the generosity of the publicity team.


All links go to Goodreads.com.

From the Random House event:
Tender Morsels - Margo Lanagan
I've heard a ton of good things about this one, and several people have assured me I'll love it.

The Toymaker - Jeremy De Quidt
This looks creepy. I like creepy. Win.

Dark Touch: The Hunt - Amy Meredith
I really liked Shadows, the first book in this series (review here), so I've been really looking forward to this.

Hear The Dead Cry - Charlie Price
I've now realised this is the UK version of a US book I already own but haven't read (Dead Connection). I actually think the cover for this one is way prettier.

Noah Barleywater Runs Away - John Boyne
The new novel from the author of The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas. It sounds whimsical and lovely and I'm really excited to read it.

The Runaway Troll - Matt Haig
This looks really fun. Definitely one to read between two 'heavier' books.

Bloodlust and Initiation (Vampire Beach) - Alex Duval
Vampires and the beach? Two of my favourite things. I'll be interested to see how they mix.

If I Stay - Gayle Forman
I've been meaning to read this one forever. I began to read it on the train home and it's fascinating so far.

Bartimaeus: The Ring of Solomon - Jonathan Stroud
This is part of a series I haven't read, but apparently it's a prequel, so I should be able to catch up right away. It has FOOTNOTES. I love that in a book.

A huge thank you to Random House for all these, and for the fantastic event.

For review:
Troy High - Shana Norris
Greek mythology in a contemporary high school setting. I'm really excited about this one! Thanks to Abrams for this one.

Bought:
Paper Towns - John Green
I adored Looking For Alaska when I read it around two years ago, so I think it's about time I read some more John Green.

Okay, so I now have enough books to keep me busy for the rest of the summer. Off to read, I think...

Review: Star Crossed (Sweet Hearts) - Jo Cotterill

Sweet Hearts is a new series from Brit author Jo Cotterill for tween readers, full of romance and cute boys and general girliness. The first book, Star Crossed, is set over the course of the summer holidays, as a group of teens prepare for an open air production of Romeo and Juliet. When shy Fliss is cast as Juliet, she's thrilled - and not least because her crush Tom is playing the part of Romeo. But show-off Samantha isn't impressed. She wanted that part - and Tom - for herself. So she sets about making rehearsals miserable for the leading lady, and getting her claws into the boy of Fliss's dreams. What Fliss needs is a backbone - and fast!

Romance is the order of the day in Star Crossed, helped along by a production of the most famous love story of all time: Romeo and Juliet. And while R and J are falling in love on stage, 21st century teens Tom and Fliss are connecting too. As Juliet, Fliss can be more confident than she is in real life, and the gorgeous Tom obviously sees something special in her. It's sweet reading as they speak the lines of their characters and share a first kiss... but poor Fliss can't bring herself to speak what's in her heart, and it starts to look as though self-centred Samantha might have stolen him away for good. The reader will never really doubt that a happy ending is in store, but it's fun getting there.

Of course, Star Crossed isn't just about love. There's friendship too, as Fliss turns to her BBFs Mari and Victoria for support. Her mum is seriously negative about acting as a career choice, and Fliss is starting to wonder if she might be right. And with Samantha going all out to ruin things for her, she needs her friends more than ever. Because if Mari and Victoria have anything to say about it - and they do - there's no way Fliss will give up on her dreams or let a mean girl like Samantha get the guy. There's some really positive messages in here, and I'm sure a lot of readers will relate to how unsure of herself Fliss feels at times.

The first book in a teen series is usually all about introductions, but strangely in Star Crossed I didn't get a sense of who the main players will be in future Sweet Hearts books. The obvious guess is that they'll include Fliss, Mari and Victoria, but I'm not sure whether we can expect the secondary characters from this one to share the focus. I'm definitely hoping the manipulative Samantha and the hilarious Mari make a reappearance in later instalments.

Star Crossed is a light-hearted and gentle start to the Sweet Hearts series. The Romeo and Juliet scenes are a lovely touch, and I'm pretty sure that readers who haven't seen or read the classic play will be intrigued once they've seen it brought to life by Tom and Fliss. I'd recommend this one to tweens looking for a series with sweet romance, strong friendships and a little bit of drama.

Out: May 27th 2010, UK

Thank you to Random House / Red Fox for providing a review copy of this book.

Waiting On Wednesday (37)

Waiting On Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine.

Right now I'm waiting on...

Girl Parts by John M. Cusick

Summary from publisher's website: David and Charlie are opposites. David has a million friends, online and off. Charlie is a soulful outsider, off the grid completely. But neither feels close to anybody. When David’s parents present him with a hot Companion bot designed to encourage healthy bonds and treat his "dissociative disorder," he can’t get enough of luscious redheaded Rose --and he can’t get it soon. Companions come with strict intimacy protocols, and whenever he tries anything, David gets an electric shock. Parted from the boy she was built to love, Rose turns to Charlie, who finds he can open up, knowing Rose isn’t real. With Charlie’s help, the ideal "companion" is about to become her own best friend.

So, there are ROBOTS. Or, at least, one robot. That fact in itself is enough to assure me that this book is worth checking out. That and the coolness that is its website, right here.

This sounds fun, a little bit thoughtful, and did I mention there are ROBOTS?

Girl Parts hits the US on August 10th 2010. Bring. It. On.

Time Travel Tuesday guest post: Sya of The Moutains of Instead on Jenny Nimmo's The Snow Spider

This Tuesday, I’m thrilled to present a guest post from one of my absolute favourite bloggers, Sya of The Mountains of Instead. She’s only been posting since April, but her blog is already a must-read for insightful reviews and general book love.

Take it away, Sya…

*********************************************************

When Lauren asked me to write a guest post for Time Travel Tuesday, about half a dozen books flashed through my head. The Little Vampire (I loved it); The Secret World of Polly Flint (which was the first book that I ever re-read immediately on finishing it); and A Dream of Sadler's Wells (Sebastian, Sebastian, Sebastian) but in actuality, there was only ever one real contender which was The Snow Spider by Jenny Nimmo. This book will forever be close to my heart not just because of its magical, moving story and memorable characters, but also because it was the first book that I ever bought all by myself and you will have to bear with me, because the memory of buying it is integral to my love of the story itself...

I was 8 years old and my father had taken me with him to work for the day. This would probably have been terribly dull, except that on this hot summers day he had to go from our home on the Isle of Lewis to Portree on the Isle of Skye and I was to go with him – away from my younger brothers, just me – on my own with Daddy. It was a big thing. It became even bigger when I was allowed to sit up front, albeit on a booster seat. I was wearing my best dress at the time, which was sky-blue linen, drop waisted (this was the Eighties, remember) and just the prettiest thing I had ever seen.

On arriving in Portree, we parked overlooking the harbour and my dad headed off to his meeting, leaving me me a whole £2.50 to amuse myself with in the local shops. I had never had this much money to myself and remember feeling quite boggled at the idea that I could choose what to buy. I wandered down the main street and into one of those wonderful shops that you don't seem to see anymore. It sold newspapers, fishing rods, sun cream, iced lollies, t-shirts and books. I was already a great book lover but was pretty sure that I didn't have enough money to buy a book. Obviously, I still found myself standing in front of the books and there it was: the most beautiful book I had ever seen – I remember actually stroking the cover because it was so pretty. And not only that, but it sounded amazing... and it was only £1.95! I hurriedly took both an orange iced lolly and my precious find to the cashier and rushed back to settle myself in the car, where I started on a book that remains a favourite to this day.

Gwyn Griffith is a magician. On his ninth birthday his Nain (Grandmother) informs him that he has magic ancestry in the forms of Welsh figures of lore, Gwydion, Math and Milfaethwy and bestows on him several strange gifts, urging him to cast them to the wind and claim his magical inheritance. The gifts include a piece of seaweed, a twisted brooch, a small and sinister wooden horse and a yellow scarf that once belonged to his older sister - a sister who went missing on the mountain above their farm four years previously. From this mysterious start spins a story of a tiny silver spider who can weave stories into her webs; glorious flying ships soaring over the Welsh hills; barely glimpsed cities of ice and singing and the mysterious Eirlys, a girl who bears more than a passing resemblance to Gwyn's missing sister.

The characters are impressively written and fleshed out, considering that this book is aimed at 9-12 year olds. Gwyn himself is a serious and thoughtful boy, one who would make a winning older protagonist in any YA offering. He is oddly charismatic, yet quiet and caring, desperately holding his own in a household crumbling under the weight of a missing child. Nain is a wonderful creation – a whirlwind of red velvet, chiming bracelets and wild black curls who often seems quite mad yet bright as a bird as she cannily pushes Gwyn towards his destiny.

However, the real heart of this story is the relationship between Gwyn and his father – a man bowed and embittered in his grief, who has forgotten what he still has in the face of what he has lost. Even as a child I remember being completely aware that Mr. Griffith desperately needed the presence of Eirlys just long enough for him to actually see Gwyn again, rather than his son only highlighting the absence of his daughter. The climax of the story occurs during a ferocious storm and is nothing less than thrilling. It is all beautifully written. I read The Snow Spider repeatedly as a child and was surprised to find, when I picked it up once more to prepare for this post, how little it has dated. It is gratifying to find a novel for children that is written with adult sensibilities. The themes of loss and grief are subtle, but not brushed over – indeed, they inform the whole story and turn what could have been just a fairytale into a story with real depth and meaning. As a child I found The Snow Spider magical, as an adult I find it life-affirming.

So there we have it, I am so glad to have had reason to revisit this lovely story and the memories that come with it – and those memories are inescapable. Each time I read it I can almost taste the sticky sweetness of that iced-lolly, hear the sounds of gulls and the sea and feel blue linen sticking to my back in the heat of a beautiful summer's day. Best of all, I can remember my father's still young face smiling as he returned to find me curled up with a book. To have all these memories and this fantastic story in my possession...I am lucky indeed. Read it if you get a chance, and then pass it on to the nearest 10 year old – you won't regret it.

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Thank you Sya, for sharing those memories of a much-loved favourite book and questionable eighties clothing.

If anyone hasn’t already stopped by The Mountains of Instead yet, go right ahead and click here to visit. Go!

Review: Dreaming of Amelia - Jaclyn Moriarty

When scholarship students Riley and Amelia arrive at Ashbury High, they stir things up. Even the Ashbury teaching staff are preoccupied with the talented pair, and the other students vy for their new schoolmates' elusive attention. Because there's something about Riley and Amelia...

They're in love. They're gifted. And they might even be dangerous. Nobody knows exactly who they are or where they've come from, but one thing is for sure: everybody wants to find out.

Told through the eyes of the students and staff at Aussie private school Ashbury High, Dreaming of Amelia is as baffling as it is wonderful. The story of the school's obsession with new students Riley and Amelia, the vast majority of its sources are written for an audience. HSC essays on gothic fiction, written for an examiner's eyes; blog entries, composed in English class; the minutes of the committee responsible for granting scholarships to two underprivileged students. These narrators are all telling a story to someone else, quite separately, for their own ends. The reader doesn't know who to trust, who is telling the truth or when, or how much of this fiction is further fictionalised by the characters. Confusing it may be, but it's a beautiful confusion: playful, and mocking, and wistful. And quite irresistible.

You might think it'd be hard to get to know characters whose reliability you can't entirely trust, but in a strange sort of way that isn't the case with this crowd. You get to know them through their own eyes and through the eyes of each other, creating this slightly blurry possibility of who each character is... from which you come up with your own interpretation. Like most of the characters, the reader's focus is on scholarship students Riley and Amelia for much of the time. It's unclear how much their air of gothic mystery is down to the nature of the narrators' HSC assignment, but nonetheless they're a compelling and unusual pair. Then there's fellow students Emily and Lydia; the first exuberant and talkative, the second wry and fiercely intelligent. Their schoolmate Toby is more interested in the life of Tom Kincaid, a convict transported from Ireland to Australia for sheep stealing in the 19th century.

Clocking in at nearly 600 pages, Dreaming of Amelia requires a little bit of commitment from those of us with rather average attention spans. With the significance of the various different story threads initially unclear, it's forgiveable to wonder where Moriarty is going with them all. I can't tell you that, but I will say that readers who find themselves flagging in the middle (which is sizeable) should heed my promise: read on, and you'll be amply rewarded. The last 100 pages of this novel are so mind-blowingly perfect that reading them in context is an experience not to be missed. It's a glorious feat of imagination, insight and comic timing. No minor plot point is left unresolved; no puzzlingly random detail is left unexplained. It all comes together in a satisfying, air-punching conclusion that speaks to our assumptions about truth, history, judgement and second chances.

Dreaming of Amelia is a smart, witty and massively ambitious offering from Jaclyn Moriarty. I'd recommend it to readers looking for a story that's utterly different, because that's what it is. It's got a little bit of a swagger, and who can blame it? This book is a one of a kind.

Out: April 2nd 2010, UK / June 1st 2010, US (as The Ghosts of Ashbury High)

A massive thank you to Becky at The Bookette for gifting me her copy of this remarkable book.

In My Mailbox (48)

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.

Okay, so just between us, this is half my mailbox. But I don't have the other books to hand to take a photo, and for some reason I hate doing that 'also received but not pictured' thing. It's... sad. So I'll picture them (and include them) next week. In the meantime, let Half of What's In My Mailbox commence.

All links go to Goodreads.com.

For review:

Timeriders: Day of The Predator - Alex Scarrow

I'm extremely intrigued by this one, because it has TIME TRAVEL which I love. It's the second in a series but I'm pretty confident I can catch up. Thanks to Puffin for this one.

Gift:

Feeling Sorry For Celia - Jaclyn Moriarty

I just read Dreaming of Amelia by this author. It's mystifying and brilliant, and that's pretty much what I'll say in my review when I do one. In the meantime I've got this to look forward to, thanks to that magic that happens when a less hardcore reader can't find a third book in the 3 for 2 section. (I'm benefitting a lot from that lately.)

Bought:

Empress of the World - Sara Ryan

This is a book that's been out for a few years now, but I read the first few pages at an online bookstore and got hooked. It'll fit in with my GLBT challenge too.

So people, what did you get in your mailbox this week?

Review: The Summer I Turned Pretty - Jenny Han

There's something irresistible about summer books in the summertime; about reading a story that's set on the beach while you're actually basking in the afternoon sun. So with a sunny day mine for the taking, I picked up Jenny Han's The Summer I Turned Pretty - a book that seems to have enchanted nearly ever reader I know.

Fifteen year old Isabel - a.k.a. Belly, unfortunately - has spent every summer of her life at Cousins Beach with her mother and big brother Steven at the beach house of the Fisher family: her mom's best friend Susannah and her sons Conrad and Jeremiah. Despite her adoration for the Fisher boys, Belly has always been a little bit left out as the only girl, but those moments when she's connected with them have been treasured highlights. Her summers there are everything to her. She's always loved seemingly out-of-her-league Conrad, the oldest of the two brothers, although she did share her first kiss with the younger and more amiable Jeremiah. This year, with her sixteenth birthday looming, she has a third love interest in the form of endearingly geeky Cam. Over the course of the story, the reader is kept guessing about which boy - if any - she'll end up with at the close of the summer.

Although this may sound like your average summer romance, it soon becomes clear that this is a story with substance. As Belly gets her first taste of what it's like for the boys to notice her - not just any boys, but these boys, the ones she's always wanted - the tension rises around her, but maybe not for the reasons she thinks. And though this is a book about one girl's flirtation with three boys in the course of one summer, it's all in the spirit of discovery and genuine connection. It's a journey. Belly has always felt that she's just waiting for summer to arrive, but if this is the last of the summers these people will share at Cousins Beach like this, what comes next? Who will she be?

The Summer I Turned Pretty is written with a sense of memory so strong that you can almost taste it; so tangible that all the summers before seem to echo in this place, this summer. Narrator Belly speaks with a laidback but intimate voice that at times tells the reader rather more than she is noticing herself, as she switches between the present and events of previous summers spent at an idyllic beach house with everyone who matters most to her. Belly's awareness that this one is likely to be the last that all of them spend there lends the tale a nostalgic flavour, even as events unfold in the here and now, that heightens every emotion. It's a tale of heart-bursting joy, the bittersweetness of first love, and the heavy weight of an approaching loss.

I picked up The Summer I Turned Pretty expecting a sweet romance I could lose myself in for an afternoon, reading outside in the sunshine. I got that and so much more; a poignant coming-of-age story that speaks eloquently and honestly of everything you find and lose in growing up. I recommend it wholeheartedly. I got a new favourite book. Maybe you will too.

Out: now, UK and US.

Review: Fortune - Megan Cole

Fortune is something of a first in the world of YA. Described by publisher HarperCollins as a 'snogbuster', it's a teenage take on the glossy and glamorous romances of popular fiction.

The basic premise of Fortune is deceptively simple: three very different girls receive out-of-the-blue invitations to the 50th birthday party of music mogul Brad Masters. They each fly out to his mansion, only to find out that the man himself isn't even there yet. Forced to hang out by themselves, it's pretty clear that these three have nothing in common... except maybe a mutual dislike. But when Brad Masters does show up, he springs the biggest surprise of all - the secret truth about their link to him, and each other. Hint: it's a real humdinger.

What ensues is a fabulously soapy tale as the three girls compete - to varying degrees - for a slice of Brad's vast fortune. Our heroine is Sapphire Stevens, a good-hearted Londoner who dreams of making it as a singer-songwriter one day. She's joined by scheming American princess Madison and ice-queen Italian model Simonetta. While the characters aren't anything out of the ordinary, they're all well-drawn and colourful. It's impossible not to empathise with Sapphire as she finds herself the target of the other girls' backstabbing, and two-faced Madison in particular is the type of character who's bound to make readers' blood boil. Then there's the love interests: Sapphire has two, and they're both of the tall, dark and handsome variety. We're left guessing which one's for real, as poor Sapphire crashes from one disaster to the next at the hands of her scheming adversaries. And while it's not exactly hard to figure out where the storyline is going or who to trust, it's all wicked good fun.

What Fortune does best is escapism. From the moment that Sapphire, Madison and Simonetta arrive at Brad Masters's stunning Capri mansion, readers are whisked away with them to a world of crystal clear waters, private jets, designer clothes and vintage champagne. It's the perfect beach read; glitzy, indulgent, and with a plot just twisty enough to keep those pages turning without overtaxing a chilled-out mind. Quite honestly, I was suprised by how quickly the storyline hooked me (we're talking instantly) and how much I enjoyed it. It's every bit as glamorous as the title suggests, and if there's a sequel in the works - count me in! Definitely one to pack in your suitcase this summer.

Out: 8th July 2010, UK

Thank you to HarperCollins for providing a review copy of this book.

Review: Extras - Scott Westerfeld

Fifteen year old Aya Fuse is ordinary. Like Tally Youngblood at the beginning of Uglies, she craves transformation and a life more glamorous than her mundane existence in the dorms.

But Aya's world is quite a different one from that which we explored in the Uglies trilogy. Since Extras takes place a few years after the events at the end of Specials, what we get this time round is a world quite distinct from the one we explored in previous instalments, but that definitely has its roots in the society that Tally grew up in. Aya's world is run on the 'reputation economy': aside from those who do essential jobs, citizens purchase material goods with credits directly linked to their 'face ranking' or popularity. This means that most people will do anything to stand out, making Aya's city - which seems to be located in a far-future version of Asia - a vibrant and diverse one that will also resonate with readers in today's celebrity-obsessed, online-networking savvy culture.

Fans of the Uglies trilogy will no doubt be pleased to hear that Extras also gives us plenty in the way of mind-blowing futuristic technology. Hoverboards make a reappearance, and Aya has both an eyescreen (with which to check her face ranking and pick up messages) and a personal hovercam (to pick up any hot stories to post on her feed) that's been modded to the point that it almost seems like a character in itself. As ever, Westerfeld combines mind-boggling sci-fi world-building with characters who are dealing with similar pressures to many of today's teenagers.

Like Tally before her, wannabe Aya has a lesson to learn in this futuristic world. When she gets wind of the 'Sly Girls', a clique who perform dangerous tricks, she thinks it sounds exactly like the kind of story she can 'kick' on her feed to increase her face ranking. But after lying to the publicity-phobic clique about her true intentions, Aya stumbles across a far bigger mystery that might just put the whole of her city at risk. And so begins a tale packed with head-spinning high-speed chases, tricky hoverboard stunts and pure adrenalin. There's even an appearance from Tally and Shay, back to save the world again in spectacular style.

Extras is a gripping addition to the Uglies trilogy, with a brand new main character worthy of Tally Youngblood's legacy. It's proof that although you can sometimes have too much of a good thing, if it's a really good thing you can always make room for a little more. In my opinion, it's the strongest in the series since Uglies itself: a smart, breathtakingly-paced page-turner of a novel that gives us food for thought about the way online networking is changing our lives. Awesome.

Out: now.

Many thanks to Simon and Schuster UK for providing a review copy of the gorgeous restyled Extras paperback.

Time Travel Tuesday: guest author Lauren Kate on The Great Gatsby

Today I'm hugely excited to present a special guest Time Travel Tuesday from Lauren Kate, author of Fallen and the much anticipated Torment.

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I read The Great Gatsby for the first time when I was a junior in high school. It was one of those rare and inexplicable experiences when you feel like a book shakes you awake. Before then, I’d done well in my English Lit classes, but I’d never really cared too much about the things we read beyond getting an okay grade on the test.

Gatsby was different.

Maybe there was a perfect storm brewing that caused this book to have such an impact on me. I was just starting to write short stories of my own, taking my very first creative writing class, and I’d recently joined the editorial board of my school’s literary magazine. I was thinking about college, which meant thinking about what I wanted to do with myself in Real Life, which meant thinking about What Do I Love. When I cracked open The Great Gatsby for the first time, it spoke to me in a way that no book had since my dad read me Roald Dahl’s novels at bedtime when I was a kid.

I fell in love with the way Fitzgerald’s words seemed to dance across the page, how lyrical and marvelous he made every little thing sound. And of course, I fell in love with Daisy. I thought she was irresistible and maybe a little bit tragic, but wholly worthy of all the affection she drew from the men in the book. I wished I were as charming as she so effortlessly was. The first time I read the book—at least, in my memory of the first time—I really never saw the raw bits of the story beneath its glossy sheen. I’d never been to New York City, and had definitely never been to the Hamptons. I never met anyone like these characters. I’d never been in love myself to see its occasionally unpretty side.

I’ve read the book at least six times since then and one of the things I love most about it is that every time I read it, I take away something completely different. I remember reading it in college, once I had left home, and had visited New York, and had been exposed many people from who reminded me of Daisy or Nick. At that time, I remember being very interested in the way Fitzgerald depicted varying shades of morality. I remember feeling weighed down by how absolutely doomed each of the characters were from the beginning of the book. And stunned that I hadn’t noticed that in my first reading.

Most recently, I read Gatsby when I was on the other side of the desk, teaching it to a group of college students. This time (I was in the midst of writing the first draft of Fallen), I had to marvel at the mastery of Fitzgerald’s plotting, especially during the climactic car accident scene. If you haven’t read it (stop reading this and go read it!), I won’t give any spoilers—but the way he pieces together so many elements of the book to pit them all against each other in just a few very intense pages…it left me in new awe of his talents.

What never changes when I read Fitzgerald is my admiration for his turns of phrase. His writing style is elegant and assured, funny and wrenching at the same time. It’s interesting to see how my readings of the book have shifted from romantic (when I myself yearned for romance), to morally critical (what I was looking for an explanation about why people are the way they are), to craft-obsessed (now that I’m reading like a writer). It makes me want to read the book every five years or so, as a sort of barometer for where I am in life. That this book can be so many things to me (and to almost everyone who reads it) is truly the mark of a classic.

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Thank you Lauren, for such a personal and fascinating post.

Torment hits the UK on September 30th 2010.

Can't wait? You can find out more about the Fallen series at the official UK website right here.

You can also check out the Fallen book trailer, the US trailer for Torment, and these two vids about the series from Lauren Kate herself here and right here.

Review: Dark Goddess - Sarwat Chadda

With the wounds of her last battle barely healed, fifteen-year-old Templar Billi SanGreal is back. In Dark Goddess, Sarwat Chadda picks up the story of the schoolgirl knight we first met in Devil's Kiss, and gives her an even more formidable foe to fight. It's goodbye London and hello Russia as Billi and co head off to rescue a gifted young girl from legendary witch Baba Yaga, who plans to wreak a terrifying destruction on mankind.

Having struggled with her calling in Devil's Kiss, the Billi we meet in Dark Goddess is stronger, more determined, and much more accepting of her Templar duty. She's quick-witted, tenacious and one hundred percent fierce. Thanks to a too-close encounter with an Unholy, Billi finds herself struggling with the darkness within, and she still wrestles with some of the more horrifying things that she's called upon to do. There's also a whisper of (thankfully slush-free) romance, as the mysterious Ivan enters the picture and instantly sets sparks flying with our butt-kicking leading lady.

One of the things that defined Devil's Kiss was its London setting: the sense of a whole secret world of Templars and Unholy hiding just beneath the surface of such a familiar city. This time around, Chadda gives a new location the same treatment. It's a story that takes us from the cold streets of Moscow to vast ancient forests to the concrete ruins of Chernobyl; a story that introduces us to Russian folklore, to a surviving Romanov heir, and to a tribe of werewolves that are more than a match for Billi SanGreal. All of these very different threads are woven seamlessly together into an enthralling tale full of action, intrigue and breathtaking battle scenes. I read this one in a blissful page-turning frenzy.

As with Devil's Kiss, this is a book that'll make you think. As Baba Yaga's plan to destroy mankind begins to take shape, it becomes clear that she has her reasons, and perhaps they do justify wiping us all off the face of the Earth. After all, can anyone honestly deny that human beings harm the Earth every single day? And while it's Billi's duty to protect human life at all cost, Dark Goddess illustrates that as a species we pose a threat of our own. Even in the eternal battle of good versus evil, Chadda illustrates that there are always shades of grey.

Dark Goddess is an exciting and captivating instalment in the story of Billi SanGreal and the Templars. Although I suppose it could be read as a standalone, I can't think of a single reason why anyone would want to give Devil's Kiss a miss. My advice is to read them both.

You can read my review of Devil's Kiss here.

Out: July 1st 2010, UK / January 25th 2011, US

A huge thank you to Puffin for sending a review copy of this book.

In My Mailbox (47)

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.

This week was so darn good for books. And the best part? I have a week off now. If the weather holds out, I'll basically be reading on the beach for the next seven days. Woo-hoo!

All links go to Goodreads.com.

For review:

Halo - Alexandra Adornetto

The cover blurb on this one says that the author is seventeen. I find that utterly amazing. I also love angels. So far this is adding up to win, and I haven't even started it yet. Thanks to Feiwel and Friends for this one.

On loan:

Matched - Ally Condie

Can we say 'squeal'? I believe we can. My awesome blogger friend Carla from The Crooked Shelf decided I could borrow her copy of this one before she'd even read it. It's way up on my most-wanted list, and I'll be diving straight into it today. Excited? Yuh-HUH! If I were a superhero, my name would be Super Excited Girl. Thanks Carla. :D

Gift:

Handling the Undead - John Ajdive Lindqvist

I work away from home during the week, and get most of my books sent to my weekend address. So when I received a parcel from a certain online retailer to my weekday address, I was pretty puzzled. Until I opened it and saw it was Handling The Undead which I'd wanted for ages - a gift from my partner, with a sweet little note. Cute! Why say it with flowers when you can say it with zombies?

Bought:

Posse - Kate Welshman

I read a post over at Persnickety Snark this week about the top heroines in Aussie YA, and one of them was Amy, the MC from this book. I liked the sound of her, and I love Aussie YA, so I decided I needed this one.