In My Mailbox is a weekly meme brought to you by The Story Siren.
Hey everybody. Since this was Spring Break, I have been relaxing. Relaxing for me equals book shopping. Here is what I got this week.
Fair Game
By: Patricia Briggs
Bought from Amazon.com
Synopsis from goodreads.com:
They say opposites
attract. And in the case of werewolves Anna Latham and Charles Cornick,
they mate. The son-and enforcer-of the leader of the North American
werewolves, Charles is a dominant alpha. While Anna, an omega, has the
rare ability to calm others of her kind.
Now that the werewolves have revealed themselves to humans, they
can't afford any bad publicity. Infractions that could have been
overlooked in the past must now be punished, and the strain of doing his
father's dirty work is taking a toll on Charles.
Nevertheless, Charles and Anna are sent to Boston, when the FBI
requests the pack's help on a local serial killer case. They quickly
realize that not only the last two victims were werewolves-all of them
were. Someone is targeting their kind. And now Anna and Charles have put
themselves right in the killer's sights...
Homer's Odyssey
By: Gwen Cooper
Bought from this really cool book warehouse that we have once a year!
Synopsis from goodreads.com:
Once in nine lives, something extraordinary happens...
The
last thing Gwen Cooper wanted was another cat. She already had two, not
to mention a phenomenally underpaying job and a recently broken heart.
Then Gwen’s veterinarian called with a story about a three-week-old
eyeless kitten who’d been abandoned. It was love at first sight.
Everyone
warned that Homer would always be an "underachiever," never as playful
or independent as other cats. But the kitten nobody believed in quickly
grew into a three-pound dynamo, a tiny daredevil with a giant heart who
eagerly made friends with every human who crossed his path. Homer scaled
seven-foot bookcases with ease and leapt five feet into the air to
catch flies in mid-buzz. He survived being trapped alone for days after
9/11 in an apartment near the World Trade Center, and even saved Gwen’s
life when he chased off an intruder who broke into their home in the
middle of the night.
But it was Homer’s unswerving loyalty,
his infinite capacity for love, and his joy in the face of all obstacles
that inspired Gwen daily and transformed her life. And by the time she
met the man she would marry, she realized Homer had taught her the most
important lesson of all: Love isn’t something you see with your eyes.
Homer’s Odyssey
is the once-in-a-lifetime story of an extraordinary cat and his human
companion. It celebrates the refusal to accept limits—on love, ability,
or hope against overwhelming odds. By turns jubilant and moving, it’s a
memoir for anybody who’s ever fallen completely and helplessly in love
with a pet.
The Girls of Murder City: Fame, Lust, and the Beautiful Killers Who Inspired Chicago
By: Douglas Perry
Bought from that same awesome book warehouse!
Synopsis from goodreads.com:
The true story of the murderesses who became media sensations and inspired the musical Chicago
Chicago, 1924.
There was nothing surprising about men turning up dead in the Second
City. Life was cheaper than a quart of illicit gin in the gangland
capital of the world. But two murders that spring were special - worthy
of celebration. So believed Maurine Watkins, a wanna-be playwright and a
"girl reporter" for the Chicago Tribune, the city's "hanging
paper." Newspaperwomen were supposed to write about clubs, cooking and
clothes, but the intrepid Miss Watkins, a minister's daughter from a
small town, zeroed in on murderers instead. Looking for subjects to turn
into a play, she would make "Stylish Belva" Gaertner and "Beautiful
Beulah" Annan - both of whom had brazenly shot down their lovers - the
talk of the town. Love-struck men sent flowers to the jail and newly
emancipated women sent impassioned letters to the newspapers. Soon more
than a dozen women preened and strutted on "Murderesses' Row" as they
awaited trial, desperate for the same attention that was being lavished
on Maurine Watkins's favorites.
In the tradition of Erik Larson's The Devil in the White City and Karen Abbott's Sin in the Second City,
Douglas Perry vividly captures Jazz Age Chicago and the sensationalized
circus atmosphere that gave rise to the concept of the celebrity
criminal. Fueled by rich period detail and enlivened by a cast of
characters who seemed destined for the stage, The Girls of Murder City is crackling social history that simultaneously presents the freewheeling spirit of the age and its sober repercussions.
Out of the Blue
By: The Chicago Tribune
Bought from the book warehouse!
Synopsis from goodreads.com:
A chronicle of the Cubs
memorable 2003 season, from opening day through the regular season to
the Central Division Championship and the playoffs.
Graveminder
By: Melissa Marr
Checked out from the library
Synopsis from goodreads.com:
Rebekkah Barrow never
forgot the tender attention her grandmother, Maylene, bestowed upon the
dead of Claysville. While growing up, Rebekkah watched as Maylene
performed the same unusual ritual at every funeral: three sips from a
small silver flask followed by the words, "Sleep well, and stay where I
put you."
Now Maylene is gone and Bek must return to the hometown—and the
man—she abandoned a decade ago, only to discover that Maylene's death
was not natural . . . and there was good reason for her odd traditions.
In Claysville, the worlds of the living and the dead are dangerously
connected—and beneath the town lies a shadowy, lawless land ruled by the
enigmatic Charles, aka Mr. D. From this dark place the deceased will
return if their graves are not properly minded. And only the
Graveminder, a Barrow woman, and the current Undertaker, Byron, can set
things to right once the dead begin to walk.
Faery Tales & Nightmares
By: Melissa Marr
Checked out from the library
Synopsis from goodreads.com:
Faery Tales and Nightmares is a collection of short stories.
Current Table of Contents:
"Where Nightmares Walk"
"Winter's Kiss" (Fairy Tales)
"Transition" (Vampires)
"Love Struck" (Selchies)
"Stopping Time" (WL World)
"Old Habits" (WL World)
"The Art of Waiting"
"Flesh for Comfort"
"The Sleeping Girl and the Sumer King" (WL World-ish, the short story that started the series)
"Cotton Candy Skies" (WL World)
"Unexpected Family" (WL World)
"Merely Mortal" (WL World)
Illuminate
By: Aimee Agresti
Checked out from the library
Synopsis from goodreads.com:
Haven Terra is a brainy,
shy high school outcast. But everything begins to change when she turns
sixteen. Along with her best friend Dante and their quiet and brilliant
classmate Lance, she is awarded a prestigious internship in the big
city— Chicago—and is sent to live and work at a swanky and stylish hotel
under the watchful eyes of a group of gorgeous and shockingly
young-looking strangers: powerful and alluring hotel owner Aurelia
Brown; her second-in-command, the dashing Lucian Grove; and their
stunning but aloof staff of glamazons called The Outfit.
As Haven
begins falling for Lucian, she discovers that these beautiful people
are not quite what they seem. With the help of a mysterious book, she
uncovers a network of secret passageways from the hotel’s jazz-age past
that leads her to the heart of the evil agenda of Aurelia and company:
they’re in the business of buying souls. Will they succeed in
wooing Haven to join them in their recruitment efforts, or will she be
able to thwart this devilish set’s plans to take the souls of her
classmates on prom night at the hotel?
Illuminate is an
exciting saga of a teen’s first taste of independence, her experience in
the lap of luxury, and her discovery she may possess strength greater
than she ever knew.
Shadows
By: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Won from Word Spelunking!
Synopsis from goodreads.com:
The last thing Dawson
Black expected was Bethany Williams. As a Luxen, an alien life form on
Earth, human girls are…well, fun. But since the Luxen have to keep their
true identities a secret, falling for one would be insane. Dangerous.
Tempting. Undeniable.
Bethany can’t deny the immediate connection between her and Dawson.
And even though boys aren’t a complication she wants, she can’t stay
away from him. Still, whenever they lock eyes, she’s drawn in.
Captivated. Lured. Loved.
Dawson is keeping a secret that will change her existence...and put
her life in jeopardy. But even he can’t stop risking everything for one
human girl. Or from a fate that is as unavoidable as love itself.
Blue Bloods
By: Melissa De La Cruz
Purchased from McKay's Used Books
I already have this book on my Kindle, but since I love the series so much, I decided to start the collection on my bookshelf, too.
Synopsis from goodreads.com:
When the Mayflower set
sail in 1620, it carried on board the men and women who would shape
America: Miles Standish; John Alden; Constance Hopkins. But some among
the Pilgrims were not pure of heart; they were not escaping religious
persecution. Indeed, they were not even human. They were vampires.The
vampires assimilated quickly into the New World. Rising to levels of
enormous power, wealth, and influence, they were the celebrated blue
bloods of American society.
The Blue Bloods vowed that their immortal status would
remain a closely guarded secret. And they kept that secret for
centuries. But now, in New York City, the secret is seeping out.
Schuyler Van Alen is a sophomore at a prestigious private school. She
prefers baggy, vintage clothes instead of the Prada and pearls worn by
her classmates, and she lives with her reclusive grandmother in a
dilapated mansion. Schuyler is a loner...and happy that way. Suddenly,
when she turns fifteen, there is a visible mosaic of blue veins on her
arm. She starts to crave raw food and she is having flashbacks to
ancient times. Then a popular girl from her school is found dead...
drained of all her blood. Schuyler doesn't know what to think, but she
wants to find out the secrets the Blue Bloods are keeping. But is she
herself in danger?
Bloodlines
By: Richelle Mead
Purchased from McKay's Used Books
This is another one I have on my Kindle, but wanted to add to my bookshelf.
Synopsis from goodreads.com:
The first book in Richelle Mead's brand-new teen fiction series - set in the same world as Vampire Academy.
When alchemist Sydney is ordered into hiding to protect the life of
Moroi princess Jill Dragomir, the last place she expects to be sent is a
human private school in Palm Springs, California. But at their new
school, the drama is only just beginning.
Populated with new faces as well as familiar ones, Bloodlines
explores all the friendship, romance, battles and betrayals that made
the #1 New York Times bestselling Vampire Academy series so addictive -
this time in a part-vampire, part-human setting where the stakes are
even higher and everyone's out for blood.
Hush, Hush
By: Becca Fitzpatrick
Purchased at McKay's Used Books
This is yet another one that I have on my Kindle, but wanted to add to my bookshelf
Synopsis from goodreads.com:
For Nora Grey, romance
was not part of the plan. She's never been particularly attracted to the
boys at her school, no matter how much her best friend, Vee, pushes
them at her...until Patch comes along.
With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Nora is
drawn to him against her better judgment, but after a series of
terrifying encounters, Nora's not sure whom to trust. Patch seems to be
everywhere she is, and to know more about her than her closest friends.
She can't decide whether she should fall into his arms or run and hide.
And when she tries to seek some answers, she finds herself near a truth
that is far more unsettling than anything Patch makes her feel.
For Nora is right in the middle of an ancient battle between the
immortal and those that have fallen - and when it comes to choosing
sides, the wrong choice will cost her life.
Great selection of books you acquired this week!
ReplyDeleteMY IMM
http://pnrurbanfantasyreviews.blogspot.com/
great haul. hope you enjoy them all! I also have Shadows.
ReplyDeleteƸ̴Ӂ̴ƷFICBOOKREVIEWSƸ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ
Very jealous of Faery Tales and Nightmares! Homer's Odyssey looks like something I might need to add to my in-classroom library! Thanks for sharing! Enjoy your great books!
ReplyDeleteMelanie @ Reviews of YA Lit
http://reviewsofyalit.blogspot.com/2012/03/in-my-mailbox-20.html
Wow...I am so jealous of you rigt now! lol
ReplyDelete1st of all...I just found out about Homer this week and want to get that book!!
2nd...well...I have about 1/2 of your other books on my TBR!
Enjoy! Thanks for stopping by My IMM!
♥ Melissa @ Melissa's Eclectic Bookshelf
Great books this week! Hush Hush has an amazing cover, and it sounds so good! I really want to read it.
ReplyDeleteHere is my IMM.
Great books! I really want to read Melissa Marr's Fairytales and Nightmares - it looks awesome! I really liked the Blue Bloods book, though I'm so far behind in the series - I must catch up!
ReplyDeleteHappy reading!
Great books. I've heard great things about Paricia Briggs and I really want to read Graveminder.
ReplyDeleteHappy Reading!
My IMM
Wow! Awesome mailbox!!! It's great that you like Blue Bloods too ^_^ Graveminder seems like a chilling read, though I've never tried a Melissa Marr book before; do you like her books?
ReplyDeleteAlso, Bloodlines!! Waiting upon your opinions, I was a bit wary about that one, haha! Happy reading!!!
Vivian's IMM
Great books! I loved Hush, Hush. I hope you enjoy them all!
ReplyDeleteCeline ~ Nyx Book Reviews
My IMM
I love how you include info about the books! I have a copy of Illuminate I need to get to and anything by Melissa Marr is great. Enjoy your books! :)
ReplyDelete-Meredith
I heard a great review of Graveminder this weekend so hope you enjoy!
ReplyDeleteHere is my IMM
Happy Reading!
Lindsay @ Turning the Pages
Very nice shopping trip! I like the look of those Melissa Marr books!
ReplyDeleteHi there Amber, very nice layout of the books. And with summaries to boot! Thanks for taking the time to lay this out for us in a lovely fashion. Similar to the others, the Melissa Marr titles caught my eye. Graveminder sounds mighty interesting.
ReplyDeleteHere's mine over at GatheringBooks:
http://gatheringbooks.wordpress.com/2012/03/11/launch-of-girl-power-and-womens-wiles/
Quite of a few of these books are ones that I really want to read. I can't believe I have picked up Illuminate yet and The Girls of Murder City looks interesting.
ReplyDeleteFirst off I have to jump around about Bloodlines!! WOOT WOOT :D I'm such a huge VA fan and Bloodlines is amazing, can't wait to get to the rest of the series :D
ReplyDeleteI'm totally drooling over Graveminder and Faery tales :D Both sounds amazingtastic!
Homer's Odyssey it sounds so poignant and heartwarming and I already love cats <333
Illuminate already is on the WL along with Blue Bloods.
I haven't seen The Girls of Murder City looks fantastic! I haven't heard of that one before but I LOVED Devil in the White City, so if it's compared to that... *drools* :D
Have a great week and happy reading!
April @ My Shelf Confessions