The Return of In My Mailbox!

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren

Those of you who follow the blog will know that I’ve taken an IMM hiatus over the past few months whilst I was having computer problems. But now that I have a new laptop and it’s a new month I’m so excited to be bringing back to you In My Mailbox which you can now expect again regularly. I was going to do a huge catch up post with all of the book I received when I was away ( I got some really awesome ones) but it would literally be a monster post, pages and pages. And so instead I thought I’d just start a fresh with the books I got this week. You can also expect some possible IMM Vlogs in the future I just need to sort out the technicalities! But for now I bring to you this week’s books!

Tempest by Julie Cross (ARC copy out 5th January 2012 in UK)
This one sounds so good! It sounds a bit like a Time Traveller’s Wife for teens and the finished cover is gorgeous if you haven’t seen it yet click on the title and the link will take you to the books goodreads page where you’ll be able to see for yourself!
Crossed by Ally Condie
This one’s out in a couple of weeks and I feel so lucky to have a finished copy already! I loved Matched so I’m looking forward to seeing the story continue in Crossed.
Wonder by R.J Palacio (ARC copy out March 2012 in UK)
I think this proofs cover is really funky and to be honest I like it better than the finished copy! I actually finished this one last night and WOW. There are no words. This one is about a brave and wonderful boy named August who has a deformed face. Review for this amazing book will be coming soon!
Last Christmas by Julia Williams
Yay for Christmas books! I love chick-lit Christmas stories and this one sounds fab. The lovely Amanda at One More Page actually sent me this one for review as I will be taking part in her exciting Count Down to Christmas.

I didn’t buy any books this week so all books featured where sent to me for reviewing purposes. For more information on any of the books featured just click on the title and the link will take you to the books goodreads page. Big thank you’s to all the lovely people who sent me books this week. If you’ve read any of the books I got this week and want to leave me a comment letting me know what you thought please do and make sure you leave me a link to what you got in your mailbox. Here’s to another week of fantastic reading ahead :-)

Book of the Month! Featuring Scares, God and Autumn…

Welcome to October's book of the month and monthly round up! This is a feature to sum up for you my reading and recommendations for the past month and to share with you the exciting things that have been going on on the blog and books I’m looking forward to in the following month.

October's BotM is...Angel Fire by L.A Weatherly!

This month’s favourite read was so easy to choose. Angel Fire was a stunning sequel that I absolutely loved. I’m not usually a big fan of huge books I can find them a bit intimidating as I can get bored pretty quickly of the same story but despite Angel Fire coming in at over 700 pages I couldn’t get enough! This book has fab characters and a swoonworthy male lead definitely a series to check out if you haven’t already. You can find my review for the first book Angel here and Angel Fire its sequel here.

Best Plot: Angel Fire by L.A Weatherly
Best Writing: The Taker by Alma Katsu
Best Cover: Sweetly by Jackson Pearce
Best Characters: Angel Fire by L.A Weatherly
Best Ending: Angel Fire by L.A Weatherly
Best Romance: Angel Fire by L.A Weatherly
Most un-put-down-able: Frost by Marianna Baer
Most Memorable: The Taker by Alma Katsu
Best Moral: An Autumn Crush by Milly Johnson

Books read this month
63.) Angel Fire by L.A Weatherly (5*)
64.) An Autumn Crush by Milly Johnson (4*)
65.) There is No Dog by Meg Rosoff (2.5*)
66.) Sweetly by Jackson Pearce (4.5*)
67.) Frost by Marianna Baer (4*)
68.) The Taker by Alma Katsu (4*)

Top 3 Most Recommended Books: Angel Fire, Sweetly, An Autumn Crush

Bookish Highlights of the month
I got my winning streak back on this month and won 3 fab giveaways for 3 signed books including Angel Fire, Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick and Who's Afraid of Mr Wolfe? by Hazel Osmond. I also hosted a fab giveaway myself for my favourite book of the year so far Daughter of Smoke and Bone. I also had L.A Weatherly herself stop by the blog for the Angel Fire blog tour which was amazing and I done a really fun Halloween reading recommendations post which I really enjoyed putting together.

Bookish Lows of the month
None :) Oh except I would have liked to of read a few more books I could have read more than just 6!

Book’s I’m looking forward to in November
November is the month for dystopian and Christmas releases and there are so many that I’m excited for. Dystopian wise- Crossed by Ally Condie, Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi and The Pledge by Kimberly Derting. Christmas book wise- Any Dream Will Do by Maria Duffy, The Secret of Happy Ever After by Lucy Dillon and It Started With A Kiss by Miranda Dickinson. I’m also really looking forward to The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler as I’m sure is everybody! ( All links lead to the books goodreads page)

So there you have it my October reading summed up for you guys. Have you read any of the books I’ve read this month? What were your thoughts on them? Leave me a comment and let me know and don’t forget to treat yourselves to Angel Fire – You won’t regret it! Here’s to another month of fab reading ahead and finally making a start on my Christmas To-Be-Read pile!

Review for Sweetly by Jackson Pearce

Sweetly by Jackson Pearce
Publisher: Hodder Children's Books
Release Date: 6th October 2011
Genre: Young Adult, Fairy-tale Re-telling, Paranormal Romance
Rating: 4.5/5 stars
Source: Received from the publisher for review

Amazon Summary:
"As a child, Gretchen's twin sister was taken by a witch-like monster in the woods. Ever since, Gretchen and her brother, Ansel, have felt the long branches of the witch's forest threatening to make them disappear, too. When their stepmother casts Gretchen and Ansel out as teens, they stumble upon a sleepy Southern town and are invited to stay with Sophia Kelly at her sweet shop. Sophia moulds candied magic: coveted treats that inspire confidence, bravery, and passion. Life seems idyllic and Gretchen and Ansel finally start to forget their haunted past - until Gretchen meets handsome local outcast Samuel, who gives Gretchen a reason to fear Sophia: girls have been vanishing at Sophia's annual chocolate festival, taken by the insatiable 'witch' of Gretchen's nightmares. Can Gretchen save herself, the girls of Live Oak, and Sophia? Of one thing, Gretchen is certain: a monster is coming, and it will never go away hungry."

Review
I’ve been pining for Sweetly ever since I first heard about it, what with THAT cover and THAT synopsis, that the story of Hansel and Gretel has to be one of my favourite fairy tales, and that Jackson Pearce and the first book in this series Sisters Red are made of awesome. With Halloween approaching I thought “A story about witches and candy? This has got to be the most perfect Halloween read!” and now that I’ve finished this book I’m happy to say I was right!

What I love most about Jackson’s books is that she strips fairy tales of their princesses, princes and happily ever afters and gives us a dark, gritty, fairy tale the way they were told in the good old days. And even though she stays true to the originals roots and the story’s morals she also makes them completely her own and brings something fresh and modern to the table so that every time I pick up one of her books it’s like I’ve never heard the story before. Think you know the Hansel and Gretel story? Think again.

Although the book is about brother and sister Ansel and Gretchen, Sweetly is told strictly from Gretchen’s point of view and I immediately connected with her as our heroine. Twelve years before the main story starts Gretchen loses her twin sister in the forest surrounding their home to a witch. Not only is she traumatized after being in such a situation but she and Ansel are also silently blamed by their mother and father for losing their sister. Gretchen hides behind books and other people’s stories to escape from her own life and the guilt she feels at being the surviving sister. I loved Gretchen so much and found her to be such an inspiring heroine as throughout the book she grows stronger and becomes so much more than that scared little girl we meet at the beginning. Gretchen’s a fantastic role model when it comes to facing your fears and I loved following her journey.

Sweetly is only a companion novel to Sisters Red but regardless I thought the stories tied together very nicely developing the world further for a possible sequel or second companion novel. Above all I was most impressed with Sweetly’s plot and the many twists and turns that Jackson throws at us. I loved the mystery surrounding Sophia and I felt so many things towards her whilst reading, sometimes I loved her, sometimes I hated her, something I felt sorry for her and sometimes I was even scared of her- that’s a lot of feelings for just one character! The mystery of the missing girls and the strange compulsion of the chocolatier made for a deliciously creepy read that suited my Halloween mood perfectly.

I was completely surprised by this books ending. I was gripped to this book from the start but the last half of the book I absolutely raced through I was so desperate for answers to the many mysteries and they didn’t disappoint! The only thing that made this book less than perfect for me - if I’m being picky - was the romance. I would have liked just a little more chemistry between Gretchen and Samuel but that aside I really can’t fault it. Sweetly is a delicious treat and probably the best fairy tale re-telling that I’ve read. Highly recommended.

Review for There is No Dog by Meg Rosoff

There is No Dog by Meg Rosoff
Publisher: Puffin
Release Date: 4th August 2011
Genre: Young Adult, Religion, Comedy
Rating: 2.5/5 stars
Source: Received as part of UK Book Tours

Amazon Summary:
"In the beginning there was Bob.
And Bob created the heavens and the earth
and the beasts of the field
and the creatures of the sea,
and twenty-five million other species
including lots and lots of gorgeous girls.
And all of this, he created in just six days.
Six days!
Congratulations, Bob!
No wonder Earth is such a mess.

Imagine that God is a typical teenage boy. He is lazy, careless, self-obsessed, sex-mad - and about to meet Lucy, the most beautiful girl on earth.

Unfortunately, whenever Bob falls in love, disaster follows.

Let us pray that Bob does not fall in love with Lucy."

Review
I originally wanted to read this book for my British Books Challenge with Meg Rosoff being an award winning British writer. Despite a lot of critical acclaim from the press I know a lot of people who either love or hate her books so with There is No Dog being my first book by Rosoff I was interested to see which category I would fall under and now that I’ve finished reading it I have to say I’m split firmly down the middle.

There is no doubt about the genius behind this book even from the synopsis – god turning out to be a teenage boy, of course! Brilliant! Now it all makes sense! And throughout the book Rosoff continues to explore the meaning of life through the eyes of several characters. The last of an extinct creature who knows he is soon going to die. A goddess who has the gift of immortality and how that brings her to lead an “invincible” lifestyle of excessive drinking and gambling. And, most interestingly of all for me, a vicar who throughout this book witnesses first hand a less than perfect God and has to personally deal with the fall out of Bob’s actions. The genius and thought put into this book were incredibly well thought out and thought provoking. I enjoyed that even though this book is essentially a story about religion at no point did it ever feel preachy so props have to go to Meg for that.

Now on to my dislikes. From the back of the book I expected this to be a rather humorous account through the eyes of a teenage god and whilst in some parts that was the case I couldn’t help wanting more from that side of the story. I wanted more about the thought process that went into Bob creating the world and more funny mishaps as Bob try’s to date a human girl. Unfortunately because there were so many other characters these things were only touched upon which I found disappointing. I also found Bob’s character to be quite patronizing and very stereotypical of a teenage boy with Bob only caring about himself and his latest conquest with no real thought process to back it up.

Overall I have very mixed feelings over There is No Dog. Some parts of this story were down right bizarre and for that reason I’m not sure if it will be everybody’s cup of tea. I can certainly see what Meg Rosoff was trying to achieve with this book but don’t think it was executed as well as it could have been. For me this book is a bit of a risk taker, I think most people will either love it or hate it. This book wasn’t really for me but I did enjoy it to some extent and for that reason don’t regret giving this book, something completely out of my comfort zone, a go.

Angel Fire Blog Tour! Hot, Young Things; Casting the Characters for Angel Fire

It gives me great pleasure to be welcoming to the blog today L.A Weatherly author of the fabulous Angel trilogy! Now if you’re a fan of the books then you’ve probably got some ideas about who would be your perfect actors and actresses to play the characters if this series was ever adapted to the big screen. So when I was offered to take part in this tour and to do a post about who Lee’s dream cast would be I couldn’t resist! So without further ado I bring to you Hot Young Things and welcome the author herself to talk about her fantasy dream team…

L.A. Weatherly’s Fantasy Film Picks for Angel Fire

Alex

Some of you already know of my love for Sean Faris as a potential Alex! But if Sean isn’t available, how about Asher Book (Fame)? Alex faces many challenges in Angel Fire – from being a leader to dealing with Willow’s growing relationship with Seb – and Asher has just the right look of gorgeous edginess to really encompass all of that. Like Sean, he’d have to wear contacts for Alex’s blue-grey eyes. I can live with that.

Willow

My pick for Willow is still Amanda Seyfried (Mamma Mia!, Red Riding Hood). In Angel Fire, Willow has to deal not only with her confusing feelings towards Seb, but also with the suspicions of an entire team. Amanda’s slightly offbeat beauty is perfect for Willow, and I think she’d do a brilliant job of portraying the depth of everything Willow goes through.

Seb

My Twitter followers will know that I’ve been talking about New Boy a lot – well, here he is. Eighteen-year old Sebastián Carrera is a Mexican of Italian descent, with lightly-curling brown hair, hazel eyes, and a stubbled jaw. He’s also half-angel…and has been searching for Willow his entire life. Gorgeous Mexican actor Diego Boneta (90210, Pretty Little Liars) will fit Seb to a ‘T’, once we steal his razor. Sigh. Between Alex and Seb, I think Willow’s a very lucky girl!

Kara

Kara Mendez is an exotically beautiful Angel Killer with nerves of steel, whom Alex knew back at the camp in New Mexico. Kara’s half-black and half-Mexican, with high cheekbones and extremely short hair...and, now that Alex is older, her feelings for him might not just be friendship anymore. The beautiful Kerry Washington (The Last King of Scotland) would be ideal – we’ll just have to get her to cut her hair!


Thanks Lee! *fans self* Wow that’s a whole lot of hot for one post don’t ya think? I think all of these actors and actresses would be PERFECT for our favourite characters but my personal favourite pick would have to be for Willow, I think Amanda has the perfect look and would be fantastic! And Seb -wow new boy is hot! *regains composure* Okayyyy so for more on my thoughts on this series you can check out my review for Angel here and Angel Fire here. And make sure you stop by Excellent Reads on Monday 31st October for the final stop on the Angel Fire blog tour which will host a Q&A with L.A Weatherly.

What do you think of Lee’s picks? Who are your fantasy cast? I’d love to know!