In My Mailbox #13: My Shelf Overfloweth!

"In My Mailbox" is a weekly meme created by 

The Story Siren 

The idea is to post whatever 'books' you may have received from the week (before), whether you purchased them, gifted to you, borrowed, traded, etc.

This is what I got this week, and it's only because I found them all at super prices!

You can't walk away when they're each under $6, woo hoo!!!

- Hex Hall and Demonglass by Rachel Hawkins
(Seriously, am I the only one who hasn't read these yet?)
- Matched by Ally Condie 

- The first three to the Touch Series by Laurie Faria Stolarz

And some non-YA for my Nook ;) and it was only $2.99!!!
The Dulcie O'Neil Series by H.P. Mallory

A SWEET RAK from Hannah of In the Best Worlds,
Thank you SO much, Hannah!!!

A Breath of Eyre (arc) by Eve Marie Mont (SQUEAL!!!) and 

The Fine Art of Truth or Dare by Melissa Jensen 

Received from a trade...
Tempest (arc) by Julie Cross 
(I just heard that Tempest was being made into a movie! Can't wait to read it first!)

... and Touch of Frost (Mythos Academy #1) by Jennifer Estep
Thank you, Ashelynn of Gypsy Book Reviews

Got some swag this week too!
From Amber of Me, My Shelf and I, I won A Touch Mortal and A Touch Morbid Bookmarks!
and I got the Masque of the Red Death Bookmark directly from Bethany Griffin!
And, from Jessica Spotswood, some signed bookmarks, stickers and a magnet :)

Oh, and I got a new hardback copy of Charlotte's Web by E.B. White :)

It's been such a long time since I have re-read this one! and I know that my kiddos are going to want to read along with me too! This is going on my pile since my boys are still in that stage were girls and anything to do with girls is still kind of icky, lol! but they'll still read it with me, because Mom's are the exception to the "no-girls-allowed" rule ;) 

And here's what my kiddo's got this week :) 

The Silly Book by Stoo Hample, The Wimpy Kid Do-It-Yourself Book and 
Rodrick Rules (Diary of a Wimpy Kid #2) by Jeff Kinney

____________________________________________________

I was such a lucky girl this week!!!
My shelves are finally filling up and it makes me so very happy.
Long story short, on our last move we lost a lot of items, our living room and bedroom furniture and a lot of my books. But we were together and healthy and made the best of everything - and that is all that matters :)
I love doing these posts because it helps me see that no matter what happens, slowly but surely, you can always pick up the pieces and go back to doing what you love to do :)

SOOO, I just have to say, thank you!

Thank you for allowing me to share my books with you every week!
I don't do it to show-off, or gloat, or anything of the sort - even though some may see it that way.
I love these posts because it is such a fun way to show what I love to read, what I am going to be reading in the near future, my tastes and likes... it's also a good way to include my boys and their books too - they often sit with me to watch vlogs, they make suggestions, and they looove to critique book covers more than I do, lol!
And since I can't review every single book that I read, it's also a superb way to put a spotlight on books that other people may have not heard about and would love to add to their TBRs too...

Just sharing our love of books people! We love IMM days!!!
and be warned, we are looking to find a way to do our own vlogs soon too ;)


SOOO, what did you get in your mailbox this week???

Feature & Follow #4

"Feature and Follow" is a weekly meme hosted by the wonderful and sweet girls of Parajunkee's View and Alison Can Read!!!

Please stop by their blogs to say HI and get all the deets from them too!!! 

It's been a long while since I've been able to participate in "Feature & Follow", and even though I have about 10 reviews to finish and post, I haven't been in the mood, having the sickies kinda swept everything away this week, lol!



So, this week's "Feature & Follow" questions is: 

Q: Do you read one book at a time or do you switch back and forth between two or more?

Hmmm... at first, I wanted to answer this with a big fat YES!
but, maybe it's not a solid yes, lol, and here's why...

I tend to start 3 or 4 books at a time and then go with the one that calls out to me the most and read straight on through! and then I'll pick out another from those 3 or 4 until the pile is gone.
Once the pile is gone, I pick out another few and start my weird little process all over again, lol!

So, I guess that technically I do read one book at a time after I've started a few first ;)

I've tried reading more than one at a time - an actual book on my book-stand, one on my Nook, one on the computer... but it was too hard and then I was wondering where my characters where and what world I was jumping into and it would take a while before I was able to remember what I was reading... it all got a bit too confusing for my tired old brain, lol! Can you imagine what my reviews would sound like? hee hee...
I bow to those that can multi-task their books :)

What about you? Do you read one at a time???

_______________________________________________

PS, what do you think of my blog's makeover???
I am totally in love with it! I really think that Lori captured me perfectly :)
Thank you, Lori!!! 

Waiting On Wednesday: The Sweetest Spell by Suzanne Selfords

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly meme hosted by 

Breaking the Spine 

This is were we get to 'spotlight' books that we're waiting to be released! The ones that we are dying to get our hands on and read into the wee hours of the night ;) 

I love fairy-tale re-tellings!!! 

The minute I saw this book on Misty's (The Book Rat) "In My Mailbox" this past weekend, 

I instantly knew that this was going to be a book that I am going to want!!! 

The Sweetest Spell
by Suzanne Selfors
(Release Date: 8/21/12)

"Emmeline Thistle has always had a mysterious bond with cows, beginning on the night of her birth, when the local bovines saved the infant cast aside to die in the forest. But Emmeline was unaware that this bond has also given her a magical ability to transform milk into chocolate, a very valuable gift in a kingdom where chocolate is more rare and more precious than gold or jewels. Then one day Owen Oak, a dairyman’s son, teaches Emmeline to churn milk into butter—and instead she creates a delicious chocolate confection that immediately makes her a target for every greedy, power-hungry person in the kingdom of Anglund. Only Owen loves Emmeline for who she truly is, not her magical skill. But is his love enough to save her from the danger all around her?"




Wow! A "re-imagined fairy tale", love and chocolate!!!
What more could a girl want in a book?!?!

Did you figure out which fairy-tale this story is based on???
I have to be honest, my first guess was completely wrong, lol!
It's a classic, most commonly told/read to us when we are really little...
it's one of the first ones that I can remember... one of my favorites...
and one that I have never seen a re-telling for!
Leave your answers below and we'll see how many of you get it right :)

What's your W.O.W. for this week???

Book Tour for Vaempires: Revolution by Thomas Winship

Bewitching Book Tour for Vaempires: Revolution
by Thomas Winship 

Vaempires: Revolution

(The Evolutionary War #1) 

by Thomas Winship 

Summary: 
"It is the morning of Princess Cassandra’s sixteenth birthday. Everyone’s attention is focused on the heir to the vampire throne. World leaders, the rich and famous, and VIPs from every corner of the globe have gathered in the nation’s capital to celebrate the momentous event.

Cassandra’s boyfriend, Daniel, is late for the party. He’s still outside the city when all hell breaks loose. What he believes is an act of terrorism proves to be a full-fledged revolution.

Væmpires—former vampires who mutated into warm-blooded creatures with an insatiable hunger for cold blood—have launched coordinated attacks across the globe, with three goals: the eradication of humanity, the enslavement of vampires, and the ascension of væmpires as the dominant species on the planet.

The vampire and human leaders are killed. Cassandra is missing. Daniel is the acting king. Desperate to find the princess, Daniel and his friends fight their way across the besieged city. With the hopes of the free world resting on the shoulders of four vampire teenagers, væmpires unleash their secret weapons: a new breed of væmpire that is far deadlier than any ever seen before.

What can four teens do against an enemy that can shape-shift, fly, and walk through walls?"

Excerpt:
Daniel’s father would have the situation under control; he’d stop the killing. He was the captain of the guard. He trained for these situations. Hell, Daniel trained for these situations.

There was no answer for three seconds, four seconds, and a finger of fear formed in his stomach.

Five seconds.

Six seconds.

“Hello.” It was a whisper.

“Dad!”

“Daniel, where are you? Tell me you’re not in the city.”

“I am. I’m coming, Dad.”

“No! Don’t come here.” Someone screamed in the background. “There are only a handful of us left.”

“What! How is that possible? Every guard in the city was there.”

“They tricked us, Daniel.” His father’s words were pained. “We were so blind. The væmpires are not only stronger and faster than we realized, but some of them have powers, Daniel.”

“I know, Dad. Some of them can Read memories in our blood.”

“I’m not talking about Reading, Daniel, I’m talking about other powers.”

“Other powers! What do you mean—”

“Shut up and listen! I haven’t got much time.” His father’s whisper was like a shout in his ear. “Some of them teleported. One created a wall of flames. One killed with a touch of her bare hand. And some of them, some changed shapes—they looked like people we knew, other guards, dignitaries, and then they reverted to their true forms before our eyes and attacked.”

“How is that possible?” Daniel cried. “How is any of that possible?”

“How doesn’t matter, Daniel! What matters is that they are much more dangerous than we ever suspected. They killed King Brant, Queen Anne, the human president and the First Lady before we even realized we were under attack. It was a slaughter.”

The words reverberated in Daniel’s mind. The king and queen are dead. Cassie’s parents are dead.

“What about Mom? She’s okay, right?”

No answer.

Ohnoohnoohno.

“Dad!”

“She’s gone, Daniel. I couldn’t save her.”

“No!”

“Listen to me, Daniel! Get out of the city!”

“No. I’m coming to help. I can—”

“Flee, Daniel. Now!” An explosion made his ear ring. He heard rubble hitting the floor and then labored breathing.

“Dad!”

“Daniel.” His father’s voice was weak and thin. “Run. Once they know I’m dead, they’ll come for you. You’ll be the acting king.”

“Who cares about that?”

“The people do, Daniel.” The voice was so low it was almost imperceptible. “Vampires and humans just lost their leaders in one afternoon. The væmpires attacked at least a dozen major cities around the world, vampire and human cities. There’s no telling how many people will be killed before the world even realizes we’re at war, and there’s no telling how the humans will react to being attacked. You must bring this conflict to a peaceful conclusion before it’s too late.”

“Humans wouldn’t dare unleash atomics,” Daniel said, experiencing a wave of unease at the thought.

“There are no limits to what humans will dare,” his father whispered. “Never forget that. It’s their greatest strength and their deadliest weakness.”

My Review:
I was extremely surprised with every single page in this book!
I didn't even realize that this was a self-published book until I had to do my post - Winship's writing and story-telling is so well thought out, I could not put this book down.

From the very first sentence we are thrown into a futuristic and chaotic world were vampires and humans exist in harmony until some rogue vaempires attack and executes most of the vampires royalty and human leaders.

Due to advance sciences, Vampires have been able to exist without blood cravings and no longer have to fear the sun. However, VAEMPIRES, are mutated vampires that have surprisingly transformed into heart-beating, warm-blooded animals with unimaginable powers.
Right away I learned, VAMPIRES are good and VAEMPIRES are bad, very bad.

We first meet our main character, Daniel -
a fifteen year old vampire, son of the captain of the Royal Guard turned orphan and leader.
He is courageous, strong and thoughtful - it was easy to forget that he was only 15.

This book is action packed! Fast moving! and so very good!

And of course, it gets better!!! There is a love story in here too!
Meet Princess Cassandra, or as Daniel so lovingly refers to, Cassie - she is one of the only royal survivors and Daniel must find her and save her for more reasons than one.
Again, it is sometimes hard to remember that Daniel and Cassie are only 15 years old. But due to the circumstances that they are in and that the world is in disarray, everyone must do what they have to do.

I have to warn you, the ending is a killer!
It is one of the best cliffhangers I have ever read!!!
I am looking forward to the next book...

In the meantime, I am going to be jumping right into Vaempires prequel,
Vaempires: A White Christmas.

I give this book 5 stars. 

About the Author: 

"Thomas Winship was born in Middletown, NY and still resides in Orange County. He holds an MBA in Management from St. Thomas Aquinas College, where he serves as an adjunct professor of courses in English Composition, Communications, and Business. 

He also spent fifteen years working for a global pharmaceutical company, specializing in organizational development, talent management, and training.

Tom writes in his spare time. His first novel, a mystery/legal thriller entitled Temporary Insanity (a.k.a. Case Closed), was a 2008 finalist in a national contest but failed to garner industry attention. His second novel, Væmpires: Revolution, was published in October and a follow-up novella, Væmpires: White Christmas, was published in December.

He is an avid collector of books, comic books, music, and movies. His interests are diverse: on any given day, Tom is likely to be found watching a horror movie, attending a hard rock concert, or enjoying a Broadway show.

He is currently working on the next installment of the “Væmpires” series, which is scheduled for an early 2012 release."

Official Website, Blog, Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube   

A Promo/Review for:

http://www.bewitchingbooktours.blogspot.com 

In My Mailbox #12

"In My Mailbox" is a weekly meme created by 

The Story Siren 

The idea is to post whatever 'books' you may have received from the week (before), whether you purchased them, gifted to you, borrowed, traded, etc.

Well, remember for the last few weeks I've been saying that I don't want to buy any more books because I have so many already! and I really want to read most of them before I get any more... sigh... but my shelves look so bare, and there were some super cheap prices at Best Bargain Books, and our tax refund came in, and... well, you know... !!! So it ended up being a pretty awesome week :)

Here's what I got:

 Shiver and Linger by Maggie Stiefvater 

 Ghostgirl by Tonya Hurley (paperback)

I am head-over-heels for this book! The girly pink/black theme, the shape of the book - it's rectangular!!! the illustrations and style - the whole story just captured my heart right on the spot! I cannot wait to finish this and try to track down the rest of the series! If you see them anywhere at a really good price, please let me know!  

City of Glass (The Mortal Instruments Series #3 - paperback) 

by Cassandra Clare

Clockwork Prince (The Infernal Devices #2 - hardcover) 

also by Cassandra Clare

Funny story about this one - I meant to buy the first book and accidently bought the 2nd book, oops! So much for trying to start the series soon, lol! At least I'm prepared to continue with the series, right?! and should probably continue with The Mortal Instruments first... 

AND, lastly, the first book that I ever bought through The Book Depository came in this week :)  

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins (hardcover)

*Books I received for Review: 

Pretty Amy by Lisa Burstein (ebook) and 

Kevin's Point of View by Del Shannon (Middle-grade/paperback)  

And, lastly, but certainly not least - what my boys got this week :)
For my 5yo, the new Splat the Cat book, Secret Agent Splat by Rob Scotton.

And for my 8yo, Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney - which he finished in 3 days!!! 

They love hardcover books just as much, if not more, than I do, lol! 

Thanks for stopping by this week!!!

What did you get in your mailbox this week??? 

Don't forget to leave a link ;)

A "Nobel Beehive Award" Review: Slide by Jill Hathaway

Hello again, hope you are all enjoying some really good reads right now!
I have another review to share, and I have to say, this book has landed on my top 12 books of 2012!
Take a look...

Slide 

by Jill Hathaway 

Format: ARC 

Release Date: March 27, 2012

Age Group: YA, 14 + 

Publisher: Balzer + Bray 

Author's Site(s):  Jill Hathaway's Blog, Facebook, Twitter   

From Goodreads: 

"Vee Bell is certain of one irrefutable truth—her sister’s friend Sophie didn’t kill herself. She was murdered. 

Vee knows this because she was there. Everyone believes Vee is narcoleptic, but she doesn’t actually fall asleep during these episodes: When she passes out, she slides into somebody else’s mind and experiences the world through that person’s eyes. She’s slid into her sister as she cheated on a math test, into a teacher sneaking a drink before class. She learned the worst about a supposed “friend” when she slid into her during a school dance. But nothing could have prepared Vee for what happens one October night when she slides into the mind of someone holding a bloody knife, standing over Sophie’s slashed body. 

Vee desperately wishes she could share her secret, but who would believe her? It sounds so crazy that she can’t bring herself to tell her best friend, Rollins, let alone the police. Even if she could confide in Rollins, he has been acting off lately, more distant, especially now that she’s been spending more time with Zane. 

Enmeshed in a terrifying web of secrets, lies, and danger and with no one to turn to, Vee must find a way to unmask the killer before he or she strikes again."

This book is like no other that I have read - the ability to 'slide' into someone else's mind and see what they are thinking, doing - kind of like 'walking in someone else's shoes' - is a brilliant story-line.  

Within the first few pages, we are thrust right into one of Vee's 'episodes' and experience and feel everything that she does when she slides. It's intense and so visual! I really felt like I was sliding right along with her.
The plot - so mysterious and suspenseful! I'm usually really good at figuring out the 'who did it' person right from the beginning, but Hathaway was so very good at giving out the hints and then throwing in few twists to throw me off track!
Vee's family dynamic seemed to be what most authors are going for these days, single parent home, siblings that kind of get along... but I really like the way Hathaway did it. Even though Vee, her sister Mattie and Dad didn't have much communication, they all still loved and cared for each other very much. In my opinion, most families are like this. Which makes their relationship realistic and more relate-able.
And of course, the romance! I adored Zane, not at first though, he seemed a bit too perfect, but nonetheless, he was too sweet and cute not to like... and of course, the BFF! At first I just didn't get it - Rollins was so standoffish and too much of a 'guy' at first. But once I got further into the book, he started to grow on me and I just knew that there had to be more to him than what he was fronting... and then, with the help of one of Vee's episodes, I finally got to see what Rollins was going through in his life - everything starts to click together and I couldn't help going all soft for him too. He had every right to be and react the way he did, I love him... and I loved the ending... and... oh my, so hard to keep this review spoiler free!

Slide has it all: suspense, mystery, love... It's a definite must read for 2012!
Go. Read. Slide. NOW!... release date is March 27th!

A Review: A Baby Lit (Classic) Books by Jennifer Adams and Alison Oliver

Attention all Bronte, Austen, Shakespeare and Carroll fans!!!
Have I got the sweetest books to show you today :)

Little Miss Bronte  and Little Master Carroll 


Author: Jennifer Adams
Artist: Alison Oliver 
Release Date: March 2012
Age Group: 6mos + 
Publisher: Gibbs Smith
Available Formats: Board Books
Author's Site: Jennifer Adams' Official Website 

"With the perennial popularity of classic writers like Charlotte Bronte and Lewis Carroll, Baby Lit is a fashionable way to introduce your toddler to the world of classic literature. With clever, simple text by Jennifer Adams, paired with stylish design and illustrations by Sugar's Alison Oliver, Little Miss Bronte and Little Master Carroll are a must for every savvy parent's nursery library." 

These are the sweetest board books I have ever laid eyes on! 
Looking at these book-covers via online does not do them any justice at all! 
The coloring is gorgeous - vibrant and eye catching! 
The quality of these books just blows my mind - 
they are so sturdy, and definitely kid friendly. 


Here are some sneak peeks and close ups! 
{Please click on pic for a larger view.}

But what I adore the most -  the theme to these books! 
I am a huge Alice in Wonderland fan - all of the main characters make their appearance in this book, each taking a turn teaching your bundle of joy different colors through Alice in Wonderland inspired illustrations. And these pictures are all so cute and captivating! 
The same goes for the counting book inspired by Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre! 
Where your child will learn how to count using elements from the classic novel itself! 
The last page, #10, is my most favorite :) 


These books are the perfect way to introduce your little ones to your favorite classics! and for any age too!!! 
My boys are now 5 and 8, they had so much fun looking through both of these - 
they instantly recognized each of the Alice inspired pages and what part of the story it belonged too. And really enjoyed Jane Eyre too, even though they don't know the story yet, they loved the illustrations and what we were counting... did I mention that they're 5 and 8 already, lol! No matter what age, we all know a good book when we see one ;) 

Also available in the A Baby Lit series... 
Little Miss Austen and Little Master Shakespeare.

I have to admit, I will be buying these two books to add to my collection!
Yes, for me! I can't stop looking at them, they're so precious and will look so pretty sitting on my classic literature shelf :)

A big thank you to Gibbs and Smith for sending these to me for review!

What do you think of the concept of these books???

Spring Cleaning Giveaway Hop!

A big thank you to
Kathy at I Am A Reader, Not A Writer
for Hosting this giveaway!

It's time to clean off my bookshelf a bit! 

I have 2 sets of books and 1 single up for grabs!

Which means, THREE winners!!!

You get to choose which one(s) you want, so have a peek...






The first set is 2 books by L.J. Smith,
The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening #1 and The Struggle #2
The Vampire Diaries: The Fury #3 and Dark Reunion #4

The second set is The Notebook and Dear John by Nicholas Sparks...

And the third book is, Zombie Love: The Outbreak by Eric J. Sobolik...

I absolutely loved all five of these books!
I would like to see these awesome paperbacks
go to new homes :) 

To enter the giveaway, just add your info into the Rafflecopter below!
Good luck! 

*Thank you to all who entered!!! 


The winner's are: 
- Brooke D. won the Vampire Diaries Books!!! 
- Jennifer H. won the Nicholas Sparks books!!!
- Mare S. won the Zombie Love book!!! 


Congrats everyone! Check you emails :) 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you for entering! Happy hopping :)