In My Mailbox - November 14, 2010

In My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren :)

Pretty good week for me, although I'm waiting on a bunch of stuff to show up...kinda worried it's all gonna come on the same day...no, I don't have surprises for you, what are you talking about?! hehe

Take a look!

How cool is it that all my books color coordinate this week! Love the black / green thing going on - so didn't plan that!

From PaperbackSwap

Twilight The Graphic Novel Volume 1 by Stephenie Meyer -- I'm not a huge Twilight fan but I really wanted to read this one and I was not about to pay $20 to do so. Yes, even when it comes to books, I can be cheap :) Thank you PBS!

Bought -- my indie bookstore was having an anniversary sale and I just couldn't resist! The swag is from them as well!

Fear: 13 Stories of Suspense and Horror Presented by R.L. Stine

Lament by Maggie Stiefvater

Skeleton Creek by Patrick Carman

Pegasus by Robin McKinley

The 39 Clues: The Black Book of Buried Secrets

Library ebook (not pictured)

Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly -- OMG this book is good!!

Links are to Goodreads

So, what's in your mailbox?

Book Review: The Emerald Talisman by Brenda Pandos

Reading Age: Young Adult
Publication Date: March 2010

Pages: 280
Series: 1st in a series
Acquisition: La Femme Readers Book Tour

Summary:

To be normal, sixteen-year-old Julia Parker would shed her empathic gift in a second. Life has been difficult since her mother's mysterious disappearance ten years earlier - an event she witnessed, but can't remember. Julia's situation becomes more complicated after a near death experience from a blood thirsty stalker. As high school students go missing it is clear there is a connection to her own experience--past and present. Someone has to stop the madness and a chance encounter with a creepy psychic foretells that only Julia is the key to stopping the madness, but it may require the life of the one she loves. (from Goodreads)

Quick thoughts:
Vampires as blood thirsty villains - the way I've always envisioned them. I wasn't a huge fan of the romance but I did enjoy both Julia and her mystery man Nicholas. Lots of potential for some really cool vampire lore. Looking forward to more from the series.

Likes:
I liked the overall feel of the book. Strange things are happening in Julia's world and she doesn't quite know what to make of it all. There was a layer of mystery throughout that I really found appealing.

Also, Julia's ability to read people's emotions was pretty spiffy! I would be very easy for her to use this gift to manipulate but Julia is always looking for ways to help her friends.

Julia's family is also present and accounted for  - something that is sometimes lacking in YA books. Her father is caring and loving but also a little overprotective. Pretty realistic given the family's circumstances. Her older  brother treats her, well, like an older brother should! I found myself enjoying their interactions very much.

Dislikes:
The romance was a little weird for me. I don't want to give too much away but there is a time / age element that I wasn't too keen on. I really liked both Julia and Nicholas but I wasn't really routing for them as a couple.

Also, I would have liked to have Julia's ability explained. I'm hoping more info will come out in the next book, which I'm very much looking forward to reading.

Reminded me of:
No YA vampire stories come to mind, which I think is a good thing!

Final thoughts:
A very enjoyable read that I think fans of vampires and also anti-fans of vampires would enjoy. A great first book for Brenda and I hope there are lots more to come.

Overall Rating:

4 / 5 Stars

Books in the Series:
The Emerald Talisman
The Sapphire Talisman

Linkage Love:
Obsidian Mountain Publishing
Author's Blog
Series Website
Goodreads

Book Review: The Secret of Ka by Christopher Pike

Age: 12+
Publication Date: September 2010

Pages: 416
Series: no
Acquisition: NetGalley

Summary:

One minute Sara's bored on vacation in Istanbul. The next, she's unearthed a flying carpet that cleverly drags her to the mysterious Island of the Djinn—or genies. By her side is Amesh, a hot boy she's starting to love but doesn't yet trust. When Amesh learns the secret of invoking djinn, he loses control. He swears he'll call upon only one djinn and make one wish. The plan sounds safe enough. But neither Sara nor Amesh are any match for the formidable monster that that swells before them. It hypnotizes Amesh, compelling him to steal Sara’s flying carpet—the ancient Carpet of Ka—and leave her stranded.

Discovering the Carpet of Ka has sparked a new path for Sara, one that will lead her to battle creatures even deadlier than djinn. In this fight, Sara can save mankind, herself, or the boy she loves. Who will she be forced to sacrifice? (from Goodreads)

Quick thoughts:
Loved it! Christopher Pike's books hold a special place in my heart - I've loved them since I was a kid. The Secret of Ka really stands out as one of his best for me. Lots of the same elements I've always loved with a truly unique story.

Likes:
The storytelling - it was spot on. Every scene held such rich detail and all the pieces fit together so well. It would have been really easy to portray Sara as an arrogant, American brat. She's basically alone in a foreign country with nothing to do and almost unlimited resources. Add some magic and a cute boy and you might think you're holding a shallow teen drama book. In this case, you would be very very wrong.

I loved the character of Sara. She's someone I would want to be friends with. She never gives up and is willing to sacrifice everything for the people she loves. Her internal fortitude is very strong. When you add in the other elements of the story, she just becomes that much more likable. She really made this book for me.

I loved the setting as well - Istanbul both past and present. The myth and legend of the djinn was fascinating. The mystery and suspense - what I expect from Pike - wrapped around a really solid story and a some wonderful characters.

Also, there were some twists at the end that I did not see coming at all. They worked so well with the story and I was really impressed with the fact that I didn't catch on sooner. The mark of an extremely well told story.

Dislikes:
I wish it were longer. Not part of a series necessarily - just longer. Like, twice as long would work for me. It was that good.

Final thoughts:
I highly recommend this one to fans of Pike and new readers as well. The magic of this world is wonderful and anyone who is looking for a different type of young adult fantasy book should pick up a copy of The Secret of Ka.

Overall Rating:

5 / 5 Stars

Linkage Love:
Houghton Mifflin
Fantastic Fiction Page
Goodreads

Guest Post: Author Brenda Pandos

Hi guys! Today we have a special guest. Please welcome Brenda Pandos, author of  The Emerald Talisman and it's upcoming sequel, The Sapphire Talisman.

The Emerald Talisman was a great read for me (review to come soon!) and I highly recommend it.

Thanks for visiting Brenda!

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I think if my book were turned into a movie, this is who I’d like to cast as my characters.

Charlie Weber as Nicholas

(I had to include him without a shirt)

Blake Lively as Julia

Matthew Czuchry as Phil

Ashely Greene as Samantha

Katy Perry as Katie (Imagine the coincidence in names)

Stacy Haiduk as Alora

Of course, these are based on looks and I’ve not seen most of these people act, so I wouldn’t know if they fit the part. 

Thanks for having me on your blog!

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It was great having you Brenda :)

The Sapphire Talisman can be pre-ordered here.

For more Brenda awesomeness, be sure to visit the other stops on the tour.

Book Review: The Absolute Value of -1 by Steve Brezenoff

Age: 12+
Publication Date: September 2010

Pages: 296
Series: no
Acquisition: ARC from NetGalley

Summary:

The absolute value of any number, positive or negative, is its distance from zero: |-1| = 1

Noah, Lily, and Simon have been a trio forever. But as they enter high school, their relationships shift and their world starts to fall apart. Privately, each is dealing with a family crisis—divorce, abuse, and a parent's illness. Yet as they try to escape the pain and reach out for the connections they once counted on, they slip—like soap in a shower. Noah’s got it bad for Lily, but he knows too well Lily sees only Simon. Simon is indifferent, suddenly inscrutable to his friends. All stand alone in their heartache and grief.

In his luminous YA novel, Steve Brezenoff explores the changing value of relationships as the characters realize that the distances between them are far greater than they knew. (from Goodreads)

Quick thoughts:
Absolutely amazing. No happily ever after, no everything fitting into place by the end. Was this a problem? Defiantly not!

Likes:
It's about teenagers growing up on Long Island. I was a teenager growing up on Long Island and I might not have had some of the problems that Noah, Lily and Simon have, but I sure as hell knew people who did.

In each section we get a different characters point of view. I loved this! We see the same scenes played out through each characters eyes. Let me tell you, it felt so real! It's like 3 people telling the same story and everything they tell you is true - it's how they see it, but each story is very different.

Lilly remembers every word Simon has ever said to her, yet Simon barely notices when she's in the room. Noah acts like nothing phases him, yet every move he makes is calculated. And Simon? I pretty much loved to hate him. In my mind, he was the good guy but....after seeing what was really going through his mind? Not so much.

I knew people like Lilly, Simon and Noah growing up. I could almost see myself in their situations and loved it.

Dislikes:
Hard to say since I pretty much loved every word on every page. Forced to pick something, I would have to say that my one dislike would be the character of Suzanne. She's Simon's sister and she plays a integral part in the story but we only get her for a chapter at the beginning and another one at the very end. There was way more to her story then what we were given and I would have liked to have seen more of her. But, have to say, her vague presence, really worked with the overall story.

Final thoughts:
One of my top reads of 2010. Steve's storytelling was excellent and I'm excited to read more from him in the future.

Overall Rating:

5 / 5 Stars

Linkage Love:
Carolrhoda Lab
Author's Website
Goodreads