Sunday, 13 December 2009

In My Mailbox - 13 December

It's nice to be somewhat up and at them! Thanks so much for all the supportive emails and tweets, the surgery went well and I am currently healing up while watching Harper's Island and The Legend of the Seeker DVDS.

Here's my IMM this week, a delightful mix of review copies, borrowed lovelies and purchased delights.

Thanks to Alea and Kristi for their fantastic meme.

FOR REVIEW

Girl Aloud - Emily Gale

Kass Kennedy is in trouble. Her manically up-and-down dad has finally lost it - he’s entered her for The X Factor. This would be slightly less of a crisis if:

a) she could sing

b) any tiny bit of her wanted to be a star, and

c) she hadn’t lost her two best friends over a boy in brown boots.

Somehow Kass must get out of it with her sanity, friendships and family still intact.

Being a blogger had allowed me to befriend many people that I otherwise would never have known, Emily Gale is one of these. I am tremendously excited to read her debut release, though it's only available in the UK at this stage.

Hunger - Michael Grant
It's been three months since everyone under the age of fifteen became trapped in the bubble known as the FAYZ. Things have only gotten worse. Food is running out, and each day more kids are developing supernatural abilities. Soon tension rises between those with powers and those without, and when an unspeakable tragedy occurs, chaos erupts. It's the normals against the mutants, and the battle promises to turn bloody.

But something more dangerous lurks. A sinister creature known as the Darkness has begun to call to the survivors in the FAYZ. It needs their powers to sustain its own. When the Darkness calls, someone will answer -- with deadly results.

I didn't read the first title (Gone) so I have little interest in this one despite the commendable reviews.

PURCHASED
Whip It! - Shauna Cross
Meet Bliss Cavendar, an indie-rock-loving misfit stuck in the tiny town of Bodeen, Texas. Her pageant-addicted mother expects her to compete for the coveted Miss Bluebonnet crown, but Bliss would rather feast on roaches than be subjected to such rhinestone tyranny.
Bliss's escape? Roller Derby.
When she discovers a league in nearby Austin, Bliss embarks on an epic journey full of hilarious tattooed girls, delicious boys in bands, and a few not-so-awesome realities even the most hard-core derby chick has to learn.

Having seen the movie, I thought it would be interesting to give the book a go. I am also tempted to see the original work of the screenwriter of the If I Stay adaptation.

The Rise and Fall of a 10th Grade Social Climber - Lauren Mechling and Laura Meyer
After the collapse of her parents' marriage, Mimi Schulman leaves her mother in Houston to look after her befuddled photographer father in New York. Too preoccupied with family problems to think much about her new life, Mimi's first hour at The Baldwin School—an institution where teachers offer psychoanalysis in lieu of grades and students hold cocktail parties in the bathroom between classes—leaves her spinning.

When Sam, her childhood best friend, bets her she can't befriend the "cool girls," Mimi accepts the challenge, only to discover that social climbing in New York is no easy task. Fitting in with the blond, all-American popular girls back in Texas was nothing compared to joining Baldwin's clique of raccoon-eyed waifs.

Rubbing shoulders with the offspring of diplomats and celebrities, all with secrets and dysfunctions that put her own domestic worries to shame, Mimi finds herself in one bizarre situation to the next—a fake-ID deli, a topless bar, a jacuzzi in Trump Tower—and in the position of winning a bet that threatens to make her lose sight of herself.

Not sure if this will be decadently fun or OTT in a good way.

BORROWED
Boy Proof - Cecil Castelucci
With her shaved head, ring-covered ears, and a swirling cloak, brilliant Victoria insists her name is Egg, after the hero in her favorite sf movie, Terminal Earth, which she has seen 42 times. Who cares that she has no friends in her high-school senior class in Hollywood? She will never be normal. She is "post-apocalyptic." What she loves is working with her dad in movie special effects, tinkering with "eyeballs or aliens or ears." But when brilliant, gorgeous Max arrives, she cannot help loving him, especially because he is also in tune with the sf/fantasy world, and he shows her that she can be her own person, and fight real apocalyptic conservation issues right on earth. Of course, Max is too perfect, and the turnaround message is heavy.

I have really enjoyed Cecil Castelucci's work so far. I lump her in with Stephanie Kuehnert and Kathy Charles as the LA Gang of rock 'n' roll gals that I love. Big thanks to Simmone for lending them to me, you will have them back asap!

Girl - Blake Nelson
Welcome to the world of Portland teenager Andrea Marr, the Girl. Told in a voice that reads like the intimate diary of a young woman about to take life on full throttle, this wonderful debut novel chronicles Andrea's jittery journey from suburban mall to Portland's thriving underground rock scene — and back again, as she discovers sex, betrayal and even love.

A Catcher in the Rye for the "Grunge" generation, this instant classic will speak to anyone who has ever had to choose between the suffocation of conformity and the perils of rebellion.

Hmmm curious....

14 comments:

Dahlia (TheBookShopaholic) said...

Cool books.
Hope you lots of fun reading them all!

Carrie at In the Hammock Blog said...

I hadn't heard of the first few! They all look great!

Bookalicious Ramblings said...

My copy of Girl, Aloud should arrive soon too and I cannot wait, it sounds like such a lovely read! The rest books sound pretty great too, I hope you enjoy them all. :)

Anna said...

Girl is pretty good. I read it forever a go. There is also a movie based on the book with the same name.

Thao said...

Can't wait to hear what you think of Whip It. Enjoy the rest of the books too.

Unknown said...

I really enjoyed Gone but I wonder what it would be like to start with the second book. Hope you enjoy Hunger. I think I'm going to pre-order a copy.

Rebecca said...

Great books you got this week. They all look so good. Hope you enjoy reading all your books.

Milka said...

You got great books this week.
Happy reading! :)

Anonymous said...

Great books! I've wanted to read Whip It for a little while now, especially since I saw the movie. I'll keep an eye put for your review. :D

Happy reading!

Carla said...

Great books!! I've not read Gone yet either, I think the cover is putting me off, I'll see what you think and then maybe give it a try.....gald your getting better :-)

Lauren said...

These all sound interesting, with the possible exception of Hunger - I didn't think much of Gone really. I'm crazy excited by all the buzz I'm hearing about Girl, Aloud, so looking forward to reading that one for sure.

Library Lounge Lizard said...

I really want to see Whip it! I bet the book is good :o) Enjoy all your reads!

Beth Dunn said...

Glad you are feeling better. Keep resting! xoxo

SC

Lisa said...

I look forward to seeing what you think of Whip It. Roller derby seems like a great setting for a book.