In My Mailbox (15)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme devoted to sharing the new books we've received, borrowed, or bought. For more information, visit IMM's fantastic host, The Story Siren. You can visit other blogs that are participating in this week’s IMM here.

I haven't done an IMM in months, but I recently grabbed some goodies through sales, trades, and the library. Here's the haul from the New Year:

Bought on sale:

Tiger's Curse by Colleen Houck
Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier
If I Stay by Gayle Forman
Darker Still by Leanna Renee Hieber
Across the Universe by Beth Revis

Tahereh Mafi tweeted a 50% off coupon for teen books through Barnes & Noble's website. How could I resist? I picked up some books I'd considered reading, but never got around to because I didn't want to pony up full price. Looking forward to these!

Received from trade with Ruby's Reads:

Vesper by Jeff Sampson
The Jewel and the Key by Louise Spiegler
Blue Bloods by Melissa de la Cruz
The Native Star by M. K. Hobson
Clockwork Heart by Dru Pagliassotti
Under Wraps by Hannah Jayne
Under Attack by Hannah Jayne
Dance with the Devil by Sherrilyn Kenyon
Night Pleasures by Sherrilyn Kenyon
Night Embrace by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Ruby is moving, and therefore trying to unload some books. This is a genius plan, and surely one I will copy when the time comes for a move of my own. I scored this shoebox full of books for the price of three hardcover pre-orders. Some of these I've read but didn't own copies, and some I hadn't even heard of but sounded cool. Full of win! Thanks Ruby!

Borrowed from the library:

The Heroes by Joe Abercrombie
Lover Avenged by J. R. Ward
When Gods Die by C. S. Harris
History of a Suicide: My Sister's Unfinished Life by Jill Bialosky
Enclave by Ann Aguirre
Airborn by Kenneth Oppel
Hounded by Kevin Hearne

This was part of a set I checked out during my end of the year break, but still haven't managed to finish a single one. I always get overly ambitious at the library, but thank goodness for online renewals, amirite? I covered almost all of my bases, too - fantasy, romance, historical mystery, nonfiction, YA dystopian, steampunk, and YA urban fantasy/paranormal. Eclectic, much?

That's it for now. What books did you get recently?

In My Mailbox (14)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme devoted to sharing the new books we've received, borrowed, or bought. For more information, visit IMM's fantastic host, The Story Siren. You can visit other blogs that are participating in this week’s IMM here.

I got an awesome haul of books through the library, gifted, or on sale this week. This is the frugal edition of IMM!

Bought:
The Iron Duke (Iron Seas #1) by Meljean Brook
Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel
Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink
Deception (Haunting Emma #1) by Lee Nichols
First Draft in 30 Days and From First Draft to Finished Novel by Karen S. Wiesner

Received for ARC tour:
When the Sea is Rising Red by Cat Hellisen from Around the World Tours

I make a habit of checking Amazon's Bargain Books every few weeks to see if anything good pops up, and this week I jumped on sale prices for The Iron Duke, Prophecy of the Sisters, and Deception. I've wanted to read all of them for a long time, so I'm glad I got them on the cheap. :) Dearly, Departed was a pre-order that arrived on Tuesday (happy release day to Lia Habel!), and the two writing books are for outline help pre-NaNoWriMo. I had a coupon for Writer's Digest Shop, so hooray for discounts!

Borrowed from the library:
Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma
Cate of the Lost Colony by Lisa M. Klein
The Exile: An Outlander Graphic Novel by Diana Gabaldon and Hoang Nguyen
Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

Graphic novels borrowed from the library:
Criminal Vol. 1: Coward, Vol. 2: Lawless, and Vol. 3: The Dead and the Dying by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips
Fables: Legends in Exile (Vol. 1) and Fables: Animal Farm (Vol. 2) by Bill Willingham, Lan Medina, Steve Leialoha, Mark Buckingham
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 by Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill
Y: The Last Man, Vol. 1: Unmanned and Vol. 2: Cycles by Brian K. Vaughan, Pia Guerra, José Marzán Jr.

I'm trying to make better use of my library, considering it is so close to my house. They have a well-stocked young adult section for a small branch, and this week I stumbled upon an excellent stash of graphic novels that included some titles I've been DYING to read but wasn't sure I wanted to buy. I've been getting a bit crazycakes with buying comics, so I'm happy that I can get a lot of great titles from my local library instead of spending money on them.

Fall Book Exchange:
Grave Witch (Alex Craft #1) by Kalayna Price
Kitty and the Midnight Hour (Kitty Norville #1) by Carrie Vaughn


I participated in the Fall Book Exchange hosted by Ruby's Reads and I received these two ebooks gifted through Amazon from my Santa: Mickey at imabookshark! I told her to surprise me from my wish list and I was so happy to receive these titles as I've been meaning to read them both for a reeeeeeally long time. And just in time for next week's Bout of Books Read-a-thon!

A huge, mega, universe-sized thank you to Mickey for these books and to Ruby for hosting the exchange!

That's it for now. What books did you get recently?

In My Mailbox (13)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme devoted to sharing the new books we've received, borrowed, or bought. For more information, visit IMM's fantastic host, The Story Siren. You can visit other blogs that are participating in this week’s IMM here.

Received for trade:
Dead Beautiful by Yvonne Woon
The Candidates by Inara Scott
Immortal by Gillian Shields
all from Ruby's Reads

Thank you Ruby! She also sent me a note guaranteeing that she loved just one of the books I sent her more than all three of these. We're both hopeful that I love them more than she did. :)

Received for review:
Haunting Violet by Alyxandra Harvey from I Read Banned Book Tours

This one has been out for a while, but when I found out Jen was willing to keep circulating older titles after they'd gone out on tour, I jumped on this one. I'm expecting Beauty Queens by Libba Bray for the same reason.

Won:
Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Greene & David Levithan
from author Stasia Ward Kehoe at A Year of Auditions
The Uncoupling by Meg Wolitzer and Secrets (The Ivy #2) by Lauren Kunze & Rina Onur from One Pushy Fox at Bewitched Bookworms

I was super excited to receive a bunch of signed bookmarks for Stasia Ward Kehoe's Audition, which comes out this fall, which she sent tucked into the copy of Will Grayson, Will Grayson I won. Thank you Stasia!

I also want to mention that I had won a copy of The Uncoupling from the publisher, which unfortunately never arrived. Big, big, HUGE thank yous to Pushy at Bewitched Bookworms who would not take no for an answer and insisted on sending me her ARC of the title AND a hardcover she made me choose from her list. I chose Secrets because it sounds awesome (college setting, yes!) and since I didn't have the first one...

Bought:
The Ivy by Lauren Kunze and Rina Onur

Graphic novels:
American Vamire, Vol. 1 by Scott Snyder, Rafael Albuquerque and Stephen King
Kill Shakespeare Vol. 1 by Conor McCreery, Andy Belanger, Anthony Del Col
The Unwritten Vol. 1: Tommy Taylor and the Bogus Identity by Mike Carey, Peter Gross
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by Eric Shanower, Skottie Young, L. Frank Baum

Comic books: (links to comiXology)
Captain Swing & the Electrical Pirates of Cindery Island by Warren Ellis & Raulo Caceres, issue 3
Lady Mechanika by Joe Benitez, issue 2
Ruse by Mark Waid, Butch Guice, and Mirco Pierfederici, issues 1-12, 14, 15, 20, & 26 of original run, issues 1-4 of new run

Haunted City by Peter Johnson, Michael Ryan, and Peter Steigerwald, issue 0
Batman: Gates of Gotham by Scott Snyder, Kyle Higgins, and Trevor McCarthy, issue 1
The Strange Case of Mr. Hyde by Cole Haddon & M. S. Corley, issue 2
Sherlock Holmes: Year One by Scott Beatty and Daniel Indro, issues 1 & 3

American Vampire: Survival of the Fittest by Scott Snyder and Sean Murphy, issues 1 & 2
Scarlet by Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev, issues 2-5
Caligula by David Lapham & German Nobile, issues 1 & 2

And because today is my BIRTHDAY, on Saturday I used some gift cards I'd been requesting from friends/family to go buy the Barnes & Noble Nook Color and a simple cover:

I was trying to make the cover legible, but it's too dark. It's an espresso brown color, faux leather, and says "A writer only begins a book. A reader finishes it. Samuel Johnson."

It looks pretty bare so far. Library book, Galley Grab books, the one NetGalley book I can't read on my Kindle, and some apps. I'm still learning how to use the darn falutin' thing.

That's it for now. What books did you get recently?


Amazingly beautiful and painstakingly crafted signature courtesy of Small Review

In My Mailbox (12)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme devoted to sharing the new books we've received, borrowed, or bought. For more information, visit IMM's fantastic host, The Story Siren. You can visit other blogs that are participating in this week’s IMM here.

Won:
Relic Master: The Dark City by Catherine Fisher
from Reading with Tequila


I loved Catherine Fisher's writing in the Incarceron series so I'm looking forward to checking out something different from her.

Received for review:
The Mephisto Covenant by Trinity Faegen
Torrent by Lisa T. Bergren



IT'S HEEEEEEERE! It's here! It's here! Torrent is here! First, though, I'm reading The Mephisto Covenant and it's AWESOME. In the first 15 pages there's a stoning. A STONING!?! Love.

Ebooks:
The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson (via NetGalley)
Rampant (Killer Unicorns #1) by Diana Peterfreund (via Overdrive/library)


Killer. Unicorns. I had to try it.

That's it for now. What books did you get recently?


Amazingly beautiful and painstakingly crafted signature courtesy of Small Review

In My Mailbox (11)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme devoted to sharing the new books we've received, borrowed, or bought. For more information, visit IMM's fantastic host, The Story Siren. You can visit other blogs that are participating in this week’s IMM here.

It's been a loooong time since my last IMM, and though I wanted to do a vlog, I thought it would be way too long with the pile-up that's been gathering on my shelves since May.


Won:
Possession by Elana Johnson won from Ruby's Reads
The Darkest Hour by Maya Banks (surprise bonus from Ruby's Reads!)
The Greyfriar by Clay Griffith and Susan Griffith won from Midnyte Reader (Signed!)
Revolution World by Katy Stauber won from My Bookish Ways
I Am J by Cris Beam won from Jess Free Falcon
Flowerbed of State by Dorothy St. James won from Armchair BEA

Bought:
Heist Society by Ally Carter
Raised by Wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Falling for Hamlet by Michelle Ray
The Black Dagger Brotherhood: An Insider's Guide by J. R. Ward

I've discovered that I can't go into a bookstore and buy only one book. I can buy no books, just not one book. If I'm buying books, I have to buy at least two or it feels like a waste of a trip. During the first trip, I really knew I wanted to get Heist Society, and wandered around with my sister for like an hour before deciding to get Raised by Wolves after remembering a glowing recommendation for it from Smash Attack Reads!. During the second trip I snatched up Falling for Hamlet because I've been waiting for this book all year, and wanted to get the next BDB book to read over the weekend. They had every book except the one I needed, so decided on this Insider's Guide instead.


Received for review:
Shadowcry by Jenna Burtenshaw
Don't Stop Now by Julie Halpern
Between Here and Forever by Elizabeth Scott
Sweetly by Jackson Pearce
Sometimes It Happens by Lauren Barnholdt
Triangles by Ellen Hopkins
The Lost Angel by Javier Sierra

I got another box of ARCs from the wonderful folks at the nearby independent bookseller, The Book Stall, which was unexpected and so incredibly nice of them. I also received Triangles and The Lost Angel from Simon & Schuster/Atria Books through the Galley Alley feature after BEA, where they allowed reviewers and booksellers to request a limited number of leftover ARCs post-BEA!

Thank you to The Book Stall and Atria Books!

Borrowed from the library:
Where I Want To Be by Adele Griffin
Trickster's Choice by Tamora Pierce
Behemoth by Scott Westerfeld

As if I didn't already have enough books to read, I couldn't resist stopping at the library over the holiday weekend. For me, holiday library trips are practically a requirement. I got two other adult books - a Kathy Reichs "Bones" book and another forensic science mystery that is part of a series I hadn't heard of. Not sure if I'm going to review them or not, so I didn't take a picture. At this rate, I may not even get to the library books at all!

Somebody needs a book ban.

That's it for now. What books did you get recently?


Amazingly beautiful and painstakingly crafted signature courtesy of Small Review

In My Mailbox (10)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme devoted to sharing the new books we've received, borrowed, or bought. For more information, visit IMM's fantastic host, The Story Siren. You can visit other blogs that are participating in this week’s IMM here.

Won:

DFF: Dead Friends Forever by J. R. Turner
School's Out 4-Ever by J. R. Turner

I won these copies, along with a cool book thong, from Paranormal Indulgence. Thank you Asher and J. R. Turner!

Bought:

The Espressologist by Kristina Springer
Evernight by Claudia Gray
The Order of Odd-Fish by James Kennedy
Divergent by Veronica Roth

I took a trip to the northern suburbs this weekend to a great independent bookstore, The Book Stall. I had signed copies of Divergent on hold, and while I was there I found a couple of other autographed books - The Espressologist and The Order of Odd-Fish, so picked those up as well. Giveaway love is on its way! I also snagged that copy of Evernight from Amazon's Bargain Books.

Received for review:

Fix Me by Rune Michaels
Eve by Anna Carey
Dreams of Significant Girls by Cristina Garcia
A Beautiful Dark by Jocelyn Davies
Enthralled: Paranormal Diversions
by Melissa Marr and Kelley Armstrong, eds.
Spoiled by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan

When I reserved my Divergent copies at The Book Stall, the Children's/YA head honcho told me he'd leave some goodies for me since I was a blogger. I wasn't sure what to expect, but certainly no more than one or two ARCs. Imagine my surprise when I picked up an entire box of awesome! I'm very excited to read these and spread the love, so if you see a title that interests you, email me and maybe we can work out a trade or something. This much awesome should not go to waste! Big, big thanks to The Book Stall!

The Map of Time by Felix J. Palma

Speaking of a box of awesome, I almost died when this arrived for me, straight from Simon & Schuster. I requested this book through Shelf Awareness, and it's the first one I've actually received! My shoddy picture does not do this gorgeous cover justice, and the little companion copy of The Time Machine is adorable! I'm so looking forward to this steampunk treasure.

That's it for this week month. What books did you get recently?

In My Mailbox (9)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme devoted to sharing the new books we've received, borrowed, or bought. For more information, visit IMM's fantastic host, The Story Siren. You can visit other blogs that are participating in this week’s IMM here.



Won:

WITHER by Lauren DeStefano - Goodreads | Amazon
THE DARK DIVINE by Bree Despain - Goodreads | Amazon | My Review

Thank you to I Eat Words and Reading Under the Influence!

Bought on sale at Borders:

INK EXCHANGE by Melissa Marr - Goodreads | Amazon
WONDROUS STRANGE by Lesley Livingstone - Goodreads | Amazon
AURELIA by Anne Osterlund - Goodreads | Amazon
THE SEASON by Sarah MacLean - Goodreads | Amazon
PERSONAL DEMONS by Lisa Desrochers - Goodreads | Amazon
OUTLANDER by Diana Gabaldon - Goodreads | Amazon

Fairies, Regency, and Scotsmen - OH MY!

Bought for Kindle:

FREE! These books are free for Kindle right now. How could I resist? Plus the sequel to 13 Little Blue Envelopes comes out this month, AND it takes the reader on a jaunt through Europe. Um, OKAY!



Duuuuuuuhhhhhhhh. Given how much I loved the last one, OF COURSE I got this one pre-ordered. I still haven't read it yet, though, so shhh.