IMM (5): July 10, 2011

In My Mailbox (IMM) is a weekly meme created by Kristi over atThe Story Siren. IMM is a chance for a blogger to show which books/e-books have been recently acquired either as ARCs, purchased, or borrowed. Click here to find out more.

Hello! Welcome to In My Mailbox for the week of July 10th, 2011. This IMM covers the books I have bought, borrowed, received, or won over the course of the past two weeks. I have been a little busy with school work, but summer classes will be over at the end of this month. Yay! More time for reading :-)


Bought

Jane by April Lindner
Forced to drop out of an esteemed East Coast college after the sudden death of her parents, Jane Moore takes a nanny job at Thornfield Park, the estate of Nico Rathburn, an iconic rock star on the brink of a huge comeback. Practical and independent, Jane reluctantly becomes entranced by her magnetic and brooding employer, and finds herself in the midst of a forbidden romance. But there's a mystery at Thornfield, and Jane's much-envied relationship with Nico is tested by a torturous secret from his past. (GoodReads)

Sound familiar? I am a huge fan of Jane Eyre. When I saw this was a modern retelling, I decided to give it a try. Other than my fascination with the classic, another thing that drew me to this book was the cover. The bright pink letters are obviously eye-catching. "Plain Jane" against the gloomy background presents an air of mystery.

Borrowed

Mindblind by Jennifer Roy
Formulas are 14-year-old Nathaniel’s friends because they relax him, an important consideration for someone given to panic attacks when he has to interact with people. Nathaniel is a high-functioning “Aspie,” a term that those—like him—with Asperger’s syndrome employ to describe themselves. Fortunately, formulas aren’t Nathaniel’s only friends. His neighbor Cooper is one; pretty, vivacious Jessa, upon whom Nathaniel has a serious but unarticulated crush, is another; and Molly—an Aspie like him—is a third. The multitalented Nathaniel plays keyboards in a band, teaches himself Mandarin Chinese, and is an absolute whiz at mathematics. And why not? He has an IQ of 182. (Booklist)
 
A classmate mentioned this book to me after a discussion on Marcelo in the Real World. I read Mockingbird recently, which is also about an "Aspie." After all the good things I have heard about this book, I cannot wait to read it!

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris - until she meets Etienne St. Clair: perfect, Parisian (and English and American, which makes for a swoon-worthy accent), and utterly irresistible. The only problem is that he's taken, and Anna might be, too, if anything comes of her almost-relationship back home.
As winter melts into spring, will a year of romantic near - misses end with the French kiss Anna - and readers - have long awaited? (GoodReads)

I have to admit that I really didn't have any desire to read this when I first heard about it. However, it has been on a favorite list for several bloggers. That being said, it is about time to stop waiting around and read this one. It seems like a cute story.

Received


(From VOYA)
Ultraviolet by R.J. Anderson
Sixteen-year-old Alison has been sectioned in a mental institute for teens, having murdered the most perfect and popular girl at school. But the case is a mystery: no body has been found, and Alison's condition is proving difficult to diagnose. Alison herself can't explain what happened: one minute she was fighting with Tori -- the next she disintegrated. Into nothing. But that's impossible. Right? (GoodReads)

I have read this and will be reviewing it for VOYA. It is awesome. Go buy it when it comes out. Murder mystery meets science fiction.

Ghost Hunt 2 by Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson
This latest collection of real stories from the paranormal investigatory group The Atlantic Paranormal Society (TAPS) has the same punch as its predecessor, Ghost Hunt. (Kirkus)

 It's been a while since I read a short story collection. It's also been a while since I read any ghost stories. This is another book that I will be reviewing for VOYA. The authors are the hosts of the television show Ghost Hunters. This should make for some interesting ghost stories! I look forward to this read.



(From Author, Rusty Fischer)
Zombies Don’t Cry by Rusty Fischer
In the sleepy small town of Barracuda Bay, Maddy Swift leads the life of a fairly typical teenager, but while attending a party one night, Maddy is struck by lightning and awakens to realize she has been reanimated and turned into a zombie. While becoming acquainted with her new "lifestyle," Maddy stumbles upon two unexpected undead chaperones, fellow students Dane and Chloe, who begin to teach her the ways of zombie life, including defending the populace from Zerkers—the bad zombies. Together, on prom night, the three teens must ultimately defend Barracuda Bay High from an all-out zombie Armageddon. (GoodReads)


Rusty Fischer is completely awesome! He sent me this book which I will be reviewing in the next couple weeks. And after the review, I will be making Vampires Don't Cry themed cupcakes! I definitely cannot wait to start this project!


Won


(From Melina over at Reading Vacation)
Uncommon Criminals by Ally Carter
Katarina Bishop has worn a lot of labels in her short life: Friend. Niece. Daughter. Thief. But for the last two months she’s simply been known as the girl who ran the crew that robbed the greatest museum in the world. That’s why Kat isn’t surprised when she’s asked to steal the infamous Cleopatra Emerald so it can be returned to its rightful owners.
There are only three problems. First, the gem hasn’t been seen in public in thirty years. Second, since the fall of the Egyptian empire and the suicide of Cleopatra, no one who holds the emerald keeps it for long — and in Kat’s world, history almost always repeats itself. But it’s the third problem that makes Kat’s crew the most nervous, and that is . . . the emerald is cursed. (GoodReads)

This is the first book that I have ever won in a give-away! So awesome. I recently finished Ally Carter's first book in the series, Heist Society (review to come). I was left with several questions concerning Kat's back story that I hope comes up in Uncommon Criminals. Definitely look forward to reading this one!

What's in your mailbox?

Thanks for joining me this week for my IMM! Happy reading!