In My Mailbox (23): Now A Monthly Meme, Apparently! MONDAY EDITION

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi of The Story Siren, and inspired by Alea at Pop Culture Junkie! Participants are required to tell all about what they've received in the mail--anything bookish!

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This month has been pretty good. Sorry for the strange book arrangements. Many belong in other "categories" (bought, won, etc). And no, this will not be a monthly thing. The flow of books should lessen for a while though. No complaints here! I already have more than enough books to last me the rest of the year. If only those pesky, sparkly new books would stop getting released!


* All release dates go in the format (dd/mm/yy)

* Any books I have already read will have a sort of mini-review and the rating I have given it up until now written.

For Review:

The Valley of Blood and Gold by Tony Palmer (28/02/11, Penguin AUS)

Aussie author! To be completely honest I've never had much of an interest in Australian history. However, the Gold Rush period has always sort of fascinated me. This might be the next Aussie book I hit up next, after Mercy.

Prom & Prejudice by Elizabeth Eulberg (28/02/11, Penguin AUS)

While I did enjoy The Lonely Hearts Club, her debut, I was not amazed or thought it was too special. But I'm willing to give Prom & Prejudice a try. It sounds like fun!


Glass Houses (Morganville Vampires, #1) by Rachel Caine (04/01/11, Penguin AUS)

Gracious E asked me if I wanted to read this, and since I'm not too good with vampires but wanted to see what the fuss was about, she sent me the first book. Fingers crossed.


A Beautiful Lie by Irfan Master (01/03/11, Bloomsbury AU)

Heard this one is amazing and unique. :)


Triple Ripple: A Fabulous Fairytale by Brigid Lowry (01/03/11, Allen & Unwin)

The cover is amazing! I really like it, and I can't wait to see how all of these features are introduced in the book. I'm going to have a blast when reviewing this one, hopefully, as I will be showing you how cool it looks! :D

Tyme's End by B.R. Collins (01/03/11, Bloomsbury AU)

I love the composition of the cover. Looking at it in person I discovered that details matter so, so much. See those poles on either side of the gate door? They're unicorns, which I hadn't picked up with the online image.

Delirium by Lauren Oliver (02/11, Harper Collins AU)

My "review". (*cringes at "painfully hypnotic"*) I had trouble getting into it, but Delirium was still awe-inspiring. Oliver's got contemporary and dystopia down-pat. I'm hoping to re-read it soon enough, so I can finally write a proper review, but alack, I may be unable to do so.

Courtesy of Good Golly Miss Holly ARC Tours

Taking one final photo before they go, sadly. And these are really heavy together! I had no idea.

Cate of the Lost Colony by Lisa M. Klein (12/10/10)    Historical YA

I got about 50 pages in, and I was about to sleep. I haven't heard many good things about this book, so I didn't have much motivation to push on and see if it got better.

The Locket by Stacey Jay (03/02/11)    Debut YA '11


A fun read, but also made me all emotional at times. The characters irritated me a bit, but most for good cause. Still I'd buy this for the cover. :P

Daughter of Xanadu by Dori Jones Yang (11/01/11)    Historical YA    Debut YA '11

My review. Basically this has everything going for it. A solid sense of location with depth of research evident in the descriptions in the novel. Love the characters, love the plot, and the writing? Superb. This was a real trip.

Bought:

Good Oil by Laura Buzo (08/10, Allen & Unwin)    Aussie YA

I need to read this soon! This is set in freaking Woolies! Must. Read. Soon.

Six Impossible Things by Fiona Wood (01/08/10, Pan MacMillan)    Aussie YA


My review. Never before, since Clay Jenson (13RW), had I found such charm in a male protagonist/narrator! Love love love. What a delightful read. One that I can imagine re-reading in the near future.


What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell (01/11/08, Scholastic)    Historical YA

WWII. Already read a bit as a sample, and this one shows great promise. I hope to enjoy it nearly as much as all others who have granted this book a high rating.

Won:

 

Because I Am Furniture by Thalia Chaltas (pictured in "Bought"; thanks to Kai at Fiction State of Mind)

The verse structure thwarted the potential that this book should have lived up to, and for that I was disappointed. Yet, credit still goes to the quality of the writing in the poems, as well as the issues that had been addressed.

Harmonic Feedback by Tara Kelly (thanks to Kelly at Can't Find A Bookmark)

There should never have even been a doubt in my mind that I wouldn't have absolutely loved this book. I love the seriousness of this book, as well as the funny laugh-out-loud, buddy-buddy moments. Amazing. If I'd known it'd be this awesomesauce, I'd have taken it out of my top-wishlist and onto my bookshelf as soon as I saw it.

The Lipstick Laws by Amy Holder ARC (thanks to Lisa at Badass Bookie)    Debut YA '11

Wow. It's very short, which means I'll definitely have it read by April. ;) I'm expecting lots of fun times and cattiness!

Swapped:

The Splendour Falls by Rosemary Clement-Moore (pictured in "won")


I'm unsure of this title. All I know is that it's a paranormal YA.

Swag:

The Lipstick Laws by Amy Holder

Only the postcard is signed, personally to me. :P And I had already mentioned Like Mandarin swag in the last IMM. I don't know why I included it.

Netgalley:

* Just additions for this week.

The Goddess Test (Goddess Test, #1) by Aimee Carter

I'm in love. Read the prologue and I'm so definitely going to be buying a finished copy. Seems there's only paperback, which is ultimately a lot easier on me. :) Love Greek mythology.

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What are we up to now?

• Currently Reading: Just finished Being Here by Barry Jonsberg (Aussie YA!)
• Next up: Prom and Prejudice by Elizabeth Eulberg
• Reviewed: Daughter of Xanadu by Dori Jones Yang