Friday Blog Hops #6

It's Friday so that means it is time for Feature and Follow Friday hosted by Alison Can Read and Parajunkee. I absolutely love this week's question: What book that hasn't been turned into a movie (yet) would you most like to see make it to the big screen, and who would you like cast as your favorite character?

I love movies very much. About as much as I love books, so for the most part, I love seeing books turned into something great on the silver screen. I have thought about what would make a good movie quite often actually.

Darkfever (The Fever Series) by Karen Marie Moning: I may have only read the first in this series so far, but I know it would make a great movie. As far as who to cast, I'm not too sure for Mac because I am not familiar with teen actors these days, but as far as Jericho Barrons is concerned, I've had a few potential players flash through my mind. Either Julian McMahon or Oded Fehr (now that I think of it they were both on Charmed . Truly a coincidence there). Now you can't deny these are some seriously sexy mysterious men, perfect to play Jericho.

P.S. It seems that this might be a movie in the making. Darkfever does have an IMDB page that says it is in development for 2013, so I will keep my fingers crossed!

Check out this week's feature blogs The Bookaholic and Starcrossed.

Over at Crazy for Books, there is another good question for the Book Blogger hop: “In honor of Banned Books Week, what is your favorite “banned or frequently challenged book”?”

Aside from Hunger Games, which is awesome and really one of my favorite books, I would like to mention Brave New World. I think this book was amazing. It was one of the originally dystopian books and I think even though the ideas in Brave New World are absolutely crazy, some of Huxley's predictions of society are oddly similar to how things are today. I suppose you have to be a pessimist like me to see it this way, though.

Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

Sharp Objects
Gillian Flynn
Published September 26th, 2006 by Shaye Areheart Books
Source: Swapped

"My sweater was new, stinging red and ugly." An edgy first line, and it provides the perfect opening for this gritty debut novel by journalist Flynn. Her protagonist, Camille Preaker, is a reporter for a second-rate Chicago newspaper. A solitary woman with a cynical bent, she appears to have carved out a workable life for herself despite a painful past and an estranged family. But when a second young girl turns up missing in Camille's hometown -- shortly after another local girl was found murdered -- Camille's editor sends her home to Missouri to cover the story. The question is, can Camille get to the bottom of the story before her demons get the best of her?

A classic whodunit, Sharp Objects is an gripping page-turner. Readers follow Camille to the field as she examines crime scenes, interviews the friends and family of the victims, and probes reticent investigators for information. After all, the world of investigative reporting is tantalizing. Take, for example, the provocative flirting between Camille and a Kansas City detective assigned to the cases. Is it sex they're after, or simply information? And the gradual unfolding of Camille's alarming past will keep readers riveted until the very last page. - Goodreads

Sharp Objects is a thriller unlike any other that I have read. The characters and surroundings are so vividly described, it is almost as if I am reading the book while simultaneously watching the movie behind my mind's eye. Disgruntled and reticent reporter, Camille Preaker, goes back to her small Missouri hometown of Wind Gap to write about a potential serial killer preying on little girls. As if the premise isn't disturbing enough, it doesn't take too long before things take an unimaginably darker turn.

It is no wonder that going back to Wind Gap turns Camille's stomach. The cast of characters are just so mean and nasty, that it is on the verge of unbelievable. Her mother, Adora, is a harsh and unloving woman not willing to show any real love for her eldest daughter. It doesn't help that Camille's younger sister, Marian, died when they were children. Adora never lets Camille forget that she wishes it were her that died instead. But now Adora has a new daughter to baby in her suffocating and almost wicked way. Amma, Camille's stepsister, is a needy, willful child when she is at home with her mother. But out among other people, she is the most hateful and spiteful child in town and everyone knows it. Her behavior is extremely disturbing and some of the things Amma does really made my jaw drop. All the other woman and girls of Wind Gap are no better. Everyone there is hiding a secret behind their perfect bleach blond coifs and gleaming smiles. They are the type of people that will serve you sweet tea with a side of cyanide.

Warning!: This book is definitely not for the faint-hearted. It is often graphic with talk and descriptions about grisly murders, self mutilation, and multiple sexual situations. However, most startling of all is the psychologically traumatizing events of Camille's past and the truth behind her sister's death that slowly surface throughout the book. Sharp Objects is a quick read but definitely unforgettable.

Crank by Ellen Hopkins

Crank

Ellen Hopkins

Published October 5th 2004 by Simon Pulse

Source: Swapped

Kristina Georgia Snow is the perfect daughter: gifted high school junior, quiet, never any trouble. But on a trip to visit her absentee father, Kristina disappears and Bree takes her place. Bree is the exact opposite of Kristina -- she's fearless.
Through a boy, Bree meets the monster: crank. And what begins as a wild, ecstatic ride turns into a struggle through hell for her mind, her soul -- her life.- Goodreads

I will admit, I did not read a single review of what this book was like before getting it. I saw it was on swap and I thought to myself, "Oh I think I've heard people say this one is good, so I will go ahead and get it." I was pretty much just expecting a drug related teen drama a la Go Ask Alice (the covers are even similar...well as much as white text on a black cover can be similar). However, as soon as I open the book, I see it is all poems. Each and every page is formatted like a teenager would do in her notebook; some scattered and free form verse, writing diagonally and upside down on the page. Yes, it is written from a teenager perspective, but I will admit that I was not looking forward to reading 530 pages of poems. I wanted to dislike it immediately. I read it (in one sitting) wanting to hate it and just get it over with. But I didn't. However, I can't, in all honesty, say that I liked it either.

I will say that the use of the poems allowed a lot of the extraneous fluff to be taken out and what you are left with is very succinct tale of the downward spiral of a teenage girl into the world of drugs. The story itself is assuredly  engrossing. The reality of sex, drugs, and rock-n-roll turns out isn't all Kristina thought it would be. What makes this book special (and also hard to say anything bad about) is the fact that the story is actually a semi-biographical account of the author's daughter. I don't really feel that makes her an expert necessarily on her daughter's emotions as she goes through her harrowing, drug-crazed journey, but it does make it that much more heart-breaking.

In the end, I decided that the use of the poetry format really did make sense. Quick thoughts and short phrases really leaves the reader wanting to know more, which in turn keeps the interest high and the pages flying by.

(P.S. I'm not totally against trying out another Ellen Hopkins book, but I don't think I particularly care for the Crank series. I'm thinking Tricks might be more relatable. Let me know what you think if you've read this one!)

Top Ten Tuesday #5

Hosted at The Broke and the Bookish

This week is on the topic of rereading. It isn't something that I do very often, there are many books out there that I've read, and would gladly read again.....one day.

Top Ten Books I Want To Reread

1. The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins - This whole trilogy was amazing and, even though I don't reread too often, I know for a fact this one is a keeper and I will probably read them again before I watch the movie.

2. Hyperion by Dan Simmons - A classic scifi that just blew me away. I haven't read it since high school, so when I have the time, it's at the top of the list.

3. In Cold Blood by Truman Capote - The writing is so amazing that some people forget this is actually a nonfiction book. The only nonfiction that I would never question keeping around in case I get the urge to read it again.

4. Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman - Just downright funny and entertaining. Much as one would expect when combining the incredible imaginations of these two gentlemen.

5. Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman - The fact that it is a standalone fantasy makes it an easier choice to want to read it again. Not to mention the fact that everything Gaiman touches is fantastic. See number 4.

6. The Catcher in The Rye by J.D. Salinger - I read this in high school and I know I missed out on a lot of the subtle nuance of this novel. I am pretty sure I enjoyed it, but my long term memory for entire novels is not so good.

7. Across the Universe by Beth Revis - I gave away my copy and regret it everyday. Eventually I will have to buy a new one.

8.. Survivor by Chuck Palahniuk - If you're a fan of this guy and haven't checked out Survivor yet. Do it!

9. Mythology by Edith Hamilton - Taking a mythology class in college was one of the best decisions I've ever made. I read through this collection and have been mildly obsessed with myths ever since. It's also a good reference book.

10. The Eyes of the Dragon by Stephen King - I didn't realize that he wrote fantasy, and at first I was skeptical but it was great. Another undaunting standalone fantasy book.

Post a comment with a link to your Top Ten Books You Want to Reread. I'd love to check out what you think is good enough to keep on your shelves!

Contest Craze: Cover Re-Design

Another cool mini challenge going on over at Ashley Suzanne as a part of Princess Bookie's contest craze month. This one was a bit difficult for me since I am a real newbie at photo editors/graphic programs but I gave it a shot! The challenge is to redesign a cover of a book. So here is my entry.

Before:

After:

Basically I thought this was a super awesome picture, so I'm glad to be able to do something with it.

Contest Craze: Zombie Survival

This mini challenge is hosted at That Teen Can Blog. Check out Princess Bookie's blog for more info on all the challenges! Here are the rules for this mini challenge:

The Zombie Apocalypse Preparation Challenge::
Use anything from any book you've ever read!

1. Choose two characters to fight along side of you
2. Choose the fictional world in which you will be fighting in
3. Choose a weapon/superpower/ability to use to fight
4. Go to this site: http://creativitygames.net/random-word-generator/randomwords/8 Choose one of the 8 words to be your mode of transportation (this WILL get silly)

The two people I'd want by my side: Rhage, from J.R. Wards's Black Dagger Brotherhood series, and Po from Graceling

Magical world where this takes place: The Seven Kingdoms of Westeros in A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin. A medieval and bleak landscape seems perfect place to hunt zombies.

My weapon: An all purpose machete

Mode of transportation: Birds

Stories for Nighttime and Some for the Day by Ben Loory

Stories for Nighttime and Some for the Day
Ben Loory
Published July 26th 2011 by Penguin

Source: Swapped

Loory's collection of wry and witty, dark and perilous contemporary fables is populated by people–and monsters and trees and jocular octopi–who are united by twin motivations: fear and desire. In his singular universe, televisions talk (and sometimes sing), animals live in small apartments where their nephews visit from the sea, and men and women and boys and girls fall down wells and fly through space and find love on Ferris wheels. In a voice full of fable, myth, and dream, Stories for Nighttime and Some for the Day draws us into a world of delightfully wicked recognitions, and introduces us to a writer of uncommon talent and imagination. -Goodreads

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This is my first attempt at reviewing a short story collection. I am a big fan of reading short stories because it isn't daunting at all to just read a couple of pages and have a feeling of completeness. In my opinion, the best short story writer is the great Stephen King. It is hard not to compare other collections to his work, especially if they are being marketed in the paranormal, fantasy, sci fi genre. It doesn't have to be scary like King's, but I feel his are the just the right length and the endings are almost always superb in their shock and awe value.

With that being said, it is completely possible that I am a bit bias towards those types of stories. What I loved about Ben Loory's short (and I mean SHORT) stories, are that they are extremely creative. Clever premises, talking animals, aware inanimate objects, and martians all find their place here. The stories had such great set-ups, most with the nice creepy element that I was expecting which did manage to create excitement in that short amount of time. Loory writes short, sweet, and to the point. However the big downfall to this collection is the endings.  One of the definitions of fable (and the one I feel was intended when calling these stories fables) is:

a short tale to teach a moral lesson, often with animals or inanimate objects as characters

The main issue I have with this is the fact that I couldn't really wheedle out any of the moral lessons that were being portrayed. Unfortunately, I felt that the writing was too esoteric, and the fact that most, of the 39 stories included, ended with me going, "What?", and that's not in a good way. I just didn't get it, plain and simple. I'm sure that there are plenty of others who got something from these stories, but I wasn't one of them.

In My Mailbox #7

Hosted by Kristy at The Story Siren

Ok I know last week I said I wasn't going to be getting any more books. Well apparently I forgot about a few requests I had made from bookswap, so now I have more to share this week. But I'm stopping after this. I swear it.

Yeah right.

The Warrior Heir by Cinda Williams Chima

I've heard so many people say its good, but I've actually never read a review or even the blurb so I have no idea what its about.

In Search of the Rose Notes by Emily Arsenault

I saw this on the Goodreads Giveaway and while I didn't win it, I put it on my wishlist and snagged a copy. It is a mystery thriller about two girls search for their missing babysitter. 

A Certain Slant of Light by Laura Whitcomb

I don't think I've read a romantic ghost story yet, so I'm excited to start with this one. And just in time for Halloween!

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray

Beauty Queens
Libba Bray
Published May 24th 2011 by Scholastic Press

Source: Purchased

The fifty contestants in the Miss Teen Dream pageant thought this was going to be a fun trip to the beach, where they could parade in their state-appropriate costumes and compete in front of the cameras. But sadly, their airplane had another idea crashing on a desert island and leaving the survivors stranded with little food, little water, and practically no eyeliner.

What's a beauty queen to do? Continue to practice for the talent portion of the program--or wrestle snakes to the ground? Get a perfect tan--or learn to run wild? And what should happen when the sexy pirates show up?

Welcome to the heart of non-exfoliated darkness. Your tour guide? None other than Libba Bray, the hilarious, sensational, Printz Award-winning author of A Great and Terrible Beauty and Going Bovine. The result is a novel that will make you laugh, make you think, and make you never see beauty the same way again. - Goodreads

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The cover of this book is so crazy and intriguing, that I couldn't wait to crack this one open. I will admit, I thought it was going to be a bit more light-hearted and funny than it turned out. Not to say that it wasn't down right hilarious in moments, but I had no idea what I was getting myself into.

Libba Bray is an absolutely amazing author. I am now ashamed to say that this was the first book of hers I have read (A Great and Terrible Beauty has now moved up my TBR list). Nothing is safe from Ms. Bray's sharp wit and sarcasm. Beauty Queens is an amazing satire in which a group of teen beauty pageant contestants must find out how to survive on an island without high heels and glitter. But things aren't what they seem. The story mainly focuses on a few of the contestants who all have an interesting back story that led them to compete in Miss Teen Dream. This is a story of not only survival, but finding oneself. The girls learn that it's ok to be what she wants to be and not what the media says they should. Their experience changes they way they (and I) think about growing up in America in the age of mass consumerism and greedy, heartless corporations.

"Maybe girls need and island to find themselves. Maybe they need a place where no one's watching them so they can be who they really are." - pg 177

Being a girl (or woman) in this day and age isn't easy, but sacrificing what you really are is not the answer to a happy existence. What makes Beauty Queens so great is that it is not only just a smart, funny, and darn good read, I think it is a great lesson to the teenage girls out there who think that pretty is the epitome of life. The relatable, fresh prose moves the story along at a fast pace and it never failed to keep me interested in what would happen next.

One point I should make; there is quite a bit of violence in this story, and without a better way to explain it, it is presented in a rather blasé fashion. Some people may not appreciate this, but I found it rather unique and seemed to keep with the spirit of the story.

Friday Blog Hops #5

 Participating in Follow Friday at Parajunkee and Alison Can Read is a great way to find new blogger friends and rediscover old ones! I always enjoy reading the answers to follow friday questions. This week's question is:
Do you have a favorite series that you read over and over again? Tell us a bit about it and why you keep on revisiting it?

What a great question. At this point in my life, I've been really busy reading new books, so going back to ones I've already read isn't a top priortiy. However, I have reread a few series, but my most favorite one would have to be the The Black Jewels Trilogy by Anne Bishop. I really wish more people would read this one. It is an adult fantasy set in a really harsh yet beautiful land. The characters are all morally in a state of grey. You never know what's going to happen. It follows a lot of the classic epic fantasy lines, but I think Anne Bishop writes all her characters so well, that it is easy to come back to and read again when the mood strikes you.

Contest Craze: Scariest Word

The Scariest Word challenge is hosted by Benji at The Non Reluctant Reader as a part of Contest Craze month at Princess Bookie. The idea for this one is to grab your current read, go to the 13th chapter and scan through to find the scariest word. Then do an image search and find a cool picture using that word! This contest runs until October 2nd!

My Book:

The word from the 13th chapter that I chose:

ferocious

Image:

Scary, yet beautiful!

Contest Craze: Lucky Number 7

The Lucky Number 7 mini challenge is hosted by Jessi at The Elliot Review as part of the Contest Craze over at The Princess Bookie. So the idea behind Lucky Number 7 is to open the book you are currently reading and go to the 7th page, find the 7th word, do a google image search and find an interesting/funny picture and put it in a post. Sounds really fun! Enter to win before September 25th.

My Book:

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray

The 7th word on page 7:

round

Image I picked (it seemed most befitting to the book)

Top Ten Tuesday #4

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke in the Bookish.

This weeks Top Ten is : Top Ten Books I Feel As Though Everyone Has Read But Me. This is a pretty easy one since I feel so far behind on reading the hot new books in the YA scene. 

1. Divergent by Veronica Roth - Everyone has been reading this one and had such great things to say. I love dystopia, so you would think I would have already read it but, alas, I haven't gotten around to getting a copy yet.

2. Unwind by Neal Shusterman - Another highly rated dystopia with super creepy undertones. How have I resisted this for so long? *Consults overflowing bookshelf* One more won't make a difference, right?

3. The Iron King by Julia Kagawa - I know I will fall in love with this series when I start to read it. One of these days I will just have to give in and buy the first 3 and sit in my reading chair for a whole week.

4. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak - I actually have this one on my shelf but I just keep putting books on ahead of it on my list.

5. Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead - Too much on my plate to buy this series right now, but so many people seem to like it that I want to jump on the Vampire Academy train.

6. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson - Why oh why has this not been released in trade paperback. I have the other two in paperback and I refuse to buy it in hardcover because they MUST match.

7. Firelight by Sophie Jordan - Humans that shapeshift into dragons? How awesome does that sound?

8. Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder - Such a clever premise, with extemely high ratings as most of Maria V. Snyder's books are.

9. Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce - I love fairytale retellings and this one has been begging to be read.

10. Fateful by Claudia Gray - I don't really think everyone has read this book, but I'm pretty much jealous of anyone who has.

Contest Craze Mini Challenge! Top 5 Most Anticipated in 2012

The Princess Bookie is hosting a mini-challenge during Contest Craze (runs September 17- October 23rd). I found this through Lacey's Blog, Owl Loves You Books and thought I would join in the fun! There are quite a few books that I am eagerly anticipated and it might be difficult to compress them into only five.

A Million Suns by Beth Revis

When Elder learns harrowing news about the space ship Godspeed, he and Amy must work together to unlock a puzzle that was set in motion hundreds of years earlier, all the while dealing with the romance that’s growing between them and the chaos that threatens to tear them apart. It all boils down to one mind-bending conclusion: They have to get off this ship.

 The Gathering Storm by Robin Bridges

St. Petersburg, Russia, 1888. As she attends a whirl of glittering balls, royal debutante Katerina Alexandrovna, Duchess of Oldenburg, tries to hide a dark secret: she can raise the dead. No one knows. Not her family. Not the girls at her finishing school. Not the tsar or anyone in her aristocratic circle. Katerina considers her talent a curse, not a gift. But when she uses her special skill to protect a member of the Imperial Family, she finds herself caught in a web of intrigue.

An evil presence is growing within Europe's royal bloodlines—and those aligned with the darkness threaten to topple the tsar. Suddenly Katerina's strength as a necromancer attracts attention from unwelcome sources . . . including two young men—George Alexandrovich, the tsar's standoffish middle son, who needs Katerina's help to safeguard Russia, even if he's repelled by her secret, and the dashing Prince Danilo, heir to the throne of Montenegro, to whom Katerina feels inexplicably drawn.

The time has come for Katerina to embrace her power, but which side will she choose—and to whom will she give her heart?

The Tempest by Julia Cross

The year is 2009. Nineteen-year-old Jackson Meyer is a normal guy… he’s in college, has a girlfriend… and he can travel back through time. But it’s not like the movies – nothing changes in the present after his jumps, there’s no space-time continuum issues or broken flux capacitors – it’s just harmless fun.
That is… until the day strangers burst in on Jackson and his girlfriend, Holly, and during a struggle with Jackson, Holly is fatally shot. In his panic, Jackson jumps back two years to 2007, but this is not like his previous time jumps. Now he’s stuck in 2007 and can’t get back to the future.
Desperate to somehow return to 2009 to save Holly but unable to return to his rightful year, Jackson settles into 2007 and learns what he can about his abilities.
But it’s not long before the people who shot Holly in 2009 come looking for Jackson in the past, and these “Enemies of Time” will stop at nothing to recruit this powerful young time-traveler. Recruit… or kill him.
Piecing together the clues about his father, the Enemies of Time, and himself, Jackson must decide how far he’s willing to go to save Holly… and possibly the entire world.

 Everneath by Brodi Ashton

Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath, where immortals Feed on the emotions of despairing humans. Now she's returned- to her old life, her family, her friends- before being banished back to the underworld... this time forever.

She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can't find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.

Nikki longs to spend these months reconnecting with her boyfriend, Jack, the one person she loves more than anything. But there's a problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who first enticed her to the Everneath, has followed Nikki to the mortal world. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back- this time as his queen.

As Nikki's time grows short and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she's forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole's...

 Perception by Kim Harrington

When you can see things others can't, what do you do when someone's watching you?

Everybody knows about Clarity "Clare" Fern. She's the psychic girl in school, the one who can place her hands on something and see hidden visions from the past.

Only Clare would rather not be a celebrity. She prefers hanging back, observing. Her gift is not a game to her.

But then someone starts playing with her head . . . and heart. Messages and gifts from a secret admirer crop up everywhere Clare turns. Could they be from Gabriel, the gorgeous boy who gets Clare's pulse racing? Or from Justin, Clare's hopeful ex-boyfriend who'd do anything to win her back?

One thing is certain. Clare needs to solve this mystery, and soon. Because the messages are becoming sinister, and a girl in town has suddenly disappeared.

Harbor by John Ajvide Lindqvist

Harbor
John Ajvide Lindqvist
Expected publication October 11, 2011 by Thomas Dunne Books
Source: ARC from Goodreads First Reads Program

From the author of the international and New York Times bestseller Let the Right One In (Let Me In) comes this stunning and terrifying book which begins when a man's six-year-old daughter vanishes.One ordinary winter afternoon on a snowy island, Anders and Cecilia take their six-year-old daughter Maja across the ice to visit the lighthouse in the middle of the frozen channel. While the couple explore the lighthouse, Maja disappears -- either into thin air or under thin ice -- leaving not even a footprint in the snow. Two years later, alone and more or less permanently drunk, Anders returns to the island to regroup. He slowly realises that people are not telling him all they know; even his own mother, it seems, is keeping secrets. What is happening in Domaro, and what power does the sea have over the town's inhabitants? - Goodreads

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Since the emergence of Stieg Larsson and his Millenium Trilogy, Swedish and Norwegian authors has seen a surge of popularity in America. John Ajvide Lindqvist is no exception. His bestseller, Let the Right One In, was turned into a movie in both Sweden and America. His forthcoming novel, Harbor, is another subtle paranormal type thriller.


For me, Harbor was really slow going in the beginning. There was one point when I had to set it aside for awhile. I was expecting it to be like other thrillers that I have read where the action is constant and consistent. The first chapter was a set up for a decent story. A child mysteriously disappears leaving her father to spiral out of control. For the next 200 pages, there was a lot of character set up and landscape descriptions. I will admit that the atmosphere is described and written very well but there wasn't anything too thrilling about it. However once the action gets going and mysterious events start happening all around the Swedish island of Domarö, it doesn't stop. There really is a lot of different tales being told and the narrative goes from past to present in an enjoyable fashion. In Anders search to find the truth of what happened to his daughter, he truly finds out more than he ever imagined about life on the island.

However, the ending was lackluster and the supernatural aspect, although unique and inspired, was weakly described and a bit too abstract for my liking. For the most part, the story was somewhat too complex and Lindqvist delivered something that is less frightful than it is an introspective on the human condition.

★★★

Blog Url Change

This is more or less a test post for my new blog url. All my old followers should still be getting updates through their feed. If there are any of my followers out there that see this post if you could just post a quick comment so I know I set it up correctly. I would so greatly appreciate it!

-Rebecca

In My Mailbox #6

(Hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren)

Mail Call! I like IMM because it actually reminds me of the books I have. Sometimes I open packages, place the books on the shelf and then kind of forget them for awhile. It happens when your to read shelf looks like this:

There is only so much one can do to organize that chaos. I get a lot of flak from the DH about it. Anywho, I am taking a break from buying books because I have become an obsessive compulsive book hoarder. So for my potentially last IMM for awhile, here's what I got (all from bookswap again because I'm still a newbie and afraid to contact publishers)

Changeless by Gail Carriger

Blameless by Gail Carriger

I haven't read Soulless yet (shame on me) so I haven't really read any blurbs because I don't want to ruin the surprise. I still pretty much have no idea what these are about but I am sure hoping they are good.

Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink

Guardian of the Gate by Michelle Zink

A dark, victorian, paranormal tale. Sounds interesting.

Don't Breathe a Word by Jenniefer McMahon

Another genre bender. Mystery, fantasy, creepy thriller rolled into one. Hope it lives up to my expectations.

Nerd Do Well by Simon Pegg

I don't read memoirs that often, but when I saw this one by Simon Pegg of Shaun of the Dead fame, I had to check it out. I hope it is as funny as Tina Fey's Bossypants. Oh and, hey, you got some red on you.

Dark Mirror by M.J. Putney

My first historical fantasy, yay!

So that's what came in my mailbox this past week, and sadly there is nothing en route right now :(. Cheer me up by commenting! Which one of these should I read next?