In My Mailbox (06)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren where bloggers showcase the books they received over the week.

I've been having an awesome week in terms of books. I got a few good books in the mail, and then I bought a few books that were on sale.

Library:

 From top to bottom:

-Evernight by Claudia Gray; I've been hearing a lot about this series, both good and bad, so I thought I might check it out.

- Wolf Blood by N.M. Browne; This looks pretty cool. It's set in the first century AD and about Celts being invaded by Romans. And I'm guessing it has werewolves in it? Awesome.

- Spellbound by Cara Lynn Schultz; I'm not sure what to expect of this book. I've heard both good and bad things. *fingers crossed*

- All I Ever Wanted by Vikki Wakefield; This looks... interesting. I look forward to diving into it. Plus, it's Aussie, so I'm pretty sure it's going to be great.

- Anything Goes by Lucy Moore; For NaNoWriMo this year, I'm writing a book set in the 1920's, and this seems to be the only book my library has on the topic of flappers. Pretty much research, but it looks like it'll be fun.

- A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness; I've heard ridiculously good things about this book, so I'm really looking forward to this.

Bought:

 - The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin; I was really excited for this book, until the bad reviews came rushing in. Now I'm slightly wary about it. *fingers crossed*

- The Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor; I'd been anticipating this book all year, and as soon as it found its way onto my doorstep, I started reading it. And let me tell you, it does not disappoint. Be on the lookout for a review on it soon. (also, I LOVE the cover. It's so pretty and shiny in the light, and fades in the darkness. Brilliant!)

- Chapter after Chapter by Heather Sellers; I'm in need of some books on the craft of writing, and this looked pretty intriguing. Plus, it was a nice price, which is amazing, since books (and non-fiction books at  that!) are expensive here in Australia.

- Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu; I'd been looking forward to this book for ages. I flicked through it when I first got it, and man, it has such beautiful pictures. I really can't wait to start this.

- The Incendiary's Trail by James McCreet; I got this from a discount book store (for any Melbournians out there, it's where the Angus & Robertson used to be on the corner of Bourke and Elizabeth street. Check it out), where each book was $5. And, it looks pretty cool.

- Android Karenina by Tolstoy and Winters; I've never tried the redone classics, so I figured this might be a good time to start them.

- Zombie Apocalypse! created by Stephen Jones; I love zombies. And this looks cool as. It's told from a whole bunch of different forms of media, which is pretty awesome. I'm interested to see how it unfolds.

- The Legend of Sigurd & Gudrun by J.R.R. Tolkien; I'm a massive Tolkien fan, but I never bought this book because it was always so overpriced. Well, I finally got it from the discount book store, and I can't wait to read it.

- Writing Young Adult Fiction for Dummies by Deborah Halverson; Once again, I'm in need of books on writing, and this looks like the best to learn the bare bones of the craft.

Now, this last one isn't quite new. I got it a few weeks ago, but I still feel that I ought to mention it. It's the cause for my lack of posting lately.

Meet the newest member of my family: Layla. She's a white German Shepherd and an adorable little fluffball who just loves sleeping in cute and interesting positions. :)

What did you get in you mailboxes this week? What do you think of the books I got? Feel free to leave your links in the comments

In My Mailbox (05)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren where bloggers showcase the books they received over the week. 

I had a fantastic mailbox this week. I'm so excited for all the books I got, and have no idea what to start first. Have a look and tell me in the comments what you think I should start with. :)

Bought:

From top to bottom:

-The Drowning City by Amanda Downum; Pirates, thieves and necromancers? Man, this sounds like my kind of book!

- Ganymede by Cherie Priest; Can I just say 'AHHHHHHHHHH'? I love Cherie Priest's Clockwork Century series, and I'm so super excited to dig into the newest installment.

- The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson; So, I've been seeing talk about this book for a while, and apparently it has something to do with Jack the Ripper? That sounds like my cup of tea.

- Angel Arias by Marianne de Pierres; I still haven't read the first book, even though i own it, and it's signed, so maybe now that I have the second, I'll have more incentive to read it. Apparently it's great.

- Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins; OH MY GOSH, I am so excited for this. I really loved Anna, and have high expectations for this one.

- The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern; I've heard mixed reviews about this one, so I'm curious to check it out. Here's hoping I'll like it. *fingers crossed*

Won:

- Sisters Red by Jackson pearce; I won this from Jackson Pearce's #sweetly day. I kind of almost screamed when the postie came to drop it off. Thank you so much, Jackson!!! 

Library:

 - Special A by Maki Minami; I love manga, and I love discovering new manga. Has anyone read this series before? If so, what do you think of it?

- Love in Complete Sentences by Mary E. Mitchell; This looks... interesting. It's not usually what I go for, but I'm willing to try new things.

-Touch of Frost by Jennifer Estep; I've been hearing talk about this series for a while now, and I really want to see what the fuss is about. Is this just another fad, or something worth reading?

- The Fear by Charlie Higson; This is the third book in the Enemy series, and OH MY GOSH, I am so excited to read this. The last two books kept me gnawing at my nails from the suspense. Seriously, guys, if you haven't read the first two books, do it immediately.

-Fables, vol 12: The Dark Ages by Bill Willingham; Man, this series is such a ride. I'm depressed that I'm slowly catching up to the current issues. Waiting a year or more for each volume is so not appealing. *sighs*

- Jack of Fables, vol 1: The (Nearly) Great Escape by Bill Billingham; This is a spin-off series from Fables, so I'm sort of excited to start this. I want as much Fables as I can get my hands on.

What did you get in you mailboxes this week? What do you think of the books I got? Feel free to leave your links in the comments.

* Don't forget to enter my Dark Angel giveaway. It's international, and is open for only 6 more days.

In My Mailbox (03)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren where bloggers showcase the books they received over the week.

I know, I know, I haven't been too active lately. And I don't really have a reason. I guess I'm just really lazy.
But! I promise to be more active. In fact, I have several posts queued up for the next week and a bit.

I haven't been getting too many books in the last few weeks. I went to a Maggie Stiefvater signing a couple of weeks ago, and got some books signed. And I've been taking advantage of the new releases in my library.
So without further ado, here is my mailbox:

Bought:

- The Reapers are the Angels by Alden Bell; I love zombies, so I had to snatch this up.

- Forever by Maggie Stiefvater (signed!); I haven't read Linger yet, but I just can't have an unfinished series sitting on my shelves. Bonus: I got it signed! EEEEEeeeek!

- Lament and  Ballad by Maggie Stiefvater (signed as well); Well, I wasn't about to pass up a chance to get more books signed by Maggie. I also got my copies of Shiver and Linger signed, which makes me very happy.

In case anyone cares, here's a picture of myself with Maggie. Excuse my goofy smile. I get nervous when in the presence of anyone who manages to get published. Can I just say that Maggie is actually hilarious, and she should become a stand-up comedian? 

Library:

 From top to bottom:

- Supernaturally by Kiersten White; I really liked Paranormalcy, but I'm a bit hesitant in starting this.

- Alaska by Sue Saliba; I didn't quite like Sue's previous book, Something in the World Called Love, but I'm hoping this will be better. Plus, she's Aussie, so I want to check out all the talent.

- The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter; It's finally published in Australia, with a really weird new cover. I've been waiting to read this book for ages, and I'm not really expecting it to be good, since a lot of people whose opinions I trust seem to have ill opinions of it.

- Stravaganza: City of Masks by Mary Hoffman; Just something I picked up off the shelves in my poorly understocked library (all the other books had to be brought in from other branches)

- Blood Song by Rhiannon Hart; I've been hearing fantastic things about this book, but the poorly photoshopped cover is really putting me off.

- Bloodspell by Amalie Howard; I have no idea what to expect, but it looks and sounds really interesting. Hoping it's good.

- Blood Magic by Tessa Gratton; So, this is the third member of the Merry Sisters of Fate, and since I disliked Brenna Yovanoff's novel, and I wasn't much of a fan of Shiver, I'm hoping that third time's the charm. 

- The Mermaid's Mirror by L.K. Madigan; It's so sad that Madigan is no longer with us. I'm interested in reading this book. I love mermaids, and wish there were more of them in fiction.

What did you get in you mailboxes this week? What do you think of the books I got? Feel free to leave your links in the comments.

Review: The Iron Duke

The Iron Duke by Meljean Brook

Pages: 378, paperback

ISBN: 9780425236673

Publisher: Berkley Trade

Date Released: October 5th, 2010

Genre: Adult / romance / historical / steampunk / action

Source: library

Premise: 

First in an all-new series where seductive danger and steampunk adventure abound in the gritty world of the Iron Seas.

After the Iron Duke freed England from Horde control, he instantly became a national hero. Now Rhys Trahaearn has built a merchant empire on the power-and fear-of his name. And when a dead body is dropped from an airship onto his doorstep, bringing Detective Inspector Mina Wentworth into his dangerous world, he intends to make her his next possession.

But when Mina uncovers the victim's identity, she stumbles upon a conspiracy that threatens the lives of everyone in England. To save them, Mina and Rhys must race across zombie-infested wastelands and treacherous oceans-and Mina discovers the danger is not only to her countrymen, as she finds herself tempted to give up everything to the Iron Duke.
(Taken from Goodreads)

Buy it From: Book Depository / Amazon

This was something that I'd been looking forward to for a while I love steampunk with all my heart. In fact, I constantly wish that I had been born in an alternate reality where society depended on steam and clock powered machinery, where the limits of society could be pushed. And that's what I think is the most appealing thing about steampunk: that the real social rules and gender expectations can be changed. In a dark, bleary world filled with smog and machinery, everyone needs to be strong, even the women. Here, there's a chance to make strong women who can handle their own.

The world building here is amazing. From the beginning, we're thrown into a world where England is recovering from being taken over by a foreign power called the Horde. They're technologically advanced,  depending on nanoagents to survive in the smoggy streets of London. With each word, I got more and more hooked into this incredible world.
And it doesn't just stop at London. No, they travel across the English channel, in an airship, sailing across a ravaged Europe that's been taken over by zombies. Even their time aboard the airship is fantastic, because it's new, it's steampunk, it's described as this awesome setting.

I loved most of the characters, except for the Iron Duke (more on him later). There was no shortage of strong female characters. Mina is a half-English, half-Horde detective, and because of that, she's seen as a sort of abomination. People still resent the fact that they had been dominated by the Horde for so long, and a lot of them express distaste towards her appearance.
In that regard, I liked the way the Horde was portrayed, because she herself has it running through her veins. But it didn't stop me from feeling uneasy every time the Horde was described as a people. The way the text described them was done so in a fairly racist manner. The Horde was clearly meant to be an Asian power of some sort, due to the constant amount of times they were described as Mongols, and having slanting eyes, and that an entire race of people are made into the bad guys, well, it just doesn't sit well with me. Now, I'm sure it wasn't the author's intention to villainise  an entire race/culture, but it's still kind of awkward to read.

Another strong female character that I loved was Yasmeen. Man, she was tough. She sure doesn't take shit from anyone. She's a captain of her very own airship, and literally does what she wants, when she wants (and sometimes for a hefty fee). Like I said, the strong female characters are certainly present.

There is so much action here, that you wouldn't believe. There's always something ridiculously fast-paced going on, and sometimes, there isn't time to take a breath before you get plunged into the next action-packed scene. This book has it all: plenty of explosions, zombies, kraken, devious plots, sword-fights. You won't tire of the story here.

One major downfall, though, is the romance. This is described as a romantic--or at least sizzling--steampunk novel. For the first half of the book, the Iron Duke harasses Mina, begging her for kisses and constantly propositioning her, despite her saying no very clearly, and many times.
Then he sexually assaults her, thinking that she couldn't possibly say no to sex if he shows her what she's been missing out on. After all, she just hasn't witnessed the greatness of his dick, or something along those lines.
Then, he rapes her twice: once while she's sleeping, and another time at the very end of the book--where she very firmly tells him no. But it's okay, because he's so sexy, that it makes the whole situation romantic, right? Ugh.
This book would have been a 5 star book, and would have earned a place on the favourites shelf and I would have bought myself a copy immediately. But the rape-y bits just made me squirm uncomfortably.

So, avoid this book if you're prone to being tirggered by mentions of rape. I wish I had known about that.

I'm really looking forward to the next book in this series, Heart of Steel, which comes out in November of this year, and apparently follows Yasmeen, which I'm excited about. 

10 Second Review: Fantastic world building, strong female characters, and enough action to make you think you're stuck in an 80's action flick. WARNING: rape scenes dressed up as romance.

Cover Art: 3
Plot: 5
Characters: 3.5
Writing: 3.5
Level of Interest: 4


Total Rating: 4/5 stars

Review: Graveminder

Graveminder by Melissa Marr

Pages: 324, hardcover

ISBN: 9780061826870

Publisher:William Morrow & Company

Date Released: May 17th, 2011

Genre: Adult / urban fantasy / paranormal / romance / horror / zombies

Source: library

Premise:

Rebekkah Barrow never forgot the tender attention her grandmother, Maylene, bestowed upon the dead of Claysville, the town where Bek spent her adolescence. There wasn’t a funeral that Maylene didn’t attend, and at each Rebekkah watched as Maylene performed the same unusual ritual: three sips from a small silver flask followed by the words “Sleep well, and stay where I put you.”

Now Maylene is dead and Bek must go back to the place—and the man—she left a decade ago. But what she soon discovers is that Maylene was murdered and that there was good reason for her odd traditions. It turns out that in placid Claysville, the worlds of the living and the dead are dangerously connected. Beneath the town lies a shadowy, lawless land ruled by the enigmatic Charles, aka Mr. D—a place from which the dead will return if their graves are not properly minded. Only the Graveminder, a Barrow woman, and the current Undertaker, Byron, can set things to right once the dead begin to walk.
(Taken from Goodreads)

Buy it From: Book Depository / Amazon

Wow, talk about a ride! This was so much better than I'd expected it to be.
I'm not too much of a fan of Melissa Marr's Wicked Lovely series, but this was different. It still had the same gothic charm, but it had something more.

The story was fairly fantastic, always giving you just enough to keep you on the edge of your seat. It's such an original concept, and I applaud Marr for making it work so damn well.

Another stellar thing about this book was the writing. When I'd said before that there was something more to this series, I meant it. Within the writing, Marr beautifully demonstrates a constant feeling of claustrophobia and doubt. There are gothic elements, and one can't help but feel slightly on edge while reading, as if the undead might actually be real.
The world-building was the best thing about this book. The town of Claysville, with its slight utopian feel, can be something of a prison. It's hard to tell whether their utopia is real or just imagined; after all, they have the perfect lives: there is no such thing as disease in Claysville. But is it worth the price of the possible rise of the dead, of being tethered to the town for the rest of your natural born life, of not ever being able to know the truth of the town due to migraines and memory-loss? When you think about it like that, it seems less like a utopia, and more like a dystopia. Of course, I have to stress that this book is NOT dystopian, there are just elements of it.
Another part of the world building that was done magnificently was the land of the dead. It was a place that I wish we'd seen more of. The alternating histories, the splendid characters, and the twisted rules, it makes it a place I'd like to visit.

I disliked, though, the main characters, especially Rebekkah. She was an unsympathetic character, constantly changing her mind regarding Byron. Every time it shifted to her POV, I was just like MAKE UP YOUR DAMN MIND, WOMAN! The way she treats Byron, by just using him, and playing with his feelings like that, man, I felt sorry for the poor guy. I wanted him to get together with Amity.

I wished that there was more. It left a lot of unanswered questions. Will there be a sequel? Does anybody know? If there is, I will just die from happiness.

10 Second Review: Fantastic world-building, with crappy main characters. Brings a whole new spin to zombies. Worth the read.

Cover Art: 4
Plot: 5
Characters: 3
Writing: 4
Level of Interest: 4

Total Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Review: Rot & Ruin

Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry

Pages: 352, paperback

ISBN: 9780857070951

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Childrens Books

Date Released: March 3rd, 2011 (first published October 5th, 2010)

Genre: YA / horror / post-apocalyptic / zombies / romance

Source: library

Premise: 

In the zombie-infested, post-apocalyptic America where Benny Imura lives, every teenager must find a job by the time they turn fifteen or get their rations cut in half. Benny doesn't want to apprentice as a zombie hunter with his boring older brother Tom, but he has no choice. He expects a tedious job whacking zoms for cash, but what he gets is a vocation that will teach him what it means to be human.
(Taken from Goodreads)

Buy it From: Book Depository / Amazon
This was a surprising read. It had so many fantastic elements to it, and I simply wasn't expecting it.

Benny Imura hates his brother, Tom, whom everyone loves and respects. Benny calls Tom a coward for running away while his mother was eaten alive by his father on First Night--the night the dead came back to life.
14 years after First Night, and civilization has rebuilt itself as best it can. They don't bother with electricity, thinking that it was because of technology that the zombies came after them.  They have old fashioned views, and some of them would rather not kill zombies because they still see them as a shell of what was once humanity--their lovers, brothers, sisters, parents, children, neighbors.

Tom Imura is a bounty hunter, who kills the zombies when their family members request it--a sort of closure thing. Benny thinks it's such a cool job, to be able to kill the zoms and be worshiped for it, but when Tom takes Benny on a hunting trip, Benny ends up wondering who the real monsters are: zoms or humans.

The relationship between Tom and Benny is obviously strained. The awkwardness, the tension between them, it's brilliant.Though I thought that Benny was being a stupid ass about things, I still loved his reasons behind why he hates Tom so vehemently.

The romance is sweet, though, there are subtle hints at a love triangle, which I'm hoping will be avoided in the next book. I like the way it panned out, without all that unnecessary drama. And, bonus points, the two actually too the time to get to know each other and help each other grow. Neither person was completely dependent on the person (for the most part, at least) and their personality didn't do a complete about-face once they professed their love.

This is the kind of zombie book that I love. In most other zombie books, the zoms are just a prop, used to create tension and angst. But here, they were integral to the characters growth, and to the plot.

I can't wait to read the next book in the series, Dust and Decay, which comes out later this month. Keep your eye out for a review near the release date.

10 Second Review: Think Catcher in the Rye with zombies. Love, angst, and lots of gore. Not for the faint of heart.

Cover Art: 3
Plot: 4
Characters: 5
Writing: 4
Level of Interest: 4

Total Rating: 4 stars

Review: The Forest of Hands and Teeth

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

Pages: 310, paperback

ISBN: 9780575090859

Publisher: Gollancz

Date Released: March 10th, 2009

Genre: YA / Horror / post-apocalyptic / dystopian / zombies

Source: bought

Premise:

In Mary's world there are simple truths.

The Sisterhood always knows best.
The Guardians will protect and serve.
The Unconsecrated will never relent.
And you must always mind the fence that surrounds the village; the fence that protects the village from the Forest of Hands and Teeth.

But, slowly, Mary's truths are failing her. She's learning things she never wanted to know about the Sisterhood and its secrets, and the Guardians and their power, and about the Unconsecrated and their relentlessness. When the fence is breached and her world is thrown into chaos, she must choose between her village and her future-between the one she loves and the one who loves her.

And she must face the truth about the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Could there be life outside a world surrounded in so much death? (Taken from Goodreads)

Okay, so I've been pining over the idea of a zombie book for ages. Finally, my prayers have been answered.

To start off with, it's really unrealistic that a chainlink fence can hold off a hoarde of hungry, flesh-eating zombies. Really? A chain link fence? I once kicked a hole in one of those, and I barely broke a sweat. With that in mind, it was hard to keep up with the story. I know you're supposed to suspend some belief with a story like that, but to suspend it that much is madness and simply ridiculous.

The story doesn't really go anywhere for the first hundred or so pages, but we do learn a lot about the village and the Forest and the Sisterhood. While it lacks action, it is still interesting, and draws the reader in. Though, the fact that so much backstory was used makes for a poor writing technique.
At times, I noticed that it was difficult to understand what was happening, usually during a fast-paced scene. Ryan just seems to blunder forward, with her thoughts all jumbled up, giving us an incoherent scene that is near indecipherable.

The writing wasn't impressive, but it managed to keep me on the edge of my seat for majority of the book, so the book gets bonus points for that.

I was a bit disappointed that the zombies weren't a main focus, only a background tool for the village. It was interesting to have an insight to the well-developed world of the Village, but still, I opened up the book to encounter zombies, not to hear a rip-off of M. Night Shyamalan's The Village. Because that's exactly what it was. I was hoping the zombies would redeem it, but unfortunately, no.

The romance and the character development were poorly written and virtually non-existent. The characters were hard to relate to, they acted randomly and out of character.

What I hated were the unresolved plot-holes. There were so many things left unanswered that it left me seething. Never had I been so disappointed in my life. Well done, Carrie Ryan, for making me spend another $30 for the sequel. Good money making technique.

Cover Art: 3
Plot: 2
Characters: 2
Writing: 3
Level of Interest: 5

Total Rating: 3/5