In My Mailbox (2)

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Briana:

I got 4 books this week for my birthday and I'm so excited to read all of them!

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder -- much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing -- not even a smear of blood -- to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?

This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know. . . .

Alright, so the cover is definitely not my favorite but since I loved The Hunger Games (upcoming review) and hated that cover, I'm going to give it a shot. It sounds interesting and I'm pretty excited to read a new series.

Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen

Ruby is used to taking care of herself. But now she's living in a fancy new house with her sister Cora—a sister she hasn't seen in ten years—and her husband Jamie—creator of one of the most popular online networking sites. She's attending private school, wearing new clothes, and for the first time, feels the promise of a future that include college and her family. So why is she so wary? And what is Nate— the adorable and good-hearted boy next door— hiding behind his genial nature? As Ruby starts to see, there's a big difference between being given help, and being able to accept it. And sometimes, in order to save yourself, you've got to reach out to someone else.

I really enjoyed That Summer and This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen so I think I'll really like Lock and Key. Click here to read the review of Lock and Key by Arielle.

The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen

Sixteen-year-old Macy Queen is looking forward to a long, boring summer. Her boyfriend is going away. She’s stuck with a dull-asdishwater job at the library. And she’ll spend all of her free time studying for the SATs or grieving silently with her mother over her father’s recent unexpected death. But everything changes when Macy is corralled into helping out at one of her mother’s open house events, and she meets the chaotic Wish Catering crew. Before long, Macy joins the Wish team. She loves everything about the work and the people. But the best thing about Wish is Wes—artistic, insightful, and understanding Wes—who gets Macy to look at life in a whole new way, and really start living it….

There seems to be a rivalry between which Sarah Dessen book is the best, The Truth About Forever or This Lullaby. Since I've read This Lullaby, I'm really excited to read this one so I can judge for myself which is my favorite.

Evermore by Alyson Noel

Since a horrible accident claimed the lives of her family, sixteen-year-old Ever can see auras, hear people’s thoughts, and know a person’s life story by touch. Going out of her way to shield herself from human contact to suppress her abilities has branded her as a freak at her new high school—but everything changes when she meets Damen Auguste…

Ever sees Damen and feels an instant recognition. He is gorgeous, exotic and wealthy, and he holds many secrets. Damen is able to make things appear and disappear, he always seems to know what she’s thinking—and he’s the only one who can silence the noise and the random energy in her head. She doesn’t know who he really is—or what he is. Damen equal parts light and darkness, and he belongs to an enchanted new world where no one ever dies.

I'm really excited to read this book, it sounds really interesting. You can read a review on Evermore by Arielle, here.

Question:

What's your favorite Sarah Dessen book and why?

DVDs (for New Movie Monday):

From director M. Night Shyamalan (The Sixth Sense, Signs) comes a lightning-paced, heart-pounding paranoid thriller about a family on the run from an inexplicable and unstoppable event that threatens not only humankind . . . but the most basic human instinct of them all: survival.It begins with no clear warning. It seems to come out of nowhere. In a matter of minutes, episodes of strange, chilling deaths that defy reason and boggle the mind in their shocking destructiveness, erupt in major American cities. What is causing this sudden, total breakdown of human behavior? Is it some kind of new terrorist attack, an experiment gone wrong, a diabolical toxic weapon, an out-of-control virus? Is it being transmitted by air, by water . . . how?

I really enjoy watching world disaster movies especially if they convince me that it can really happen. I watched this movie already and liked it a lot.

Nicholas D'Agosto and Eric Christian Olsen headline this teen comedy concerning two high-school football players who attempt to avoid another summer at football camp by becoming cheerleaders. Out on the gridiron, Gerald R. Ford High School students Shawn Colfax (D'Agosto) and Nick Brady (Olsen) are star players. But summer is drawing near, and this year neither Shawn nor Nick can stomach the prospect of spending their sun-soaked months lunging at tackling dummies and getting berated by their coach. Fortunately, Nick has a brilliant solution to their current dilemma: sign up for cheerleading camp and spend the summer surrounded by gorgeous women. But head cheerleader Carly (Sarah Roemer) can see right through them, and when Shawn falls head over heels for her, their genius plan hits an unexpected hitch.

First of all, Nicholas D'Agosto is so adorable. He has just about the cutest smile ever! I saw a trailer for this and literally laughed out loud. It was so funny. I can't wait to watch it.

Arielle:

I got 5 books in the mail today! Three of them I have already read, and two of them are totally new to me and the reason I bought them was because they were in the teen bargain section online at BN. I love cheap books! :)

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

Melinda Sordino busted an end-of-summer party by calling the cops. Now her old friends won't talk to her, and people she doesn't even know hate her from a distance. The safest place to be is alone, inside her own head. But even that's not safe. Because there's something she's trying not to think about, something about the night of the party that, if she let it in, would blow her carefully constructed disguise to smithereens. And then she would have to speak the truth. This extraordinary first novel has captured the imaginations of teenagers and adults across the country.

I know I have already wrote a review for this book, and you can check it out HERE. But I bought the “platinum edition”… yes I am a dork, but I love this book, and my other copy was written in and it looked like it went through the wash six times. If you haven’t read this book, read it.

13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson

Everything about Ginny will change this summer, and it's all because of the 13 Little Blue Envelopes. Inside little blue envelope 1 are $1,000 and instructions to buy a plane ticket.

In envelope 2 are directions to a specific London flat. The note in envelope 3 tells Ginny: Find a starving artist. Because of envelope 4, Ginny and her artist, a playwright/thief/bloke-about-town called Keith, go to Scotland together, with somewhat disastrous -- though utterly romantic -- results. Ginny isn't sure she'll see Keith again, and definitely doesn't know what to think about him.

Could the answer be in the envelopes? Ginny doesn't know it, but adventures in Rome and Paris are in envelopes 6 and 8. The rules are that she has to open one at a time, in order, so perhaps it isn't surprising that she discovers things about her life and love one by one. Everything about Ginny will change this summer, and it's all because of the 13 Little Blue Envelopes.

Yes, I have already read this book and I loved it. Ever since I read this book, I have wanted to travel everywhere possible and try to have as much fun doing so. There is so much of the world to see, and even if you see just a little bit, you will be better off than you were before you started. It’s a wonderful, adventurous book!

Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson

High school senior Tyler Miller used to be the kind of guy who faded into the background—average student, average looks, average dysfunctional family. But since he got busted for doing graffiti on the school, and spent the summer doing outdoor work to pay for it, he stands out like you wouldn’t believe. His new physique attracts the attention of queen bee Bethany Milbury, who just so happens to be his father’s boss’s daughter, the sister of his biggest enemy—and Tyler’s secret crush. And that sets off a string of events and changes that have Tyler questioning his place in the school, in his family, and in the world. In Twisted, the acclaimed Laurie Halse Anderson tackles a very controversial subject: what it means to be a man today. Fans and new readers alike will be captured by Tyler’s pitchperfect, funny voice, the surprising narrative arc, and the thoughtful moral dilemmas that are at the heart of all of the author’s award-winning, widely read work.

I have also already read this book, and I decided to buy it ever since I did read it. It is a great book and although I don’t remember a lot of it, [hence the reason for me buying it…so I can read it again!], the title is pretty sweet and it’s a great book (from what I remember!)

Sexy by Joyce Carol Oates

Darren Flynn is popular, good–looking, and has a spot on the varsity swim team. But after what happened that day in November (did it happen?), life is different for Darren.

Now his friends, his family, even the people who are supposed to be in charge are no longer who Darren thought they were. Who can he trust now?

In her third novel for young adults, the author of the acclaimed Big Mouth & Ugly Girl leads readers on an internal journey of self–discovery, moral complexity, and sexuality.

So the title is a little strange, and the author isn’t my favorite since I read another one of her books and hated it [read the review HERE], but…. It is about a swimmer (I am an ex-swimmer), and it sounds pretty interesting.

Boy Girl Boy by Ron Koertge

Larry, Teresa, and Elliot are so tight, there's no room in their circle for any more than three: boy, girl, boy. That's just how it is. And when they graduate in a few months, they're moving to California to begin their real lives--together.

Or that's the plan, anyway. But who are they fooling? Larry is gay and still trying to coming to terms with his sexuality. Teresa is tired of hanging out with two boys she loves who aren't interested in being her boyfriend. And Elliot--sweet, handsome, but not the brightest--is finally considering the idea that he may in fact like himself more when he's not in the shadow of his two best friends.

Since I am a recent high school graduate (2008), I decided to check out this book since it is about three high school graduates ready to take on the world. Sounds kinda cool.