In My Mailbox (42)

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.

Hey there, my bookish people! It's that time of the week for the sharing of the spoils! I snagged some awesome goodies lately. Here are the books that I've gotten since last time:

For Review via NetGalley:
This Is Not a Test by Courtney Summers
Of Poseidon by Anna Banks
Shooting Stars by Allison Rushby
The Académie by Susanne Dunlap
The Treachery of Beautiful Things by Ruth Frances Long

Bought:
The Education of Hailey Kendrick by Eileen Cook (My Review)

Won/Gifted:
Tell Me a Secret by Holly Cupala (signed audiobook, from author)
The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson (RAK from Ashley @ Bookaholics Anonymous)
Thanks for these!




That's it for me! What did you get this week?

This or That with Alex from The Fine Art of Truth or Dare by Melissa Jensen

I'd like to welcome Alex from Melissa Jensen's The Fine Art of Truth or Dare to the blog today to share some of his preferences with us by playing a little This or That:


Book or Movie?
Movie. I mean, don’t get me wrong. I like a good book as much as the next guy (Chris Crutcher is pretty freakin’ amazing). But I’m in high school. I have books shoved down my throat all the time, and some are, well, kind of a slog (Moby Dick?). And I have a pretty decent collection of American movies in French. Believe me, you haven’t really experienced Jurassic Park until you’ve heard “Tyrannosaurus” said with a French accent.

Eyes or Smile?
Eyes. I’m big into truth and smiles are the easiest lie.

Lions or Tigers?
I’m more of a sea-creature kinda guy. Stingrays, octopi. Sharks. Why, you ask? Well, I guess it started with Princess Tamatori. And then, Ella Marino came along and completely turned everything upside down, and… Sorry. What was the question again?

Singing or Dancing?
Not if I can help it.

Coffee or Tea?
Coke. American coffee sucks. And tea tastes like grass. I play field sports. Believe me, I know what grass tastes like.

French Bread or French Toast?
Pane, definitely. It’s Italian bread. Ella’s grandmother makes a killer pane. And there’s this weird stuff Ella puts on hers: garlic and anchovies and something. I know, right? But it’s actually pretty good. You just have to make sure that if you eat it, the person you’re considering kissing has been eating it, too.

Large Crowd or Small Gathering?
Um. That kinda depends on the planned activity, doesn’t it?

Paintings or Sculptures?
Old Japanese woodblock prints. Seriously. Kuniyoshi is the Man.

français ou anglais?
Francais, bien sur. Mais j’aime beaucoup l’italien, aussi.

Football or Baseball?
Lacrosse. Or hurling. It’s Irish. Think lacrosse meets roller derby minus the skates.

Black & White or Gray?
White paper with grape juice. Try it. Drip the juice onto the paper, see what pictures you make. I know, it sounds like one of those psych inkblot tests. That’s what Ella says, anyway. But then, I tend to lose my mind a little bit around Ella…

White Lies or Brutal Honesty?
Depends on whether someone’s heart is involved, I guess.

Standing Out or Blending In?
I’m a Bainbridge. We’re pretty much bred to stand out. I mean, come on, my dad’s a U.S. Representative with aspirations of a Senate seat. And the aspirations he has for me do not involve blending in. Now, I’m not saying that’s a good thing, but it’s definitely a Bainbridge thing.

New or Vintage?
Have you seen my car? No, really, I’m asking if you’ve seen it. No? It’s a Mustang ’68 GT Coupe, only two owners before me. It’s a little battered, but still a work of art. The engine is amazing. When I hit Route 72 through the Pine Barrens and get past 60, it sounds like a happy tiger. You can feel the road through the gearshift, and… Sorry. What was the question again?

Truth or Dare?
Truth: Guys like me and girls like Ella don’t make sense.
Dare: Prove there’s no such thing as Santa. Or mermaids. Seriously. Good luck with that.

Thanks to Alex for stopping by and helping us get to know him a little better!

You can find The Fine Art of Truth or Dare on:  Amazon | Goodreads
You can find Melissa Jensen on:  Website | Twitter

Check out my review of The Fine Art of Truth or Dare.

Thanks to The {Teen} Book Scene for hosting the tour. Be sure to check out all of the other tour stops for more fun and info!

Review: The Fine Art of Truth or Dare by Melissa Jensen

Title: The Fine Art of Truth or Dare
Author: Melissa Jensen
Publisher: Speak
Publication Date: February 16, 2012
Links: Amazon | Goodreads
Source: ARC Tour

Ella is nearly invisible at the Willing School, and that's just fine by her. She's got her friends - the fabulous Frankie and their sweet cohort Sadie. She's got her art - and her idol, the unappreciated 19th-century painter Edward Willing. Still, it's hard being a nobody and having a crush on the biggest somebody in the school: Alex Bainbridge. Especially when he is your French tutor, and lessons have started becoming, well, certainly more interesting than French ever has been before. But can the invisible girl actually end up with a happily ever after with the golden boy, when no one even knows they're dating? And is Ella going to dare to be that girl?

The Fine Art of Truth or Dare is such a cute book. It's got fun and fluff, but it also deals with self-consciousness and insecurities, body image, parental expectations, and relationship dynamics.

The characters are clever and fun. Ella has conversations with a dead local artist and draws, mostly architectural structures like doors. She draws everywhere - on paper, on her jeans, on her walls, on her bed. She is quirky and fun but has a lot of depth as well. She suffers severe insecurity due to a scar on her neck that is the result of a hot water burn from when she was younger, and it affects her confidence and personality. Alex is a victim of his parents' expectations. He struggles with what is expected of him versus what he wants for himself. Their backgrounds and families are different, but they share an interest in art. It's entertaining to witness the way in which their interactions evolve and the effects that they have on each other. Ella's friends and family are awesome and often hilarious. Frankie and Sadie have some of their own issues to deal with, but they're always there for Ella. I really appreciated the dynamics of their little trio. Ella's grandmother is pretty awesome as well. Her whole family is crazy and fun.

The pacing is leisurely, but doesn't drag. It's adorable and emotional and, at times, heartbreaking to witness Ella's thought processes and how she lets her scar hold her back. Almost every character is going through some sort of struggle that gives each of them an authenticity and gives the reader reasons to care about them as people. Ella and Alex have some seriously adorable moments between them.

I really enjoyed The Fine Art of Truth or Dare. It has a great balance of quirky, fun, lighthearted adorableness and serious, thoughtful, issues that people can relate to. It tells an adorable story capable of warming hearts, and still includes some important stuff without letting the issue stuff cast a shadow on the cute stuff. I'd definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a feel good contemporary read that still contains some quality commentary on normal teenage (or any age) issues.

Review: Hallowed by Cynthia Hand

Title: Hallowed
Author: Cynthia Hand
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: January 17, 2012
Series: Unearthly #2
Links: Amazon | Goodreads
Source: NetGalley

For months part-angel Clara Gardner trained to face the raging forest fire from her visions and rescue the alluring and mysterious Christian Prescott from the blaze. But nothing could prepare her for the fateful decisions she would be forced to make that day, or the startling revelation that her purpose—the task she was put on earth to accomplish—is not as straightforward as she thought.

Now, torn between her increasingly complicated feelings for Christian and her love for her boyfriend, Tucker, Clara struggles to make sense of what she was supposed to do the day of the fire. And, as she is drawn further into the world of part angels and the growing conflict between White Wings and Black Wings, Clara learns of the terrifying new reality that she must face: Someone close to her will die in a matter of months. With her future uncertain, the only thing Clara knows for sure is that the fire was just the beginning.

I adored Unearthly, and couldn't wait to start reading Hallowed. The story picks up shortly after Unearthly's conclusion, with the characters dealing with some of the fallout and questions leftover from the fires. Clara is still a pretty great character. She's conflicted. She knows what she wants but is worried that she can't have it, or isn't meant to have it, or that it wouldn't be fair to others if she did have it. She is confused by everything that has happened. Christian kinda aggravated me in this one because I felt like he was taking advantage of Clara's confusion a little bit to suit his purposes, though he also is there for her as a friend when it's needed. I just question his motivations. Angela is still the same, curious and excitable and a little pushy. Jeffrey is angsty. Tucker is still amazing, but doesn't have quite the same presence that he did in Unearthly, which I missed. A lot. But I suppose it does help for Clara to spend more time with her thoughts and feelings in this one and less time fishing and kissing with Tucker.

The plot in this one is driven partially by Clara's new vision. She must figure out what it means, who it's about, how it could potentially relate to her purpose, and once she does figure it out, she has to deal with what that means for herself and her family. The other part of the plot is about Clara's internal struggles with her confusion and feelings regarding how she handled her previous vision and what her angel status means for the future of her relationship with Tucker vs. her lustful feelings toward Christian, who is like her and may be a large part of her purpose. There are a few revelations revealed in this installment as well - some that I saw coming, some that I didn't, and some that left my heart aching for these characters.

I definitely liked Hallowed, but I did miss the Clara + Tucker cuteness that took place in Unearthly. The way that this one ended left me anxious for the next book. There's not a cliffhanger, but it leaves so much for me to worry about for Clara that it's still enough to drive me a little bit crazy! I am excited to see how it all is taken care of in the future, and I hope that I won't have my heart broken. If you enjoyed Unearthly, then you'll probably love Hallowed as well.

Rewind & Review: February 2012

Rewind & Review is a feature hosted by Ginger @ GReads! and Lisa @ Lisa is Busy Nerding.

The idea of Rewind & Review is to set aside a few older books (published in 2010 or earlier) each month to read and review on the blog. It's a great way to spotlight some potentially awesome older books that aren't getting a lot of attention in the midst of all of the shiny new releases, and a chance to perhaps revisit some favorites.


So my lineup for February looks something like this:

Storm Glass by Maria V. Snyder

As a glassmaker and a magician-in-training, Opal Cowen understands trial by fire. Now it's time to test her mettle. Someone has sabotaged the Stormdancer clan's glass orbs, killing their most powerful magicians. The Stormdancers—particularly the mysterious and mercurial Kade—require Opal's unique talents to prevent it happening again. But when the mission goes awry, Opal must tap in to a new kind of magic as stunningly potent as it is frightening. And the further she delves into the intrigue behind the glass and magic, the more distorted things appear. With lives hanging in the balance—including her own—Opal must control powers she hadn't known she possessed…powers that might lead to disaster beyond anything she's ever known.

Pawn of Prophecy by David Eddings

Long ago, so the storyteller claimed, the evil God Torak sought dominion over all and drove the world to war. Now the one talisman keeping this sinister force from seizing power has been disturbed—and no one will be safe. . . .

Raised on a quiet farm by his Aunt Pol, Garion spends his days lounging in his aunt’s warm kitchen and playing in the surrounding fields with his friends. He has never believed in magic, despite the presence of a cloaked, shadowless stranger who has haunted him from a distance for years. But one afternoon, the wise storyteller Wolf appears and urges Garion and his aunt to leave the farm that very night. Without understanding why, Garion is whisked away from the only home he has ever known—and thrown into dark and unfamiliar lands.

Thus begins an extraordinary quest to stop a reawakened evil from devouring all that is good. It is a journey that will lead Garion to discover his heritage and his future. For the magic that once seemed impossible to Garion is now his destiny.

One Night That Changes Everything by Lauren Barnholdt

Eliza is in a full-blown panic. Her notebook has been stolen - the one that lists everything she wants but is afraid to go after. And the absolute worst person in the world has it: her ex-boyfriend, Cooper.

Like it's not bad enough that Cooper was lying to Eliza for their entire relationship - now he and his friends are blackmailing her. They're giving her just one night to complete the most humiliating tasks on her list or they'll post her secrets online - including the ones that aren't just about her.

Eliza's sure of only one thing:  She isn't going down without a fight. Cooper may have what's left of her dignity, but she's not the only one with something to hide...

I'm not sure if I'll get all of these read and reviewed in February, but I'm hoping I can stick to my plan! Have any of you read these books? If so, did you like them? What are some older books that you would love to see reviewed or that you would recommend? Let me know!