In My Mailbox (4)

In My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren as a way for us to share all of the books we received that week.

Just a trip to the library for me this week.

I checked out...

The Name of the Star

Room

Clockwork Prince

More to come this week, I'm sure!  There are a couple of books coming out on Tuesday that I CANNOT WAIT FOR!

 Leave a comment and let me know what you got!

Review: Disney Fairies: The Never Girls Books 1 & 2

Have you checked out the new Never Girls series yet?  I've read the first two and loved them both.  Click on the links to check out my YABC reviews!

In a Blink

The Space Between

Happy Reading!

Review: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer

Author: Michelle Hodkin
Released: September 27, 2011

Summary:  Mara Dyer doesn’t think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.

It can.

She believes there must be more to the accident she can’t remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed.

There is.

She doesn’t believe that after everything she’s been through, she can fall in love.

She’s wrong.

My Review:
I cannot believe I waited so long to read this book.  This is an amazing start to the series.  This is a unique story that will not only keep you up at night but it will keep you guessing the entire time.

What I loved: This story had me in suspense.  I had to keep reading because I had to find out what happened next.  I also loved the romance, nothing hot and heavy but the feelings were intense.  This book packed a powerful punch from the very beginning, there was never "down time" in the story.

I can't say anything negative about this book, my only problem is that I didn't read it sooner!

Review: Hide and Seek

Title:  Hide and Seek
Author: Kate Messner
Released: April 1, 2013

Summary:  A fast-paced mystery from the author of CAPTURE THE FLAG!

José, Anna, and Henry are junior members of the secret Silver Jaguar Society, sworn to protect the world's most important artifacts. When they discover that the society's treasured Jaguar Cup has been replaced with a counterfeit, the trio and their families rush to the rain forests of Costa Rica in search of the real chalice. But when the trail runs dry, new mysteries emerge: Who can they trust? Is there a traitor in their midst? With danger at every turn, it will take more than they realize for José and his friends to recover the cup before it falls into the wrong hands.

My Review:

What I liked: The second installment in this series by Kate Messner delivered all that I hoped for. The main cast of characters are back along with some new friends to help them solve their latest mystery. The setting of Costa Rica was absolutely perfect, the plants and animals were described so perfectly, I felt like I was there. 

There was a lot of action in this book, which is sure to delight readers. There are also some funny moments as well, that I can picture kids giggling as they read.

Final verdict: Messner has a flair for writing awesome middle grade novels. This is a book that will delight her fans and hopefully engage new readers.

Thanks, YABC for this one!

In My Mailbox (3)

In My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren.  Book reviewers and bloggers can share what books we received for the week.

This week I rediscovered the 'free books' section on my Nook.  I picked up a lot of fun romances that are nice when I need something light.  The DaVinci Code was also free and I'm probably one of the five people on the planet that hasn't read that book so I downloaded that one as well.

             

               

These are just a few of my freebies this week...

And like many of you, I'm sure, I picked up Clockwork Princess.  I'm in the process of reading Clockwork Angel and it will probably be a while before I get to this latest one but I couldn't pass it up.

Leave me a comment and let me know what you got this week and any books you may be looking forward to this week!

2 Great Non-Fiction Titles

If you are looking for some new non-fiction books to add to your classroom library, look no further than this Scholastic series.

Check out my YABC reviews below...

  Rainforest              Sharks

Review: The Trouble With Flirting

Title:  The Trouble With Flirting
Author:  Claire LaZebnik
Released:  February 26, 2013

Summary:  Franny's supposed to be working this summer, not flirting. But you can't blame her when guys like Alex and Harry are around. . . . Franny Pearson never dreamed she'd be attending the prestigious Mansfield Summer Theater Program. And she's not, exactly. She's working for her aunt, the resident costume designer. But sewing her fingers to the bone does give her an opportunity to spend time with her crush, Alex Braverman. If only he were as taken with the girl hemming his trousers as he is with his new leading lady. When Harry Cartwright, a notorious flirt, shows more than a friendly interest in Franny, she figures it can't hurt to have a little fun. But as their breezy romance grows more complicated, can Franny keep pretending that Harry is just a carefree fling? And why is Alex suddenly giving her those deep, meaningful looks? In this charming tale of mixed messages and romantic near-misses, one thing is clear: Flirting might be more trouble than Franny ever expected.

My Review:  

What I liked: The romance in this book hit the mark for me. Harry was utterly charming and the kind of guy you want to be friends with and as you get to know him more smoochy with. While I thought the beginning of the story felt a little slow, the middle and the end quickly flew by and had me hooked.

What left me wanting more: There were a lot of characters and a lot of relationships going on in this book. At times, it was difficult to keep up with. I would have liked some more closure at the end for some of the characters. All of a sudden the book was over and I would have liked to know how certain relationships carried on or didn't.

Final verdict: I enjoyed this book but it didn't pack the big punch that I was hoping for. If you are a fan of contemporary romance, this one is worth checking out.

3.5 Stars