In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren.

I've been a bit slack with my reading the past few weeks, as assignments start to catch up with me; I have 4 due this week. But, while having a study break, I went out to my local shopping centre, and the first thing that grabbed my attention was "ALL BOOKS $5 EACH" (AUD). How could I not stop and take a look. I did behave though, I only bought 2 books. I was a bit disappointed that they only had some books from a series, other wise I would have purchased more (I didn't quite feel like having book 3, if I haven't read book 1+2 yet). Anyway, the two books that I did purchase were:

Spells by Aprilynne Pike

Summary (Goodreads): Six months have passed since Laurel saved the gateway to the faerie realm of Avalon. Now she must spend her summer there, honing her skills as a Fall faerie. But her human family and friends are still in mortal danger--and the gateway to Avalon is more compromised than ever.

When it comes time to protect those she loves, will she depend on David, her human boyfriend, for help? Or will she turn to Tamani, the electrifying faerie with whom her connection is undeniable?

I haven't read Wings yet, but this book sounded really interesting, and I liked the cover! I plan to go back sometime this week and see if they have put Wings on sale.

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

Summary (Goodreads): In a single moment, everything changes. Seventeen-year-old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall riding along the snow-wet Oregon road with her family. Then, in a blink, she finds herself watching as her own damaged body is taken from the wreck...

A sophisticated, layered, and heart achingly beautiful story about the power of family and friends, the choices we all make—and the ultimate choice Mia commands.

Another series. What am I getting myself into? (more reading, but I love it, so that's ok) Sounds good though.

What did you get in your mailbox this week?

I think I've hit a bit of a reading 'brick wall' with the book I am currently reading. It's partially my fault, for reading the book after seeing the movie, and for also buying so many interesting books before finishing my current one. Actually, I guess it’s wholly my fault :P. I'm currently reading the Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kid. The movie was fairly good, and it’s been on my ‘to read’ list ever since. But it seems to be taking me a long time to read it, and I’m not sure why. I don’t like to not finish a book, but I’ve started Evermore by Alyson Noel, and have put the Secret Life of Bees back on the shelf for the time being. It seems a shame, as I’m only about 60 pages from the end.

Has this ever happened to you? Is there anything that helps you get through it?

Anyway, on a brighter note, I’d like to introduce you to a product that I got for Christmas. You may or may not have seen them before, but it was a fairly new thing for me, and I’ve been using it ever since I got it! I usually read at night, and my fingers often get numb from holding my book for long periods of time. So, for Christmas, I convinced my parents to get me a.... *drum roll*... Book Seat!!


It’s an Australian invention, and it is exactly as the name suggests; it’s a Seat for your Book. Mine is rose coloured, and takes pride of place on my bedside table, along with my current novel. During winter, it allows me to keep my hands warm under a blanket or inside a jacket, and during summer it allows me to sip a nice refreshing beverage while reading. Quite possibly the best present I have ever received! I’m not sure if they are available for purchase outside Australia, but I hope so, cause I love mine and think everyone should have one.


Have you seen these before? Now having seen them, would you want one? Let me know. Also, I'm still on the hunt for the perfect bookshelf, but hopefully that will all be sorted in a week or two.

Room by Emma Donoghue

Release Date: August 20, 2010
Publisher: Picador
Pages: 402
Source: Purchased
Rating: 5/5

Jack is five, and excited about his birthday. He lives with his Ma in Room, which has a locked door and a skylight, and measures twelve feet by twelve feet. He loves watching TV, and the cartoon characters he calls friends, but he knows that nothing he sees on screen is truly real – only him, Ma and the things in Room. Until the day Ma admits that there’s a world outside ...

Told in Jack’s voice, Room is the story of a mother and son whose love lets them survive the impossible. Unsentimental and sometimes funny, devastating yet uplifting, Room is a novel like no other. - Book blurb

My Review:
The store where I work was having a huge sale on books, and a large number had been reduced. As tempting as it was, I only purchased a small handful and this book was recommended by one of my colleagues. I was a bit unsure, but she absolutely insisted that I buy it, and I’m so glad I did.

There are so many things to say about this book, but I have to be careful in what I write, so that I don’t give anything away. I started reading this book knowing nothing about it, except from what I read in the blurb on the back (see above summary), and this made it all the more special. When I went to find a summary to include in this review, I felt that my usual source gave too much of the story away, and I truly believe that if I had read those, I don’t think Room would have had the effect on me that it did. But don’t worry, it was definitely for the better.

So, Room... This book is written in the words of a five year old boy named Jack. This was originally a little off putting, but I came to love Jack so much because of it. Because this story is a little confronting, reading it through a child’s eyes makes it all the more special. Like I mentioned, I don’t want to give too much away, but Jack and Ma live in a 12x12ft room. This is the only world that Jack has ever known, for Jack this IS the world. You would think that being confined to a room with no knowledge of what is outside would somehow effect a child, but Ma does a great job in educating Jack, teaching him manners, and keeping him healthy. Some of her methods may seem a little unorthodox, but she did the best with what she had, and that’s all anyone can ever ask of a person.

Audrey Niffenegger, (author of The Time Traveller’s Wife), commented on the front of this book saying “When it’s over you look up: the world looks the same but you are somehow different and that feeling lingers for days”. This is how I felt while I was reading, and even a month after I finished. It is an incredible story of love and survival that will have you laughing, crying, and at times gasping for breath.

Rating:
If it wasn’t clear by my review, I rate this book a 5 out of 5. This book was fabulous and I know that I’ll read it over and over again. Reading this through Jack’s eyes makes this story so special, and despite the initial grim circumstances, the outlook for Jack is bright. I know my review may seem kind of disjointed and doesn’t give a particular good description of the book, but I really do encourage you to read it and experience the joy and sadness that is, Room.

If you have read Room, than tell me what you thought. I loved it, but if you didn’t, I’d love to hear your comments on it. Also, once you've read Room, (or if you're not plainging on reading it, which i sincerly hope you do), I recommend you visit the books website: roomthebook.com. It gives you more information about the author's purpose for writing the book, includes bookclub questions, and overall gives you more of a visual look Inside 'Room'. Thanks.
-Alisa

Cover Crazy was created by Tawni @ The Book Worms. It is about sharing book covers that we love (ie. admiring the art and beauty of a book’s design).
Oh My Goodness, I am so glad that there is a meme for this (I guess you could say I was referred by Page Turners)! I know the saying "you should never judge a book by it's cover" is very true, but when it actually comes to books, I can't help it. When a book is sitting on a shelf, what is the first thing you see? The first thing that grabs your attention? The Cover! If I like the cover, then I'll read the blurb and find out more about it. I absolutely love book covers! So, before I get carried away, here the cover I'm currently crazy about:

(click image for larger view)

The simplicity of this cover is what draws me in. A single girl, encased inside of a bubble. It's strange, but I just can't seem to put into words how I feel about this cover. Do you like it?

Going off on a little 'cover tangent' here, but I'm one of these people that, when reading a series, I have to buy the matching covers. To some extent, even when I buy multiple books by the same author (eg. Jodi Picoult), I'd really like the covers to match. I was a bit disappointed to discover, after buying half of Jodi Picoult's books, that they were being sent back to the publisher, and re-published with new cover designs. I know have 2 'half sets' of covers. But Jodi is such a good writer, and I don't mind. To help with this problem, I usually buy all of the series at one time (hence my huge In My Mailbox this week).

So, this is definatly a meme that I hope to be a part of regularly, and I promise next time I keep it strictly about the book cover (so without the rant, lol). Are you cover crazy too? I'd love to see what covers you adore!

I’m excited to share with you, my first In My Mailbox!! In My Mailbox was started by Kristi @ The Story Siren. It is a weekly meme that allows bloggers to share what books they bought, or borrowed, or received in the mail. I don’t receive books quite that often, but I will share with you every chance I get.

This week, I bought:

All 7 books from the Tomorrow Series by John Marsden, including Tomorrow, When The War Began - The Dead Of The Night - The Third Day, The Frost - Darkness, Be My Friend - Burning For Revenge - The Night Is For Hunting - The Other Side of Dawn. Here is the summary for the 1st book in the series.

When Ellie and her friends return from a camping trip in the Australian bush, they find things hideously wrong--their families are gone. Gradually they begin to comprehend that their country has been invaded and everyone in their town has been taken prisoner. As the reality of the situation hits them, they must make a decision--run and hide, give themselves up and be with their families, or fight back. - GoodReads

and Evermore by Alyson Noël (book 1 from the Immortals series)

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. - GoodReads

I know that these books are kind of older, but I'm really excited to read all of them, and hope to be able to share some reviews with you.

I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

Released: AU 3 August, 2010
Series: Lorien Legacies [Book One]
Publisher: HarperCollins
Pages: 440
Source: Purchased
Rating: 4/5

We were nine, three are dead, I am number four.

Nine teenagers and their guardians are hiding on Earth. Protected by a charm that means they can only be killed in numerical order, three are already dead. John Smith is Number Four. And his mortal enemies are hunting him down. The only way to keep off-radar is to keep moving, never staying in one place for long.

Finally in the firing line, all he can do is adopt the guise of a student and pray his unusual gifts - his legacies - stay hidden long enough for him to settle into this new community. But others seem to sense his otherness and when small-town life sucks him into its intrigues, it's only a matter of time before his true nature is revealed. And that means there's no space for love, friendship or a future if it means protecting not only himself, but the other five. - goodreads

My Review:
I found this great website called Page to Premiere; it reports on books that are being adapted into movies. Film and books, 2 of my favourite things, and it is here where I first found out about ‘I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore’. It must have been newly released, because even the assistant at the store where I purchased it from asked how I found out about it. Anyway, onto my review.

While I was super interested in the plot of this book, I was a little apprehensive about reading it as the main character in the story was male. Now don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against male leads in stories or anything, but I sometimes find it hard to connect with a character if I can not relate, and in this instance it happened to be his gender. However, this is Not the case with ‘I Am Number Four’. It had me wanting to read more each and every night! I found myself telling anybody who would listen about this book, and inviting them to see the movie adaptation when it was released (which I saw and think that the book was better, but i usually do).

The mystery surrounding who John is, how he came to Earth, why he was forced to leave his home, and what was trying to track him down and kill him had my full attention on every page. Without giving to much away, I found the history of Johns origins, and the origins of his planet, just as fascinating as what his future had in store. This story had a bit of everything, action, mystery, suspense, romance, comedy. Being a slightly larger book than I usual read, I found it one of my quickest books to read this year, and that must be a good sign!

Rating:
What do I think? I thought this book was Great. The characters are practically lovable (i challenge you to read this book and Not connect with at least 1 of them), the story is slightly mysterious, and it packs a punch at the end! I was excited to find out this is one in a Series of books, called the Lorien Legacies, and will definitely be going to the bookstore in August, 2011 when the second book, ‘the Power of Six’, is released!

Have you read the book? Did you see the movie? What Legacy would you hope for if you were from Lorien? Talk about it in the comments.
-Alisa