IMM (#20)

In My Mailbox is a meme created and hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren with inspiration from Alea at Pop Culture Junkie. All book titles link to further info at Goodreads.


I've been absent from IMM for a few weeks due to being pretty busy and re-thinking how I present the post. I've decided that, rather than categorising my list I'm just going to lump everything together. All items in my IMM posts have either been bought, received for review, gifted, loaned or sent via UK Book Tours. This seems like a sleeker way to present my own personal IMM and I can thank anyone who has gifted or loaned a book in the few lines I write about each title. Publishers who have sent me review copies are always thanked when I post my reviews. Any thoughts about this new format would be more than welcome. So, here goes - this is a longer post than usual as I'm summing up several weeks worth of books:

Catcher In The Rye
JD Salinger
Penguin 1951
Embarrassingly, I have never read this. Well, I tried when I was much younger but not with any success. All the recent talk of banned books made me decide that it was about time that I gave it a shot. John Green's excellent Vlog on the book also encouraged me considerably.

Paranormalcy
Kiersten White
Harper Teen 2010
This has been on my wish list for what feels like forever and I was pretty excited when it arrived.  I read it immediately and am delighted to say that it is just as good as everyone is saying it is. Review to come soon.

The Killing Place
Tess Gerritsen
Bantam Press 2010
Yes - an adult book! I love Tess Gerritsen and particularly love her Rizzoli and Isles characters (although not in the TV show that these books have spawned - it's a bit crappy). The crime genre is one YA sadly lacks a lot of and it was a real treat to return to the adult world as it exists in Gerritsen's books. I won't be reviewing this but highly recommend the series.

Losing It 
ed. Keith Gray
Andersen Press Ltd. 2010
I would never normally have picked up a collection of stories about virginity and its departure but I read so many interesting reviews of this that I decided to have a look. Every story is a gem but more than anything this collection has confirmed to me that Anne Fine is still just as amazing as she was in my youth and that Patrick Ness is a bloody genius.

Love Is The Higher Law
David Levithan
Random House 2009
This is the second book that I have read by Levithan and I'm still not sure that I like his writing style but it was a pretty interesting read. It looks at three different and intertwining viewpoints of 9/11 and is extremely moving at times, as well as being satisfyingly honest.

The Dead of Winter
Chris Priestly
Bloomsbury 2010
Firstly, isn't this just a fantastic cover? So pretty yet also so creepy! I loved the sound of this old fashioned ghost story and am delighted to say that it does everything it promises. An excellent winter read, my review of this will be up next week.

A Gathering Light
Jennifer Donnelly
Bloomsbury 2003
Not my usual cup of tea, but hugely lauded by readers and critics like when it was published back in 2003. It is a genuinely haunting story and I have a review for this unmissable story on the way.

Revolution
Jennifer Donnelly
Bloomsbury 2010
Having really enjoyed A Gathering Light I am looking forward to this title. Set between modern day New York and Paris and France during the French revolution it looks intriguing to say the least.

Out For Blood
Alyxandra Harvey
Bloomsbury 2010
I love this series and fully expect to enjoy Out For Blood just as much as I enjoyed My Love Lies Bleeding and Blood Feud. I mean, seven vampire brothers! It's genius of the highest order.

Burning Secrets
Clare Chambers
Harper Collins Children's Books 2011
I am really looking forward to this one. The story line of a boy with a dark past moving to a remote and not necessarily friendly island sounds right up my street.  I've not heard of the author before so am interested to see how the story pans out.

Raised By Wolves
Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Quercus 2010
I didn't know all that much about werewolves, or wolves full stop for that matter, before I read this fascinating take on girl-meets-lupine. My review is already up here and this title is definitely worth checking out if you are looking for something a bit different.

Torment
Lauren Kate
Headline 2010
I'm reading this at the moment and it is just so good! I loved Fallen and thus far Torment is just as gripping and atmospheric. Absolutely worth picking up.





So, that's me for, er, the last three weeks or so. I've got lots of lovely things to read, but also lots of not so lovely textbooks to study. I actually have a backlog of reviews to post so there should be a few up this week. Happy reading everyone.