When you have the beach to yourself.

All of these were taken with the baby canon (still not brave enough to bring my t1i to the beach... I know...).

In My Mailbox (Three)

It's time for IMM, a meme hosted by The Story Siren.

On my way out of the library this week, a little girl looked at me and said to her mom, "That's a lot of books!!". And hey, I only dropped Cross Fire (which I got for my mama), because it was sitting on top.

The lovely library collection:

 

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

There were no surprises in Gatlin County.
We were pretty much the epicenter of the middle of nowhere.
At least, that's what I thought.
Turns out, I couldn't have been more wrong.
There was a curse.
There was a girl.
And in the end, there was a grave.

Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she's struggling to conceal her power and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.

Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town's oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.

In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything

  

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi  

(The back cover:)

I HAVE A CURSE.

I HAVE A GIFT.

I'M A MONSTER.

I'M MORE THAN HUMAN

MY TOUCH IS LETHAL

MY TOUCH IS POWER

I AM THEIR WEAPON.

I WILL FIGHT BACK.

Legend by Marie Lu

What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic's highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.

From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths - until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family's survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias's death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.

Full of nonstop action, suspense, and romance, this novel is sure to move readers as much as it thrills.

Divergent by Veronica Roth

One choice can transform you. Pass initiation. Do not fail! Thrilling urban dystopian fiction debut from exciting young author. In sixteen-year-old Beatrice Prior's world, society is divided into five factions -- Abnegation (the selfless), Candor (the honest), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent) -- each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue, in the attempt to form a "perfect society." At the age of sixteen, teens must choose the faction to which they will devote their lives. On her Choosing Day, Beatrice renames herself Tris, rejects her family's group, and chooses another faction. After surviving a brutal initiation, Tris finds romance with a super-hot boy, but also discovers unrest and growing conflict in their seemingly "perfect society." To survive and save those they love, they must use their strengths to uncover the truths about their identities, their families, and the order of their society itself.

  Forever by Maggie Stiefvater

In Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver, Grace and Sam found each other. In Linger, they fought to be together. Now, in Forever, the stakes are even higher than before. Wolves are being hunted. Lives are being threatened. And love is harder and harder to hold on to as death comes closing in.

The thrilling conclusion to #1 bestselling Shiver trilogy from Maggie Stievater.

 

 

The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler

It's 1996, and Josh and Emma have been neighbors their whole lives. They've been best friends almost as long - at least, up until last November, when Josh did something that changed everything. Things have been weird between them ever since, but when Josh's family gets a free AOL CD in the mail,his mom makes him bring it over so that Emma can install it on her new computer. When they sign on, they're automatically logged onto their Facebook pages. But Facebook hasn't been invented yet. And they're looking at themselves fifteen years in the future.

By refreshing their pages, they learn that making different decisions now will affect the outcome of their lives later. And as they grapple with the ups and downs of what their futures hold, they're forced to confront what they're doing right - and wrong - in the present.

Treated myself to:

I had a fifty percent off coupon for B&N! Not to mention a couple giftcards from Christmas. 

Had to get something, so I decided on the beautiful (and so soft!),

  Wildefire by Karsten Knight

Every flame begins with a spark.

Ashline Wilde is having a rough sophomore year. She’s struggling to find her place as the only Polynesian girl in school, her boyfriend just cheated on her, and now her runaway sister, Eve, has decided to barge back into her life. When Eve’s violent behavior escalates and she does the unthinkable, Ash transfers to a remote private school nestled in California’s redwoods, hoping to put the tragedy behind her. But her fresh start at Blackwood Academy doesn’t go as planned. Just as Ash is beginning to enjoy the perks of her new school—being captain of the tennis team, a steamy romance with a hot, local park ranger—Ash discovers that a group of gods and goddesses have mysteriously enrolled at Blackwood…and she’s one of them. To make matters worse, Eve has resurfaced to haunt Ash, and she’s got some strange abilities of her own. With a war between the gods looming over campus, Ash must master the new fire smoldering within before she clashes with her sister one more time… And when warm and cold fronts collide, there’s guaranteed to be a storm.

Leave a link letting me know what you got in your mailbox!

Ohhhh now I get it!

Tips from a Novice #1

A helpful tidbit from someone who has no idea what they're doing, to other people who also have no idea what they are doing.

"Why is my blog only showing one post on the homepage?? Please, oh please, stop doing that! Please!": If you're going to post pictures, upload them to your blog from the little insert image button in the blogspot post editor. Does miracles...

Review: The Scorpio Races

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

Series: Stand-Alone Novel

Release Date: 10/18/11

Genre: Fiction/Fantasy

Synopsis:  Some race to win. Others race to survive.

It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line.
Some riders live.
Others die.
At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them.
Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn't given her much of a choice. So she enters the competition - the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen.
As she did in her bestselling Shiver trilogy, author Maggie Stiefvater takes us to the breaking point, where both love and life meet their greatest obstacles, and only the strong of heart can survive. The Scorpio Races is an unforgettable reading experience.


Four Words of Review: Beautiful. Unique. Exciting. Fantastic. 

This is one of those books that I don't feel like saying a whole lot more than just 'read it'. Seriously read it. I really, truly, fell in love with The Scorpio Races. This story is lovely, smart, funny, and thrilling. To me it wasn't fast-paced, but I found myself staying up all night so I wouldn't have to put it down. Maggie Stiefvater has far surpassed both her earlier series', Lament/Ballad and the Shiver trilogy, and now I can't wait to see what she comes up with next. 

Pick up The Scorpio Races and prepare to get lost in the island of Thisby -I did.

Tamra Sketch

Last month I received a very exciting email from the talented, Sophie Jordan. A little while back she had a contest for the newest addition to her YA series, Vanish, where you could make any sort of art you wished that tied-in to Vanish in some way.

And she told me I was a winner.

So. Very. Exciting.

I squealed. Really, I did.

This is my picture I drew:

I used lots of pencils and charcoal (which as always ended up mostly on my own face... without my realizing), and had a whole ton of fun drawing it! I big thanks to Ms. Jordan for the contest. 

I'm now trying to decide what my next art project should be, and after looking at that sketch again I'm ready to pull out the paper...

In My Mailbox (Two)

Happy New Year! This kicks off the real beginning of my blog; I started getting my feet wet in the fall, but now the holidays are over, and I'm ready to have some fun here! Time for the very first In My Mailbox of 2012 (how completely bizarre is that to write?).

From the lovely library:

Finnikin was only a child during the five days of the unspeakable, when the royal family of Lumatere were brutally murdered, and an imposter seized the throne. Now a curse binds all who remain inside Lumatere’s walls, and those who escaped roam the surrounding lands as exiles, persecuted and despairing, dying by the thousands in fever camps. In a narrative crackling with the tension of an imminent storm, Finnikin, now on the cusp of manhood, is compelled to join forces with an arrogant and enigmatic young novice named Evanjalin, who claims that her dark dreams will lead the exiles to a surviving royal child and a way to pierce the cursed barrier and regain the land of Lumatere. But Evanjalin’s unpredictable behavior suggests that she is not what she seems — and the startling truth will test Finnikin’s faith not only in her, but in all he knows to be true about himself and his destiny.

When Dana is invited to Faerie to be officially presented at the Seelie Court, it’s no easy decision. After all, everyone knows Titania, the Seelie Queen, wants her dead. But Titania claims not to be the one behind the death threats; and her son, Prince Henry, makes the decision a whole lot easier when he suggests Dana might be arrested for (supposedly) conspiring with her aunt Grace to usurp the Seelie throne. So she and her father better do as they're told . . .

The journey through Faerie is long—and treacherous. Dana thought it would be a good idea to have friends along, but her sort-of-boyfriend, Ethan, and her bodyguard’s son, Keane, just can’t seem to get along, and Kimber’s crush on Keane isn’t making things any easier. When a violent attack separates Dana from their caravan, the sexy Erlking saves her just in the nick of time . . . and makes it clear that he hasn’t given up on making her his own.

Arriving at Titania’s beautiful palace should be a relief. But Dana is soon implicated in an assassination attempt against Titania’s granddaughter, and is suddenly a fugitive, forced to leave her father behind as she and her friends flee for their lives. Will she be able to prove her innocence before the forces of the Seelie Court—or, worse, the Erlking—catch up with her? And will she save her father before he pays the ultimate price in her stead?

I treated myself to:

Some race to win. Others race to survive.

It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line.
Some riders live.
Others die.
At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them.
Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn't given her much of a choice. So she enters the competition - the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen.
As she did in her bestselling Shiver trilogy, author Maggie Stiefvater takes us to the breaking point, where both love and life meet their greatest obstacles, and only the strong of heart can survive. The Scorpio Races is an unforgettable reading experience.

 Orphan, clock keeper, and thief, Hugo lives in the walls of a busy Paris train station, where his survival depends on secrets and anonymity. But when his world suddenly interlocks with an eccentric, bookish girl and a bitter old man who runs a toy booth in the station, Hugo's undercover life, and his most precious secret, are put in jeopardy. A cryptic drawing, a treasured notebook, a stolen key, a mechanical man, and a hidden message from Hugo's dead father form the backbone of this intricate, tender, and spellbinding mystery.

 From Brian Selznick, the creator of the Caldecott Medal winner THE INVENTION OF HUGO CABRET, comes another breathtaking tour de force.

Playing with the form he created in his trailblazing debut novel, The Invention of Hugo Cabret, Brian Selznick once again sails into uncharted territory and takes readers on an awe-inspiring journey.

Ben and Rose secretly wish their lives were different. Ben longs for the father he has never known. Rose dreams of a mysterious actress whose life she chronicles in a scrapbook. When Ben discovers a puzzling clue in his mother's room and Rose reads an enticing headline in the newspaper, both children set out alone on desperate quests to find what they are missing.

Set fifty years apart, these two independent stories--Ben's told in words, Rose's in pictures--weave back and forth with mesmerizing symmetry. How they unfold and ultimately intertwine will surprise you, challenge you, and leave you breathless with wonder. Rich, complex, affecting, and beautiful--with over 460 pages of original artwork--Wonderstruck is a stunning achievement from a uniquely gifted artist and visionary.

Now, what did you get in your mailbox?

Quick Photo

Presenting my updated Blogger profile picture:

I took my camera up to my room, and pulled out a few of my favorite old books from my collection (that my gran graciously gave to me). Had some fun with the editing, which I think is allowed with any profile picture.   ...Right?


Maybe sometime I'll write a post on my antique books. There are some stinking cool ones.

Review: The Death Cure

The Death Cure by James Dashner 

Series: Third book of The Maze Runner trilogy

Release Date: 10/11/11

Genre: Dystopian

Synopsis: Thomas knows that Wicked can't be trusted, but they say the time for lies is over, that they've collected all they can from the Trials and now must rely on the Gladers, with full memories restored, to help them with their ultimate mission. It's up to the Gladers to complete the blueprint for the cure to the Flare with a final voluntary test.
What Wicked doesn't know is that something's happened that no Trial or Variable could have foreseen. Thomas has remembered far more than they think. And he knows that he can't believe a word of what Wicked says.
The time for lies is over. But the truth is more dangerous than Thomas could ever imagine.
Will anyone survive the Death Cure? 

Four Words of Review: Okay. Fast. Intense. Surprising.

I've had this book sitting around half read for a week or so. And, while it is most certainly a fast-paced read and full of action, I kept finding myself setting it down. I did enjoy this book though, and am glad to have read this series. 

I picked up the first book (The Maze Runner) not knowing what to expect, and while I was surprised with how the story ended up going, I did like it quite a bit. But it's not until the second book that we learn what this story is mostly going to be about -the zombie apocalypse. I learned from reading The Forest of Hands and Teeth, that zombies are not, in fact, my cup of tea at all. There's just something about the thing that gives me this sad/sick feeling, and I have it the whole time I'm reading the book.

But setting that aside...

James Dashner is really a wonderful author. His writing flows very well, and he clearly has a clever imagination. The characters of The Maze Runner trilogy are well developed, and all unique from each other. He makes it so you feel like you can finally relax in the story, and then BAM! Nope, time to kick some bad guy butt. Or, "Oops sorry! That person is not on your side, oh wait yeah they are. Wait no they're not. Oh yes, yes they are. No wait..." okay you get the idea. Keeps you constantly guessing, this man does.

To write a little about the ending without giving anything away is difficult. But I will say about half-way through I came up with how I thought it would go down, and I was about 70% right. Yay, points to me! Not to say that I wasn't still shocked multiple times throughout the story. For me, the end was somewhat satisfying, but I generally have a difficult time with endings. Anytime I'm not hugely disappointed or angry with the last book of a series, it's a pretty good one.

All-in-all read this series. But be warned, it's a very bumpy ride.       

 

In My Mailbox (One)

Two Sundays a month, I plan on posting an "In My Mailbox" (in case you don't know what I'm talking about). Right now, I'm not making it a video... but you never know how things will change in the near future.

The Death Cure by James Dashner

The third and final book in the Maze Runner trilogy.

"Thomas knows that Wicked can't be trusted, but they say the time for lies is over, that they've collected all they can from the Trials and now must rely on the Gladers, with full memories restored, to help them with their ultimate mission. It's up to the Gladers to complete the blueprint for the cure to the Flare with a final voluntary test. What Wicked doesn't know is that something's happened that no Trial or Variable could have foreseen. Thomas has remembered far more than they think. And he knows that he can't believe a word of what Wicked says. The time for lies is over. But the truth is more dangerous than Thomas could ever imagine.
Will anyone survive the Death Cure?"

I got this from the library, and have already started it. It will be interesting seeing how all the questions are answered... assuming they will, in fact, be answered... please.

The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan

I doubt there's anyone who has not heard of Rick Riordan and his middle grade series'.

"In The Lost Hero, three demigods named Jason, Piper, and Leo made their first visit to Camp Half-Blood, where they inherited a blood-chilling quest: