In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren. The idea is to share what books you got your hands on in the last week.

So here is what I got!

Rogue Oracle by Alayna Williams

Clone Codes by the McKissacks

The Mephisto Covenant by Trinity Faegan (Debut Author Challenge)

Trapped by Michael Northrop (YA Contemps Challenge)

The Dutchess and A Knight in Shining Armour by Jude Deveraux

Hope everyone else had a great week and got some awesome books!

Teaser Tuesday & Top Ten Tuesday

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Wither
By: Lauren DeStefano

"Her voice is cool, and she is so bizzarely serene. It worries me that I've become her favorite new bride simply for my blonde hair, my vague resemblence to her. She is such a brillint, well-read girl, and I wonder is she has figured out that I will never love Linden, especially not in the way she does, adn that he'll never love anyone the way he loves her. I woner if she realizes, despite all her efforts to train me, that I can never take her place."
Page 68 (ARC- Release date: 3-22-11)

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Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted at Broke and Bookish Here is what they have to say: Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created here at The Broke and the Bookish. This meme was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Each week we will post a new Top Ten list complete with one of our bloggers answers. Everyone is welcome to join. All we ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND sign Mister Linky at the bottom to share with us and all those who are participating. If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Don't worry if you can't come up with ten every time..just post what you can!

This week's Top Ten is all about books being turned into movies! I'm a book junkie and I love a good movie too- so this is a great top ten for me! Let's get to it.

1. Harry Potter- I mean, isnt this going to be on everyones list? They took a lot out of the books, but they had to and they did it in a way that didn't (so far) mess with the integrity of the story. I feel like I've grown up with Harry, Ron and Hermione and I'm pretty sure I'm going to be heartbroken when the last movie ends and it's really all over!

2. The Lord of the Ring Trilogy: These are some of my favorite books and I thought that they were brought masterfully to the screen. They are brilliant just to looks at- add in the fact they stayed remarkably true to the books and it's a win.

3. True Grit- circa 2010: Obviously you can't mess with the Duke, but I have to admit that this version really felt like the book come to life on the screen. With the exeption of a few small ommissions this movie really got Mattie's story right. Plus Bridges and Damon are fabulous!

4. The Secret Garden: There is one version in particular that I love. I just looked it up and it was released in 1993 and starred Dame Maggie Smith as Mrs. Medlock. I loved this movie and watched it over and over again as a kid. I still revisit every once in a while and I think it still holds up to the book it was based on!

5. Little Women: Another one of my favorite books- and another movie I loved too. We are talking the 1994 version here with Christian Bale looking all wonderful as Laurie.

6. Pride & Prejudice: Take your pick on this one. Mini-series with Colin Firth or movie with Kiera Knightley. I love them both. Austen can sometimes be hard to read, and being able to see it come alive on the screen is awesome!

7. Much Ado About Nothing: have you read this play? It's hysterical. Beatrice and Benedict are the perfect, snarky, sarcastic couple. Claudio and Hero are their tragic counterpart. Seeing Kenneth Branaugh, Emma Thompson, Kate Beckinsale and Robert Sean Leonard bring it all to the big screen is perfection. Plus- smaller parts are played by the likes of Denzel Washington, Keanu Reeves and Imelda Staunton.

8. The Princess Bride: This is a no brainer. The book is amazing and fun and hysterical and the movie follows suit. I love Carey Elwes and Robin Wright- bu my favorite will always be Mandy Patinkin as Inigo Montoya!

9. The Last of the Mohicans: There's alot wrong with this movie- and lets face it, there is quite a bit wrong (historically speaking) with the book a swell. For some reason I don't mind. I will watch this movie every time it comes on and enjoy the look and feel of it all. I've never been a big fan of Daniel Day Lewis- but the brilliant Eric Schwieg as Uncas, Russell Means as Chingachgook and the always amazing Wes Studi as Magua more then make up for it!

10. Bury my Heart at Wounded Knee: This isn't a big screen movie- but the mini series is masterful. This is the time period I've studied and loved my whole life. It's heartbreaking to read about what this country did to those who were here before us. The mini series brought it to life. Plus Adam Beach, who plays Charles Eastman, has always been one of my favorite actors (since back when he was in Smoke Signals), so anything he is in, I am all for.

So there's my list (I could go on and on...) What movie adaptions do you love?

Review: Halo by Alexandra Adornetto

Halo
By: Alexandra Adornetto

Summary (from goodreads):

Three angels- Gabriel, the warrior; Ivy, the healer; and Bethany, the youngest and most human- are sent by Heaven to bring good to a world falling under the influence of darkness. They must work hard to conceal their luminous glow, superhuman powers, and, most dangerous of all, their wings, all the while avoiding all human attachments.

Then Bethany meets Xavier Woods, and neither of them is able to resist the attraction between them. Gabriel and Ivy do everything in their power to intervene, but the bond between Xavier and Bethany seems too strong.

The angel’s mission is urgent, and dark forces are threatening. Will love ruin Bethany or save her?

Review:

This was an interesting book for me. The big reason is the one that you are not supposed to talk about- religion. Isn't that what they always say- don't talk about religion and politics? With this book though, you can't really not talk about religion, especially seeing as the story revolves around three angels, Ivy, Bethany and Gabriel, who have been sent on a mission by God to help combat the forces of evil. So with that in mind I was hesitant. I am not a religious person, and I hate being preached at. That's not to say I am anti-religion, I think there is a form of faith out there for everyone, organized or otherwise, but the thing that gets me really ticked is when I feel as though someone doesn't accept the fact that our faith doesn't have to all be same. So it was with a bit of trepidation that I opened this book.

For the most part I really didn't have to be worried. For sure, religion plays a huge part of this story. Still, I rarely felt like the author was trying to force a belief system on the reader through the story. Instead I found the book to havea good message of faith in general, no matter what form it takes. It had a classic story of good vs. evil and how those two forces can play out in a small town. Ivy, Gabriel and Bethany are trying to lead through example. They never talk religion, but instead volunteer at different organizations, talk to people about how to make a differance in their community and how to be good people. Religion aside- that's a good message to have out there.

I also enjoyed Bethany struggle with both her mission and her faith. Ivy and Gabriel have come to earth on missions before and are used to interacting with humans in an emotionally detached way. Angels are not supposed to form bonds and connections and above all are not supposed to reveal who and what they really are. Bethany on the other hand is chosen for the mission because of her ability to connect and feel for humans. Her mission is the same as Gabriel and Ivy's, but she finds herself struggling with how to deal with all the new feelings she is confronted with and how that rectifies with who she is and what her mission is. She may be an angel, but she is also a girl who is trying to figure out where she fits in and what her purpose is. Throw in a boy who needs a little saving and you pretty much have a recipe for disaster.

Xavier is a pretty fabulous boy as far as boys in books go. He's reeling from the death of a girlfriend and trying to basically get though high school without getting hurt again. Of course he and Bethany fall for eachother. With them you get a real star-crossed lovers feel. Their relationship is against all the rules, but for whatever reason they are allowed to continue to see eachother. Bethany even reveals her true nature to him and he accepts it and even vows to find a way that they can stay together, despite the fact tht at any minute Bethany may be recalled to heaven.

There were a few things that I didn't like, and they may have less to do with this book specifically, and more to do with the books I have been reading lately in general. This book is the first in a series. Which means there is no resolution to be had at the end of the book. We spend the book witing to see if Xavier and Bethany will find a way to be together. They fight the forces of evil together and emerge closer then ever, but there is no final decision as the book draws to an end. What will the decision be? Will Bethany be recalled to heaven (or worse) for breaking several rules? It was all leading up to finding the answers to these question and it felt like a let down when there was no answer to be had. Im finding this is more and more common in YA books- they are all part of a bigger series, which means we must wait to see what happens. With so many books out there to read I want to get to the ending without having to wait months or even years to see what happens. So my complaint for this book was really one that I have for alot of books lately and that is just that I wanted it to all resolve by the end of the book!

The series fatigue aside this was a good book. As noted, it has heavy religious undertones, but I thought the author wove them well into the story in a way that made complete sense. And lets be honest- the cover of this book is breath taking. Its what got my attention in the first place and the book lives up to the cover. It's a beautiful love story that's just waiting for it's happy ending.

Rating:

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren. The idea is to share what books you got your hands on in the last week.

This week I only got a few books, but they are all fabulous!

Review:

Wither by Lauren DeStephano (from Simon & Schuster, release date 3-22-11)

Library:

Wishes by Jude Deveraux

Face by Sherman Alexie

Squee-worthy:

Across the Universe signed by Beth Revis (this was a thank you for participating in a release day event for ATU)

Teaser Tuesday & Top Ten Tuesday

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Devil's Kiss
By: Sarwat Chadda

Her body buckled under each discharge. Arthur squatted down beside her and drew out a crinkled packet of cigarettes. "Yes, it was much the same for me the first time" He lit one. "Welcome to the Knights Templar."
Page 14

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Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted at Broke and Bookish Here is what they have to say: Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created here at The Broke and the Bookish. This meme was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Each week we will post a new Top Ten list complete with one of our bloggers answers. Everyone is welcome to join. All we ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND sign Mister Linky at the bottom to share with us and all those who are participating. If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Don't worry if you can't come up with ten every time..just post what you can!

This Week: TOP TEN LOVE STORIES

Do I have to stick to books here? Because many of the first titles that popped into my head are movies. I may just break the rule and go with it on a few of my all time favorites!

1. Pride & Prejudice by Jane a\Austen:
This is one of my stories period. I love Lizzie and I especially love how her and Darcy have that back and forth and before they know it...Love.

2. Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare:
This is my all time favorite bit of Shakespeare. Beatrice and Benedict are witty and sharp and like Darcy and Lizzie, fall in love before they realize what is happening. And if you want a little tragedy there is Claudio and Hero. Go read it, or check out the movie with Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson.

3. The Clan of the Cave Bear Series by Jean M. Auel:
This is like 6 books long now (7 maybe?) and the through it all is the story of Ayla and Jondalar. It's messy and confusing and they hurt eachother even though they don't mean to, but they always find their way back to each other.

4. The Princess Bride:
Granted I saw this movie many times before I actually read the book, before I actually knew a book existed. Still, Westley and Buttercup are wonderful and watching them rediscover eachother, on the page or on film is great!

5. Star Wars:
(These are books too!) There are two great stories here, one- Han Solo and Leia. I mean she is tough and independent and he's a bit of a cad. Like almost everyone else on this list, they have a love hate relationship until love wins out. Favorite moment... "I'd rather kiss a Wookie" two- Anakin and Padme. This one is a tragedy. but a great story nontheless. Anakin chose wrong, but for all the right reasons. And he still lost everything.

6. Harry Potter by JK Rowling:
I could say Ginny and Harry, and you're right, they have a perfectly lovely little romance. But the real love story for me is always Hermione and Ron. See my explanination for every other love story I like. Apparently I have a a type- love sneaks up on two snarky, intellegent people and suddenly they can't live without eachother.

7. Tristan and Isolde:
This one doesn't fit my type, but I love it none the less. Star crossed lovers and the whole bit.

8. Sookie Stackhouse Series by Charlaine Harris:
Sookie and Eric- I could write paragraphs about why I love this pairing (mostly why I love Eric)- but mostly I like that he is so confident in the fact that she loves him, even before she is. I remains to be seen how this duo will end up, but it should be fun finding out.

9. The Wake Trilogy by Lisa McMann:
Janie and Cabel. I love that they find eachother and are able to help eachother heal.

10. The Study Series by Maria V. Syder:
Yelena and Valek. I love that she starts as a prisoner and rises in rank with Valek by her side. They are both strong and independent but find a relationship that fits for them.

Review: Griffin Rising by Darby Karchut

Griffin Rising
By: Darby Karchut
Author Website
Goodreads

Release Date: June 28, 2011

Summary:
For centuries, rumors have abounded of a lowly caste of supernatural beings known as the Terrae Angeli. Armed with the power to control Earth, Fire, Wind and Water, these warriors secretly serve as guardians for mortals in danger.

But for one young angel-in-training, Griffin, life is hell as a cruel master makes his apprenticeship a nightmare. On the verge of failing, a new mentor, Basil, enters his life and changes it forever. It is their father-and-son relationship, sometimes turbulent, often hilarious, always affectionate, that sings through the story like a pure note.

Masquerading as the average teen next door, Griffin struggles to learn his trade, navigate the ups and downs of modern life among humans (including falling in love with the girl next door), and prepare for the ancient trial-by-combat every apprentice must pass at sixteen or be forced to become mortal.

Review:
This book surprised me. It sounded like an interesting concept- a young angel training to become a full blown guardian angel, while also trying to navigate life as a regular 16 year old. The book started out slow for me- it jumped from the present to 3 years in the past and back a few times. Those leaps lost me a bit at first, I found myself flipping back and forth to make sure I knew where I was and who I was reading about. Especially given that Griffin refers to both Nicopolis and Basil as mentor and they refer to him as both Griffin and Tiro. It took me a minute to become comfortable with the names and titles. Once I got that though (and it really didn't take long)the story really clicked along.

I loved the character Griffin and his relationship with Basil, a man who took him in as a apprentice when Griffin was broken, both physically and mentally. It's their relationship that really made the book for me. They seem exactly like what they are- they are student and teacher, but they are also family. Basil rescued Griffin and helped rebuild him into a confident teen who is ready for his final test before becoming a Guarduan Angel. I liked that they were dealing with all this extra stuff, saving lives, training, keeping Nicopolis from ruining it all, and yet at the heart of their relationship they were dealing with really normal father/son type things. Dating, manners, run of the mill teenage attitude problems, etc.

Katie, the girl next store, or in this case, across the street, was a great character as well. She was a new girl who didn't suffer from insecurity. She knew who she was and what she wanted and I really felt like her comfort with herself rubbed off on Griffin who was so used to second guessing himself. Katie's, parents Lewis and Helen, were also pretty great. Lewis is a professor at the nearby University who specializes in, you guessed it, Angels. With this family, after some initial awkwardness, Griffin and Basil find a safe haven. A place where they don't have to pretend to be something they aren't, a place where they are accepted. It's fabulous.

I'm going to take a little detour here and talk about something I really love about this book. I'm probably going to go off on a tangent, but humor me for a minute. This book had one thing that I find so lacking in other YA backs. Good, supportive, and loving parents. So often we see absentee parents or abusive ones, and we see our main charecters, generally teens, struggling to not only deal with whatever issues they have (Vamps, werewolves, any number of paranormal oddities) but also with really crappy homelives. They have no one to turn to except for a few friends and ultimately their significant other- whose love is all encompassing. It's all very wonderful and romantic- but why do we have to have these horrible parents? This book goes the opposite route and it was so refreshing. Yes, Griffin had a horrible time wih his first mentor Nicopolis, he was abused and left broken. For three years he suffered, and then...Basil. Basil who is compassionate and understanding, supportive, sympathetic and patient. He is willing to put the time in to make Griffin into not just a good Angel, but a good man. We see much of the same with Katie's parents. They are fiercly protective of her when they think she's been hurt or is in danger, but they are also accepting and tolerant and teach Katie to be careful of judging someone just because she's skeptical of who they might be. In this case, an Angel. All three parents in this book are loving to their children and also respectful of them as people. I can't say enough about how much I loved that about this book. Because those parents are out there too, and they are there to help their children through the rough times, and I was extremely glad to see them get their due here.

Okay then, tangent over, moving on...
Now that all that is out of the way, I have to say that this books is fun and full of adventure and humor and has a twist at the end that I didn't think the author would have to go guts to go for. I can't wait until the next book in this series comes out to find out where Griffin goes from here.

Rating:

In My Mailbox 2-14-11

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren. The idea is to share what books you got your hands on in the last week.

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! I decided to go for it with another IMM vlog- this time much shorter then last weeks :)



Griffin Rising by Darby Karchut
Devil's Kiss by Sarwat Chadda
Impossible by Nancy Werlin
Halo by Alexandra Adornetto
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Review: Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney

So first off- I've been MIA for about a week now. For very good reason- massive Literature Review was due for class and it became a world class time suck. Not only was this blog abandoned, but so were things like laundry and dish washing. All in all it was a messy week at my house. I did however manage to finish one book- and the TBR pile is about 8 high, so unless more school work pops up and surprises me, I should be able to get a few more reviews in this week (hopefully.

Secondly- this review contains some minor spoilers, so tread carefully if you haven't read it yet.

The Mockingbirds
By: Daisy Whitney
Author website

Summary:
Some schools have honor codes.
Others have handbooks.
Themis Academy has the Mockingbirds.

Themis Academy is a quiet boarding school with an exceptional student body that the administration trusts to always behave the honorable way--the Themis Way. So when Alex is date raped during her junior year, she has two options: stay silent and hope someone helps her, or enlist the Mockingbirds--a secret society of students dedicated to righting the wrongs of their fellow peers.

In this honest, page-turning account of a teen girl's struggle to stand up for herself, debut author Daisy Whitney reminds readers that if you love something or someone--especially yourself--you fight for it.

Review:
So. I didn't really like this book. There were parts that I really enjoyed, but there were also alot that really rubbed me the wrong way. That being said, I do think it's probably a really good book, based on the fabulous reviews that are popping up everywhere, it jsut wasn't a great book for me. So lets start with what I didn't like and finish on a positive note.

The big thing that rubbed me the wrong way was that I felt like everyone was pushing Alex. She made some big mistakes by getting drunk at the club, and then she paid the ultimate price with Carter. It's a horrible thing, what she went through. But almost immediately it was overshadowed for me by her friends. Alex barely makes it home before her roommate TS is pushing for information, then she's off to see her sister Casey who tells her it is rape. Then she's being pushed towards the Mockingbirds and then towards pressing charges against Carter. All within a matter of days. I felt like Alex was never given the chance to process what happened for herself. She never had that moment to sit and reflect on what went down. I felt like she never got the chance to make the choice for herself. And I really wanted that for her. I wanted her to reflect on not only what happened, but what led up to it, what it all meant to her. Instead I felt like she was constantly being told what happened and what to feel and what to do by those around her. It really bugged me. To the point where I almost put the book down.

The next thing was the whole idea of vigilante justice that the Mockingbirds dole out. Yes they have check and balances and they try to be fair, but there were things that were missing for me. Carter paid for his actions, but what about everyone else? Sandeep was serving up alcohol to everyone around him, Alex chose to get tanked, her friends chose to let it happen even when they saw how intoxicated she was. It seemed like no one was taking responsibility for their actions. From there it bothered me that the Mockingbirds pick and choose whose cases to take, whose crimes to punish. Who do they turn down? Whose crimes are forgivable? Sandeep's for sure are as he was not even scolded for his actions. When it becomes that subjective is it even justice anymore?

So that's what bugged me- now for the things I really liked. Loved the friendships and the loyalty that was going on. Although I felt they were pushy with Alex, you cna't deny that they cared. They stuck with her, that had her back and that they wanted what was best for her. That's unual in high school. Friendships are often fair weather and fleeting, so to see them band together to help Alex get through it was admirable and really great to see.

Despite my dislike for some of the way it all worked, I also really liked the idea of the Mockingbirds. In the students taking it into their own hands and trying to do what was best for all the students. I loved the connections to To Kill a Mockingbird and how they looked towards that book for inspiration and direction. I really enjoyed seeing how much thought was put into how it all would work, how they could make it as fair as possible and how they could make it work.

In the long run this book was okay- there were some things that were done really, really well, but there were also some things that I just couldn't get past. This is a series, and although I think that this book stands up on it's own, I am interested to see where Alex's story goes from here.

Rating:

Teaser Tuesday & Top Ten Tuesday

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

The Mockingbirds
By: Daisy Whitney
Page: 72

But she's gone already and I'd never have the guts to dish right back to her. I'm nothing, helpless. I couldn't say no to Carter, I can't even talk back to Natalie. I reach the quad, then stop for a second, considering where to go. My room, music hall, my next class which doesn't start for forty-five minutes? Somewhere, anywhere but here.

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Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted at Broke and Bookish Here is what they have to say: Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created here at The Broke and the Bookish. This meme was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Each week we will post a new Top Ten list complete with one of our bloggers answers. Everyone is welcome to join. All we ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND sign Mister Linky at the bottom to share with us and all those who are participating. If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Don't worry if you can't come up with ten every time..just post what you can!

This week their looking for the top ten characters (or literary figures) that you'd name your children after.

This one is easy...and hard. I have one kid, a daughter and she was names after a literary charecter, so that one jumps to mind. As do a few other names that were on the short list- beyond that I had to really think. So here goes!

1. Morgan le Fey (multiple Arthurian legends): This one won out in the baby naming game. Obviously we just went with the Morgan part. I love the book The Mists of Avalon especially and the version of Morgan le Fey, spelled Morgaine in this story, is strong and independent and holds her own against just about anyone.

2. Isolde (Tristan and Isolde): I liked the name Isabel, my husband didn't, but we were both down with a cool nickname like Izzy. Isolde was the compromise, which ultimately lost out the equally awesome nickname of Mo.

3. Elizabeth (Pride & Prejudice): This is a fairy boring name. It's my middle name, and it's the kiddo's middle name. The fact that it is also Elizabeth Bennet's name makes it infinately cooler.

4. Cinderella (Cinderella): My name is Kate- another boring name. Combine it with the aforementioned boring middle name and you've got a whole bunch of blah going on. When i was a kid I wanted to change my name to Cinderella (no joke) now I see that it a ridiculous name, but I still like the idea of Ella. So ditch the "Cinder" and you've got yourself a perfectly, non-boring, name.

5. Jace (City of Bones): I like this one because it's unique but not so off the wall that the poor kid would get beat up on the playground. This factor was a serious consideration when we came up with names. "Is it beatable?" This name walks the line, and I love it. Plus, I mean, it's Jace :)

6. Josephine (Little Women): Always my favorite of the March girls, Jo has all the characteristics I love. Strong, independent and funny. Plus you can rock the nickname Josie as well.

7. Cabel (Wake Trilogy): In theory I don't like this name. Cabel = Cable. Would I be naming my child after an electricty deliverer? But McMann created such a great character that the name has stolen a spot on this list. I find myself kind of in love with it.

8. Tristan (Tristan and Isolde/Legends of the Fall): Here is the other half of the pair. I've loved the name Tristan since Brad Pitt came riding onto the screen in Legends of the Fall. When I discovered Tristan and Isolde I fell in love with it all over again. We fight over this name, my husband and I. If a boy ever joins the family, the choose-a-name game may get bloody.

9. Logan (Shade): Logan left me with mixed feelings- he was a great guy who also took drugs and died of an OD. But still- he was a great guy. And I love the name- so I'll fogive him his bad behavior.

10. Lyra (His Dark Materials Trilogy): This is another name that I like, but don't like all at once. I love that it's unique and Lyra the character has all the spunk and attitude that I really like. Standing on it's own, without the character to back it up, I'm not sure I would love it as much. Still- it kind of works!

In My Mailbox

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren. The idea is to share what books you got your hands on in the last week.

This week I decided to do something new and create a vlog for IMM. this is mostly because I got a new laptop that has a built in webcam (Yay!!!)- so here goes...



Priscilla the Great by Sybil Nelson
The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney
Silver Phoenix by Cindy Pon
Fairy Tale by Cyn Balog
Across the Universe by Beth Revis

And don't forget...

GO PACK GO!!!!

Review: Across the Universe by Beth Revis

Across the Universe
By: Beth Revis
Publication Date: 1/11/11
Author Website
Book Website
Debut Author Challenge Book

Summary (from goodreads.com):
Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awaken on a new planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into the brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules.

Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone-one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship-tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn't do something soon, her parents will be next.

Now Amy must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there's only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming.

Review:
I've heard nothing but good stuff about this book and have been itching to get my hands on it since it came out last month. It certainly didn't dissapoint. It was a bit slow at the start. It took awhile to get into how the ship worked, what the layout was, who was who, etc. A ship map on the inside cover of the book was extremely helpful and the website also includes some great maps. Once I was past the "get to know you" phase of the book it really picked up and got interesting.

Amy and Elder are both really great characters. Amy, frozen approximately 250 years early finds that she has been reanimated 50 years (49 years, 266 days actually) before she should have been and that the world aboard the Godspeed is unlike anything she has ever imagined, where differences have been eliminated and the world is run by Eldest. He pale skin and red hair immediately sets her apart, and he ability to think for herself makes her a threat. Elder is in line to become the next Eldest- leader of the ship. He is expected to follow in lock step behind Elder, but finding Amy throws him for a loop and he begins to question everything he has ever known.

The is alot going on this book. There is the mystery of who is unplugging the "frozens" before the ship lands, there is a curropt leader who rules through lies and manipulations, there is the death of the Elder who came before this one under unsavory circumstances, and there is the relationship between Elder and Amy. It's all woven together well, there are no missing pieces, just a story that flows out beautifully.

One thing that I loved was something very small. When Elder is trying to show Amy that he knows about earth he takes her to the Recorder Hall where they look at the history of earth on huge computer screens. They see Lincoln and read the Gettysburg address. One that claims that Lincoln saved the union by packaging up the slaves and sending them to Africa to preserve order and eliminate any differences. Earlier in the book Amy calls Eldest "quite the Hitler" as an insult, and Elder finds this funny because he has learned that Hitler was a great leader. These are small moments, that speak volumes. As a history major I always learned that history books and stories can't truly be trusted because it's often the winner who writes it. There is a perspective and sometimes an endgame. The rewriting of history here really reinforced that point. Eldest is the winner here, he is in charge, and he manipulates the information going out to reinforce his position, to justify his actions, to keep control. I loved these tiny moments in the story. They are scary because even on a ship named Godspeed, flying through space centuries in the future, this manipulation seems plausible and realistic...and terrifying.

Now that I've gotten sidetracked by the history aspect I will go on to say that this was a really great book. If you are a fan of dystopian it's worth reading. Revis does a great job creating her world and characters and even manages to surprise the reader several times along the way. I'm excited to see where this story goes next.

Rating: