welcome blog: November 2010

Comments are disabled on this post, but you are welcome to check out any of the links in this post and comment there. You know I love receiving comments! :)

Delightful Debutantes #3: Stephanie Perkins & Anna and the French Kiss.

I am so, so excited to read Anna and the French Kiss. I've already read lots of wonderful reviews of this one, and it's a book everybody seems to love. Hot boys and the perfect Parisian setting...who could ask for more? Read on to find out more about Stephanie and her delightful debut!

I can’t wait to read Anna and the French Kiss. It’s got hot boys and is set in Paris! Sounds perfect! Where did you get the inspiration to write the story?

Merci! I sincerely hope that you enjoy it. The idea arrived to me in a dream—a beautiful boy with a French name and an English accent sitting on the steps of the Panthéon—and it was impossible to resist. Or, more accurately, THE BOY was impossible to resist!

I love Paris – it’s one of my favourite cities, and I read that you stayed there for a whole month (lucky!) What were some of your favourite things to do and places to see in Paris?

I *am* lucky. It's so hard to choose; I honestly loved everything. Of course, the food is the best part. (Banana Nutella street crepes! Orange flower macarons!) And I love creepy stuff, so I enjoyed visiting the cemeteries and catacombs and such. And Notre-Dame! Oh, it's so beautiful! And walking along the Seine at night! And, and, and . . .

Étienne St. Clair, Anna’s crush in Anna and the French Kiss definitely sounds like a swoonworthy book crush! Name some hot boys in books that have made you swoon?

I swoon for guys with flaws. Perfection is so boring! I love anyone Meg Cabot creates—Michael Moscovitz (The Princess Diaries) and Jesse de Silva (The Mediator) are particular favorites. Sarah Dessen has some super-sexy, flawed guys. I especially love Wes (The Truth About Forever) and Dexter (This Lullaby). Adam from Gayle Forman's If I Stay and Where She Went is such a REAL guy, and he has such a big heart. And Shrimp from Rachel Cohn's Gingerbread series is the most flawed of all, so I might even like him the most!

And then you hit Jane Austen, and the list never ends: Mr. Darcy, Henry Tilney, Wentworth, Colonel Brandon . . .

Can you name three other books that you think readers of your book might enjoy?

Anything listed above, but I'll add: North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley, Audrey, Wait! by Robin Benway, and Girl at Sea by Maureen Johnson. All contemporary, romantic, funny, and with substance.

Can you tell me a little about the companion novel to Anna and the French Kiss, Lola and the Boy Next Door and also let me know what you are working on now? Thanks.

I recently sold my third novel, Isla and the Happily Ever After, which I'm working on right now. Lola (2011) and Isla (2012) are both companion novels to Anna. They aren't direct sequels, so they can be read and enjoyed on their own, but they have plenty of fun character overlap. The plots are still a secret, but I will say that Lola takes place in America, and Isla wraps things back up in Paris!

Many thanks to Stephanie for answering my questions, and for wishing me good cookies and good books for the holiday season! :) I can just tell that Steph is going to be a huge success!

Anna and the French Kiss is released on December 2nd 2010 by Dutton.

Stephanie Perkins: Website Blog Twitter Facebook

Monday, November 29, 2010

Book Review: The Lying Game by Sara Shepard.

Product details:
Publisher: Harper Teen.
Hardcover, 307 pages.
Release date: December 7th 2010.
Rating: 4 out of 5.
Ages: 14+
Source: NetGalley

I had a life anyone would kill for.

Then someone did.

The worst part of being dead is that there’s nothing left to live for. No more kisses. No more secrets. No more gossip. It’s enough to kill a girl all over again. But I’m about to get something no one else does—an encore performance, thanks to Emma, the long-lost twin sister I never even got to meet.

Now Emma’s desperate to know what happened to me. And the only way to figure it out is to be me—to slip into my old life and piece it all together. But can she laugh at inside jokes with my best friends? Convince my boyfriend she’s the girl he fell in love with? Pretend to be a happy, carefree daughter when she hugs my parents good night? And can she keep up the charade, even after she realizes my murderer is watching her every move?

From Sara Shepard, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Pretty Little Liars books, comes a riveting new series about secrets, lies, and killer consequences.

Let the lying game begin.

The Lying Game is the fun first installment in a new series from Pretty Little Liars author, Sara Shepard. I’m going to fess up and admit that this is my first introduction to Shepard’s writing. While I always loved the premise of Pretty Little Liars, it’s just one of those series I never got around to reading and as time went on it passed me by. So, when I heard about this new series, I jumped straight in, and I’m glad I did. The Lying Game is as fun, flirty and frothy as it is dark and twisted. It’s Gossip Girl meets Mean Girls meets The Lovely Bones with a little bit of Desperate Housewives added in too. It will hugely appeal to it’s intended teen audience with characters you’ll just love to hate and a couple of hot love interests thrown in for good measure. With romance, intrigue and lots of suspense, this one has all the elements needed for a great new Young Adult series.

This book is already being adapted for TV, and since it’s very of it’s time and brimming with sassy pop-culture references, I think it will work really well. We follow the story of Emma Paxton with a voiceover effect (think Mary Alice from Desperate Housewives) from her long-lost and very dead twin, Sutton Mercer. Emma doesn’t know that Sutton is dead. In fact, she doesn’t know anything about her, but when she makes contact with her via Facebook (we’ve all been warned about the dangers of these social networking sites, right?!) she is suddenly catapulted into Sutton’s life and into a web of lies and deceit where she can’t trust anybody she meets and where she is definitely not safe. Emma soon finds out that Sutton lived a very privileged life, and one that was very different to her own foster-home upbringing, but due to her ultimate ‘mean girls’ status Sutton also made a lot of enemies. In life, Sutton had the kind of friends who secretly hated her, and who not so secretly wanted to get their hands on her boyfriend. She was a girl playing some very dangerous games, and they very badly backfired on her. Now that Emma has taken her place, and is trying ton find out what happened to her twin, she could be next…

Shepard certainly knows how to spring a surprise! There were so many times during this book where I thought I had everything figured out, just to encounter another twist and another cliffhanger. There are major clues dropped throughout the book that were not picked up by Emma, and I just hope that these were deliberate on the part of the author, otherwise there are some major plot holes going on here, which would not be a good thing! The cast of characters in this book are not the kind of people you want to hang out with in real life - they are bitchy, vindictive and hurtful, but they make for some fun reading all the same. As for the boys, all-American boy Garrett might be right up your street, but I preferred dark and brooding Ethan (I love dark and brooding - it gets me every time). He’s an mysterious presence throughout the book, but I get the feeling he’s going to play a much bigger part in the second installment of this series, Never Have I Ever, publishing Summer 2011. This series is off to a great start, and I can’t wait to find out what happens next. It’s definitely a new guilty pleasure!

Book Trailer: The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff.

The Replacement is coming up soon on my TBR, and it's a book I've heard lots of good things about already. The trailer just went went up on Simon & Schuster UK's Youtube channel today, and it's very eerie indeed! If you've already read the book, I'd love to know what you thought!

The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff.
Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK.
Release date: January 6th 2011.
Age group: 12+

Mackie Doyle is not one of us. Though he lives in the small town of Gentry, he comes from a world of tunnels and black murky water, a world of living dead girls ruled by a little tattooed princess. He is a Replacement, left in the crib of a human baby sixteen years ago. Now, because of fatal allergies to iron, blood, and consecrated ground, Mackie is fighting to survive in the human world.

Mackie would give anything to live among us, to practice on his bass or spend time with his crush, Tate. But when Tate's baby sister goes missing, Mackie is drawn irrevocably into the underworld of Gentry, known as Mayhem. He must face the dark creatures of the Slag Heaps and find his rightful place, in our world, or theirs.

Sunday, November 28, 2010

In My Mailbox #24 - New Books This Week!

In my Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren in which bloggers share the books they have received each week.

Click on links for Goodreads descriptions.

Galley Grab:

I nearly missed this one on the Galley Grab email last week. Good thing I spotted it as it's one I've been looking forward to reading. Love the boarding school theme!

One month into her junior year, sixteen-year-old Violet McKenna transfers to the Winterhaven School in New York’s Hudson Valley, inexplicably drawn to the boarding school with high hopes. Leaving Atlanta behind, she’s looking forward to a fresh start--a new school, and new classmates who will not know her deepest, darkest secret, the one she’s tried to hide all her life: strange, foreboding visions of the future.

But Winterhaven has secrets of its own, secrets that run far deeper than Violet’s. Everyone there--every student, every teacher--has psychic abilities, 'gifts and talents,' they like to call them. Once the initial shock of discovery wears off, Violet realizes that the school is a safe haven for people like her. Soon, Violet has a new circle of friends, a new life, and maybe even a boyfriend--Aidan Gray, perhaps the smartest, hottest guy at Winterhaven.

Only there’s more to Aidan than meets the eye--much, much more. And once she learns the horrible truth, there’s no turning back from her destiny. Their destiny. Together, Violet and Aidan must face a common enemy--if only they can do so without destroying each other first.

For Review:

I guess this means I'm finally going to get a start on the Vampire Academy series. Why did I leave it so long? I don't know! I was offered Last Sacrifice for review too, but I had to pass since I hadn't read the first book yet. Shame on me!

Bookmooch:

I don't know much about this one. I read a bunch of good reviews of it last year, and added it to my wishlist. Now that I have a copy, I'm not sure it's quite what I was expecting, but I'll give it a go, anyway. If anyone has read it, I'd love to know what you thought!

New York Times bestselling author Lauren Myracle offers a spine-tingling, unforgettable story of friendship gone very, very wrong. Lauren Myracle brings her keen understanding of teen dynamics to a hypnotic horror story of twisted friendship.

When Bliss’s hippie parents leave the commune and dump her at the home of her aloof grandmother in a tony Atlanta neighborhood, it’s like being set down on an alien planet. The only guide naive Bliss has to her new environment is what she’s seen on The Andy Griffith Show. But Mayberry is poor preparation for Crestview Academy, an elite school where the tensions of the present and the dark secrets of the past threaten to simmer into violence. Openhearted Bliss desperately wants new friends, making her the perfect prey of a troubled girl whose obsession with a long-ago death puts Bliss, and anyone she’s kind to, in mortal danger. Lauren Myracle has taken the ubiquitous friendship novel to a new, dark place.

Share your IMM links in comments. :)

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Competition Winners! 2011 YA Giveaway/ The Body Finder/ Dead Politician Society.

Brooke won the 2011 YA Giveaway and her book choice was Across the Universe by Beth Revis.

Great pick. I had a lot of entries in this one, and many, many incorrect entries. Thanks guys! :-p

Giada M. won a copy of The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting.

I hope you love Jay just as much as I do!

Finally, Ammy Belle won a copy of Dead Politician Society by Robin Spano.

Congrats! Please send your full name and address to daisychainbookreviews(at)gmail(dot)com and I will send the book out to you ASAP.

If you didn't win this time, maybe you'd like to enter my latest competition.

Enter to win one of three copies of VIXEN by Jillian Larkin.

This one is US Only (publishers request)

Good luck to everyone who enters!

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Delightful Debutantes #2: Jillian Larkin & win one of three copies of VIXEN!

With it's enticing tag line of 'Jazz . . . Booze . . . Boys . . . It’s a dangerous combination', Jillian Larkin's Vixen, the first book in the Flappers trilogy, is one I've had my eye on for a while, and I can't wait until the book releases. I couldn't find too much information about Jillian online, so I went to investigate and find out more. That's what Delightful Debutantes is all about, right! Read on to find out more about Jillian and enter to win a copy of Vixen.

Congratulations on being a soon to be published author! I can't wait to read Vixen. The Flappers series sounds like all kinds of wonderful! Can you tell me about your road to publication, and also let me know how long it took you to write Vixen from start to finish?

Thank you so much! I was very, very blessed on my road to publication since I got to skip those horror stories every writer hears about searching for an agent. During my senior year at NYU, I started interning at a children's literary agency. I have always loved the 1920's, and worked to develop The Flappers series with two agents there. The series sold quickly, and I have been writing in a white-hot fever ever since. I just completed the second novel, Ingenue, and will begin work soon on the third entry in the series.

I'm a big fan of historical fiction, and I love to read about the 1920's. For me, it's a time of decadence and danger, and I love the fashions of the time too. What do you love most about this era, and why did you decide to concentrate on the 1920's for this series?

I'm in love with Jazz Age fashions as well: the amount of work and craftsmanship that went into the intricate beading and lace embroidery on women's clothing back then just astounds me. My other big love of that era is the music: Bessie Smith, Jelly Roll Morton, Marion Harris, Pal Whiteman … the list goes on and on.

I also just find the time period so interesting. I think the tagline of the HBO show, Boardwalk Empire, says it well: "Atlantic City, 1920. When alcohol was outlawed, outlaws became kings." Since something illegal was being done by so many--drinking alcohol--I think it helped to shake up a lot preconceived notions about how American Society should be. Suddenly women felt the freedom to hike up their skirts and set their own terms.

My love affair with the 1920s has spanned my entire life, since I was a little girl forcing my family to watch the Julie Andrews film Thoroughly Modern Millie with me repeatedly. Since then I've been drawn to flapper-influenced clothing and listening to music from that period. I actually resisted writing about the 20s for a long time since the research seemed so daunting. But reading Zelda by Nancy Milford during my senior year at NYU and hearing about the new film adaptation of The Great Gatsby helped convince me to give it a try.

As Vixen takes place during the Jazz age, could you name three songs that you would have on a playlist for the book?

Ha, I actually do have a Flappers Playlist that I always listen to while working on the books. Trying to pick three Vixen favorites is a little Sophie's Choice-esque but I'll attempt it:

“Down-Hearted Blues” by Bessie Smith
“Black and Tan Fantasy” by Duke Ellington
“Charleston” by James P. Johnson

Can you recommend a great book that you think everybody should read and also let me know what you are reading at the moment?

This may be a little predictable but I'm going to do it anyway: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. I've read it twelve times and I'm not exaggerating at all. It really is one of those books in which you find something new to marvel at with each reading. I used to be convinced at least one character had to be likable for a book to work: Gatsby proved me wrong. Characters don't have to be likable--they have to be interesting, compelling, and most importantly: real. Fitzgerald is able to paint the glitz and glamour of Gatsby's fabulous parties overtop the gritty truth of Gatsby, Daisy, and Tom's lives in a way that is so beautiful, sad, and inspiring.

Right now I'm halfway through Twilight Sleep by Edith Wharton. I usually try to read mostly Jazz Age literature while working on the Flappers series to put myself in the right frame of mind. I've always loved The Age of Innocence and was thrilled to find Wharton attempted her own satirical twist on the smart set of the 1920s. Her writing is so gorgeous and biting--I'll be sad to finish it.

The Flappers series is set to continue with the second book, Ingénue, releasing in 2011. Can you tell me how many books are planned for the series overall?

The current plan is for three books. The third is entitled Diva and will publish in 2012.

I certainly wouldn't mind spending a dozen books' worth of time in a sea of gorgeous dresses, jazz, and men though.

You might also like to: Watch the book trailer for Vixen by Jillian Larkin.
Join The Flappers on Facebook.

Many thanks to Jillian for answering my questions (isn't she delightful?), and special thanks to Meg and Emily for all their help in arranging the interview.

Thanks to Delacorte Books for Young Readers I have THREE copies of VIXEN up for grabs!

This competition is US ONLY (publishers request) and closes December 9th 2010.
~~One entry per person.~~

~~Just fill in the following form to enter. Please use your full name and mailing address as winners details will be sent direct to publisher.~~

COMPETITION CLOSED! WINNERS ANNOUNCED SOON!

Monday, November 22, 2010

News Round Up: Raising Demons (Hex Hall #2) UK cover reveal & Amy Plum's Die For Me to be published in the UK!

Quick round up of some exciting book news from today!

Rachel Hawkin's Hex Hall was a fun debut, and today she revealed the UK cover for the follow up, Raising Demons (Demonglass in the US). This is so very different to the UK cover for Hex Hall, and I much, much, much prefer it, I gotta say! Rachel also mentioned that Hex Hall is also getting new cover to match this one, so I'm excited to see that too!

Do you prefer the US or UK cover on this one?I'm kinda torn. I loved the US cover for Hex Hall, and I think the cover for Demonglass is also adorable, but there is something dark and mysterious about the UK cover that I really like. Hmmmm...

Amy Plum's Die for Me is one of my most anticipated debuts for 2011. I fell in love with the cover art for this one a while back, and it's one I really can't wait to read. Today Amy announced that her UK publisher will be ATOM, an imprint of Little, Brown Book Group in the UK. ATOM have some amazing releases coming up in 2011 (Rosebush, The Gathering), and I think this one is the most exciting of all! The US cover for this one is so amazing. I wonder if it will be changed for the UK market. We'll have to wait and see! This will release in the US and the UK in May 2011.

Here's the US cover art and synopsis. Go add it to your wishlist if you haven't already done so! :)

When Kate Mercier’s parents die in a tragic car accident, she leaves her life—and memories—behind to live with her grandparents in Paris. For Kate, the only way to survive her pain is escaping into the world of books and Parisian art. Until she meets Vincent.

Mysterious, charming, and devastatingly handsome, Vincent threatens to melt the ice around Kate’s guarded heart with just his smile. As she begins to fall in love with Vincent, Kate discovers that he’s a revenant—an undead being whose fate forces him to sacrifice himself over and over again to save the lives of others. Vincent and those like him are bound in a centuries-old war against a group of evil revenants who exist only to murder and betray. Kate soon realizes that if she follows her heart, she may never be safe again.

In this incandescent debut, newcomer Amy Plum has created a powerful paranormal mythology with immortal revenants. The Paris setting comes enchantingly alive as a relentless struggle between good and evil takes place in its streets. Rich with romance, atmosphere, and thrills, Die for Me will leave readers breathlessly awaiting its sequel.

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Book Review: Matched by Ally Condie.

Product details:
Publisher: Puffin.
Paperback, 304 pages.
Release date: December 2nd 2010.
Rating: 3½ out of 5.
Ages: 13+
Source: Received from publisher for review.

In the Society, Officials decide. Who you love. Where you work. When you die.

Cassia has always trusted their choices. It’s barely any price to pay for a long life, the perfect job, the ideal mate. So when her best friend appears on the Matching screen, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is the one . . . until she sees another face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. Now Cassia is faced with impossible choices: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she’s known and a path no one else has ever dared follow—between perfection and passion.

Matched is a story for right now and storytelling with the resonance of a classic.

Dystopian fiction is having quite a moment right now, and Ally Condie’s Matched, in particular, is creating quite a lot of pre-publication buzz in the Young Adult sector. I will say, that for the most part, this is justified. Matched is a powerful tale set in an utterly harrowing future society. I’m not somebody who naturally gravitates towards dystopian fiction, it must be said. Good dystopian fiction always prompts a lot of questioning and discussion. It can be bleak, it can be draining and it can leave the reader feeling spent. Ultimately though, dystopian fiction, when executed correctly is really worthwhile, and it generally stays with you long after you’ve read it. That’s what Ally Condie’s Matched does. While it lacks the emotional punch and prowess of adult dystopia like Nineteen Eighty-Four or Never Let Me Go, it is a worthwhile read, and the start of a great new trilogy for young adult fans of the genre who’ve been left out in the wilderness with the conclusion of The Hunger Games trilogy.

We are introduced to Cassia as she prepares to attend her Match Banquet, a coming-of-age tradition in society where she will be matched with her perfect life partner. They will then go on to have a perfectly panned courtship and marriage, followed by perfectly planned children, all adding up to a perfectly planned life. But what if all does not go to plan? What if there’s a glitch in Cassia’s seemingly perfectly ordered society? What if her perfect match, her childhood friend and all round good guy, Xander, is not really the one for her after all? Everything is thrown into chaos for Cassia when a micro-card glitch reveals another face as her perfect match, that of another friend, the mysterious Ky Markham.

I really enjoyed this aspect of the storyline. I thought Condie’s world-building was fascinating and quite brilliantly done. I can have a little problem with being given orders, so I cannot imagine living in a totalitarian society where life is mapped out from birth and all choices are pre-determined by the white-coated Officials. Then, on the flipside, I can see how it could all be so much easier that way. How a person could just give in and conform to what that society expects of them. It takes courage to fight the system, and therein lies the beauty of the characters in this book. Even when all choice is taken away from them, they still have those primal instincts that make them fight for what is right.

There is mystery and romance here, and this develops as Cassia begins to question her society and her perfect match. At times the story moved a little slowly for me, but it’s understandable in a way when dealing with a book that takes place within such an organised, regimented society. The pacing also helps to build the ominous feeling that pervades throughout the book, and even though I found the plot line somewhat predictable, I still feared for Cassia and her family at every page turn. While I cared about the characters though, I can’t say I felt truly connected to any of them. The romance here is subtle and underplayed in keeping with the oppressed society which Condie has created, but I feel like maybe a little more intensity would have helped me connect further to the characters.

Ally Condie is a talented writer, and I enjoyed my first foray into the world of Matched. Often dystopian novels leave me feeling very dejected when I find that characters are mostly beaten down by society and just resigned to their fate. But Cassia has great hope. By the end of the novel her life has inexplicably changed, and yet, the mood is somehow uplifting. You know she is going to fight for what she believes in. She won’t be beaten down. I love that Condie has relayed that message through her writing, and with a lot more to discover and many unanswered questions, I’m looking forward the next instalment of this trilogy.

Saturday, November 20, 2010

In My Mailbox #23 - New Books This Week!

In my Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren in which bloggers share the books they have received each week.

Click on links for Goodreads descriptions.

For Review: I've been excited for the release of Bright Young Things for quite a while now, so I was very happy when I received it for review. I've read so many good things about this one already!

The year is 1929. New York is ruled by the Bright Young Things: flappers and socialites seeking thrills and chasing dreams in the anything-goes era of the Roaring Twenties.

Letty Larkspur and Cordelia Grey escaped their small Midwestern town for New York's glittering metropolis. All Letty wants is to see her name in lights, but she quickly discovers Manhattan is filled with pretty girls who will do anything to be a star...

Cordelia is searching for the father she's never known, a man as infamous for his wild parties as he is for his shadowy schemes. Overnight, she enters a world more thrilling and glamorous than she ever could have imagined—and more dangerous. It's a life anyone would kill for...and someone will.

The only person Cordelia can trust is Astrid Donal, a flapper who seems to have it all: money, looks, and the love of Cordelia's brother, Charlie. But Astrid's perfect veneer hides a score of family secrets.

Across the vast lawns of Long Island, in the illicit speakeasies of Manhattan, and on the blindingly lit stages of Broadway, the three girls' fortunes will rise and fall—together and apart. From the New York Times bestselling author of The Luxe comes an epic new series set in the dizzying last summer of the Jazz Age

Thanks to Puffin for the review copy.

Galley Grab:

Choker by Elizabeth Woods

I've wanted to read this one since I first heard about it months ago. I love books about friendships gone wrong, and this sounds like a good one. Just a warning: If you are planning on checking out Goodreads for this one, be careful of reviews. Somebody mentioned that a review on there has given away the ending of this one!

Cryer's Cross by Lisa McMann

I have never read Lisa McMann before, but I saw this one on Goodreads and was intrigued by the synopsis. I don't really know what to expect though, so I'm hoping I like this one!

Cryer's Cross by Lisa McMann

Bought:

Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink.

I've wanted to read this one ever since it first released, so I don't know why I waited so long to buy it. If you're already read this one, I'd love to know what you think!

Sony E-Reader PRS350 Pocket Touch in Pink.

I just couldn't wait to find it in my Christmas stocking! And anyway, I really don't think all those hints I was dropping were actually working. If you're reading I still have a lot more on my Christmas wishlist that you can get me!! ;-) It's about time I got one of these with all these great e-galley's I'm downloading, and this one is cute and pink. I love it!

Gift: I received this book from my blogger friend Heidi at YA Bibliophile. Thanks so much, Heidi! This one was high on my wishlist for 2011. Can't wait to read it!

Clarity "Claire" Fern sees things. Things no one else can see. Things like stolen kisses and long-buried secrets. All she has to do is touch an object and the visions come to her. It's a gift.

And a curse.

When a teenage girl is found murdered, Claire's ex-boyfriend wants her to help solve the case — but Claire is still furious at the cheating jerk. Then Claire's brother — who has supernatural gifts of his own — becomes the prime suspect, and Claire can no longer look away. Teaming up with Gabriel, the smoldering son of the new detective, Claire must venture into the depths of fear, revenge, and lust in order to track the killer. But will her sight fail her just when she needs it most?

Share your IMM links in comments. :)

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Book Review: Out for Blood by Alyxandra Harvey.

Product details:
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC.
Paperback, 292 pages.
Release date: November 1st 2010.
Rating: 4 out of 5.
Series: Drake Chronicles #3.
Other books in series: My Loves Lies Bleeding, Blood Feud.
Source: Received from publisher for review.

Hunter Wild is the youngest in a long line of elite vampire hunters, a legacy that is both a blessing and a curse at the secret Helios-Ra Academy, where she excels at just about everything. Thanks to her friendship with Kieran Black, Hunter receives a special invitation to attend the coronation of Helena Drake, and for the first time, she sees the difference between vampires that must be hunted and vampires that can become friends—or even more. When students at the academy fall victim to a mysterious illness, Hunter suspects they are under attack from within. She will need someone she can trust to help her save the future of Helios-Ra . . . help that shockingly comes in the form of Quinn Drake, a drop-dead gorgeous vampire. Who said senior year would be easy?

The Drake Chronicles is a series that just keeps getting better and better, and Out for Blood, the third instalment is my favourite book by far. If you look back on my reviews of this series you’ll see that I got off to a shaky start with the Drake vampire clan. Now though, I’m so glad that I stuck with this series. Alyxandra Harvey has created a fun, fast paced and seriously sassy vampire series, and now there’s even a little sexy involved, as Quinn Drake takes centre stage. He’s my favourite Drake brother, and I think I’ll even be adding him to my ever-growing book crush list. High praise indeed…!

As with the previous two books in this series, Harvey uses a dual narrative format in this book. Joining Quinn is Hunter Wild, a vampire hunter at the Helios-Ra Academy. The dynamic between Hunter and Quinn is wonderfully done, and although I was a big fan of Isabeau in Blood Feud, I think that these two have now replaced her as my favourite characters in the series. Quinn is a total player, and totally dreamy too. He’s hot and he knows it, but Hunter is pretty kick-ass and although she totally approves of his hotness, she doesn’t totally fall at his feet within ten seconds of meeting him.

I could probably gush about how droolworthy Quinn is all day, but, of course, in this book there are far more serious matters at hand with the ever constant threat from those pesky Hel-Blar and some mysterious goings on at the Helios-Ra Academy causing some students to act very strangely and other students to fall mysteriously and sometimes even fatally ill. It’s up to Hunter and Quinn to team up and get to the bottom of this. And maybe do a little bit of flirting along the way.

I really enjoyed this book. The story moves at a fast and exciting pace, there are some great plot twists along the way and of course we get to meet all our favourite characters from the previous books in the series and see how they are doing too. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series, due for release in winter 2011. Book four will feature Quinn’s nerdy-but-hot twin Connor along with new girl in town Christabel. I just hope Quinn is heavily involved in this one too. I miss him already!

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Waiting on Wednesday #27 - The Legacy by Kirsten Tranter.

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted at Breaking the Spine that spotlights eagerly awaited upcoming releases.

The Legacy by Kirsten Tranter.
Publisher: Querqus.
Release date: January 6th 2011.

A thrilling and addictive novel about three unlikely friends and the web of lies that unravels after one of them goes missing. At the center of The Legacy is the story of Julia Alpers, her friend Ralph, and the beautiful and wealthy Ingrid. As students in Sydney, the bond that ties this threesome together is complex - delicate and intense, shaped by intellect, and defined by desire. When Ingrid falls in love and marries the much older and very handsome Gil Grey, she decides to leave her friends and settle in New York City, where Gil is a major player in the art world. It is here that she becomes stepmother to Gil's teenage daughter, a former child prodigy, and begins her own work on rare, ancient texts called "curse scrolls" at Columbia University. But on the morning of September 11, 2001, she has an appointment downtown. And is never seen again. Devastated and heartsick, Ralph sends Julia to New York to investigate Ingrid's last days. What Julia discovers plunges her more deeply into Ingrid's life than she could ever imagine. As Julia grows closer to unearthing the truth about Ingrid's death, she is forced to confront her conflicted feelings about her former friend and to make a crucial decision about her own future.

Praised by international critics as an "entertaining literary thriller that skillfully describes the almost pleasurable pain of love and life denied" (The Australian), The Legacy is an utterly addictive and beautifully written novel that introduces a brilliant new voice in fiction.

This debut sounds like an intriguing and mysterious read. I can't wait to read it once it's released over here. This one has already been published in Australia and the US, so if you've already read, let me know what you thought. Share your WoW picks in comments!

I've also included the trailer for this one. Looks good!

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Book Review & Giveaway: Dead Politician Society by Robin Spano.

Product details:
Publisher: ECW Press.
Paperback, 325 pages.
Release date: September 1st 2010.
Rating: 4 out of 5.
Ages: Adult.
Source: Received from publisher for review.

After the mayor falls down dead in the middle of a speech, a clandestine student society claims credit for his demise.

Clare Vengel is given her first undercover assignment: to pose as a student and penetrate the society. A streetwise amateur mechanic, Clare finds university a foreign land, and has trouble creating an in with the suspects. She quickly alienates a popular professor and loses the respect of police superiors.

When another politician is killed, Clare kicks herself into high gear. She forges friendships with students and makes inroads into the secret society.

As the body count rises, Clare realizes that the murderer she has to unmask is someone she has come to consider a friend. She only hopes that the friend doesn't unmask her first.

You might not know this, but along with my often documented obsession with reading about secret societies and universities, I also love a good murder mystery. With Robin Spano’s debut novel combining all of these elements, I knew this would be my kind of book. This is a fast-paced, sassy debut that will both entertain and intrigue. I loved Robin’s writing style, and the characters she created. Let’s just say I became a fan of Clare Vengel pretty early on.

That’s not to say that Clare is entirely perfect. In fact, she’s far from it. She’s an undercover cop and her first assignment is to infiltrate a prestigious secret society of students suspected of murdering some high-profile politicians. Clare settles into University life pretty well, although her early classes can be a problem due to her almost constant hangovers. Clare is not a good girl. To say that she has an edge is an understatement, and I am not going to even mention how far this girl will go to gain evidence for her undercover assignment. Clare is a complex character for sure. She’s a cop with a chip on her shoulder and at times she seems to have a problem with authority, which makes for some interesting reading. She’s fun, she breaks the rules, and she has a complicated love life that I just loved reading about.

Robin Spano uses a multi-person viewpoint to tell the story here. Along with this the book contains a vast cast of secondary characters, and I admit that this did confuse me at first. I think this is a tricky style to get right, and it doesn’t always work. In fact, I’ve read books where this style falls flat on it’s face mainly due to a lack of contrast in tone between narrators. However, Robin Spano excels at this style, and it’s quite a talent. As I read on, I got to know the characters, and each had quite a distinctive personality and voice. Also, even though I am not all that interested in reading about politics, I found the subject matter here to be appealing and very topical. Despite the serious subject matter though, this is a quick, fun read. It’s not steeped in political jargon, and the prose flows at an exciting pace.

As an avid murder mystery fan, I will admit that I figured out the culprit here pretty early on, but with numerous plot twists throughout the book, Spano definitely kept me second guessing myself. I would recommend this one as it’s an accomplished debut with an entertaining storyline and a great heroine to boot. I know that Robin is already planning the next book in the series, which will see hard-drinking, chain-smoking Clare undercover as a trust fund princess. Now this is going to be one funny read. I can’t wait to check it out!

~~To be in with a chance to win a copy of Dead Politician Society!~~

~~-Just leave a (meaningful) comment on this review.~~
Competition closed! Winner announced soon!

*Competition is open internationally and ends November 23rd.
** If you want to leave a comment but don't want to be entered to win the book, just let me know!

Monday, November 15, 2010

Cover Candy #2 - Recent swoonworthy cover reveals!

You've heard of eye candy, and maybe you've heard of brain candy, now I'm here to introduce Cover Candy! If it's a book cover that I'm swooning over, I might feature it here! I love finding new books, especially those with gorgeous covers, but I can't feature them all as my Waiting on Wednesday picks, so I decided to dedicate this feature to them instead!

What do you think? Find any new books to add to your insane TBR pile?

Starcrossed (The Awakening #1) by Josephine Angelini
Publisher: Harper Teen.
Release date: May 31st 2011.
Ages: 12+

Set on the island of Nantucket, STARCROSSED tells the tale of Helen Hamilton, a young woman whose destiny is forever altered when she meets Lucas Delos and tries to kill him in front of her entire high school. Which is terribly inconvenient, not only because Lucas is the most beautiful boy on the island, but also because Helen is so achingly shy she suffers physical pain whenever she is given too much attention.

Making matters worse, Helen is beginning to suspect she’s going crazy. Whenever she’s near Lucas or any member of his family she sees the ghostly apparitions of three women weeping bloody tears, and suffers the burden of an intense and irrational hate. She soon learns that she and Lucas are destined to play the leading roles in a Greek tragedy that the Three Fates insist on repeating over and over again throughout history. Like her namesake, Helen of Troy, she’s destined to start a war by falling in love. But even though Lucas and Helen can see their own star-crossed destiny, they’re still powerfully attracted to each other. Will they give up their personal happiness for the greater good, or risk it all to be together?

I think that both the synopsis and the cover of this one are amazing! This is the first book in a trilogy, so maybe we can look forward to more swoonworthy covers in this series. Love the elements of Greek tragedy I'm reading about here!

Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma
Publisher: Dutton.
Release date: June 14th 2011.
Ages: YA

Chloe’s older sister, Ruby, is the girl everyone looks to and longs for, who can’t be captured or caged. When a night with Ruby’s friends goes horribly wrong and Chloe discovers the dead body of her classmate London Hayes floating in the reservoir, Chloe is sent away from town and away from Ruby.

But Ruby will do anything to get her sister back, and when Chloe returns home two years later, a precarious and deadly balance waits. As Chloe flirts with the truth that Ruby has hidden deeply away, the fragile line between life and death is redrawn by the complex bonds of sisterhood.

Imaginary Girls is a masterfully distorted vision of family reminiscent of Shirley Jackson, laced with twists that beg for their secrets to be kept.

Eeek! I love this cover! I'm always drawn to books with lots of plot twists, and I love the sound of all these family secrets here. I will definitely be checking out this one when it's release in June 2011.

The Watchers (Delcroix Academy #2) by Inara Scott
Publisher: Hyperion
Release date: August 2nd 2011.
Ages: 12+

Dancia's back at Delcroix, but this year, everything's different. Dancia's Talented, and her powers have earned her an invitation to join Delcroix's real raison d'etre --the Program. Dancia's wanted to use her powers to help people all her life -- and now Delcroix is going to give her the training she needs to use her Talent for good. At least...that’s what the school says she’ll learn to do with her powers. Her cuter-than-cute boyfriend Cam insists that it's true, and so do all the other students. But there's still a little voice inside her head that wonders -- if the Program's so great, why did her almost-only-a-friend- Jack run away rather than join? And why would the school be getting attacked by angry ex-students? Dancia's a loyal student...and a loyal girlfriend. But if finding out what's really going on means talking to Jack, well -- it's a risk she just might have to take.

I have The Candidates (Delcroix Academy #1) sitting on my bookshelf just waiting for me to read. This cover makes me wanted to get started on the series ASAP. I love it! Have you read book 1 in this series? What did you think?

* Please note: Not all of these covers are final and may be subject to change. If the cover is changed, I will update with the new cover!
** Please note: I changed the name of this feature as I was alerted to the fact that another blogger already has a feature of the same name!

Sunday, November 14, 2010

In My Mailbox #22 - New Books This Week!

In my Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren in which bloggers share the books they have received each week.

Click on links for Goodreads descriptions.

For Review: So excited to read Delirium by Lauren Oliver. I've heard so many good things about this already! Can you believe I still haven't read Before I Fall? Ooops! I really must check it out soon!My copy is a UK ARC, so not sure if this is the final cover - I'll post it up if there's a cover change!

Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing. They didn’t understand that once love -the deliria- blooms in your blood, there is no escaping its hold. Things are different now. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the governments demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Holoway has always looked forward to the day when she’ll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy.

But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable: She falls in love.<

Lauren Oliver astonished readers with her stunning debut, Before I Fall. In a starred review, Publishers Weekly called it "raw, emotional, and, at times, beautiful. An end as brave as it is heartbreaking." Her much-awaited second novel fulfills her promise as an exceptionally talented and versatile writer.

Bought:

The Distant Hours by Kate Morton.

I'm a big fan of Kate Morton's books and I can't wait to get started on this one. It's a huge book (my copy is almost 700 pages). Sounds like a good book to curl up with on a cold winter's night. Brrrr....

A Moment Like Forever by Martina Reilly.

This is my first Martina Reilly book, so I don't really know what to expect. I like the sound of this one, though. Sounds like a good mystery!

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro.

This book only came to my attention a few weeks back when I saw the movie trailer, and loved it! The book sounds totally intriguing and I can't wait to read it. If you haven't already seen the trailer, you can watch it below. It's definitely worth checking out!

Friday, November 12, 2010

Book News: MIRA to launch new teen imprint in 2011!

Exciting UK book news! I love that more and more UK publishers are expanding their teen titles. It sounds as though MIRA have exciting things in store with their new teen imprint, Mira Ink which will launch in January. Along with a host of titles, expect a dedicated website, a YouTube channel and a Facebook fan page, where you'll be able to find out everything you need to know about upcoming releases from Mira Ink.

Now, onto the books! The launch title for this imprint will be the first book in the Soul Screamers series by Rachel Vincent. I've noticed that this series is quite popular amongst US bloggers, so I can't wait to try it out. The series is about high school banshees (I love it already), with the first book My Soul to Take launching on January 1st 2011. I love the UK cover of this one. Pretty scary!

Mira Ink will also launch Julie Kagawa's Iron Fey series in the UK, with The Iron King launching on January 21st. In addition to these books other planned titles include books by Maria V Snyder, author of the Poison Study books, and paranormal fiction author Gena Showalter. There are a number of other titles in the works, but these haven't been announced yet. Exciting stuff, don't you think?

Additional info: TheBookseller.

It's Friday, and I am back on the Blog Hop!

It has been far too long since I've participated in a blog hop (July to be exact -eek!) Earlier this week I was looking through the list of blogs I follow, and I discovered that quite a few of them haven't updated in a long time, so I need new blogs to follow! I love finding new blogs, and if I follow your blog, I will make an effort to comment on your reviews. Sometimes I think reviews lack a little comment love, so I like to try.

If you are stopping by from the blog today, and decide to follow my blog, please leave your link in comments, and I will return the favour.

While you're here, why not check out the two great competitions I'm hosting right now. All details can be found in the sidebar. Happy hopping!

This blog hop is hosted at Crazy-for-Books and this week Jennifer would like to know:

"If you find a book that looks interesting but is part of a series, do you always start with the first title?"

My answer is: Most definitely! I couldn't start a series without having read the first title. I'm big on getting to know characters, and that usually happens in the first book. I could not start a series without knowing all the background info. Picking up a series somewhere in the middle just wouldn't appeal to me at all.

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Book Review: The Songwriter by Beatrice Colin.

Product details:
Publisher: John Murray.
Paperback, 384 pages.
Release date: October 28th 2010.
Rating: 4 out of 5.
Ages: Adult.
Source: Received from publisher for review.

New York, 1916. Monroe Simonov, a song-plugger from Brooklyn, is in love with a Ziegfeld Follies dancer who has left him for California. Inez Kennedy, a fashion model in a department store, has just one season remaining to find a wealthy husband before she must return to the Midwest. Anna Denisova, a glamorous political exile, gives lectures and writes letters while she waits for the Russian people to overthrow their Tsar. Although the world is changing faster than they could ever have imagined, Monroe, Inez and Anna discover that they are still subject to the tyranny of the heart. In this richly atmospheric and deftly plotted novel, their paths cross and re-cross leaving a trail of passion, infidelity and betrayal, before hurtling towards an explosive climax.

With it’s epic tale of cinema and cabaret against the backdrop of rising National Socialism, The Luminous Life of Lilly Aphrodite soon made it on to the list of my all time favourite reads, and so, I was very excited when I heard that author Beatrice Colin had a new book releasing. In The Songwriter, Colin sets her story in the streets of a rapidly changing New York City in 1916 and continues the tale over four years. For me the time frame immediately conjured up images of political unrest, World War I, the Red Scare and the emergence of Jazz, all of which are covered here. Through her vivid descriptions and well-drawn characters, Colin lets us experience a slice of life during this turbulent time.

The story here follows three different characters, from three very different backgrounds, who we get to know gradually over time. There is Monroe Simonov, a song plugger of Russian descent who has zero interest in war and just wants to win the heart of the girl he loves. Inez Kennedy, a fashion model, who, although alluring, lacks some depth as a character for much of the book. Then there is Anna Denisova, a beautiful Russian political exile, who adds a dark edge to the book and highlights the sense of paranoia that existed in society towards immigrants at the time. At the beginning of the book, these characters have no real connection to each other, and at this point I found the book a little difficult to get into, even though I enjoyed the writing style. This one will surprise you, though. Colin’s plotlines are multi-layered and she will catch you off guard with some surprising plot twists. I love how Colin brought this story together, weaving even the most tenuous of plot links together beautifully.

There is a sense of unrest, political and otherwise, and a real hint of impending doom throughout the book. On the way Colin introduces some very unsavoury characters, each with their own story to tell. One of Colin’s strong points is her characterisation, and here all characters both primary and secondary and well-written, distinctive and entirely memorable. There is a romantic plotline throughout the book, and although it follows quite a heart-wrenching storyline, I felt it lacked the intensity of a really good love story. While I rooted that the characters would ultimately be together, I found that I wasn’t entirely sympathetic towards their predicament at times.

The real beauty of this book is it’s historical aspect and the depth of research on Colin‘s part. I found the inclusion of Russian history, the Revolution and the rise to power of the Bolsheviks interesting as it is a period I have studied. While I very much enjoyed this book overall, I found the ending rather too ambiguous for my liking. Oftentimes, I need closure at the end of the book, and so, while in one respect, I found the ending of this one quite fitting, I was definitely left wanting to know what happened next. The Songwriter is pretty heavy on history and politics, and is a great read for fans of historical fiction, although I would suggest that you have a little background knowledge of the time period and it’s history before reading this one.

Monday, November 8, 2010

Book Trailer: VIXEN by Jillian Larkin.

I love the cover of this book, and trailer looks great too. I love the 1920's trend that's beginning to emerge in YA fiction at the moment, with this one, and Anna Godbersen's Bright Young Things series. The historical and fashion elements really appeal to me.

Vixen (Flappers #1) by Jillian Larkin.
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers.
Release date: December 14th 2010.
Age group:12+

Jazz . . . Booze . . . Boys . . . It’s a dangerous combination.

Every girl wants what she can’t have. Seventeen-year-old Gloria Carmody wants the flapper lifestyle—and the bobbed hair, cigarettes, and music-filled nights that go with it. Now that she’s engaged to Sebastian Grey, scion of one of Chicago’s most powerful families, Gloria’s party days are over before they’ve even begun . . . or are they?

Clara Knowles, Gloria’s goody-two-shoes cousin, has arrived to make sure the high-society wedding comes off without a hitch—but Clara isn’t as lily-white as she appears. Seems she has some dirty little secrets of her own that she’ll do anything to keep hidden. . . .

Lorraine Dyer, Gloria’s social-climbing best friend, is tired of living in Gloria’s shadow. When Lorraine’s envy spills over into desperate spite, no one is safe. And someone’s going to be very sorry. . . .

From debut author Jillian Larkin, VIXEN is the first novel in the sexy, dangerous, and ridiculously romantic new series set in the Roaring Twenties . . . when anything goes.

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Cover Candy #1 - Recent swoonworthy cover reveals!

What do you think? Find any new reads?

Die for Me (Revenants #1) by Amy Plum
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release date: May 10th 2011.
Ages: 14+

When Kate Mercier’s parents die in a tragic car accident, she leaves her life—and memories—behind to live with her grandparents in Paris. For Kate, the only way to survive her pain is escaping into the world of books and Parisian art. Until she meets Vincent.

Mysterious, charming, and devastatingly handsome, Vincent threatens to melt the ice around Kate’s guarded heart with just his smile. As she begins to fall in love with Vincent, Kate discovers that he’s a revenant—an undead being whose fate forces him to sacrifice himself over and over again to save the lives of others. Vincent and those like him are bound in a centuries-old war against a group of evil revenants who exist only to murder and betray. Kate soon realizes that if she follows her heart, she may never be safe again.

In this incandescent debut, newcomer Amy Plum has created a powerful paranormal mythology with immortal revenants. The Paris setting comes enchantingly alive as a relentless struggle between good and evil takes place in its streets. Rich with romance, atmosphere, and thrills, Die for Me will leave readers breathlessly awaiting its sequel.

OMG! I first saw this book cover on one of my favourite blogs, La Femme Readers, and I instantly fell in love with it. Then I visited Amy Plum's blog, read a little more, and totally fell in love with everything about this one. The book is set in Paris (le sigh!) and I'm already swooning over Vincent Delacroix. I go a little bit crazy for anything set in Paris. I love the city! Lots of foreign language rights deals for this one, but I don't know if it'll be published in the UK. If you do, let me know. This one is sitting on the very top of my wishlist right now. OK, I'll stop gushing!

Amy is a debut author for 2010, so I hope that I'll be able to contact her to feature in Delightful Debutantes!

The Day Before by Lisa Schroeder
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Release date: June 28th 2011.
Ages: 14+

Amber's life is spinning out of control. All she wants is to turn up the volume on her iPod until all of the demands of her family and friends fade away. So she sneaks off to the beach to spend a day by herself.

Then Amber meets Cade. Their attraction is instant, and Amber can tell that he's also looking for an escape. Together they decide to share a perfect day: no pasts, no fears, no regrets.

The more time that Amber spends with Cade, the more she's drawn to him. And the more she's troubled by his darkness. Because Cade's not just living in the now--he's living each moment like it's his last.

The cover of this one immediately caught my eye, and so too did the title. When you see a title like 'The Day Before' you immediately start thinking 'The Day Before what...exactly'. And I want to know! This one has a great title, and a great cover, and I love the premise too. I haven't read Lisa Schroeder before, but I'll be checking this one out!

A Need So Beautiful by Suzanne Young
Publisher: Balzer & Bray.
Release date: June 21st 2010.
Ages: 14+

Charlotte’s best friend thinks Charlotte might be psychic. Her boyfriend thinks she’s cheating on him.

But Charlotte knows what’s really wrong: She is one of the Forgotten, a kind of angel on earth, who feels the Need—a powerful, uncontrollable draw to help someone, usually a stranger.

Now, at seventeen, Charlotte finds the Need has virtually taken over her life, and it’s becoming harder and harder to hide these compulsions—if anyone knew about the Need, they would think she was crazy.

There have been others before who’ve felt the Need, but they’re gone—disappeared in a burst of light and erased from the memories of everyone whose lives they had touched. It’s as though they never existed. This is the fate that awaits Charlotte. But the last thing Charlotte wants to do is disappear, to be Forgotten. She wants to stay with her best friend, whose life is spiraling out of control. She wants to lie in her boyfriend’s arms forever. She wishes she could just ignore the Need, but she can’t. And as everyone important in her life begins to slowly forget her, she has to decide if she’ll fight the Need in order to remain herself—no matter how dark the consequences.

I am still loving the current angel craze and the mythology here sounds very unique and interesting. Oh, and it sounds like there's a hot guy here too, which is most important, as you know! Also, Kimberly Derting has all good things to say about this one, and she can do no wrong by me, so I'll be checking this out.

What do you think?

In My Mailbox #21 - New Books This Week!

In my Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren in which bloggers share the books they have received each week.

Click on links for Goodreads descriptions.

For Review:

I actually got this one last week via Netgalley & HarperTeen, but I forgot to include it in last weeks post. Ooops! I've already heard some good things about this one, so can't wait to get started!

New York Times bestselling author Sara Shepard’s new series weaves a mystery of long-lost twins, mistaken identities, a duplicitous circle of friends, and cold-blooded murder. Combining juicy plot lines, to-die-for lifestyles, a tangled web of friendship and romance, magnetic characters, and sharp-witted narration from the afterlife, The Lying Game is an alluring cross between Pretty Little Liars and The Lovely Bones.

Foster kid Emma Paxton has only just discovered Sutton Mercer, the wealthy twin sister she never knew she had, when Sutton drops off the face of the earth, asking Emma to cover for her at home, school, and with her friends—just for a few days. At first Emma enjoys trying on her sister’s fabulous life: her fiercely loyal friends, her adoring boyfriend, her close-knit family. But as Emma is drawn deeper into Sutton’s world she finds the friends are not so fabulous, the boyfriend is not who she wants to be with, and the family is clinging to long-buried secrets and a veneer of functionality. And worst of all, Sutton may not be coming back. In fact, someone may have made sure she never could…and that someone knows Emma is not who she claims to be. Emma will need all her wits to survive The Lying Game.

There is a long story behind my review copy of Dead Politician Society. I was mailed a copy for review in August, but it didn't arrive until this week along with another copy of the book that author Robin Spano had arranged to be sent out to me. So now I have two copies. Expect a giveaway along with my review...coming soon!

After the mayor falls down dead in the middle of a speech, a clandestine student society claims credit for his demise.

Clare Vengel is given her first undercover assignment: to pose as a student and penetrate the society. A streetwise amateur mechanic, Clare finds university a foreign land, and has trouble creating an in with the suspects. She quickly alienates a popular professor and loses the respect of police superiors.

When another politician is killed, Clare kicks herself into high gear. She forges friendships with students and makes inroads into the secret society.

As the body count rises, Clare realizes that the murderer she has to unmask is someone she has come to consider a friend. She only hopes that the friend doesn't unmask her first.

From Bookmooch:

Another good week on Bookmooch. I got these two books that I've had on my wishlist for quite a while!

Beautiful Americans by Lucy Silag

This one is described as Pretty Little Liars meets My So-Called Life. Sounds good to me!

Beige by Cecil Castellucci

I've always liked the sound of this one - it sounds dark and edgy. I've read some mixed reviews, though!

I didn't buy any books this week due to my ongoing problem with The Book Depository and Paypal. :(

If you've read any of these books, I'd love to know what you thought! Share your IMM links in comments and I will stop by your blog to check out what you got this week! :)