In My Mailbox

This is my first IMM for 2011!

The idea of In My Mailbox is to bring books to the attention of our blog readers and to encourage interaction with other blogs.

How In My Mailbox works:

1. Every week we'll post about what books we have received that week (via your mailbox/library/store bought)! Preferably posts will be made every Sunday, but feel free to choose a day that works best for you.

2. Everyone that agrees to participate will try to visit each other's list and leave comments!

3. Everyone is welcome to join! You can join at anytime and you DO NOT have to participate every week.

4. Be sure to sign the Mr. Linky Widget (that will be posted each Sunday with my In My Mailbox post) so that others can easily find your "In My Mailbox" post! You DO NOT have to title your post "In My Mailbox"

5. Link back here, to The Story Siren, on your In My Mailbox post, so that other people can find more information about IMM.

Monday

Technology by Wayne Grady (Groundwood Books)

Kat, Incorrigible by Stephanie Burgis (Simon & Schuster) via Shelf Awareness

Tuesday

Minding Ben by Victoria Brown (Hyperion) via Shelf Awareness

Happy Reading!

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Virals Review

Virals by Kathy Reichs

Genre: YA Fiction

Publisher: Razorbill

Library

Book Description:

Tory Brennan, 14, lives on an island off the coast of South Carolina. Her newly discovered father works in science research for the University of Charleston, which is why she and her friends with similar pedigrees attend the ritzy prep school in town with the local aristocracy. Tory and her three friends, all boys, are science geeks and love to explore the outer islands where monkeys and other wildlife abound. While exploring a supposedly deserted lab complex, they discover the caged offspring of a wolf and German shepherd that has been diagnosed with parvovirus. Tory's concern leads the group to rescue the pup with the notion of curing and saving it from science experiments. Tory knows that parvo cannot infect humans, but once the treatment begins the four teens start to experience symptoms that make them doubt her initial belief. Along the way, they also stumble upon a murder mystery dating back to the Vietnam War era that quickly becomes linked to the mysterious science experiments that are being kept hidden on the islands. What starts as a science mystery thriller takes a sharp right turn into the realm of science fiction with genetically altered DNA and superhuman senses that may cause more savvy readers to scoff. However, the fast-paced thrills, cool science, and great characters will create a flood of fans waiting for the next installment.

Review:

I am a fan of Kathy Reichs’ forensic novels and now she’s stepped into the YA novel market with this book featuring Tory Brennan, great niece of Temperance.

I love this novel because it has all the elements of a great story and great characters that are believable.

It is action packed and has the suspense we’ve come to expect from Kathy Reichs. Young adults will enjoy this book and even some MG readers would enjoy it. Unlike her “Bones” novels, the focus of this one is the manipulation of DNA of dogs to come up with a cure for parvovirus. Tory and her gang of friends find themselves,unknowingly part of the experiment and trying to solve a 40 year old murder mystery.

I highly recommend this for anyone who likes action, mystery and the underdog trying to prevail against evil.

Happy Reading!

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Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Just do the following:

1. Grab your current read

2. Open to a random page

3. Share two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

4. 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!)

5. Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Mine is from p.12 of The Caliph’s House by Tahir Shad

Entering, I found a fantasy worthy of a far wealthier man than I,

There were courtyards overflowing with date palms and fragrant hibiscus flowers,fountains perched in symmetrical pools, mature gardens planted with bouganinvillas, cacti, and all manner of exotic trees, an orange grove and tennis court, a swimming pool and, beyond it, stables.

Happy Reading!

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Homicide in Hardcover

Homicide in Hardcover by Kate Carlisle

Genre: Fiction/Mystery

Publisher: Signet

Purchased

Book Description:

murder is always a bestseller...

first in the new bibliophile mystery series!

The streets of San Francisco would be lined with hardcovers if rare book expert Brooklyn Wainwright had her way. And her mentor wouldn’t be lying in a pool of his own blood on the eve of a celebration for his latest book restoration.

With his final breath he leaves Brooklyn a cryptic message, and gives her a priceless—and supposedly cursed—copy of Goethe’s Faust for safekeeping.

Brooklyn suddenly finds herself accused of murder and theft, thanks to the humorless—but attractive—British security officer who finds her kneeling over the body. Now she has to read the clues left behind by her mentor if she is going to restore justice…

Review:

I love mysteries that involve books and this one was a must read for me.

When I first saw Lesa Holstine’s review of this book I knew I had to read it.

This is a whodunit that teaches the reader about the world of book restoration. I love Kate’s character Brooklyn Wainwright. She’s new to getting her own clients and then stumbles into a murder investigation of her friend and mentor after he is killed trying to restore an ancient copy of Faust. Is the book cursed and all you touch end up DEAD?

This story also has a handsome man who becomes Brooklyn’s shadow. He’s British and at first they butt heads, but there may be a budding romance smoldering in there somewhere.

One of my favorite lines in the book is on pg. 70

“Magnificent, “ I said with a sigh, then glanced up and met Derek’s dark stare. I shouldn’t have been surprised to see him staring at me, but the look on his face in that moment made me feel somewhat akin to a juicy steak and he was a starving carnivore.”

If you’re a fan of cozy, quick reading mysteries then you’ll enjoy this first book in the Bibliophile mysteries.

Happy Reading!

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Reynolds Price obituary

Reynolds Price, acclaimed author and Duke professor, dies at 77.

Princess Books

Princess Books that are not Disney

All little girls dream of being a princess. Here is a list of non-Disney princesses.

Princess Smartypants by Babette Cole (ages 1-8)

Not wishing to marry any of her royal suitors, Princess Smartypants devises difficult tasks at which they all fail, until the multitalented Prince Swashbuckle appears.

The princess knight by Cornelia Funke (ages 9-12)

Envious of her brothers who are training to become knights, young Violetta disguises herself as a boy in order to take part in the big jousting contest in hopes of showing everyone that she is just as capable.

Jahanara, Princess of Princesses by Kathryn Lasky (ages 9-12)

Beginning in 1627, Princess Jahanara, first daughter of Shah Jahan of India's Mogul Dynasty, writes in her diary about political intrigues, weddings, battles, and other experiences of her life. Includes historical notes on Jahanara's later life and on the Mogul Empire.

Princess Hyacinth: (the surprising tale of a girl who floated) by Florence Parry Heide (ages 1-8)

Princess Hyacinth is bored and unhappy sitting in her palace every day because, unless she is weighed down by specially-made clothes, she will float away, but her days are made brighter when kite-flying Boy stops to say hello.

Princess Grace by Mary Hoffman (ages 1-8)

Grace wants to participate in her community festival’s princess float, but first she must decide what sort of a princess she wants to be – from an African princess in kente cloth robes to a floaty fairy tale princess.

Courageous princess by Rod Espinosa (ages 9-12)

When Princess Mabelrose is kidnapped by a dragon and told that no one will rescue her, she decides to escape and find her way home, with her loyal companion Spiky, a talking porcupine, by her side.

The nutmeg princess by Richardo Keens-Douglas (ages 1-8)

On the Isle of Spice in the Caribbean, Aglo and his friend Petal look for the beautiful Nutmeg Princess, who has thousands of tiny braids, with a dewdrop like a diamond at the end of each, and live at the bottom of a lake, appearing only when the nutmeg is ready for picking.

Outlaw princess of Sherwood : a tale of Rowan Hood by Nancy Springer (ages 9-12)

King Solon the Red attempts to capture his runaway daughter Ettarde and force her into marriage with a rival king who has been threatening his reign.

Happy Reading!

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Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Just do the following:

1. Grab your current read

2. Open to a random page

3. Share two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

4. 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!)

5. Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Mine is from p.12 of Crazy Loco Love by Victor Villasenor

Maybe this was the answer. Maybe it was really okay for me to go out and make mistakes, and even big ones, like my dad had said, and get broken and twisted.

Happy Reading!

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The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ Review

The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ by Philip Pullman

Genre: Fiction

Publisher: Cannongate

Library

Book Description:

This gospel retelling is relatively faithful in style, time line, and events to the four canonical gospels-though Pullman injects a very Pullman-like spin on it by splitting Jesus Christ into two men, among other creative twists. Twin babies are born of the virgin Mary, one called Jesus, the other Christ. After a childhood in which Christ is a goody-goody and Jesus the popular one, Jesus and Christ continue down separate but intertwined paths, with Christ sneaking around, spying on Jesus's ministry and writing down his every word and deed. Jesus becomes a philosopher-revolutionary and Christ is the politically savvy brother, who ultimately proves naïve. Pullman's gospel version reveals how the politics and structure of the institutional church were plotted by power-hungry men, who used the renown of Jesus and his well-meaning, devoted brother Christ as pawns in their corrupt game-a critique that will be familiar to readers of His Dark Materials. This is a tale of (almost comedic) mistaken identity and good intentions gone horribly awry. Readers will find the parables, the Good Samaritan, healings, and the Sermon on the Mount, among other familiar scenes.

Review:

Anyone who’s a fan of Pullman’s will enjoy this latest yarn where he retells the story of Jesus. In his version Jesus Christ are brothers born at the same time.

As the boys grow older Jesus begins to have a following and Christ becomes the recorder of his sayings.

Several of the stories most are familiar with have been given a new twist, but the book is enjoyable and shouldn’t offend anyone, especially if they’ve read Pullman’s Dark Materials series. I think it also shows how the more you interpret something the further away it gets from the actual truth or real story and that people tend to forget the truth behind the story.

I checked this book out from my local library

Happy Reading!

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Olivia is Back

I saw this in the New York Time book review and wanted to share.

Pig With Passport

From “Olivia Goes to Venice”

By JESSICA BRUDER

Published: January 14, 2011

If pigs could fly, they’d vacation in Italy. Or at least Olivia would. After a hiatus of several years, Ian Falconer’s rambunctious, curly-tailed heroine is back, and — look out, world! — this time she has a passport. In her latest escapade, “Olivia Goes to Venice,” the piglet leads her family on a spree through the City of Bridges, with frequent pit stops for gelato. They wander among palazzos and canals. They enjoy a gondola ride. They get mobbed by a Hitchcockian flock of pigeons in the Piazza San Marco. Through it all, Olivia runs the show, until her search for the perfect souvenir quite literally brings down the house.

OLIVIA GOES TO VENICE

Written and illustrated by Ian Falconer

Unpaged. Atheneum Books for Young Readers. $17.99. (Ages 3 to 7)

Related

Excerpt: ‘Olivia Goes to Venice’(simonandschuster.com)

Falconer, a set designer who has done illustrations for The New Yorker, introduced Olivia in 2000. It was instantly clear: this little piggy had panache. She pinballed through the pages of her first book, singing, dancing, hammering and skipping rope with hyperkinetic enthusiasm. She tried on everything in her closet, from a bikini to a ball gown. She experimented with lipstick. (Who says you shouldn’t put that stuff on a pig, anyway?)

Falconer’s scenarios unfolded in stylish illustrations in minimal red, black and white. Rendered in charcoal and gouache, they popped off the clean pages like murals on a freshly painted art gallery wall. The text was uproariously understated, and “Olivia” snagged a Caldecott Honor and drew favorable comparisons to Kay Thompson’s “Eloise.” (Thompson also ended up shipping her heroine overseas, though not to Venice: see “Eloise in Paris” and “Eloise in Moscow.”)

Both geographically and artistically, “Olivia Goes to Venice” is new territory for Falconer. His palette, which broadened over the last few Olivia books to include shades of blue, yellow and green, slides into full color. In a nod to set design, he pulls in a series of backdrops: hand- colored photo graphs of Venice that emphasize the city’s jaw-dropping ­architecture.

Olivia’s new worldliness, however, comes at a price. The old Olivia was a D.I.Y. darling. She relied on creativity and pluck to create the fabulous scenes of her dreams. She tamed lions in “Olivia Saves the Circus” and pulled together a cacophonous, one-pig orchestra in “Olivia Forms a Band.” But in “Olivia Goes to Venice,” she consumes, rather than creates, the world around her. So it’s hard to hear her growing litany of demands, as well as the “edge of hysteria in her voice” when she begs, “Oh, please — Oh, Please, Mother — can’t we live in a palazzo on the Grand Canal?” (Apparently no one has told Olivia that we’re in a recession — and that Venice isn’t the only place where houses go underwater.)

Still, growing pains aside, the old Olivia returns to form at the end of the tale, when it’s time to head home. With a drowsy, wide-mouthed yawn, she falls asleep on the plane and conjures up a landmark from her imagination: a monument topped with a sculpture of a capering piglet. In the final panel, she stands below the structure, dwarfed by its size, looking suddenly tiny in her red-and-white-striped onesie. And who is that pig on top, the stone figure she’s marveling at? It’s a statue of Olivia, of course. Pure Olivia.

Books that I brought into my house

Since I didn’t receive any books by mail this week, I’m not doing an IMM this week. I have checked out several books this week from my library. Two I’m reading, the others are waiting to be read.

The Good man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ by Philip Pullman

The Caliph’s House by Tahir Shah

I went to my local used book store and used up some store credit to add these to my shelves.

A Killer Plot by Ellery Adams

A Deadly Row by Casey Mayes

Homicide in Hardcover & If Books Could Kill by Kate Carlisle

The Breach by Patrick Lee

Ten Second Staircase by Christopher Fowler

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

The Fresco by Sheri Tepper

What books came into your house this week?

Happy Reading!

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The Shepherd's Grand-daughter

Shepherd’s Grand-daughter by Anne Laurel Carter

Genre: YA Fiction

Publisher: Groundwood Books

Library

Book Description:

Ever since she was a little girl, Amani has wanted to be a shepherd, just like her beloved grandfather, Sido. For generations her family has grazed sheep above the olive groves of the family homestead near Hebron. But now Amani's family home is being threatened by encroaching Jewish settlements. As Amani struggles to find increasingly rare grazing land for her starving sheep, her uncle and brother are tempted to take a more militant stance against the settlers. Then she meets Jonathan, an American boy visiting his father. Away from the pressures of their families, and despite their differences, the two young people discover a secret meadow where Amani can graze her sheep. A moving novel about one of the most hotly disputed pieces of land on earth.

Review:

This book is a meaningful story of what the Israeli occupation of Palestine was like from a Palestinian’s point of view.

Amani becomes a shepherd despite it traditionally being passed on to the male members of her family. Her grandfather takes her on as his apprentice and she becomes a good shepherd, even with the Israelis moving in to take the pasture where she grazes her sheep.

Some members of Amani’s family want to fight, while others disagree. Amani’s father says to his family:

If we’re going to survive we have to adapt to change. Remember when we built the greenhouse for tomatoes? Everyone in the village laughed. Now everyone has a greenhouse. New ideas help us survive. The next generation may find a new solution.

As Amani is grazing her sheep she meets a Jewish boy and she finds out that he doesn’t agree with the settlers about taking the land from the Palestinians. He helps her get to a special cave so her sheep can graze, even if it can cost him his life.

This is a moving story and one that is told with passion and compassion. I highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to know what it’s like to watch your land and family be taken away because someone else feels it’s theirs to take.

I checked this book out from my local library.

Happy Reading!

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Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Just do the following:

1. Grab your current read

2. Open to a random page

3. Share two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

4. 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!)

5. Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Mine is from p.15 of The Shepherd’s Grand-daughter by Anne Laurel Carter

Amani climbed onto the rock and shaded her eyes from the bright sun. Around her, a hundred wholly backs had become a sea of white.

Happy Reading!

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Agent X

Agent X by Noah Boyd

Genre: Action/Adventure

Publisher: William Morrow

Library Thing Early Review

Book Description:

Ex-FBI agent Steve Vail navigates a maze of hidden codes and brain-teasing puzzles to stay hot on the trail of a band of Russian spies in this breathtaking follow-up to his New York Times bestselling debut, The Bricklayer.

FBI-agent-turned-bricklayer Steve Vail once helped the FBI solve a brilliant extortion plot. It was supposed to be a one-and-done deal. But when he's in Washington, D.C., to see Kate Bannon—an FBI assistant director—on what he thinks will be a romantic New Year's Eve date, suddenly things get complicated. The FBI has another unsolvable problem, and it has Vail's name written all over it.

A man known as Calculus, an officer at the Russian embassy, has approached the FBI claiming that he has a list of Americans who are selling confidential information to the Russian SVR. In exchange for the list, he is asking for a quarter of a million dollars for each traitor the FBI apprehends. But then Calculus informs the FBI that he has been swiftly recalled to Moscow, and the Bureau suspects the worst: the Russians have discovered what Calculus is up to, probably have access to his list, and will be hunting the traitors to kill them unless the FBI can find them first.

The FBI realizes that it has to keep the operation quiet. Once again, Vail is the perfect man, along with Kate Bannon, who would be anyone's first pick for help on an impossibly dangerous case. But finding the traitors isn't going to be easy. In fact, it's going to be downright deadly. And if the Bricklayer survives, he will have to come up with a few tricks of his own.

Agent X is a heart-pounding thrill ride with an authenticity only a writer who's an FBI veteran can provide, and Steve Vail—a man Patricia Cornwell calls a "new American hero"—is one of the smartest, toughest, and most compelling new characters to come along in many years.

Review:

This is my first book by Noah Boyd and I’m glad I found him. This is the second book to feature Steve Vail, but you needn’t have read The Bricklayer because the author gives enough background to let you know what happened.

I love the writing and the fast paced action the book has. I like the interaction between Vail and AD Kate Bannon. I’ve read a lot of FBI thrillers and this one has all the ingredients for a great read. There are double agents, Russians, and a little romance thrown in.

If you like FBI thrillers and well written mysteries, then this is a book you’d love. It’s due out February 8, 2011, so put in on your list of books to read.

I received this book as part of Library Thing’s Early Review Program.

Happy Reading!

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Books I brought Into the House

Books I Brought into the House

When I don't receive any books by mail, I'll do this post instead.

Since I didn’t receive any books by mail this week, I’m not doing an IMM this week. I have checked out several books this week from my library. Two I’m reading, the others are waiting to be read.

Reading:

Think Twice by Lisa Scottoline

The Shepherd’s Grand-daughter by Anne Laurel Carter

Waiting in the wings

The Bricklayer by Noah Boyd

Human Blend by Alan Dean Foster

Blackout by Connie Willis

Happy Reading!

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Children's Author of "Babe" dies

Here's the link to Dick King-Smith's passing.

http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-dick-king-smith-20110107,0,5715459.story

A Boy and His Bot

A Boy and His Bot by Daniel H. Wilson

Genre: Juvenile Fiction

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA

Book Description:

When young Code falls down a hole while following a mysterious robotic insect, he lands in a world that defies all imagination. Everything in Mekhos is made from metal and circuitry, including the citizens-who happen to be robots. To find his way home, Code must first cross Mekhos's bizarre and dangerous landscape to reach the Beam Stalk. There, an artifact known as the Robonomicon is being guarded by an evil ruler who has plans to destroy Mekhos. Can Code free the Robonomicon, save the robots of Mekhos from impending doom, and still get himself back to Earth in time to catch the school bus? With its dazzling array of robots and futuristic gadgetry, this rollicking story will hold special appeal for boys and budding sci-fi lovers everywhere.

Review:

What boy hasn’t dreamed of owning his very own robot. Well this story is for that boy. Code ends up in Mekhos where everything is made of metal, plastic or glass. Mekhos was built by humans and Code has to save it and his friends.

When Code ends up in the fabrication lab, his drawing of a robot is built and he and Code go on an adventure to release Mekhos from the evil king that wants to destroy Mekhos.

Code thinks that he and Gary are nothing alike, but Gary explains “From the second that you’re born, your brain develops according to rules. Your personality is based on your experiences. There’s a pattern behind everything.”

While Code and Gary are on the ship water strider heading for the Crystal City, Code has to take a pair of eyes to see the works of art that the crewbot wants him to see. Code is hesitant to try this for fear of becoming a robot himself, but the crewbot tells Code, “Change. You can’t hide from it. Embrace it like everyone else.” He goes on to tell Code, “You’re not special in any way! Nobody is. So stop worrying. Life is about what you do, not what you think about.”

This book is a great adventure for boys and if you have a reluctant reader this would be a good book for him.

This book was sent to me by the publisher for review.

Happy Reading!

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Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Just do the following:

1. Grab your current read

2. Open to a random page

3. Share two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

4. 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!)

5. Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Mine is from p.5 of A Boy and his Bot by Daniel H. Wilson

Under the churning greenish sky, the colors seemed more vivid and Mek Mound felt alive. Code knew that somewhere deep inside, entwined with gnarled roots, were the bones of nameless kings from ages past – the once powerful rulers of a civilization that had disappeared.

Happy Reading!

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My Nest Isn't Empty

My Nest Isn’t Empty, It Just Has More Closet Space: The Amazing Adventures of an Ordinary Woman by Lisa Scottoline and Francesca Scottoline Serritella

Genre: Non-fiction essays

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Book Description:

Scottoline, a single mom and author of 17 New York Times bestselling novels, also writes for the Philadelphia Inquirer, where her "Chick Wit" column appears on Sundays and is occasionally written by her daughter Francesca. It has also served as fodder for two books, last year's Why My Third Husband Will Be a Dog, and this one, which contains 70 more essays that are by turns rueful, uplifting, sweet, kooky--and always amusing. Fans of her mystery and suspense fare will enjoy the opportunity for another warts-and-all peek into the author's daily life, including musings on what it's like to live (and sleep) with five dogs, an addiction to sunflower seeds, and fruitless yet hilarious attempts to communicate with her non sequitur–loving mother. Mother Mary, a spirited octogenarian, gets lots of ink, and rightly so: she's been an important role model for Scottoline and granddaughter. Francesca's writing complements her mother's, particularly in essays like "I Don't" and "Deadhead," in which the former reveals her fascination with the weddings section of the newspaper, the latter, the obituaries. Family photos add to the fun, as does the authors' focus on enjoying life, whether via the delights of a newly empty nest or remembering that, when it comes to women, "Our strength, our wit, and our hearts are more powerful than anybody ever could have imagined." It's a funny, uplifting read for women of any generation.

Review:

This is my first foray into Lisa Scottoline and I love her writing. I plan to read some of her fiction based on these short articles from her column in the Philadelphia Inquirer.

I love to hear about the everyday goings on in an author’s life because they are just like us and they have problems just like us.

One of her essays reflects on while growing up how Mother Mary, her mom, and how they didn’t have Central air, just a window fan. There was always a debate on which way to aim the fan and Mother Mary won.

Mother Mary held that the fan should be in the window turned out, so that it did not blow on you. Her theory was that if it was turned out, it would suck all the hot air from the room and blow it outside, thus cooling the room.

When the family did get a window air conditioner it was placed in the dining room. The dining room was rarely used so it remained empty but cool.

Another essay is about the library. She loves libraries and fondly recalls getting her first library card

But my favorite thing about the library was my library card. It was the first piece of grown-up ID that I got, and it felt like a veritable ticket to adulthood. I carried it proudly in a padded Barbie wallet that otherwise held only a photo of Troy Donohue.

To learn more about Lisa and her books check out her website

http://scottoline.com/Site/.

This book was sent to me free of charge from the publisher for review.

Happy Reading Everyone!

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