IMM (#19) 19/02/12

In My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren as a way of showing off our addiction to books every week. You can learn more about this here. 


Good morning all!! 


Hope everyone is having a lovely Sunday morning, I know I am...I have cinnamon roll pop tarts!! =D its the simple things in life...


Anyway the books from this week...

Won
Lone Wolf - Jodi Picoult


The lovely @Tescobooks had a competition on Twitter to win a copy of this...it doesn't come out here for another 2 weeks and she is by far one of my favourite authors! I actually screamed in the sandwich shop on my lunch break, when I got the email...needless to say I won't be going back there any time soon!


For Review
666 Park Avenue - Gabriella Pierce


My sister's boyfriend (Mr John Slavin...he writes about cars here...) told Emily from Corsair and Canvas that I (attempt) to book blog and she sent me this pretty book! 


So this week both books are adult, rather than Young Adult, but can't see why I won't like them! =) 


What did you all get this week?


Hope you all have a lovely weekend...I'm off to make bread and cookies!


Steffikins 
x x 

IMM (#18) 12/02/12

In My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren as a way of showing off our addiction to books every week. You can learn more about this here. 


So yes remember how I said at the start of January:
"I have too many books at the moment so won't be buying any..."


Of course that rule always gets broken when I go to see Raimy...who had also got a whole pile of books from Keris, which are on show here! I unfortunately missed seeing Keris that weekend due to mass piles of traffic...a 2 hour drive took 8 hours...needless to say I cried when I missed food and missed seeing Keris... never mind needing to pee for 3 hours!! But anyway on to the books...

Borrowed from Raimy
Divergent - Veronica Roth
In Darkness - Nick Lake
Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit - Jeanette Winterson


Borrowed from Keris
Kissing Kate - Lauren Myracle
Pretty Bad Things - C.J.Skuse


I've been working on getting through Pretty Bad Things which is amazing so far...I did read Oranges are not the only fruit around 5 years ago in College but I feel I need to re-read it. 


Also today...The wonderful Emma from Book Angel Booktopia asked me to review Wonder and I did for her. It will be up today so run and have a look....especially at the rest of her blog as it's amazing!


What did you all get to read this week?

Kill All Enemies - Melvin Burgess

Everyone says fourteen-year-old Billie is nothing but trouble. A fighter. A danger to her family and friends. But her care worker sees someone different.


Her classmate Rob is big, strong; he can take care of himself and his brother. But his violent stepdad sees someone to humiliate.
And Chris is struggling at school; he just doesn't want to be there. But his dad sees a useless no-hoper.


Billie, Rob and Chris each have a story to tell. But there are two sides to every story, and the question is ...who do you believe?


Kill All Enemies is a very thought provoking story and made me think a lot back to when I was their age.


My Secondary school was one of the worst in the town and often had kids that were refused in other schools due to behavioural problems and attitudes. The book helped me see into their side of the story and what may be contributing to how the act at school...possibly not something everyone would notice (my Psychology brain was going into over load reading this!) but I really believe this is a book many teachers should read as well as kids so that they can understand more why the kids are acting this way. 


Melvin Burgess has written other novels, and I loved Junk and found Kill All Enemies so different...but still just as brilliantly written! 


At first the novel took a while to get into because of all the different story lines, I was also trying to read quickly and find out more and more...which can be very detrimental and meant I often had to reread pages because I was in such a rush!! 


The question of "Who do you believe?" really made reading the book take so much longer because I kept stopping to sit and think which side was correct...was Billie correct in her way of thinking or was she actually the troublemaker that the social workers and police think she is? Part of her story made my heart break when she finally got to see her sister and brother again. 


It really is a book that makes you feel so much for the characters and you can't help but emphasise with them, but then something happens and Burgess gives you the choice of whether to continue emphasising with the kids, or side with the law and the social workers...which for me made the book more enjoyable and really made me want to read more and find the next step. 


I really advise this book, as it really makes you rethink how you look at kids with anti-social behaviour

IMM (#17) - 25/12 & 1/1 & 8/1

In My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren as a way of showing off our addiction to books every week. You can learn more about this here. 


So it's been very busy, with all the holidays and celebrations (I hope you all had a great time!!) so I apologise for this massive massive list!!! It's just been piling up lately...

Gift
The Watch Series (7 book collection) - Terry Pratchett
Good Omens - Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman
The C-word - Lisa Lynch (From Aliix)
Sisters Red -  Jackson Pearce (From Vickie @ Comacalm)
His Dark Materials - Philip Pulman


I have lovely people who send me books <3 All the fantasy ones are from ESP for Christmas...I don't read fantasy so this could be interesting!! Maybe I'll find out I love it more than YA....(as if...). Both Aliix and Vickie are super lovely people to send me pretty books! I've been eyeing up these books for months so very happy to get them =D


Bought
Marcelo in the Real World - Francisco X. Stork
Hidden - Miriam Halahmy
Inside Out - Maria V. Snyder
My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece - Annabel Pitcher
Torn - Cat Clarke


So just after Christmas I began raiding the sales on Amazon...teehee...I've heard some great things about some of these books...then others I haven't heard anything about yet, so I am hoping to find another treasure like 0.4! Then of course I had to buy Torn!! Think that may get started this afternoon =)


Borrowed/Review
Wonder - R.J. Palacio
A Guide to the Harry Potter Novels - Julia Eccleshare


Wonder sounds AMAZING! Emma received this for the Book Tours and asked if I would read it for her...of course I'll say yes! =D i was eyeing up the guide to the Harry Potter novels at Nikki's Christmas party...and then she let me borrow it and its really interesting...well if you enjoy looking at the background of everything and being critical! 


I now have over 40 books to read and review...and some are getting close to the dates (I'm a procrastinator...) so I may not be posting IMMs for a while as I will not be buying!


Can't wait to see what you all got!! 


Love Steffikins


xxx

My year 2011

Although I only started my blog in May I did have some form of life before that!

I want to say thank you to all the lovely friends who have read this blog and a special thank you to the friends I've made through writing this blog.

Thank you to all my Twitter friends who read my tweets and don't find me too annoying!

2011 has been a very fun year with lots going on, which includes the following:

Passing my driving test and buying a car.

Going to one of my best friends wedding.

Getting to see my other best friend 2 times this year! (it's usually only once every 2 years!).

Becoming close to a friend I lost a while ago.

Graduating university.

Beginning to use Twitter and meeting such great bloggers and authors, while doubling my book collection!

Going to Amsterdam!

Getting engaged!!

Lots of great things and I can't wait for next year to see what that brings.

I hope you all have a great night and celebrate in style!

Love Steffikins x x

Merry Xmas!

Hello all!

Well today is my Christmas (my mums side of the family is Swedish so we celebrate on the 24th!) And tomorrow I will be celebrating English Christmas with ESPs family.

I hope you all have a fantastic Christmas and can't wait to see all the sparkly new books people get! I already have a few I can't wait to share!

Love you all!

Steffikins

IMM (#16) 18/12/11

In My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren as a way of showing off our addiction to books every week. You can learn more about this here. 

The Winning Team

Last night was my friends great idea of "Pre-Christmas". This was started six years ago as a way for everyone to meet up, share presents and have a mini Christmas before the group split off to go home to their families, which involves lots and lots and lots of games and drinking!! Last night was my first time attending...and I am really feeling it today...However everyone there knows my love of books...so I have lots to share with you!!

Won
The Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins
Terminator Salvation - Greg Cox

I won the Hunger Games!! And already have 2 people at the party begging to borrow them once I've finished and that's purely off the blurb on the back of the first one! Mike won Terminator in pass-the-parcel and gave it to me as he is never going to read it...not sure I will either but I never say never!

Gifted (all by Nikki!)
13 Little Blue Envelopes - Maureen Johnson
Tweet Treats - Jane Travers (compiled and Edited)
A Modern Girls Guide to Getting Hitched - Sarah Ivens


Yey pretty books!! Tweet treats is really funny, plus our lovely Keris is in it! can't wait to read more of it and find some amazing recipes in 140 characters!

I may need to explain the last book...On Thursday night the ESP (Ever-Suffering-Partner) proposed! Using a giant sackboy toy and a very pretty Star Ring (we are big geeks...and it is defenitiley something memorable!)  =] So hopefully this book will come in useful as I have no clue where to start! Miss Raimy will also need to read this...She's going to be one making sure I get my butt down the aisle!

If anyone knows any wedding blogs let me know, will need all the help I can get!