In My Mailbox #2

The time has come again for me to share which books I got (inspired by The Story Siren). Yep, some fantastic books arrived this week (mostly YA) as evident from this photo (click to enlarge):

Audrey, Wait! by Robin Benway
Cracked Up to Be by Courtney Summers
The Diamond Secret by Suzanne Weyn
The Elite by Jennifer Banash
Nightingale Wood by Stella Gibbons
Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen
(never read anything by her and everyone loves her, plus the cover is adooorable)

I won't be doing an IMM post next Sunday because I'll be away, but there should be one as soon as I come back because I'm expecting some reeeeally fantastic books in the next couple of weeks and I'm so excited! They tend to take aaaaages to arrive (sucks living in continental Europe) and I'm always so damn worried/paranoid that they'll get lost or something so I do hope they all arrive by the time I come back.
Anyway, that's it for this week's installment of IMM. :)

cover change for the new Marian Keyes

As we all know, Marian's next novel is called The Brightest Star in the Sky and it's out in October, but it appears that a different cover will be used, not the one that was originally planned. Below you can see the old cover on the left (black) and the NEW cover on the right (gold).

What do you think? Is it an upgrade or a downgrade?

Personally, I much prefer the old one (it's absolutely gorgeous!), even though the new one isn't too bad either, I guess ...?

Review: TWENTIES GIRL!!! by Sophie Kinsella!!! *****

"Lara has always had an overactive imagination. Now she wonders if she is losing her mind. Normal twenty-something girls just don't get visited by ghosts! But inexplicably, the spirit of Lara's great aunt Sadie - in the form of a bold, demanding Charleston-dancing girl - has appeared to make one last request: Lara must track down a missing necklace Sadie simply can't rest without. Lara's got enough problems of her own. Her start-up company is floundering, her best friend and business partner has run off to Goa, and she's just been dumped by the love of her life. But as Lara spends time with Sadie, life becomes more glamorous and their treasure hunt turns into something intriguing and romantic. Could Sadie's ghost be the answer to Lara's problems and can two girls from different times end up learning something special from each other?"

(summary TBA)

Oooh, how long I've waited for this book! It was actually my most anticipated novel of the year and I'm glad to say that it totally lived up to all the hype and expectations! It arrived on Friday (words can't describe how happy I was), I started reading it on Saturday evening and finished it on Sunday afternoon (obviously went to sleep etc. in between). It's not a small book, it's over 400 pages, but I so wish it could've lasted longer.

The book had me hooked from page one, which immediately cracked me up. This one's a bit different to other Kinsella novels, possibly due to the supernatural element, which I know sounds strange, but the author totally makes it work! At the same time, it's a typical Kinsella, i.e. very, very, very hilarious (grammatically incorrect but still true). I was reading it with a permanent grin on my face and occassionally I just had to close the book because I was laughing so hard.

Kinsella's heroines are always so funny and loveable, and Lara is certainly no exception. Furthermore, Kinsella always, repeat: ALWAYS creates dreamy leading male characters and yes, I developed a crush on the guy in this novel too - typical (Luke Brandon is still my number one though, hehe). I may have kinda fallen in love with him during their London sightseeing and oooh, don't even get me started on the London Eye scene (before Sadie showed up, lol), which was just amazing and unforgettable (the scene of my dreams, hehehe).

All in all, I adored the characters - they were all wonderfully portrayed and they all contributed to the story. I thought Sadie was a bit annoying at times, but she pushed the story forward and on the whole she turned out to be quite a loveable character too. The plot was far fetched, yes, and a bit slow at first, but it all worked out in the end, everything connected and the ending was awww. It even has elements of mystery in it, which was quite refreshing and enjoyable, and it made the book even harder to put down, hehe.

Haters gonna hate, but I'm convinced that Kinsella fans will adoooore this story. Yes, it's not very deep blah blah, but it's just such an incredible feel-good read and I just can't praise it enough! I'm gutted that I finished it so fast and now I'll have to wait like a year or so for the next Kinsella book, boooo! :(

overall rating: 5/5 (d'oh, was there ever any doubt whatsoever)
plot: 5/5 | writing: 5/5 | characters: 5/5 | cover: 5/5

ps: It's safe to say Sophie Kinsella is my favourite writer - I've read and bought ALL her books and thoroughly enjoyed every single one of them, which is something that I can't say for other authors that I also admire. This woman is just brilliant! :)

In My Mailbox #1

I've decided to jump on the In My Mailbox bandwagon! IMM is usually posted on Sunday and you're meant to say which books you received in the past week (idea by The Story Siren).
I've had a fantastic week book wise and here's what I got:

Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella
Please Forgive Me by Melissa Hill (proof)
The Last to Know by Melissa Hill
Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier (proof)

I've been waiting for these for aaaaages (long story) and to say that I was overjoyed and blissful when they finally arrived would be the understatement of the year, lol. I started reading Twenties Girl and I'm loving it (d'oh)!!! *happy dance*

ps: I urge everyone and their monkey to head over to Chick Lit Reviews & News and post pictures of your bookshelves here! C'mon, it's fun! :)

Review: IF I STAY by Gayle Foreman ***

"'Just listen,' Adam says with a voice that sounds like shrapnel. I open my eyes wide now. I sit up as much as I can. And I listen. 'Stay,' he says.
Everybody has to make choices. Some might break you.
For seventeen-year-old Mia, surrounded by a wonderful family, friends and a gorgeous boyfriend decisions might seem tough, but they're all about a future full of music and love, a future that's brimming with hope. But life can change in an instant. A cold February morning ... a snowy road ... and suddenly all of Mia's choices are gone. Except one. As alone as she'll ever be, Mia must make the most difficult choice of all. Gripping, heartrending and ultimately life-affirming, "If I Stay" will make you appreciate all that you have, all that you've lost - and all that might be. "

(summary)

Firstly, this book had so much potential, but in my opinion it just failed to deliver. The opening was very promising and gripping - first there's this lovely picture of family idyll and then BANG everyone's worst nightmare. I found the descriptions of that scene quite haunting and horrifying (one word: asparagus) and I don't think I'll be able to forget them soon as the whole situation was so tragic. But I'm afraid that after that the book just didn't develop in the way that I'd expect it too under those kind of serious circumstances.

I'll admit the story is original as far as Mia's character goes, but other than that I found it quite average and cliche at times. There's so much you could do with a powerful story like this, which essentially broke my heart, but the novel itself almost left me indifferent. Personally, I found the present days scenes rather gripping (most of the time), but I found the retrospective quite boring. Sure, certain scenes were emotional and important, but I felt that most of them hardly contributed to Mia's final decision, I just didn't see the connection.

I guess that the book was just too short to convey the message it aimed to. I mean, it's almost a novella at 207 pages with a large font and double spacing. I'm afraid that neither the writing (which is quite average) nor the plot (especially the retrospective scenes) failed to make Mia's decision clear and understandable. Personally, I've no idea really why made the choice she did (except for the cliches that were mentioned) and even when I thought the story ended far too soon and on a very light-hearted note, as in everything will be alright, whereas I think the future that lies ahead would realistically be very difficult. I thought the author was just taking the soft option and ending things before they became too much to handle.

All things considered, I completely agree with this reviewer (clearly, we are in the minority as everyone else seems to love the book): the narration seriously lacked emotion. Mia has just suffered an incredible loss and yet I can hardly see her being bothered by that. It's like she accepts it almost immediately, which to me seems quite not only implausible but also unnatural. She barely thought about what *actually happend* (a horrible tragedy) as I would expect her too and instead the story was full of things that didn't really seem to matter at the time, and that rather bothered me.

Ultimately, I don't agree with Mia's decision, I mean I don't think I'd choose that same option myself seeing what she was faced with, and I felt the reasons she implied were not powerful enough. Perhaps my problem is that I see things far too realistically and tend to ignore the message, but even if that's the case, I'm afraid this book wasn't good enough to make me not only see, but also understand the main message. Sadly, this was a disappointment and the rating below is quite generous due to the originality and promising opening, but other than that I was left unimpressed.

overall rating: 3/5
plot: 3/5 | writing: 3/5 | characters: 3/5 | cover: 4/5

ps: Found another review I rather agree with, it's by Meghan McCarthy and it was posted in the comments on the Visual Bookshelf on Facebook under this book's profile (click). It says:
"I understand what the author was trying to convey with her novel, but I'm sorry to say that it was very poorly executed. What probably would have been the most deeply affecting moment in the book was rendered only minutely shocking due to its being toward the beginning of the book before the reader could be truly invested enough in the story and characters to actually care.
The main character, instead of being endearing, complicated, or compelling, was mostly just frustrating.
SPOILER: The ending, which was supposed to be artistic, stopped the story before it was able to reach a real conclusion. It was as if someone had switched off the television right before the big finish of a movie and the audience is left wanting. The author builds the anticipation for this moment up for almost the entire (albeit short) book, only to leave her readers high and dry."

Review: I HEART NEW YORK by Lindsey Kelk **

"When you're running away from a broken heart, there's only one place to go...the summer debut of the year. Adjusting tiaras at the foot of the aisle, Angela and her best friend prepare for the wedding of the year. But events don't go as planned. And when a girl is in possession of a crumpled bridesmaid dress - and can't go home - New York (for the very first time) seems like an excellent idea. Angela's new friend Jenny Lopez gives Angela a whirlwind tour of the city that never sleeps, and a makeover. Who hasn't dreamed of starting afresh with a sassy New York wardrobe, a new haircut and a trip to the make-up counter? Before she knows it, the new Angela is getting over her broken heart by having dinner with two different boys. And, best of all, she gets to write about it in her fabulous new blog. But it's one thing telling readers all about your romantic dilemmas. It's another trying to figure them out for yourself! Warm, funny and unputdownable, I Heart New York is an unforgettable debut."

(summary)

Firstly, it should be clear that the blurb above praises the book far too much as it's hardly good, let alone great or unforgettable. It's cute but boring.

I guess what I liked most about this novel is that it is occassionally witty - but it only made me chuckle a couple of times and not laugh out loud so it should not even be compared to Sophie Kinsella as there really is no comparison whatsoever.
The opening scene of the book was the best, really quite funny and it also had potential, but then it all went downhill. It was all too perfect: a girl comes to NYC, finds BFFs immediately, two most gorgeous guys in town fall head over heels in love with her and her silly blog is a total win. And yep, that's pretty much all there is to the story. No drama, no dilemmas, no twists, nothing. Action is almost non-existant too and I felt the ending was rushed. Furthermore, I didn't like neither the main character nor the others; the men were just too perfect ... Basically, everyone was really one dimensional. There's "drama" at the end, but it's really uncalled for and resolved far too quickly. Oh and commas, argh, a bunch of them were either missing or put in a wrong place. I know that's silly, but I can't help judge a book by that too.

The book wasn't really horrible kind of bad, it's cute and all, but it's just not my cup of tea as it's just too damn simple. I'd recommend it if you like a really, really easy read - as the main character says (and I expect she's just echoing the author's words), her wish is to just write, nothing necessarily deep or meaningful, just something that will help escape from their every day troubles. I really don't want to sound mean as I'm glad that other people enjoyed the book (according to Amazon), but it just didn't work for me. Props to whoever designed the gorgeous cover as it really saved the book and I'm sure the book will sell.

overall rating: 2/5
plot: 2/5 | writing: 3/5 | characters: 2/5 | cover: 4/5

Review: CHANGE OF HEART by Jodi Picoult ***

"June's first husband was killed in a car crash. Against all the odds, her daughter was uninjured and, in another miracle, June found love again with the policeman who rescued them. Six years on they are a happy family, June pregnant with their own child. But now June's second daughter is dying without the new heart she so urgently needs. And her first daughter, along with her husband, is dead, killed by Shay Bourne, an itinerant workman they welcomed into their home. The crime was so heinous that Shay has been given the death penalty for the first time in 69 years in New Hampshire. Shay is going to die, and he is looking for redemption. He wants to give June's daughter his heart ..."

(summary)

It's no secret that I'm a huge Jodi Picoult fan, but that doesn't mean I think all her novels are masterpieces, and I'm afraid this is one of those rare few that I didn't enjoy as much as I would have hoped to.

I didn't even intend to read this book when it was released because I've read the reviews saying the novel was full of religious symbolism - I'm an atheist myself and religion irritates me more than it fascinates me. I figured this book was not my cup of tea, but I thought the main dilemma was very interesting so I thought I'd give it a try.

I can't say I didn't enjoy the novel as such as it was typically well written. However, what bothered me that there was too much pointless talk about religion (I still don't know what the point of the Gnostic Gospels was because I entirely skipped that bit) and too many random miracles (the last sentence actually made me roll my eyes). Personally, I thought that part was completely unnecessary, but I guess the main moral dilemma wasn't enough to fill the whole book. Furthermore, I thought that the book was slow-paced and that hardly anything was going on, apart from miracles, which didn't excite me at all. I'm afraid I wasn't too keen on any of the characters, which is quite rare for me (OK, except for the yummy *British* doctor). I also found the main twist (what really happened that day) to be underdeveloped - I thought the revelation about the husband was quite shocking, but it just flew out of the window really.

On the plus side, the novel raises some interesting points about death penalty, which is a controversial subject in itself and Picoult provides some fascinating facts about it. Oh and yeah, the readers get to experience it first hand - ooh, that was kinda brutal.

I think I disliked this novel more than I enjoyed it, but I can't hate it because it was written by Picoult and we all know she's fantastic, I'd never read all the other books if they weren't written by her. But I'm afraid this just wasn't my cup of tea and I kept reading only because I wanted to find out how it will all be resolved. Sadly, I can't say I was too impressed.

It's funny how this novel is a complete opposite to my review of Handle with Care, which I posted somewhere back in December 2008. I finished the proof and couldn't stop raving about it! Here's what I wrote:

I really enjoyed this beautifully written yet poignant novel about the O’Keefe family: mum Charlotte, dad Sean, the disabled child Willow and her older sister Amelia. Due to Willow’s disability, their daily lives are anything but normal, but despite all the struggles they all adore Willow. Charlotte wants to provide the best possible life for Willow but knows that won’t be possible without a lot of money, which she is determined to get, even if that means opposing everyone, hurting her family and suing her best friend Piper, the obstetrician who supposedly failed to diagnose Willow’s condition (the brittle bone disease) soon enough for the pregnancy to be terminated … Each character is given a voice to describe their point of view and as the story unfolds, things keep breaking – not just bones, but also hearts, families, friendships and other things. Unfortunately, some breaks can be fatal …
This really is an amazing and a thought provoking novel, which tackles several controversial topics (e.g. disabilities, abortion, adoption etc.) and raises many difficult questions ... As a huge Picoult fan, I had high hopes for this one and it actually exceeded my expectations. This novel is in several ways reminiscent of My Sister’s Keeper, Picoult’s most famous book, but it also has bits of her other novels mixed in, making it a typical Picoult bestseller. Highly recommended to the old Picoult fans as well as to to readers who are just getting to know this incredible author – this really is Picoult at her best!

Just to show I really am a Picoult fan, but Change of Heart just didn't work for me, same as Vanishing Acts, Salem Falls, The Tenth Circle.
On the other hand, I really truly adored My Sister's Keeper, The Pact, Mercy, Nineteen Minutes, Plain Truth, Picture Perfect!
I still want to read Perfect Match, Harvesting the Heart and Second Glance, but I don't think I'll bother with Keeping Faith, heh.

Twenties Girl trailer!!!

A trailer for Twenties Girl has just been posted on Sophie Kinsella's Facebook page!!!

I've been told my copy is on the way and I cannot wait to read it!!! Funky music too!

ps: Pardon the excessive use of exclamation marks, but they're just necessary in this case - can't you tell I'm a bit excited here?!?! :D