You've Got Mail!

Happy late Thanksgiving, everyone (gobble, gobble)! The In My Mailbox feature was created by the brilliant Story Siren and it's a lot of fun to see what everyone else is reading, so I thought I'd join in!

S.A.S.S.: The Great Call of China by Cynthea Liu (February 2009)

"Chinese-born Cece was adopted when she was two years old by her American parents. Living in Texas, she's bored of her ho-hum high school and dull job. So when she learns about the S.A.S.S. program to Xi'an, China, she jumps at the chance. She'll be able to learn about her passion-anthropology-and it will give her the opportunity to find her roots. But when she arrives, she receives quite a culture shock. And the closer she comes to finding out about her birth parents, the more apprehensive she gets. Enter Will, the cute guy she first meets on the plane. He and Cece really connect during the program. But can he help her get accustomed to a culture she should already know about, or will she leave China without the answers she's been looking for?

 I'm really excited to read Cynthea's new novel. I've always been quite a fan of the fun, interesting teen travel series, and The Great Call of China seems to be different from some of the other books in the series with a more realistic plot and real conflicts. Thanks to Cynthea and Penguin for sending me a copy!

The Teashop Girls by Laura Schaefer (December 2008)

 Annie, Genna, and Zoe ha

ve been hanging out at the Steeping Leaf since elementary school. The Teashop Girls do everything together -- at least they used to. With the end of eighth grade approaching, Genna's too busy with theater, Zoe's always at tennis, and Annie totally feels left out. What happened to tea every week, no matter what?

 When Annie convinces her grandmother to give her a job as a barista at the Leaf, things begin to look up. In between whipping up chai lattes for customer, and attempting to catch the attention of her Barista Boy crush, Annie is finally beginning to feel as grown-up as her best friends. But an eviction notice spells trouble for the Leaf and unless they can turn the business around, the teashop will have to close its doors forever.

 Sounds like just the sort of book I like to read: sweet, fun, with a little bit of romance-the kind of book that makes you feel warm and happy after finishing it. This one's right at the top of my TBR pile, and I can't wait to get started! Thanks to Laura and Simon & Schuster for giving me the chance to review this fabulous-looking read!

Heaven Looks a Lot Like the Mall by Wendy Mass 

 When 16-year-old Tessa suffers a shocking accident in gym class, she finds herself in heaven (or what she thinks is heaven), which happens to bear a striking resemblance to her hometown mall. In the tradition of It's a Wonderful Life and A Christmas Carol, Tessa starts reliving her life up until that moment. She sees some things she'd rather forget, learns some things about herself she'd rather not know, and ultimately must find the answer to one burning question--if only she knew what that question was.

  Ooh, another add-on to my growing TBR stack! I've heard great things about Wendy Mass, which makes me particularly excited about starting her novel (She's also a really funny person). Thank you, Wendy, for sending me a copy of Heaven!

Yay! That was fun! Thanks for including me, Story Siren! (: