In My Mailbox

This week was a big, great week in books! Thanks to the Story Siren for starting this awesome meme!

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As You Wish by Jackson Pearce

Ever since Viola's boyfriend broke up with her, she has spent her days silently wishing--to have someone love her again and, more importantly, to belong again--until one days she inadvertently summons a young genie out of his world and into her own. He will remain until she makes three wishes.

Jinn is anxious to return home, but Viola is terrified of wishing, afraid she will not wish for the right thing, the thing that will make her truly happy. As the two spend time together, the lines between master and servant begin to blur, and soon Jinn can't deny that he's falling for Viola. But it's only after Viola makes her first wish that she realizes she's in love with Jinn as well...and that if she wishes twice more, he will disappear from her life--and her world--forever.

Ever since I heard about this one, I knew I had to read it. I mean, genies? How awesome is that? The plot kind of even sounds like Coffeehouse Angel to me a bit. I'm so excited to begin. Happy release, Jackson!

Alphas by Lisi Harrison

At OCD the losers are tormented.

At Alpha Academy, they're sent home.

Skye Hamilton has scored an invitation to the ultra-exclusive Alphas-only boarding school where beta is spelled LBR. What happens when the country's best, brightest, and hawtest begin clawing and scratching their way to the top?

I loved the Clique series by Lisi, so the day this came out, I dashed to Barnes & Noble. I am so excited to begin--hopefully it's as good as the Clique! Plus I love a light, funny, and creative read...So double-yay!

A Taste for Red by Lewis Harris

Do you prefer the taste of red foods? Do you sleep under your bed? Do you read people's thoughts? Do you think you're a vampire?

Svetlana Grimm does. And it's making her transition to sixth grade at Sunny Hill Middle School even more difficult. After all, what can someone with her extrasensory powers possibly have in common with a classroom full of jellybean eaters? Things get interesting, though, when Svetlana's beautiful science teacher, Ms. Larch, begins reading her thoughts. Could Ms. Larch be a vampire, too?

But the thrill of finding another of her kind quickly vanishes when strange "accidents" start happening. Svetlana is always the intended victim, and her teacher is always nearby. So if she and Ms. Larch aren't allies, then that means...

Sunny Hill Middle School is about to become a very dangerous place for Svetlana Grimm.

Thank you so, so much to Lewis, who also sent me a copy of the audio book! This sounds great--an evil vampire science teacher? I love the sound of it!

Sphinx's Princess by Esther Friesner (September 22)

Nefertiti may be the dutiful daughter of a commoner, but her inquisitive mind often gets her into situations that are far from ordinary, like receiving secret lessons from a scribe. And she's the kind of girl who acts first, and apologizes later whenever she witnesses injustice or cruelty. But she is also extraordinarily beautiful. And news of her striking beauty and impulsive behavior attracts the attention of her aunt, the manipulative Queen Tiye, who sees Nefertiti as an ideal pawn in her desire for power. Even though Nefertiti is taken from her beloved family and forced into a life filled with courtly intrigue and danger, her spirir and mind will not rest. She continues to challenge herself and the boundaries of ancient Egyptian society.

Wow, this book looks so cool! I'm not a big historical fiction fan, but I've always loved ancient Egypt and mythology. Thanks to Random House.

The Fatal Child by John Dickinson

Ambrose, Prince Under the Sky, is haunted by the ominous words of his ancestor . He shuns his rightful throne and remains in the desolate wastelands, a ragged an hidden king, searching for the secret that will lift the curse of a weeping goddess.

Then one day a young princess comes to him, a girl so enchanting, so beautiful, that his life is no longer his own. For her, Ambrose will leave his wandering existence and set out to meet his fate.

This is apparently the final part of a trilogy, and I'm hesitant to read a book that I haven't read the previous two books to! However, the plot sounds intriguing. Check it out...The Fatal Child is released on September 8th by David Fickling Books, an imprint of Random House!

Slumgirl Dreaming by Rubina Ali w/ Anne Berthod & Divya Dugar (September 8, 2009)

This is the inspiring true story of the nine-year-old who captured hearts worldwide in her role as the young Latika in the multi-Oscar-winning film Slumdog Millionaire. Plucked from among five hundred slum kids who auditioned for the film, she saw her fairy-tale dream of stardom come true. Now that she has stepped into the limelight, what will life hold for a young girl from the Mumbai slums?

Wow-this story sounds so amazing, I'm really very eager to begin. I have yet to see Slumdog Millionaire, but Rubina's story seems so inspiring and sad. I look forward to beginning. I couldn't find a picture of the US cover (which, in my opinion, is much better), so the picture above is the Australian cover instead!

Catwalk: Strike a Pose by Deborah Gregory (September 8, 2009)

Sashay, parlay! The design competition at Fashion International High School heats up as each design house struggles to produce its first--and hopefully award-winning--line. Tensions are cropping up in the House of Pashmina, and it's not clear whether Pashmina and her best friends will weather the runway. They'd better scramble if they want to win a real shot at a fashion career and an all-expenses-paid trip to Florence!

I'm definitely in the mood for a fun, fabulous, and light read, so I was excited to see the second book in the Catwalk series in my mailbox today! I have yet to read the first book, but if it's about fashion, friends, and travel, count me in!

The Splendor Falls by Rosemary Clement-Moore (September 8, 2009)

Sylvie Davis is a ballerina who can't dance. A broken leg ended her career, but Sylvie's pain runs deeper. What broke her heart was her father's death, and what's breaking her spirit is her mother's remarriage--a union that's only driven an even deeper wedge into their already tenuous relationship.

Uprooting her from her Manhattan apartment and shipping her to Alabama is her mother's solution for Sylvie's unhappiness. Her father's cousin is restoring a family home in a town rich with her family's history. And that's where things start to get shady. As it turns out, her family has a lot more history than Sylvie ever knew. More unnerving, though, are the two guys she can't stop thinking about. Shawn Maddox, the resident golden boy, seems to be perfect in every way. But Rhys--a handsome, mysterious foreign guest of her cousin's--has a gold on her that she doesn't quite understand.

Then she starts seeing things. Sylvie's lost nearly everything--is she starting to lose her mind as well?

Oooh, this sounds like a really cool, paranormal-type read. I haven't read anything else by this author, but I'd like to see what happens to Sylvie--and what the big mystery is!

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Thanks, mailbox! (: