Mundie Moms

Saturday, June 19, 2010

In My Mailbox

In My Mailbox is a meme hosted by The Story Siren and was inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie! It's a list of books we've received this past week for review, borrowed from friends or the library, received as a gift and/or bought.



From Publishers/ Authors For Review: * Paranormalcy by Kiersten White (published by Harper Collins, to be released 9/10)
* Fledging Jason Steed by Mark A. Cooper (published by Sourcebooks, to be
released 9/10)
* iDrakula by Bekka Black (published by Sourcebooks, to be released 10/10)
* Elliot and the Goblin War by Jennifer A. Nielsen (published by Sourcebooks,
to be released 10/10)
* Don't Know Where, Don't Know When by Annette Laing (from the author)


Bought:
* Raised by Wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
* The Short Second Life Of Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyer
* Far From You by Lisa Schroeder
* Woods Runner by Gary Paulsen


Thank you to HarperCollins, Sourcebooks and Annette Laing for our wonderful
reads this week.


What goodies did you receive this week?

Book Review - Sucks To Be Me.


By: Kimberly Pauley
Published by Wizards of the Coast
Release Date: August 2009
Source: Bought
4 Stars- I really liked this book. Go pick it up.


Synopsis: (from Wizards of the Coast) My parents are freaks. Sure, every teenager says that. But I know for a fact mine are bloodsucking vampire freaks. As if high school wasn't bad enough, now I have to go to vampire classes with a bunch of weirdos who actually want to drink blood.Then there's my complete inability to talk in complete sentences around cute boys. (Especially Nathan. He probably thinks I've got a speech impediment or something.) And I can't tell my best friend Serena about any of this. But the absolute worst thing is that the whole world is about to find out what happened when my parents forced me to decide whether I want to be a vampire! Please don't read this book. It's just embarrassing.

I have to admit that I loved the voice of the protagonist, 16 year old Mina, from the very beginning. Her tendency to make lists of pros and cons and in general, try to weigh the options in front of her was refreshing. Mina faces some of the usual teenage dilemmas -- prom shopping, cute boy crushes but also a very weighty decision, whether to become a vampire or not.

I also adore Kimberly's mytholgy. Her vampires seem so very, pardon the expression, mundane and that alone makes the world quirky and intriguing. The concept of a Vampire Council and its very bureaucratic approach to introducing new recruits to a vampire lifestyle was different and made Mina's decision making process much more realistic. Mina's crush on the intriguing Nathan versus her friendship with the "nice boy", George, is a very believable romantic thread. In fact, the characters are so very well created that you expect to see them at your own high school.

If you love a fun, refreshing, humor-filled take on vampires, pick up Sucks to Be Me. So put on your sunglasses, slather on some sunscreen and head to the nearest park bench on these sunny summer afternoons. Perhaps one of Kimberly's vampires will approach you and engage you in a discussion.

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