In My Mailbox #26 [The post-Christmas Madness]

In my Mailbox is a weekly meme started by The Story Siren which gives bloggers a chance to showcase all the books they received in the previous week (for review, bought, borrowed, ect...) but for which they sometimes have no space to showcase in detail on their blogs.

Well, I hope you all had a merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. My apologies for being so late, but my private life is still crazy and I haven't really had a mind to settle down yet. But here I am now, catching with you and the past one and a half months.

December has been surprisingly pleasant due to a rather unpleasant surprise but looking back now I think it's for the best and was meant to be. Anyway, about the books:

Recently Read (December):

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern: Easily one of my most favourite books of 2011! Morgenstern has managed to create a unique, mesmerizing, terrifying and utterly beautiful world that I wish I could spend the rest of my life in.

Shelfability: Covet!!!

Dearly, Departed [ARC] by Lia Habel: This book has been very high on my anticipation list 2011 because the mix of Victorian (I love everything Victorian) mannerism, science fiction and fantasy (in the form of zombies) sounded like a crazy mix that had to turn out brilliantly. It did. It was hilarious!

Shelfability: Acquire.

Review coming soon.

Dream Dark [short story] by Kami Garcia & Margret Stohl: This short story was to serve as bridge between Beautiful Darkness and Beautiful Chaos and it did. Still, I was disappointed by the lack of actual content. You can very well read the books without this piece.

Shelfability: Borrow.

The Dark Devine by Bree Despain: I heard a lot of things about this, unfortunately not that it was about werewolfs (not my favourite topic). However, after a few dreadful moments of hesitation I dug in and found myself enjoying it as much as I had expected. The Lost Saint is in my order basket.

Shelfability: Acquire.

A Clockwork Christmas [Anthology]: This anthology of steampunk Christmas short stories has had an equal divide between 4 star and 2 star stories. It was free and to keep on netGalley, thanks for Carina Press!

Shelfability: Acquire. Because it's free.

Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan: I won this back in the summer from Lesley @ My Keeper Shelf and decided to save it until Christmas, because it was about Christmas. I already loved Nick & Norah's and this one was equally brilliant!

Shelfability: Acquire.

Review Coming Soon.

Enthralled: Paranormal Diversions [Anthology]: Another anthology that has been on my reading pile for a while. Some of these stories were great, others not some much. I definitely had some moments that made it worth buying the book but altogther my verdict is:

Shelfability: Borrow.

Vixen by Jillian Larkin: This is the 2nd 1920's series that I'm reading and compared directly to Godbersen's Bright Young Things I find this one lacking. Perhaps it's because Godbersen focuses more on the Gossip Girl side of thing while Larking gives it more historical accuracy, but it's just not as exciting.

Shelfability: Borrow.

The Dead of Winter by Chris Priestly: A classic young YA horror story that I have enjoyed wholeheartedly! It has the perfect creep-factor, was a fast, short read and had an open ending that left me with a proper chill.

Shelfability: Acquire.

New On The Shelves:

eARCs:

Catching Jordan by Miranda Kennealy

I heard a lot of good things about this one. My most trusted blogger/recommender loved it. So here we go :)

*thanks to Sourcebooks Fire via netGalley for giving me access to this.

Allegiance by Cayla Kluver

I didn't exactly fall in love with Legacy when I got an ARC of it, neither the setting, nor the characters, but in the end it did have something that makes me want to know more. I have already heard that things will change drastically I'm not sure if I like that any more. We will see.

*thanks to Harlequin Teen via netGalley for giving me access to this title.

The Peculiars by Maureen Doyle McQuerry

This is another steampunk fantasy that reminded me a bit of The Girl in the Steel Corset when I first read the summary. I haven't picked it up yet but I hope I'll find time soon.

*thanks to Amulet Books via netGalley for the access to this title.

Various Positions by Martha Schabas

I have always been fascinated by the world of ballet behind the glitz and glamour. That's why I picked this title.

*thanks to Doubleday Canada via netGalley for giving me access to this title.

How to make a Golem and terrify people by Alette J. Willis

This is another creepy middle-grade title that sounds like I could have a lot of fun with. I think the fears we have as children are the most instinctive and therefore the one's most difficult to overcome. I am mesmerized by them and therefore can't get enough of middle-grade horror ;)

*thanks to Floris Books via netGalley for giving me access to this title.

Bought:

Naomi & Ely's No Kiss List by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan

This is the second book Cohn & Levithan wrote together and unfortunately it has the troubles of a second work. It is still great to read, Naomi and Ely are fascinating characters, but it has neither Nick & Norah's funkiness nor Dash & Lily's cozy Christmas feeling. If you are a Cohn & Levithan fan you should definitely read it, if you aren't yet I would recommend another book to start with.

Shelfability: Acquire.

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

I came across this in a random book store and somehow the name Siobhan Dowd (on whose idea the book is based) rang a bell. I can't even really tell you why I bought this book other than it spoke to me and said: Buy me. That sometimes happens and I have never regretted it before.

Destined by Jesse Harrell

Another Greek Myth that gets a fresh breath of life. I like greek myths and I like romance so I had to have this. I hope I can start reading it soon.

Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King

I have had my eyes on this anthology for quite a while but didn't want to buy the hardback. Now it came out as a paperback and I got myself a copy. My dad used to read a lot of Stephen King when I was a kid and horror is still one of my favourite genres. So here we go :)

The Dead of Winter by Chris Priestly

You've already seen a short review on this higher up in the post and I hate to repeat myself. It's a great story, I don't regret buying it.

Gifted:

Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch

This was recommended to me by amazon.co.uk and although the recommendation doesn't really make sense, they hit the nail on the head. I've already read this one and I adored it. It's a bit like "if Harry Potter and Sherlock Holmes would merge into one character you'd get Constable Peter Grant". I don't want to say too much here because I'm planning a review but this book is fantastic. The plot, the world-building, the mythology, the characters - and London! :) Go get it!

Shelfability: Covet!

Review Coming Soon.

Moon over SoHo by Ben Aaronovitch

This is the second book in the Peter Grant series and I can't wait to dig in. It's set in London's SoHo and this time Peter is after a thing that destroys and kills Jazz musicians. Peter's dad was one of the victims - twice.

Stravaganza. City of Ships by Marry Hoffman

I used to read this series in German, but apparently the publisher dropped it after four books (grrr). So I set out hunting the one publisher that published it as a hardback (chasing a hardback for once, lol) in English. Thanks to Bloomsbury USA for having an Export Edition ^_^

Void by Rhiannon Lassiter

Ah, Rhi Lassiter, my favourite author since I got my hands on her very first book: Hex. One of the few dystopian novels I wholeheartedly enjoyed. The reason why I started reading books in English (stupid German publisher failed to pick up Shadows and Ghosts >.<). Now a US publisher has rejacketed Hex, Shadows and Ghosts and put them together as VOID. And it looks so pretty, I had to have a copy, for the collection^^ :)

Seriously, if you love Dystopian novels, you have to read this (yes, I'm looking at you, Miss Page Turner :P)

Shelfability: COVET!

Thanks to Mum & Dad, Grandma and Peter for bestowing me with wonderful Christmas gifts! :)

Phew, what a long, long post! Took me over two hours to write. Next one will be shorter, promised ;)

Thanks for bearing with me, I'll see you guys in three weeks, latest :)

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