Me on In My Mailbox (69)

In My Mailbox is a bunch of weekly fun hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. :)

I was at a book signing this week. :) For some reason (my own brain being weird), I haven't yet written up an event review post. *sigh* Ummmmm... yeah, I don't know what to tell you. It probably stems from the fact that I didn't take pictures. I did record some of the Q&A (just audio). It's possible that, since 2 of the 3 authors are from Vancouver, I'll do some kind of write up for the blog event. Which starts soon. *nervous face*

I went absolutely insane waiting for the mail this week, both the normal Canada Post and any extra UPS/Purolator delivery-type mail. Every time the doorbell went off I flipped. The one time there was a parcel and I was the only one home, it was for my sister. *head-desk* Blogging and reviewing and requesting has turned me into a basket-case. Before Friday afternoon, I had a bunch of books listed here because I thought they'd come, and they didn't. Why does the mail take so freaking long to get out to BC? Stupid big country. But I'm not about to move out to Toronto.

Even more rumours of me taking a trip this fall. ;) Did you know flights are about half as much if we fly out of Seattle instead of Vancouver?? Holy freaking crap.

Received:
Blackwood by Gwenda Bond (to review from Strange Chemistry through NetGalley)
Shift by Kim Curran (to review from Strange Chemistry through NetGalley)

Bought:
The Gryphon Project by Carrie Mac (Bought at the signing on Tuesday. I got this one because it's a stand-alone and I'm feeling rather swamped by series right now. I really wish that the copy of her new book, The Opposite of Tidy, that I won had arrived before the signing, but it wasn't meant to be. Besides, Carrie's a local author, I'm sure I'll get it signed at some point.)

Borrowed from the library:
Ouran High School Host Club Volumes 12 to 17 (Last year, I read a lot of library e-books and Harlequin novels. This year seems to be the manga year. Interesting. I wonder what next year will be.)

To read & review: Dark Kiss, The Hunt, Fated, Shadow and Bone, Never Enough, Innocent Darkness, Scarlett Dedd, Blackwood, Shift, Yesterday, Romeo Redeemed and Tune. :)

Me on In My Mailbox (68)

In My Mailbox is a bunch of weekly fun hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. :)

EDIT: Hello to new followers. :) Just so you know, I tend to ramble on in my IMM posts. You're always free to scroll down and just see what books I got, but if you're a fan of rambling, you've come to the right place. ;)

This was a weird week that started with a massive 2 day headache that sort of flared up this morning. I haven't had one that bad in years. Boooo.

I DNF'd a book this week. It sounded interesting, but I wasn't feeling it. My main issue was when I started it, I was a few pages in before I remember that the narrator was supposed to be a girl and not a guy. From the reviews on Goodreads, it's possible it was just me. Still, maybe I'll read it after it comes out, see how it goes.

Went to Chapters on Friday and tweeted some random pictures of books. :) They were either books I like or books by people I know through Twitter. The best reaction to a picture was Stephanie Burgis on my pic of her historical magical MG books Kat, Incorrigible and Renegade Magic. I really enjoyed the first one last year (click on the Reviews tab up top to find my review). :)

Passport office visited. *sigh* Farewell, money. Still, it's useful to have one. There are rumours circling of me taking a trip with my mom. She asked if I wanted to go somewhere. *shhhhhh*

We re-became a 2 car family this week and sold the car that I drove. It was getting on in years, gas is expensive, it's the Lower Mainland and I live in an area where it's fairly easy to catch a bus to the SkyTrain. Now, I'll sort of share my dad's car with him, not going anywhere near my mom's because it's weird (read: it's a Prius). The plan was always to sell the one I drove after I got my class 5 (for those outside of BC, it's the full driver's license with no restrictions) and I passed the test in January.

It wasn't until I added the covers of the books below that I realized there's a 'girl looking like she can kick your ass' theme going on. ;)

Received to review:
Innocent Darkness by Suzanne Lazear (from Flux Books through NetGalley) (My first book from Flux, and this one looks really good. I've heard it's a bit more 'faerie' than 'steampunk,' but we'll see.)
Tune by Derek Kirk Kim (from First Second/Macmillan through NetGalley) (Now, supposedly, it's a graphic novel geared more towards adults, but I think when you see 'coming-of-age' used to describe a story, it might be okay for teens.)

Bought:
Croak by Gina Damico (Like last week with Wings of the Wicked, comment on if you'd like to see a review of this book)
Dawn of the Arcana Volume 3 by Rei Toma (A little sad, the next volume isn't out until June, but at least this volume didn't end on a cliffhanger.)

To read & review: Dark Kiss, The Hunt, Fated, Shadow and Bone, Never Enough, Innocent Darkness, Scarlett Dedd, Yesterday, Romeo Redeemed and Tune. :)

Me on In My Mailbox (67)

In My Mailbox is a bunch of weekly fun hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. :)

My copy of Above came back this week after spending time in Toronto to get signed. Thanks again to Michele for being my Toronto mailing person. :)

Got pictures taken for my passport renewal. Fun. Why does it cost so much for the renewal? I don't remember the actual passport costing this much 5 years ago. Instead of me spending a few days in Seattle with some friends, I'm spending $100 renewing my passport.

I was talking to some bloggers the other night on Twitter and I said that when I e-mail publicists about review copies, most of the apprehension comes from the fact that I have no idea what they have available and am totally guessing at what ARCs they were sent. I get the feeling it's a bit trickier in Canada, I've asked about some titles and was told they weren't sent any by the US office. Which is interesting, you'd think the US would be all over a huge mostly English-speaking market that has a lot of similarities to themselves (I'm totally being cheeky here ;)).

In other news, it's early but I'm looking for someone willing to grab me an ARC or two at BEA this summer. Ways I can pay you back include sending money for postage or sending you a book or two in return (like from Book Depository).

Also, I have a link for a guest pass thing for Crunchyroll if anyone's interested. It's pretty much free access to the site for 48 hours, so if you like anime (or any of the dramas they also have, I don't watch those), then let me know. :)

In the mail:
Above by Leah Bobet (totally cheating but look it's signed and pretty)

Borrowed from the library:
Wings of the Wicked by Courtney Allison Moulton (Say in comments whether or not you'd like to see a review. :))
Ouran High School Host Club Volumes 6 to 11 by Bisco Hatori (*sigh* More manga. I liked the anime (well, I avoided most of the last 2 episodes because it looked like SUCH a cheesy ending) and I'm doing what I did with Fruits Basket, reading the manga. I like how the manga of Fruits Basket had an actual ending. Might do the same next with Blue Exorcist. There are some I'd watch and then read, but the lack of English translations of the manga kind of suck.)

To read & review: Struck, Dark Kiss, The Hunt, Fated, Shadow and Bone, Never Enough, Scarlett Dedd, Yesterday, and Romeo Redeemed. :)

Me on In My Mailbox (66)

In My Mailbox is a bunch of weekly fun hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. :)

It's April Fool's Day, which means this whole post is a joke. ;) No, not really.

For the blog event in May I'm going to post a list of all the Canadian YA authors I can think of, but that's only so many, so I want you guys to e-mail me or comment with as many as you can think of. Just authors, I can look up book titles. And it doesn't matter if they used to live in Canada or they moved to Canada or what, it all counts. :)

I'm rather anti-crowds, so I didn't go see The Hunger Games movie until Monday. I saw it at noon on a Monday with my sister, figured it would be a good non-crowd time. ;) It was when we got to the theatre, but then more and more people (teens still on Spring Break possibly?) showed up. Still, they only half-filled the theatre. I liked it, my sister was more it was ok. Don't think she'll read the book, though. Sad book-panda. ;)

I've still been watching a lot of anime on Crunchyroll, I've pretty much replaced TV-watching with it (apart from some sports-watching). A good deal of Wednesday morning was spend flipping out over one series in particular that came to an end, Ano Natsu de Matteru. So much flipping out. And crying. If you like contemporary teenagers making a low-budget student-type film over summer vacation with a splash or two of science fiction, I'd recommend it. :)

And someone explain the thing in my brain that, after watching anime, has me needing to read manga. I can't read newspaper comics anymore, my eyes go straight to the right instead of the left.

Now... I bought books this week, but they're not review books so I'm torn on whether or not to add them. *sigh* ... I will, only because I included all that Fruits Basket when I borrowed it from the library and because it's geared towards a teen audience. Yes, I totally bought manga this week. Good thing, too. There have been some I've found online and wanted to read/buy but aren't published in English. Or the ones that used to be published in English but then stopped because the company stopped/went under/whatever (I'm looking at you, Tokyopop).

To review:
Dark Kiss by Michelle Rowen (from Harlequin through NetGalley) (You never let me down, Harlequin, not like Random House and their surprising pause in approving me. I want to read Velveteen and Touched and Flirting in Italian and Unspoken too, you know.) (You know, I hope Random House knows how much I appreciate them saying yes to all the books before. :)) (Also, I'm rather regretting not contacting Michelle Rowen about the blog event next month. *sigh* Oh, well. One more author to add to the list for next year.)

Bought:
Dawn of the Arcana Volumes 1 & 2 by Rei Toma (Kingdoms, countries at odds, arranged marriages, semi-human creatures, love, hate, danger, evil kings and queens, and magic. Think Game of Thrones-lite in a teen manga form. And an adorable little boy with ram horns where his ears should be. I might wait to read them since Volume 3 comes out on Tuesday (honestly, Tuesday) and I pre-ordered it. And the covers are gorgeous, so colourful.)
The Earl and the Fairy Volume 1 by Ayuko and Mizue Tani (Historical England, fairies, a young woman, and a scoundrel earl who semi-kidnaps her. ;) Now waiting for June for Volume 2.)
(There won't be reviews of these, but there were never reviews of Fruits Basket, even though I would recommend it. Very funny and sweet. :))

To read & review: Zero, The Immortal Rules, Struck, Dark Kiss, The Hunt, Fated, Shadow and Bone, Never Enough, Scarlett Dedd, Yesterday, and Romeo Redeemed. :)

Me on In My Mailbox (65)

In My Mailbox is a bunch of weekly fun hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. :)

I've been in a weird reading slump, but I think I've figured it out. It's because I still have issues with e-galleys and I like paper books more. So frustrating. I should really trade off, read an e-galley then a physical book, then an e-galley and so on. Of course, it helped that I read the e-galley of Gone, Gone, Gone this past week and really liked it. :)

My copy of Above made it to Michele in Toronto on Monday. *phew* Now, to wait for it to come back to BC from Toronto.

There's another YA signing in about a month, this time with Jay Asher, Hiromi Goto (author of Half World) and Carrie Mac (local YA author of The Beckoners and the upcoming The Opposite of Tidy). I figure I'll go. Of course, I'm also outrageously tempted to head to Seattle on April 26th to see Stephaine Perkins. *sobbing* Instead, I'll just renew my passport (since I need to) and weep over the $90 it'll cost.

Earlier in the week I was scheduling Waiting on Wednesday posts (this past week's and next week's) and started looking through Macmillan's Kids & YA catalogue (imprints like Farrar, Straus & Grioux, Square Fish, Feiwel & Friends, First Second, Henry Holt, and Roaring Book Press). My brain almost exploded with all the books I saw that I want to read, like Crewel and the graphic novel of A Wrinkle in Time and Necromancing the Stone and lots of others.

I was bored and went searching on NetGalley this week. Never a good idea. Oh, well. Next week is a library-visiting week. :) Also, did everyone get approved for Unspoken except me? I've seen a bunch of yes on Twitter but I'm still waiting.

Traded for:
Under My Skin by Judith Graves (from Anna at The Bursting Bookshelf)

From NetGalley:
The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa (from Harlequin) (My first foray into Julie Kagawa's writing. *hiding from the Iron Fey fans chucking their books at me*)
Between Gears by Natalie Nourigat (from Image Comics) (In my search for more teen/young adult graphic novels, I started searching on NetGalley and found this. It came out on the 6th and is an autobiographical comic of the artist's last year in university. I thought it sounded kind of cool. Also, it's not on Goodreads, so if you're a Librarian on Goodreads, put it on there.)
Scarlett Dedd by Cathy Brett (from Random House)
Zero by Tom Leveen (from Random House) (You know, Random House might as well auto-approve me, they never seem to say no to me.)

To read & review: Zero, The Immortal Rules, The Last Princess, Struck, The Hunt, Fated, Shadow and Bone, This is Not a Test, Never Enough, Scarlett Dedd, Yesterday, and Romeo Redeemed. :)

Me on In My Mailbox (64)

In My Mailbox is a bunch of weekly fun hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. :)

Hello, people who also blog and read my ramblings. ;) How are you doing?

I've extended the signed Shatter Me giveaway for another 2 weeks, so you've got until the 1st to enter. Also, some books came this week for me to give away (books sent and signed by the author), but I'm not sure when I'm going to give those ones away, considering the giveaway I'm holding right now. So, are you guys ok with waiting until April for that giveaway? These might be the last giveaways from me for a while if shipping kills me.

After reading Above last weekend I was kind of bummed about not being in Toronto for Leah Bobet's book launch/signing on the 22nd, but then Michele at Just a Lil' Lost said she'd get my copy signed so I sent it off to her. Thanks again, Michele. :)

Do you guys have any graphic novel recommendations? I'd like to read more, but I don't necessarily want to get pigeon-holed into kids comics or adult graphic novels. Middle grade and YA suggestions are welcome. Like... (thinking of an example) would Bone count?? I remember that from when I was a kid.

Bought:
The Fine Art of Truth or Dare by Melissa Jensen (Yes, I totally bought my own copy even though it's a paperback and looks almost the same as the ARC the author sent but it's totally different. The Chapters near me finally got some copies, and they were on the shelf, I didn't have to ask or anything.)
Half World by Hiromi Goto (In my attempt to have some reviews of books during the blog event, I picked this up. I actually read a short story by the author in my first semester at university and rather enjoyed it. Also, I've heard rumours of a signing in April.)

To review:
Yesterday by C.K. Kelly Martin (from Random House through NetGalley) (I might as well be auto-approved for Random House, they say yes so much to me on NetGalley. Of course, this book isn't out until September. *shoving it far back on the to-read list*)

To read & review: Kill Me Softly, The Last Princess, The Vicious Deep, Struck, The Hunt, Fated, Shadow and Bone, This is Not a Test, Never Enough, Yesterday, and Romeo Redeemed. :)

Me on In My Mailbox (63)

In My Mailbox is a bunch of weekly fun hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. :)

This might as well be the Canadian version of IMM this week. All the books I got are by Canadian authors. How often does this happen?? Never. ;)

This bit is just for people I know in Toronto. Are you going to Leah Bobet's book launch on the 22nd?? Can I send you my copy to get signed?? I will include money for shipping it back to me and for a new bubble envelope. I'm reading it right now and loving it and I'd love to have it all signed and pretty. :)

Since I was at a book event today, look for an event recap post soon. :)

Hmmm, I guess I don't have much to talk about this week. Oh, well. More room for books. :) And sorry for the dark picture. I only had one lamp on.

Purchased:
Above by Leah Bobet (I pre-ordered this because Chandra at IndigoTeenBlog adores it so much, plus it sounds so cool and different, plus the cover is gorgeous (why, yes, that is the CN Tower on the cover), plus since it's a debut novel I wasn't sure if it would be at Chapters on release day. And, apparently, it was. *head-desk* So I had to deal with that agonizing wait for it to come in the mail when I so wanted to drive down to the closest one with copies and snatch it up.)
Friends with Boys by Faith Erin Hicks (I read an e-galley of this and reviewed it. So much fun. A must-read graphic novel. :))
(I actually bought another book this week, but it's not for me. ;))

Received:
Under My Skin by Charles de Lint (from Penguin Canada) (Debating whether or not to save this for the blog event in May.)

To read & review: Under My Skin, Kill Me Softly, Gone, Gone, Gone, The Last Princess, The Vicious Deep, Struck, The Hunt, Fated, Shadow and Bone, This is Not a Test, Never Enough, and Romeo Redeemed. :)

Me on In My Mailbox (62)

In My Mailbox is a bunch of weekly fun hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. :)

First, I need something from you guys. 1) I need suggestions of ways an author can contribute to the Can YA lit blog event that aren't time-intensive or typing-intensive (this author has agreed to contribute but has two May deadlines so we're looking for something quick & easy). 2) What are good questions to pose for Q&A's?

Quite often, I've had a review buffer so I don't have to scramble to read a book and write up a review the night before. Then I started reading other books (read: Fruits Basket, curse you, Kathleen Peacock, for introducing me to it) and sort of lost the buffer. Then last weekend I was down to only this past week's three reviews as my buffer (there were some books I've read but hadn't written reviews for yet).

Yesterday was the first Lower Mainland book blogger meeting that didn't involve sitting in a Starbucks at a Chapters that also had a book event going on. ;) We had lunch instead. And Crystal at Raincoast Books sent Caitlin a box of books, so we totally fought over that. ;) Kidding. There were copies of the same 4 books for everyone.

Received to review:
Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers (from NetGalley) (Good thing I hadn't totally deleted the e-mail from NetGalley when I saw someone mention it on Twitter on Monday.)
Romeo Redeemed by Stacey Jay (from Random House through NetGalley) (On the same say I was declined for a different book I was approved for this. So excited, I really enjoyed Juliet Immortal. But does anyone know the actual release date? Goodreads says August and NetGalley says October.)
Struck by Jennifer Bosworth (from Macmillan through NetGalley)

Books from the box from Raincoast:
Shadows & Bone by Leigh Bardugo (looks like this will save my eyes from reading the e-galley)
The Hunt by Andrew Fukuda
Fated by Alyson Noël
Wake by Amanda Hocking (I'm rather skeptical of this one. Hmmmmmmmmm.)

Borrowed:
When the Sea is Rising Red by Cat Hellisen (from Caitlin)
Kill Me Softly by Sarah Cross (from Caitlin)

Borrowed from the library:
Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick

To read & review: When the Sea is Rising Red, Grave Mercy, Kill Me Softly, Gone, Gone, Gone, The Last Princess, The Vicious Deep, Struck, The Hunt, Fated, Shadow and Bone, This is Not a Test, Never Enough, and Romeo Redeemed. :)

Me on In My Mailbox (61)

In My Mailbox is a bunch of weekly fun hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. :)

Monday and Tuesday this past week were full of rain, then Wednesday was bright and sunny and it sort of felt like April (except for the cold breeze). Weird. But there's been a lot of weird weather over the past year. Last summer was so mild it was like spring from March to October, then it got a bit cooler, then it snowed for only a week in January. Climate change, people. We haz it. (According to my sis, and I think I'll trust her and her honours degree in environmental science.)

Have been contacting authors about Canadian YA lit blog event in May. This is your last chance to suggest an author I haven't thought of yet. :)

Still watching anime on Crunchyroll. I've discovered two detective-type ones with magic-type stuff (one historical like Gosick, one more present-day/futuristic) and an alternative history one with half-fox spirit girls. I'm starting to wonder if all the anime I've watched is affecting my dreams, sometimes I don't think I'm dreaming in English. Well, every so often I think about the French translations of some words, but that's cause I took it in school for 8 years.

I rather like it when pub contacts send mass e-mails to their reviewer lists saying what ARCs are available as opposed to e-mailing them and asking. It gives you a better idea of what's available. So, when Raincoast sent out their blogger newsletter during the week, I was rather excited. If you're a Canadian book blogger and you're not on Raincoast's list, you're missing out.

Received:
Thumped by Megan McCafferty (from HarperCollins Canada) (Turns out this was sent to me by accident. Apparently, there's more than one Lindsay in Canada on HC's list who's a book blogger. Who'd've thunk it? ;) Because I haven't read the first one, I'm torn on whether or not I'll read it. It might end up in the giveaway pile.)
The Vicious Deep by Zoraida Cordova (e-galley from Raincoast (Sourcebooks) through NetGalley)
Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo (e-galley from Macmillan through Raincoast) (I saw the cover reveal on Friday, rather dark and mysterious.)
This is Not a Test by Courtney Summers (e-galley from Macmillan through Raincoast) (I totally freaked when I saw this in the newsletter from Raincoast. So excited.)

Borrowed from the library:
Siren's Storm by Lisa Papademetriou
Tempestuous by Lesley Livingston
Little Miss Red by Robin Palmer
Cindy Ella by Robin Palmer
And lots more Fruits Basket. ;)

To read & review: Illuminate, Black Heart, Among Others, Gone, Gone, Gone, The Last Princess, The Vicious Deep, The Year of the Beasts, Shadow and Bone, This is Not a Test, and Never Enough. :)

Me on In My Mailbox (60)

In My Mailbox is a bunch of weekly fun hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. :)

I've been stuck at 173 blog followers since forever. Spread the word: when I hit 200, I'm giving away a book. :) And comment on either of the reviews I posted this week and you'll get 5 entries towards that giveaway.

I have avoided re-breaking my ankle on the 1 year anniversary of me breaking my ankle. Yay me. :) There are still jokes whenever someone takes out the vacuum hose (remember how I slipped on it going down stairs and dislocated and fractured my ankle?), but that's how my family works. Making fun of the stupid things we did and the odd things we broke, like water fountains and toilets (neither of which was me).

A review went up on Tuesday for a book that I adore and no one's commented on it yet. Usually I don't care if you comment or not. If you just read it and consider giving the book the chance, I'm happy. It just sucks a bit when there aren't any comments on a book I loved so much while reminding me how much high school sucks when you're a socially awkward and artistic misfit.

I heard during the week that Penguin Canada is sending Jay Asher, author of 13 Reasons Why and co-author of The Future of Us, to Toronto, Vancouver, and 1 city to be determined by voters over on their Razorbill site, so go vote if you live near Edmonton, Calgary, Ottawa, or Montreal. :) Not sure if I'll go, considering I haven't read either book. I might just go so I can write up another event recap post. There will be one in March when Tahereh Mafi comes, so look out for that.

The only book I got this week is related to my Canadian YA lit blog event in May. Yay for books by Canadian authors. :) Would you guys rather I review this first then have a guest post in May, or do both in May??

Received:
The Way We Fall by Megan Crewe (from Hachette Book Group Canada) (HBG sent it because they deal with Hyperion's books in Canada, Hyperion has no Canadian office, so if you're a book blogger in Canada looking for Hyperion titles to review and you've got a contact at HBG...)

To read & review: Illuminate, Black Heart, Among Others, Gone, Gone, Gone, The Last Princess, The Way We Fall, The Year of the Beasts, and Never Enough. :)

Me on In My Mailbox (59)

In My Mailbox is a bunch of weekly fun hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. :)

Watched some more anime this week. It's easy to pick up some words and phrases, since they're said in almost every episode or whatever I've watched. Good morning. Thank you. Sorry. I love you. The fact that it's all subtitled also helps a little. ;) Some of the one I've found have been weird, like it seems normal then something odd happens and it totally changes how I thought it was going to go.

Yesterday was the Marissa Meyer signing, & the day before was a live-chat... and a lunch. Oh, lunches with authors that include bloggers, how I wish there were more of you. :) I bought a copy of Cinder at the signing, but it's for Audrey. I said I'd get it for her, she said she'd pay me back, & she'll get it soon, next time she's in BC. :)

I have to remember to do another round of contacting people for the blog event in May. I should really do it now, since there's a fair amount of time before the actual event.

Received:
Cinder by Marissa Meyer (from Raincoast Books) (Everyone at the lunch on Friday was given a copy, which was so nice of Raincoast because I wasn't expecting it, and I got it signed as well. I read the e-galley a couple months ago, but I'm re-reading it right now.)

Borrowed (from Caitlin):
Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver
Illuminate by Aimee Agresti
Black Heart by Holly Black
Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

Received to review:
The Year of the Beasts by Cecil Castellucci & Nate Powell (from Macmillan through NetGalley) (I'm rather excited about this one, it's a mix of prose and comics.)
Girl Meets Boy: Because There Are Two Sides to Every Story edited by Kelly Milner Halls (from Raincoast Books) (This has to be the cutest ARC I've ever received. :))
Among Others by Jo Walton (from Raincoast Books)

Borrowed from the library:
End of Days by Max Turner (I read his first book Night Runner a while ago and have been slowly searching for this one. A different tweak on vampires, plus Canadian. Hmmm, maybe I should review it for the blog event.)
Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta
On the Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta
Enclave by Ann Aguirre
Undercurrent by Tricia Rayburn (sort of a re-borrow, I borrowed an e-book version but couldn't get into it. It was a non-e-book phase.)
Always a Witch by Carolyn MacCullough
Fruits Basket Volume 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 & 12 (supposedly, the library has a copy of each of the 23 volumes, we'll see about that. ;))

To read & review: Pandemonium, Illuminate, Black Heart, Girl Meets Boy, Among Others, Starters, Gone, Gone, Gone, The Last Princess, The Year of the Beasts, and Never Enough. :) Again, tell me if there's anything else you'd like to see me review.

Me on In My Mailbox (58)

In My Mailbox is a bunch of weekly fun hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. :)

Only one book this week. Oh, well. I would've gone to the library if my holds were in. Next week will have more books.

It's February. Weird. Remember almost this time last year when I broke my ankle?? Fun times. (No, not really) It was interesting. Breaking any limb and/or needing surgery gives you an insight into another part of the world. I don't have any relatives or friends that are doctors or nurses or anything like that, so I never knew what went on in a hospital (apart from watching ER when I was younger). It was very interesting.

I discovered Crunchyroll this week. So much anime. I'm not used to the subtitles yet, I can't really put it on then listen to it in the background because I don't know any Japanese (shocker ;)). I imagine I'll pick up the easy words fairly quickly. Yes. No. Thank you. If you're curious, I've been enjoying such anime shows as Chihaya Furu (if I grew up in Japan I honestly think I would've played karuta) and Gosick (it's got a massive tower library, so awesome). I'm taking suggestions, if you have any favourites. :)

And there's a signing next weekend for Marissa Meyer and her book Cinder. And some other stuff, so look for an event post next Monday. :)

Received to review:
Hemlock by Kathleen Peacock & some fun bits (from HarperCollins Canada) (I'm so excited to read this. HC Canada is hosting a blog tour in April before Hemlock comes out in May, and I'm able to work my posts into my Canadian YA lit event so my review & a guest post from Kathleen will be kicking off the event.)

To read & review: Starters, Goddess Interrupted, Gone, Gone, Gone, Hemlock, The Last Princess, and Never Enough. :)

Me on In My Mailbox (57)

In My Mailbox is a bunch of weekly fun hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. :)

January's almost over. It feels so weird. Stupid time, moving both slowly and quickly and messing with people's heads. ;)

You know how This Is Not a Test was on NetGalley and everyone requested it and then they pulled it? Well, I deleted it from my list on NetGalley... and then people started saying they were approved. And then I started kicking myself. *head-desk* Oh, well.

I had a weird brain crack moment on Wednesday morning. It was both awesome and it sucked so much.

I think I might start e-mailing more next week for the blog event. If anyone has any suggestions of Canadian authors you'd like to see featured, suggest away. It'll, hopefully, be a mix of reviews and posts with authors. Still not sure about a giveaway. As for dates, which do you like more: April 29 to May 12, or May 1 to 14?? I'd really like to finalize the dates before contacting more people. :)

Received to review:
The Last Princess by Galaxy Craze (from Hachette Book Group Canada) (does anyone know if this counts for the debut author challenge??)
Starters by Lissa Price (from Random House, through NetGalley)

Borrowed from the library:
Fruits Basket Volumes 1-4 & 6 (I blame 2012 debut author Kathleen Peacock. Last week I was looking through the anime shows on Netflix, posed a question on Twitter, and Kathleen jumped in with, "Watch Fruits Basket!" So I watched it. And it broke my brain. And raced to the library on Monday to borrow the manga. They didn't have volume 5 on the shelf, and no library has a copy of volume 7. I honestly went to 2 different libraries. My sister said she'd read it before, but online. Not sure if I'll cave & read the rest online, but we'll see.)

To read & review: A Touch Morbid, Partials, Starters, Goddess Interrupted, Gone, Gone, Gone, The Last Princess, and Never Enough. :)

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In My Mailbox is a bunch of weekly fun hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. :)

It snowed this week. Barf. It's such a pain when it snows here. There were on and off little bits of snow and cold weather, then on Friday it snowed in the morning before turning to rain. Which is nice. It's supposed to rain on and off for the next little while, so the snow won't be here for long. It's possible we've had our week of winter. ;)

Have you visited the post on my possible event featuring only Canadian YA authors and their books?? If you haven't, go check it out. :) I'm making a list of authors and books, e-mailing publishers for any suggestions, so if you have any favourites, feel free to add them in the comments.

ALA Midwinter is this weekend in Dallas. Well, it's probably best I'm not there, considering the trouble Caitlin had getting there. The snow hit Seattle harder than Vancouver, so she ended up on this massive pain in the butt journey to get to Dallas. I also saw something about some people (who were named as book bloggers but I have no way of knowing who they really were) shoving and having big grabby hands. To everyone at ALA: don't be grabby jerks, you make everyone look bad. Next year the midwinter conference is in Seattle. Maybe I'll go. :)

Received to review:
Article 5 by Kristen Simmons (from Raincoast Books) (ooooo, I've been looking forward to reading this for a while now, and considering it comes out on the 31st, it's ended up on the top of my review pile)
Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake (from Raincoast Books) (I totally forgot that I'd mentioned this when I last talked to Raincoast. Oops. To be fair, I lasted e-mailed them in November and only said that I was hoping to read it before reading Girl of Nightmares comes out in August. Oh, well. It happens. Into the giveaway pile it goes.)
Partials by Dan Wells (from HarperCollins Canada)

Borrowed from the library:
What Would Emma Do? by Eileen Cook (I tweeted a picture to Eileen of her books at the library and she said she liked the "wee Canadian flags.")
Getting Revenge on Lauren Wood by Eileen Cook
This Dark Endeavour by Kenneth Oppel
Take Me There by Susane Colasanti
Waiting for You by Susane Colasanti
Something Like Fate by Susane Colasanti
Fins are Forever by Tera Lynn Childs
Stolen by Lucy Christopher
Sapphique by Catherine Fisher
Looking at the Moon by Kit Pearson (e-book) (I adored this series when I was younger, about two British kids who end up in Canada as "war guests." This is the second book out of three, it was always my favourite. :))

To read & review: Article 5, Partials, A Touch Morbid, Goddess Interrupted, Gone, Gone, Gone, and Never Enough. Maybe some library books, I'm not sure. I might review This Dark Endeavour but save it for the blog event.

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In My Mailbox is a bunch of weekly fun hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. :)

Blogger is finally letting us reply to comments. Yay. :)

I've started a list on Goodreads: Books I'd Punch a Lion in the Face for. ;) Go here to add books and vote. :)

I had a driving test this week. There's a graduated licensing deal up here. First a multiple choice test, then a road test, then another road test. I just took the second road test so I've got my full license and everything. :) Yay me. :) And screw you, Friday the 13th. Not so unlucky, are you?? ;) Well, the $50 I had to pay for the test was a bit much. Ow.

And so I have bought 2 books this month, and all others will be library books, or may you strike me down. ... No, really. Don't let me buy any more books this month. What's also helpful is the fact that there are no books that I actually want to buy with my own money (notice the "my own money" qualifier) coming out until late February in The Fine Art of Truth or Dare, Pandemonium, and Friends with Boys. All others can wait or can be borrowed. I need to prioritize.

Do you guys want reviews of Bloodrose and The Fault in Our Stars?? I won't be writing up a review for Clockwork Prince. It's pretty big, almost 500 pages, and considering the ARCs that went out, plus the fact that it's been out for a month, I figure there are more than enough reviews out there. Even the ones that are a few lines long and only discuss whether they're team Will or team Jem. I'm not even sure if I can write a review of The Fault in Our Stars, I have this intense desire to both re-read it and hide it because it made me cry (at the end).

Bought:
Bloodrose by Andrea Cremer (the day I bought this, Andrea was down in Seattle/Lake Forest Park. *sigh* So close, yet so far.)
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green (like every other nerd, I checked all the copies I could at the bookstore but they were all plain J-Scribbles in purple, fuchsia, and black (mine is purple). Of course, I only went to 1 bookstore, but still. I wasn't in the mood to drive around. I also had a Nerdfighter sighting, two girls were putting little messages in the TFioS's. :) So awesome. And I'm so annoyed that I didn't quickly buy a ticket to the Vancouver event the day I heard about it. It sold out in a day.) (And my brain is being all neurotic about wanting one in green or with a yeti. *sigh* Well, if I happen to come across one at a bookstore, I might buy it.)

Requested through NetGalley:
Goddess Interrupted by Aimée Carter (oh, thank you, auto-approval from Harlequin)

Borrowed from the library:
There You'll Find Me by Jenny B. Jones (e-book)

To read & review: Someone Else's Life, A Touch Morbid, Goddess Interrupted, Gone, Gone, Gone, and Never Enough. I don't have a review scheduled for the 31st. Please please please suggest a book you'd like to see a review of. :)

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In My Mailbox is a bunch of weekly fun hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. :)

Hello, internet. ;) How's your January been so far?? 2012 feels weird, different than 2011.

I've started a personal project for 2012, stemming mostly from things happening in my personal life. While personal, I need to put it out there for someone to maybe find and possibly read, so I've started a blog on Tumblr. If you're so inclined, if you don't mind reading something written by me that's rather personal, then head here to read it. Of course, if you'd rather I stick to books, then feel free to stay here. :)

I went to the new fancy library here this week. Very fancy. Mostly because it's bigger than the one just down the street (the one down the street is a good size, too) and I wanted to see what kind of YA selection they had. On the first floor was the kid's section. On the third floor was the teen section. Ummm... yeah. But there were lots of books. :)

I'm trying to keep myself from going to Chapters every other week. This year, I'm going to go once a month and limit myself to 2 or 3 books. All others can be borrowed. I was looking through my to-read list on Goodreads at the 2012 releases and thought to myself, "Sure, I want to read all of these, but do I want to buy all of them, too? No." And that's what it comes down to. There are books I know I will buy, like Pandemonium and City of Lost Souls and Above and This Is Not a Test, but I'm still not sure about the rest. This is why I love libraries. Sure, it takes a little while for them to get the book, but still. :)

I learned this week that Marissa Meyer, the author of Cinder, is coming up to BC for a signing. Since I've read the e-galley, I'm going to get a copy for Audrey at Holes in my Brain because she'll be off in Toronto and we're working out a trade or something. And, apparently, Tahereh Mafi's coming up to Vancouver in March. Yay. :) I can finally get a picture with her.

I've got some gaps in my review schedule. If you'd like to see a review of any of the library books below, or any other book (that I can get easily), feel free to suggest in comments. :) This week's reviews will be Tempest by Julie Cross and Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver.

Borrowed from the library (I got 5 more books, but they're romance, not YA):
Corsets & Clockwork anthology
Losing Faith by Denise Jaden
The Gardener by S.A. Bodeen
Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley (I found it funny, I was talking to Corey on Twitter on Wednesday morning then went to the library and there was his book up on the top shelf and cover out and everything. Like a sign. ;))

Technically, I also "received" Fever by Lauren DeStefano this week, but only because Evie (who I borrowed it from) said I could keep it. Hugs for Evie, she's such a sweetheart. :)

To read and review: Incarnate, Someone Else's Life, A Touch Morbid, Gone, Gone, Gone, and Never Enough. :)

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In My Mailbox is a bunch of weekly fun hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. :)

There's always so much buildup to Christmas, then once it's over it all disappears. A little sad, but that's how it always works with holidays. Christmas and my birthday was fun, like every year. A bunch of fun presents followed by turkey and gravy and making the little mountain with mashed potatoes, then an apple cakey pie dessert my sister made. Then a bunch of hockey-watching with a couple tournaments starting on the 26th. I've been doing the loyal Canadian thing: watching hockey for Christmas and New Year's. ;)

I didn't get any books until my birthday, but I did get some iTunes giftcards, some poofy socks, a calendar, some new notebooks, some clothes, and the book version of Scrabble (which can be really tricksy but also fun).

I'm not going to do a best of 2011 list. If you know me here and on Twitter, you know which books totally ruined me for other books and which were amazing. :) And which books I'm desperate to read in 2012. Thanks to everyone who contributed to the underrated books of 2011 post, either through Twitter or e-mailing. I'm thinking it'll become a yearly thing, so keep a look out during the year for underrated books and they could make next year's list. :)

There'll be a review up on Monday for The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight instead of on Tuesday, and Friday's review will be for A Million Suns. Maybe if I start telling you, you'll remember to stop by and give it a read.

Happy New Year's, people. :)

Received as presents:
Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare
The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

Received:
Glimmer by Phoebe Kitanidis (I adore nice authors, especially ones I meet for all of 5 seconds before they have to rush off to take their injured husbands to the hospital, which is how I met Phoebe back in July and how I got a copy of her first book. She was sweet enough to send me an ARC of her next book that both looks and sounds awesome.)

Bought:
Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake
Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver (middle grade)
Dream Dark by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl (e-book)

Borrowed from the library:
Bad Taste in Boys by Carrie Harris (e-book)
All You Desire by Kirsten Miller (e-book)

To read & review: Anna Dressed in Blood, Incarnate, Born Wicked, Someone Else's Life, The Fine Art of Truth or Dare, A Touch Morbid, Immortal City, Glimmer, Gone, Gone, Gone, Glimmer, and Never Enough. :) Comment below if you'd like to see reviews of Liesl & Po, Bad Taste in Boys and Clockwork Prince, there are some gaps in my review schedule that I need to fill.

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In My Mailbox is a bunch of weekly fun hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. :)

It's Christmas. Almost. :) All the Christmas and birthday present fun will go up in next week's IMM post. I figure there aren't going to be a lot of people around tomorrow, or even today, but I'm still doing this now and then again next weekend. :)

I saw the Tintin movie during the week and it was awesome. It reminded me of the cartoon I watched when I was little, so much of the movie was familiar to me (I saw the cartoon show when I was younger in English, but I've heard stories or people watching it in its original French when they were in school). I hope they do more, it was so good. :) But, like most movies, showing it in 3D was pointless.

I used to be worried that, for some reason, they were holding my mail back, because nothing ever came addressed to me. Then I got some mail and I felt better. But I think there's some mail out there for me that's lost or sent back or was never sent at all. And it was review copies, too. *sigh* I'll e-mail and ask about it in January, no one's going to be in their office next week.

Last chance to e-mail me about your pick for this year's underrated YA book of 2011. E-mail me soon, the post goes up next Thursday.

These are the few books I got during the week. Next week's post, hopefully, will be bigger. :)

Received to review:
The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith (from Hachette Book Group Canada) (I want to hug the girl I e-mail at Hachette in Toronto, even though she probably had nothing to do with this being sent out early. And it's a finished copy.)

Received/bought:
Silly Kingdom by Katie & Stephen Shanahan (Back in the summer, I helped fund a comic through IndieGoGo. They wanted to create a comic to sell to people at ComicCon and other conventions as opposed to just having pieces in big anthologies (Flight Volume 7 and Volume 8) and art prints. It was because I love their fun family (it's sort of about them and their sister) webcomic Shrub Monkeys (they did the best Anne of Green Gables comic I've ever come across) and I'm all for fun, creative Canadian people getting out there and sharing their art and writing with other people. When I found out about this, I knew I wanted in, so I donated to the cause. And now I have a fun comic with a doodle in the front.)

Borrowed from the library:
The Death Cure by James Dashner (e-book) (It's weird, I'll have read this whole series in library e-book form.)

To read & review: The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, Incarnate, Born Wicked, Someone Else's Life, The Fine Art of Truth or Dare, A Touch Morbid, Immortal City, Gone, Gone, Gone, and Never Enough. :)

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In My Mailbox is a bunch of weekly fun hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. :)

Even more of the Christmas season is upon us now. :) I'm not sure how to schedule my next IMM post, if I should do it for Sunday after Christmas, or Monday after my birthday. At the moment, I'm leaning towards posting one on Sunday for Christmas presents then another on New Year's for birthday presents and anything I get if I venture out to the mall or bookstore for a Boxing Day sale (which I don't usually do because the crowds are horrible).

I'm not sure what I want to read right now. I feel like the three ARCs I have on my bookcase that I'm saving for the DAC are taunting me. Even more so with Born Wicked because I'm borrowing it from Caitlin. I finished Cinder, I reread Dash & Lily's Book of Dares and Delirium, and now I'm re-reading Daughter of Smoke & Bone.

According to the weather people on TV out here, it's not looking good if you want a white Christmas, which is good because I don't. I hate the snow so much, hate shoveling it and driving in it and walking in it cause not enough people shovel the sidewalk and they're jerks. Honestly, if it snows at all this winter, I'm making a point of not leaving the house unless I absolutely have to.

I hope you guys liked my week of reviews. The books were all different and all interesting in their own way. :) And don't forget about suggesting a book for my underrated YA books of 2011 list. It'll go up near the end of next week.

And now I'm off to see a bunch of book bloggers for coffee. Again. :) For the longest time it felt like just me out here, then I met Caitlin in February, then Jenny and Alita and Rachel in October, now I get to meet Evie (finally), and maybe some more. :) Hopefully the Starbucks won't be so busy.

Received to review:
Friends with Boys by Faith Erin Hicks (from First Second Books/Macmillan through NetGalley) (I'm so excited, it's my first request to review a graphic novel. I want to review more graphic novels, I love how they're a gorgeous blend of a text story and a graphic art story. And this sounds so funny and sweet, plus there's a spooky element.)
The Taming by Teresa Toten and Eric Walters (from Random House Canada through NetGalley)
Someone Else's Life by Katie Dale (from Random House Canada through NetGalley) (This book counts towards the 2012 Debut Author Challenge.)

Borrowed:
Fever by Lauren DeStefano (Borrowed from Evie at Bookish. I'm totally cheating by adding this now because she's not letting me borrow it until this afternoon, but she said she'd let me borrow one of her copies (since the other is reserved for a massive international giveaway she's holding now for a box of at least a dozen ARCs).)

Bought:
Sophomore Switch by Abby McDonald (it was on sale, I got it for less than $5.)

Won:
The Time in Between by María Dueñas (I won this book through #fridayreads, the popular book-sharing thing that crops up on Twitter every Friday. See, real people actually win books during #fridayreads. I'm not totally sure if I'm going to read it, it doesn't sound like my cup of tea, but I might give it a try before passing it onto someone else who might like it.)

To review list: The Taming, Incarnate, Born Wicked, Someone Else's Life, The Fine Art of Truth or Dare, Fever, A Touch Morbid, Friends with Boys, Immortal City, Gone, Gone, Gone, and Never Enough. :) I've got a gap in January that doesn't have any reviews scheduled, but hopefully it'll be supplemented with Christmas and birthday present books.

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In My Mailbox is a bunch of weekly fun hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren. :)

I'm not sure when I'll next have an IMM post after this week. It's 2 weeks to Christmas, it's 2 weeks and a day to my birthday, I'm not buying books for myself right now (it would be tacky). If I do get books and post another IMM before Christmas, the books will be review books or library e-books or early presents. :)

Go here if you're interested in participating in a list of bloggers' picks of 2011's underrated YA books. It'll be posted on the 29th. :)

I saw on Friday that John & Hank Green have added a Vancouver stop to their tour in January. *mini-flail* So exciting. But I'm torn. The ticket's about 20 bucks and it doesn't include the book (which I sort of understand why). Now, you guys know I love it when authors come up here for book events, but $20 bucks, plus the book, plus taking the trip out to UBC to the theatre, plus the crowd, plus we do get snow here sometimes in the winter, plus it starts at 6:30pm. I need to think about it.

I hope everyone will come back every day this week because a new review is going up every day this week. :D Well, every weekday. Some are new books, some are old books, most are books I own and one I got from the library. Last time, not this time.

Won:
Dear Bully: Seventy Authors Tell Their Stories edited by Megan Kelley Hall and Carrie Jones (ARC) (from Dayna at A Tapestry of Words)

Borrowed from the library:
Juliet Immortal by Stacey Jay (e-book) (I borrowed this a little while ago, sent it back because I wasn't in an e-book mood, and have re-borrowed it because I don't really want to take out books then deal with returning them around the 25th. E-books will be easier to deal with.)
L.A. Candy by Lauren Conrad (e-book) (The only reason I'm reading this is because the tagline of Immortal City was "L.A. Candy meets the mystery and romance of Fallen." Now, Fallen I liked, the next two books not as much, but Fallen I liked. Since I'm a little wary of Immortal City and the L.A. popularity and celebrity aspect, I figured I'd read this. There probably won't be a review, unless I feel the need to rant.)

To review: Everything You Need to Survive the Apocalypse, A Million Suns, Incarnate, Born Wicked, A Touch Morbid, The Fine Art of Truth or Dare, Immortal City, Gone, Gone, Gone and Never Enough. :)