In My Mailbox (January 11)

In My Mailbox comes from the awesome mind of Kristi "The Story Siren".  Each Sunday, bloggers share the books they received via mail, store, or library.  For more info about In My Mailbox, click here.

This week, I forced myself to stay out of the library, and tried to stay away from the bookstore, but I had special ordered a book and needed to pick it up.  So, I only have three books to present to you today, but I am very excited about each of them!

Before, After, and Somebody in Between  by Jeannine Garsee (summary from Amazon): Although Martha is a smart student and a talented musician, she has few opportunities. A deceased father, an alcoholic mother with disreputable boyfriends, a dangerous neighborhood, extreme poverty, and an interracial friendship set the scene. After the tragedy of a drive-by shooting, some poor choices by her mother, and a bad foster-home experience, Martha finds a new home and new life with a wealthy, sympathetic lawyer. Along the way, Martha makes plenty of bad choices (including having sex in a van with someone she doesn't know), but she also has lots of saviors. 

I am so excited to have received this book in the mail.  It is a signed copy (yay!) that I won during a contest at Laura's Review Bookshelf.  I actually almost purchased this right before Christmas, but figured I shouldn't buy anything for myself until after Christmas.  Good thing I waited!  Thanks so much to Laura for hosting the contest and to Jeannine for being generous and donating a copy!

Be Mine by Sabrina James (summary from Amazon):  Valentine's Day is fast approaching at North Ridge High! And this year, the school is sponsoring a "Most Romantic Couple" contest. Everyone wants to win - including Jennifer, who's not going to let the fact that she doesn't actually have a boyfriend stop her!

Romantic twists and turns and comic mishaps abound. Will the proper couples be renunited in time for the Valentine's Dance?

You already know that I love romantic themes in novels.  With Valentine's Day quickly approaching, I thought this would be a fun, easy read.  Look for a review of this one sometime in February!

The Elite by Jennifer Banash (summary from Amazon): When Casey McCloy steps into the elegant Bramford building, she’s overwhelmed. Fresh from the Midwest, she’s moved to New York’s Upper East Side to live with her grandmother and attend the prestigious Meadowlark Academy. Here all that matters is who you know. The girl to know is Madison Macallister: popular, pretty, platinumblond. She’s not just Casey’s new classmate and neighbor; she’s an icon. So Casey aims to get in with Madison and her gorgeous gal-pals from the start. As the reigning queen of coolness, Madison is capable of destroying reputations with one welltimed whisper. Better to be on her good side.

But after a city-haute makeover from her new frenemy Madison, Casey is wearing the right clothes, saying the right things, and meeting the right people—including Drew, the boy-about-town who Madison thinks belongs to her and her alone. 

I've heard all types of wonderful things about The Elite series, but my library does not carry the books, nor do any of the bookstores nearby.  So I marched my behind to the counter and requested that they special order the book for me!  I am very excited to now have this book, but only wish I wouldn't have waited so long.

So these are all my books for this week!  Short and simple, but definitely sweet!