In My Mailbox (September 13)

This week, I did not receive any books for review or visit the library, which I am totally fine with because I did purchase a few books that I've been wanting to read! And I LOVE buying books--it's an addiction!

The Sky Always Hears Me, and the Hills Don't Mind by Kirstin Cronn-Mills

Sixteen-year-old Morgan lives in a hick town in the middle of Nebraska. College is two years away. Her mom was killed in a car accident when she was three, her dad drinks, and her stepmom is a non-entity. Her boyfriend Derek is boring and her coworker Rob has a very cute butt that she can't stop staring at. Then there's the kiss she shared with her classmate Tessa...

But when Morgan discovers that the one person in the world she trusted most has kept a devastating secret from her, Morgan must redefine her life and herself.

The Stolen One by Suzanne Crowley

Set in Elizabethan England, this novel tells of 16-year-old Kat, who has grown up in a country cottage under the care of a foster mother. After her death, Kat goes to London in hopes of learning her parents’ identities. There she is taken under the wing of Queen Elizabeth I, and soon a rumor swirls through court that Kat’s mother is the queen herself. The mystery of Kat’s past is intertwined with the always-involving question of whether her heart lies with one of the handsome rogues at court or with a young farmer back home. Interspersed with Kat’s first-person narration are passages from a secret journal, written years before.

Identical by Ellen Hopkins

Identical teen twins Kaeleigh and Raeanne share a picture-perfect California life that is rank with dark, dangerous secrets under its surface. Their mother, who is running for Congress, leaves them at home with their father, a district court judge who is addicted to liquor and OxyContin. Daddy regularly molests Kaeleigh, using her as a stand-in for his absentee wife, and controls every aspect of her life. Raeanne sees every detail and reacts to her father's favoritism by acting out sexually and getting high on pot whenever possible. Written in free verse from alternating viewpoints, Identical tells the twins' story in intimate and often-graphic detail. Hopkins packs in multiple issues including eating disorders, drug abuse, date rape, alcoholism, sexual abuse, and self-mutilation as she examines a family that "puts the dys in dysfunction."

Fairest of All: A Tale of the Wicked Queen by Serena Valentino

For anyone who's seen Walt Disney's Snow White, you'll know that the Wicked Queen is one evil woman! After all, it's not everyone who wants to cut out their teenage step-daughter's heart and have it delivered back in a locked keepsake box. (And even if this sort of thing is a common urge, we don't know many people who have acted upon it.)

Now, for the first time, we'll examine the life of the Wicked Queen and find out just what it is that makes her so nasty. Here's a hint: the creepy-looking man in the magic mirror is not just some random spooky visage-and he just might have something to do with the Queen's wicked ways!

For my birthday, I also received a Borders gift card and some really nice bookmarks from my sister. Thanks, Kesha, I can't wait to spend the gift card!

In My Mailbox is hosted weekly by Kristi and was created by Alea. I can't wait to see what was in everyone else's mailbox (or if you're like me, came straight from your wallet)!

*Blogger does not seem to want to update my Decatur Book Festival photos, so I am trying to put together a Movie Maker project. Hopefully, I will have it up sometime this week. Cross your fingers for me, I haven't used MM for a couple of years!