My Book Haul/In My Mailbox

The Story Siren hosts a weekly meme where bloggers can share what goodies they've purchased/received this week. If you get a chance head over to The Story Siren and check out what everyone is up to!
With luck and some will-power this will be the last IMM for a while - I am no offically on a book buying ban! I'm still going to be allowed to swap and request from netgalley but no paying for books until I've done all my Christmas shopping!

The Name of the Star - Maureen Johnson

Publisher: UK - HarperCollins

The day Louisiana teenager Rory Deveaux arrives in London marks a memorable occasion. For Rory, it's the start of a new life at a London boarding school. But for many, this will be remembered as the day a series of brutal murders broke out across the city, gruesome crimes mimicking the horrific Jack the Ripper events of more than a century ago. Soon “Rippermania” takes hold of modern-day London, and the police are left with few leads and no witnesses. Except one. Rory spotted the man police believe to be the prime suspect. But she is the only one who saw him. Even her roommate, who was walking with her at the time, didn't notice the mysterious man. So why can only Rory see him? And more urgently, why has Rory become his next target? In this edge-of-your-seat thriller, full of suspense, humor, and romance, Rory will learn the truth about the secret ghost police of London and discover her own shocking abilities.

I've been after this for a few weeks after readings lots of positive reviews, so when I spotted in Tesco I couldn't resist picking it up! :-)

The Enemy - Charlie Higson

Publisher: UK - Puffin

They'll chase you. They'll rip you open. They'll feed on you ...When the sickness came, every parent, police officer, politician - every adult - fell ill. The lucky ones died. The others are crazed, confused and hungry. Only children under fourteen remain, and they're fighting to survive. Now there are rumours of a safe place to hide.

This is another one I've been unable to get the premise out my head and so I finally gave in and purchased it!

Trance - Kelly Meding
Publisher: Pocket Books

Fifteen years ago, Teresa “Trance” West was a skilled telepath and a proud member of the Ranger Corps. But ever since the Rangers were inexplicably rendered powerless at the climax of the devastating Meta War, she’s bounced from one dead-end job to another. Now her powers have reappeared just as mysteriously as they vanished— only they’re completely transformed and more potent than ever. And they’re threatening to destroy her.
Trance heads to Los Angeles to track down the surviving Rangers and discover who restored her powers—and why—but a phantom enemy is determined to kill them before they can reassemble. As they dodge his deadly attacks and come to terms with their new role as heroes, Trance and the rest of the team set out to annihilate the sinister madman . . . only to discover their own powers are his greatest weapons

 I pre-ordered this ages ago and it arrived  last week! Sounds just yummy!

Awakening - S.J. Bolton
Publisher: UK - Corgi

Veterinary surgeon Clara Benning is young and intelligent, but practically a recluse. Disfigured by a childhood accident, she lives alone and shies away from human contact wherever possible. But when a man dies following a supposed snake bite, the victim's post mortem shows a higher concentration of venom than could ever be found in a single snake. Assisted by her softly spoken neighbour and an eccentric reptile expert, Clara unravels sinister links to a barbaric ancient ritual, an abandoned house and a 50-year-old tragedy that left the survivors fiercely secretive. Then the village's inventive attacker strikes again, and Clara's own solitary existence is brutally invaded. For someone the truth must remain buried in the past ...even if they have to kill to keep it there.

SJ Bolton is an author I've really been enjoying this year so when I had the opportunity to pick this up in a swap on Readit-Swapit, I did!

The Chocolate Lover's Diet - Carole Matthews
Publisher: UK - Headline 

Lucy Lombard thought her ‘Happily Ever After’ was all sorted when her gorgeous boss finally declared his love for her, but when she catches him in bed with another woman it’s time to call an emergency meeting of The Chocolate Lovers’ Club. Inevitably, she’s not the only member with problems – Autumn, Nadia and Chantal all find themselves with dilemmas to face - the question is how much chocolate will it take to make it better...

Another swap - and as I like chocolate (who doesn't?) and haven't read much chick-lit for a while I though this might fill a gap! :)

So what have you picked up this week?

On My Wishlist #62

This is a meme from Book Chick City. There are so many books out there that I want to read that this is the only way I can keep track! I'm back on my Urban Fantasy kick this week...

Eye of the Tempest (Jane True 4) - Nicole Peeler

Publisher: UK - Orbit

Nothing says "home" like being attacked by humans with very large guns, as Jane and Anyan discover when they arrive in Rockabill. These are professionals, brought into kill, and they bring Anyan down before either Jane or the barghest can react. Seeing Anyan fall awakens a terrible power within Jane, and she nearly destroys herself taking out their attackers. Jane wakes, weeks later, to discover that she's not the only thing that's been stirring. Something underneath Rockabill is coming to life: something ancient, something powerful, and something that just might destroy the world. Jane and her friends must act, striking out on a quest that only Jane can finish. For whatever lurks beneath the Old Sow must be stopped...and Jane's just the halfling for the job.

I've really enjoyed the Jane True series so far and I can't wait until I get my hands on this. Unfortunately I've put myself on a bit of a book buying ban for this month so this is one wishlist book that may not be making it's way into the flat for a while!

Hexed (Iron Druid Chronicles 2) - Kevin Hearne

Publisher: UK - Orbit

Atticus O’Sullivan, last of the Druids, doesn’t care much for witches. Still, he’s about to make nice with the local coven by signing a mutually beneficial nonaggression treaty—when suddenly the witch population in modern-day Tempe, Arizona, quadruples overnight. And the new girls are not just bad, they’re badasses with a dark history on the German side of World War II. With a fallen angel feasting on local high school students, a horde of Bacchants blowing in from Vegas with their special brand of deadly decadence, and a dangerously sexy Celtic goddess of fire vying for his attention, Atticus is having trouble scheduling the witch hunt. But aided by his magical sword, his neighbor’s rocket-propelled grenade launcher, and his vampire attorney, Atticus is ready to sweep the town and show the witchy women they picked the wrong Druid to hex.

Okay, okay, I know I have a habit of picking up the first book in a series and then not reading it for ages. And I'll be honest I haven't read Hounded yet, but I feel so sure I will enjoy it so I want the second one to start on straight away!

Royal Street - Suzanne Johnson

Publisher: Tor Books (April 2012)

As the junior wizard sentinel for New Orleans, Drusilla Jaco’s job involves a lot more potion-mixing and pixie-retrieval than sniffing out supernatural bad guys like rogue vampires and lethal were-creatures. DJ's boss and mentor, Gerald St. Simon, is the wizard tasked with protecting the city from anyone or anything that might slip over from the preternatural beyond. Then Hurricane Katrina hammers New Orleans’ fragile levees, unleashing more than just dangerous flood waters. While winds howled and Lake Pontchartrain surged, the borders between the modern city and the Otherworld crumbled. Now, the undead and the restless are roaming the Big Easy, and a serial killer with ties to voodoo is murdering soldiers sent to help the city recover. To make it worse, Gerald St. Simon has gone missing, the wizards’ Elders have assigned a grenade-toting assassin as DJ’s new partner, and undead pirate Jean Lafitte wants to make her walk his plank. The search for Gerry and the killer turns personal when DJ learns the hard way that loyalty requires sacrifice, allies come from the unlikeliest places, and duty mixed with love creates one bitter gumbo.

I love New Orleans. Okay, I've never been there but I want to go so badly. I read Anne Rice as a teenager and I think the gothic atmosphere got into my blood. This book sounds great and I love the cover. Can't wait for it to come out!

What are you wishing for this week? 

Petals In The Ashes Review

Petals In The Ashes

-       Mary Hooper

Publisher: UK – Bloomsbury

Only one year after the city suffered such terrible losses during the Plague, London is recovering and Hannah convinces her parents that, with her younger sister Anne's help, she can return to the city and manage the sweetmeats shop on her own. The girls are thrilled to be back in London, and Hannah starts to look for her old beau, Tom. But before long her newfound happiness is short-lived as fires begin to spring up around the city and quickly move closer to their shop.

Petals in the Ashes is the sequel to At The Sign of The Sugared Plum which I reviewed a couple of weeks (read the review here). It picks up a couple of days later with Hannah and her sister having escaped the city of London and the plague. They slowly wait out the plague planning to return to their sweetmeats shop in the city. But just when they think it might be safe to return, something even worse threatens London.

The first half of this book covers Hannah time before she returns to the city and then once she returns to the city there is a build up to the start of the fire. Once it’s starts though, the tension is intense with people not sure what to do and as it spreads so does the fear and panic.

I absolutely adore how effortlessly Marry Hooper recreates the seventeenth century – the sights, sounds and smells just leap off the page and surround you. Added to which the characters are easily relatable and innocent without being too naive or weak. It just makes the time spent reading this book feel like coming home and collapsing into your old bed. Comfortable and at the same time different – but in a good way. Hannah has a personality you can’t help but like – I would love to be a friend of hers! I also loved how Hannah was keen to catch up with her sweetheart, Tom and how difficult it can be to connect with people in those days – no facebook for these people! J

A beautifully written historical book for teens with just the right touch of romance. I’m so happy I have plenty more of Mary’s books to read!

Recommended for fans of Peter Dickinson and Robert Westall. 8 out of 10.

Spooktacular Giveaway Winner!

Last week I took part inthe Spooktacular Giveaway Hop where I was offering a book of the winners choice. Thanks to everyone who stopped by, I loved hopping round the other blogs myself!

Anyway, the winner is...

Chandra from the Unabridge Bookshelf

Congratulations Chandra - your book has been ordered and should be on it's way to you!

Sorry to everyone else, but come back next week when I have another giveaway for an awesome new book! :)

Throwback Thursday #29 - Mind Games

This is a great feature that Melissa at My World...in words and pictures has been doing for a while and I wanted to jump on board! There are plenty of books out there I desperately want...

But what about all those wonderful books that are ALREADY on my shelves?

Mind Games - Carolyn Crane

JUSTINE KNOWS SHE’S GOING TO DIE. ANY SECOND NOW.
 Justine Jones has a secret. A hardcore hypochondriac, she’s convinced a blood vessel is about to burst in her brain. Then, out of the blue, a startlingly handsome man named Packard peers into Justine’s soul and invites her to join his private crime-fighting team. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime deal. With a little of Packard’s hands-on training, Justine can weaponize her neurosis, turning it outward on Midcity’s worst criminals, and finally get the freedom from fear she’s always craved. End of problem. Or is it? In Midcity, a dashing police chief is fighting a unique breed of outlaw with more than human powers. And while Justine’s first missions, including one against a nymphomaniac husband-killer, are thrilling successes, there is more to Packard than meets the eye. Soon, while battling her attraction to two very different men, Justine is plunging deeper into a world of wizardry, eroticism, and cosmic secrets. With Packard’s help, Justine has freed herself from her madness—only to discover a reality more frightening than anyone’s worst fears.

I've wanted to read this for ages! I love the sound of it and so many bloggers are so positive about this series. With the final book in the trilogy due for release soon I think I'm going to have a Disillusionment Week and read all three of them in one go - what does everyone think? :)

Tempest's Legacy Review

Tempest’s Legacy (Jane True 3)

-       Nicole Peeler

Publisher: UK - Orbit

After a peaceful hiatus at home in Rockabill, Jane True thinks that her worst problem is that she still throws like a girl - at least while throwing fireballs. Her peace of mind ends, however, when Anyan arrives one night with terrible news . . . news that will rock Jane's world to its very core. After demanding to help investigate a series of gruesome attacks on females -- supernatural, halfling, and human -- Jane quickly finds herself forced to confront her darkest nightmares as well as her deepest desires. And she's not sure which she finds more frightening.

I adore Jane True! She is a girl after my own heart. Jane has gone through a lot in the previous books – from finding out her mother was a Selkie which means she has supernatural powers to the idea that not all supernatural creatures like Halflings like herself. And it doesn’t stop there. Still torn between her sorta-former vampire beau, Ryu and her crush on the shape shifting Anyan, Jane is devastated to learn that someone is experimenting on female supernatural beings. She soon puts all she’s learnt in the last two books to good use as she swears to get to the bottom of things – and she’s not taking any crap from anyone!

A lot happens in this book – there is an investigation that allows us to explore new parts of the world – the borderlands which drops tantalising hints at another way for supernaturals to live. There is plenty of action with car chases, battles and some personal revelations. Jane has huge emotional journey, coming to terms with her mother’s abandonment at last. But despite the high emotions, there is still plenty of fun to be had  - and some romance.

I love far Jane has grown over the last two books. Here she firmly takes control of her own life and muscles in on a investigation, proving she can more than hold her own against those who keep thinking she’s weak. She is quickly proving to be one of my favourite Urban Fantasy heroines – she’s feisty, vulnerable, stubborn, sweet, funny and a lot of fun. I adore how Nicole Peeler’s created this unique world with different supernatural creatures to ‘normal’  with different rules and myths to anything that I’ve ever read before. And this world is real, fitting seamlessly with the everyday life with a history and some subtle hints at what is in store for us. With a game changing ending, I can’t wait to see what happens next to Jane – and Anyan! J

Recommended for fans of Rachel Vincent and Kelley Armstrong. 9 out of 10.

Crippen Review

Crippen

-       John Boyne

Publisher: Black Swan

July 1910: A gruesome discovery has been made at 39 Hilldrop Crescent, Camden.
Chief Inspector Walter Dew of Scotland Yard did not expect the house to be empty. Nor did he expect to find a body in the cellar. Buried under the flagstones are the remains of Cora Crippen, former music-hall singer and wife of Dr. Hawley Crippen. No one would have thought the quiet, unassuming Dr. Crippen capable of murder, yet the doctor and his mistress have disappeared from London, and now a full-scale hunt for them has begun. Across the Channel in Antwerp, the S.S. Montrose has just set off on its two-week voyage to North America. Slipping in among the first-class passengers is a Mr. John Robinson, accompanied by his teenage son, Edmund. The pair may be hoping for a quiet, private voyage, but in the close confines of a luxury ocean liner, anonymity is rare. And with others aboard looking for romance, or violence, or escape from their past in Europe, it will take more than just luck for the Robinsons to survive the voyage unnoticed.

When I started reading this book I didn’t know about Crippen or his infamous crime. Happening in 1910 it was a little before my time! J So I approached this book as a true novel rather than a fictional biography and I really enjoyed it. The story alternates each chapter between Crippen’s life story and his plans to be a doctor, and between the launch of the ship where a certain Mr Robinson and his son are heading to Canada for a fresh start. Over time these two stories come together like shuffling a pack of cards.

The writing style was so easy to follow and engaging. While the focus would switch between characters in one scene, it was done in such an easy method that it was never confusing and felt more like a tracking camera angle following people in a crowd than anything else. The variety of people on board the ship gives the story a real flavour and an insight into the importance of class in society in those days. In fact I was a little disappointed that some of the other people’s stories weren’t explored in as much detail and while Crippen’s story is nicely completed, I was left wanting to know more about the other passengers!

Although the initial hook was a crime story, it reads as more of a society at the start of the twentieth century. I admit I felt quite a bit of sympathy for Crippen as he is continually thwarted in his early ambitions to be a medical doctor and fails to stand up for himself with strong women. But at the same time he is quite a cold man and the scene of him in his dental surgery was very chilling! Generally though I struggled to the book down as I wanted to know the circumstances that lead to Cora Crippen’s gruesome end – and I wasn’t disappointed. A truly engaging read that chills and entertains.

Recommended for fans of Beryl Bainbridge and Robert Harris. 8 out of 10