In my Mailbox: Week of July 20th-24th

Another Faust by Dina & Daniel Nayeri -

Candlewick -Publication Date : August 25th 2009
Synopsis - One night, in cities all across Europe, five children vanish - only to appear, years later, at an exclusive New York party with a strange and elegant governess. Rumor and mystery follow the Faust teenagers to the city’s most prestigious high school, where they soar to suspicious heights with the help of their benefactor’s extraordinary “gifts.”

But as the students claw their way up - reading minds, erasing scenes, stopping time, stealing power, seducing with artificial beauty - the side-effects of their own addictions. And as they make further deals with the devil, they uncover secrets more shocking than their most unforgivable sins.

At once chilling and wickedly satirical, this contemporary reimagining of the Faustian bargain is a compelling tale of ambition, consequences, and ultimate redemption.

Side note- I actually was the WINNER of Daniel & Dina's pre-order contest!! I got a galley of the book, signed by both authors AND (here's the best part) a deleted scene handwritten inside by Dina herself!! How's that for lucky?! There's still another chance to win as they are doing another contest, so if you have already pre-ordered the book, head on over NOW!

VIOLET WINGS by Victoria Hanley (For Review)

EgmontUSA -Publication Date : August 25th 2009
Synopsis - Orphaned fairy Zaria Tourmaline has always been told that her parents were killed by humans after taking an ordinary portal to Earth. Three years after their disappearance, Zaria finally turns twelve, and her inborn magic rises into being. But no sooner does she catch her first glimpse of the human world through a fey scope than she is Earth-struck! She wants nothing more than to go to Earth herself, despite the dangers. Zaria and her friend Leona sneak through a portal, and right away things begin to go wrong. First, they allow themselves to be seen by humans, which is a crime. They are caught and punished, but this doesn’t stop them from visiting Earth again. Leona’s wand is stolen by a human, and in helping to get it back, Zaria forms an acquaintance with a boy whose father is missing. Back in Feyland, she discovers she is one of the most powerful fairies alive—and others want her magic. She even begins to suspect that the mentor assigned to her—the beautiful and manipulative Lily Morganite—is behind her family’s disappearance. Lily uses enchantments to turn Zaria’s friends against her, and Zaria must seek help from a double-crossing genie, only to find herself bound by unbreakable troll magic. Betrayed and alone, how can Zaria free herself, save her friends, and find out what really happened to her lost family?

SCONES & SENSIBILITY by Lindsay Eland (For Review)

EgmontUSA -Publication Date: December 22nd 2009
Synopsis- Polly Madassa is convinced she was born for a more romantic time. A time when Elizabeth Bennet and Anne of Green Gables walked along the moors and beaches of the beautiful land, a time where a distinguished gentleman called upon a lady of quality and true love was born in the locked eyes of two young lovers.

But alas, she was not.

This, however, does not stop our young heroine from finding romance wherever she can conjure it up. So while Polly is burdened with a summer job of delivering baked goods from her parents bakery (how quaint!) to the people in her small beach town, she finds a way to force…um…encourage romance to blossom. She is determined to bring lovers, young and old, together…whether they want to be or not.

HUSH, HUSH by BECCA FITZPATRICK (For Review)

Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing

Publication Date: October 13th 2009

Synopsis - Nora Grey, romance was not part of the plan. She's never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how much her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her. Not until Patch came along. With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Nora is drawn to him against her better judgment.

But after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora's not sure who to trust. Patch seems to be everywhere she is, and to know more about her than her closest friends. She can't decide whether she should fall into his arms or run and hide. And when she tries to seek some answers, she finds herself near a truth that is way more unsettling than anything Patch makes her feel.

For Nora is right in the middle of an ancient battle between the immortal and those that have fallen - and, when it comes to choosing sides, the wrong choice will cost her life

LITTLE BLACK LIES by TISH COHEN
Egmont USA - Publication Date: September 13th 2009

Sara and her father are moving to Boston from small-town Lundun, Massachusetts. She is going to attend the very elite Anton High School-- crowned "North America's Most Elite and Most Bizarre" by Time magazine, harder to get into than Harvard. As the new girl, Sara doesn't know anyone--better yet, no one knows her. And that means she can escape her family's checkered past and her father can be a surgeon instead of "Crazy Charlie" the school janitor.

What's the harm of a few little black lies? Especially if it transforms Sara into Anton's newest popular girl. But then one of the It girls at school starts looking into Sara's past, and her father's obsessive compulsive disorder takes a turn for the worse. Soon, the whole charade just might come crashing down...

In My Mailbox is a weekly event hosted by The Story Siren, where we talk about what books we got over the past week (store purchases/mailbox deliveries/library, etc)

Note--thanks to the wonderful people at Egmont for all the great books. Can't wait to read/review them. :)