In My Mailbox: Week 8

In My Mailbox was created by Kristi from The Story Siren. Here's what I found in my mailbox, at the bookstore, and at the library this week. Summaries are taken from Amazon, B&N, and GoodReads.

Sea Change by Aimee Freidman - 16-year-old Miranda Merchant is great at science...and not so great with boys. After major drama with her boyfriend and (now ex) best friend, she's happy to spend the summer on small, mysterious Selkie Island, helping her mother sort out her late grandmother's estate. There, Miranda finds new friends and an island with a mysterious, mystical history, presenting her with facts her logical, scientific mind can't make sense of. She also meets Leo, who challenges everything she thought she knew about boys, friendship...and reality. Is Leo hiding something? Or is he something that she never could have imagined?

The Wedding Girl by Madeleine Wickham - At the age of eighteen, in that first golden Oxford summer, Milly was up for anything. Rupert and his American lover, Allan, were an important part of her new, exciting life, so when Rupert suggested to her that she and Allan should get married to keep Allan in the country, Milly didn’t hesitate. Ten years later, Milly is a very different person and engaged to Simon—who is wealthy, serious, and believes her to be perfect. Milly’s secret history is locked away so securely she has almost persuaded herself that it doesn’t exist—until, only four days before her elaborate wedding. To have and to hold takes on a whole new meaning when one bride’s past catches up with her and bring the present crashing down.

Flash Burnout by L.K. Madigan (ARC) - Fifteen-year-old Blake has a girlfriend and a friend who’s a girl. One of them loves him; the other one needs him. When he snapped a picture of a street person for his photography homework, Blake never dreamed that the woman in the photo was his friend Marissa’s long-lost meth addicted mom. Blake’s participation in the ensuing drama opens up a world of trouble, both for him and for Marissa. He spends the next few months trying to reconcile the conflicting roles of Boyfriend and Friend. His experiences range from the comic (surviving his dad’s birth control talk) to the tragic (a harrowing after-hours visit to the morgue). In a tangle of life and death, love and loyalty, Blake will emerge with a more sharply defined snapshot of himself.

That's my collection for the week. What books did pick up?

48 Hour Book Challenge: Update 4

One last update for the night...


10:30-10:45PM: Snack/social break
10:45PM-1:42AM: Reading The Gatecrasher - FINISHED
1:42-2:02AM: Updating here :)

New totals:

Time: 10 hours 58 minutes
Books: 4: Hunted by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast, Hatter M by Frank Beddor, Wild Orchid by Cameron Dokey, The Gatecrasher by Madeleine Wickham
Pages: 969

A few words about The Gatecrasher by Madeleine Wickham (AKA Sophie Kinsella):


As this probably isn't as popular as the other books I've read, I'll just sum the premise up as a story about Fleur, a woman who crashes memorial services and funerals in order to find vulnerable men she can take advantage of for their wealth. This time, though, the man she's found herself involved with seems to have a more complicated past, plus a more complicated present family life. This book is what I'd call chick lit with a bit of meat. It's sweet and funny, but there's underlying social commentary so you don't have to feel guilty about reading it. Fleur certainly isn't the most sympathetic protagonist (at times she'll get on your nerves), but she certainly appealed to me more than Becky from the Shopaholic series. Also, I appreciate how Wickham didn't go for a fairy tale ending, considering the subject, though the ending did seem a bit abrupt. 7 out of 10.

I think I'm going to read Fragile Eternity for a bit. And by that I mean until I pass out (I have to admit, I've been yawning constantly so I'm probably fairly close to that point). So, goodnight! Best of luck to everyone else who is participating in the challenge!