In My Mailbox (11)

IMM is hosted by Kristi, aka The Story Siren!

Possessions by Nancy Holder

Lindsay is hoping for a fresh start, to get out of San Diego, where everyone remembers when she had her breakdown, and get away to boarding school, even if it is a boarding school as creepy as Marlwood Academy. But Lindsay is happier, and even manages to make a great new friend, Julie. Then, the school's most popular girl, Mandy starts acting super creepy. Rumors abound, but it's becoming more and more clear to Lindsay that something else is at work...something darker and more dangerous than just a houseful of mean girls.

Pretty Little Devils by Nancy Holder
Watch out! These babysitters will stab you in the back.

Everything changes for Hazel Stone when she’s noticed by Sylvia, queen bee of their high school’s popular girls, the Pretty Little Devils. Sylvia invites Hazel to one of the group’s famous soirees—held at the site of one of their babysitting jobs. Hazel couldn’t be more thrilled! But what she doesn’t know is that popularity comes with a price. Some people can become jealous of a girl’s newfound status— deadly jealous. One of these babysitting babes is a killer! Hazel has to figure out which one, before they turn their backstabbing ways on her.
Thank you, Nancy! I can't wait to read these... there will be a contest to win some books after these are reviewed, so stay tuned!

The Demon Queen and the Locksmith by Spencer Baum & bookmarks (see below)
Kevin panicked when his ears began to buzz. He couldn't be a Hearer. The Hearers were the town freaks. Worse, his dad was one of them, and Kevin's greatest fear was that one day he might turn into his father. In Turquoise, New Mexico, a small but notorious group of hippies believe that the mountain north of town emits a constant, resonant hum that is only audible to a chosen few. They call themselves the Hearers, and fourteen-year-old Kevin Brown has never trusted them. But when a carefree afternoon with his friends comes to a surprise finish at the spot where Kevin spread his mother's ashes only a year before, a place where the open air seems to resonate in Kevin's ears, he realizes he might be a Hearer too, and "The Turquoise Hum" might be much more than a sound.
I haven't heard much about this book, but every review I read was positive - so I'm intrigued by this one! Thanks for sending, Spencer!

Syren (Septimus Heap bk 5) by Angie Sage
In this fifth book in the Magykal series, Septimus ends up on a captivatingly beautiful island, one of seven set in a sparkling sea. He's stranded there with his badly injured dragon, Spit Fyre, along with Jenna and Beetle. There are some strange things about the island, including a Magykal girl named Syrah, a cat-shaped lighthouse that has lost its Light, and an eerie presence that sings to Septimus—can he escape the persistent call?

Trouble is also brewing for Lucy and Wolf Boy, who have become entangled with some nefarious sailors at sea, and for Milo Banda, Jenna's father, who is harboring a mysterious treasure chest in his ship's hold.
I've heard good things about this series, but I've got to catch up before I can review this one...

Embellish by R.L. Sloan

Revenge has never tasted so sweet...

As a young girl, Solis Burkes is raped at the hands of ruthless school bullies-an incident that haunts her into young adulthood. Then she meets Nacio, a strikingly handsome man who seems to know everything about her-including the painful past Solis hasn't told anyone about. But what Solis doesn't know is that Nacio has been with her every step of the way, protecting her ever since that fateful episode.
It's a destiny he's been working up to for the last 257 years.
Now, as Solis enters a dark world of vampires, voodoo, and passion, she'll need all the protection she can get. Unbeknownst to her, those responsible for Solis's rape have returned. Connected to the evil voodoo Priestess Aldicia, they'll stop at nothing in their plans to spew violence and mayhem throughout the city. And an old family feud dating back centuries puts Solis first on their list of targets. But not if Solis can unravel the clues fast enough, and inflict her own brand of revenge...
This is not a YA read, but it sounded interesting and I haven't reviewed an "adult" title in quite some time...

Dreaming Anastasia by Joy Preble
Sixteen year old Anne thinks her life is pretty ordinary – until she smacks into handsome, mysterious, and okay, annoying Ethan on her way to chemistry class. Now Anne has powers she doesn’t understand, a history altering mission she may not want, and a growing attraction to this blue-eyed stranger. And Ethan- who at eighteen made some choices he’s starting to regret – realizes that Anne is the girl for whom he’s been searching – for a very, very long time. Stir in doomed Russian Grand Duchess Anastasia – who is definitely not quite as dead as the history books say – and Baba Yaga, the legendary witch from Russian folklore, and you’ve got DREAMING ANASTASIA, a contemporary YA fantasy that alternates between the voices of Anne, Ethan, and Anastasia as Anne and Ethan join forces to battle the bad guys and save Anastasia. Only problem is – no one’s quite sure who’s really bad and who’s good. And everyone has some secrets.
This is my second copy, so when I review it I'll hold a contest as well!

Once a Witch by Carolyn McCullough
Tamsin Greene comes from a long line of witches, and she was supposed to be one of the most Talented among them. But Tamsin's magic never showed up. Now seventeen, Tamsin attends boarding school in Manhattan, far from her family. But when a handsome young professor mistakes her for her very Talented sister, Tamsin agrees to find a lost family heirloom for him. The search—and the stranger—will prove to be more sinister than they first appeared, ultimately sending Tamsin on a treasure hunt through time that will unlock the secret of her true identity, unearth the sins of her family, and unleash a power so vengeful that it could destroy them all. This is a spellbinding display of storytelling that will exhilarate, enthrall, and thoroughly enchant.
I love the cover of this book... plus I haven't read a good witch story in a long time...

As You Wish by Jackson Pearce
Ever since Viola's boyfriend broke up with her, she has spent her days silently wishing—to have someone love her again and, more importantly, to belong again—until one day she inadvertently summons a young genie out of his world and into her own. He will remain until she makes three wishes.

Jinn is anxious to return home, but Viola is terrified of wishing, afraid she will not wish for the right thing, the thing that will make her truly happy. As the two spend time together, the lines between master and servant begin to blur, and soon Jinn can't deny that he's falling for Viola. But it's only after Viola makes her first wish that she realizes she's in love with Jinn as well . . . and that if she wishes twice more, he will disappear from her life—and her world—forever.
I've been wanting to read this one forever! Jackson Pearce has a book coming out next year, Sisters Red, which also looks AMAZING!

Breathing by Cheryl Renee Herbsman
What if the guy who took your breath away was the only one who could help you breathe?

Savannah would be happy to spend the summer in her coastal Carolina town lying in a hammock reading her beloved romance novels and working at the library. But then she meets Jackson. Once they lock eyes, she’s convinced he’s the one—her true love, her soul mate, a boy different from all the rest. And at first it looks like Savannah is right. Jackson abides by her mama’s strict rules, and stays by her side during a hospitalization for severe asthma, which Savannah becomes convinced is only improving because Jackson is there. But when he’s called away to help his family—and seems uncertain about returning—Savannah has to learn to breathe on her own, both literally and figuratively.
I'm going to try and get this one read for the Summerland Contest, but I'm not sure if I'll make it....

Once Dead, Twice Shy by Kim Harrison
My name is Madison Avery, and I'm here to tell you that there's more out there than you can see, hear, or touch. Because I'm there. Seeing it. Touching it. Living it.

Madison's prom was killer -- literally. For some reason she's been targeted by a dark reaper -- yeah, that kind of reaper -- intent on getting rid of her, body and soul. But before the reaper could finish the job, Madison was able to snag his strange, glowing amulet and get away.
Now she's stuck on Earth -- dead but not gone. Somehow the amulet gives her the illusion of a body, allowing her to toe the line between life and death. She still doesn't know why the dark reaper is after her, but she's not about to just sit around and let fate take its course.
With a little ingenuity, some light-bending, and the help of a light reaper (one of the good guys! Maybe . . . ), her cute crush, and oh yeah, her guardian angel, Madison's ready to take control of her own destiny once and for all, before it takes control of her.
Well, if she believed in that stuff.
Looks really good and have been eyeing it for a long time!

Other SWAG:
Rampant (by Diana Peterfreund) Signed Bookmarks
I got these awhile ago, but forgot to mention them... I'll be holding some individual contests for them, but I'll also tuck them in books that I ship out to contest winners! :) They are so pretty! Thanks, Diana!
Shadow Hills (by Anastasia Hopcus) signed booksmarks, pins, magnets
These bookmarks are gorgeous! There were also some magnets and pins included! I love the pins... some feature the book title, others say Team Egmont, and "The Best Boys Are In Books!" So true... :) Thanks, Anastasia! I can't wait to read your book!