In My Mailbox (74)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme run by The Story Siren which explores the books that have been delivered to our mailbox. Let us know what looks good to you and leave us a link so we can check out what you got over the week. 

FOR REVIEW

The Hunt by Andrew Fukuda

The Sweetest Dark by Shana Abe



Courtney Crumrin, Vol. 2: Courtney Crumrin & The Coven of Mystics (Courtney Crumrin Tales) by Ted Naifeh


Art of the Mass Effect Universe



Gary Gianni's MonsterMen and Other Scary Stories by Gary Gianni


Abe Sapien Volume 2: The Devil Does Not Jest and Other Stories by Mike Mignola


Harbinger by Sara Wilson Etienne


Don't Expect Magic by Kathy McCullough

What would you read first?

Leave us a link to your IMM, we'd love to drool over your reads!

Thanks to Bantam, Oni Press, Dark Horse, Library Thing, and St Martin's Griffin for this weeks books for review!

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Free eBook: Between The Land And The Sea by Derrolyn Anderson

Derrolyn Anderson has finished her series, or "quadrology" as she calls it. We've reviewed and raved about the first two books in the series, Between The Land And The Sea and The Moon and The Tide.  Reviews on the next two in the series are coming soon!

Derrolyn is offering the first book in the series, Between The Land And The Sea, for free via Smashwords. Just use the code # FM28V, it's good until Jan 1st, 2013, but why wait?

Description of Between The Land And The Sea

Something extraordinary is lurking in the deep ocean waters off the coast of Aptos, California. In just a few weeks after moving to the small beach town, sixteen year old Marina has nearly drowned twice, enchanted the hottest guy in high school, and discovered a supernatural creature. If she can only manage to survive her increasingly dangerous encounters with unpredictable mermaids, she might just be able to unlock the mystery of her past to learn how to appease the mysterious forces that seem to want something from her...and maybe even find true love along the way.

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Graphic Novel Review: Sweet Tooth Vol. 1: Out of the Woods by Jeff Lemire

Sweet Tooth Vol. 1: Out of the Woods by Jeff Lemire
Publisher: Vertigo
Publish Date: May 18, 2010

Publisher's Description

Following on the heels of THE NOBODY, his Vertigo graphic novel debut, writer/artist Jeff Lemire pens his very first ongoing series SWEET TOOTH. A cross between Bambi and Cormac McCarthy's The Road, SWEET TOOTH tells the story of Gus, a rare new breed of human/animal hybrid children, has been raised in isolation following an inexplicable pandemic that struck a decade earlier. Now, with the death of his father he's left to fend for himself . . . until he meets a hulking drifter named Jepperd who promises to help him. Jepperd and Gus set out on a post-apocalyptic journey into the devastated American landscape to find 'The Preserve' a refuge for hybrids.

This unique and haunting new series is written and illustrated by Eisner-nominated creator Lemire (The Essex County Trilogy) and colored by fellow Eisner nominee Jose Villarubia.

Book Review

I had heard lots of great things about this book, so I decided to give it shot. As I started reading I was really enjoying the story. I felt for the main character and his predicament. His savior really comes off as a true tough guy. Even though he is a tough guy, you can tell he is really struggling with some emotional conundrums. The artwork is wonderfully different, the raw energy pours off the page.

I was a little disappointed when I got to the end of the book and it didn’t…end. I didn’t realize this was volume 1. So I was really looking forward to a conclusion so I am bit disappointed. I am not sure if my interest level was peaked enough to continue on to the next volumes.

Book Rating: 3/5
Book Received From: Personal Purchase
Reviewer: Chris

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Book Trailer: Infamous by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Infinity started the series, followed by Invincible, and now Infamous is the third book in the Chronicles of Nick series by Sherrilyn Kenyon. 

About "Infamous"
The world has fallen in love with Nick Gautier and the Dark-Hunters. Now Nick's saga continues in the next eagerly anticipated volume...

Go to school. Get good grades. Stay out of trouble. That's the mandate for most kids. But Nick Gautier isn't the average teenager. He's a boy with a destiny not even he fully understands. And his first mandate is to stay alive while everyone, even his own father, tries to kill him.

He's learned to annihilate zombies and raise the dead, divination and clairvoyance, so why is learning to drive such a difficulty? But that isn't the primary skill he has to master. Survival is.

And in order to survive, his next lesson makes all the others pale in comparison. He is on the brink of becoming either the greatest hero mankind has ever known.

Or...




Read the first two chapters of Infamous.

Check out Sherrilyn Kenyon's website and Sherrilyn's Sanctuary website for all things Dark Hunter related.

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Waiting on Wednesday (103): Enchanted by Alethea Kontis

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Enchanted by Alethea Kontis 
Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books

Publish Date: May 8, 2012

Publisher's Description
It isn’t easy being the rather overlooked and unhappy youngest sibling to sisters named for the other six days of the week. Sunday’s only comfort is writing stories, although what she writes has a terrible tendency to come true.

When Sunday meets an enchanted frog who asks about her stories, the two become friends. Soon that friendship deepens into something magical. One night Sunday kisses her frog goodbye and leaves, not realizing that her love has transformed him back into Rumbold, the crown prince of Arilland—and a man Sunday’s family despises.

The prince returns to his castle, intent on making Sunday fall in love with him as the man he is, not the frog he was. But Sunday is not so easy to woo. How can she feel such a strange, strong attraction for this prince she barely knows? And what twisted secrets lie hidden in his past—and hers?

*Yes, the cover is gorgeous, but let me try not to judge by that.  It's a frog prince story.  Come on!!!!!  Awesome! - Jessica

---Want to participate? Grab the logo, post your own WoW entry on your blog, and leave a link in the comments section!

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Book Review: Forgive Me, I Meant to Do It: False Apology Poems by Gail Carson Levine, Illustrated by Matthew Cordell

Forgive Me, I Meant to Do It: False Apology Poems by Gail Carson Levine, Illustrated by Matthew Cordell
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publish Date: March 13, 2012

Publisher’s Description
This Is Just to Say
If you’re looking for a nice happy book
put this one down and run away quickly
Forgive me sweetness and good cheer are boring

Inspired by William Carlos Williams’s famous poem ”This Is Just to Say,” Newbery Honor author Gail Carson Levine delivers a wickedly funny collection of her own false apology poems, imagining how tricksters really feel about the mischief they make. Matthew Cordell’s clever and playful line art lightheartedly captures the spirit of the poetry. This is the perfect book for anyone who’s ever apologized . . . and not really meant it.

Book Review
Upon first hearing of this book I thought it would be a cute, quick, fun read. It was definitely quick as the original poem the poems in the book are modeled after is quite short. The original poem is cute, quick, and fun. Some of the poems in the book were as well. But a book full of this many of the same format poem, with the same basic theme, and the same line within it over and over was just too much. Repetitive in nature it made it boring. The book might be good if you read one of the poems a day, but sitting down to read each of these as a collection of poetry is not ideal.

Book Rating: 2/5
Book Received From: HarperCollins for Review
Reviewer: Jessica

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Graphic Novel Review: Hexed by Michael Alan Nelson and Emma Rios

Hexed by Michael Alan Nelson (Author), Emma Rios (Illustrator)
Publisher: BOOM! Studios
Publish Date: March 9, 2010

Publisher's Description

Horror has a new name, and it is HEXED. Collected in one volume for the first time, it's the series that took the comics world by storm and introduced readers to the next great supernatural heroine-Luci Jennifer Inagcio Das Neves or Lucifer for short.

They say there is no honor among thieves-put that thief in the occult underground and you have a whole different kind of nasty. When Lucifer takes a new job, more than the macabre underbelly of the city is exposed, but also the secret that could jeopardize her whole existence. And so begins the greatest supernatural thrill-ride that will have you cursing Lucifer's name until the last page.

About the Author

Michael Alan Nelson is the author of the critically acclaimed comic HEXED as well as FALL OF CTHULHU from BOOM! Studios. He is a winner of the 2004 New Times 55 Fiction contest for his short-short “The Conspirators” and is currently working on several projects for BOOM! Studios including the smash-hit series THE CALLING. He lives in Los Angeles. Hailing from Spain, HEXED introduced Emma Rios to the American comics scene. Her vibrant style immediately caught the attention of Marvel Comics and she has worked on fan-favorite title RUNAWAYS. Critically acclaimed colorist Cris Peter has worked in the industry since 2003, working with everyone from DC Comics on BATMAN & SUPERMAN, to Image Comics on FEAR AGENT. She currently lives in SÃo Paulo, Brazil. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Book Review

The main character is a pretty interesting girl. With a name like Lucifer, how could you not be? A teenage witch-thief is pretty cool and her intro at the start of the book is great. There is also some other really great occult moments. The story held steady and ended with a pretty good ‘how she’s going to get out this’ moment.

The artwork was a perfect fit. It was a mixture of indie, anime and expressionism. If I could change anything it would be the colors, they were slightly bland.

Book Rating: 3/5
Book Received From: Personal Purchase
Reviewer: Chris

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