In My Mailbox (September 11th-17th 2011)

In addition to a few exciting review copies that arrived this week, my Big Box of YA showed up at home in Montreal. My mom isn't particularly happy about storing it for the next 8 months til I graduate, but with the amazing deals going on I couldn't help it. I spent only $42.96 on all those books! It's a mix of new authors and ones I've enjoyed and want to try more of (Forman, Scott, Freitas, Levithan, Bray and MacCullough- the rest are new to me although I have heard rave things about many of their books.)

{For Review}

Touch: Poems by Henri Cole (D&M Publishers)
My Beating Teenage Heart by C. K. Kelly Martin (Random House Canada)
Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer (Thomas Allen & Sons) 
The Dead and the Gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer (Thomas Allen & Sons)

{Bought} 
The Otherworldlies by Jennifer Anne Kogler
Sisters In Sanity by Gayle Forman
Love You Hate You Miss You by Elizabeth Scott
Freeze Frame by Heidi Ayarbe
Up All Night by Peter Abrahams, Libba Bray, David Levithan, Patricia McCormick, Sarah Weeks and Gene Luen Yang
Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta
Buried by Robin Merrow MacCready
Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler
The Possibilities of Sainthood by Donna Freitas
Claiming Georgia Tate by Gigi Amateau
Dirty Work by Julia Bell
The Rules Of Survival by Nancy Werlin
Locked Inside by Nancy Werlin
The Killer's Cousin by Nancy Werlin
A Room On Lorelei Street by Mary Pearson
My Invented Life by Lauren Bjorkman
Breathe My Name by R. A. Nelson
Possessions by Nancy Holder
Stealing Henry by Carolyn MacCullough
Choices by Deborah Lynn Jacobs

What was in your mailbox this week?

Vaclav and Lena by Haley Tanner

Vaclav and Lena by Haley Tanner is set in New York City in the world of the Russian immigrant, it tells the story of two children and what happens when they are forced to grow up. Vaclav has fallen in love with magic, and his dream seems about to become a reality with the beautiful Lena as his assistant. Lena doesn't have family beyond a neglectful aunt and is taken in by the warmth of Vaclav's mother. Then a horrible discovery sends Lena away leaving an empty place in Vaclav's heart. Years later, as teenagers, they meet again- but will they have the opportunity to right what went wrong, or will history be destined to repeat itself again?

Vaclav and Lena is one of those books I was sent unsolicited that I honestly never would have picked up otherwise. I mean a magic show and a love story- really?- but WOW, I am so glad I read it (Thank you Random House Canada!) A synopsis doesn't do this touching and beautiful tale justice, what Tanner has written is a novel without a genre, something truly universal. Vaclav and Lena is part historical novel, part contemporary love story, part young adult literature and yet easily mature enough, even when the characters are children, for an adult audience. It takes the reader into a foreign world, almost fantastical, and yet real and located right in the middle of one of the biggest cities there is. The writing is vibrant and written with a hint of a Russian accent, helping to bring the setting to life without compromising on the details of the story. There is also a surprising bit of humour in the language and the way that Tanner phrases things, such as when she writes "Lena knows it is not right to steal unless you need something really badly, and the person is not home, and won’t even realize the thing is missing."

In fact, it is the sometimes childlike narration of Vaclav and Lena that often makes it so beautiful and perceptive. At one point Tanner writes:

"Next the princess and the boy did what everyone does when they fall in love: They sat in some crummy place, on some buckets turned over in a cold alley by the market, something like that, and they didn’t care that they were hungry and that they were thirsty and that they were tired, and that their mothers were wondering where they were, and they told each other everything that they had ever known and everything they liked and everything they didn’t like, and all of their favorite colors and books, and what kind of rain was their favorite, sprinkles or downpours."

Vaclav and Lena is a novel full of painful magic, sharp and sparkling, it is impossible not to fall in love with Vaclav and feel his longing and pain. Tanner shows clearly how even in normal life, even without all the glamour of paranormal beings and fantastical curses, sometimes love isn't quite enough. It is a touching and emotional book. Not just Vaclav and Lena, but each of the characters, even those, like Lena's aunt, who appear infrequently, are rich and complex. Vaclav and Lena is a book with many hats: it is a book about assimilation and belonging, it is a book about childhood dreams, it is a book about growing up and longing and loss. Mostly, Vaclav and Lena is a book about love in its many forms, and it is a powerful story Tanner tells with absolute magic.

Release Date: May 17th, 2011
Pages: 292
Source: ARC From Publisher
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Forgotten by Cat Patrick

Sometimes I wait to give into the hype (for example The Hunger Games) and end up regretting those extra months I could have spent with an incredible book in my life, and sometimes I get swept away in a book, anxiously waiting on it way before it is even published only to find the reality lacklustre in comparison to the vision I had kept in my mind for so long. Unfortunately, Forgotten by Cat Patrick fell into the latter category.

It's not that I hated, or even disliked, this story of sixteen-year-old London Lane, a girl with a memory of the future instead of the past, but I just wanted more from it. Each morning, all London has left is a note she's written, a note telling her about the day she can't remember. Besides her mom and her best friend, nobody knows about London's condition and she'd prefer to keep it that way because what London does remember is what is going to happen next. Then Luke shows up in London's life, a guy she can't remember from her future, so what is he doing here now? But as the relationship between Luke and London progresses, she begins to realize that there maybe something hiding in her past, something she needs to figure out if she hopes to have any future at all...

Although different, the play on memory with a mystery thrown in reminded me a little of an adult title I'd recently read, Before I Go To Sleep by S.J. Watson, which I'd loved incredibly, a fact that only helped to raise my expectations of Forgotten. In the end, as much as I loved the premise, the delivery tended to fall flat for me. The chapters in the novel are quite short and while sometimes that works with the story- The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen comes to mind- in this case, especially because it is so hard to have character develop fully when they keep forgetting their previous actions, it felt rushed and brief. I sometimes felt that if Patrick had given the reader a little more time with London each day before sending her into oblivion, maybe her story would have been just that much more memorable. Patrick's writing itself is effortless and clean but with such an ambitious concept I felt longer chapters- or at least more of them- might have helped the authenticity. 

I almost wonder if Forgotten tries too hard to be too many things: love story, mystery, psychological thriller: and never quite satisfied any of those cravings in such a short book. The parts I loved about Forgotten were in fact the most ordinary, London's day to day high school experiences, the girl who wants her to set her up on a date (and what to do when she knows the guy will break her heart?), or the best friend flirting precariously with a teacher (and how can she save her when she won't listen?). How London dealt with these familiar situations with her unique condition was intriguing and thought-provoking to read. However, then Forgotten seems to go off on a crazy tangent that develops way too fast and feels completely unbelievable,  with twist after twist appearing seemingly out of nowhere. I feel like the plot of Forgotten ended up like one of those stews where you throw everything in and hope it tastes good, the kind that reminds me of the famous Coco Channel quote "before you leave the house, look in the mirror and take one thing off", except in this case the novel could have done with at least a couple less accessories/subplots.

Will I pick up Patrick's second novel? Forgotten is afterall only her debut. The answer is yes, if the premise once again intrigues me. Her writing is smooth and her teenage characters felt realistic and diverse. However this time it will be with my mind hesitant and unsure, hoping that the book either grows to fit the story, or the reverse. Forgotten is a quick and easy read based around a cool concept, the kind of book that is probably ideal for reluctant readers because of the page-turning nature and short chapters it provides but despite my high hopes, for me, it was simply forgettable.

P.S. When I featured this novel on Waiting on Wednesday I used the wrong cover, the one I had was actually the Australian edition, but I still prefer it. You can click here to see which one I'm talking about. This book has about a hundred covers and unfortunately the North American one is my least favourite.

Release Date: June 7th 2011
Pages: 288
Source: Publisher
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Wherever You Go by Joan Leegant

Wherever You Go by Joan Leegant weaves together three individuals whose lives become entangled in the volatile climate of Israeli society. Yona travels to Israel to try to mend things with her sister, estranged for over ten years, a woman whose life has become the polar opposite of her own. Meanwhile Mark travels back to New York City, the place where he was saved from drugs by his faith, from Jerusalem, to give lectures on the Talmud, trying to ignore the sensation that what he is speaking about isn't what he believes anymore. Finally, Aaron is a college dropout who has a famous writer for a father but can't seem to find a place he belongs so he quits school during his year-abroad and joins an extreme Israeli fringe group. Yona, Mark and Aaron are tied together by the impact faith and Judaism will have on their lives, changing them forever in a moment that can never be undone.

Wherever You Go is the debut novel from Leegant, but it is filled with a wisdom and maturity that is far from amateur. It's an intelligent book, and despite it's slender size- under 300 pages- it is certainly not a light read. The reader is instantly sucked into a rich and vibrant world, beautiful yet violent, three lives teetering on the edge of breaking. Wherever You Go is incredibly powerful, beautiful, well written, and absolutely horrifying at the same time. Two weeks after finishing it I'm still unable to get it out of my mind. The stories it tells are both unique- I've never read anything like it before- and extremely relevant. Leegant has her finger on the pulse of Israeli society and takes the reader into this foreign yet fascinating environment with skill of an insider, unsurprising considering she spends part of her time living in Israel while teaching there.

All the reasons that Wherever You Go is upsetting are the same reasons it is such an important book. Normally when I read a book which follows the narrative of multiple characters I find myself more enchanted by one storyline and impatient for my "favourite" character to return to centre stage. In this case, all three stories are not only absolutely riveting, but definitely distinct from each other as well, three separate voices that at no point become muffled together. I only wished that a little more time had been spent with the characters near the ending; possibly it is my own desire for closure but the conclusion felt slightly rushed. Perhaps being Jewish myself biased me when deciding to pick up Wherever You Go, but regardless of the reader's faith- if any-  the novel offers complex characters as well as a thought-provoking narrative and compelling setting.

My biggest complaint? That Leegant's work isn't more widely available, I had to special order her first book An Hour in Paradise, which is a collection of short stories, from the States. Fortunately, I know it'll be worth the wait. I'll also be certain to pre-order whatever Leegant publishes next and if there's a smile on my face when it arrives it's not because I expect the story to be completely bright and cheerful but because I know that whatever she writes it'll be incredibly beautiful and powerful, just like Wherever You Go is.

Release Date: July 10th, 2010
Pages: 272
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Source:

This review was a part of TLC Book Tours. Click here to read what other tour hosts thought. For the purpose of this review I was provided with a copy of the book which did not require a positive review. The opinions expressed in this post are completely my own.

It’s Monday, what are you reading? (7)

This meme is hosted at Book Journey.

This was a pretty good reading week for me, especially when it came to YA (+1 adult mystery). Half the books I read were parts of series, both of which contained a slightly disappointing second book unfortunately. This week I'm looking forward to reading those book tour books I never got to. Other than that, I have a few bonus YAs lined up for when I get the craving.

Last week I finished reading:

The Accident by Linwood Barclay

Apparently mystery is not a good genre for audiobook, I really enjoyed the narrator but around halfway in I was just too hooked and curious to keep listening and picked up my paperback instead since I knew it would take me less than the 6 hours I had left to finish the book. Wow, all I can say is that this is an intense read. Although outside my normal genre, I'm starting to think I may have to reconsider that opinion when it comes to suspense thrillers as I really enjoyed this.

Exposed by Kimberly Marcus

An emotional yet powerful novel in verse, I had high expectations for this one and it both surprised and amazed me. Like Ellen Hopkins' books this deals with big issues from the perspective of a teenage girl facing trials far beyond her age, and there was a lyrical poetic nature to the writing as well as enough details to really break the heart of the reader in more than one way.

Cold Kiss by Amy Garvey

I was conflicted before reading this book but it interested me enough that I decided to delve in before my Netgalley expired. It was interesting but definitely had some debut flaws, especially when it came time to wrap up all the loose ends. More of a borrow than buy book I'd say, but you'll have to check you my complete review for the full details.

The Secret Hour by Scott Westerfeld

I needed another audiobook and this science fiction trilogy was calling to me. It was my first time reading Westerfeld and I don't know why I waited so long- his mind is absolutely twisted and brilliant!

Frost by Wendy Delsol

I LOVEDLOVEDLOVED Stork, so it would have been impossible for me to have higher expectations of this sequel than I did. Although there was still a lot I loved, it didn't quite live up to the first novel, mainly because of a few too many subplots and a rushed climax. Still, I'll be first in line for a copy of the third and final book whenever it is released because Delsol's writing remains hilarious and heart-warming.

Touching Darkness by Scott Westerfeld

The second Midnighters book wasn't quite as awe-inspiring as the first for me, I still enjoyed it but having gotten familiar with the world and characters in the first book, this one felt a lot less meaty in comparison. I did like the storyline, but there was more romance in this book than The Secret Hour and I didn't connect with it as well as I hoped. I think it is actually the characters I have issues with, I don't like any of them, except maybe Jessica a bit, and while that didn't bother me in the first book they seemed to get increasingly whiny in this one. That said, where Westerfeld really excels if with the history and myth behind the Midnighters, of which there is plenty. 

What I plan to read this week: 

Blue Noon by Scott Westerfeld

Time for the final book in the Midnighters series. I just started this audio and am looking forward to finding out how things wrap up for the gang of teens.

Swing Low by Miriam Toews

I've already started this one and I'm enjoying it although it is so different from the Toews novel I just read, Irma Voth, that I'm a little bit shocked. It reminds me a bit of Half-Broke Horses in that it's a true story, but Toews, like Walls did, takes on the first person of a family member that has passed on and tells it from their perspective. You really get a look inside Mel's mind, but that's also a very cluttered and sometimes confusing place. Knowing from the beginning things end with him killing himself definitely makes it bittersweet.

The Grief of Others by Leah Hager Cohen

Another emotional book tour novel I didn't get a chance to read last week (again) and am hoping to read soon. This is at least the third time I'm featuring it, which doesn't say anything about the novel's quality but rather a lot about my ability to procrastinate.

Waiting For Robert Capa by Susana Fortes

 

An upcoming book tour novel that recently arrived and is a historical fiction inspired by the life of Robert Capa (obviously). It contains several elements I find really interesting including WW2, Judaism and photography. It's also already scheduled to be made into a film by director Michael Mann. Hopefully it lives up to its potential!

Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick

I don't like this cover at all but I love my dystopia! However this is a nearly 500 page ebook and I tend to avoid ebooks that long, even though I do have an ereader. I guess it depends how well it hooks me, I've been let down recently (I'm looking at you, Possession) and am hoping to have my fate reinstated. Hopefully Ashes sweeps me away!

The Beginning of After by Jennifer Castle

Depending on how things go with Ashes and how much depressing reading I can handle, I also have this soon to expire Netgalley that I was interested by and hope to read in time. The orphan plot has been done many times but the twist- falling in love with the boy who's father was responsible- is definitely unique. And of course, even though it's an ebook, the cover totally hooked me as well.

What are you reading this Monday?