Waiting on Wednesday: By the Light of the Silvery Moon by Tricia Goyer

By the Light of the Silvery Moon by Tricia Goyer (Published by Barbour Books, March 1, 2012)

Remember the Titanic 100 years after its doomed voyage with Tricia Goyer’s fictional portrayal of one woman’s journey. To Amelia Gladstone, this ship means promise of seeing family again. To Quentin Walpole, the Titanic represents a new start in America…if he can get onboard. All seems lost until Amelia offers him a ticket, securing his passage—and bringing him face-to-face with his railroad tycoon father and older brother, Damian. As Amelia works to reconcile father and son, she finds herself the object of both brothers’ affection. Can she choose between two brothers? Or will she lose everything to the icy waters of the Atlantic?


This is an adult book, and I don't read a ton of adult books, but I am very interested to read this particular one because I love stories set on the Titanic.

In My Mailbox - 9/24/11

Credit goes to The Story Siren for creating and hosting the In My Mailbox feature.

Here are the new books I got this week:

For review:

The Wicked and the Just by J. Anderson Coats

Cecily longs to return to her beloved Edgeley Hall, where her father was lord of the manor. But now he has completely ruined her life. He is moving them to Caernarvon, in occupied Wales, where he can get a place for almost nothing, since the king needs good strong Englishmen to keep down the vicious Welshmen. At least Cecily will get to be the lady of the house at last—if all goes well.
Gwenhwyfar knows all about that house. Once she dreamed of being the lady there herself, until the English came and destroyed the lives of everyone she knows. Now Gwenhwyfar must wait hand and foot on this bratty English girl who has taken what should have been hers.
While Cecily struggles to find her place amongst the snobby English landowners, Gwenhwyfar struggles just to survive. And meanwhile the Welsh are not as conquered as they seem. Outside the city walls of Caernarvon, tensions are rising ever higher—until finally they must reach the breaking point.


Enchanted by Alethea Kontis

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?


Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers

Why be the sheep, when you can be the wolf?
Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where the sisters still serve the gods of old. Here she learns that the god of Death Himself has blessed her with dangerous gifts—and a violent destiny. If she chooses to stay at the convent, she will be trained as an assassin and serve as a handmaiden to Death. To claim her new life, she must destroy the lives of others.
Ismae’s most important assignment takes her straight into the high court of Brittany—where she finds herself woefully under prepared—not only for the deadly games of intrigue and treason, but for the impossible choices she must make. For how can she deliver Death’s vengeance upon a target who, against her will, has stolen her heart?

Waiting on Wednesday: The Wild Queen by Carolyn Meyer

The Wild Queen: The Days and Nights of Mary Queen of Scots by Carolyn Meyer (Published by Harcourt, June 19, 2012)

Mary is only six days old when she is crowned after the death of her father, five years old when she is sent to France to be raised alongside her future husband. Surrounded by friends and beloved by the royal family, Mary absorbs the culture, becoming more French than Scot. But when her frail young husband dies, Mary, now eighteen, is stripped of her title as Queen of France and set adrift in the harsh world, alone.
Determined to reign over what is rightfully hers, as well as to claim the throne of England to which she believes she is entitled, Mary returns to Scotland. The fiery young queen must sometimes go to brutal lengths to establish her sovereignty. And she is just as willful when it comes to her love life. Hoping that a husband will help her secure the coveted English throne, Mary marries again, but the love and security she longs for elude her. Instead, she finds herself embroiled in a murder scandal that could cost her the crown. And her attempts to bargain with her formidable "sister queen," Elizabeth I of England, could cost her her very life.


I love Carolyn Meyer's Young Royals series, so I can't wait to read this book. I love the cover, and this is one of my favorite time periods to read about in historical fiction.

Book review: I Am Canada: Deadly Voyage by Hugh Brewster

I Am Canada: Deadly Voyage by Hugh Brewster (Published by Scholastic Canada, September 1, 2011)

After spending two years living in England, fourteen-year-old Jamie Laidlaw and his parents are returning home to Canada as first class passengers on board the maiden voyage of the Titanic. Jamie is happy to be returning home, since he hated his school in England. And he's excited to be travelling on the grandest ship in the world. Jamie makes new friends and has adventures exploring the Titanic, but he also gets himself in trouble with his parents after being found in a restricted area of the ship.

When the Titanic hits an iceberg, Jamie and his family don't believe at first that the ship could possibly be in danger. After all, the Titanic was specially designed with watertight compartments so it wouldn't sink. But soon it becomes clear that the ship is doomed, and Jamie must fight to survive in the icy waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

I love reading historical fiction about the Titanic, so I really enjoyed Deadly Voyage. This book is written in the form of a memoir recorded by Jamie many years later, so we know from the start that he will survive. Jamie and his family are fictional, but most of the other characters are real people that were on the Titanic. I recommend this book to readers who enjoyed other books from the I Am Canada series or who love books about the Titanic, and with the 100th anniversary of the sinking coming up in few months, there is sure to be a lot of interest in the subject.

In My Mailbox - 9/17/11

Credit goes to The Story Siren for creating and hosting the In My Mailbox feature.

Here are the new books I got this week:

For review:

Ladies in Waiting by Laura L. Sullivan

Eliza dreams of being a playwright for the king’s theater, where she will be admired for her witty turns of phrase rather than her father’s wealth.
Beth is beautiful as the day but poor as a church mouse, so she must marry well, despite her love for her childhood sweetheart.
Zabby comes to England to further her scientific studies—and ends up saving the life of King Charles II. Soon her friendship with him becomes a dangerous, impossible obsession. Though she knows she should stay away from the young, handsome king, Charles has a new bride, Queen Catherine, and a queen needs ladies in waiting.
And so Zabby, Beth, and Eliza, three Elizabeths from very different walks of life, find themselves at the center of the most scandal-filled court that England has ever seen.


The Familiars: Secrets of the Crown by Adam Jay Epstein and Andrew Jacobson

When every bit of human magic disappears suddenly from Vastia, it falls on the familiars—Aldwyn the telekinetic cat, Skylar the know-it-all blue jay, and Gilbert the gullible tree frog—to find the Crown of the Snow Leopard, an ancient relic that can reverse the curse. They learn that the only way to do this is by following in the paw prints of Aldwyn’s missing father, who went searching for the Crown several years earlier. This magical spirit trail extends into the Beyond, where our heroes encounter new enemies and danger, while Aldwyn learns about his mysterious past.
Full of high-flying adventure and heartwarming friendships, Secrets of the Crown will make readers want to get even more familiar with The Familiars!


Bought:

Tomorrow Girls: Set Me Free by Eva Gray

In a terrifying future world, four girls must depend on each other if they want to survive.
Maddie is ready for action. Louisa, Evelyn, and Rosie helped rescue her from the Alliance's grasp, and she's learned an enormous, game-changing secret: her mother is the leader of the Resistance!
But reuniting with her long-absent mother is not going to be easy. As Maddie and her friends set out to find the Resistance headquarters, they are relentlessly pursued by the Alliance. Worst of all, members of their group have gone missing in the middle of rubble-strewn Chicago.
Maddie and her friends have earned their battle scars, courage, and strength. But at this darkest hour, will they be able to make it back to their families . . . and freedom?


I Am Canada: Deadly Voyage by Hugh Brewster

Fourteen-year-old Jamie Laidlaw is returning to Canada from England aboard the Titanic. In his four days on board, he busies himself with new friends, finding ways to explore the ship’s forbidden areas, and generally landing himself in trouble.
When disaster strikes and the horrifying scramble for survival ensues, Jamie is on the front lines — struggling to help free the lifeboats and get people on board them. When a huge wave washes over the ship’s sloping deck, it’s time for Jamie to take action — and take his fate into his own hands. With hundreds of others, he dives into the sea, hoping he will find a way to survive.
Since its launch in Fall 2010, the I Am Canada series has been praised for its accurate and energetic exploration of fascinating moments in Canadian history, through the eyes of young men who lived through them. In Deadly Voyage, award-winning author and noted Titanic historian Hugh Brewster draws from his vast knowledge of that fateful journey to create an enthralling tale of historical fiction — the ultimate adventure, whose terrifying end we know all too well.


The Hangman in the Mirror by Kate Cayley

A strong-willed 16-year-old girl fights for survival in 18th-century North America.
Françoise Laurent has never had an easy life. The only surviving child of a destitute washerwoman and wayward soldier, she must rely only on herself to get by. When her parents die suddenly from the smallpox ravishing New France (modern-day Montreal), Françoise sees it as a chance to escape the life she thought she was trapped in.
Seizing her newfound opportunity, Françoise takes a job as an aide to the wife of a wealthy fur trader. The poverty-ridden world she knew transforms into a strange new world full of privilege and fine things — and of never having to beg for food. But Françoise’s relationships with the other servants in Madame Pommereau’s house are tenuous, and Madame Pommereau isn’t an easy woman to work for. When Françoise is caught stealing a pair of her mistress’s beautiful gloves, she faces a future even worse than she could have imagined: thrown in jail, she is sentenced to death by hanging. Once again, Françoise is left to her own devices to survive … Is she cunning enough to convince the prisoner in the cell beside her to become the hangman and marry her, which, by law, is the only thing that could save her life?
Based on an actual story and filled with illuminating historical detail, THE HANGMAN IN THE MIRROR transports readers to the harsh landscape of a new land that is filled with even harsher class divisions and injustices.

Book review: Dark of the Moon by Tracy Barrett

Dark of the Moon by Tracy Barrett (Published by Harcourt, September 19, 2011)

Fifteen-year-old Ariadne lives a very lonely life. Her mother is seen as the Goddess incarnate, and is high priestess of their matriarchal society on the island of Krete. Ariadne will be her successor, and so has the title of "She Who Will be Goddess," which means she has no friends and is feared by many people. Her brother, Asterion, is physically and mentally disabled, and many people see him as a monster because he is unable to stop himself from hurting people, even though he doesn't mean to.

When a ship arrives from Athens, Ariadne meets Theseus, a young man near her age. Since he is not from Krete, he doesn't know their religion or their way of life, and so he is not afraid to speak with Ariadne. She comes to enjoy spending time with him and the two become friends. But then Ariadne must take her mother's place much sooner than she thought she would have to, despite the fact it's a position she never really wanted.

Dark of the Moon is a retelling of the myth of the minotaur, but rather than just following the myth exactly, the author imagines what could have really happened to inspire the myth. There isn't much romance, unlike the original story, and the "minotaur" is not a monster, just a severely disabled young man. Since I love historical fiction, I really liked how the author made this story more historical than fantasy. The society she imagined for ancient Krete was violent, but I think realistic for the time period the story is set in. I also enjoyed how the story was told from two perspectives, Ariadne and Theseus, to show both sides of the story. I recommend this book to readers interested in historical fiction or Greek mythology.

Disclosure: Review copy provided by published.

Waiting on Wednesday: The Wicked and the Just by J. Anderson Coats

The Wicked and the Just by J. Anderson Coats (Published by Harcourt, April 17, 2012)

Cecily longs to return to her beloved Edgeley Hall, where her father was lord of the manor. But now he has completely ruined her life. He is moving them to Caernarvon, in occupied Wales, where he can get a place for almost nothing, since the king needs good strong Englishmen to keep down the vicious Welshmen. At least Cecily will get to be the lady of the house at last—if all goes well.
Gwenhwyfar knows all about that house. Once she dreamed of being the lady there herself, until the English came and destroyed the lives of everyone she knows. Now Gwenhwyfar must wait hand and foot on this bratty English girl who has taken what should have been hers.
While Cecily struggles to find her place amongst the snobby English landowners, Gwenhwyfar struggles just to survive. And meanwhile the Welsh are not as conquered as they seem. Outside the city walls of Caernarvon, tensions are rising ever higher—until finally they must reach the breaking point.


I love YA historical fiction with unique settings and so I can't wait to read this book, I don't think I've read any books set in this place/time before.

In My Mailbox - 9/10/11

Credit goes to The Story Siren for creating and hosting the In My Mailbox feature.

Here are the new books I got this week:

Bought:

Dear Canada: That Fatal Night by Sarah Ellis

In the aftermath of the Titanic disaster, a young girl must come to terms with haunting memories from the voyage.

It is May 1912, one month after the horrific sinking of the Titanic, and twelve-year-old survivor Dorothy Wilton is sent home from school in disgrace when she strikes another student. Although she's expelled, her sympathetic teacher encourages Dorothy to write an account of her experience on the ship, with the hopes that it will help Dorothy come to terms with her trauma.
And so begins a truly remarkable story, which reads like a time capsule of the era: Dorothy writes about visiting her bohemian grandparents in England before setting sail back home, the luxurious rooms and cabins on board, a new friend she makes, and the intriguing people they observe. However, amidst all of this storytelling, a shadow lurks, a secret Dorothy is too traumatized to acknowledge - a secret about her own actions on that fatal night, which may have had deadly consequences.
Through young Dorothy's eyes, award-winning writer Sarah Ellis expertly takes a unique perspective on the Titanic tragedy, exploring the concept of survivor's guilt with devastating honesty.


Hartsolve by K.M. Grant

Young Daisy and her six brothers and sisters love Hartslove, the crumbling castle that has been in their family for hundreds of years. But their kind but feckless father, scarred by his experiences in the Crimean War, and by his wife's desertion, is drinking the family money away. Then he puts Hartslove up for sale: he has spent his remaining money on a young, wild, horse. Daisy, passionate about her home and her family, is determined that the horse is the One; that he will win the Derby and save them all. But not everyone at Hartslove is on Daisy's side, and rich people are descending on the castle every day with an eye on snapping it up for themselves. With only months to go before the Derby, can Daisy and her wild brother Garth overcome the odds and lead The One to glory?

Bright, Young, & Luxe Giveaway hop: win a copy of Bright Young Things by Anna Godbersen

The Bright, Young, and Luxe Giveaway Hop is hosted by Tiffany from The For Those About to Read and Lea from LC's Adventures in Library Land. There are a lot of other contests you can enter as well from the links below. For my contest, I am giving away a new, paperback copy of Bright Young Things:


The year is 1929. New York is ruled by the Bright Young Things: flappers and socialites seeking thrills and chasing dreams in the anything-goes era of the Roaring Twenties.
Letty Larkspur and Cordelia Grey escaped their small Midwestern town for New York's glittering metropolis. All Letty wants is to see her name in lights, but she quickly discovers Manhattan is filled with pretty girls who will do anything to be a star…
Cordelia is searching for the father she's never known, a man as infamous for his wild parties as he is for his shadowy schemes. Overnight, she enters a world more thrilling and glamorous than she ever could have imagined—and more dangerous. It's a life anyone would kill for . . . and someone will.
The only person Cordelia can trust is Astrid Donal, a flapper who seems to have it all: money, looks, and the love of Cordelia's brother, Charlie. But Astrid's perfect veneer hides a score of family secrets.
Across the vast lawns of Long Island, in the illicit speakeasies of Manhattan, and on the blindingly lit stages of Broadway, the three girls' fortunes will rise and fall—together and apart. From the New York Times bestselling author of The Luxe comes an epic new series set in the dizzying last summer of the Jazz Age.

CONTEST RULES

Contest is open from September 10-20, 2011
To enter, please comment with your email address
US mailing addresses only

And here are some more blogs with other Bright, Young, and Luxe contests you can enter:

Book review: Dear Canada: That Fatal Night by Sarah Ellis

Dear Canada: That Fatal Night by Sarah Ellis (Published by Scholastic Canada, September 1, 2011)

It's May 1912, and twelve-year-old Dorothy Wilton has returned to her home in Halifax after surviving the sinking of the Titanic. She just wants to go back to her normal routine and not talk about what happened, but finds herself expelled from school after hitting another girl who said horrible things about the victims of the disaster. Dorothy's favorite teacher suggests that during her time away from school, she should write a diary about what happened to her, to help her come to terms with her experience.

Dorothy begins the story by writing about her trip to England to meet her grandparents. Her grandparents were very kind and their housekeeper had twelve-year-old twins, a boy and a girl, that Dorothy became close friends with during her stay in England. For her journey home, her father got her a ticket on the grandest ship ever built, the Titanic. Dorothy had fun exploring the ship and made a new friend, but hated her traveling companion, Miss Pugh, who worked for Dorothy's father and had agreed to travel with her since she too was visiting a relative in England. Miss Pugh did not survive the disaster, and Dorothy blames herself for her death.

That Fatal Night is different from most novels for young readers about the Titanic, since it is set after the sinking and is mainly about a survivor struggling to accept what happened. This book is shorter than most other books in the Dear Canada series, and I think it could have been a bit longer with some more description of Dorothy's time on the Titanic. However, I still really enjoyed it, I love almost anything I read about the Titanic and I really liked that this book offered a unique perspective by being set afterwards. I recommend this book to readers interested in the Titanic or who enjoyed other books from the Dear Canada series.

Waiting on Wednesday: The Academie by Susanne Dunlap

The Academie by Susanne Dunlap (Published by Bloomsbury, April 10, 2012)

Eliza Monroe-daughter of the future president of the United States-is devastated when her mother decides to send her to boarding school outside of Paris. But the young American teen is quickly reconciled to the idea when-ooh, la-la!-she discovers who her fellow pupils will be: Hortense de Beauharnais, daughter of Josephine Bonaparte; and Caroline Bonaparte, youngest sister of the famous French general. It doesn't take long for Eliza to figure out that the two French girls are mortal enemies-and that she's about to get caught in the middle of their schemes.
Loosely drawn from history, Eliza Monroe's imagined coming of age provides a scintillating glimpse into the lives, loves, and hopes of three young women during one of the most volatile periods in French history.


I loved Susanne Dunlap's other YA historicals so I can't wait to read this one. I'm not a huge fan of the cover, though. The girl's pose seems odd to me.

Book review: Meet Cécile by Denise Lewis Patrick

Meet Cécile by Denise Lewis Patrick (Published by American Girl, August 30, 2011)

This book is the second in the new American Girl series about Cécile and Marie-Grace, two nine-year-old girls from very different backgrounds who both live in New Orleans in 1853. This book takes place at the same time as Meet Marie-Grace, showing the same events from Cécile's perspective. Cécile comes from a wealthy and respected family from New Orleans' vibrant community of free people of color.

When the story begins, Cécile misses her older brother, who has gone to France to study, and can't wait for his return. At her singing lesson with Mademoiselle Océane, an opera singer from France, Cécile meets Marie-Grace, a girl who was born in New Orleans but lived with her American father in the north the past few years. Although the two girls come from very different backgrounds, they quickly become friends and share an exciting adventure at a children's costume ball during Mardi Gras.

I loved the American Girls series growing up and I credit it, along with the Little House and Dear America books, for helping me develop a love for historical fiction. Even though I am an adult now, I was very interested when I saw that the newest American Girl series would be from the perspectives of two girls from very different backgrounds growing up in New Orleans in 1853. The historical setting is very interesting since New Orleans was such a multicultural city and very different from the rest of the United States in the mid 19th century. I think young girls will enjoy this series while hopefully learning a bit about a very unique place and time from American history.

Disclosure: Review copy provided by publisher.

Book review: Troubles for Cécile by Denise Lewis Patrick

Troubles for Cécile by Denise Lewis Patrick (Published by American Girl, August 30, 2011)

This book begins in July 1853, shortly after the ending of book three. Cécile is worried when she hears her mother and aunt talking about yellow fever. There have always been cases of yellow fever in New Orleans every summer, but this year people seem much more worried. Many people are fleeing the city because they are so afraid.

Cécile's worst fears come true when her beloved older brother, Armand, catches yellow fever. Cécile is afraid for her brother, because many people in the city have died from the disease. Cécile must be strong and help her family and others in New Orleans, while praying that her brother will recover.

I loved the American Girls books as a child, but even now as an adult I am really enjoying the series about Marie-Grace and Cécile. I love the unusual historical setting of New Orleans in 1853, and I think telling the story from the points of view of two girls from very different backgrounds was a good choice. I think young girls will enjoy this series while hopefully learning about about a very unique place and time from American history.

Book review: I Am Canada: Blood and Iron by Paul Yee

I Am Canada: Blood and Iron by Paul Yee (Published by Scholastic Canada, September 1, 2010)

Fourteen-year-old Heen and his father must leave their home in China and travel far across the sea to Canada to work on building the transcontinental railroad. The family business has been lost to gambling debts, and there are not enough jobs in China. On the day Heen leaves home, he begins writing in a diary given to him as a parting gift from his schoolteacher.

The journey across the sea is long and miserable, and many people are sick. Heen resents his father for continuing to gamble, even after losing the family store because of gambling debts. When they arrive in Canada, Heen finds the work much more difficult than he expected. The Chinese workers must work long hours for less pay than the white workers. The conditions are dangerous and many men are hurt or killed.

I love the similar Dear Canada series from the same publisher, written from the viewpoints of young girls in Canadian history, so I was interested to try the new I Am Canada series, which is similar but from a male viewpoint. The historical information seemed really well researched and I loved the voice of the narrator, Heen. The book really seemed like it could be the diary of a boy his age. At first he was a rather humorous narrator, giving nicknames to all the people he encountered based on their characteristics. However, the story soon became more serious and tragic, showing the horrible working conditions the Chinese laborers had to endure. If you enjoyed the Dear Canada series or historical fiction in general, I think you will enjoy this book.

Book review: Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi (Published by HarperTeen, November 15, 2011)

Seventeen-year-old Juliette has been locked away because of a dangerous power she cannot control. When she touches people, she can hurt or even kill them. It seems like forever since she saw or spoke to another person. Meanwhile, the world outside falls apart even more from diseases, food shortages, and environmental changes. An organization called The Reestablishment has taken over with the promise to fix the world, but in reality they only want power.

After what feels like a lifetime alone, Juliette is finally given a companion, Adam. She and Adam were in school together and she always liked him, but hasn't seen him in a long time. Soon, their childhood friendship begins to turn into love. But The Reestablishment has decided it has plans for Juliette, plans that horrify and disgust her. Can Juliette find the strength to finally take control of her own life and fight back?

Shatter Me is a book that is very different from most young adult dystoptian novels, mainly due to the writing, which is really lovely and unique though it ocassionally goes a bit over the top with metaphors. The dystopian setting was a bit generic, but I don't think it took away from the story because it was there to be a background to Juliette's personal conflict. And I just *loved* the romance! I really liked how rather than there just being random love at first sight, Juliette and Adam had known each other as children and had just reunited as young adults. A lot of young adult paranormal romances annoy me because the guy acts like a jerk and the girl loves him anyway, so I really liked that Adam was so sweet, caring, and protective towards Juliette. This book is the first of a trilogy, but thankfully doesn't end with a cliffhanger. I highly recommend this book and I can't wait to read book two.

Disclosure: Review copy provided by publisher.

Book review: Our Australian Girl: Poppy and the Thief by Gabrielle Wang

Our Australian Girl: Poppy and the Thief by Gabrielle Wang (Published by Puffin Books Australia, June 27, 2011)

Eleven-year-old Poppy, a half-Chinese, half-Aboriginal orphan, has disgused herself as a boy and run away from the mission where she lived with other Aboriginal orphans. After she was injured she spent some time recovering at the home of a kind family. Now that Poppy has recovered form her injury, she is moving on, hoping to finally find her older brother, Gus, who ran away from the mission hoping to find gold so that he and Poppy could have a home of their own.

Shortly after Poppy continues her journey, she meets Tian, a young Chinese boy. Poppy doesn't entirely trust him, but she decides to travel with him in hopes that his uncle, a doctor, might be able to help her find her brother and solve the mystery of the Chinese letter Poppy received but cannot read. But when Poppy reaches the town she thought her brother had gone to, he is nowhere to be found.

This book is the third of four books about Poppy from the Our Australian Girl series, which is about young girls during different times in Australian history. Poppy was a very likable character, she is smart, brave, and determined. I thoguht the history in this book was very interesting as I don't know a lot about Australian history, the only other books I have read set in Australia were some of the books from the My Australian Story series. I'm sure young girls living in Australia who are interested in their country's history will love this book, but as an adult living in America, I enjoyed it too, and I look forward to reading the final book about Poppy, Poppy Comes Home, which will be published in October 2011.

In My Mailbox - 9/3/11

Credit goes to The Story Siren for creating and hosting the In My Mailbox feature.

Here are the new books I got this week:

Bought:

Torrent by Lisa T. Bergren

Gabi and Lia Betarrini have learned to control their time travel, and they return from medieval Italy to save their father from his tragic death in modern times. But love calls across the centuries, and the girls are determined to return forever—even though they know the Black Plague is advancing across Europe, claiming the lives of one-third of the population. In the suspenseful conclusion of the River of Time series, every decision is about life … and death.



Marie-Grace and the Orphans by Sarah Masters Buckey

Marie-Grace can’t believe what she finds on her doorstep one rainy night: a sweet little baby! But when a stranger comes looking for the little boy, Marie-Grace realizes the baby is in terrible danger. Together, she and Cécile come up with a plan to protect the child. But when rumors of a terrible sickness begin to swirl in New Orleans, Marie-Grace begins to worry—will anyone truly be safe?


Troubles for Cécile by Denise Lewis Patrick

Cécile's summer is off to a glowing start. She and Marie-Grace have been volunteering at a nearby orphanage, playing with the children. But a shadow falls when Cécile hears that a terrible sickness—yellow fever—is spreading in New Orleans. When yellow fever strikes in her own home, Cécile is more afraid than she has ever been before. Can she find the strength to help when her family needs her most?



Marie-Grace Makes a Difference by Sarah Masters Buckey

Marie-Grace is worried. Yellow fever is raging through New Orleans. The orphanage where she and Cécile have been volunteering is becoming crowded with children. And now someone Marie-Grace cares about is terribly ill. When the chance comes to help, Marie-Grace takes it. But will this horrible fever cause Marie-Grace to lose the family she loves?


Cécile's Gift by Denise Lewis Patrick

As Cécile and Marie-Grace volunteer at the orphanage, Cécile becomes especially close to one little girl named Perrine. But there are so many children who hast lost their families, and Cécile wishes she could do more to help them. When she hears that a benefit will be held to raise money for the orphans in New Orleans, she wants to take part. But what can Cécile give to the orphans to lift their sad hearts and let them know she cares?


Velvet by Mary Hooper

Velvet is a laundress in a Victorian steam laundry. With both her mother and father dead, she is an orphan and has to rely upon her own wits to make a living. The laundry is scalding, back-breaking work and Velvet is desperate to create a better life for herself. Then Velvet is noticed by Madame Savoya, a famed medium, who asks Velvet to come to work for her. Velvet is dazzled at first by the young yet beautifully dressed and bejewelled Madame. But soon Velvet realises that Madame Savoya is not all that she says she is, and Velvet’s very life is in danger . . .


For review:

The Mark of the Golden Dragon by L.A. Meyer

Jacky Faber, soldier, sailor, spy, and sometime pirate, condemned for life to the English prison colony in Australia for high crimes against the Crown, has once again wriggled out of the grasp of British authorities. Back on her flagship, the Lorelei Lee, she happily heads back to England in the company of dear friends and her beloved Jaimy Fletcher.
However, due to a typhoon, an earthquake, tidal waves, pirates, and her own impetuous nature, Jacky is cast into a world of danger that extends from the South China Sea to the equally treacherous waters of politics in London's smoky dens of intrigue, deception, and betrayal.
Can she save herself from recapture and a final trip to the gallows? Can she also save her own dear Jaimy from the madness that seems to be overtaking his tortured mind? Devious Chinese businessmen, willowy Eurasian maidens, fierce Gurkhas, loyal friends, and wildly romantic highwaymen are all involved in this tale of love, courage, and redemption.


Hades by Alexandra Adornetto

Bethany Church is an angel sent to Earth to keep dark forces at bay. Falling in love was never part of her mission, but the bond between Beth and her mortal boyfriend, Xavier Woods, is undeniably strong. But even Xavier’s love, and the care of her archangel siblings, Gabriel and Ivy, can’t keep Beth from being tricked into a motorcycle ride that ends up in Hell. There, the demon Jake Thorn bargains for Beth’s release back to Earth. But what he asks of her will destroy her, and quite possibly, her loved ones, as well.
The story that Alexandra Adornetto built in her New York Times-bestselling debut, Halo, comes alive in action-packed and unexpected ways, as angels battle demons, and the power of love is put to the test.