In My Mailbox #49

Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer Holm
*This book won the Newbery Honor, so naturally I wanted to check it out.  Plus, it takes place in one of my favorite locations, Key West!

Goodreads says, "Inspired by family stories, two-time Newbery Honor winner and New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Holm beautifully blends family lore with America's past in this charming gem of a novel, rich in historical detail, humor, and the unique flavors of Key West. Life isn't like the movies, and eleven-year-old Turtle is no Shirley Temple. She's smart and tough and has seen enough of the world not to expect a Hollywood ending. After all, it's 1935, and jobs and money and sometimes even dreams are scarce. So when Turtle's mama gets a job housekeeping for a lady who doesn't like kids, Turtle says goodbye without a tear and heads off to Key West, Florida, to stay with relatives she's never met. Florida's like nothing Turtle has ever seen. It's hot and strange, full of wild green peeping out between houses, ragtag boy cousins, and secret treasure. Before she knows what's happened, Turtle finds herself coming out of the shell she has spent her life building, and as she does, her world opens up in the most unexpected ways."

We'll Always Have Summer by Jenny Han
*AHHHHHHHHHHH!!! Thank you to S&S Galley Grab and Leanna at Daisy Chain Book Reviews for helping me figure out how to use Galley Grab so I could get my hands on this book. (Haha!)  This is my MOST anticipated book of 2011. Jenny Han is a genius.

Goodreads says, "It's been two years since Conrad told Belly to go with Jeremiah. She and Jeremiah have been inseparable ever since, even attending the same college-- only, their relationship hasn't exactly been the happily ever after Belly had hoped it would be. And when Jeremiah makes the worst mistake a boy can make, Belly is forced to question what she thought was true love. Does she really have a future with Jeremiah? Has she ever gotten over Conrad? It's time for Belly to decide, once and for all, who has her heart forever."

The Day Before by Lisa Schroeder
*Thanks to Leanna at Daisy Chain Book Reviews for highlighting this one as her WoW pick. I then saw it on Galley Grab and knew it would be a book I'd enjoy. Plus, I believe it's written in verse, which is something I really like.

Goodreads says, "Sometimes there's no turning back.  Amber's life is spinning out of control. All she wants is to turn up the volume on her iPod until all of the demands of her family and friends fade away. So she sneaks off to the beach to spend a day by herself.  Then Amber meets Cade. Their attraction is instant, and Amber can tell that he's also looking for an escape. Together they decide to share a perfect day: no pasts, no fears, no regrets.  The more time that Amber spends with Cade, the more she's drawn to him. And the more she's troubled by his darkness. Because Cade's not just living in the now--he's living each moment like it's his last."

The Summer We Read Gatsby by Danielle Ganek
*I got this one from the library and am enjoying it. I only wish I were at the beach; it's the perfect beach read.

Goodreads says, "A delightful comedy of manners about two sisters who must set aside their differences when they inherit a house in the Hamptons Half-sisters Cassie and Peck could not be more different. Cassie is a newly divorced journalist with her feet firmly planted on the ground; Peck is a vintage-obsessed actress with her head in the clouds. In fact, the only thing they seem to have in common is their inheritance of Fool's House, a rundown cottage left to them by their beloved Aunt Lydia. But Cassie and Peck can't afford the house, and they can't agree on anything, much less what to do with the place. Plus, along with the house, they've inherited an artist-inresidence and self-proclaimed genius named Biggsy who seems to bring suspiciously bad luck wherever he goes. As these two likable sisters try to understand their aunt's puzzling instructions to "seek a thing of utmost value" from within the house, they're both distracted by romantic entanglements with men from their pasts. The Summer We Read Gatsby, set in the end-of-an-era summer of 2008, is filled with fabulous parties, eccentric characters, and insider society details that showcase Ganek's pitch-perfect sense of style and wit."

Won:


I won this over at Bookworming in the 21st Century -  Thank you!

Blessed by Cynthia L. Smith  

The next three books were won over at the Book Butterfly's Valentine's Day Contest! Thank you!!

Nothing Like You by Laura Strasnick

I Like Him, He Likes Her by Phyllis R. Naylor

Love, Love, Love: The Language of Love and Cupidity by Caroline Goode and Deborah Rebar

What did you get in your mailbox?  Have you read any of these books? Let me know what you think.   This meme is hosted by The Story Siren.