Saturday, December 4, 2010

Library Loot (76), a review copy & purchases



Actually I've not checked out any YA books this week at the library but I do have lots already!

I forgot to include this one last week. Received for review:

My Soul to Take by Rachel Vincent (1 Jan 11, Mira Ink)
Being a teenager just got much more complicated. There is something very wrong with Kaylee Cavanaugh: she senses when someone near her is about to die. And when that happens, a force beyond her control compels her to scream bloody murder. Literally. Kaylee just wants to enjoy having caught the attention of the hottest guy in school. But a normal date is hard to come by when Nash seems to know more about the need to scream than she does. And when classmates start dropping dead for no apparent reason, only Kaylee knows who'll be next.

The following I bought from my local library discard pile for 40p(!), a mixture of children/teen books:

Waterslain Angels by Kevin Crossley-Holland (I've had my eye on this for a while as it's set in Norfolk, near where I'm from. I tried the audio book but didn't get on with the narrator so I'll hopefully better luck with the print version)
In the village of Waterslain in Norfolk, in the 1950s, a fragment from a carved angel's wing is discovered. Maybe the wooden angels that once supported the church roof were not, after all, destroyed centuries ago, but spirited away to safety. Two children decide to find them. There are few clues, but a strange inscription on the church wall leads them into terrifying places - up to the top of the church tower, down a tunnel where they are nearly drowned. Annie dreams of the man who was sent in by Cromwell to smash up the church, and of angels flying and falling. For Sandy, whose father, an American airman, was recently killed, the angels bring comfort. The whereabouts of the angels become clear to them - but then they discover that other people are hunting for them, and are determined to stop the children at all costs. The friendship between the boy adjusting to a new life in his mother's village, and the girl whose family have always lived on their remote farm, the haunting atmosphere of the Norfolk saltmarshes, and the strong sense of the past still present, give richness to a tense and fast-paced story of detection for younger readers.

Somewhere Else by Sandra Glover
Zan is worried about his sister, Jade, who doesn't seem to recognise family and friends. Even more disturbing, Jade insists she's Janet Bailey; a girl from another time and place. This must be the result of Jade's recent horrific ordeal, mustn't it? But if it's Post Traumatic Stress then why are her memories of being Janet so utterly vivid? And will they ever be able to get the real Jade back?

The Bride's Farewell by Meg Rosoff
On the morning of her wedding, Pell Ridley creeps out of bed in the dark, kisses her sisters goodbye and flees - determined to escape a future that offers nothing but hard work and sorrow. She takes the only thing that truly belongs to her: Jack, a white horse. The road ahead is rich with longing, silence and secrets, and each encounter leads her closer to the untold story of her past. Then Pell meets a hunter, infuriating, mysterious and cold. Will he help her to find what she seeks? With all the hallmarks of Meg Rosoff's extraordinary writing, The Bride's Farewell also breaks new ground for this author, in a nineteenth century, Hardyesque setting. This is a moving story of love and lost things, with a core of deep, beautiful romance.

The Diamond Takers by Karen Wallace (3rd in the Lady Violet Winters series. I read the first one ages ago which was set in Egypt - as I love Elizabeth Peters' Amelia Peabody series.)
Violet and her sidekick, Garth, are staying in a Parisian hotel with her parents when valuable jewels are stolen from guests. Never one to pass up an adventure, Violet is soon hot on the trail of the suspected diamond takers...!

8 comments:

  1. I have Waterslain Angels to read too. I picked mine up in a library sale. The Meg Rosoff one has been on my list for ages. Enjoy your books.

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  2. I have read lots of Keven Crossley-Holland but not Waterslain Angels. I will be looking out for your review!

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  3. Excellent selection. I love picking up loot at the library. HAppy reading :D

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  4. Great books. I need to read Rachel Vincent some time.
    My IMM

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  5. It seems to be my week for finding fellow UK bloggers! :-)
    I love the UK covers for the Soul Stealers books.
    I'm a new follower :-)
    My IMM is here: The Book Bundle
    ~Ailsa

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  6. My Soul to Take sounds fab, yes? Enjoy!

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  7. Ooh, I got My Soul to Take as well, but your cover is way more awesome! Hope you're enjoying your new books! :)

    Here's what I got in my mailbox this week :)

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  8. Nice mailbox. I want to start the Soul Screamers series very soon, am looking forward to your review:)
    Here is my Mailbox

    And don't forget to check out my Holiday Giveaway for the chance to win 1 out of 6 2011 release novels. This giveaway ends Jan 3rd and is open internationally:) You  can find it...here!

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