Mailbox Monday - October 26th

Yay for Mailbox Mondays! This is honestly one of my favorite posts of the week, lol. I love showcasing all the great books that I receive, and giving thanks to those who have contributed to my ever growing TBR pile :)

For Review :

Symptoms of a Broken Heart by Cory Cramer (Trade Paperback)
September 1, 2009 - Supplied by author upon their request for me to review.

The author also sent along a previous mini-series called Losing Latitude.

When Lisa and her sister Susan celebrate Susan’s birthday by attending a Full Moon Party–a party thrown by a group of werewolf fanatics in a swamp near New Orleans–an unexpected tragedy occurs. Fearing repercussions, Lisa turns to black magic in order to cover up what happened to her sister. But keeping things under wraps isn’t as easy as Lisa thinks. Little does she know, her inner demons—and desires—will be the biggest obstacles in keeping her sister’s death a secret.

The Manufactured Identity by Heath Sommer (Trade Paperback)
June 23, 2009 - Supplied by author upon their request for me to review.

Can't seem to find a synopsis for this one, but you can read the first chapter here.

Ciao Bella by Gina Buonaguro & Janice Kirk (Hardcover)
October 13, 2009 - Suppled by author upon their request for me to review.

For Graziella, the quiet, cultured life she lived in Venice with her musician husband, Ugo, was everything she could have hoped for. But when Italy allied itself with Nazi Germany in 1940, her world changed forever. Ugo, trading in his violin for a gun, joined the Resistance, while Graziella was forced to seek refuge at his family’s farm in the nearby Euganean Hills. “Just until the war is over,” Ugo had promised, but it has been months now since the Nazis retreated, and no one has seen him since.

With Ugo gone, it seems as if she will be trapped forever on this remote farm with her lost husband’s difficult family. So when an American soldier named Frank is stranded on the mountain, Graziella embraces this unexpected chance at being happy again. But as tempting as it is to leave behind this war-torn country and her painful memories for a new life in America, can she go without learning her husband’s fate?

With quiet grace and humor, Ciao Bella explores the possibilities of love and redemption in the wake of war, showing that some of the hardest decisions come only after the fighting has stopped.

Won :



Strange Angels by Lili St. Crow (ARC)
May 14, 2009 - Thanks Cindy @ Princess Bookie!

Dad? Zombie.
Mom? Long gone.
Me? Well, that's the scary part.

The Real World is a frightening place. Just ask sixteen-year-old orphan Dru Anderson, a tough girl who has taken down her fair share of bad guys. She's armed, dangerous, and ready to kill first and ask questions later. So it's gonna take her a while to figure out who she can trust . . .

Dru Anderson has been 'strange' for as long as she can remember, travelling from town to town with her father to hunt the things that go bump in the night. It's a weird life, but a good one – until it all explodes in an icy, broken-down Dakota town, when a hungry zombie busts through her kitchen door. Alone, terrified, and trapped, Dru's going to need every inch of her wit and training to stay alive. The monsters have decided to hunt back – and this time, Dru's on their menu. Chances of survival? Slim to none.

If she can't last until sunup, it's game over . . .

Someone Like You by Sarah Dessen (Trade Paperback)
May 11, 2004 - Thanks Cindy @ Princess Bookie!

Halley and Scarlett have been best friends for years, sharing secrets, clothes, and crushes. People know Scarlett as the popular, flamboyant one; Halley is just her quiet sidekick. Then, at the beginning of their junior year, the balance shifts. First, Scarlett's boyfriend Michael is killed in a motorcycle accident; soon afterward, she learns that she is carrying his baby. For the first time, Scarlett really needs Halley. Their friendship may bend under the weight, but it will never break--because a true friendship is a promise you keep forever.

Mooched :



Tantalize by Cynthia Leitich Smith (Hardcover)
July 22, 2008 - Bookmooch

CLASSIFIED ADS: RESTAURANTS SANGUINI''S:
A VERY RARE RESTAURANT IS HIRING A CHEF DE CUISINE.
DINNERS ONLY.
APPLY IN PERSON BETWEEN 2:00 AND 4:00 PM.

Quincie Morris has never felt more alone. Her parents are dead, and her hybrid-werewolf first love is threatening to embark on a rite of passage that will separate them forever. Then, as she and her uncle are about to unveil their hot vampire-themed restaurant, a brutal murder leaves them scrambling for a chef. Can Quincie transform their new hire into a culinary Dark Lord before opening night? Can he wow the crowd in his fake fangs, cheap cape, and red contact lenses — or is there more to this earnest face than meets the eye? As human and preternatural forces clash, a deadly love triangle forms, and the line between predator and prey begins to blur. Who’s playing whom? And how long can Quincie play along before she loses everything? TANTALIZE marks Cynthia Leitich Smith’s delicious debut as a preeminent author of dark fantasy.

Storm of Shadows by Christina Dodd (MMP)
September 1, 2009 - Paperbackswap

Brilliant Rosamund Hill has lived her life buried in academia, discounting the legend of the Chosen as a myth-then Aaron Eagle shows up at her door. With the promise of a love that will defy fate itself, Rosamund is forced to confront the truth about the Chosen...and the dangerous man who sweeps her into a world of dark secrets.

What did you receive this week? Feel free to post below, or even leave a link to your mailbox!