In My Mailbox (4)

A light but good week. Okay, I know most bibliophiles will say this is blasphemy, but I really do have too many books physically piled up. And if we considered my virtual tbr, it would be even worse. To that end, I am glad that I got a single title in the mail, and I only picked up three books from the library. A FYI to authors, I cannot afford to buy every book I read, but that doesn't mean I don't actively promote your book and affect sales. We have a great library system. I regularly suggest and request new buys for our library. I haven't requested a purchase that hasn't been made. Looking at my last two mailbox posts, I discovered that six of the books I've checked out are new book purchases I requested the library make. In My Mailbox is hosted each week by Kristi at Story Siren and Mailbox Monday is hosted by Marcia at The Printed Page. Eva hosts Library Loot at A Striped Armchair. This week I added to my ever growing pile:

The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams. Received this for review. Read a review somewhere that I really enjoyed but of course now I can't remember where. I looked at some of the published reviews and most were over-the-top. This a story about one girl's experience in a polygamous community. I'm looking forward to it but I was turned off by some of the sensenationalized reviews. Williams’ portrayals of the family are sharp, but what’s most interesting about this book is how the yearnings and fears of a character so far from what most YAs know will still seem familiar and close. Grades 7-10. --Ilene Cooper

Say The Word by Jeannine Garsee. There was quite a bit of buzz around this one. Steph Su reviewed it and I value her opinion so I'm curious if we agree on most points or if there'll be key differences in our takes on this novel. Steph writes, Jeannine Garsee tackles the difficult subjects of homosexuality, homophobia, and family loyalty in SAY THE WORD. In particular, I found the family loyalty issue most striking.

Cuba 15 by Nancy Osa. May is Latin Book Month. I have picked this book a couple of times and have failed to get to it. That's the problem with having too many good reads at one time. Violet Paz has just turned 15, a pivotal birthday in the eyes of her Cuban grandmother. Fifteen is the age when a girl enters womanhood, traditionally celebrating the occasion with a quinceañero. But while Violet is half Cuban, she’s also half Polish, and more importantly, she feels 100% American.

Need by Carrie Jones. I've seen this everywhere on teen review sites. When I saw it in the library, I remembered I requested it. I'm not a big reader of the fantasy genre but I'll say this, this genre has some of the most striking covers I've ever seen. Diana at Stop, Drop and Read had mixed feelings about it. It's written in the present tense and first person. I'm really curious to see how well the author handles both a lesser used tense and point-of-view.