New Book Arrived - Off Season by Anne Rivers Siddons

Off Season
Anne Rivers Siddon
Grand Central Publishing

From Hachette Book Group:
Acclaimed novelist Anne Rivers Siddons's new novel is a stunning tale of love and loss.

For as long as she can remember, they were Cam and Lilly--happily married, totally in love with each other, parents of a beautiful family, and partners in life. Then, after decades of marriage, it ended as every great love story does...in loss. After Cam's death, Lilly takes a lone road trip to her and Cam's favorite spot on the remote coast of Maine, the place where they fell in love over and over again, where their ghosts still dance. There, she looks hard to her past--to a first love that ended in tragedy; to falling in love with Cam; to a marriage filled with exuberance, sheer life, and safety-- to try to figure out her future.

It is a journey begun with tender memories and culminating in a revelation that will make Lilly re-evaluate everything she thought was true about her husband and her marriage.

I've decided to separate the "grown up" books I receive from the YA/MG books. I will list the adult titles as they come in and keep my IMM posts for the YA/MG crowd.

New Book Arrived - Austenland by Shannon Hale

Austenland
Shannon Hale
Bloomsbury

From Bloomsbury USA:

Jane Hayes is a seemingly normal young New Yorker, but she has a secret. Her obsession with Mr. Darcy, as played by Colin Firth in the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, is ruining her love life: no real man can compare. But when a wealthy relative bequeaths her a trip to an English resort catering to Austen-crazed women, Jane's fantasies of meeting the perfect Regency-era gentleman suddenly become realer than she ever could have imagined.

Decked out in empire-waist gowns, Jane struggles to master Regency etiquette and flirts with gardeners and gentlemen-or maybe even, she suspects, with the actors who are playing them. It's all a game, Jane knows. And yet the longer she stays, the more her insecurities seem to fall away, and the more she wonders: Is she about to kick the Austen obsession for good, or could all her dreams actually culminate in a Mr. Darcy of her own?

The Amazing Dancer and I are both reading this for the Everything Austen Challenge!

New Book Arrived - Along for The Ride by Sarah Dessen

Along for The Ride
Sarah Dessen
Viking/Penguin
pgs. 383

Yeah! It's finally here. This was one of my WoW posts back in February. I've enjoyed quite a few of @SarahDessen's books - Just Listen, Lock and Key, Someone Like You, Keeping The Moon, That Summer, This Lullaby and The Truth About Forever - and looked forward to this being released. And now it's here, and I can barely wait to dive into it!

New Book Arrived: Dessert First by Hallie Durand

Dessert First
Hallie Durand
Antheneum Books for Young Readers
ARC - May 19, 2009

I just got this in the mail today and it's also the official release day of the book! Dessert First arrived courtesy of The Picnic Basket. Check it out. They have frequent offerings that you just have to email for if you are interested. You do have to be fast though. The only cost to you is your review! The Picnic Basket also includes a synopsis and "the story behind the story" for each book. Check it out!

I have been trying to find engaging middle grades fiction to read. I hope this pans out. In addition, I'm doing my internship in the Children's department of St. Joseph County Public Library, Main branch. The manager served on the Newbery's and she runs a Mock Newbery club. I know I'll get some experience that way too.

I look forward to reading this but I must say, it looks "younger" than middle grades. I'm not sure any of my students would voluntarily pick this up. I could "sell" it as a I look forward to reading this but I must say, it looks "younger" than middle grades. I'm not sure any of my students would voluntarily pick this up. I could "sell" it as a Diary of a Wimpy Kid for girls type book though. Course, I should read it before picking a "market" eh?!

New Books Arrived - Random House UK

Lauren and Ruth at Random House UK are pretty flipping sweet! They saw that I wanted to read Flightsend by Linda Newbery and they sent it to me!!! They also sent some more treasures that I'd like to share with you:

Thursday, May 7 -



Blood Water by Dean Vincent Carter - a town under water!
Extreme Kissing by Luisa Playa - J has tried to steal this already
Spook's Apprentice by Joseph Delaney - I can barely wait to start this one!
Flightsend by Linda Newbery - J and I sat on the driveway while I read excerpts
Solace of the Road by Siobhan Dowd - what a beautiful cover
The Dragon Whisperer by Lucinda Hare - hella hard time finding this cover! This book wasn't listed on any book sites - that makes me want to read it even more!

Friday, May 8 -



Bang, Bang, You're Dead by Narinder Dhami - have you seen the Tom Cavanaugh movie of this title? Wonder if similar? You can actually feel the holes on the book cover sign!
Dread Pirate Fleur and the Ruby Heart by Sara Starbuck - Dread Pirate? any relation to the Princess Bride? ::squee:: can't wait!
The Sorceress by Michael Scott - This is book 3! The students will be chasing me around the library!!!
Sebastian Darke: Prince of the Explorers by Philip Caveney - this looks like fun! "How can you kill something that's already dead...?" Check out the cool website!

Yippee! I'm so excited! Look for reviews of these books over the next weeks! My goal is to read and review at least one a week. I'm hoping for some fall book club picks out of this! I'm also going to have the summer book club read and comment on some! Keep your eyes on the brainlair!

New Book Arrived - Secrets to Happiness by Sarah Dunn

Secrets to Happiness
Sarah Dunn
Little, Brown and Company
March 2009
Blog Tour - June 12, 2009

from inside jacket
Holly Frick has just endured the worst kind of breakup: the kind where you're still in love with the person leaving you. While Holly's wounds are still dangerously close to the surface, her happily married best friend confesses over a bottle of wine that she is thisclose to having an affair. And another woman asks Holly for advice about her love life -- with one of Holly's exes.

Holly decides that if everyone around her can take pleasure wherever they find it, so will she. As any self-respecting woman would do, she brings two males into her life: a flawed but endearing dog and a good-natured, much younger lover. She's soon entangled in a web of emails, chance meetings, and misguided good intentions and must forge an entirely new path to Nirvana.