In My Mailbox (17)

In my mailbox is an awesome weekly meme hosted by Kristi of The Story Siren

I got a buttload of books from different places this week so I'm just going to highlight 5 that I haven't seen much of on other blogs.

The Goldsmith's Daughter by Tanya Landman

YA Historical Fiction

Candlewick (Sept 8, 2009)

ISBN: 978-0763642198

304 pages

Synopsis from Amazon.com:

A bearer of doom, or a bringer of change? As the Aztec empire falls, one girl defies her destiny.

In the golden city of Tenochtitlán, the people live in awe of Emperor Montezuma and in fear of blood-hungry gods. Under an ill-fated sky, a girl is born, facing a life of submission and domestic drudgery. But Itacate has a secret passion for goldwork, forbidden to women, and is forced to disguise her identity to protect herself and her family. When her city is shaken by Cortez’s invasion, Itacate challenges fate, culture, and faith by crafting golden statues — and pursuing the love of a man who should be her enemy. From the author of I AM APACHE comes a tale of clashing cultures, a rich and powerful depiction of Aztec life during the Spanish conquest of Mexico.

I find the history of the Aztecs fascinating and I'm eager to read about it from a YA perspective.

Set Up in Soho by Dee Davis

General Fiction/Chick Lit

St. Martin's Griffin (Oct 27, 2009)

ISBN: 978-0312367619

320 pages

Synopsis from Amazon.com:

When Andrea Sevalas’ long time boyfriend announces he’s seeing someone else, Andi’s thrown for a loop—well, actually, down a cellar. Head throbbing and nose out of joint, she’s rescued by one of New York’s finest – attorneys that is. Ethan McCay is the Upper East Side heir to the kingdom of Manhattan. But Andi isn’t interested in princes. At least not the uptown variety. She’s a downtown girl with no time for Park Avenue royalty.

So what’s a fairy godmother supposed to do? Well, if she’s Andi’s Aunt Althea (the infamous Manhattan matchmaker) a little manipulation is in order. After all, even Cinderella needed a little prodding to go to the ball. And with a little help from her friends, Althea’s plan goes charmingly – until the clock strikes midnight and the truth is revealed. Certain that she’s been betrayed by the people she trusted the most, Andi runs for the safety of Soho. But matchmakers don’t give up that easily, and with Althea at the helm, Andi will discover that love comes in all kinds of packages, and that sometimes, all it takes to recognize the fact is opening your heart to the possibility.

Looks like one of those cute mindless fluff books for when your brain needs a break.

The Concubine's Daughter Pai Kit Fai

Historical Fiction

St. Martin's Griffin (Sept 29, 2009)

ISBN: 978-0312355210

496 pages

Synopsis from Amazon.com:

An epic, heart-wrenching story of a mother and daughter’s journey to their destiny.

"Lotus Feet. He would give his daughter the dainty feet of a courtesan. This would enhance her beauty and her price, making her future shine like a new coin. He smiled to himself, pouring fresh tea. And it would stop her from running away…"

When the young concubine of an old farmer in rural China gives birth to a daughter called Li-Xia, or “Beautiful One,” the child seems destined to become a concubine herself. Li refuses to submit to her fate, outwitting her father’s orders to bind her feet and escaping the silk farm with an English sea captain. Li takes her first steps toward fulfilling her mother’s dreams of becoming a scholar—but her final triumph must be left to her daughter, Su Sing, “Little Star,” in a journey that will take her from remote mountain refuges to the perils of Hong Kong on the eve of World War II.

Asian cultures are really interesting to me, so I'm really looking forward to this one.

Giving Up on Ordinary by Isla Dewar

Literary Fiction/Women's Fiction

St. Martin's Griffin (Oct 13, 2009)

ISBN: 978-0446199483

320 pages

Synopsis from Amazon.com:

In this funny and charming novel, Megs is a woman whose ordinary life is about to become absolutely extraordinary. . . .

When Megs became a house cleaner to make ends meet as a single mother of three, she didn’t realize that people would be so blinded by the cleansers and mops, they would fail to see her as an actual human being. As “the housekeeper” she’s become invisible to them all. Little do these upper-crust clients realize that her life is just as full as theirs, although perhaps a bit less high end.

Megs sings the sultry blues at a club each weekend, begins a secret affair, and drinks her troubles away with her saucy best friend, Lorraine---all while trying to keep her children happy and her head above water. But with help from an eccentric professor whose house she cleans, her life is about to get a shot in the arm. Megs begins to speak her mind, stand up for herself, and live her life in color.

I've never heard of this author before but the blurb has me intrigued. I mean, a blues singer, an affair, alcoholism - sounds like the makings of a great story to me.

Metamorphosis: Junior Year by Betsy Franco, Tom Franco (Illustrator)

YA/Mythological Adaptation

Candlewick (October 13, 2009)

ISBN: 978-0763637651

128 pages

Synopsis from Candlewick.com:

Life. Love. Death. Identity. Ovid’s got a lot on his mind, and he pours it all -- as confessions, observations, narrative poems, and drawings -- into the pages of a notebook. Inspired by his namesake, he wryly records his classmates’ dramas as modern-day Roman mythology. There’s Sophie and Caleb, the Psyche and Cupid of cyber-couples; poetic Paula, who pursues filmmaker Franny like Apollo chasing Daphne; and graphic novelist Duwayne, a Proserpina shuttling between divorced parents. Meanwhile, Ovid hides his own Olympian struggles: his meth addict sister Thena has run off, leaving him with a suffocating home life and a disturbing secret. In her striking YA debut, Betsy Franco introduces an expressive soul with a heartbreakingly authentic voice. Fantastical ink illustrations by her son Tom Franco enhance the intimate tone, delving deep into one intriguing teen’s imagination.

He’s a young artist obsessed with myths. But can he fix his own fate? Acclaimed author Betsy Franco and her talented son collaborate on a hip YA novel of "epic" proportions.

Asian cultures are really interesting to me, so I'm really looking forward to this one.

I also got...

The School For Dangerous Girls by Eliot Schrefer

The Season by Sarah MacLean

Marcelo In The Real World by Francisco X. Stork

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

The Demon's Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan

Crash Into Me by Albert Borris

Jumping Off Swings by Jo Knowles

Sleepless by Thomas Fahy

Tricks by Ellen Hopkins

The Hollow by Jessica Verday

Devoured by Amanda Marrone

Winter's Child: A Retelling of "The Snow Queen" by Cameron Dokey

Dani Noir by Nova Ren Suma

Ballad: The Gathering of Faerie by Maggie Stiefvater

Forest Born by Shannon Hale

Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale

The Waking: Dreams of the Dead by Thomas Randall

Lady Macbeth's Daughter by Lisa M. Klein

Girl in the Arena by Lise Haines

Pastworld by Ian Beck

Magic Under Glass by Jaclyn Dolamore

The Way Home by George P. Pelecanos

Road Trip of the Living Dead by Mark Henry

Bloody Good by Georgia Evans

Bloody Awful by Georgia Evans

Thorn Queen by Richelle Mead

Bloody Right by Georgia Evans

Born of Night by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Shadowfae by Erica Hayes

Crimson by Jordan Summers

A Deep Kiss of Winter by Kresley Cole and Gena Showalter

Knit the Season: A Friday Night Knitting Club Book by Kate Jacobs

The Sari Shop Widow by Shobhan Bantwal