IMM# 9

On time this time whoo hoo LOL
In My Mailbox is a weekly meme to share what we bought, checked out, swapped, or won. IMM is hosted by The Story Siren . I decided to add the synopsis of the books . 1st up what i won/gifted

To Dance Again
by James Thomas

Publication Date:  December 23rd 2011

Elliott is still mourning the deaths of his parents and his brother when his brother’s widow and her small daughter arrive to stay for a while. The foul-mouthed, exhibitionist mother he can do without, but Gee, the five-year-old girl, is a charmer.
But Gee tells stories, stories that no child her age could make up. In the stories she’s a grown woman, a dancer, and she meets a tragic end. Elliott doesn’t know what to make of it. Could Gee have lived before?
His feelings are a conflicting mix of disbelief and curiosity, needing resolution, so the pair sets out for the place where the murdered woman lived. There Elliott meets a woman he knows, even though he’s never met her, and there he and Gee come to the attention of a man who has killed many times over the centuries. And who is not about to stop.

Luck in the Shadows (Nightrunner #1)
by Lynn Flewelling

Publicication Date:  3rd 2010 by Bantam Spectra (first published 1996)

When young Alec of Kerry is taken prisoner for a crime he didn’t commit, he is certain that his life is at an end. But one thing he never expected was his cellmate. Spy, rogue, thief, and noble, Seregil of Rhiminee is many things–none of them predictable. And when he offers to take on Alec as his apprentice, things may never be the same for either of them. Soon Alec is traveling roads he never knew existed, toward a war he never suspected was brewing. Before long he and Seregil are embroiled in a sinister plot that runs deeper than either can imagine, and that may cost them far more than their lives if they fail. But fortune is as unpredictable as Alec’s new mentor, and this time there just might be…Luck in the Shadows.

[EXITED/ a ebook if it's good and i win money totally ordering it from bookdepository]

Stalking Darkness (Nightrunner #2)
by Lynn Flewelling

Publication Date:  November 17th 2010 by Bantam Spectra (first published 1997)

With the Leran threat laid to rest, Alec and Seregil are now able to turn their attention to the ancient evil which threatens their land. The Plenimarans, at war with Skalans, have decided to defeat their ancient enemy by raising up the Dead God, Seriamaius. The early attempts at this reincarnation--masterminded by the sinister Duke Mardus and his sorcerous minion Vargul Ashnazai--once left Seregil in a sorcerous coma. Now, an ancient prophecy points to his continuing role in the quest to stop Mardus in his dread purpose.


Seregil's friend and Mentor, the wizard Nysander, has long been the guardian of a deadly secret. In a secret, silver-lined room hidden well beneath the Oreska, he has served for most of his 300 years as the keeper of a nondescript clay cup. But this cup, combined with a crystal crown and some wooden disks, forms the Helm of Seriamaius, and any mortal donning the reconstructed Helm will become the incarnation of the god on earth.


Nysander holds the cup and Mardus the wooden disks--one of which was responsible for Seregil's coma--but the crown must still be located. Threatened under pain of death by Nysander to keep his quest a secret even from his loyal companion, Alec, Seregil is dispatched to find the last missing piece of the Helm so that he and Nysander can destroy it. But this is only the beginning of one of his deadliest journeys ever, for the prophecy also holds that four will come together in a time of darkness, and gradually all that Seregil values is placed at risk as he, Alec, Nysander and Micum are drawn into a deadly web of terror and intrigue.

Traitor's Moon (Nightrunner #3)by Lynn Flewelling

Publication Date: 23rd 2009 by Spectra (first published 1999)

Seregil and Alec have spent the last two years in self-imposed exile, far from their adopted homeland, Skala, and the bitter memories there. But their time of peace is shattered by a desperate summons from Queen Idrilain, asking them to aid her daughter on a mission to Aurenen, the very land from which Seregil was exiled in his youth.

Shadows Return (Nightrunner #4)
by Lynn Flewelling

Publication Date: June 24th 2008 by Spectra

With their most treacherous mission yet behind them, heroes Seregil and Alec resume their double life as dissolute nobles and master spies. But in a world of rivals and charmers, fate has a different plan.…
After their victory in Aurënen, Alec and Seregil have returned home to Rhíminee. But with most of their allies dead or exiled, it is difficult for them to settle in. Hoping for diversion, they accept an assignment that will take them back to Seregil’s homeland. En route, however, they are ambushed and separated, and both are sold into slavery. Clinging to life, Seregil is sustained only by the hope that Alec is alive. 
But it is not Alec’s life his strange master wants—it is his blood. For his unique lineage is capable of producing a rare treasure, but only through a harrowing process that will test him body and soul and unwittingly entangle him and Seregil in the realm of alchemists and madmen—and an enigmatic creature that may hold their very destiny in its inhuman hands…. But will it prove to be savior or monster?

The White Road (Nightrunner #5)
by Lynn Flewelling

Publication Date: May 25th 2010 by Spectra

Dissolute nobles, master spies, and the unlikeliest of heroes, Alec and Seregil have survived exile, treachery, and black magic. But the road that lies ahead is the most hazardous they’ve ever traveled. For with enemies on all sides, they must walk a narrow path between good and evil where one misstep might be their last. Having escaped death and slavery in Plenimar, Alec and Seregil want nothing more than to go back to their nightrunning life in Rhíminee. Instead they find themselves saddled with Sebrahn, a strange, alchemically created creature—the prophesied “child of no woman.” Its moon-white skin and frightening powers make Sebrahn a danger to all whom Alec and Seregil come into contact with, leaving them no choice but to learn more about Sebrahn’s true nature. 
With the help of trusted friends and Seregil’s clan, the duo set out to discover the truth about this living homunculus—a journey that can lead only to danger or death. For Seregil’s old nemesis Ulan í Sathil of Virèsse and Alec’s own long-lost kin are after them, intent on possessing both Alec and Sebrahn. On the run and hunted, Alec and his comrades must fight against time to accomplish their most personal mission ever.

Review

The Amulet of Samarkand (Bartimaeus #1)
by Jonathan Stroud

Publication Date: May 12th 2004 by Miramax

Nathaniel is a boy magician-in-training, sold to the government by his birth parents at the age of five and sent to live as an apprentice to a master. Powerful magicians rule Britain, and its empire, and Nathaniel is told his is the "ultimate sacrifice" for a "noble destiny." If leaving his parents and erasing his past life isn't tough enough, Nathaniel's master, Arthur Underwood, is a cold, condescending, and cruel middle-ranking magician in the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The boy's only saving grace is the master's wife, Martha Underwood, who shows him genuine affection that he rewards with fierce devotion. Nathaniel gets along tolerably well over the years in the Underwood household until the summer before his eleventh birthday. Everything changes when he is publicly humiliated by the ruthless magician Simon Lovelace and betrayed by his cowardly master who does not defend him.Nathaniel vows revenge. In a Faustian fever, he devours magical texts and hones his magic skills, all the while trying to appear subservient to his master. When he musters the strength to summon the 5,000-year-old djinni Bartimaeus to avenge Lovelace by stealing the powerful Amulet of Samarkand, the boy magician plunges into a situation more dangerous and deadly than anything he could ever imagine. In British author Jonathan Stroud's excellent novel, the first of The Bartimaeus Trilogy, the story switches back and forth from Bartimaeus's first-person point of view to third-person narrative about Nathaniel. Here's the best part: Bartimaeus is absolutely hilarious, with a wit that snaps, crackles, and pops. His dryly sarcastic, irreverent asides spill out into copious footnotes that no one in his or her right mind would skip over. A sophisticated, suspenseful, brilliantly crafted, dead-funny book that will leave readers anxious for more. (Ages 11 to adult) --Karin Snelson

The Twisted Thread
by Charlotte Bacon

Publication Date:  June 14th 2011 by Voice

When beautiful but aloof Claire Harkness is found dead in her dorm room one spring morning, prestigious Armitage Academy is shaken to its core. Everyone connected to school, and to Claire, finds their lives upended, from the local police detective who has a personal history with the academy, to the various faculty and staff whose lives are immersed in the daily rituals associated with it. 
Everyone wants to know how Claire died, at whose hands, and more importantly, where the baby that she recently gave birth to is a baby that almost no one, except her small innermost circle, knew she was carrying. 
At the center of the investigation is Madeline Christopher, an intern in the English department who is forced to examine the nature of the relationship between the school's students and the adults meant to guide them. As the case unravels, the dark intricacies of adolescent privilege at a powerful institution are exposed, and both teachers and students emerge as suspects as the novel rushes to its thrilling conclusion. 
With The Twisted Thread, Charlotte Bacon has crafted a gripping and suspenseful story in the tradition of Donna Tartt's The Secret History, one that pulls back the curtain on the lives of the young and privileged

Deadly Is the Kiss
by Rhyannon Byrd

Publication Date: March 20th 2012 by Harlequin

SOME FLAMES ARE ETERNAL 
Tasked with protecting humanity from harm, the last thing Ashe Granger was searching for on his mission was his destined mate. Then, a mysterious darkeyed beauty reluctantly offered him shelter. A spark of danger—and a soul-deep recognition—ignited a burning, carnal need… 
Since her family’s exile, Juliana Sabin had borne full responsibility for their safety. So when evil struck, she had no choice but to ally herself with the sexy guardian vampire. Now, months later, Ashe is back and tempting Juliana to reveal her darkest secrets…and desires. For the killer stalking the shadows isn’t acting alone—and he won’t rest until his deadly cravings are fulfilled

Emerald City
by Alicia K. Leppert

Publication Date:  April 8th 2012 by Cedar Fort, Inc.

Olivia's sad, solitary life in Seattle comes dangerously close to ending one fateful night, if not for a neighbor saving her in the nick of time. Curious about her mysterious rescuer, she seeks him out in hope of getting some answers, but instead finds something she never thought she'd have again

Lies Beneath (Lies Beneath #1)
by Anne Greenwood Brown

Publication Date:  June 12th 2012 by Delacorte Press (an imprint of Random House)

Calder White lives in the cold, clear waters of Lake Superior, the only brother in a family of murderous mermaids. To survive, Calder and his sisters prey on humans, killing them to absorb their energy. But this summer the underwater clan targets Jason Hancock out of pure revenge. They blame Hancock for their mother's death and have been waiting a long time for him to return to his family's homestead on the lake. Hancock has a fear of water, so to lure him in, Calder sets out to seduce Hancock's daughter, Lily. Easy enough—especially as Calder has lots of practice using his irresistable good looks and charm on ususpecting girls. Only this time Calder screws everything up: he falls for Lily—just as Lily starts to suspect that there's more to the monsters-in-the-lake legends than she ever imagined. And just as his sisters are losing patience with him.

[ AAAAAH JUMPING UP AND DOWN. MANYLY DUDE SCREAM AAAH /SO EXITED 4 THIS1/YES I'M TYPING THIS IN CAPITOL LETTERS AAAH]

Cobble Cavern ( Flin's Destiny Series #1)
by  Erik Olsen

Publication Date:   April 09, 2012 by Sweetwater

What starts out to be a fun field trip to Ireland for Flin and his school debate team turns into a life changing adventure when their bus ends up in an earthquake. Flin and his teammates get swallowed deep into the earth and become trapped under the ocean inside a clear dome where they discover an unknown civilization. Now they must fight their way back to the surface if they ever want to see home again. Join Flin and his classmates on a journey of a lifetime in this thrilling adventure story.

[ could not it on goodreads]

Bought

[there were from my school library's discard table only spend $2]

Hugger Mugger (Spenser #27)
by Robert B. Parker

Publication Date:   June 1st 2001 by Berkley 

Someone's making death treaths in dixie-against a Thoroughbred Horse destined to be the next Secretariat. At the owner's request. Boston P.I Spencer hoofs it down south- where the lies are buzzing ...and the dying is eazy.  

[blurb of the backcover]

Catcher In The Rye
by J.D. Salinger

Publication Date: May 1st 1991 by Little, Brown (first published July 16th 1951)

Anyone who has read J.D. Salinger's New Yorker stories—particularly A Perfect Day for Bananafish, Uncle Wiggily in Connecticut, The Laughing Man, and For Esme—With Love and Squalor, will not be surprised by the fact that his first novel is fully of children. The hero-narrator of THE CATCHER IN THE RYE is an ancient child of sixteen, a native New Yorker named Holden Caulfield. Through circumstances that tend to preclude adult, secondhand description, he leaves his prep school in Pennsylvania and goes underground in New York City for three days. The boy himself is at once too simple and too complex for us to make any final comment about him or his story. Perhaps the safest thing we can say about Holden is that he was born in the world not just strongly attracted to beauty but, almost, hopelessly impaled on it. There are many voices in this novel: children's voices, adult voices, underground voices-but Holden's voice is the most eloquent of all. Transcending his own vernacular, yet remaining marvelously faithful to it, he issues a perfectly articulated cry of mixed pain and pleasure. However, like most lovers and clowns and poets of the higher orders, he keeps most of the pain to, and for, himself. The pleasure he gives away, or sets aside, with all his heart. It is there for the reader who can handle it to keep

Doctor Zhivago
by Boris Pasternak

Publication Date:  March 13th 1991 by Pantheon (first published 1957)

without jacket

This epic tale about the effects of the Russian Revolution and its aftermath on a bourgeois family was not published in the Soviet Union until 1987. One of the results of its publication in the West was Pasternak's complete rejection by Soviet authorities; when he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1958 he was compelled to decline it. The book quickly became an international best-seller. 
Dr. Yury Zhivago, Pasternak's alter ego, is a poet, philosopher, and physician whose life is disrupted by the war and by his love for Lara, the wife of a revolutionary. His artistic nature makes him vulnerable to the brutality and harshness of the Bolsheviks. The poems he writes constitute some of the most beautiful writing in the novel.

The Fellowship of the Ring (The Lord of the Rings #1)
by J.R.R. Tolkien

Publication Date: August 12th 1986 by Ballantine Books (first published 1954)

The Fellowship of the Ring- the first volume in the trilogy
"The Lord of the Rings" tells of a fateful power of One Ring, and begins the magnificint tale of adventures which is continued in The Two Towers and reaches its mighty climax in The Return of the KIng.

[blurb of the backcover]


Freebies

Picture Perfect
by Deena Remiel

Publication Date:  July 17th 2011 by kindle direct

Jamie has it all, looks, brains, and a charming personality. But in this romance cover model’s world, those blessings become a curse when a colleague blurs the line between reality and fantasy. Will women only see him for his looks and never look below the surface to the man beneath? 
Hope had a dream job, working with sexy, hot photographs, turning authors’ dreams into reality. When laid off from her publisher as a cover artist she must find her namesake in life again…some kind of hope for her future. Can a birthday wish give her what she truly desires? They say be careful what you wish for. 
Destiny seems to bring Jamie and Hope what they need, each other. But a dangerous obstacle stands in their way as obsession turns deadly. Can Jamie trust in Hope’s grounded nature? Is Hope strong enough to live in Jamie’s world? Or will reality intrude on their fantasy of being together?

So that's what I got this week


What did You Get?