In My Mailbox 22

Dear Blog,
IMM is hosted as ever by Kristi of The Story Siren.

This was another week in which my taste in books led me further afield than the local library.  I went to the Great Big Library in the centre of town, which is full of Exciting Shiny Novels I couldn't dream of finding in the library closer to home. 
Also, I've been reading a lot more recently.  Of late I'd kind of been in something of a reading slump; that doesn't seem to be so much of the case any more.  Maybe it's because I'm finding more books that I truly want to read, or my tastes have changed slightly.
Excuse the random bottle of water in the picture.  My desk is a mess at the moment, but left long enough it will clean itself.

BOUGHT

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

LIBRARY

We by Yegevny Zamyatin [currently reading]
Le Bal by Irène Némirovsky [read; next week's Foreign Language Friday post] 

The Plague by Albert Camus

Junk by Melvin Burgess

So that was my bookish week.  What about yours?

In My Mailbox 20

Dear blog,

Hosted as ever by Kristi of The Story Siren.

I haven't participated in IMM for about a month or so, which is mostly because I was trying to stick to my goal of getting through some of  the books that I -gasp- actually own, or at least get my to-read shelf on Goodreads down to 100 books. 

However, then I realised that I didn't actually own the majority of the books that were on aforementioned to-read shelf,  and this was a sufficient excuse to buy some of the books I had been after for ages.

BOUGHT

Impulse by Ellen Hopkins

Eunoia by  Christian Bök (already read.  Quite extraordinary.)

This is All by Aidan Chambers

The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera

Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

So, that was my bookish week. What about yours?

In My Mailbox 19 or The One With My Birthday

Dear Blog,
IMM again, hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren.
Well, after a couple of weeks where I got no books at all, I suddenly ended up obtaining a load of novels.  However, today's my birthday, which probably explains a part of the amount of books I got this week (and sorry for the lame photograph).  I officially have too many books now,  but what the heck.
Anyway:

FOR REVIEW

Alas, I was unable to attend the Random House Blogger Brunch, but this week I did get sent through:

Long Lankin  by Lindsey Barraclough (not pictured because it was too huge)

The Emerald Atlas by John Stephens

The Kissing Game by Aidan Chambers

In The Sea There Are Crocodiles by Fabio Geda

BOUGHT
I'm Not Scared by Niccolo Ammaniti

Whisper My Name by Jane Eagland

Zelah Green by Vanessa Curtis

FROM THE LIBRARY

Keeping You A Secret by Julie Anne Peters

Hinadori Girl volume 2 by Mari Matsuzawa

GIFTS

Bright Young Things by Anna Godbersen (just about to start this)

Fruits Basket volume 5 by Natsuki Takaya

Notre-Dame de Paris by Victor Hugo (Now I can re-read it to pieces)

An Artist of the Floating World by Kazuo Ishiguro

So that pretty much sums up my bookish week.  I'd better be off now.  Monday to Friday I'll be on holiday, so don't expect any more reviews and such from me for the next week. 

In My Mailbox 18 or The One With Christmas

Dear blog,
In My Mailbox, as ever hosted by Kristi of The Story Siren fame.
So.  This is actually two weeks worth of books;

GIFTS/ FOR CHRISTMAS

Burned by Ellen Hopkins (read; review coming soon)

Now I Know and The Toll Bridge by Aidan Chambers (Now I Know review further down the page)

Wait for Me by An Na

Girl In Translation by Jean Kwok

BOUGHT

The Elephant Vanishes by Haruki Murakami

South of the Border, West of the Sun by Haruki Murakami (currently reading)

Matched by Ally Condie

Sea by Heidi R Kling

The Tension of Opposites by Kristina McBride

The Mark by Jen Nadol

FROM THE LIBRARY

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath (not pictured, 'cause I forgot I had it until after I'd started writing this entry)

To conclude: a satisfying bookish fortnight. 

In My Mailbox 17 or The One with the Classics

Dear Blog,

In My Mailbox, as ever, hosted by Kristi of The Story Siren fame.

This was an interesting week, in which as well as my usual choice of reading material, I braved the dark waters outside my usual comfort zone of teenage fiction, and delved into the classics section of my local library.  The result was:

FOR REVIEW
The Amulet of Smarkand: A Bartimaeus Graphic Novel by Johnathan Stroud and Andrew Donkin

BOUGHT
When I Was a Soldier by Valerie Zenatti
Checkmate by Malorie Blackman

BORROWED (Mostly from the library, but one or two came from relatives)
The  Body Finder by Kimberley Derting (currently reading) (yes, that is a reindeer bookmark.)
The Diary of Ma Yan  by Ma Yan (obvs.)
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (after much pestering from my father)
Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck (also currently reading, but semi-abandoned in my scramble to finish the 2010 Debut Author Challenge)
BUtterfield 8 by John O'Hara
Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut (not pictured, the only reason being I only remembered I'd got it this week after I'd taken the picture).
And that was all, I think.  What about you?

Book Blogger Hop!

Dear Blog,

I haven't participated in this meme hosted over at Crazy For Books for a few weeks, mostly because I've been too busy.  However, I'm in search of new blogs this week, so I'm participating again.

Anyway. As with every week, a question is posted along with the Linky for participants to answer.  This week it's:

"What do you consider the most important in a story: the plot or the characters?"

My answer: It's an interesting question.  Some books can have entirely suckish plots and incredible characters that still make it excellent; some books have an interesting plot but the most loathesome characters in the universe.  So I think that it's the characters that can matter the most; it's easier for a character to strike a chord with you than a whole plot line.

Well, that's all.  Hop forth, book bloggers.

In My Mailbox 16

Dear Blog,

It would seem I haven't participated in IMM for a while, hosted as ever by The Story Siren..  Mostly because I've been trying not to buy too many books.

FOR REVIEW

The Iron Witch by Karen Mahoney

The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove by Lauren Kate

BOUGHT

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green (Read-I'm writing a review now)

FROM THE LIBRARY
Kissing the Rain by Kevin Brooks (currently reading)
Out of Shadows by Jason Wallace
Notre-Dame de Paris by Victor Hugo (not pictured because I had to return it to the library) (I shall have to talk about this in a Foreign Language Friday post next week)
I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone by Stephanie Kuehnert (ditto)

Well, that was my literary week.  And what about yours?

In My Mailbox, or, The Week of Interesting Books

Dear Blog,
hosted as ever by Kristi over at The Story Siren.
This was an interesting week, in which I strayed from my normal comfort zone of teenage fiction in search of other things, including plays, Chinese journalism, and Ukrainian classics. 

BOUGHT:
Knife Edge by Malorie Blackman (I read Noughts  & Crosses about a year ago and haven't gotten round to getting hold of the sequel until now)
Dance Dance Dance by Haruki Murakami
The Good Women of China by Xinran
The Importance of being Earnest by Oscar Wilde (I need it for coursework and such)

LIBRARY
Once was Lost by Sara Zarr
Guantanamo Boy by Anna Perera (review here)
Death and the Penguin by Andrey Kurkov
How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff (Currently reading, it reminds me a lot of Bonjour Tristesse for reasons I cannot yet explain )

Well, that was my bookish week.  How about yours?