Letterbox Love #55

Letterbox Love all of the lovely, lovely books I’ve gotten in the post, bought and everything else. Summaries are taken from the cover, or Amazon/NetGalley/Goodreads in the case of e-books, unless otherwise stated. Hosted by Narratively Speaking.

For review:

Virgin, Radhika Sanghani (e-proof)

I don’t need the perfect guy.

I don’t need candlelight or roses.

Honestly, I don’t even need a real bed...

Ellie Kolstakis is a twenty-one-year-old virgin.

She’s not religious. She’s not waiting for marriage. She’s not even holding on for The One.

She’s just unlucky.

But with her final year of university coming to an end, she’s determined to shed her v-plates, once and for all.

And she’s ready to try anything – from submitting to her domineering Greek mother’s matchmaking skills to embracing the world of nether-world waxing trends (no-one wants a ‘Hitler’) and even YouTube tutorials on how to give a ‘blow gift’ (it should never be a job).

After all, what’s she got to lose? Well, besides the obvious.

This sounds hilarious and it’s been compared to Bridget Jones. Thanks Mira and NetGalley!

Roomies, Sara Zarr and Tara Altebrando (paperback)

The countdown to university has begun...

When Elizabeth receives her first-year roommate assignment at the beginning of summer, she shoots off an email to coordinate the basics; TV, microwave, mini-fridge. She can’t wait to escape her New Jersey beach town – and her mom – and start life afresh in California.

That first note to Lauren in San Francisco comes as a surprise; she had requested a single. But it Lauren’s learned anything from being the oldest of six, it’s that you don’t always get what you want, especially when what you want is privacy.

Soon the girls are emailing back and forth, sharing secrets even though they’ve never met. With family relationships and childhood friendships strained by change, it suddenly seems that the only people Elizabeth and Lauren can rely on are the complicated new boys in their lives...and each other.

My uni roommates are some of my most favourite people in the world so I love the sound of this book. Thanks Hodder!

Thanks Hodder!

Belzhar, Meg Wolitzer (proof)

I was sent here because of a boy. His name was Reeve Maxfield, and I loved him and then he died, and almost a year passed and no one knew what to do with me.

A group of emotionally fragile, highly intelligent teenagers gather at a therapeutic bparding school where they are mysteriously picked for ‘Special Topics in English’. Here, they are tasked with studying Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar and keeping a journal.

Each time the teens write in their diaries they are transported to a miraculous other world called Belzhar, a world where they are no longer haunted by their trauma and grief – and each begins to tell their own story.

With the power and upbeat poignancy of Dead Poets Society, the lightness and warmth of John Green and thebeauty and lyricism of The Bell Jar, Belzhar is set to be one of the most talked about YA novels this year.

I had heard of this but wasn’t sure what it was about, but, boy, am I glad this came through my letterbox! It sounds fantastic. Thanks S&S!

*Not necessarily the final cover.

Half-Blood, Jennifer L Armentrout (paperback)

The Hematoi descend from the unions of gods and mortals, and the children of two Hemotoi, pure-bloods, have godlike powers. Children of Hematoi and mortals – well, not so much. Half-bloods only have two options: become trained Sentinels who hunt and kill daimons or become servants in the homes of pures.

Seventeen-year-old Alexandria would rather risk her life fighting than wasting it scrubbing toilets, but she may end up slumming it anyway. There are several rules that students at the Covenant must follow. Alex has problems with them all, but especially rule #1:

Relationships between pures and halfs are forbidden.

Unfortunately, she’s crushing hard on the totally hot pure-blood Aiden. But falling for Aiden isn’t her biggest problem – staying alive long enough to graduate the Covenant and become a Sentinel is. If she fails in her duty, she faces a futureworse than death or slavery: being turned uunito a daimon, and being hunted by Aiden. And that would kind of suck.

I developed a bit of a soft spot for Jennifer L Armentrout’s books. Thanks Hodder and BookBridgr!

Bought:

Solitaire, Alice Oseman (paperback)

‘I don’t ever remember not being serious. As far as I’m concerned, I came out of the womb spouting cynicism and wishing for rain.’

My name is Tori Spring. I like to sleep and I like to blog. Last year I had friends. Things were very different, I guess, but that’s all over now.

Now there’s Solitaire. And Michael Holden.

I don’t know what Solitaire are trying to do. And I don’t care about Michael Holden. I really don’t.

This is getting some rave reviews and I can’t wait to get stuck in.

Opposition, Jennifer L Armentrout (e-book)

In this stunning series climax, Daemon and Katy join forces with unlikely an unlikely enemy to ensure the survival of not only their love for each other, but the future of all mankind. Opposition will bring forth a new dawn to the Lux universe, where man must stand with alien to survive, no matter the outcome, will never be the same.

I became addicted to this series, against my better judgement, at the beginning of the year and I can’t wait to see what ridiculous things happen in the final instalment. Bring it!

Sophie