The Secret Life of Sparrow Delaney by Suzanne Harper

From Goodreads:
In high school, the last thing you want is for people to think you talk to ghosts. When Sparrow begins tenth grade at a huge new school full of strangers, she thinks her dreams of anonymity and a fresh start are finally coming true. No more following in her six older sisters' footsteps. No more going to class with kids who've seen her grandma doing jujitsu in the front yard next to the headstones of her four dead husbands. And no more worrying about keeping her deep, dark secret hidden.Sparrow makes a new best friend and has her eye on an irritatingly appealing guy in her history class. She feels like she's well on her way to a normal life. But it's another boy—a dead one—who wants Sparrow's attention, and he won't let her be till she's helped him Move On.You see, Sparrow Delaney's secret is that she's a psychic. And there's one very persistent ghost who won't let her forget it.

I really liked the premise of this and overall I enjoyed the book - I just found it took until about a third of the way through before it picked up momentum. I’m glad I persevered with it though because once it caught my attention I was hooked.

Sparrow had a really good voice – very humorous – and I could understand her wish to be ‘normal’ and her fear that if people learnt the truth they wouldn’t accept her. Her family was really quirky (especially her grandma) and they added to the fun and wit of the novel. I really liked Luke and Jack as well as Sparrow’s 'spirit guides' – Luke’s story was handled with care by the author and you really felt for his family.

Overall it was good and kind of reminded me of Meg Cabot’s Mediator series. The ending was really sweet and despite the slow start I was left wanting more – I’d like to see more of Sparrow Delaney.

The Ex Games by Jennifer Echols

From Amazon:
Brace yourself for the battle of the exes....
Hayden and Nick used to be a hot item, but their brief affair ended with a highly publicized breakup. Now the two are "just friends," excluding the occasional flirtation.
When Hayden wins the girls' division of a local snowboarding competition, Nick is unimpressed, claiming that Hayden wouldn't have a chance against a guy. Hayden calls Nick's bluff and challenges him to a head-to-head boarding contest. Their mutual friends quickly take sides, the girls on Hayden's and the boys on Nick's, making for an all-out battle of the sexes. This friendly competition is bound to get heated -- and they might end up igniting some old flames.

This was such good fun! I loved the characters Nick and Hayden – they were well fleshed out and I adored the banter between the two. I thought Hayden’s past was woven into the present in a really clever way and added to the overall story – giving a depth to it I wasn’t really expecting. I also enjoyed the interactions that Hayden had with her friends and family – she had a really good (and very witty) relationship with her brother – I LOVED the whole ‘toy boy’ on the jeans thing - and through their teasing you could feel a realistic bond. The snowboarding aspect of the novel really interesting - not being a particularly outdoorsy type I was surprised to find myself itching to have a go at it – it sounded so good!

Overall this was a quick, fun read that had me laughing out loud and there were some really sweet and romantic moments that left a big cheesy smile on my face once I’d finished.

Cover Wars: Ransom My Heart

They are showing the UK cover for Ransom My Heart on Amazon. I think I prefer the US one but I quite like the UK one and am glad they didn't do a pink sparkly one like they have with her other titles. Actually, this reminds me that I really need to read this...

UK / US

Which do you prefer?

Book Trailer of the Month

I came across this recently and thought it was really good. Bad Girls Don't Die by Katie Alender is a US title that was published in April (I'm sure I saw it on a few IMM posts but completely forgot about it!). Anyway, the trailer makes me really want to read it. Check it out below:)

You can check out the author's website here which includes an excerpt of the book.

In my mailbox (13)

In my mailbox is hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren
This week I bought:

Wake by Lisa McMann
From Amazon: For seventeen-year-old Janie, getting sucked into other people's dreams at any given moment is getting tired. Especially the falling dreams, and the standing-in-front-of-the-class-naked ones. But then there are the nightmares, the ones that chill her to the bone...like the one where she is in a strange house...in a dirty kitchen...and a sinister monster that edges ever closer. This is the nightmare that she keeps falling into, the one where, for the first time, Janie is more than a witness to someone else's twisted psyche. She is a participant...

The Plague by Joanne Dahme
From Amazon: In a land overshadowed by death, fifteen year-old Nell’s uncanny resemblance to Princess Joan brings her to act as her double—what young girl wouldn’t want to leave a life of poverty and pretend to be a princess? But when the plague catches up to the royal entourage, thwarting the King’s plan for the princess to marry the Prince of Castile and seal an alliance between their kingdoms, Nell’s life could change forever. Princess Joan’s brother The Black Prince schemes to make the wedding go on declaring Nell will no longer double for Joan, she will become the princess and dupe Prince Pedro into marriage! With the aid and protection of a quirky band of friends—a Spanish minstrel, a monk, a gravedigger, a band of merchants—Nell must evade not only the Black Prince, a practitioner of the dark arts, but the plague as well, as she fights to return to the King and country. Based on historical truth, Dahme beautifully captures the dark terror of a Plague-infested fourteenth century Europe, while bringing to life the daily existence of medieval life for young adult readers.

I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter
From Amazon: Gallagher Academy might claim to be a school for geniuses -- but it's really a school for spies. Cammie Morgan is fluent in fourteen languages and capable of killing a man in seven different ways (three of which involve a piece of uncooked spaghetti). But the one thing the Gallagher Academy hasn't prepared her for is what to do when she falls for an ordinary boy who thinks she's an ordinary girl. Sure, she can tap his phone, hack into his computer, and track him through a mall without his ever being the wiser, but can Cammie have a normal relationship with a boy who can never know the truth about her?

Hope you all had a good week for books :)