IN MY MAILBOX - GREAT BOOK COVERS

I was very excited to receive Dee White's Letters to Leonardo in the mail this week. I've listened with interest to Dee discussing her ten-year-journey from idea to publication and am looking forward to reading the final result. The cover looks wonderful. Dee's cyber launch is happening here on 1st July and her blog tour begins on 24th June at Sally Murphy's Writing for Children Blog with Dee and Matt (the main character) talking about promoting Letters to Leonardo online. 25th June 2009.

Talking of brilliant covers bring me to Little Bird by Penni Russon. Unfortunately this book didn't arrive in my mailbox, it came in to The Reading Stack and another reviewer saw it first. It's a cover no reader could ever go past. First in first served, and I was too slow. I'm going to buy this one as I thoroughly enjoyed her previous title in the Girlfriend fiction series, The Indigo Girls. A chance tweet led me to Allen and Unwin's Alien Onion blog where other designs by the same graphic artist are featured. Definitely worth a look here.

IN MY MAILBOX

Two fantastic, fabulous fantasy novels.

Worldshaker - a steampunk, gothic fantasy by Richard Harland that comes complete with inspiring recommendations from Ian Irvine and D.M. Cornich. But having read all of Richard's other fantasy fiction, I don't need any recommendations. I know I'm going to love it. Great cover too.

The Puzzle Ring by Kate Forsyth. Once again this is known territory for me as I have read all of Kate's fantasy fiction too. A quick look at the blurb and I'm promised Scotland and a cursed castle, a timeslip to the days of Queen Mary when witches were burned at the stake... and a feisty red-haired heroine. Sounds exciting.

The big question - which one to read first?

IN MY MAILBOX

I haven't even opened the first page and already I love these. I love the series title. Nit Boy. The mind boggles and the imagination goes flying after it. I love the Heath MacKenzie drawings. The blurb has suckered me in. Totally. The publicist gets a gold star for coining the phrase Nit Lit.

But most of all I love the way my 8-year-old son's eyes lit up as he spirited them away to his room saying "I'm reviewing these." He knows the drill. Reviewers get to keep the boks they review. And he desperately wants these. I'm Nit Boy's newest fan.

Now to open the page... having been allowed to borrow back the first one... guess what... it's as good as the package promised. I'm starting the Nit Boy fanclub. Post a comment to sign up here!

Book 1: Lift Off Book 2: Bug Off By Tristan Bancks Illustrated by Heath MacKenzie.

IN MY MAILBOX

There were only three books in my mailbox last week and it's probably a good thing too as other areas of my life are overflowing. Like the ironing basket...


Crime Time by Sue Bursztynski - one of my sons is already eyeing this one.
from chillers to thriller, goofballs to underworld thugs, fraudsters to thieves...







Fire song by Libby Hathorn - Edith's mother asks her to commit insurance. What will Edith decide to do? I love the cover.

Great Rock Whale by Christine Paice and Wendy O'Malley -
This book is visually stunning. And who can resist a blurb like this :

The Great Whale is sad and lonely, lost in the vast oceans of the world. He is looking for his family - to belong. After thousands of years searching he loses heart, and stops to rest and sleep under a cliff. In time, being true to himself and becoming one with the world, he is found by those he belongs to.

I also love the fact that this book is about somewhere close to me and firmly anchored in my childhood holiday memories the Kiama Blowhole.

IN MY MAILBOX

I'm new to blogging and new to memes. I'd never heard the word before. Answers.com told me it was an idea that spreads, in this case, across the Internet. Answers.com is one of my favourite websites - all those great words and neat facts. But memes are my new favourite game.

I love this one. In My Mailbox. For other newbies like me - it's hosted by The Story Siren where you can post links to your blog entry and inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie. It's a list of books or bookish things that arrived in your mailbox during the week.

So here is what I found in my mailbox:

Guantanamo Boy is the story of 15-year-old Khalid who goes with his parents to visit family in Pakistan and wakes into a nightmare. All real.

Khalid is kidnapped and forced to go to a place no teenager should ever see. A place where torture and terror are the normal things. Somewhere he doesn't know if he will ever escape from. A place called Guantanamo Bay.

I've been hanging to read this YA ever since I read about Anna Perera's inspiration - while researching other things she discovered the horrific plight of children imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay. And so the story began...


Aussie Kid Heroes is the latest offering by prolofic Australian author Dianne Bates, the inspiration behind my own writing career. My son has already spirited this one away to his bedroom so I will have to bribe him to get it back for review.






Extreme Animals looks like great fun. It's a real boy book so my parent ears are pricking up while my reviewer eyes admiring the front cover. Wierd and wonderful. Fast and furious. That's the blurb's promise.


Monsters in the Sand is a junior fiction book just for me! It's a story based around the discovery of ancient Ninevah - archaeology and action, ancient cultures and adventure! I've already read the first book in David Harris' Time Raiders series, Blood of the Incas, about the dicovery of Macchu Picchu by Hiram Bingham. Loved that. Sure to love this.




And finally, this beautiful, beautiful picture book. My Baby Love by Meredith Costain. It has an overlay dustjacket - like thick rice paper. I'm not sure what you call it - but it's at the same time sturdy but delicate. By the time I review it I will have it sussed out...


I look at at the contents of my mailbox and feel very lucky!!