New to Dot Scribbles Shelves

It has been a bit of a YA fiction week here at Dot Scribbles! I have bought two more of the Morganville Vampire series books as I loved the first one and I know I will want to read them all:

Midnight Alley by Rachel Caine- Morganville Vampire Series 3 (Allison and Busby)- When Claire Danvers learnt that her college town was run by vampires, she did what any intelligent, self-preserving student would do: she applied for a transfer and stocked up on garlic. The transfer is no longer an option, but that garlic may come in handy. Now Claire has pledged herself to Amelie, the most powerful vampire in town. The protection her contract secures does little to reassure her friends. All of a sudden, people are turning up dead, a stalker resurfaces from Claire's past and an ancient bloodsucker extends a chilling invitation for private lessons in his secluded home.

Feast of Fools by Rachel Caine- Morganville Vampire Series 4 (Allison and Busby)- In the town of Morganville, vampires and humans have learned to live in relative peace.  Still, Claire Danvers knows that after dark, her homework can take a back seat to staying alive. But this tenuous harmony is really turned on it's head with the arrival of Mr Bishop.
Bad to the bone, the ancient old-school vampire cares nothing about keeping the peace. Staying at the top of the food chain is enough. What he wants from the town's living and dead is unthinkably sinister. It's only at a formal ball attended by vampires and their human dates that Claire realises Bishop's plan- and the elaborately evil trap he's set for the warm-blooded souls of Morganville.

Books sent for review this week:

Girl 16: Five Star Fiasco by Sue Limb (Bloomsbury)- The Jess Jordan story continues...with some comically disastrous dates and a very special romance careering towards the rocks.
Jess and Fred are an item! Finally! Now they can spend every moment perfecting their comedy routines together. But the path of true romance is a rocky one. Fred is becoming increasingly distant... in fact, so distant that he and Jess are no longer on speaking terms. What on earth is going on? Can Jess and Fred stop a fab, five-star friendship turning into a five-star fiasco?

Fallen Grace by Mary Hooper (Bloomsbury)- London, 1861. Grace Parkes, a pale but determined figure, clutches a precious bundle closely to her as she travels on the train to the famed Brookwood Cemetery. Grace has a heartbreaking duty to carry out.
Each day Grace must find a new way of earning enough money to pay the rent for the bleak, cold room that she and her sister live in, and to buy them enough, just to eat.
But there is a different danger threatening Grace, a danger linked to an event in her past that she is desperate to forget. Grace has caught the eye of the Unwins, an unscrupulous family whose shady business dealings are those of death and mourning, and who will stop at nothing to defraud two young women of what is rightfully theirs...

If you have read any of these then let me know what you thought! 

Book Review: Glass Houses by Rachel Caine

College freshman Claire Danvers has had enough of her nightmarish dorm situation, where the popular girls never let her forget just where she ranks in the school's social scene: somewhere less than zero. When Claire heads off campus, the imposing old house where she finds a room may not be much better. Her new roommates don't show any signs of life, but they come out fighting when the town's deepest secrets come crawling out, hungry for fresh blood...

Glass Houses is the first in the Morganville Vampire series which consists of seven books. They caught my eye so I bought the first one for my e-reader and I was not disappointed. They are very much in the vein of Stephenie Meyer and I enjoyed Twilight so I had a feeling I would like these.
Claire Danvers carries the whole story, she is very bright, hence starting college at the age of sixteen. Her parents did not want her to attend one of the Ivy League schools too fat from home so they made her enrol at the college in Morganville, having no idea of the huge danger they were placing her in.
Morganville, initially unbeknown to Claire, is run by vampires who are allowed to pick off the college students as and when they please. To avoid becoming vampire food you have to be Protected, otherwise you are an open and easy target.
Claire discovers Morganville's secrets when she has to move in to the Glass House off campus. She fears for her life after being pushed down the stairs by Monica after making the mistake of pointing out her stupidity. Monica is Protected and very much in with the vampires; she has decided to make Claire's life hell or possibly to finish it once and for all.
The Glass House is owned by eighteen year old Michael and he lives there with his friends Shane and Eve. They have always lived in Morganville and unfortunately been on the receiving end of the vampires on more than one occasion. Although Claire is bringing much danger upon them, they set out to help her and make her aware of exactly what she is up against.
It has only taken me a couple of days to read this book, I was completely engrossed in the story. Rachel Caine keeps the plot twisting and turning until you don't really know who is actually good or bad. There were some parts of the book that had me raising my eyebrows but only as I did when reading Twilight. You have to take this book for what it is and leave your sceptical thoughts at the door. Glass Houses ends on a real cliff-hanger so I'm sure it won't be long until I start the second in the series.

New to Dot Scribbles' Shelves

I have been quite restrained this week and only bought three books!

Glass Houses- Morganville Vampires Series- No.1 by Rachel Caine (Allison & Busby)- College freshman Claire Danvers has had enough of her nightmarish dorm situation, where the popular girls never let her forget just where she ranks in the school's social scene: somewhere less than zero. When Claire heads off-campus, the imposing old house where she finds a room may not be much better. Her new roommates don't show many signs of life, but they come out fighting when the town's deepest secrets come crawling out, hungry for fresh blood...

The Dead Girls' Dance- Morganville Vampire Series- No.2 by Rachel Caine (Allison & Busby)- Claire has her share of challenges. Like being a genius in a school that favours beauty over brains' homicidal girls in her dorm, and finding out that her college town is overun with the living dead. On the up side she has a new boyfriend with a vampire-hunting dad. But when a local fraternity throws the Dead Girls' Dance, hell is really going to break loose.

Nearly Departed by Rook Hastings (Harper Collins)- Woodsville is not like other towns. Night falls a little earlier there, the shadows are darker and denser, and everyone knows it's a place where strange things happen. Even if they won't admit it. Bethan would prefer to be anywhere but here. Jay has his theories, but isn't ready to share. Hashim sees more than he'll say, while Kelly's demons are all too flesh and blood. But Emily's freak-out brings them out of denial and face to face with the supernatural. Anywhere else, Friday night would be date night. But not in Weirdsville...

The lovely people at Bloomsbury sent me a book to review as well:

4.3.2.1 by Jim Eldridge (Bloomsbury)- Take four best friends. Give them three days in two cities and totally mess with their lives. Add to the mix a diamond heist, a transatlantic booty call, one seriously professional panic room and a lot of partying. The result is BAFTA award-winner Noel Clarke's new film, 4.3.2.1.

I was also sent this by Headline, I was actually sent 2 copies so I shall be doing a little give away with my review:

Kissing Mr Wrong by Sarah Duncan (Headline Review)- Lu Edwards believes in travelling light, with not even a goldfish to tie her down. She'd like a Mr Right, and on meeting gorgeous, successful Marcus at a party, she can see him fitting into her streamlined life; if only he wasn't moving to America.

Lu's grandmother is also looking for a man: a soldier from her mysterious past. Lu turns for help to Nick, a militery history expert with more baggage than Heathrow, right down to the kids, ex-wife and hamster. Playing the wicked stepmother was never Lu's plan, so why is she getting so hung up on Mr Couldn't-Be-More-Wrong? As Nick helps Lu trace her family history, she finds herself falling for his chaotic charms. What will she do when Marcus comes home?

If you have read any of these then do please let me know what you thought was good/bad!