In My Mailbox is an amazing weekly meme hosted by Kristi from The Story Siren that features the books we have received during the week. It's so much fun because we get to see what our fellow bloggers stumbled upon this week and add even more to our piles of books! Without further ado, this week I received the following books:

Pieces of Us by Margie Gelbwasser (ARC) - Thank you, Flux

Goddess Interrupted by Aimee Carter (eARC) - Thank you, HarlequinTeen

Lies Beneath by Anne Greenwood Brown (ARC) - Thank you, Delacorte BYR

The Agency: The Traitor in the Tunnel by Y.S. Lee (ARC) - Thank you, Y.S. Lee

Starters by Lissa Price (ARC) - Thank you, Delacorte BYR

Ripper by Amy Carol Reeves (ARC) - Thank you, Flux

Let's Talk is what I like to call a semi-regular feature here at i swim for oceans. Does it happen every week? No. Will there be weeks when it happens more than once? Probably. Can you set your calendar by it? Heck no. Here on the little old blog, I like to host some of my very own discussion posts because, well, I like to converse with you all.

And so, Let's Talk will feature questions or prompts, which I will answer, too. Love it or hate it, weigh in or don't, it's my hope that Let's Talk will at least get you thinking...and maybe even get you discussing with the rest of us!

Question: What are you a book blogger?

Book blogging seems to be a hot-button issue these days, and I'm going to state my little disclaimer before anything else, if only to prevent putting my foot in my very own mouth. I am a book blogger. I am not a professional reviewer. I do not claim to be a professional reviewer. My statements on books are my own thoughts and opinions. They will not mesh with everyone else's all the time, and I'm ok with that. I will always, always, always state my feelings with the utmost of tact and sincerity possible. Moving on.

I began blogging about books way back in 2009 because I'm a nerd, plain and simple. I found a lovely little niche community where a bunch of thoughtful individuals seemed to have created a network of information and opinions about books that I found classy, insightful and intriguing. Never one to shy away from a challenge, I decided to dip my toes in the water and attempt to form my very own little corner of the blogosphere, and that's how the site came about. I started rather shakily, and my reviews were rather pathetic, if I do say so myself. Over time though, I discovered that I could lend my own voice to my reviews and make them my own...truly my own, that is. I also figured out that I'm not going to always love the books I read. So, through trial and error, I found a way to touch the issues without chopping novels off at the knees. No matter what, there is always a positive, and I make it my duty to find that positive and highlight it every time.

Book bloggers get a bad rep sometimes (ok, rather frequent as of late) for negative reviews getting insane amount of exposure, but as a whole, I think our community is pretty awesome. The same goes for authors and publishers. I've experienced far more generosity in this book blogging community than you could ever imagine. It's incredible how tight-knit we are, for the most part. I've made friends, I've made mistakes and I've sure as heck had a great time doing it all. It's about what you want to bring to the table.

Bottom line is this...I blog about books because I love it. Being a book blogger, to me, is simply allowing my thoughts and feelings about books and writing to find a public forum and voice. To me, being a book blogger is about love and a true and honest passion for the written word. Whether a book is brilliant or falls short for me, that book is made with love and care, and as a self-proclaimed book blogger, it's my right and my privilege to lend my thoughts, however dense or dumb they may be. In essence, book blogging means the world to me. It's fun, it's engaging, it's interactive and it's truly a privilege to work with the amazing authors and publishers out there.

What about you?

Title: Loss
Author: Jackie Morse Kessler
Publisher: HMH
Publish Date: March 20, 2012
Genre: YA, Paranormal
Pages: 272
Source: Author

Fifteen-year-old Billy Ballard is the kid that everyone picks on, from the school bullies to the teachers. Things change drastically when Billy learns that years ago, he’d been tricked by Pestilence, the White Rider of the Apocalypse. Now it’s Billy’s turn to wield Pestilence’s Bow and spread sickness through the world. He uses his new power to lash out at his tormentors…and accidentally causes an outbreak of disease. Horrified by his actions, he wants nothing more than to be rid of the Bow. For that to happen, Billy must track down the previous White Rider, who is hiding in a place where even Death cannot go.

Billy’s search takes him across the centuries: from ancient Phrygia, where a man called King Mita agrees to wear the White Rider’s Crown, to a mighty forest, where Pestilence plans to cheat Death; from the docks of Alexandria, where plague is packed into cartons of grain, to the Children’s Crusade in France, where the White Rider learns a truth that will break him. By the time Billy finds the man who had tricked him so long ago, the White Rider is completely insane—and is poised to unleash a plague that would make the Black Death look like a summer cold. And only Billy can stop him.

Billy is tormented. It doesn’t matter the day of the week, or even where he is. He is bullied, tortured and beaten down every single day. His life, as far as he’s concerned, is one living hell. That all changes in an instant, however, when Billy discovers that years ago he was tricked by the White Rider and fated to carry Pestilence’s bow and spread disease throughout the world. Suddenly, he has more power than he could have dreamed, and he can finally get vengeance for the misery he’s faced. However, his actions have consequences, and when Billy realizes what he’s done, he must race to undo it before time runs out…for everyone. 

I’ve been a fan of this series from the start. Veteran author, Jackie Morse Kessler, has created a riveting series based around the story of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, hence the aptly-titled series, Riders of the Apocalypse. Loss is deeper than its predecessors, delving into one of the grittiest supernatural tales I’ve read in a good while. Equally heartbreaking and intense, Loss represents the darkest hells of the world, offers redemption and gives both the character and readers the chance to choose – what would you do in Billy’s position. Fluid and fast, the story spins on an epic arc, searing that very question into your mind. 

I made a commitment to reading more books from a male POV this year, and I’m so glad that Loss fit the bill. Billy was an excellent, multi-layered character that, despite his pain and anger, was not blinded by it and was able to understand the repercussions of both his actions and inactions. Furthermore, I also loved the fact that Billy wasn’t afraid to touch the dark aspects of the book. Bullying, too, is a completely relevant topic in today’s day and age. While Loss could very easily have spun into a preachy novel, it maintained a thoroughly objective standpoint while still allowing you to access the deep-seeded pain at the heart of it. I will say that parts of the story were a bit unbelievable, namely the epic journey that Billy must face to encounter the White Rider, as a whole, it worked well. Throughout Loss, Billy’s story was raw, gritty and honest, giving you a protagonist you wanted wholeheartedly to believe in. 

 In my opinion, I humbly state that this was the best book in the whole series for me. Loss was poignant and powerful, superseding the paranormal and becoming an honest, emotional story that resonates. I give it a 4 out of 5, and I highly recommend it to all fans of YA, especially those who enjoy the series, as well as those who enjoy the paranormal. 

I received this book free of charge from the author in exchange for an honest review. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book.