Mailbox Monday

Welcome to Mailbox Monday!

Mailbox Monday is a place to share all the wonderful books that have come to live in your home– including paper books, e-books and audio books.

Mailbox Monday was started by Marcia, who is now blogging at A girl and her books. When Marcia was ready to move on from being the weekly host, she was kind enough to set up the Mailbox Monday Blog Tour, and I’ve had the pleasure of hosting in March.

Alas, my turn is at an end, and I’m passing the baton to Amy at Passages to the Past.  I hope to see you there in April.

The link to take you to the Linky page is at the bottom of this page.

As for my mailbox:

Book for review:

The Cat, the Lady and the Liar by Leann Sweeney

I’ve always enjoyed Leann Sweeney’s cozy mysteries, so I was thrilled to have the opportunity to review her newest book.

Cat quilter Jillian Hart finds a gorgeous stray cat belonging to the fabulously wealthy Ritaestelle Longworth, who believes she’s being drugged. Before Jillian can get to those charges, a body turns up in the lake-and her cat Chablis finds Ritaestelle nearby. Can Jillian’s cats aid her in solving a mystery with decades old roots?

 

 

Your turn

What came in your mailbox this week? Click on the linky and leave your link, then visit some of the others!

I can’t embed the Linky on this page, since I have a WordPress.com blog. I’m thinking about trying another host, probably Dreamhost. Any feedback is appreciated!

 

Mailbox Monday

OK, I admit it.

I’ve been trying to cut down on how many new physical books are coming into my house.

At the same time, I’ve been saying that I’d give books a good, loving home; that I’d shelve them, and I’d read them, and I’d review them.

Because I love books.

I’ve turned away even more.  I’ve turned away books that I really do think I’d enjoy.  There just isn’t enough time to enjoy all of them.

Anyway, there are three books that made their way into my mailbox this week.

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

From Goodreads:

Deep in the stacks of Oxford’s Bodleian Library, young scholar Diana Bishop unwittingly calls up a bewitched alchemical manuscript in the course of her research. Descended from an old and distinguished line of witches, Diana wants nothing to do with sorcery; so after a furtive glance and a few notes, she banishes the book to the stacks. But her discovery sets a fantastical underworld stirring, and a horde of daemons, witches, and vampires soon descends upon the library. Diana has stumbled upon a coveted treasure lost for centuries-and she is the only creature who can break its spell.

All That’s True by Jackie Lee Miles

From Goodreads:

“My life was close to perfect-until my brother Alex got killed and my mother started drinking and my father starting having sex with Donna, my best friend’s stepmother, who’s not even thirty years old.”

Thirteen-year-old Andi St. James’ privileged life in Atlanta is interrupted one fall, to say the least. With an equal mix of joy and sorrow, All That’s True follows Andi’s poignant-and sometimes laugh-out-loud-journey to young adulthood, where she struggles with the elusive nature of truth and the devastating consequences of deception.

The Shadow of What We Were by Luis Sepúlveda

This one came my way unsolicited, but is still very welcome– I’d really like to read more books from outside the USA (and the UK).  I really hope to fit this one in sometime.
Description from the Europa Editions website:

In a warehouse in Santiago, three aging friends meet and await the arrival of a man from their past. Once militant supporters of Salvador Allende, they have grown disillusioned in the three and a half decades since his assassination. Their city has changed under Pinochet, and so have they: heart troubles, thinning hair, a few pounds too many around the waist; there is little left to connect them with their glory days. But now, the three friends have been called together at the behest of the anarchist, Pedro Nolasco, a.k.a. The Shadow, to carry out one final revolutionary gesture. But Lucho, Lolo and Cacho wait in vain; the sudden and gruesome death of The Shadow leaves them without a leader. Now they must turn to Coco Aravena, the most reckless of their former comrades. After years of playing second fiddle, this is the bumbling Coco’s chance to show them what he is capable of.

What was in your mailbox this week? Share your thoughts on your books and mine, and then head to Rose City Reader, this month’s host for Mailbox Monday.

 

Mailbox Monday

I’m really making an effort to cut back on the number of physical books coming into my house.

This is simply a matter of time (I read 93 paper books last year.  I didn’t count how many came in, but it was more than that. I don’t really plan to increase the number of books read this year), and physical space constraints (they take up space until they are read.  And they often continue to take up space after they are read.

So, I didn’t bring any new physical books into the house this week.

Of course, that didn’t stop me from taking advantage of the sale at Audible.com (again)!

From the sale, I bought:

Solar by Ian McEwan

This is the February read for one of my book clubs, so this was a good opportunity to get ready for that.

I’ve had mixed luck with McEwan in the past, but this one sounds interesting– I even helped vote it in as one of our selections.  The audible reviews are almost all 1 star or 5 stars, so I hope it works for me.

Juliet, Naked by Nick Hornby

I’ve enjoyed most of the other books I’ve read by him, and I’ve had my eye on this one since it was released.  I figured I’d take advantage of the sale and grab it now!

This sounds like a good book to have on hand to just be able to pick up when I don’t have anything else calling to me.

A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick

I can finally return the borrowed copy that has been sitting on my TBR shelf for a year or so.

I’ve heard really good things about this from multiple sources, and I’m much more likely to actually get to it as an audiobook! I’m looking forward to finally reading it.

A Rule Against Murder by Louise Penny
The Brutal Telling by Louise Penny

(The Three Pines/Armand Garmache series)

I’ve enjoyed reading the first three books of the series, and intend to catch up this year.  The 5th book (The Brutal Telling) was part of the sale, so I went ahead and used one of my credits to get the 4th book (A Rule Against Murder).

Have you read any of these?  Did you get any new books this week?

Mailbox Monday is a place to share the  joy of the new books that take up residence with you.  The host this month is Rose City Reader. Stop by and check out what’s arrived in the mailbox of other bookish folks.

 

Mailbox Monday

I had some wonderful books in my mailbox this week, including some lovely surprises!

From Touchstone/Simon & Schuster, I received

Law of Attraction by Allison Leotta

Law of Attraction introduces Anna Curtis, a newly-minted prosecutor at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington, D.C. The young woman has already developed thick skin to deal with the brutality she encounters with her daily stack of domestic violence cases. Yet when Laprea Johnson walks into Anna’s life—battered by her boyfriend on the morning after Valentine’s Day—there’s something about this particular case that Anna can’t quite shake, something that reminds the prosecutor of her own troubled past.

At the trial, Laprea makes a last-minute reversal, lying on the witness stand to exonerate her boyfriend. Shortly after he’s freed, Anna is horrified to hear that Laprea’s body has been found in a trash heap—and Anna’s own boyfriend, public defender Nick Wagner, is representing the accused. Torn between bringing the killer to justice and being with the man she loves, Anna makes a series of choices that jeopardize her career, her relationships, and her very life as she uncovers the shocking truth behind the murder.

Dangerously Funny by David Bianculli

A behind-the-scenes look at the rise and fall of The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour — the provocative, politically charged program that shocked the censors, outraged the White House, and forever changed the face of television.

Decades before The Daily Show, The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour proved there was a place on television for no-holds-barred political comedy with a decidedly antiauthoritarian point of view. In this explosive, revealing history of the show, veteran entertainment journalist David Bianculli tells the fascinating story of its three-year network run — and the cultural impact that’s still being felt today.

Before it was suddenly removed from the CBS lineup (reportedly under pressure from the Nixon administration), The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour was a ratings powerhouse. It helped launch the careers of comedy legends such as Steve Martin and Rob Reiner, featured groundbreaking musical acts like the Beatles and the Who, and served as a cultural touchstone for the antiwar movement of the late 1960s.

Drawing on extensive original interviews with Tom and Dick Smothers and dozens of other key players — as well as more than a decade’s worth of original research — Dangerously Funny brings readers behind the scenes for all the battles over censorship, mind-blowing musical performances, and unforgettable sketches that defined the show and its era.

From Workman Publishing (unsolicited):

The Essential Guide to Getting Your Book Published by Arielle Eckstut and David Henry Sterry

With its extensive coverage of e-books, self-publishing, and online marketing, The Essential Guide to Getting Your Book Published is more vital than ever for anyone who wants to mine that great idea and turn it into a successfully published book.

Written by experts with thirteen books between them as well as many years’ experience as a literary agent (Eckstut) and a book doctor (Sterry), this nuts-and-bolts guide demystifies every step of the publishing process: how to come up with a blockbuster title, create a selling proposal, find the right agent, understand a book contract, develop marketing and publicity savvy, and, if necessary, self-publish. There’s new information on how to build up a following (and even publish a book) online; the importance of a search-engine-friendly title; producing a video book trailer; and e-book pricing and royalties. Includes interviews with hundreds of publishing insiders and authors, including Seth Godin, Neil Gaiman, Amy Bloom, Margaret Atwood, Larry Kirshbaum, Leonard Lopate, plus agents, editors, and booksellers; sidebars featuring real-life publishing success stories; sample proposals, query letters, and a feature-rich website and community for authors.

And the lovely, lovely surprise that I found on my front doorstep:

Candlewick on Brilliance Audio sent me four more of their new audiobook releases:

On the Blue Comet by Rosemary Wells

Oscar Ogilvie is living with his dad in a house at the end of Lucifer Street, in Cairo, Illinois, when world events change his life forever. The great stock market crash has rippled across the country, and the bank takes over their home — along with all their cherished model trains. Oscar’s dad is forced to head west in search of work, and Oscar must move in with his no-nonsense aunt Carmen. Only a mysterious drifter who stops by each day for food after school helps alleviate Oscar’s loneliness — until Oscar witnesses a crime so stunning that it catapults him into a miraculous, time-hopping train journey. Filled with suspense and peppered with witty encounters with Hollywood stars and other bigwigs of history, this captivating novel by Rosemary Wells resonates with imagination, humor, and the magic of a timeless adventure story.

Patrick Ness’s Chaos Walking trilogy:

The Knife of Never Letting Go

(on my MP3 player now!)

Todd Hewitt is the last boy in Prentisstown.

But Prentisstown isn’t like other towns. Everyone can hear everyone else’s thoughts in a constant, overwhelming, never-ending Noise. There is no privacy. There are no secrets.

Or are there?

Just one month away from the birthday that will make him a man, Todd unexpectedly stumbles upon a spot of complete silence.

Which is impossible.

Prentisstown has been lying to him.

And now he’s going to have to run…

The Ask and the Answer

Fleeing before a relentless army, Todd has carried a desperately wounded Viola right into the hands of their worst enemy, Mayor Prentiss. Immediately separated from Viola and imprisoned, Todd is forced to learn the ways of the Mayor’s terrifying new order. But everything is shrouded in secrets. Where is Viola? Is she even still alive? And who are the mysterious Answer? And then one day, the bombs begin to explode. . .

Monsters of Men

As a world-ending war surges to life around them, Todd and Viola face monstrous decisions. The indigenous Spackle, thinking and acting as one, have mobilized to avenge their murdered people. Ruthless human leaders prepare to defend their factions at all costs, even as a convoy of new settlers approaches. And as the ceaseless Noise lays all thoughts bare, the projected will of the few threatens to overwhelm the desperate desire of the many. The consequences of each action, each word, are unspeakably vast: To follow a tyrant or a terrorist? To save the life of the one you love most or thousands of strangers? To believe in redemption or assume it is lost? Becoming adults amid the turmoil, Todd and Viola question all they have known, racing through horror and outrage toward a shocking finale.

Mailbox Monday is a weekly post where I talk about the books that have arrived in my house over the last week.

Marcia at The Printed Page hosts the Mailbox Monday Blog Tour. This month’s home is She Reads and Reads.

Leave a note here with what new reads came your way (and any thoughts about mine), then check out some other blogs!

 

A Bookish Meme

I found this meme on Bookworm Mari‘s blog, and decided to give it a try.

Using only books you have read this year (2009), answer these questions. Try not to repeat a book title. It’s a lot harder than you think!

Describe yourself: Laced with Magic by Barbara Bretton
How do you feel: One Scream Away by Kate Brady
Describe where you currently live: The Visible World by Mark Slouka
If you could go anywhere, where would you go? Beach Trip by Cathy Holton
Your favorite form of transportation: The Accidental Time Machine by Joe Haldeman
Your best friend is: Bundle of Trouble by Diana Orgain
You and your friends are: The Castaways by Elin Hilderbrand
What’s the weather like: The Gift of an Ordinary Day by Katrina Kenison
You fear:  Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
What is the best advice you have to give:  Don’t Panic by Neil Gaiman
Thought for the day: Just Imagine by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
How I would like to die:  Mercy Street by Mariah Stewart
My soul’s present condition: Innocent as Sin by Elizabeth Lowell

 

BBAW meme

One year ago, I didn’t know that the book blogging world existed.  If you’d asked, I would have said that there were probably people that blogged about books, but I hadn’t looked at any of them.  Now I regret that I didn’t find them earlier.

This year, I have my own blog, and am excited about participating in Book Blogger Appreciation Week in September.

On the BBAW blog, there is a meme, with separate questions for those that participated last year, and those that didn’t. Here are my answers.

1)  What has been one of the highlights of blogging for you?

The community is the biggest highlight.  When I started my blog, I wanted to track when I was reading and what I thought about it.  I’d also practice my writing skills.

I thought maybe a few friends would read, and if I was really good, they’d tell a few friends.  Instead I found a bunch of new friends, and as an added bonus, a long list of amazing blogs to read and be inspired by.

And yes, I’m enjoying the free books.  I love getting books in the mail, and I like to think that someone finds my opinion worth considering.

2)  What blogger has helped you out with your blog by answering questions, linking to you, or inspiring you?

There are too many to list them all.

I did want to single out Ti from Book Chatter and other stuff…, since she was the first book blogger to leave a comment on my blog. That was a great moment for me, to realize I could be part of this community I was discovering.

3)  What one question do you have about BBAW that someone who participated last year could answer?

No questions here. I’m having fun watching the whole thing roll out.

 

Teen Book Meme

I saw this Teen Book Meme at  Books and Movies.

The following list of books teens love, books teens should read, and books adults who serve teens should know about was compiled IN ABSOLUTELY NO SCIENTIFIC MANNER and should be taken with a very large grain of salt.

Instructions:

Put an “X” next to the books you’ve read
Put a “+” next to the books you LOVE
Put a “#” next to the books you plan on reading
Tally your “X”s at the bottom
Share with your friends!

1. Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy / Douglas Adams X+
2. Kit’s Wilderness / David Almond
3. Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian / Sherman Alexie
4. Speak / Laurie Halse Anderson
5. Feed / M.T. Anderson
6. Flowers in the Attic / V.C. Andrews X
7. 13 Reasons Why / Jay Asher
8. Am I Blue? / Marion Dane Bauer (editor)
9. Audrey Wait! / Robin Benway
10. Weetzie Bat / Francesca Lia Block
11. Tangerine / Edward Bloor
12. Forever / Judy Blume X
13. What I Saw and How I Lied / Judy Blundell
14. Tyrell / Coe Booth
15. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants / Ann Brashares X+
16. A Great and Terrible Beauty / Libba Bray
17. The Princess Diaries / Meg Cabot #
18. The Stranger / Albert Camus
19. Ender’s Game / Orson Scott Card  X+
20. Postcards from No Man’s Land / Aidan Chambers
21. Perks of Being a Wallflower / Stephen Chbosky
22. And Then There Were None / Agatha Christie X
23. Gingerbread / Rachel Cohn
24. Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist / Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
25. Artemis Fowl (series) / Eoin Colfer
26. The Hunger Games / Suzanne Collins X +
27. The Midwife’s Apprentice / Karen Cushman X
28. The Truth About Forever / Sarah Dessen
29. Little Brother / Cory Doctorow X+
30. A Northern Light / Jennifer Donnelly
31. Tears of a Tiger / Sharon Draper
32. The House of the Scorpion / Nancy Farmer
33. Breathing Underwater / Alex Flinn
34. Stardust / Neil Gaiman X+
35. Annie on My Mind / Nancy Garden
36. What Happened to Cass McBride / Gail Giles
37. Fat Kid Rules the World / K.L. Going
38. Lord of the Flies / William Golding X
39. Looking for Alaska / John Green#
40. Bronx Masquerade / Nikki Grimes
41. Out of the Dust / Karen Hesse
42. Hoot / Carl Hiaasen X
43. The Outsiders / S.E. Hinton
44. Crank / Ellen Hopkins
45. The First Part Last / Angela Johnson
46. Blood and Chocolate / Annette Curtis Klause
47. Arrow’s Flight / Mercedes Lackey X
48. Hattie Big Sky / Kirby Larson
49. To Kill a Mockingbird / Harper Lee X
50. Boy Meets Boy / David Levithan
51. The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks / E. Lockhart #
52. The Giver / Lois Lowry X+
53. Number the Stars / Lois Lowry #
54. Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie / David Lubar
55. Inexcusable / Chris Lynch
56. The Earth, My Butt and Other Big, Round Things / Carolyn Mackler
57. Dragonsong / Anne McCaffrey X+
58. White Darkness / Geraldine McCaughrean
59. Sold / Patricia McCormick
60. Jellicoe Road / Melina Marchetta
61. Wicked Lovely / Melissa Marr #
62. Twilight / Stephenie Meyer X
63. Dairy Queen / Catherine Murdock
64. Fallen Angels / Walter Dean Myers
65. Monster / Walter Dean Myers
66. Step From Heaven / An Na
67. Mama Day / Gloria Naylor X
68. The Keys to the Kingdom (series) / Garth Nix
69. Sabriel / Garth Nix
70. Airborn / Kenneth Oppel
71. Eragon / Christopher Paolini
72. Hatchet / Gary Paulsen
73. Life As We Knew It / Susan Beth Pfeffer
74. The Golden Compass / Phillip Pullman X
75. Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging / Louise Rennison
76. The Lightning Thief / Rick Riordan
77. Always Running: La Vida Loca / Luis Rodriguez
78. How I Live Now / Meg Rosoff
79. Harry Potter (series) / J.K. Rowling X +
80. Holes / Louis Sachar X
81. Catcher in the Rye / J. D. Salinger
82. Push / Sapphire
83. Persepolis / Marjane Satrapi
84. Unwind / Neil Shusterman
85. Coldest Winter Ever / Sister Souljah
86. Stargirl / Jerry Spinelli #
87. Chanda’s Secrets / Allan Stratton
88. Tale of One Bad Rat / Brian Talbot
89. Rats Saw God / Rob Thomas
90. Lord of the Rings / J.R.R. Tolkien X
91. Stuck in Neutral / Terry Trueman
92. Gossip Girl / Cecily Von Ziegesar
93. Uglies / Scott Westerfeld X+
94. Every Time a Rainbow Dies / Rita Williams-Garcia
95. Pedro and Me / Judd Winick
96. Hard Love / Ellen Wittlinger
97. American Born Chinese / Gene Luen Yang
98. Elsewhere / Gabrielle Zevin
99. I am the Messenger / Markus Zusak
100. The Book Thief / Markus Zusak X

I count 23, or almost 1/4 of the list.  I’ve mostly read the older ones, and I may well read more than I have marked with a #– those are just the ones actively on my TBR list right now.

Anyone else want to play?

 

Meme: Why I Blog

msmazzola at State of Denmark says:

My AP Literature and Composition students are working on their senior presentations.  I have promised them that I too will complete a research project.  This blog has been a huge part of my project, as I am researching why people blog.  I have read several articles pertaining to my topic, but I would love to gather as much information from “real live bloggers”, if at all possible.  So, if you are willing to participate, I have a few questions I would love to ask you.  Perhaps we could make this a meme and you could post in on your on blog and just leave a link under my comments…..

1.  How long have you been blogging?

About 1 month now!

2.  Why did you start blogging?

As a way to explore new skills.  Because I wanted to keep track of the books I read.  As a way to reach out and meet new people.   So I can feel like someone is listening to me.

3.  What have you found to be the benefits of blogging?

The keeping track of what I’m reading is clearly working.  I think my writing is improving.  I’m getting more comfortable with basic HTML.

4.  How many times a week do you post an entry?

About 4 times a week.

5.  How many different blogs do you read on a regular basis?

I have 70 in Google Reader.  Some are inactive, some I just skim the titles of the posts.

6.  Do you comment on other people’s blogs?

I’ve certainly gotten better about it since I started blogging.

7.  Do you keep track of how many visitors you have?  Is so, are you satisfied with your numbers?

I see how many page views I have.  No, I’m not satisfied.  I would like more, as part of that “making connections” and “being heard” thing.  But in theory, I’m writing this for myself, and it shouldn’t matter how many readers I have.

8.  Do you ever regret a post that you wrote?

Not yet!  Give me time!

Although there are two books that I wrote that I probably shouldn’t have given them the ratings I did.   And I’ve since decided the ratings should be changed, but haven’t decided how I’ll go about changing them.

9.  Do you think your audience has a true sense of who you are based on your blog?

Probably not yet.

10.  Do you blog under your real name?

Yes.

11.  Are there topics that you would never blog about?

I’m going to try to keep this blog book related.  I’d have to think hard about books that are strongly opinionated, so that reviewing them means discussing that opinion.

12.  What is the theme/topic of your blog?

Books.

13.  Do you have more than one blog?  If so, why?

Not yet!  I’ve considered a more personal blog, but I’m not ready to figure out how I’d handle that yet.