Mailbox Monday

Still mourning the destruction of so many of my books, I have had a lovely mailbox week with lots of pristine, un-water-damaged books arriving to take some of the sting out of my losses. It just does my little heart good to open the mailbox door and see the little beauties in there waiting for me.

Reed City Boy by Timothy Bazzett.
This book came compliments of the author. It is the first of his memoirs and I thought if I was going to read something of his, it would be best to start at the beginning. Saves me the mental anguish of knowing that I am reading out of order. LOL! I've always thought boys were different creatures than girls (and having boys of my own, I now know that to be true) so it should be fun to read this memoir of a boy from small town middle America.

Waking Up in Eden by Lucinda Fleeson
This came to me from Algonquin Books. What isn't appealing about a journalist who becomes a fundraiser at the National Tropical Botanical Garden on Kauai who has written a book about her experience both personally and professionally? I personally may be able to kill mint (perhaps I should undertake to deal with the kudzu scourge here in the southeast) but I do love to read about botany.

The Puzzle King by Betsy Carter
This came to me from Algonquin Books. Aside from being one of the most appealing book covers I've seen to date, the story of two immigrant Jews who meet and fall in love in America and then work to rescue their realtives from Hitler's Germany is definitely a hook for me. And the fact that it is inspired by author Betsy Carter's own family history is simply gravy.

A Friend of the Family by Lauren Grodstein
This came to me from Algonquin Books.
What must it say about me that I always gravitate towards books with conflicts between parents and children? I hope this isn't an omen for my life to come. But seriously, a father who tries to derail his son's romance with the significantly older daughter of good family friends? How can you not rub your hands with glee when offered that as a teaser? Oh, and note to all art departments everywhere: if you put a picture of water on the front, I will pick it up. Guaranteed!

The Lie by Fredrica Wagner
I saw this all over the blogsphere a few weeks ago and coveted it each and every time I saw it so when FSB offered to send it to me too, I couldn't say yes quickly enough. Love, love, love the vintage glamour girl on the cover too.

Benny and Shrimp by Katarina Mazetti
Another one from the folks at FSB, I love that this book knows that relationships are hard no matter the age of the people involved. Even more, I am drawn by the idea of two misfits trying to find each other, even if it is with difficulty.

An Inside Passage by Kurt Caswell
Sent from the author, the descriptive phrase "luminous essays on wanderlust" from the amazon description, sends shivers down my spine. Terribly intriguing hardly describes it!

As always, if you'd like to check out the goodies that other people found in their mailboxes, check out The Printed Page where Marcia kindly hosts this meme every week.