Monday Mailbox

I might have supplemented my kids' back to school books with books for myself. Shhhhhh! Don't tell. This past week's mailbox arrivals:

When All Is Said by Anne Griffin came from Thomas Dunne Books Books.

This novel is about the five people that one man raises one glass each to, the people who define him and who explain his life. What a cool concept for a story!

The Girl He Used to Know by Tracey Garvis Graves came from St. Martin's Press.

An introverted English major and a boy in chess club fall in love in college and when they meet up again a decade later, they might have a second chance together. Does anyone else have a soft spot for second chance stories like I do? I just can't get enough of them.

A Quiet Life in the Country by T.E. Kinsey came from me for myself.

A 1908 mystery set in the English countryside with an eccentric widow and her martial arts trained maid? Don't mind if I do.

Kudos by Rachel Cusk came from FSG.

Surely I can't be expected to forgo the third in the trilogy, right?

The Seabird's Cry by Adam Nicolson came from Henry Holt.

There's something so appealing about seabirds, isn't there? Even if I hadn't fallen under the spell of Jonathan Livingston Seagull when I was a small girl (long before I read the book), I would still be interested in this piece of science writing.

Lady Helena Investigates by Jane Steen came from me for myself.

Yes, most of the mysteries that appeal to me all have similar covers. What of it? ;-) I am attracted to the Victorian era for sure.

Drinking from the Trough by Mary Carlson came from me for myself.

Can you resist those faces? Me either. Having a sister and brother-in-law who are both vets, I am curious indeed about this veterinarian's memoir.

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer came from a friend for a "my favorite book exchange."

I am always curious to read other people's favorite books, especially other book lover's favorite books so I am looking forward to this one.

The Summer House by the Sea by Jenny Oliver came from me for myself.

About a summerhouse on the Spanish coast and a woman looking to rejuvenate herself and her grandmother's summerhouse, this looks like a delightful and fun read.

The Man Who Couldn't Miss by David Handler came from me for myself.

I thoroughly enjoyed Handler's The Girl with Kaleidoscope Eyes so I am looking forward to this mystery as well. Plus there's a basset hound named Lulu.

The Figgs by Ali Bryan came from me for myself.

A novel about an empty nest that doesn't seem to empty, since I am only two years from empty nesting myself, I need to see what this set of parents did wrong. Just kidding but it sounds like a great book with adult children lingering and then a grandchild added to the mix.

Vacationland by Sarah Stonich came from me for myself.

I am a complete sucker for books set up north so this one set in northernmost Minnesota at a crumbling lodge and about a woman who lived there as a girl is just up my alley.

Eats of Eden by Tabitha Blankenbiller came from me for myself.

How cute is that title? Essays about food, writing, and recipes, this looks great.

Painting Blue Water by Leigh Fossan came from me for myself.

A book with water on the cover? Yep. A woman starting over and trying to connect with her artistic self in the peace of this lake town? Yep. This book is like my own personal cat nip.

Love Literary Style by Karin Gillespie came from me for myself.

A love story between a stuffy literary writer and a self-published romance author and set in the publishing world, this looks like great fun.

The Lost Girls of Camp Forevermore by Kim Fu came from me for myself.

I may never have gone to a traditional sleep away camp (does a week of swim camp at a boarding school count?) but I am intrigued by camp stories, especially one like this one where five girls have to come through an overnight ordeal that shapes the rest of their lives.

Love Nina by Nina Stibbe came from me for myself.

I love epistolary books (novels or nonfiction). There's something so pleasingly voyeuristic about them. So this collection of letters home to her sister from a nanny in London is exactly the sort of book I love to read.

Worlds Elsewhere by Andrew Dickson came from me for myself.

Shakespeare went viral before viral was a thing. I am excited to read this book talking about just how Shakespeare spread all over the globe (and not just the theater). <--yeah boo="" hiss="" i="" know.="" nbsp="" on="" p="" pun.="" the="">
Mr. Lynch's Holiday by Catherine O'Flynn came from me for myself.

This sounds like a hallucinogenic vision of a father and son reconnecting and I am intrigued.

The Comfort Food Diaries by Emily Nunn came from me for myself.

I like comfort food and I would certainly have invited the author to come and cook comfort food at my house as she tried to heal a grieving and broken heart. Even though I didn't get to be part of her comfort food tour, I am looking forward to going on the tour vicariously through this book. And maybe to finding some tasty comfort food recipes while I'm at it.

London Road by Tessa Smith McGovern came from me for myself.

Seven linked short stories about people who all live in one boardinghouse, I do enjoy these types of ensemble books.

If you want to see the marvelous goodies in other people's mailboxes, make sure to visit Mailbox Monday and have fun seeing how we are all doing our part to keep the USPS and delivery services viable.