Monday Mailbox

Either I was greedy as sin this past week or all my past orders bottle-necked up to arrive in one week (and since many of them were from England and Ireland, I'm choosing to believe the latter). This past week's mailbox arrivals:

Greenwood by Michael Christie came from Hogarth.

A generational saga in reverse and the trees and forests that are the source of the family's rise and fall, this looks complex and amazing.

Invented Lives by Andrea Goldsmith came from LibraryThing Early Reviewers.

A Jewish children's book illustrator exiled from Soviet Russia lands in Australia where her presence changes one family forever. I am intrigued for sure.

Remembering the Bones by Frances Itani came from me for myself.

I loved Itani's first novel, Deafening, so I am looking forward to this one about a Candian woman invited to Buckingham Palace to celebrate her 80th birthday with the Queen (they were born the same day) who drives off the road on the way to the airport and remembers her life as she lies on the ground helpless and alone.

In Other Words by Christopher J. Moore came from me for myself.

A word and phrase miscellany? Don't mind if I do! (And yes, I have already read this one--review to come.)

Colours Others Than Blue by Anthony Glavin came from me for myself.

I'm so easy. Throw that extra "u" into the spelling and then tee up my favorite color in the title to boot and I'm a goner. But this one about a senior nurse and single mother in an elderly care home who starts keeping a diary after her father's death sounds really good beyond that delectable title.

The Hurlyburly's Husband by Jean Teule came from me for myself.

The title alone is enough of a reason to get this one, right?! It doesn't hurt that it is about a French noblewoman who becomes a lady in waiting at Versailles in order to clear up debts but then catches the eye of the not so monogamous king, much to the dismay of her truly loving husband.

Breaking Away by Anna Gavalda came from me for myself.

The front cover calls it "a loving haiku to the joys of having siblings" and I do love family novels. It does look charming and sweet and I may crack it open later today because I have no willpower (and damn the other seven books I have bookmarks in already).

Meet and Delete by Pauline Lawless came from me for myself.

This one looks like quite the giggle as Viv and several others around her plunge into the online dating pool.

The Art of Scandal by Susan Loughane came from me for myself.

When artist Katie's life in NYC craters, she flees back to small town Ireland where she finds artistic inspiration again by painting nudes of the local men. Sounds wonderfully juicy, doesn't it?!

The Birthday Girls by Pauline Lawless came from me for myself.

A book about four little girls whose friendship endures for decades until one birthday weekend has a chance to destroy it, this sounds really good.

5 Peppermint Grove by Michelle Jackson came from me for myself.

An Irish woman wanting to start over moves to Perth and might just uncover a secret of her mother's in the process, how delicious!

The Last to Know by Melissa Hill came from me for myself.

Eve has been with Liam for nine years and has had two children with him. Is it too much for her to want him to marry her? Meanwhile, in Australia, where Liam is often away on business, Brooke gets a mysterious delivery so that she's not the last to know. Can't wait for the scandal!

Three Men on a Plane by Mavis Cheek came from me for myself.

Pamela is an empty nester now and so the three important men from her life, including her ex-husband are all thinking of her romantically again. How much fun!!!

Eat Joy edited by Natalie Eve Garrett came from me for myself.

There's something about the title and the cheery, colorful cover that just calls me about this collection of essays about comfort food from award winning authors. Bonus: there are recipes.

Allmen and the Butterflies by Martin Suter came from me for myself.

A refined art thief who has gone through all of his family's money steals some magnificent Art Nouveau bowls to alleviate some of his mounting debts in this crime caper. It sounds fantastic.

Act One by Moss Hart came from me for myself.

A Broadway memoir from a bygone era, this looks simply mah-velous dahling.

The King of Lavender Square by Susan Ryan came from me for myself.

A group of neighbors pull together to care for a young boy whose mother is quite ill in this magical sounding novel.

Beside Herself by Elizabeth LeBan came from me for myself.

After her husband cheats, Hannah doesn't want to divorce but she needs to even the score so she suggests she have an affair too and her husband agrees. This novel about trying to save a marriage sounds fresh and unusual and I'm looking forward to it.

Room to Breathe by Liz Talley came from me for myself.

A mother whose life seems to be going beautifully is flirting with her adult daughter's ex-boyfriend, a daughter who's come home to work for her mother in order to help support her med school fiance and then also starts flirting online. What could possibly go wrong? Delicious sounding, no?!

Your Perfect Year by Charlotte Lucas came from me for myself.

When a cranky publishing exec goes to his usual fitness class and finds a day planner called Your Perfect Year in his spot, he decides to find the mysterious owner, all the while following the advice inside the planner. Should be a fun read, and maybe I'll find some good advice in it for myself.

The Other Side of Wonderful by Caroline Grace-Cassidy came from me for myself.

Look at this cover (the British one) and then the US one and tell me which one you'd prefer? The premise doesn't sound like a laugh but the blurb promises humor so I'm very curious to see what this one is actually like.

Into the Night Sky by Caroline Finnerty came from me for myself.

Give me a book set in a bookstore any day of the week and twice on Sunday! This one about a man grieving the death of his partner who befriends a young boy who comes into his bookshop looks to be touching and heartbreaking in equal measure.

The Songbird's Way by Jennifer Barrett came from me for myself.

A novel about a woman who wants to travel her own path but who also wants to please others, this looks lovely.

Death in Brittany by Jean-Luc Bannalec came from me for myself.

Somehow, despite my general cowardice, I am getting better at mysteries, especially if they are set somewhere appealing, like, say, Brittany. This first in a series about a cantankerous Parisian commissaire who has moved from Paris to the Breton coast and is now investigating his first murder in the area looks like it will hit my sweet spot.

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.