Mailbox Monday – May 25, 2009

This is MY mailbox, designed by my fabulous husband – he calls it “The Bou Memorial Mailbox” in honor of Caribou – click on photo for larger view.

I missed posting last week as I was traveling – but I did find some great books when I got home and picked up a few more this week.

Review Books:

Beach Trip by Cathy Holton arrived as an Advance Reader’s Edition through Ballantine Books. I will be touring this book through TLC Book Tours on June 15th (to see all tour dates for this book, visit the TLC tour page for Beach Trip). In addition to the tour on this book, Lisa at Books on the Brain and Mari from Bookworm with a View are hosting a Summer Reading Series…and Beach Trip is their selected read for June (the author will be joining them live on June 16th for a discussion of the book). The book is described as “darkly comic and deeply poignant,” and  “an unforgettable tale of lifelong friendship, heartbreak, and happiness.” You can read more about Cathy Holton on her website where you may also read an excerpt of the book. Do you love to discover new blogs? Cathy Holton writes the blog Surly Wench Journal – why not check it out?

Love Begins In Winter by Simon Van Booy arrived from Jeremy at Harper Perennial. This collection of short stories is Van Booy’s second and kicks off Harper Perennial’s Summer of the Short Story which includes Fifty-Two Stories, “celebrating the thriving art of the story by sharing a new one every week: most of them new, a few of them classics, from authors you know and some you don’t, each of them treasurable in its language or wit or human insight.” Listen to Van Booy’s PSA on reading short stories. Love Begins in Winter is described as: ‘a collection of five finely-tuned stories that explore the depths and complexity of love, while perfectly capturing our human tendency to be surprised that someone could actually fall for us, warts and all.‘ To browse inside this beautiful little book, go here. To read more about Simon Van Booy and his work, visit the author’s website.

Six Classic Short Story Collections: Herman Melville, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Oscar Wilde, Leo Tolstoy, Stephen Crane, and Willa Cather…these arrived from Harper Perennial thanks to Alberto. Again, this is all part of Harper’s Summer of the Short Story – and these are beautiful editions from some of the greatest classic authors who have ever lived. I was so excited to get the opportunity to recieve these books for review. To read title stories from each of these books, visit Fifty-two Stories. Thank you, Alberto!

The House on Fortune Street by Margot Livesey found its way to my doorstep through Stephanie at Harper Collins. In a press release, Harper Collins writes: ‘Margot Livesey skillfully reveals how luck—good and bad—plays a vital role in our lives, and how our childhood legacies may be harder to leave behind than we hope.‘ People Magazine writes: ‘The House on Fortune Street offers a surprisingly provocative detective story of the heart, one “that will keep you in its thrall”‘ The House on Fortune Street is the 2009 winner of the L. L. Winship /PEN New England Award. Readers may browse inside this book through this link. Margot Lindsey is an accomplished writer and has published four other novels, as well as a short story collection and many essays. Learn more about the author and her work on her author page at Harper or on her website. For reading groups, Harper also provides a Reading Group Guide.

Books Won in Giveaways:

I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti by Giulia Melucci was won through a giveaway at Kristen’s fabulous blog BookNAround. This memoir was released through Hachette in April to fantastic reviews. Kirkus Reviews wrote: ‘Giada De Laurentiis meets Candace Bushnell in this debut memoir from romantically challenged yet resilient Melucci . . . Frustrations whisked into a tasty treat of a story.‘ Listen to the author talking about the book. Search inside the book here. Visit the official website to read more about the book and its author.

Things I Want My Daughter to Know by Elizabeth Noble was won through a giveaway on Julie’s wonderful blog Booking Mama. Elizabeth Noble has authored three novels previous to this one, which was published through Harper Collins in April 2008. The blurb on the back of this book reads: ‘How do you cope in a world without your mother? When Barbara realizes time is running out, she writes letters to her four daughters, aware that they’ll be facing the trials and triumphs of life without her at their side. But how can she leave them when they still have so much growing up to do.‘ Described as “heartfelt” and a novel which “celebrates family, friends… and the glorious, endless possibilities of life” – this book has been on my wish list for awhile. I’m glad I will finally get the chance to read it. To read more about Nobel and her work, visit the author’s website.

The Turnaround by George Pelecanos was won through a giveaway on Nicole’s gorgeously designed blog Linus’s Blanket. The book blurb reads: ‘On a hot summer afternoon in 1972, three teenagers drove into an unfamiliar neighborhood and six lives were altered forever. Thirty five years later, one survivor of that day reaches out to another, opening a door that could lead to salvation. But another survivor is now out of prison, looking for reparation in any form he can find it.‘ Read the first chapter. I have not yet read anything by this author, but I love good crime fiction and Pelecanos has authored a large number of novels which have garnered a loyal following. To read more about Pelecanos and his work, visit the author’s website.

What arrived at your home this week? Drop by Marcia at The Printed Page today to leave a link to YOUR Mailbox, and to find links from other readers.