Mailbox Monday – June 15, 2009

It’s Monday and time to share my mailbox with you! I got some great books this week…my cup runneth over:

Crossed Wires, by Rosy Thornton arrived direct from the author. The book blurb reads: ‘This is a story about the small joys and tribulations of parenthood; about one-ness and two-ness; about symmetry and coincidence; about the things that separate us and things that bring us together.‘  This is the author’s third book which is described as romantic comedy with a hint of satire. Crossed Wires was released in April by Headline Review (and imprint of Headline Publishing Group). To read more about Thorton (who lives in the UK) and her her work, visit the author’s website.

The Evolution of Shadows, by Jason Quinn Malott is an Advance Reader’s Edition sent to me by Caitlin from Unbridled Books. This book is set in Bosnia and centers around the disappearance of an American news photographer and those he left behind. The blurb on the back of the book reads: ‘[...] this is a novel, at once lyrical and horrifying, about how love fails us – every time…or almost every time.‘ The Evolution of Shadows is due for release in October. Read an excerpt from the book. To read more about Malott and his work, visit the author’s website.

St. John of the Five Buroughs, by Edward Falco also arrived through Caitlin at Unbridled Books. Falco’s latest book is ‘a layered novel about the effects of violence, both personal and cultural, on its characters’ lives. It’s about the way violence twists character, but also about the possibilities for redemption and change, for achieving a kind of personal grace.‘  Read an excerpt of the book. Falco is an award-winning writer and poet who teaches at Virginia Tech where he is director of the MFA program in Creative Writing.

Gifts of War, by Mackenzie Ford arrived through a Shelf Awareness off from Nan A. Talese (an imprint of Doubleday Books). The cover of this book drew me to it immediately. Set in England during WWI, Gifts of War ‘captures the era and the fates of men and women caught in the sweep of history.‘ It is a story which begins with an unusual pact…British soldier Hal promises a German that he will find the German man’s English girlfriend Sam and let her know her boyfriend is alive and thinking of her. Instead, what unfolds is a romance between Sam and Hal. This sounds like a great summer read, doesn’t it? The novel is due for release later this month.

Scottsboro, by Ellen Feldman came to me through the Library Thing Early Review Program. I was so excited to get this book since it was just short-listed for the Orange Prize for Fiction for 2009. I read Feldman’s previous novel The Boy Who Loved Anne Frank and loved it, so I am looking forward to reading her latest work.  Set in Alabama in 1931, Scottsboro is a novel of ‘race, class, sexual conflict, and a lie that refused to die.‘  The novel was published in hardcover in April 2008 through W. W. Norton. Feldman is a 2009 Guggenheim fellow, and writes both fiction and social history. To read more about Ellen Feldman and her work, visit the author’s website.

The Opposite of Love, by Julie Buxbaum arrived from Random House. The novel was just released last week in paperback. This is Buxbaum’s debut and it centers around protagonist Yale law graduate Emily Haxby who ‘is eager to break through the emotional and professional ties that bind her.‘ The Opposite of Love is described by reviewers as witty, wise and refreshing. Buxbaum’s second novel (AfterYou) will be released in August. To read more about Buxbaum and her work, visit the author’s website.

As a gesture to bloggers unable to make it to the 2009 BEA, I also received THREE books through the Hachette Book Group thanks to Brianne:

Tell Me Something True, by Leila Cobo will be released  in October 2009 through Grand Central Publishing. The book is about Helena and her daughter Gabriella. The book description reads: ‘When Gabriella discovers a journal–a book that begins as a new mother’s letters to her baby girl, but becomes a secret diary–the final entry leaves one question unanswered: the night her mother died, was she returning to Colombia to end an affair, or was she abandoning her family for good?‘ Originally from Columbia, Cobo is a recipient of the Premio Orquidea Award for international journalism.Tell Me Something True is her first novel. To read more about Cobo and this book, visit the publisher website.

The Boy Next Door, by Irene Sabatini will be released in September 2009 through Little, Brown and Company. Set in Zimbabwe, this novel is ‘about two people finding themselves and each other in a time of national upheaval.‘ Peter Orner (author) writes about the book: “[it] offers readers a rare and often painfully honest glimpse into life in post-independent Zimbabwe. And yet there is much light and hope and yes, love–genuine and hard-earned–in this book as well. A true pleasure.” Sabatini was born in Zimbabwe, has traveled extensively and currently resides in Geneva.  The Boy Next Door is her debut novel.

The Unnamed, by Joshua Ferris will be released in January 2010 through Little, Brown and Company. The Unnamed is touted as ‘an utterly original and compelling novel about marriage and the mind from the author of the prizewinning New York Times bestselle Then We Came to the End.‘ Ferris’ first novel (nominated for the NBA and winner of the PEN/Hemingway Award) has an the official website which gives readers insight into the author’s writing. Reader’s may also learn more about the author by visiting Wikipedia.

**********************

What arrived at your home this week? To see other readers’ mailboxes, or to leave a link to yours, visit Marcia at The Printed Page.