Good morning, and welcome to our Monday Memes, where we gather to share about our books. Those we’ve received/bought, and those we’ve read, as well as those we’re planning to read.
We also get to visit lots of blogs and network with other bloggers.
Mailbox Monday is hosted this month by Let Them Read Books.
What Are You Reading? is hosted by Book Journey.
MAILBOX MONDAY:
Just when I thought I wasn’t going to get anything this week, I opened my mailbox to find My Lost Daughter, by Nancy Taylor Rosenberg (a favorite author!). This book came to me from Book Journey (A contest win).
From Amazon:
In Rosenberg’s entertaining if at times overheated fourth entry in her suspense series featuring Ventura County, Calif., judge Lily Forrester, a direct sequel to 2009’s The Cheater, flashbacks allow readers unfamiliar with the previous book to easily follow the action. Several years earlier, Lily and her daughter, Shana, were raped and their attacker eluded capture. This and subsequent traumas have left Shana in a precarious emotional state. When Shana has a meltdown after her boyfriend dumps her, Lily picks Whitehall, a private psychiatric hospital outside San Francisco, out of a phone book. Without referrals or further investigation, Lily takes her daughter to Whitehall, where Shana voluntarily commits herself. Unfortunately, Whitehall is ruled by a rich, handsome inmate, who’s a sociopathic killer, and a greedy doctor who’ll do anything to land an insured patient. Meanwhile, Lily’s friend FBI special agent Mary Stevens and her partner, Brooks East, investigate suicide clubs in a somewhat more plausible subplot.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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WHAT ARE YOU READING?
In this meme, we also talk about other events in our week, like our blogging adventures. Mine this week included:
Christmas Memories: A Guest Post
A Bit of Me (Me) – Christmas Tree Lane
Books Read and Reviewed – Click Title for Review:
1) South of Broad, by Pat Conroy
2) Elizabeth, by J. Randy Taraborrelli
What’s Up Next?
1) Mary Ann in Autumn, by Armistead Maupin
A blurb from Amazon:
Twenty years after leaving her husband and child in San Francisco to pursue a television career in New York City, calamities drive fifty-seven-year-old Mary Ann Singleton to return to the city and her oldest friend as she tries to put her life back together.
2) Hanna’s Daughters, by Marianne Fredriksson
An Amazon Snippet:
A chronicle of emotional and psychological exploration, this family saga, a bestseller in Fredriksson’s native Sweden and in Germany, is an unerringly perceptive portrait of women in the flux of Scandinavian history.
So that’s it for me…since I spent all week reading just two books, I decided to keep my aim low this week. If I finish early, I have plenty of books I can grab.
What are you up to this week? I hope you’ll stop by and share.
I’m going to check out your thoughts on Conroy’s book! Have a great week of reading 😀
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Thanks for stopping by, Staci…hope you have a great week!
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A very nice mix of books. I’d like to see what you think of Elizabeth.
My mailbox is also up along with a giveaway of a gift card! please do come over.
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Yes, I enjoyed Elizabeth…my review is on Curl up and Read.
Thanks for stopping by, Mystica.
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Wow! My Lost Daughter sounds intense! Hope you enjoy it! Thanks for stopping by my Mailbox!
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Thanks for visiting, Lady Q…I agree about the intensity of My Lost Daughter. I read the previous book called The Cheater, and have read and enjoyed several books by this author.
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Nothing wrong with setting your aim low – I do that some weeks just so I can read anything I get the urge to after I’ve finished my “required” reading. =)
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Yes, sometimes it does feel like “assigned work,” doesn’t it? Thanks for stopping by, Lydia.
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I’ve been away from this Meme for a few weeks, I love the new back ground you have here. Hope you have a good week.
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Thanks, Anna Marie…so glad you could stop by.
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ooh Hannah’s Daughters sounds interesting! I am glad the book arrived safely! Enjoy 🙂
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Oh, me too, Sheila…I’m so looking forward to reading it, but first…some others on the stacks!
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Congrats on the win of My Lost Daughter, and will be looking for your review of Mary Ann in Autumn…
Enjoy your week reading 🙂
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Thanks, Book Girl…I am so ready to plunge into a new week. Glad you could stop by.
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It looks as though you have a rather delightful week ahead of you. Enjoy your reading and your week.
My Monday: http://www.rundpinne.com/2010/12/its-monday-what-are-you-reading-17.html
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I agree, Jennifer…this is my favorite part of the week, which is ironic, since I used to hate Mondays…LOL.
Thanks for stopping by.
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Mary Ann in Autumn sounds really good. If I can ever get my TBR pile down, I’ll get it.
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Oh, I know what you mean, Ellie. Thanks for visiting.
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I like the sound of Hannah’s Daughter. O will look it up.
Mine is at http://novroz.blogspot.com
Just wondering,what picture is your background?
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Thanks for visiting, Novroz. I’m looking forward to it, too.
The photo in my background is part of what’s depicted on the header…a place between Berlin and Prague, where my eldest son stayed once. It’s a hotel. Isn’t it unique?
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Mary Ann in Autumn sounds like a good read. Hope you enjoy it. I checked out your post on your favorite Christmas memory and enjoyed your it. Mine was always going to pick out our tree and then decorating it. Have a great week.
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Thanks, Jan…I love telling about events that changed my life or attitude. Glad you liked the post.
Oh, picking out the tree is great. I do have some memories of that, too, when my kids were little.
Thanks for stopping by, and have a great week.
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2 books is a pretty standard week for me 🙂
Enjoy your reads and have a great week!
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Thanks for stopping by, Teddyree…hope you enjoy your reading week, too.
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My Lost Daughter sounds like a good one. I hope you enjoy your new arrivals.
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Thanks, Diane…glad you could stop by. I had two hefty books to read last week, so I’m looking forward to reading the shorter ones for a bit.
I love Nancy Taylor Rosenberg’s books, and can’t wait to read this one.
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Congratulations on your win! I just love winning books.
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Me too, Kathy…thanks so much for stopping by. Have a great week.
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I read Hanna’s Daughters a long time ago but remember loving it. Enjoy your new book!
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I’ve had this one for a long time, too, Anna…I remember picking it up because it featured a Scandinavian family and my grandparents were born in Sweden.
Thanks for stopping by.
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Your books sound great. I love a stack of great books! I’ve been reading non stop for over a week (it’s feast or famine here like that). You can see what I’ve been reading all week here: http://blog.juliealindsey.com/
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Thanks for stopping by, Julie…I do love the huge stacks that litter my office space and even a part of my bedroom space…even though I moan and groan about it all the time! LOL
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Two books a week seems like a reasonable goal at this busy time of year. I have never read anything by Pat Conroy but his name came up on another list I follow. I’ll have to check him out. Happy reading!
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The other Conroy book I’ve read was Prince of Tides, and, of course, I also have the movie.
His books are long and should be savored.
Thanks for stopping by, Kathy….
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Sometimes two books is all you can do (or all you need)…I know as it gets busier–both at home and at work–it gets harder for me to read as much. Just have to savour every moment! Here’s my Monday: http://myreadersblock.blogspot.com/2010/12/its-monday-what-are-you-reading_13.html
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Yes, Bev, and I find myself easily distracted some weeks…but I know that I’ve read more this year than previous years, just because I’m setting goals.
Thanks for stopping by.
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Enjoy your new book! Happy reading! My mailbox is at The Crowded Leaf.
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Thanks, Alayne…I don’t think I’ll ever get over that feeling of excitement to find a new book in the mail.
Glad you could stop by.
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I have read Hanna’s daughters a while ago. Being German I can assure you that this book really was a bestseller here. I personally didn’t care that much for it, but it is the favorite of one of my dearest friends.
Here is my Monday post: http://thinkingaboutloud.blogspot.com/
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Thanks for stopping by, Sabrina…it’s good that we don’t all love the same books. Happy reading!
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Enjoy your new book!
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Thanks, Kate…glad you could stop by.
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I received for review The Job by Craig Davis from the author.
Joe B. enjoys the sweet life as a vice president at a huge conglomerate, Universal Whirligig. But along with the Big Boss’ favor, he has also gained the notice of a bitter human resources manager, Luci Fernandez. Hateful of any success but her own, Luci manages to get him demoted to the mail room! A rollicking comedy of errors follows as Joe B. tries to figure out what’s happened to him, and attempts to get a meeting with the Big Boss. Joe B.’s great expectations have taken a dickens of a twist. His family is forced to make a series of hard adjustments, and he gets only lame comforts from a string of the worst friends anyone could have. Will he finally track down the cause of his frustrations? Or will he only learn a lesson about what it is to be the boss, and that what is apparent is often only a shadow of a greater ongoing good? “The Job: Based on a True Story (I Mean, This is Bound to Have Happened Somewhere) is a modern parable of ancient troubles and truths.
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This does sound like a compelling read, Mary Ann. Thanks for sharing, and for stopping by. Have a great week.
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The blurb for Hanna’s Daughters sounds like my kind of book. Enjoy. Off to check out your South of Broad review.
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Thanks for stopping by, Nise…I had such a good time reading these books, even though they took all week!
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Hanna’s Daughters sounds like a book I might enjoy. I’m off to check out your South of Broad review. Have a great reading week.
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Thanks for stopping by, Beth…hope you have a great week.
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Wow, lots of great books! Hope you enjoy them all and have a wonderful week!
Natalie Ƹ̴Ӂ̴Ʒ
http://www.thebookinn.net
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Thanks, Natalie…I’m looking forward to to them. Have a great week, too.
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One of my goals for this coming year is to read Armistad Maupin. Since his books are set in SF where I live, I just feel like I need to read those books!
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I know what you mean, Amused…I used to live in SF, so I feel I can really relate to this book, too. Thanks for stopping by.
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Good to catch up with you Laurel.
Enjoy your reading this week.
I have lots to catch up on now I have my laptop back!
carol
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Thanks for visiting, Carol…being without your laptop has to be a difficult time…I’ve been without my computer for a few days before and thought I’d go through withdrawal…LOL.
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Oh, my, you’ve been busy this week! Congratulations on your book win and enjoy!
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Thanks for stopping by, Julie…hope you enjoy your week, too.
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Thanks for stopping by my blog! You have a wonderful collection of book this week.
Enjoy!
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Thanks, Mari…I’m enjoying them already; hope you have a great week, and thanks for stopping by.
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Congrats on your win with My Lost Daughter. I’ll be looking for the review and gotta say I really like the backdrop . Where is this exactly in England??
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Hi, P. K., I’m excited about My Lost Daughter, too. Thanks for stopping by.
The blog header (and the backdrop) are from the same photo…taken in a village between Berlin and Prague (on the train route). My son stayed there once.
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Hi, P. K.,
I wanted to comment on your blog, but sometimes your commenting system doesn’t work for me.
Earlier I found the comment box, but when I pressed submit, it said there was an application error.
So…anyway, I just wanted to let you know that your books look great and I hope you have a great week.
My backdrop is a photo my eldest son took of an inn that lies between Berlin and Prague. It’s the blog header and also the backdrop.
I love it too!
Laurel-Rain
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I totally need to pick up South of Broad, I’ve heard great things about it and I have it here! Hope you have a great week 🙂
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Oh, you should, Crystal…it is a book to savor…Thanks for stopping by.
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I love that you’ve got some Christmas-y books up there! Glad to see I’m not the only person reading those lovely Christmas stories to get in the spirit.
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Thanks for stopping by, Jessica…Yes, I love spotlighting Christmas whenever possible.
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Oh, I’m really interested to hear what you think of Mary Ann in Autumn! I was really tempted to request that one, but didn’t and I’m thinking I may regret that.
Have a fabulous reading week and thank you so much for stopping by earlier!
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I just posted my review of Mary Ann in Autumn at my Going Out On a Limb blog.
Thanks for stopping by, Danielle.
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Winning a book is always fun. That’s a new author for me.
Hope you enjoy your book.
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Oh, I have been reading Nancy T. Rosenberg for awhile…exciting mysteries that focus on law, juvenile court cases, etc.
Thanks for stopping by, Leslie.
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I really like Maupin’s books and haven’t had a chance to read that one yet. Hope you have a great week and thanks for stopping by my blog! 🙂
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Thanks for stopping by, Sami…this was my first Maupin book, but now I’m going to read the rest of the series.
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I’ve never heard of Hanna’s Daughters before and, as usual with your posts, I want to add it to my TBR list. Can’t wait for more of your reviews.
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I’m not surprised, Kimberly…it was not a “hyped” book, but I chose it because of the Scandinavian aspect. I wrote some thoughts about it on my Potpourri blog…http://rainysnowday.wordpress.com/
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I have My Lost Daughter on my shelf too. I haven’t yet gotten around to it though. Enjoy your books!
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Thanks for stopping by, Aths….
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