Good morning, and welcome to our Monday Memes, in which we share our thoughts about reading and blogging.
Mailbox Monday is hosted this month by Rose City Reader.
What Are You Reading? is hosted by Book Journey.
MAILBOX MONDAY:
This week, I received several books via Whispernet (for my Kindle!).
1) The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, by Stieg Larsson, has been on my wish list for awhile. I’ll be reading it for the Awesome Author Challenge.
Cases rarely come much colder than the decades-old disappearance of teen heiress Harriet Vanger from her family’s remote island retreat north of Stockholm, nor do fiction debuts hotter than this European bestseller by muckraking Swedish journalist Larsson. At once a strikingly original thriller and a vivisection of Sweden’s dirty not-so-little secrets (as suggested by its original title, Men Who Hate Women), this first of a trilogy introduces a provocatively odd couple: disgraced financial journalist Mikael Blomkvist, freshly sentenced to jail for libeling a shady businessman, and the multipierced and tattooed Lisbeth Salander, a feral but vulnerable superhacker.
2) Saving CeeCee Honeycutt, by Beth Hoffman – another one for the Awesome Author Challenge….
Hoffman’s debut, a by-the-numbers Southern charmer, recounts 12-year-old Cecelia Rose Honeycutt’s recovery from a childhood with her crazy mother, Camille, and cantankerous father, Carl, in 1960s Willoughby, Ohio….
3) Circling My Mother, by Mary Gordon (a memoir)
Anna Gagliano Gordon, who died in 2002 at the age of 94, was the personification of the culture of the mid-century American Catholic working class. A hard-working single mother – Mary Gordon’s father died when she was still a girl – she managed to hold down a job, dress smartly, raise her daughter on her own, and worship the beauty in life with a surprising joie de vivre….
4) Getting to Happy, by Terry McMillan (sequel to Waiting to Exhale)
For McMillan fans (and they are legion, given the immense popularity of her novels and film adaptations), the publication of Getting to Happy will be welcome news. The novel is full of the juicy romantic entanglements, family dysfunction, and high drama that readers have come to anticipate….
I’m very anxious to delve into each of these! Soon….
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WHAT ARE YOU READING?
This week’s journey has been a busy and productive one. Here are a few of my favorite blog posts.
Exploring the Road Not Taken – A Movie Review
Now for my reading week….Here are Books Read & Reviewed (click title for reviews)
1) Made in the USA, by Billie Letts
2) Final Payments, by Mary Gordon
3) Reading Women, by Stephanie Staal
What’s Up Next?
1) 1022 Evergreen Place, by Debbie Macomber (Amazon Vine Review)
Dear Reader,
Guess what? I’m falling in love! With Mack McAfee.
My baby daughter, Noelle, and I have been living next door to Mack since the spring. I’m still a little wary about our relationship, because I haven’t always made good decisions when it comes to men. My baby’s father, David Rhodes, is testament to that. I’m so worried he might sue for custody.
In the meantime, the World War II letters I found are a wonderful distraction. Both Mack and I are trying to learn what happened to the soldier who wrote them and the woman he loved.
Come by sometime for a glass of iced tea and I’ll show you the letters. Plus I’ll tell you the latest about Grace and Olivia, my brother Linc and his wife, Lori (who tied the knot about five minutes after they met!), and all our other mutual friends. Oh, and maybe Mack can join us….
Mary Jo Wyse
2) My Formerly Hot Life, by Stephanie Dolgoff (Amazon Vine)
“Remember all those deep and important life transitions going on amongst a group of smart, beautiful women that the last, tepid Sex and the City movie tried—and failed—to capture? Skip the film; Dolgoff’s got it all in her book, and in a far more genuine way….Dolgoff’s style is energetic, funny, highly engaging, and self-aware….Bottom Line: Whether you’re going through the Formerly transition yourself or looking back on it (or catching hints of it down the road), Dolgoff’s book is a wonderful take on the early 40s….”
3) Straight Into Darkness, by Faye Kellerman (From my TBR Stacks)
In 1920s Munich, the body of Anna Gross, a young society wife, has been found in the English Gardens, still clothed in finery. Soon a second body is discovered, also a woman of high society. When a third body is found, homicide detective Axel Berg realizes he’s dealing with unprecedented evil….
So that’s it for this week. I’m excited and looking forward to discovering new adventures within these pages. What do you have on your list this week?
I love this Debbie MaComber series and when you posted the synopsis I had to smile… I remember how the back of the books read like a letter. I am going to nose around your posts!
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Thanks for visiting, Sheila, and nose around all you like! LOL
I have read a few of the Cedar Cove books; love the series so far. Have a great week!
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I have never read a Debbie McComber book-she needs to go onto my wish list. I loved loved loved Saving Cee Cee Honeycutt-I have the perfect cupcake recipe for the book-if only I could remember the name okay have it Hummingbird Cake-I also really liked The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo.
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Esme, these two books have been on my wish list for awhile…then it all got easier when I got the Kindle, since one of my dilemmas about books is that I’m running out of shelf space!
Hummingbird Cake…hmm, sounds interesting. I have always loved the cover of the CeeCee book.
I saw Debbie Macomber in person at BEA in 2008!
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I just read my first Debbie Macomber over Christmas and really enjoyed it. I’ve really got to read more of her stuff! Enjoy 1022 Evergreen Place!
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Oh, Alita, I’m planning to enjoy it! I’ve been a fan for awhile, but it’s been a year or more since I read one of her books.
Thanks for stopping by.
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My Formally Hot Life sounds like it will be a very fun read and one I think I would enjoy too. I have read The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and enjoyed it a lot. I love a well written mystery and this was quite complex and fast-paced. Enjoy.
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I’m looking forward to it, Jan….Getting e-books has made it easier (and less guilt-free!) to add new books to my already over-burdened shelves.
Thanks for stopping by.
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I love the way you post all those books above 🙂
Yay, The Girl With Dragon tattoo, I plan to buy it soon.
Most of my friends said it’s a good book.
I hope the translation is as good as the English copy
Hope you enjoy the book as they do
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Thanks, Aleetha…I hope so, too, since this book has been hyped a lot, and sometimes…well, I won’t go there. I’m sure I’ll love it!
Glad you could stop by, and hope you enjoy it too.
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Morning Laurel,
cannot believe it is Monday again already.
So glad you are getting round to Saving CeeCee Honeycutt. Fab read! One of my favourites for 2010.
enjoy ur reading week
carol
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Thanks, Carol…Yes, it sometimes takes me awhile to get to the popular books. But having the Kindle made it all easier. Thanks for stopping by.
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I have not read the books written by Stieg Larsson, but I did saw the movies (dvd series). And let me tell you, it was GOOD. After reading the books, you should def. consider to watch them. They where action packed and very suspenseful. I’m now considering to buy the books. I hope you enjoy the books you got there and have a wonderful reading week.
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Thanks, Nina…Yes, I’ve seen the movies on my On-Demand feature of TV…I think I’ll wait until I read the books, though. Glad you could stop by.
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Fabulous mailbox! My Formerly Hot Life really appeals to me as it sounds like a dishy memoir — enjoy!
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It does, doesn’t it, Kim? Thanks for stopping by, and enjoy your week.
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I loved both The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Saving CeeCee Honeycutt. I hope you enjoy them too 🙂
Happy Reading!
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I’m hoping to love them, too, Misha…thanks for stopping by!
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You got some nice books in your mailbox this week. The Girl with The Dragon Tattoo is on my TBR list, but first I need to get my hands on it. Stieg Larsson is one of my favourite authors of all time. Straight into Darkness sounds very intriguing too. So many wonderful books, so little time!
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Oh, I know what you mean, Majanka! Sometimes I read late into the night, but I guess we need to sleep sometime…
Thanks for stopping by, and hope you get your hands on the books you want.
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I am addressing the mailbox. My mailbox is in the sidebar. You have gotten good books. I want to read Getting to Happy. Terry McMillan is one good author you can always depend on. I am reading The Girl…. slowly on my Kindle. Great mailbox.
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Thanks for stopping by, Tea…I had added Getting to Happy to my list awhile ago, but then recently, I saw Oprah in a re-taped interview with the author and immediately added the book to my Kindle.
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Loved Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I immediately went and bought the other 2 when I finished it but haven’t read them yet. I’ve heard good things about Saving Cee Cee Honeycutt too. Happy reading!
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I suspect that I will do the same…thanks for stopping by, Holly.
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I liked The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, I read the 3 books one after the others a couple years ago (it was in French translation). Plenty of action and mystery! I hope you’ll enjoy it too.
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Thanks for stopping by, Kay…I’ve had my eye on this series, and decided to try it for the Awesome Author challenge.
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here’s mine http://tributebooksmama.blogspot.com/2011/01/mailbox-monday-hunters-and-prey.html
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Thanks for stopping by, Mary Ann…enjoy your reading.
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I love the sound of ‘Saving CeeCee Honeycutt’.
It’s a little outside the scope of my usual reading choice, but this is a definite contender for the ‘Trying Something New’ list.
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It’s not my usual tale, either, but I’m going to read it for the Awesome Author challenge. Thanks for stopping by, Yvonne.
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My Formerly Hot Life sounds like a great new story. I have a copy of GWDT on my shelf that I keep meaning to read but then shiny new books call my name from the library and I get sidetracked. Hope you enjoy it!
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Thanks for visiting, Sami…I am very excited about the new books….have a great week.
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I lent the Debbie Macomber book to my mother-in-law and you have reminded me I need to get that back!
GREAT WEEK!!
Dollycas
http://dollycas.blogspot.com/
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Thanks for visiting, Lori…and I do the same thing; lend books to people and forget about it!
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I’m glad I’m not the only one who hasn’t yet read Girl with the Dragon Tattoo – hopefully I’ll get to it sometime this year.
Happy reading!
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Thanks for stopping by, Cat….and yes, finally, I’m going to be reading this one.
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What a great reading week for you! I still have the last two Larsson books in their place of honor on my desk; I’m trying to carve out some time between review and challenge books for them. Saving Cee Cee Honeycutt is right near the top of my to-buy list as well! Enjoy all of the great reads! off to read some of your weekly stuff! Oh, and I really like the new look!
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Thanks for visiting, Julie…I would not have these books even now if it weren’t for my Kindle…this has solved the overflowing shelves issue for me….
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Nice group of books this week. I still intend to read the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo even though I’ve seen the movie and Saving CeeCee Honeycutt is on my personal must read list this year.
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Thanks for stopping by, Leslie…I’ve had my eye on these books for awhile…finally have them on my Kindle!
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Enjoy the Stieg Larsson book. I was slow to decide to read them, but I have enjoyed the first two and look forward to the third.
Love the kitten mailbox picture!
Thanks for participating in Mailbox Monday!
Rose City Reader
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Oh, so was I, Rose City Reader…I probably still wouldn’t have bought it if I hadn’t received my Kindle…helps with the overflowing shelves. Thanks for stopping by, and yes, that kitty mailbox is cute, isn’t it?
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