Welcome to another Monday from the Interior, in which we share about the books we received in the mail (or bought), and talk about our bookish week, past and future.
Mailbox Monday is hosted this month by Metroreader; and Sheila’s Book Journey leads us in What Are You Reading?
MAILBOX MONDAY:
This week, my mailbox contained two review books and two that I purchased.
1. Ship of Souls, by Zetta Elliott (Amazon Vine)
When Dmitri, an eleven-year-old bird-watcher and math whiz, loses his mother to breast cancer, he is taken in by Mrs. Martin, an elderly white woman. Unaccustomed to the company of kids his own age, D struggles at school and feels like an outcast until a series of unexpected events changes the course of his life.
First, D is asked to tutor the school’s basketball star, Hakeem, who will get benched unless his grades improve. Against the odds, the two boys soon realize they have something in common: they are both taunted by kids at school, and they both have a crush on Nyla, a beautiful but fierce eighth-grade girl. Then Nyla adopts D and invites him to join her entourage of “freaks.” Finally, D discovers an injured bird and brings it home from the park.
D is stunned when the strange bird speaks to him and reveals that she is really a guiding spirit that has been held hostage by ghost soldiers who died in Brooklyn at the start of the American Revolution. As Nuru’s chosen host, D must carry her from Brooklyn to the African Burial Ground in lower Manhattan, but the ghost soldiers won’t surrender their prize without a fight.
With the help of Hakeem and Nyla, D battles the Nether Beings who lurk underground, feeding off centuries of rage and pain. But it takes an unexpected ally to help the trio reach the ship that will deliver the innocent souls of the dead back to Nuru’s realm. An urban fantasy infused with contemporary issues and historical facts, Ship of Souls by Zetta Elliott will keep teen readers gripped until the very end.
2. Whole Latte Life, by Joanne DeMaio (Publicist Request)
Would you leave everything behind to know who you are?
Sara Beth Riley never dreamt she’d walk straight out of her life. Actually she’d never dreamt a lot of things that had happened this year … From being kidnapped by her own best friend, to throwing her wedding rings into the Hudson River, to calling an old love in France, to getting inked with said best friend, painting the passionate constellation of these choices into permanence. But mostly, she could never have dreamt what started it all. How could it be that her mother’s unexpected death, and the grief which lingered painfully long, turned her into the woman she was finally meant to become?
Sara Beth’s escape begins a summer of change – of herself, of marriage, of the lives of those around her. In a story that moves from Manhattan to the sea to a quaint New England town, Whole Latte Life looks at friends we never forget, at decisions we linger with, at our attempts to live the lives we love.
3. Home Front, by Kristin Hannah
In her bestselling novels Kristin Hannah has plumbed the depths of friendship, the loyalty of sisters, and the secrets mothers keep. Now, in her most emotionally powerful story yet, she explores the intimate landscape of a troubled marriage with this provocative and timely portrait of a husband and wife, in love and at war.
4. The Accidental Feminist, by M. G. Lord
Movie stars establish themselves as brands–and Taylor’s brand , in its most memorable outings, has repeatedly introduced a broad audience to feminist ideas. In her breakout film, “National Velvet” (1944), Taylor’s character challenges gender discrimination,: Forbidden as a girl to ride her beloved horse in an important race, she poses as a male jockey. Her next milestone, “A Place in the Sun” (1951), can be seen as an abortion rights movie–a cautionary tale from a time before women had ready access to birth control. In “Butterfield 8” (1960), for which she won an Oscar, Taylor isn’t censured because she’s a prostitute, but because she chooses the men: she controls her sexuality, a core tenet of the third-wave feminism that emerged in the 1990s. Even “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” (1966) depicts the anguish that befalls a woman when the only way she can express herself is through her husband’s stalled career and children.
The legendary actress has lived her life defiantly in public–undermining post-war reactionary sex roles, helping directors thwart the Hollywood Production Code, which censored film content between 1934 and 1967. Defying death threats she spearheaded fundraising for AIDS research in the first years of the epidemic, and has championed the rights of people to love whom they love, regardless of gender. Yet her powerful feminist impact has been hidden in plain sight. Drawing on unpublished letters and scripts as well as interviews with Kate Burton, Gore Vidal, Austin Pendleton, Kevin McCarthy, Liz Smith, and others, The Accidental Feminist will surprise Taylor and film fans with its originality and will add a startling dimension to the star’s enduring mystique.
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WHAT ARE YOU READING?
Come join us to celebrate the week that has passed, and see what we’ve planned for the week ahead. Perhaps you’ll find the very book you’ve been hoping to read.
Here’s My Week in Reviews & Blogging:
DAWN IRELAND: WHO IS SHE & WHAT INSPIRED “HOT CHOCOLATE”?
BLOG TOUR-REVIEW OF “HOT CHOCOLATE”
SUNDAY REFLECTIONS & CREATIONS
Review: Atonement, by Ian McEwan
Review: Jonathan’s Story, by Julia London
Review: The Importance of Being Kennedy, by Laurie Graham
What’s Up Next?
Click the links/photo to read about the books
1. Rainshadow Road, by Lisa Kleypas (Vine Review)
2. How to Eat a Cupcake, by Meg Donohue (Vine Review)
3. Iodine, by Haven Kimmel
4. The Long Drunk (e-book), by Eric Coyote (Review Book)
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That’s it for this week!
I’m excited about my mailbox and up-next books. What are you drooling over? Come on by and share…..
All your books look good. I’ve read mixed reviews about Home Front so I’m looking forward to reading your take on it. The cover of The Long Drunk is so creepy.
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Ha-ha…yes, that is a creepy cover, Laura. I hope I enjoy the book!
Thanks for stopping by, and have a great week.
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You have some great looking reads here Laurel! I seen that Long Drunk book around… I will be curious to read your thoughts on it.
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Yes, the cover and title alone make it noticeable, don’t you think? lol
Thanks for stopping by, Sheila, and I hope you have a great week.
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I haven’t heard of any of the books on your list but they sound interesting. My daughter’s homework requires reading out loud to me. Come see what she and I read together. I also got some other great books finished on my own time.
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Thanks for visiting, Sarah…I think it’s great that you and your daughter read together. Enjoy your week.
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Sounds like a good week coming up! I’m going to pop over to your Atonement review!
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Thanks, Crystal…glad you could stop by and share in my bookish thoughts. Hope you have a great week!
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Happy Reading!
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Thanks, Abbi…hope you have a great week, and I’m glad you could stop by.
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The top 2 seem like very sweet reads. Enjoy
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I agree, Diane…I’m looking forward to them both, although I’m almost finished with Rainshadow Road and loving it!
Thanks for stopping by.
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Great looking books in your mailbox!
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Thanks, Mary! Glad you could stop by, and enjoy your week.
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Home Front sounds interesting!
Here’s my reads:
http://junkboattravels.blogspot.com/2012/02/its-monday-what-are-you-reading.html
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Oh, I think so, too, Jackie. Thanks for stopping by, and have a great week.
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I bet you’ll need to have a box of tissues handy when you read Home Front. Have a great week!
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Oh, that’s good to know, Kathy….I’ll read this one with lots of tea handy, too…or maybe a mimosa!
Thanks for stopping by.
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I have How To Eat a Cupcake to read soon, Rainshadow Road looks good!
Wishing you a great reading week
Shelleyrae @ Book’d Out
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Thanks, Shelleyrae…glad you could stop by. Whenever I visit blogs on Mondays, my book buying increases!
Have a great week.
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I loved Home Front! Then again I pretty much have loved every Kristin Hannah I have read so far! I like the edge she puts in her books.
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Oh, I agree about Kristin Hannah…thanks for stopping by, and I hope you have a great week, Beth.
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What a variety. The Long Drunk cover sure made me pause. I will watch for your review.
Have a great week!
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Oh, I agree, Lori….Thanks for stopping by, and enjoy your week.
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Great books this week. How to Eat a Cupcake looks really good – I’m going to have to check that one out!
Thanks for stopping by my blog today!!!
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I think it will be, Kristin…thanks for visiting, and have a great week.
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A great reading week ahead, enjoy!
http://tributebooksmama.blogspot.com/2012/02/mailbox-monday.html
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Thanks for stopping by, Mary Ann…..
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Wow! Enjoy our reading, Laurel. I also have Whole Latte Life. 🙂
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Doesn’t that cover look delicious, Suko? Thanks for stopping by, and enjoy your week.
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A great selection of books. Looking forward to Home Front. I have yet to read Lisa Kleypas.
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Thanks, Nise…this is my first book by Kleypas. I’m really enjoying it. Glad you could stop by.
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Your mailbox looks good! Home Front sounds like it might be something I’d enjoy.
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I’m looking forward to it, too, Melissa…Thanks for stopping by, and have a great week.
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An Accidental Feminist looks really interesting. Please let me know what you think!
Have a good reading week!
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Thanks, Rae…I think it’s going to be very intriguing. Thanks for visiting, and have a great week.
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Home Front, Whole Latte Life and Ship of Souls are all calling my name … fabulous mailbox. I’ll be looking out for your thoughts on Rainshadow Road and The Long Drunk.
Have a wonderful week and happy reading 🙂
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Thanks, Teddyree…I finished Rainshadow Road last night, and the review is on my Serendipity blog at http://accidentalmoments.wordpress.com/
Glad you could stop by, and have a wonderful week.
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You know, I love old movies, but I don’t think I’ve ever actually seen anything starring Liz Taylor. Hmmm. I need to fix that soon. Enjoy your books!
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Wow! That is amazing, Jen. I know I haven’t seen all of her old movies, but I’ve seen several. There was even a movie that must have shown only on TV (in the eighties), but I have the VCR version (yes, that’s how old!). She starred with Carol Burnett in a feature called Between Friends. I really enjoyed it. It shows an “aging” Taylor, but with plenty of drama.
I’ve gotten sidetracked here…lol. Thanks for stopping by, and enjoy your week.
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The Accidental Feminist, by M. G. Lord looks really good! I hope you enjoy all of your books!
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Thanks, Teddy…glad you could stop by, and I’m looking forward to it. Have a great week.
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You have a nice selection of books this week and a creepy cover in The Long Drunk. I read Home Front and it was just ok for me, but a lot of people love it so I hope you do too.
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Oh, I hope to love it, Leslie…but one never knows. Yes, creepy cover on The Long Drunk. I’ll be reading it on my Kindle, so I won’t be seeing it…lol
Thanks for stopping by, and have a great week.
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Nice selection. Kristin Hannah book is on many blogs.
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Yes, I think she, like Jodi Picoult, has a large audience. Thanks for visiting, Mystica, and have a great week.
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Great looking books and I will be reading Home Front. I don’t care if it is sappy!
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Oh, I agree, Staci…we have to work some “sappy” in between the dark and scary ones.
Thanks for stopping by, and enjoy your weekend.
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