MONDAY FROM THE INTERIOR: MAILBOX MONDAY & WHAT ARE YOU READING? — SEPT. 3

Good morning, and welcome to another Monday, in which we celebrate our reading, blogging, and life.  Mailbox Monday is hosted in September by BooknAround; and Book Journey brings us another edition of What Are You Reading?

MAILBOX MONDAY:

This week, I received two review books and purchased two.

1.  The Redgraves, by Donald Spoto (Amazon Vine)

The dramatic, poignant and revealing saga of the Redgraves, one of history’s greatest families of actors.

For more than a century, the Redgraves have defined theater and film while captivating the public eye. Their history is a rich tapestry of singu­larly talented individuals whose influence is felt to this day, yet their story has never before been told. In The Redgraves, bestselling biographer Donald Spoto draws on his close personal relationships with the family and includes both his interviews and un­precedented personal access to them. The result is a groundbreaking account of this extraordinary clan and their circle, including such luminaries as Elizabeth Taylor, Katharine Hepburn, and Sir Laurence Olivier.

The story began in 1907 with the marriage of actress Daisy Scudamore to matinee idol Roy Red­grave and the birth in 1908 of their son, Michael, who became a famous stage actor and movie star. Michael’s family and wild social circle knew that for decades he was insistently bisexual, notwithstanding his marriage to Rachel Kempson, one of England’s most glamorous and admired actresses.

Their daughter Vanessa, a great and revered per­former, is the only British actress ever to win Oscar, Emmy, Tony, Cannes, Golden Globe, and Screen Actors Guild Awards—achievements that have been paralleled by a profound humanitarian commitment even as she tackled difficult and controversial roles.

Vanessa’s sister, Lynn Redgrave, led a triumphant and complex life in her own way, too. From her per­formance in the movie Georgy Girl to her prizewin­ning play about her father and her Oscar-nominated performance in Gods and Monsters, Lynn established herself as a very different Redgrave.

Corin Redgrave, their brother, was known for his acclaimed performances onstage and screen—and he was a tireless and outspoken political radical.

The family tradition of distinction continues with the careers of Joely Richardson and Jemma Red­grave and reached a high point in the life and career of Vanessa’s daughter, Natasha Richardson, who earned a Tony Award for her role as Sally Bowles in the revival of Cabaret. Natasha’s sudden death after a skiing les­son in 2009 shocked and saddened admirers of her work and graceful spirit.

The product of more than thirty years of research, The Redgraves recounts the epic saga of a family that has extended the possibilities for actors on stage, screen, and television in Britain, America, and around the world.

2.  Click:  An Online Love Story, by Lisa Becker (from the author)

Fast approaching her 30th birthday and finding herself not married, not dating, and without even a prospect or a house full of cats, Renee Greene, the heroine of Click: An Online Love Story, reluctantly joins her best guy pal on a journey to find love online in Los Angeles. The story unfolds through a series of emails between Renee and her best friends (anal-compulsive Mark, the overly-judgmental Ashley and the over-sexed Shelley) as well as the gentlemen suitors she meets online. From the guy who starts every story with “My buddies and I were out drinking one night,” to the egotistical “B” celebrity looking for someone to stroke his ego, Renee endures her share of hilarious and heinous cyber dates. Fraught with BCC’s, FWD’s and inadvertent Reply to All’s, readers will root for Renee to “click” with the right man.

3.  The Glass Butterfly (e-book), by Louise Marley

In The Glass Butterfly, Louise Marley winds together a tale of subtle danger lurking in the past and a mother’s sacrifice for her son’s future. . ..

A new life. A new name. A complete break with the past. It’s the only way therapist Victoria Lake can think to protect her son–and herself–from a case turned deadly. She and Jack have barely spoken since he’s gone to college. As painful as it is, it’s better that he think she’s dead than let her enemies suspect that she’s not.

Jack could never stand his mother’s insistence that sometimes intuition told her things facts couldn’t. But he has a strange feeling that she’s alive, despite the meticulous police investigation and the somber funeral. Of course, Jack is reconsidering several things his mother said, now that she’s gone.

To survive, Victoria knows she has to reinvent herself completely. She can’t even listen to her beloved Puccini. But without the music in her ears, eerie dreams invade her sleep. Lush with the sounds and sights of 19th-century Tuscany, they’re also loaded with a very real warning she can’t afford to ignore..

4.  In Name Only (e-book), by Carol Kilgore

No home. No family. No place to hide. For Summer Newcombe, that’s only the beginning.

The night Summer escapes from a burning Padre Island eatery and discovers the arsonist is stalking her, is the same night she meets Fire Captain Gabriel Duran. As much as she’s attracted to Gabe, five years in the Federal Witness Security Program because of her father’s testimony against a mob boss have taught her the importance of being alone and invisible.

No matter how much she yearns for a real home, Summer relinquished that option the night she killed the man who murdered her father. But Gabe breaks down her guard and places both of them in danger. Summer has vowed never to kill again, but she’s frantic she’ll cost Gabe his life unless she stops running and fights for the future she wants with the man she loves.

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WHAT ARE YOU READING?

Welcome to a new week and a new month.  A time to share our reading, blogging, and life adventures, and a time to enjoy our community of book bloggers.

As for the past week, I did some blogging, beginning with a Monday Potpourri, in which I mused about strange and weird books.

Then I had some Creative Fun, sharing thoughts about Pinterest, blog headers, and excerpting from a WIP.  Wednesday found me Checking In at the ROW 80 Challenge and posting an Interview with Author Carol Kilgore.

Hump Day Potpourri is often a fun place to share thoughts and commiserate about reading and blogging and life.

Then I did something I hadn’t done in awhile:  I posted Thoughts From the Interior:  Creative Obsessions.

Sweet Saturday Samples:  Commiserating, continued our journey with Martha and Maeve, characters from Interior Designs.

My Sunday Potpourri is a collection of odds, ends, and tidbits.

And to tie up my reading month, here’s my Monthly Reading Wrap-Up.

Reading:

1.  The Meryl Streep Movie Club, by Mia March (click title for review)

2.  Queen Bee of Mimosa Branch, by Haywood Smith (click title for review)

3.  Against My Will, by Benjamin Berkley (Review will go up on Oct. 1 during Blog Tour)

4.  The Song Remains the Same, by Allison Winn Scotch (click title for review)

What’s Up Next?

1.  Love Anthony, by Lisa Genova (click titles/covers for more info)

2.  And When She Was Good, by Laura Lippman

3.  Little Night, by Luanne Rice

4.  Sharp Objects (e-book), by Gillian Flynn

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And that’s my week….past, present, and upcoming.  What are you anticipating?  What did you accomplish?  Come on by and tease me with your books.