MONDAY FROM THE INTERIOR: MAILBOX MONDAY & WHAT ARE YOU READING? — SEPT. 10

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?

This week brought four review books!  Delightful!

1.  The Book of Neil, by Frank Turner Hollon (Unsolicited from Publisher)

Two billion people on Earth call themselves Christians. A foundation belief among Christians is that Jesus, the Son of God, will again appear in bodily form amongst us. If He returned in this age of consumption, technology, and self-indulgence, what would Jesus need to do to get our attention? What could he do to draw our focus away from reality TV, the internet, and another trip to the shopping mall? That is precisely Jesus’s challenge in this remarkable new novel, Hollon’s ninth. After months of being dismissed as another mentally ill street-preacher who is ridiculed, arrested, and ignored, Jesus robs a bank and ends up on the front page of The New York Times as the Jesus-Bandit. When you close the cover on this lean and powerful novel, one way or the other, you will not be the same.

2.  Chalk Valley (e-book), by D. L. Johnstone (From the Author)

In a remote mountain valley in British Columbia, a human monster preys on innocent lives. After teenagers discover the body of a missing girl in Chalk Valley, searchers find the remains of two more victims secreted deep in the woods. A serial killer is at work.

Chalk Valley police detective John McCarty is picked to lead a task force to find the murderer. But inexperience, politics and McCarty’s own inner demons quickly overwhelm him and the investigation falters.

Meanwhile, on a dark, lonely highway many miles from Chalk Valley, RCMP Sergeant Dave Kreaver comes across a van crashed at the side of the road. The driver is anxious to leave the scene. But Kreaver discovers an unconscious teenaged girl in the van. Kreaver feels in his gut that the driver could be the serial killer everyone’s looking for, but his inquiries are ignored. The task force is in well over its head, buried by thousands of leads and potential suspects. His supervisors tell him to back off and let the task force do its job.

Kreaver is in a deadly cat and mouse game with a murderous psychopath, a race against time with innocent victims in play. Operating alone and without official sanction, can he stop the Chalk Valley Killer before he claims more lives?

3.  Murder at Blue Falls (e-book), by Maggie Bishop (From the Author)

Arson and murder disturb the Appalachian peace of the Triplett Valley’s Blue Falls Dude Ranch. Jemma Chase, daughter of the ranch owners and trail-ride leader, becomes involved when her horse finds a body. Being an amateur SCI is fun until her meddling puts her life in danger. Detective Tucker’s suspicions disturb and annoy Jemma, but in the end, he becomes the answer to her prayers. Escape to the North Carolina mountains for a week on a guest ranch.

4.  An Order of Coffee & Tears (e-book), by Brian Spangler (From the Author)

Angela’s Diner has the reputation of a safe haven where patrons find a moment of peace as they linger over coffee and tears. For one young runaway, Angela’s is more than a place to tell your tale — it’s a place where with the magic of chicken and waffles, and a little bit of trust, may just save your life.

Gabriella Santiago used to be a typical teenager who enjoyed the usual teenage things. That is until a single tragic day ended who she was and within hours she ran from home, never to look back.

Only when Gabby is cold, hungry and at her lowest, does she find Angela’s Diner. Gabby embraces her new life and the family she has found in the midst of strangers and obscurity.

Acceptance is what she craves, but before long, Gabby realizes she’s not the only one in the diner with something to hide. Her new family has a secret too, and some secrets refuse to stay buried.

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WHAT ARE YOU READING?

Welcome to another new week in our 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 Tuesday Potpourri: Bookish Wishes, Changes, & Fun Reads.

Wednesday brought two posts:  Hump Day Potpourri:  Recycling & Rearranging…Again! and Row 80 Check-In:   How I Manage to Fill My Creative Time.

The end of September brings us Bloggiesta again…Ole!    I’ll be working on my Serendipity blog, primarily, but could veer off to one of the others occasionally.  I love this event!

Sweet Saturday Samples:  Connecting, takes us further on our journey with Martha and Maeve (Interior Designs).

And here’s my Saturday Snapshot, in which I share some holiday memories.

Now let’s talk books.

Read/Reviewed-Click Titles for Reviews:

1.  And When She Was Good, by Laura Lippman

2.  Little Night, by Luanne Rice

3.  Love Anthony, by Lisa Genova

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

What’s Up Next? (Click Titles/Covers for More Info)

1.  Midnight Exposure, by Melinda Leigh

2.  The Redgraves, by Donald Spoto

3.  Left Neglected (e-book), by Lisa Genova

4.  Looking for Mary, by Beverly Donofrio (a graduate of the Old TBR Piles)

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And that’s my past and future week in books and blogging.  I’m eager to see what the rest of you have been doing and plan to do next.  Come on by!