MONDAY FROM THE INTERIOR: MAILBOX MONDAY & WHAT ARE YOU READING? — SEPT. 24

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:

I received no books in the “real” mailbox, but a couple of downloads to Sparky arrived; one, a review book, and the other a freebie.

Play Him Again (e-book), by Jeffrey Stone (review book)

It’s the Roaring Twenties but silence remains golden for Hollywood. Sound is scorned by movie moguls. It’s too expensive. Only two studios have sound equipment. Only one picture has contained limited spoken dialogue.

Matt Hudson, a rumrunner and the preferred bootlegger of the movie industry, wants to produce a talking picture. Hud’s gut tells him a talkie would rake in the dough at the box office but neither sound studio will lease him their facilities.

Hud’s oldest friend, con man Danny Kincaid, uses the talkie gold mine angle to con a transplanted Chicago gangster into buying a bogus sound device. But when the gangster gets wise, Danny ends up dead.

Now Hud has a score to settle and nothing can stop him from finding Danny’s killer. After Hud unravels a web of deception, blackmail, and murder that leads to a studio controlled by the gangster, he sets up another con to play the gangster again. A con that will either avenge Danny or get Hud killed.

Sign of the Times (e-book), by Susan Buchanan

Twelve people. Twelve star signs.

Sagittarius – Holly, a travel writer, visits Tuscany to research her next book. Seeking help when her car breaks down, she gets more than assistance when Dario, a vineyard owner, puts temptation in her path. Disappearing without explanation, he proves elusive. Bruised, Holly tries to put it behind her until a chance encounter brings her feelings to the surface again.

Capricorn – Holly’s fiancé, Tom misses her while she is in Italy and turns to an internet chat room for solace. His construction business is under threat, but could foul play be at work?

Gemini – Holly’s sister, Lucy, a serial man-eater finally meets her match, which puts her long-term relationship and career in jeopardy. Cheating she discovers, can have devastating consequences.

Libra – Holly’s uncle Jack, an eminent prosecutor, juggles a difficult teenage son with his high profile career and finds himself lacking. When his son’s school work starts slipping, he decides he needs to take control, but it’s not long before the balls all come tumbling down and Jack finds his family on the wrong side of the law.

One event binds them all…

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WHAT ARE YOU READING?

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

ON THE BLOGS:

My reading and blogging week went pretty well, in spite of the “death” of my LCD TV…or maybe because of it.  More time for reading.

But I was also feeling angst and veering between positive feelings about its repair to the possibility of finding a new one.  So here’s what I accomplished:

Tuesday Potpourri:  Playing with PicMonkey

Final Check-In for Round Three (Row 80)

Sweet Saturday Samples:  Investigating

Sparking a Story on a Saturday

Review:  Sister, by Rosamund Lupton (Click Titles for reviews)

Review:  Click:  An Online Love Story, by Lisa Becker

Review:  This Time Together, by Carol Burnett

I stayed up late last night finishing The Catcher in the Rye, by J. D. Salinger, my chosen book for Banned Books Week.

It was actually my first time reading it, and over the years I’ve heard mixed reviews of it.

So imagine my surprise to find myself totally drawn into Holden Caulfield’s world….so much so that I was actually depressed for much of the book!

Until the end, of course, with that scene that seemingly promises a better tomorrow.

What did the rest of you think of it?  If you’ve read it, of course.

On October 5, I’ll be posting my review during Banned Books Week, and having a giveaway of the book at Rainy Days and Mondays.

WHAT’S UP NEXT? (Click Titles/Covers for More Info)

A Different Kind of Normal, by Cathy Lamb

Shepherd’s Prayer (e-book), by Katya Willemsen (review book)

The Probable Future, by Alice Hoffman

Chalk Valley (e-book), by D. L. Johnstone (review book)

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I’m looking forward to a great week…and I’m also getting ready for Bloggiesta next weekend, followed by Banned Books Week. (Sept. 30-Oct. 6).

What did last week look like for you?  What about this upcoming week?  Come on by and chat with me.