MONDAY FROM THE INTERIOR: MAILBOX MONDAY & WHAT ARE YOU READING? — JAN. 21

Welcome to another week of bookish fun.  Join in with those who celebrate Mailbox Monday, hosted in January by Lori’s Reading Corner; and What Are You Reading?, hosted by Book Journey.

MAILBOX MONDAY:

This week brought two books in my actual mailbox.  A Vine review book and a contest win from Books in the Burbs.

1.  Nine Months, by Paula Bomer (Amazon Vine)

A bold, unapologetic first novel about a pregnant mother and wife who abandons her family in search of an identity that is hers alone. 

“Deliciously, dangerously rogue.” —Marcy Dermansky, author of Bad Marie

Sonia, a young Brooklyn mother shaken by her unexpected (third) pregnancy, abandons her husband and kids and takes off on a cross-country odyssey in search of an identity separate from her family. She does everything a pregnant woman shouldn’t do—engaging in casual sex and smoking weed—as she retraces her past and attempts to reclaim her sidelined career as an artist. Nine Months is a fierce, daring page-turner of a novel—a lacerating response to the culture of mommy blogs, helicopter parents and “parental correctness” as well as an unflinching look at the choices women face when trying to balance art and family.

2.  A Fistful of Collars, by Spencer Quinn

Everyone’s favorite detective team returns in a new adventure as canine narrator Chet and his human partner P.I. Bernie Little find that Hollywood has gone to the dogs.Hoping to bring some Tinseltown money to the Valley, the mayor lures a movie studio to town to shoot their next production, a big-budget Western in the classic tradition. The star is none other than ruggedly handsome—and notoriously badly behaved—Thad Perry. When the mayor decides that someone needs to keep an eye on Thad so that he doesn’t get into too much trouble, Bernie and Chet are handpicked for the job. The money is good but something smells fishy, and what should have been a simple matter of babysitting soon gets more complicated—especially when they discover that Thad has a mysterious connection to the Valley that nobody wants to talk about. What kind of secret could Thad have left behind when he went to Hollywood to seek fame and fortune? The only people who might know the answer have a bad habit of turning up dead before they can talk.

As Bernie’s relationship with his longtime girlfriend Suzie goes long-distance, and Chet’s late-night assignations appear to have resulted in an unexpected dividend, it’s all our two sleuths can do to keep Thad and his motley entourage of yes-men, handlers, and hangers-on in their sights. Worst of all, Thad is a self-proclaimed cat person, and his feline friend Brando has taken an instant dislike to Chet.

Like the winning books before it, this fifth book in the series combines a top-notch mystery with genuine humor and a perceptive take on the relationship between human and dog that will stay with you long after the case is solved.

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WHAT ARE YOU READING?

Welcome to another week of sharing our thoughts about books and spotlighting some of our blog posts. 

It has been a week of fun blogging for me, starting with my topic on Musing Mondays:  Book Recently Purchased; I then did a Cozy Monday post asking What Captures Your Imagination Today?; on Wednesday, I explored Thoughts from the Interior of My Blogging Journey; my Hump Day Potpourri was all about Endings & New Beginnings; at Curl up and Read, I announced my Giveaway Winner; my Friday Potpourri was about Dreaming Bookish Thoughts.

I did some excerpts and showcased interiors at Story Corner:  Exploring Interiors:  Images & Excerpts; and my Sweet Saturday Sample featured A Collision of the Past and Present.

Sunday brought two posts:  Creative Updates; and Sunday Potpourri:  Exploring the To-Be-Read Stacks.

My reading has knocked two books off of Mt. TBR for that challenge; and to avoid further cluttering of the shelves, I borrowed books from the library.

Books Read-Click Titles for Reviews:

1.  That Old Cape Magic, by Richard Russo (Toppled off of Mt. TBR)

2.  The Carrie Diaries, by Candace Bushnell (Another one off of Mt. TBR)

3.  The Eighth Wonder (e-book), by Kimberly Young (Review will be posted on 2/28/13 during my blog tour at Rainy Days and Mondays

4.  Gods of Alabama, by Joshilyn Jackson (from the library)

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

1.   Last Light Over Carolina, by Mary Alice Monroe (From Mt. TBR)

2.  Nine Months, by Paula Bomer (Vine)

3.  Kinsey and Me:  Stories (e-book), by Sue Grafton

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That’s my week!  I hope everyone has a wonderful new week…and I hope you’ll stop by and chat.  Join my bookish journey.