Sunday, August 29, 2010

Mailbox Monday-- Books, Hail and Moonlight


Mailbox Monday is on tour! That's right-- my favorite weekly meme is out and about. For the entire month of August you'll be able to find Mailbox Monday on Shanyn's blog, Chick Loves Lit. If taking a look at the books other people discovered in their mailboxes intrigues you, and if you'd like to participate, this just might be the meme for you. Thanks for hosting, Shanyn!

The weather this weekend held center stage. Saturday there was deep, rumbling thunder combined with blue skies and brilliant sunshine. Then a stray cloud spit out about ten drops, and that was it.

An hour later the thunder started again, but this time clouds did appear, and somewhere just south and west of Casa Kittling, a dam seemed to burst. Sheets of rain, pea-sized hail... and then golf ball-sized hail. Watching the hail hit the surface of the pool and then pop! up was amusing and took my mind off the ones that were battering the windows.

Now all is calm. The moonlight is so bright that I have the office blinds raised so I can watch the moon travel across the sky. But all this has nothing to do with books!

This past week, I sent 4 of my books to new Paperback Swap (PBS) foster homes, and I received 4 replacements. Here's the scoop on my new-to-me books:
  1. Bad Manners by Marne Davis Kellogg (PBS).  "Lilly Bennett quits her California job as chief of detectives, returns to the family ranch in Roundup, Wyoming, and opens a security business. Buoyantly untarnished by her previous work, she enthusiastically investigates the murder of a hateful old man who pushed one daughter off the family foundation's board, kept the other in nose candy, and gave his affection to a rodeo mistress. In her return to the 'Old West', Bennett becomes a U.S. Marshall, unearths family peccadilloes, dates a real cowboy, and generally has a ball-- not bad for 45. A humorous, rambunctious, and lively debut."
  2. American Road: The Story of an Epic Transcontinental Journey at the Dawn of the Motor Age by Pete Davies (PBS). "In 1919, a military convoy of 81 vehicles set out to travel the Lincoln Highway-- a line drawn on the map-- from Washington, D.C., to San Francisco. Essentially a PR ploy to dramatize the need for good roads, the 'First Transcontinental Motor Train' delivered. Trucks foundered in mud, crashed through wooden bridges, and got beaten to pieces on byways barely better than trails. Modern motorists will be surprised to learn just how bad things were back then, but the story behind the undertaking is equally interesting. Automobile and tire manufacturers, who stood to gain if newly car-crazy citizens had smooth roads to travel, managed to drive the government their way; the grueling journey captured the American imagination and spurred road building to a fervor."
  3. Gimme More by Liza Cody (PBS). "Birdie Walker— rock widow, con-woman, aging wild child— now lives by her wits. Unsentimental self-interest sees her through, but no one could call it pretty. Twenty years ago, she and her now-deceased rock star lover were the most famous couple alive. The public treasures its outrageous memories, but she’s still the woman everyone loves to hate. Media darling, media demon, she fights with fame and infamy alike. But when music biz executives get wind that she’s hiding valuable, never-released tapes, Birdie learns exactly what it takes to survive them."
  4. The Day of Small Things by Vicki Lane (from the author). "In the misty folds of Appalachia, the girl they call Least grows up cursed by her mother’s cruelty and blessed by her neglect. Deemed unfit to join the outside world, Least turns to the wisdom of the land, to voices she alone can hear, to legends left by native Indians, and to the arts of divination and healing. But the time comes when Least has to choose between a doting suitor and her childhood magic, between his church and her spirits. Now, as her life enters its final chapter, her world has been invaded by a violent criminal with a chilling plan. To stop him from committing an unspeakable crime—and to free an innocent child—the woman who was once Least must break long-held promises, draw on long-buried powers, and face a darkness no one else can even see."
The book that I'm most excited about in this batch (besides The Day of Small Things) is American Road, probably because Denis and I have spent so much time on trails of wildly varying conditions here in Arizona. I'd like to compare some of our experiences to theirs!

Do any of these books sound particularly good to you? Which ones?

Now comes the fun part-- traveling from blog to blog to see the books that everyone else discovered in their mailboxes!

13 comments:

  1. Cathy - The Day of Small Things sounds really interesting to me. I'm looking forward to reading what you think of it.

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  2. The fun part is definitely traveling from blog to blog! Great mailbox this week. Bad Manners sounds kind of fun.

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  3. Interesting books! The Day of Small Things sounds really good. Enjoy!

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  4. Margot-- I'm really looking forward to reading it myself!

    Alayne-- I will.

    Holly-- It does, doesn't it? :)

    Elysium-- Thanks!

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  5. I'm drawn to American Road too...I love to just go places!! Enjoy.

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  6. I like visiting everyone's mailbox posts. I always find such neat titles and books to add to my lists.

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  7. The Day of Small Things sounds like an interesting read.

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  8. Interesting books.

    My TBR stack is getting larger after seeing all these great mailboxes.

    Stop by mine if you like:

    http://silversolara.blogspot.com

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  9. I'm always impressed by the depth and vast arrayness (not really a word but I like it) of the books you get. Have a great week!

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  10. While generally I lean more towards NF, I think out of this batch The Day of Small Things has piqued by interest most of all!

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  11. Staci-- Denis and I love nothing better than loading up the cooler and hitting the trail. :)

    Beth-- Me, too!

    Belle-- It certainly does!

    Elizabeth-- I'm on my way!

    Ryan-- You, too!

    Molly-- I'm really looking forward to reading it.

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  12. Haven't heard of these before. Hope you enjoy them.

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Thank you for taking the time to make a comment. I really appreciate it!