Monday, January 26, 2009

Mailbox Monday--Raider of the ARCs


I listed just a few books at Paperback Swap last week, and it seems to have jumpstarted some folks. Not only did all the new ones get requested, members also requested some that have been sitting on my bookshelf for a while. Fourteen books were sent to new homes last week, and my TBR shelves became the new home to eight other tomes. Here's the scoop:

  1. A Lesson in Dying by Ann Cleeves (PBS), the first in her Stephen Ramsey police procedurals set in Northumberland, England. I love Cleeves' Shetland Quartet series as well as her birdwatchers' series. Thought it wouldn't do any harm to see if I like this series, too!
  2. Sanctum by Denise Mina (BD), a standalone mystery from this excellent writer in Scotland. As luck would have it, I ordered this from Book Depository and forgot to take it off my wish list at Paperback Swap, so now I have the US edition (Deception) and the UK edition (Sanctum). I'm keeping the Uk edition and relisting the US one at PBS. This will be the first of Mina's non-series books that I've read, so I'm very interested in seeing how that turns out.
  3. Sin in the Second City: Madams, Ministers, Playboys, and the Battle for America's Soul by Karen Abbott (PBS). Referred to as "sizzle history", I'm looking forward to this book about an era in Chicago's history.
  4. Lord John and the Private Matter by Diana Gabaldon (PBS) is the first of her mysteries using characters from her popular Outlander series, of which I'm a fan. I'm interested in seeing how well Gabaldon does with the mystery genre.
  5. The Death Chamber by Sarah Rayne (PBS), a mystery concerning an experiment performed in the execution chamber of Calvary Gaol, an old forbidding place in Cumbria, England.
  6. True Bluegrass Stories: History from the Heart of Kentucky by Tom Stephens (ARC). I requested this from LibraryThing's Early Reviewer program, little thinking that I'd actually get it because I've received nothing but mysteries to this point. It seems my luck has changed!
  7. Nine Lives: Death and Life in New Orleans by Dan Baum (ARC). I requested this ARC through Shelf Awareness. "Nine Lives tells the story of New Orleans through the lives of nine characters over forty years, bracketed by two epic hurricanes."
  8. Drood by Dan Simmons (ARC). Also received through LibraryThing's Early Reviewer program. I think the UPS delivery person almost got a hernia carrying this to the front door. It's massive! I opened it and began reading...and almost didn't stop. Charles Dickens, Wilkie Collins, Victorian England, mysteries...yum!
If you'd like to see what other folks received in their mailboxes last week, just click on the graphic at the top of my post. Better yet--join us in this fun meme hosted by Marcia at The Printed Page!



11 comments:

  1. Drood does look huge! I'll be interested in your opinion of the Lord John book. I've read two of the three (I think there are only three). They're entertaining, but not Outlander!

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  2. Nine Lives - I think that is the one J.Kay reviewed last week. Most people (including me) commented on the cover, however, because the front was so thrilling :)

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  3. Your title is almost as good as your post. I'm over halfway through with Drood and it is really good.

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  4. I've read Sin in the Second City - it was a good one!

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  5. Your mysteries all sound good. And I think Drood's going on my list now, too.

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  6. I love your title too! Wow, Drood is quite a tome! Seems like everybody is getting that one this week. Happy reading!

    My Mailbox Monday post is here.

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  7. I've heard that Drood is large but a fast read as it is so engrossing! Happy reading Cathy, and congrats on getting rid of more books than you received - that has got to feel great!

    :) Wendi

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  8. My first thought, before I scrolled down and saw the other comments, was "Wow, Drood is huge!" Enjoy your books!

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  9. Thank you for stopping by the 'mailbox' this week. My mystery series wish list grows every time I stop here.

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  10. Thanks for your comments, everyone! I've been out of town all week, so now I have to go around and check to see what everyone else received!

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