Monday, March 30, 2009

Mailbox Monday-- Back in the Saddle

After the indulgence of last week, it was nice to get back in the saddle and send out more books than what came into the house. I sent 11 books out to new homes via Paperback Swap, and received 3 which were all from fellow PBS members. Here's my short list for the week:

--Grail for Sale by Gerald Hammond (PBS), a standalone mystery by a new-to-me Scottish author. This book involves "
The owner of a rather ramshackle Scottish castle and a stranded American antiques restorer [who] team up against a well-known local crook."

--The Mercy Seat by Martyn Waites (PBS), the first of the Joe Donovan mystery series set in the north of England.
"When journalist Joe Donovan's six-year-old son disappears in a crowded department store, his marriage falls apart, he loses his high-profile newspaper job, and he retreats to rural Northumberland. Two years later, the top editor of Donovan's former newspaper and a shrewd lawyer somewhat short on scruples seek Donovan's aid in discovering why an ace reporter has vanished. The pair promise in return to help Donovan in his obsessive search for his lost son."

--The Customer Is Always Wrong edited by Jeff Martin (PBS). "
The mundane tasks and indignant exchanges with impossible customers are hilariously captured in this collection of personal essays by a cross-section of writers and humorists." Having worked in retail for more years than I care to remember, I'm looking forward to comparing war stories. (One of my favorite returns? The woman who brought back the garden hose because it didn't match the color of her grass. Yes, I did manage to keep my face straight!)

That's it. Short and sweet! If you'd like to join this fun meme, or if you'd just like to see what others found in their mailboxes last week, click on that hungry-looking mailbox at the top of this post to be taken to Marcia's The Printed Page. Thank you so much for hosting this, Marcia!




15 comments:

  1. The Customer is Always Wrong will probably be such a fun read! Your example is hilarious.

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  2. I've heard The Customer is a fun read.

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  3. The customer with a colorful garden hose must need more than one. In the winter, our grass turns brown and then in the spring it starts to green up. You never know with some people. It sounds really hilarious. Enjoy. My mailbox is here

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  4. I can't wait to read your review of The Customer is Always Wrong. Do you mean you don't color coordinate your hose with your grass? That is hilarious!

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  5. The Customer is Always Wrong sounds great! Happy reading!

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  6. The customer is always wrong! LOL great title. happy reading.

    here's my mailbox: http://savvyverseandwit.blogspot.com/2009/03/mailbox-monday-23.html

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  7. The Customer is always wrong looks like it might be a fun read. I use to work in retail and its crazy what some customers will try and do.

    Love the example you gave about the garden house.

    My MM is up on my blog.

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  8. :) Grail for Sale sounds like fun Cathy - for some reason it brings the Indiana Jones movies to mind.

    ~ Wendi

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  9. I love that title..The Customer is Always Wrong.
    You now have room for more books on your bookshelves. LOL

    Wisteria

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  10. That is so funny! You would think that you wouldn't want the garden hose to match the grass (you know so you don't accidentally run it over with the mower). :)

    Those three books look like fun, especially the customer service one.

    Here's my post.

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  11. All three books sound like good reads. I love paperbackswap, but I don't like to let go of my books, so I end up buying credits most of the time.

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  12. The Customer Is Always Wrong sounds hilarious. My husband worked in retail for 5 years, and oh, the stories he could tell!

    --Anna
    Diary of an Eccentric

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  13. From all these comments, I have the feeling that I won't be leaving The Customer Is Always Wrong on the shelf for long! I do remember mentioning to the woman that it might be a good idea to have a shade or two of difference between her hose and the grass so that she'd be able to find the hose easily. She wasn't convinced. (And I didn't appreciate the fact that she didn't dry the hose out before bringing it in. I got drenched moving the thing off the counter!)

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  14. Thank you for stopping by the mailbox this week. I think you're right the mailman must be reading your books. You've never had this few before. Enjoy!

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