Sunday, November 07, 2010

Mailbox Monday-- The Mail Carrier Must Hate PBS

My favorite weekly meme is on tour. For the entire month of November you'll be able to find Mailbox Monday on Knitting and Sundries. 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, Julie!

As is often the case, I'll think a slow book week is coming... and then a bunch of books come through on my PBS wish list. I'm not complaining because I love receiving books. I'd just love to report once-- just once-- that I received zero books one week. I think it would be fun to listen to all the stunned silence!

I sent 3 books to new Paperback Swap (PBS) foster homes and received 8-- all from that same source. Here's the scoop on the books I received:
  1. Takeover by Lisa Black (PBS). "When high-level executive Mark Ludlow is discovered beaten to death in front of his house in Cleveland early one morning, forensic scientist Theresa MacLean and her fiancé, homicide detective Paul Cleary, investigate. Paul immediately heads downtown to interview Ludlow's co-workers at the Federal Reserve Bank and walks right into a botched robbery attempt and hostage situation. Lucas Parrish and Bobby Moyers want $4 million, but top hostage negotiator Chris Cavanaugh isn't ready to give in to their demands. When Paul is shot in the leg and becomes a hostage, Theresa breaks protocol and convinces Lucas to let Paul go and take her instead. It's up to Theresa on the inside and Chris on the outside to uncover the motive behind the robbery and Ludlow's murder before anyone else gets hurt."
  2. Good Time Girls of the Alaska-Yukon Gold Rush by Lael Morgan (PBS). "Klondike Kate Rockwell, a good-time girl with a heart of gold, came to the Yukon in 1900 to find wealth and fame in the same mad scramble for gold that had lured many an adventurous young man. Her story of money made and lost, of multiple marriages and scandal, is one of the many similar tales chronicled in this well-researched and deftly written work by journalist Morgan. Women who followed the gold fever trail from Dawson to Nome to Fairbanks may have shared their male counterparts' ambition and courage, but their means of achieving success were severely limited. Legally unable to stake a claim or own a saloon, most chose to make their fortunes by "mining the miners." Some became showgirls and prostitutes, others became rich through marriage or multiple liaisons, while still others led lives of desperation culminating in murder or suicide. Although there is a sadly repetitive quality to the accounts, this work's unique perspective and splendid period photos make it a recommended purchase for academic and public libraries." (Or folks like me!)
  3. A Small Death in the Great Glen by A.D. Scott (PBS). "The time, 1956, is fairly calm but close enough to WWII to have residents still recovering from its devastating effects. The main characters cluster in the tiny newspaper offices of the Highland Gazette, a local weekly that is supposed to concentrate on livestock prices, auctions, and obits. Scott brings back the sounds of a precomputerized newsroom, the smells of ink and acid, and the feel of banging out stories on an old Underwood. When a little boy is found murdered in the canal just outside the village, the newspaper’s new editor in chief recruits the part-time typist, whose daughters know the murdered child, to help him investigate the case. They uncover a host of secrets and a number of people with a vested interest in keeping the mystery of the boy’s death unsolved."
  4. Wake by Lisa McMann (PBS). "In Lisa McMann's first title in a projected series, we are introduced to 17-year-old Janie who has a rare ability to see other people's dreams whether she wants to or not. The episodes are growing more frequent, and the dreams she falls into vary from boring to sexy to disturbing. When she is drawn into a classmate's nightmare, Janie is forced to address her ability and how it may affect her future."
  5. Harmony in Flesh and Black by Nicholas Kilmer (PBS). "First-timer Kilmer has concocted a certified winner featuring secretive Beacon Hill art collector Clayton Reed and his man-of-the-world assistant, Fred Taylor. Since they suspect that an uninteresting New England landscape destined for auction may have been painted over a "lost" Vermeer, they scheme to win the work without competition. Meanwhile, when Fred picks up another painting purchased by Reed, the two become unwittingly involved in the murder of a seedy photographer. Dry wit, unruffled prose, and uncomplicated plot recommend this title."
  6. Deadly Sin by James Hawkins (PBS). "Emotions run high when Queen Elizabeth II attempts to heal the schism between Christians and Muslims by attending a London mosque for Friday prayers. David Bliss, newly returned to duty while he tries to find a publisher for his novel, has the task of protecting the royal couple, but is caught off guard when an attack comes from an unexpected quarter. Meanwhile, Bliss's aging friend Daphne Lovelace needs help. Her elderly neighbours have died and apparently left their house to the family from hell. While Bliss desperately tries to protect the queen, Daphne puts on her oldest coat and takes up residence in a seniors' home as she tries to discover what really happened to her neighbours. Age apparently catches up with her, and in no time she appears as senile as the other inhabitants, but Trina Button in far-off Canada smells a rat and forces Bliss to take action."
  7. Chapter & Hearse by Lorna Barrett (PBS). "Mystery bookstore owner Tricia Miles has been spending more time solving whodunits than reading them. Now a nearby gas explosion has injured Tricia's sister's boyfriend, Bob Kelly, the head of the Chamber of Commerce, and killed the owner of the town's history bookstore. Tricia's never been a fan of Bob, but when she reads that he's being tight-lipped about the 'accident', it's time to take action."
  8. Deadly Will by Marion Moore Hill (PBS). "History meets mystery in this clever novel in which the American Revolution, murder, and antiques all play a part. In 1789, Nathan Henry, neighbor of Benjamin Franklin, drafts a will modeled on Franklin's, leaving his fortune and possessions to all of his future descendants alive in two hundred years. In 2001, single mother Millie Kirchner, poor and virtually alone, is summoned to Philadelphia to learn about her inheritance in an elaborately staged weekend the trustees have designed in accordance with Mr. Henry's wishes. At first, Millie is thrilled to tour Philadelphia, but before long her thrills turn to chills as one by one the other heirs are killed. Unable to trust anyone, she must find the killer or risk becoming his next victim."

Good Time Girls is a gorgeous book, and I love reading about the Gold Rush. I've been in the Great Glen more than once and always love a good book about the Highlands. Lorna Barrett's Booktown mysteries are always good. What's a bookaholic to do?

Now comes the fun part-- going to see what glorious books everyone else received!

14 comments:

  1. Hope they're all great reads! Maybe if you get a zero book week you could post an audio of crickets :-)

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  2. You had a great week! Wake sounds really good. Enjoy!

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  3. Thanks for sharing! I'd like to read Wake. That was a new one for me, but it is officially on my TBR pile :) I had only 1 this week, an MG http://blog.juliealindsey.com/

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  4. Since the postal service is struggling, they should love Paperback Swap. I've heard Wake is a book you can't put down, so I'll be anxious to see what you think of it.

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  5. Wow, lots of fun books for you! Happy reading. My mailbox is at The Crowded Leaf.

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  6. You got some great books! I really enjoyed the Wake series.

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  7. CBC-- I thought so, too! Thanks for stopping by. :)

    Mary-- What a great idea! LOL

    Elysium-- I will. Thanks!

    Julie-- I'll have to take a look. Thanks for stopping by.

    Kathy-- The USPS itself undoubtedly loves Paperback Swap. It's the individual carriers who seem to get their noses out of joint.

    Alayne-- I'm wanting to dive into that pile right now because the book I'm reading has proved to be rather difficult.

    Kay-- Thanks for the recommendation!

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  8. My mailbox was empty even though I have some new books in my home. It's kind of sad when it is empty.

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  9. Although I'm a member at PBS; I've never requested books; only sent them out! I need to fix that! Looks like you got a great bunch, too! Enjoy them all!

    Julie @ Knitting and Sundries

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  10. Oh wow that Goldrush book sounds great and my mail carrier must hate PBS too :)

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  11. Beth-- Yes, it is. I've been addicted to getting mail since I was tall enough to open the mailbox.

    Julie-- I learned something new today: I never knew that people used PBS solely for sending books out!

    Leah-- I think my mail carrier's outlook on life has a lot to do with the fact that he has the longest mail route in metropolitan Phoenix. Maybe he'll be more cheerful now that the weather is much cooler!

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  12. Good Time Girls sounds really good. Enjoy your new books!

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