Mailbox Monday and It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?
Mailbox Monday

Mailbox Monday was created by The Printed Page. It is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their home last week.
Mailbox Monday is currently on tour, hosted by a different blog each month. The July host is Jennifer D @ 5 Minutes for Books.
Two books from HarperAudio for review:
And When She Was Good
by Laura Lippman
When Hector Lewis told his daughter that she had a nothing face, it was just another bit of tossed-off cruelty from a man who specialized in harsh words and harsher deeds. But twenty years later, Heloise considers it a blessing to be a person who knows how to avoid attention. In the comfortable suburb where she lives, she’s just a mom, the youngish widow with a forgettable job who somehow never misses a soccer game or a school play. In the state capitol, she’s the redheaded lobbyist with a good cause and a mediocre track record. But in discreet hotel rooms throughout the area, she’s the woman of your dreams—if you can afford her hourly fee.
Some Remarks
by Neal Stephenson
One of the most talented and creative authors working today, Neal Stephenson is renowned for his exceptional novels—works colossal in vision and mind-boggling in complexity. Exploring and blending a diversity of topics, including technology, economics, history, science, pop culture, and philosophy, his books are the products of a keen and adventurous intellect. Not surprisingly, Stephenson is regularly asked to contribute articles, lectures, and essays to numerous outlets, from major newspapers and cutting-edge magazines to college symposia. This remarkable collection brings together previously published short writings, both fiction and nonfiction, as well as a new essay (and an extremely short story) created specifically for this volume.
For review from AmazonVine:
The Prankster: A Novella
by James Polster
Time-traveling alien Pom Trager has used the gullible denizens of Earth as fodder for his practical jokes throughout the ages, with the pyramids, Picasso, and several US presidents among his more modest pranks. Why does he do it? To boost the ratings of The Prankster, his home planet’s most popular reality show. But when a system snafu lands Trager in the wrong place, he finds himself at the mercy of the very species he’s made into a galactic laughingstock.
A win from She Treads Softly on a TLC Blog Tour:
Shout Her Lovely Name
by Natalie Serber
In a battle between a teenage daughter and her mother, wheat bread and plain yogurt become weapons. An aimless college student, married to her much older professor, sneaks cigarettes while caring for their newborn son. On the eve of her husband’s fiftieth birthday, a pilfered fifth of rum, an unexpected tattoo, and rogue teenagers leave a woman questioning her place. And in a suite of stories, we follow capricious, ambitious single mother Ruby and her cautious, steadfast daughter Nora through their tumultuous life—stray men, stray cats, and psychedelic drugs—in 1970s California.
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It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?
It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey.
Share what you read last week and what you are currently reading.
I’m still reading the same books from last week. I’m just starting Where'd You Go Bernadette. I’ll have a review and a giveaway posted soon.
I’m almost finished listening to Shadow Show, a collection of short stories in celebration of Ray Bradbury.
Reading/Listening This Week:


Next on my listening list is Bel Canto by Ann Patchett for the upcoming read-along at BookJourney on September 13th.
What Are You Reading?
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© 2012 Under My Apple Tree. All rights reserved.






Hmmm… Are you enjoying Shadow Show? I should try something else by Ray Bradbury. How is it in audio? Fahrenheit 451 is one of the few required high school reads I enjoyed.
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I’ve liked most of the stories. I’m listening slower than I would for a book. Since the stories are only about 45 minutes long I don’t listen to one unless I have the time to finish it otherwise I’ll lose the plot. With a book I constantly start and stop and in a few days I’m done.
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Sound great and Some Remarks in particular Stephenson is seriously high up on my authors I must try out already list.
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The Prankster sounds good…I haven’t heard of that one before. I have the first two books, but had never heard of Neal Stephenson before the book arrived unexpectedly.
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Neal Stephenson writes mostly science fiction and techy stuff so unless you are into that genre you most likely wouldn’t have come across his work. That’s odd that you’d receive it unsolicited.
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Yes, I thought so too, but there are some fiction pieces in this collection, so I might check those out and review those.
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I did peruse the collection and posted my thoughts today if you’re interested in reading them: http://savvyverseandwit.com/2012/08/thoughts-on-some-remarks-by-neal-stephenson.html
It’s not really a review perse since I’m really not the target audience for this book.
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Nice audio loot Leslie –enjoy
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Bel Canto! I haven’t read it and would join the read-along if I didn’t have a completely, over the top, full reading list for September. It’s crazy! But it’ll be good to see how you enjoy the book. Have a great week, Leslie.
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Too many books to read is why I’m going with audio on Bel Canto. That way the book can run errands and do house chores with me!
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I just finished And When She Was Good this week in print…it was my first Lippman and I really liked it 🙂
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I read my first Lippman book last year and when I saw rave reviews about this one I had to have it.
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I like the sound of Shout Her Lovely Name. Hope you enjoy it and your other books this week.
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Hope you enjoy Bernadette….I did. And I, too, received And When She Was Good…I don’t think I can wait long before plunging into this one!
Have a good week…and here’s MY MONDAY MEMES POST
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I’ve heard And When She Was Good is Lippman at her best! I hope they audio production is good as well. Enjoy your new books!
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YAY for Bel Canto! I am excited about that one and hope it is as awesome as I imagine!
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The Where’d you go, Bernadette looks really good.
I’ve never heard of the Mailbox Mondays too! Looks interesting! 🙂
Ohh…Jenkies!
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Some interesting titles on your list,enjoy!
http://tributebooksmama.blogspot.com/2012/08/mailbox-monday_27.html
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I don’t think you can go wrong with these. Enjoy your reading, Leslie!
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Oh you have such great reads listed this week, definitely some books that I’m looking forward to! Especially the Lipmann and Serber.
I hope you have a great week of reading 🙂
Following you on Twitter and Facebook, yay!
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I am enjoying listening to When She Was Good. I’ve been seeing Bernadette all over the place. Have a great week of reading.
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I’ve heard good things about the Laura Lippman book. I’m very curious to hear more about the Neal Stephenson one.
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I haven’t read any Laura Lippman book yet but this is one that really intrigues me. Enjoy your new books! 🙂
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I have not yet read any Lippman books but this one sure catches my attention. This may have to be the first book I read by her! Enjoy your new books!
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I’d like to read “and when she was good” (audio books don’t work for me)
Have a great reading week!
Shelleyrae @ Book’d Out
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Looks like you have some great reads in your future!
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