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 February host is Metroreader.
Last week I received mostly audio books and this week print books. I should be pretty busy for the next few weeks reading and listening.
I have two giveaways running through February 22nd. One for a print copy of The Snow Child and another for an audio copy of Home Front.
I finished reading The Technologists yesterday and loved it. My review should be up in the next day or so. Last week I reviewed A Good American, another winner.
And now for this week’s books:
Two books from TLC Tours for review:
Walter’s Muse
by Jean Davies Okimoto
It’s the first summer of her retirement and librarian Maggie Lewis is relishing the unfolding of sweet summer days on Vashon Island: walking on the beach, reading the classics, and kayaking. But in June when a sudden storm hits the island, Maggie’s summer becomes about as peaceful as navigating white water. Not only does her wealthy sister arrive uninvited with a startling announcement; but Maggie finds herself entangled with her new Baker’s Beach neighbor, Walter Hathaway. A famous children’s author and recovering alcoholic, Walter has a history with Maggie they would each like to forget.
The Year of the Gadfly
by Jennifer Miller
Iris Dupont is a teenage reporter who communes with the ghost of Edward R. Murrow. Jonah Kaplan is a failed microbiologist-turned biology teacher who is haunted by the ghosts of his past. Each embarks on a private investigation to uncover a secret society in their remote New England town. As Iris and Jonah’s paths start to intersect, they are drawn into the darker corners of their town, their school, and their own minds. THE YEAR OF THE GADFLY is an intricately woven narrative that will keep you reading late into the night.
For review and giveaway from Doubleday:
The Good Father
by Noah Hawley
An intense, psychological novel about one doctor’s suspense-filled quest to unlock the mind of a suspected political assassin: his twenty-year old son. Told alternately from the point of view of the guilt-ridden, determined father and his meandering, ruminative son, The Good Father is a powerfully emotional page-turner that keeps one guessing until the very end. This is an absorbing and honest novel about the responsibilities—and limitations—of being a parent and our capacity to provide our children with unconditional love in the face of an unthinkable situation.
From FSB Associates:
So Damn Lucky
by Deborah Coonts
Lucky O’Toole—Head of Customer Relations at The Babylon, premier mega-resort on the Vegas Strip—thinks it’s just another night in Las Vegas. But then a magician pulls a disappearing act, right under Lucky’s nose. Is it a stunt? Or something worse? While Lucky chases leads, someone is trying to put her off the scent. As if this wasn’t enough to ruin her day, Lucky’s relationship with The Big Boss is coming to a head—past hurts can no longer be denied. Las Vegas expert Deborah Coonts thrills again with this third installment in her dazzling series focused on casino “fixer” Lucky O’Toole.
From the publisher for review:
Bloodland
by Alan Glynn
Susie Monaghan was on the cusp of stardom when her life was cut short by a tragic helicopter crash. After a full investigation, her death was ruled an accident: case closed. But a hungry young journalist named Jimmy Gilroy isn’t buying the official story. Before dying, Susie’s path had crossed with an unlikely gallery of powerful men: an ex-Prime minister with a carefully guarded secret; the businessman brother of a U.S. Senator angling for the Oval Office; and a billionaire investor with his eye on an extremely rare commodity. Might there also be a link between Susie’s death and a deranged security contractor operating in Congo?
How was your week?
If you put up a bird feeder you inevitably get squirrels. They spend most of their day thinking up ways to get the seed out of the feeder and often they succeed. Occasionally they coexist peacefully with the birds and forage on the ground.
Mrs. Cardinal stayed alert but didn’t leave her meal just because a squirrel showed up. Mr. Cardinal was nearby but out of camera range. I took this through the glass door so it’s a little dull. The cardinals are skittish birds, when they hear the door open they immediately fly away.
Saturday Snapshot is hosted by Alyce at At Home With Books. Visit her blog to see more great photos or add your own.
Over 50 blogs will be participating and each will be offering a book or bookish items of a literary nature. The event will run from February 18th through the 22nd.
My Giveaway
My giveaway is an Audiobook CD of Home Front by Kristen Hannah. It is an advance copy and has been gently listened to once. My review is here and the goodreads description is below.
Home Front
by Kristin Hannah
Read by: Maggi-Meg Reed
From a distance, Michael and Joleen Zarkades seem to have it all: a solid marriage, two exciting careers, and children they adore. But after twelve years together, the couple has lost their way; they are unhappy and edging toward divorce. Then the Iraq war starts. An unexpected deployment will tear their already fragile family apart, sending one of them deep into harm’s way and leaving the other at home
Giveaway Information
- To enter, fill out the form below.
- The deadline for entry is midnight, February 22nd. I will draw one random winner who will be contacted by email and will have 48 hours to respond with a mailing address.
- Entries are limited to US addresses only this time due to the cost of postage.
Giveaway Has Ended
A Good American
by Alex George
Read by: Gibson Frazier
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Penguin Audio (Amy Einhorn Books)
Publish Date: February 7, 2012
Format: Audio CD | 12 hours and 30 minutes
Rating: 4½ of 5
What a wonderful surprise! I received this in audio for review and knew little about the book other than it was historical fiction. As I began listening I was immediately swept away into the saga of the Meisenheimer family.
The story opens in 1905, Germany. Frederick serenades Jette with beautiful opera songs and eventually wins her heart. But Jette’s mother does not approve of Frederick and when Jette becomes pregnant, the only real option available to the two young lovers that will allow them to stay together is to leave for America. They book passage on the first available ship, marry on the journey and eventually arrive in New Orleans. Finding it difficult to fit in and not understanding the language, they continue traveling and when they reach Beatrice, Missouri, they find other German immigrants and settle there. Frederick takes a job at a local bar and eventually buys the establishment.
Music, food and family are themes that runs throughout this amazing story. While much of the novel is upbeat there is also sadness, tragedy and secrets. The writing is rich, the characters are vivid and I was carried away with their tale. Never boring and rarely predictable, the story takes turns I wasn’t expecting, and kept me engrossed.
The entire novel is told from the point of view of one narrator, Fredericks’s grandson, James. Many of us can relate to being the grandchildren of immigrants. My grandparents came to America in the early 1900s to escape the aftermath of a Europe devastated by World War I, seeking employment and a better life for their future children. But I know little of their story, and while I was listening to this book I kept thinking how I wished someone in my family had written some of it down for, sadly, it is now lost in time.
The audio was a pleasure to listen to. Gibson Frazier’s narration was superb and his storytelling had a perfect rhythm and just the right amount of emotion and inflection. I highly recommend this to readers who want to try an audiobook for the first time as a single narrator makes it an excellent choice to become familiar with the audiobook format. And I’m sure it’s wonderful in print, too.
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Source: Review copy.
An Available Man
by Hilma Wolitzer
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Publish Date: January 24, 2012
Format: Hardback | 288 pages
Rating: 3½ of 5
Edward Schuyler is a recently widowed, bookish sixty-two-year-old science teacher. An available older man will get a lot of attention from the ladies, especially when he’s not only unattached, but also handsome and healthy.
Edward receives phone calls from widows wanting to meet for lunch, friends surreptitiously set him up on dates at dinner parties, and even his own children try to help with his social life by placing an ad in the personals of The New York Review. It read: “Science Guy. Erudite and kind, balding but handsome. Our widowed dad is the real thing for the right woman.”
Edward is still mourning the loss of his wife, Bee, and prefers the familiar routine of work, gardening, and bird-watching. Gradually Edward begins to reconcile his feelings of loyalty to Bee and the need to move on with his life, and that includes romantic relationships with women.
The book is a nicely written, easy read. It is tender and charming with just the right amount of humor. There is an interesting cast of secondary characters surrounding Edward including his step-children, mother-in-law, friends and co-workers and Edward’s relationships with them are nicely developed.
For the most part I enjoyed the book but there was one thing that annoyed me. At one point the plot took what I can only call a “weird turn”, and to describe my feelings in detail would be a spoiler. Edward begins a relationship that is very unbelievable and does not fit with what we have been told about him. Not that people don’t get involved in wrong relationships, they do, but this is an intelligent, stable man who should know better based on his past experiences. Also, there is a lot of foreshadowing in this relationship that never comes to pass and I’m still trying to figure out how this particular woman added to the story.
Other than my one plot objection and perhaps a too nicely tied up ending, an overall pleasant read.
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Source: Review copy provided by LibraryThing.
Almost Wordless: A dusting of snow made the dead Yellow Coneflower look nice again.
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More Wordless Wednesday.
are the winners of
Are You Smart Enough to Work at Google?
by William Poundstone.
Thanks to everyone who stopped by and entered the contest.
My giveaway for The Snow Child runs through February 22nd and the Follower’s Love Giveaway Hop is open until midnight tonight. Also, I will be hosting a new giveaway for May The Road Rise Up To Meet You by Peter Troy in the coming weeks.
Since we’re discussing giveaways, this weekend, Feb 18th through 22nd, is the Literary Giveaway Hop and over 50 blogs will be participating.
Under My Apple Tree 