Welcome to Mailbox Monday, the weekly meme hosted by Marcia from The Printed Page where book lovers share the titles they received for review, purchased, or otherwise obtained over the past week.
Here are the books I added to my new shelf:
Free to a Good Home by Eve Marie Mont, from the author for a blog tour
Noelle Ryan works as a veterinary technician at a New England animal shelter, helping pets find the perfect homes. If only it was as easy to find the same thing for herself. After discovering that she can’t have children — and watching her marriage fall apart after a shocking revelation by her husband — she feels as sad and lost as the strays she rescues.
She can’t seem to get over her ex, Jay. Unfortunately, all Jay wants from her is a whopper of a favor. He wants her to be a caretaker for his elderly mother, who still blames Noelle for the breakup. While Jay heads off to Atlanta to live the life of a bachelor, Noelle is left with only her Great Dane, Zeke, to comfort her. But when a carefree musician named Jasper tugs at her heartstrings, giving her a second chance at life — and at love — Noelle comes to realize that home is truly where the heart is… (publisher’s summary)
Trust by Kate Veitch, from the author
Susanna Greenfield has given her all to being a good daughter, sister, wife, and mother. Somehow, she’s maintained her profession as a college art teacher, as well as rearing two headstrong teenagers and nurturing a twenty-year marriage to Gerry, a confident, ambitious architect. She’s also the eternal peacemaker between her pretty younger sister, Angie, former junkie turned born-again Christian, and their strong-willed mother, Jean.
Just when Susanna is struggling to revive her creative career, a devastating accident rips apart the fabric of her world, exposing secrets that threaten to destroy both a marriage and a life. Plumbing the rich emotional vocabulary of faith and betrayal, loyalty and forgiveness, Trust is the story of a woman’s search for identity, and the challenge of finding her self. (publisher’s summary)
Amandine by Marlena de Blasi, from Janel (Thank you!)
The bestselling author of memoir and culinary travel books makes an ambitious leap into historical fiction, setting her first novel in Europe during the second World War. Amandine tells the story of a young girl raised as an orphan in a French convent where she learns to love her governess and fear the vengeful abbess who hates her without reason or remorse. Always, however, Amandine longs for her real mother, and it is this longing that will take her across war-torn Europe, into the heart of the French resistance, and magically and tragically toward the family she never knew. (publisher’s summary)
Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters, from a co-worker
This delicious, steamy debut novel chronicles the adventures of Nan King, who begins life as an oyster-girl in the provincial seaside town of Whitstable and whose fortunes are forever changed when she falls in love with a cross-dressing music-hall singer named Miss Kitty Butler. When Kitty is called up to London for an engagement on “Grease-Paint Avenue,” Nan follows as her dresser and secret lover, and soon after, dons trousers herself and joins the act.
In time, Kitty breaks her heart, and Nan assumes the guise of a butch roué to commence her own thrilling and varied sexual education — a sort of Moll Flanders in drag — finally finding friendship and true love in the most unexpected places.
Drawing comparison to the works of Jeanette Winterson, Sarah Waters’s novel is a feast for the senses — an erotic, lushly detailed historical that bursts with life and dazzlingly casts the turn of the century in a different light. (publisher’s summary)
I also received a package from Janel containing a gorgeous handmade bookmark and a journal, which I won in a giveaway on her blog. I’m already using both the bookmark and the journal. Thanks, Janel!
What books did you add to your shelves recently?
Disclosure: I am an Amazon associate.
© 2010 Anna Horner of Diary of an Eccentric. All Rights Reserved. Please do not reproduce or republish content without permission.
Looks like you got some great books. I wanna borrow that Veitch book!
LikeLike
Feel free to do so when I’m done with it.
LikeLike
Trust looks really good, so long as it’s not real preachy. I don’t do preachy.
I got NOTHING last week and I’m happy about it! I was able to make a small dent in the TBR mountains, always a cause for celebration.
LikeLike
I don’t do preachy either, so I hope it’s not like that. I jumped on that request because I really enjoyed Veitch’s first novel, Without a Backward Glance.
I could use a few bookless weeks, but I’ve been reading at a faster pace than usual lately, which is good.
LikeLike
What a beautiful bookmark! Enjoy the new books.
LikeLike
I will try. 😉
Janel is very talented.
LikeLike
Trust looks like a great book!
Enjoy your week!
LikeLike
I agree!
LikeLike
Amandine looks like a good book. I love the bookmark with the journal.
http://readwithtea.blogspot.com
LikeLike
I can’t wait to read it.
LikeLike
Free to a Good Home looks good. Ack! Her ex wants her to care for his aging mother?? That takes more cajones than anyone has a right to have!
Tipping the Velvet is on my TBR list. I hope you love Sarah Waters as much as everyone else seems to.
LikeLike
That’s exactly what I was thinking!
I have The Night Watch by Sarah Waters, and since you know me and WWII books, I think I’ll read that one first.
LikeLike
I turned down Free to a Good Home, only because I had to get my review copies under control. I’m waiting to see if I am going to regret doing that!
LikeLike
I only accept it because I was a vet tech major for a time in college, and I’m curious. I think many of us have a backlog of review copies, but I’m reading them as fast as I can. 😉
LikeLike
Tipping the Velvet is still one of my favorite reads. I picked it up on a whim in 2001 and barely put it down for two days. It was the only Sarah Waters out at the time, and I still remember the feeling of falling in love with a new author without anyone recommending her. Enjoy!
LikeLike
I was a little put off by the cover, as I’m not one who likes to put nakedness on display when I’m reading on the train, but I had to make an exception for this one. I’m glad to hear you enjoyed it so much.
LikeLike
Ooh, Amandine caught my eye right away. Enjoy all your new books.
LikeLike
Thanks, Kaye!
LikeLike
Ohh-I so want Amandine-this is so my book. That cover is gorgeous-this is going onto my wish list now.
LikeLike
I agree about the cover. The ARC has a plain cover with just the title on it, and I was blown away when I found the cover image.
LikeLike
Free to Good Home sounds like my kind of book Anna –enjoy. Tipping the Velvet was very good!
LikeLike
Glad to hear you enjoyed it. I can’t wait to have time to read it.
LikeLike
I should finish Free to a Good Home this morning, and so far, it’s cute. I love the bookmark from Janel!
LikeLike
I’m looking forward to your review!
LikeLike
I am bound and determined to read some of Sarah Waters’ books this year, and I’ll probably start with Tipping the Velvet.
LikeLike
That’s an author I figured I better read, too, though I think I’ll probably start with The Night Watch.
LikeLike
Do you have any space left in your shelf or is your new one that huge. Okay over the week I only got an e-copy of Bloodlines edited by Veronica Henry. Bloodlines is an anthology of short stories from authors of African descent or Africans. I have talked about it on my blog but am yet to review it.
LikeLike
Well, it’s a pretty big shelf, but it’s already full. Actually, it was already full before it arrived on my doorstep. 😉
Sounds like a fascinating book. I look forward to your review.
LikeLike
I’ve heard good things about Tipping the Velvet. Happy reading! My mailbox is at The Crowded Leaf.
LikeLike
Thanks, Alayne!
LikeLike
These all look great…enjoy your new books!
LikeLike
Thanks, Jo-Jo!
LikeLike
The cover of Amadine is beautiful and makes me want to look inside.
LikeLike
I couldn’t agree more.
LikeLike
Oh I want to read Free to a Good Home! Enjoy your books!
LikeLike
I hope you get a chance to read it, Kim!
LikeLike
Great mailbox Anna, I have Sara Waters in my TBR. Congrats on winning the beautiful bookmark and journal!
LikeLike
Thanks, Naida!
LikeLike
Like the look of your new blog Anna! Glad to see you’re busy as ever too! I just got back from CA, hope to get back to blogging someday! ;O)
LikeLike
Hi, Dawn! I’ve missed you! ((HUGS))
LikeLike
I’m glad you liked your goodies from me! Enjoy all of those books. Tipping the Velvet caught my attention.
LikeLike
I loved them! Thanks again!
LikeLike
The bookmark is beautiful! Free To A Good Home sounds interesting. I’ll watch for your thoughts on it. I love the cover on Amandine. I may have to sneak that one on the wish list. Enjoy all your new reads!
LikeLike
Thanks, Beth. I’m a sucker for a good cover myself.
LikeLike
What a nice selection of books! Enjoy!
Thanks for visiting and offering your support.
LikeLike
You’re very welcome!
LikeLike
Free to a Good Home sounds great! I’d like to read Amandine, too. No books for me this week, but I’ve got a copy of Captivity to give away over on my blog if you’d like to stop by!
LikeLike
Bookless weeks aren’t a bad thing! Enjoy it while it lasts. LOL
LikeLike
Amandine sounds good, will be looking forward to hearing about that one
LikeLike
I don’t know when I’ll get to it, but hopefully soon!
LikeLike
Tipping the Velvet looks gooood….can’t wait to read your review!
My mailbox is HERE.
LikeLike
I have no idea when I’ll get to it, but hopefully sooner rather than later!
LikeLike
Trust really looks great and lucky you to win those bookmarks from Janel!! Enjoy 😀
LikeLike
I never expected to win, so that was a pleasant surprise!
LikeLike
You’ve got some really unusual books. Other than the Sarah Waters the rest are new to me but they all sound really, really good. Enjoy your books.
LikeLike
I like the variety!
LikeLike
“Tipping The Velvet” caught my eye; can’t wait to here what you think of it.
LikeLike
I hope to get to it soon. I wish there were more hours in the day for reading!
LikeLike
These sound like great books!
LikeLike
Thanks, Cheryl!
LikeLike
I have Tipping the Velvet waiting patiently on my shelf too. Love the new favicon, by the way — it’s so cute. Enjoy your books!
LikeLike
Thanks! That’s my one and only tattoo.
LikeLike
All of these books look great but I am particularly intrigued by Trust – enjoy!
LikeLike
I’ll be reviewing it sometime in late July/early Aug. I’m looking forward to reading it!
LikeLike
After being blown away by Fingersmith, I really want to try “Tipping the Velvet.”
LikeLike
I’ll have to look into Fingersmith, but I probably should read the 2 Waters’ books I have first. LOL
LikeLike
I adore the cover of Tipping the Velvet. I look forward to reading my first Sarah Waters soon with Fingersmith but this book is most definitely on my want-to-read list.
LikeLike
Looking forward to your thoughts on Fingersmith!
LikeLike
As a HUGE Sarah Waters fan, Tipping the Velvet is up there to read very soon.
Nice mailbox..Enjoy all your new books.
LikeLike
Glad to hear you like Waters. I haven’t read any of her work yet, but I’m looking forward to it.
LikeLike