Hope you all had a wonderful weekend! We spent much of the weekend celebrating The Girl’s 11th birthday, with cake and games on Saturday and a trip to the book store and the craft store yesterday (her actual b-day) for her to pick out some presents. I can’t believe she’s almost a teenager. It makes me feel old! She’ll certainly be ready for her own blog very soon.
Now, let’s talk about Mailbox Monday, the weekly meme created by Marcia from A girl and her books (formerly The Printed Page) where book lovers share the titles they received for review, purchased, or otherwise obtained over the past week. Mailbox Monday currently is on tour, and this month’s host is A Sea of Books.
Last week was full of Jane Austen, so you know I was a very excited reader. Here’s what I received:
Austen Card Set by Antique Fashionista, a Jane in June giveaway win from Book Rat
I absolutely love these! They are even more gorgeous in person and came wrapped in paper, tied, and sealed with wax. It was a perfect presentation. I plan to order some bookmarks from Antique Fashionista (a.k.a. the artist Maria Laurence), and when I someday move all my books and bookshelves out of my bedroom and into my own library, these will be framed.
Mr. Darcy’s Undoing by Abigail Reynolds (IndieBound/Amazon), from Sourcebooks for review
I’m really excited about this one because my good buddy Serena is quoted on the front cover…and a quote from my review of Reynolds’ Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy: The Last Man in the World is on the back!! It’s an ARC, but hopefully the finished front and back covers will be the same. I was shocked when I saw it, and then, I must admit I did a little dance in my kitchen. 🙂
Abigail Reynolds is the pioneer of the daring, sexy Jane Austen “What if?” romance, reimagining a pivotal scene from Pride and Prejudice and the intrigue that comes after.
Mr. Darcy is consumed with jealousy when he discovers he has a rival. After refusing Darcy, Elizabeth accepts another marriage proposal, never expecting that the staid Darcy will show up and woo her with everything he’s got. To win her is to throw them both into scandal and disgrace, but to lose her is unthinkable… (publisher’s summary)
Mr. Darcy’s Bite by Mary Lydon Simonsen (IndieBound/Amazon), from Sourcebooks for review
Darcy is acting rather oddly. After months of courting Elizabeth Bennet, no offer of marriage is forthcoming and Elizabeth is first impatient, then increasingly frightened. For there is no denying that the full moon seems to be affecting his behavior, and Elizabeth’s love is going to be tested in ways she never dreamed…
Darcy has more than family pride to protect: others of his kind are being hunted all over England and a member of Darcy’s pack is facing a crisis in Scotland. It will take all of Elizabeth’s faith, courage, and ingenuity to overcome her prejudice and join Darcy in a Regency world she never knew existed. (publisher’s summary)
Expectations of Happiness: A Companion Volume to Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility by Rebecca Ann Collins (IndieBound/Amazon), from Sourcebooks for review
In this beautifully imagined continuation of a Jane Austen favorite, the Dashwood sisters are all grown up.
Marianne is married on the rebound to a much older man. What happens when her first love comes back and threatens her domestic tranquility? Elinor and Edward Ferrars are shy and quiet people, but will the loss of Edward’s fortune lead to regret and resentment? And can the spirited Margaret find her own happiness in a love affair that defies the conventions of the day and puts her at the center of all kinds of unwanted attention?
Renowned for her historical research and the beautiful pacing of the Regency era, Rebecca Ann Collins weaves a compelling tale of sisterhood, loyalty, and the infinite varieties of the pursuit of love and happiness. (publisher’s summary)
To the Moon and Back by Jill Mansell (IndieBound/Amazon), from Sourcebooks for review
It’s been a year since Ellie Kendall’s husband, Jamie, was killed in an accident, but she’s still haunted by his memory. In fact, she finds herself talking to him regularly. At the urging of Jamie’s successful actor father Tony, Ellie moves to London’s glamorous Primrose Hill, where nobody knows her past…
But even in her new home — and with her hardworking new boss, Zack McLaren; and Jamie’s best friend Todd to distract her — Ellie can’t seem to leave Jamie behind. Will Ellie stay stuck in the past? Or will she realize that the man of her dreams is flesh and blood — and right in front of her eyes… (publisher’s summary)
The Road to Pemberley: An Anthology of New Pride and Prejudice Stories edited by Marsha Altman (IndieBound/Amazon), from Ulysses Press for review
Including a dozen new short stories from both emerging and established Regency romance authors, this anthology celebrates Jane Austen with a series of brilliant adaptations. The Road to Pemberley presents the best of the best from well-known and new writers alike to create a cornucopia of intrigues starring the characters from Pride and Prejudice.
England during the Regency era, with its country estates, horse-drawn carriages and formal balls, continues to captivate modern readers. The Road to Pemberley brings this fabled world to life in all its glory as each author explores and expands the Pride and Prejudice story.
In these tales, Darcy and Elizabeth and a cast of familiar and unfamiliar faces navigate a host of social quandaries, old personal dilemmas and new exciting adventures. (publisher’s summary)
Only Time Will Tell by Jeffrey Archer (IndieBound/Amazon), from St. Martin’s Press for review
The epic tale of Harry Clifton’s life begins in 1920, with the words “I was told that my father was killed in the war.” A dock worker in Bristol, Harry never knew his father, but he learns about life on the docks from his uncle, who expects Harry to join him at the shipyard once he’s left school. But then an unexpected gift wins him a scholarship to an exclusive boys’ school, and his life will never be the same again.
As he enters into adulthood, Harry finally learns how his father really died, but the awful truth only leads him to question, was he even his father? Is he the son of Arthur Clifton, a stevedore who spent his whole life on the docks, or the firstborn son of a scion of West Country society, whose family owns a shipping line?
This introductory novel in Archer’s ambitious series The Clifton Chronicles includes a cast of colorful characters and takes us from the ravages of the Great War to the outbreak of the Second World War, when Harry must decide whether to take up a place at Oxford or join the navy and go to war with Hitler’s Germany. From the docks of working-class England to the bustling streets of 1940 New York City, Only Time Will Tell takes readers on a journey through to future volumes, which will bring to life one hundred years of recent history to reveal a family story that neither the reader nor Harry Clifton himself could ever have imagined. (publisher’s summary)
The Rose Garden by Susanna Kearsley (IndieBound/Amazon), unrequested from Sourcebooks
When Eva Ward returns to the old house on the Cornish coast, seeking the happiness of her childhood summers, she hears mysterious voices that sweep her into the intrigue and danger of the eighteenth century.
Award-winning author Susanna Kearsley sweeps her modern heroine into a fascinating era of the past, intertwining a compelling love story with a spellbinding tale of a dethroned king awaiting his moment of glory. (publisher’s summary)
What books did you add to your shelves recently?
Disclosure: I am an IndieBound affiliate and an Amazon associate.
© 2011 Anna Horner of Diary of an Eccentric. All Rights Reserved. Please do not reproduce or republish content without permission.
I’d love to read The Rose Garden! I’ve heard good things about the author. Enjoy!
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You didn’t show me the antique cards! I’m jealous…next time I’m over you’ll have to show me! I didn’t even notice I was on the front, but you told me that you were on the back of the Abigail Reynolds book, so I looked and saw your quote! LOL I’m a dope sometimes. I just adore Abigail Reynolds’ books. Happy reading, and if the girl gets a blog..i better be among the first to know
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Remind me to show you the cards next time. I put them away for safe keeping! It took me awhile before I noticed my quote on the back, and I didn’t see yours on the front until I started composing this post!
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Wow. I love your Austen themed books! Darcy has such an appeal to him… The Road To Pemberly has caught my eye. I’d like to see what that anthology is like. Have a great week!
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Ooh! What a great haul, I’m envious. Love the Austen and I bought the Archer to read. Enjoy!
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I love Austen inspired books and it looks like you got some great ones. I am very jealous of your mailbox- hope you enjoy them!
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Great mailbox! I love the Austen cards! Congrats on having a quote from your review on the Abigail Reynold’s book! That is really exciting!! Enjoy your books.
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What a fabulous mailbox. Enjoy them all.
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Your books look delicious! Enjoy them all….
Here’s MY MONDAY MEMES POST
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Great loot! I’m so jealous of your Kearsley and Mansell books! Happy reading 🙂
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Happy Birthday to The Girl!! Love all the Austen books and cards. Enjoy 🙂
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I’m also anxiously awaiting The Rose Garden. Will look forward to reading your review. Enjoy your books!
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Oooh, some great books! Also, I totally covet your unsolicited Sourcebooks arrival! 🙂
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I wasn’t so sure about it at first, but I’ve seen a couple of reviews and now I’m excited about it.
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So jealous that you got the new Reynolds book 😀 I wanted that one too but sadly I did not get it
And wow, Serena is quoted? My dream
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Wow that’s a whole lot of Mr. Darcy! ….
And I can’t think of one thing wrong with that 😉
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A very interesting and great mailbox, enjoy!
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The Jane Austen books look fun as usual. 🙂
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Happy Birthday to your daughter! How fun it will be when she has her own blog! Itsounds like she had a great birthday!
Congratulations on the Austen Card Set – they’re beautiful! What a great win!
How cool that you and Serena are quoted on Mr. Darcy’s Undoing! That’s fantastic! I cannot wait to hear your thoughts on thi book!
Expectations of Happiness really interests me since I loved Sense and Sensibility.
The Rose Garden is a beautiful book and the story sounds wonderful!
Enjoy all of your new books!
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You’ve got a whole lot of Jane Austen ahead of you! I’m dying to get my hands on a copy of The Rose Garden! Love her!
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You did receive a lot of Austen books! I bet the Mansell book is great too. Happy birthday to The Girl!! My baby will be 24 on Friday – that really makes me feel old.
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Happy birthday, Vance!
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All of these Jane Austen books look great and I didn’t know Jill Mansell had a new book. Sweet!
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Beautiful mailbox! I want to read To the Moon and Back too. Enjoy your books!
Diana @ Book of Secrets
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The Rose Garden was in my MM too. Somehow I missed To the Moon and Back. I love her books – I’ll be interested to see what you think. Have a great week,Anna, and enjoy your new reads!
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what a great mailbox! hope you enjoy all those jane austen books as well as everything else you got.
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happy birthday to the Girl!
although i love Darcy books, rose garden captures my attention this time around.
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Wow, what a fantastic mailbox list. Nice win too!
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I loved, loved, loved the Rose Garden!
I just read To the Moon and Back over the weekend and liked it, although it wasn’t the favourite Mansell I have read.
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Your review of The Rose Garden has made me very excited about it!
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Holy cow! I received almost the same identical books as you did. but I see I some how missed on the anthology!! 😦 I’ll probably have to buy a copy once I read your review 😀
Enjoy!
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The Rose Garden sure is in many mailboxes this week. It looks like a fantastic read! I am hoping to get to read the Jeffrey Archer book. I hear he is a wonderful storyteller! Enjoy your new reads! Great Mailbox!
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It looks like you got a lot of fun books!
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I have read The Rose Garden all ready and it was really good! Enjoy all of your new books!
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I saw your review, and it made me excited about reading the book!
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My kind of weekend – loaded with fun and books!
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It’s like a Jane Fest in your mailbox 🙂 Happy Birthday to your not-so-little-anymore girl!
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That’s so great about the Mr. Darcy’s Undoing. Enjoy all your books. And happy birthday to The Girl!
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Happy Birthday to The Girl-what is the other book set in Guernsey and do not say the Potato Peel Society-I feel slightly bad for the author as everyone is referencing the Potato Peel Society-which I loved.
I am fascinated by this island now. I think M. George wrote a mystery that is set there.
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Look at all those Austen-themed books!!! And I have a thing against Jeffrey Archer since reading (and hating) Kane & Abel. Hope this book is better than that one was!
And happy belated birthday to your almost teen girl!! Scary how fast they grow up isn’t it?
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What wondrous book bounty! Jill Mansell still intrigues. I somehow haven’t ever managed to read any of her books despite my intentions.
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It’s amazing how quickly the kids grow up, isn’t it? My oldest will be ten next week and I find it hard to believe.
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I’m not an Austenite, but I am a fan of note cards — congrats on your winning set, they’re beautiful!
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Thank you all for stopping by my mailbox! The Girl thanks you for all the birthday wishes!
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When do you expect to review “Expectations of Happiness”- by Rebecca Ann Collins? Looking forward to reading your comments. Andrea
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Hi Andrea! I will be reviewing it in October, so stay tuned. 😉
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