Monday, June 8, 2009

Mailbox Monday

Mailbox Monday is hosted by Marcia at The Printed Page.
We share what books that we found in our mailboxes last week.




Since I got so much this week, I'm only going to do descriptions of some of them, the rest I'll post the links.

Murder on Waverly Place (Gaslight Mystery) by Victoria Thompson ~ Sarah Brandt is not completely surprised when her very proper mother asks her to attend a séance. She knows that Mrs. Decker still carries great guilt over the death of her older daughter, Maggie. So Sarah accompanies her and the spiritualist does seem to contact Maggie—convincing Mrs. Decker to attend another séance. Only this time, one of the attendees doesn’t succeed in speaking to the dead—she joins them. Now, it’s up to Sarah and Detective Sergeant Frank Malloy to protect Mrs. Decker from scandal—by determining how a woman was murdered in the pitch dark when every suspect was holding the hand of the person next to them.

Dropped Dead Stitch (A Knitting Mystery) by Maggie Sefton ~ Kelly’s friend, Jennifer, is a top-notch knitter—and a bit of a party girl. But she’s always stayed out of trouble, until one night when she’s attacked by a stranger. As she recovers, she leans on Kelly and her close-knit group of friends for support. A ranch retreat in the mountains, stitching and talking, is exactly what Jennifer needs. But they’re all in for a shock—because the owner of the ranch turns out to be Jennifer’s attacker. When the man is found dead a few days later, Jennifer is the most likely suspect. Now, Kelly has to pick up the stitches before things get out of hand.

Sucker Punch (A Candy Shop Mystery) by Sammi Carter ~ Divinity Candy Shop owner Abby Shaw is enjoying her sweet life, until her friend is suspected of killing an actor. Now, Abby is determined to clear her name--before her newfound happiness is totally fudged.

Henry's Sisters by Cathy Lamb ~ Cathy Lamb, the acclaimed author of Julia's Chocolates and The Last Time I Was Me, delivers her most heartwarming novel to date as three sisters reunite during a family crisis.Ever since the Bommarito sisters were little girls, their mother, River, has written them a letter on pink paper when she has something especially important to impart. And this time, the message is urgent and impossible to ignore—River requires open-heart surgery, and Isabelle and her sisters are needed at home to run the family bakery and take care of their brother and ailing grandmother.Isabelle has worked hard to leave Trillium River, Oregon, behind as she travels the globe taking award-winning photographs. It's not that Isabelle hates her family. On the contrary, she and her sisters Cecilia, an outspoken kindergarten teacher, and Janie, a bestselling author, share a deep, loving bond. And all of them adore their brother, Henry, whose disabilities haven't stopped him from helping out at the bakery and bringing good cheer to everyone in town.But going home again has a way of forcing open the secrets and hurts that the Bommaritos would rather keep tightly closed—Isabelle's fleeting and too-frequent relationships, Janie's obsessive compulsive disorder, and Cecilia's self-destructive streak and grief over her husband's death. Working together to look after Henry and save their flagging bakery, Isabelle and her sisters begin to find answers to questions they never knew existed, unexpected ways to salve the wounds of their childhoods, and the courage to grasp surprising new chances at happiness.Poignant, funny, and as irresistible as one of the Bommarito sisters' deliciousgiant cupcakes, Henry's Sisters is a novel about family and forgiveness, about mothers and daughters, and about gaining the wisdom to look ahead while still holding tight to everything that matters most.

Labor Day: A Novel by Joyce Maynard ~ With the end of summer closing in and a steamy Labor Day weekend looming in the town of Holton Mills, New Hampshire, thirteen-year-old Henry—lonely, friendless, not too good at sports—spends most of his time wathing television, reading, and daydreaming about the soft skin and budding bodies of his female classmates. For company Henry has his long-divorced mother, Adele—a onetime dancer whose summer project was to teach him how to foxtrot; his hamster, Joe; and awkward Saturday-night outings to Friendly's with his estranged father and new stepfamily. As much as he tries, Henry knows that even with his jokes and his "Husband for a Day" coupon, he still can't make his emotionally fragile mother happy. Adele has a secret that makes it hard for her to leave their house, and seems to possess an irreparably broken heart. But all that changes on the Thursday before Labor Day, when a mysterious bleeding man named Frank approaches Henry and asks for a hand. Over the next five days, Henry will learn some of life's most valuable lessons: how to throw a baseball, the secret to perfect piecrust, the breathless pain of jealousy, the power of betrayal, and the importance of putting others—especially those we love—above ourselves. And the knowledge that real love is worth waiting for.

Day After Night: A Novel by Anita Diamant ~ Anita Diamant's story of four women, refugees from Nazi Europe, who find friendship, love, and salvation in a post-war British camp in Palestine.

Hard and Fast by Erin McCarthy ~ Grad student Imogen Wilson realizes she’s hit on the perfect thesis for her sociology degree. If she follows the so-called “rules” on how to get a man, can she steer her way into the world and hearts of stock race car drivers, and establish their dating— and mating—patterns? Although sexy and reckless racer Ty McCordle is the ideal test subject, Imogen knows that for the sake of science, she can’t give in to her growing attraction for him. Yet he’s the one who’s chasing after her, and Imogen realizes that she actually wants to be caught. A southern gentleman like Ty will satisfy all her curiosity—and make all the risks worthwhile…

Tails of Love by Lori Foster, Stella Cameron, Sue-Ellen Welfonder, and Kate Angell ~ From Seeing Eye dogs to the cat who cuddles in your lap, animals are there for us in more ways than we can count. Helping us get through the day with a wag of the tail and a tilt of the head, they let us know that someone is on our side—no matter what. They also have an amazing ability to break down barriers between people; bringing families and loved ones closer, and giving strangers an excuse to strike up a conversation. In Tails of Love, each writer draws from her own unique perspective on our loyal friends—exploring the many mysterious ways they bring love into our lives.



4 comments:

Missy B. said...

Wow! What a ton of books! They all look good. I am interested in the Joyce Maynard book...I have read her before and I enjoy her writing.

Happy Reading!

Anonymous said...

What a huge list. Enjoy!

Marcia James said...

Thanks for mentioning TAILS OF LOVE! The anthology raises money for such a good cause. I'm thilled that I had the opportunity to donate a story to this benefit book.
-- Marcia James ;-)

Kate Angell said...

You have an amazing reading list! Thanks for including Tails of Love. There are so many different and unique stories, lots of wonderful novellas for everyone.