In My Mailbox (#12)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi, The Story Siren.  This meme was began so we could all share what books we received the previous week ... whether it was in the mail, from the library or what we bought at a store.

Normally, I would put a picture of each book's cover, but since I went book-buying crazy at my local used bookstore this past week (they were going out of business and had a 70% off everything sale going on!) I'll just be putting the titles and authors below.

Received from Authors/Publishers/Publicists for Review:

Semper Cool by Barry Fixler

The Betrayal by Sheila Hendrix

Deed So by Katharine A. Russell

Tales from the Yoga Studio by Rain Mitchell

Karma and Melodies by Katie Salidas

My Superhero Sister by Toni LoTempio

No Rest for the Wicca by Toni LoTempio

The Father's Child by Mark Adair

Bought at the Local Used Bookstore:

Traitor's Kiss/Lover's Kiss by Mary Blayney (2-for-1Book)

Emily's Secret by Jill Jones

Wife Living Dangerously by Sara Susannah Katz

Renegade Lady by Kathryn Hockett

A Darker Dream by Amanda Ashley

You Have to Kiss a Lot of Frogs by Laurie Graff

Sex and the City by Candace Bushnell

The Nanny Diaries by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus

Love Without Blood by Raz Steel

Barely a Lady by Eileen Dreyer

Written on Your Skin by Meredith Duran

Diamond Dreams by Sandra Heath

Immortal Sins by Amanda Ashley

Darkest Dreams by Jennifer St. Giles

Emma by Jane Austen

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Animal Farm by George Orwell

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor

Waiting to Exhale by Terry McMillan

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

In My Mailbox (#11)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi, The Story Siren.  This meme was began so we could all share what books we received the previous week ... whether it was in the mail, from the library or what we bought at a store.

Normally, I would put a picture of each book's cover, but since I went book-buying crazy at my local used bookstore yesterday (they're going out of business and have a 60% off everything sale going on!) I'll just be putting the titles and authors below.

Received From Author For Review:

Whom God Would Destroy by Commander Pants
The End is Near by Harry Ramble
Serenity and Inner Peace by Dale R. Floody, Ph. D.

Ebooks Received From Author For Review:

Turned (Book #1 in the Vampire Journals) by Morgan Rice
The Digital Sea by Tom Carpenter
Do the Speak by Rick Boven
The Shakespeare Manuscript by Rick Buettner

Books I Bought From My Local Used Bookstore:

Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrison
The Godforsaken by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro
The Dark Half by Stephen King (Love this book, but didn't have it on my bookshelf)
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
Angels & Demons by Dan Brown
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Where the Heart Is by Billie Letts
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
The Hotel New Hampshire by John Irving
The Firm by John Grisham
The Pelican Brief by John Grisham
Skipping Christmas by John Grisham
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells
The Bridges of Madison County by Robert James Waller
Doctor No by Ian Fleming
Goldfinger by Ian Fleming
Casino Royale by Ian Fleming

WOW!  I think that's the most books I've received in one week to date!  (singing...) Happy Reading to me, Happy Reading to me ... =)

In My Mailbox (#10)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi, The Story Siren.  This meme was began so we could all share what books we received the previous week ... whether it was in the mail, from the library or what we bought at a store.

Here's what I received:

The A-Men by John Trevillian: Jack is a man with no memory awakening in a dark and dangerous metropolis on the eve of its destruction.  The only clue to his former life, a handwritten note in the pages of an ancient book of faerie tales entitled Forevermore.

Marked for death in a peace-keeping force sent into the riot-torn city, he finds sanctuary and survival with other renegades on the streets of the place now called Dead City.  Battling to survive they form the infamous A-Men, misfits with a unifying dream to be special.  That is until their paths cross with Dr. Nathaniel Glass and his mysterious experiment locked deep beneath the Phoenix Tower.

The End is Near by Harry Ramble: On his forty-fifth birthday, as his hostages dozed fitfully and state police prepared to take him by force, Nathan Huffnagle penned nine last words into a journal recounting a remarkable week's worth of events.  Then he placed the cold steel circle of a shotgun barrel beneath his chin, gripped the trigger, and pulled.  And his life began again.

Nathan had hoped to pay back one injustice with another, and tip the scales back to even.  But so few of us have a real talent for havoc and vengeance and violence.  And our cherished grievances and justifications rarely match up so neatly with the realities of our lives.  Now, frustrated at every turn and pestered by a series of seemingly angelic visitors, Nathan makes a hospital-bed deal with Death - the Big Guy himself.  Will he receive the release he desires?  Or a new lease on life?

The end is always near, but it's never too late to live.

Serenity and Inner Peace by Dale R. Floody, Ph. D.: The book elaborates on the four inter-related factors that serenity encompasses, describing them and providing practical considerations.  In addition, the book concludes with a discussion of the relationship between serenity and positive mental health, living a good life, the idea that inner peace precedes world peace, and some very practical advice from 12-Step Programs (whose members actively pursue serenity in their own lives one day at a time).

An Amish Love (Three Amish Novellas) by Beth Wiseman, Kathleen Fuller & Kelly Long

In My Mailbox (#9)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi, The Story Siren.  This meme was began so we could all share what books we received the previous week ... whether it was in the mail, from the library or what we bought at a store.


Lodestone Book Two: The World of Ice and Stars by Mark Whiteway - The desperate race to save a world continues. Washed up on a distant shore on the unknown side of her planet, together with the Chandara Boxx, the orphan Kelanni named Shann must uncover the fate of her companions, whilst searching for an artifact hidden there in the distant past. As she journeys farther into this new land, she will encounter strange sights, come up against new enemies and meet new friends, until finally coming face to face with the truth of her own past.


Blue-eyed in Luhya-land by Gunilla Fagerholm - A rather normal middle class Swedish couple in their fifties left their suburban life in Sweden in search of something new - a contrast to the secure Swedish Welfare State.  They sold their small house, packed their belongings in a shipping container, and left Sweden behind.  They went to Africa.

This book tells the true story of how they, during five years, lived as the only Europeans in a small village at the edge of one of the last rainforests in Kenya.  They moved from a stressed life to a simple one, a clay hut on a maize field in Western Kenya, without any of the modern conveniences.  On their own, they built a small rainforest hotel as the start of a new life.  But life turned out difficult; corruption, tribal traditions and witchcraft hindered the blue-eyed couple in their efforts to help the suffering villagers.

The story reflects this turbulent time with a lot of positive and negative experiences, arising in the meeting of contrasting cultures and traditions; Swedish meeting tribal Kenyan.

In My Mailbox (#8)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi, The Story Siren.  This meme was began so we could all share what books we received the previous week ... whether it was in the mail, from the library or what we bought at a store.

Zan-Gah: A Prehistoric Adventure by Allan Richard Shickman - Pressed by love for his brother and a bad conscience, the hero undertakes a quest which leads to captivity, conflict, love, and triumph.  In three years, Zan-Gah passes from an uncertain boyhood to a tried and proven manhood and a role of leadership among his people.

Zan-Gah and the Beautiful Country by Allan Richard Shickman - The volcanic turbulence that shakes Dael's mind carries him to vicious extremes.  Is is Zan's task to calm his brother and lead him away from thoughts both destructive and self-destructive.  But even the paradise of the Beautiful Country will not erase them.

The Big Show Stopper by Ken Dalton - Brady Blackstone, America's richest and favorite concert performer, dies in a tragic accident while Bear and Flo, along with thousands of northern Nevada's music lovers, look on in horror.

However, before Bear can maneuver Flo back to their apartment to complete her birthday celebration, they stumble across a clue that makes them question if Brady's death was an accident.

In The Big Show Stopper, Pinky, a sleazy but successful defence attorney, and Bear, a street-wise ex bartender, mix madness with mayhem as you meet Brady's less than grieving widow - a trigger-happy Carson City cop named Ice Conner - travel in first-class luxury with Pinky as he follows a questionable lead to an exotic location and suffer with Flo in Bear's pick up while they drive to another of America's armpit locations where they discover Brady Blackstone's killer.

Borneo Tom, In Story and Sketch: Love, Travel and Jungle Family in Tropical Asia by Tom McLaughlin - A different kind of book? Yup!  I'm science teacher Tom McLaughlin who left the States and moved to Malaysian Borneo, traveled, fell in love, married a local girl, and, despite a vasectomy, is now the proud father of a son.  But the book is much more than that. My biology interests have been reflected in stories about pandas, orangutans and naturalist Alfred Wallace.

The culture of the Malay world is sensitively portrayed in parts about a reunion with my Peace Corps family of years ago and my courting and subsequent village marriage.  Personal family relations inform about travel with my youngest daughter to the hinterlands, reunification with my oldest daughter after a bitter divorce and our travels together. The girls even went  to Bali with us on my honeymoon!

The book is humorously yet sensitively written as Suriani (my wife) and I track orangutans, swim with jellyfish and walk the rim of a volcano. I even dance naked in an earthquake!

To add to the merriment, each section is illustrated by a caricature sketch of our adventures. Drawn by Borneo artist, Niki, they add poignancy and humor.

Happy Reading! =)

In My Mailbox (#7)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi, The Story Siren.  This meme was began so we could all share what books we received the previous week ... whether it was in the mail, from the library or what we bought at a store.


The Advent of Lena by Neil M. Campbell:  For Park, spiritual bankrupt with the perfect looks, only beautiful women count until he insults Chloe, a stranger, and the ugliest female he has ever seen.  At once he is struck down by Eddie, her friend and protector.

Park, on his knees, perceives in an epiphany that solely with the help of the woman he has outraged can he find deliverance from the bonds of nihilism and self-regard.

He resolves to win Chloe.  But, bewildered by his attentions and repelled by his egotism, she wants no part in his quest; until his persistence and her own curiosity about his motives eventually soften her distrust of his sincerity.

Tentatively, she allows him into her life, thereby initiating trajectories of self-discovery, commitment, and betrayal along which all involved - including tormented, Park obsessed, Miriam - hazard toward nemesis ... or redemption.

The Job: Based on a True Story (I mean, this is bound to have happened somewhere) by Craig Davis:  Joe B. enjoys the sweet life as a vice president at Universal Whirligig.  Then one day he arrives at his job only to find he's been demoted to the mailroom, with no explanation or warning.  Joe B. downsizes his hope right into the circular file as he tries to meet with the Big Boss, and receives advice from some of the worst friends ever.

Raven Wings and 13 More Twisted Tales by Frank G. Poe, Jr.:  What happens after we die?  Why should we be vigilant about our health?  How is racism put to rest?  Which religions are correct?  Whose mystery is solved after 160 years?

Frank G. Poe, Jr. answers all of these questions and more in the shocking, must read, introduction of Raven Wings and 13 More Twisted Tales, a collection of fourteen stories guaranteed to entertain.  Eerie and sometimes humorous, the twisted tales result in a thought provoking experience about our society, relationships, health and money.  The author holds us up to the mirror so we can take a good look at ourselves.  It's easy to see how Poe's new book will become a proven literary hit.

After the eye opening introduction by the author, the stories range from a sensual, yet humorous, encounter at Wal-Mart to macabre satire.  The adult oriented collection is full of ghosts, monster trucks, ninjas and spiders, oh my!

In My Mailbox (#6)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi, The Story Siren.  This meme was began so we could all share what books we received the previous week ... whether it was in the mail, from the library or what we bought at a store.

From the Author:

Lodestone - Book One: The Sea of Storms by Mark Whiteway:  Ail-Kar, a white-hole portal from another universe, rains meteoroids onto the surface of the planet Kelanni. But the so-called "lodestones" behave according to different physical laws, transforming Kelanni's society. With the aid of the fearsome Keltar in their flying cloaks, the Kelanni are being put to forced labor to mine the lodestones. Shann, an orphan with a fiery disposition, witnesses a battle between a Keltar and a stranger bearing a similar flying cloak. She tracks down the stranger, and learns of the technology behind the Keltars' power, joining him on a mission to free the slaves and cut off their supply of lodestones. Meanwhile Keris, a Keltar, is sent on a mission to track down the rebels. She is attacked by a flying creature and saved by the enigmatic Chandara. At their Great Tree, she learns that a mysterious "Prophet" is out to destroy the Kelanni people. Their only hope is a powerful instrument hidden in the distant past. Pursued by Keltar, the party will encounter bizarre creatures, ancient technologies and terrifying dangers. Finally, they must seek to cross a massive storm barrier in order to reach the other side of their world, where a world-shaking revelation awaits.

Lovers and Beloveds: An Intimate History of the Greater Kingdom Book One by MeiLin Miranda:  The Tremont family has conquered kingdom after kingdom, and rules its continent. Now, Tremont stands on the cusp of an industrial revolution; trains and steam engines are new, and the Scholar Priests of Eddin's Temple make exciting discoveries daily. Magic is long forgotten, but the Gods are not.
Prince Temmin must now leave his childhood home to live with his father--Harsin the Fourth, by the Grace of Pagg, King of the Greater Kingdom of Tremont and Litta, Emperor of Inchar. Harsin expects his son to become the kind of ruthless, pragmatic man he is. But his immortal advisor Teacher has other plans, involving the seductive human avatars of the Gods called the Lovers. Teacher intends to bind Temmin to the Lovers' Temple, bring him closer to his people, and set him on a path that will lead to ultimate glory for Tremont--or its end.

From Various Sites:

Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier:  From the moment she's struck by lightning as a baby, it is clear Mary Anning is different.  Though poor and uneducated, she learns on the windswept, fossil-strewn beaches of the English coast that she has a unique gift: "the eye" to spot fossils no one else can see.  When she uncovers an unusual fossilized skeleton in the cliffs near her home, she sets the religious community on edge, the townspeople to gossip - and the scientific world alight with both admiration and controversy.  Prickly Elizabeth Philpot, a middle-class spinster and also a fossil hunter, becomes Mary Anning's unlikely champion and friend, and together they forge a path to some of the most important discoveries of the nineteenth century.

I received this book from FSB Media in exchange for my review.

Then Sings My Soul (Special Edition) by Robert J. Morgan:  Is there a festive season of the year that is complete without one of your favorite hymns?  Not only do hymns connect you to great memories, but they also reveal the faith of those who lived throughout history.  As Robert Morgan explored the stories behind some of the best-loved hymns, he found fascinating accounts of tribulations, triumphs, struggles, and hope - ordinary people who connected with God in amazing ways, sharing their experiences through song.

I received this book from BookSneeze in exchange for my review.


Bought:

Bumps in the Night by Harry Allard:  Dudley the Stork's new house is haunted!  When the clock strikes twelve there are thumps in the den, creaks on the stairs, and bumps everywhere.  Dudley's friend Trevor Hog says Madam Kreepy will find out what's causing the spooky noises.  And so, just before midnight, Dudley's friends gather with Madam Kreepy.  No one can guess what will happen when the clock strikes twelve.


Home in Time for Christmas by Heather Graham:  Centuries ago rose petals drifted gently to the ground ... like the snow on this Massachusetts night.

Melody Tarleton is driving home for Christmas when a man - clad in Revolutionary War-era costume - appears out of nowhere, right in the path of her car.  Shaken, she takes the injured stranger in, listening with concern to Jake Mallory's fantastic claim that he's a Patriot soldier executed by British authorities.

Bringing Jake to her parents' house, Melody concocts a story to explain the handsome holiday guest with courtly manners and strange clothes.  Mark, her close friend who wishes he were more, is skeptical, but her family is fascinated.  So is Melody.  Jake is passionate, charming and utterly unlike anyone she's ever met.  Can he really be who he claims?  And can a man from the distant past be the future she truly longs for?


A Blue and Gray Christmas by Joan Medlicott:  A rusty old tin box holding nineteenth-century letters and diaries is unearthed at the Covington Homestead, and the contents reveal a thrilling drama to longtime housemates Grace, Amelia, and Hannah.  Two Civil War soldiers - one Union and one Confederate - were found dying on a battlefield by an old woman and nursed back to health.  After the war, they chose to stay in Covington, caring for their rescuer as she grew frail ... but they never contacted the families they had left behind.

With Christmas coming, Amelia is inspired.  What is she and her friends were to find the two soldiers' descendants and invite them to Covington to meet?  What better holiday gift could there be than the truth about these two heroic men and their dramatic shared fate?  With little time left, the ladies spring into action to track down the men's families ... and to make preparations for the most memorable, most historic Covington Christmas yet.

In My Mailbox (#5)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi, The Story Siren.  This meme was began so we could all share what books we received the previous week ... whether it was in the mail, from the library or what we bought at a store.

I've had a pretty good week, this week.  Here's what I've received:


Stan's Leap by Tom Duerig:  I received this book from the author's publicist for review.  The main concept of the story is about a couple who takes a vacation on a remote island and are stranded there with several other couples.  I'm anxious to begin reading this to find out what happens to them!



A Rush of Wings by Kristen Heitzmann:  This is one of three books I received from Bethany House Publishers for review.  After reading the back cover, I've gathered that this story is about a woman running from her past and winds up at a horse ranch.  While there, two brothers vie for her attention and affection as her past catches up with her.



Hatteras Girl by Alice J. Wisler:  This is book two of the three books I received from Bethany House Publishers for review.  The synopsis of this book is about Jackie, a reviewer of local business owners, who dreams of finding Mr. Right and owning her own business one day.  She meets a man who holds the key to her dream of owning a business, and could possibly be Mr. Right, but the details she learns of his past make her wonder if she's on the right path to her future.

Amy Inspired by Bethany Pierce:  This is the third book I received from Bethany House Publishers this week for review.  I'm anxious to read this one as well because it's about an aspiring writer, Amy, who gave up her job to pursue a life of writing (how appropriate for National Novel Writing Month!).  After being rejected many times by publishers, she meets a man who makes her want to be more than friends.  Is this meant to be or a distraction from her dream of being a writer?

Bending Towards the Sun by Leslie Gilbert-Lurie:  I received this book from FSB Media for a review.  It's a memoir written by a woman and her mother.  The mother had to flee her home at five years of age to hide from the Nazis.  While in hiding, she saw her younger brother and mother die before her eyes.  Years later, the daughter digs into her mother's past to discover how her mother's pain has affected her life.  It is a legacy that unites, inspires and haunts them.

The Reflections of Light for Daily Living by Dr. Tiffany Brown:  I received an ebook copy from the author's publicist.  I will be hosting this author on her blog tour on Friday, November 12th. 

"This book will provide daily tools to endure storms while dealing with haters and toxic friends all while grindin' to get to the next level of your life ... (this book) consists of a series of 365 daily passages or 'teachings' to help give you an inspirational boost to your day. While it is possible to read the passages straight through as you would a novel, think of the book as a collection of individual stories, each of which tells its own tale and can be approached one at a time." (Taken from the PublishAmerica website)