Mailbox/What are you reading Monday (5-2-11)

Hello bloggers! I have been a little out of the blogging world this past week or so ... between work and lack of sleep, I haven't found much time to post anything. But here's hoping that this week goes a little bit better! So, starting with, what are you reading?

Books I Read This Past Week:

The Invisible Bridge  by Julie Orringer (review up tomorrow ... hopefully)

Books I'm Currently Reading:

Barrel Fever by David Sedaris

Books I Plan to Read This Week:

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

(I'm planning an easy week so I can get back into the groove of blogging again)

While it wasn't my best reading week, The Invisible Bridge was a chunkster (700+ pages), so it took a little longer to read. But I'm hoping that I can get back on track this week.

For Mailbox Monday, I didn't actually receive anything in my mailbox, but I did get lots of new books (and won a few, too!) I went rummaging through some of the books that my mom has read and found a couple in there to add to my TBR pile and also found some at Target that have been on my wishlist.

What I Found Rummaging:

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand

What I Bought at Target:

The Good Girl's Guide to Getting Lost: A Memoir of Three Continents, Two Friends, and One Unexpected Adventure by Rachel Friedman

What I Won on GoodReads:

French Lessons: A Novel by Ellen Sussman

The Things We Cherished by Pam Jenoff

Joy for Beginners by Erica Bauermeister

South of Superior by Ellen Airgood

All in all, not a bad week! Hope that everyone is having a great start to their month and getting ready for summer!

In My Mailbox (3-20-11)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme, hosted by The Story Siren. Each week, you post about what you purchased/won/borrowed/received. It's a great way to connect with other bloggers and see what everyone else is reading. This week, I purchased three new books. I had a bunch of Borders coupons and Borders Bucks, so I was able to get three new, hardcover books for only $20! Not too bad, huh?

Blood, Bones, and Butter: The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef by Gabrielle Hamilton (published March 1, 2011)


Synopsis: Hamilton, one of America's most recognized chefs, serves up a sharply crafted and unflinchingly honest memoir about the search for meaning and purpose and the people and places that shaped her journey. (From borders.com)

The Paris Wife by Paula McLain (published February 22, 2011)


Synopsis: A deeply evocative story of ambition and betrayal, The Paris Wife captures a remarkable period of time and a love affair between two unforgettable people: Ernest Hemingway and his wife Hadley. (From borders.com)


(I've been wanting to read this book for almost a month now ... so excited that it finally came!)

The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown (published January 20, 2011)


Synopsis: The Andreas family is one of readers. Their father, a renowned Shakespeare professor who speaks almost entirely in verse, has named his three daughters after famous Shakespearean women. When the sisters return to their childhood home, ostensibly to care for their ailing mother, but really to lick their wounds and bury their secrets, they are horrified to find the others there. See, we love each other. We just don't happen to like each other very much.But the sisters soon discover that everything they've been running from-one another, their small hometown, and themselves-might offer more than they ever expected. (From borders.com)


So, what did you get in your mailbox this week?

In My Mailbox (3-14-11)

 In my mailbox is a weekly event, hosted by The Story Siren, where bloggers can connect and share what books they received/purchased/borrowed this week.


This past week, I purchased four new books from my Borders. Sadly, they are closing, and everytime I enter the store, I become so sad. I have been going to this bookstore since I was a child, picking out easy chapter books. I went there in high school to get SAT prep books and college guides ... and now, it's closing. All of the people that work in that store are knowledgeable and friendly, and I will truly miss going there to get my books. But, there closing does mean that they have some awesome sales ... currently, everything is at least 40% off, and while most of the books have been picked over, I have still been able to find some good reads.

   

Sense and Sensibility and Emma, both by Jane Austen (I know, yet more classics that I haven't read!)

Barrel Fever by David Sedaris (I just cannot get enough David Sedaris! If you haven't read any of his books, then you need to start! They are hilarious, and I will dare you to try and not laugh outloud while reading his books.)

The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger (another book that people are wondering how I never read it before now. I really don't know ... I love the movie and for some reason, just never got around to picking up the book.)














So, what was in your mailbox this week?

Mailbox Monday

My first Mailbox Monday!

This week, all my books were purchased at my local Borders, which is sadly closing. I could do a whole post on how saddened I am by this, but I will refrain. I will miss having a bookstore where the staff is knowledgeable, actually reads books, and they are able to make recommendations that truly match what it is that you are looking for.

Anywho, with all books at least 20% off, I went on (another) shopping splurge, and these are the books that I purchased there this week:

The Weekend by Bernhard Schlink

The Swan Thieves by Elizabeth Kostova

Amsterdam by Ian McEwan

All He Ever Wanted by Anita Shreve

Eighteen Acres by Nicolle Wallace

The Lake of Dreams by Kim Edwards