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Mailbox Monday #284

Mailbox Monday, created by Marcia at To Be Continued, formerly The Printed Page, has a permanent home at its own blog.

To check out what everyone has received over the last week, visit the blog and check out the links.  Leave yours too.

Also, each week, Leslie, Vicki, and I will share the Books that Caught Our Eye from everyone’s weekly links.

Here’s what we got from the library sale for the little one:

1. Curious George and the Puppies by Margret Rey and H.A. Rey for 25 cents.

When George and the man with the yellow hat visit the animal shelter, George is delighted to discover a large litter of puppies. At first, George just wants to pet the puppy, but then he wants to hold one. George’s curiosity gets the best of him, and soon puppies are everywhere.

2. ¡Vamos a bailar! Let’s Dance! The Dora the Explorer Music Collection for 50 cents.

3. Skippyjon Jones in the Dog-House by Judy Schachner for 25 cents.

For another loco adventure. In his room for a time-out, Skippyjon Jones lets his imagination take him to a shack where his Chihuahua friends are yipping and yapping and hiding out from the bad Bobble-ito, who has taken over their doghouse. How El Skippito chills the Chihuahuas and banishes the Bobble-ito will make more amigos for this endearing and irresistible rascal.

4. The Mermaid’s Lullaby by Kate Spohn for 50 cents.

Glitter sparkles on every page of this genuine treasure by Kate Spohn, whose work has been described as “truly extraordinary” by the Horn Book Reviewand “luminous” by Kirkus Reviews. This is a tender sea song, sung to sleepy mermaid babies by mer-mommies and mer-daddies. From the tapping of the sea urchins and the sound of bubbly voices to flashing fish and the circle of mermaid dancers, children will be lulled by words as soothing as lapping waves and captivated by art that is joyful and inviting.

5.  New Tales: Pandora and Vittorio, the Vampire by Anne Rice for 50 cents.

In Pandora, fledgling vampire David Talbot chronicles the history of Pandora, a two-thousand-year-old vampire, and in fifteenth-century Renaissance Florence, Vittorio finds his world shattered when his entire family is destroyed in an act of unholy violence and embarks on a desperate quest for revenge, in Vittorio, the Vampire, in an omnibus edition.

6.  The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan from a friend.

What should we have for dinner?” To one degree or another this simple question assails any creature faced with a wide choice of things to eat. Anthropologists call it the omnivore’s dilemma. Choosing from among the countless potential foods nature offers, humans have had to learn what is safe, and what isn’t—which mushrooms should be avoided, for example, and which berries we can enjoy. Today, as America confronts what can only be described as a national eating disorder, the omnivore’s dilemma has returned with an atavistic vengeance. The cornucopia of the modern American supermarket and fast-food outlet has thrown us back on a bewildering landscape where we once again have to worry about which of those tasty-looking morsels might kill us. At the same time we’re realizing that our food choices also have profound implications for the health of our environment. The Omnivore’s Dilemma is bestselling author Michael Pollan’s brilliant and eye-opening exploration of these little-known but vitally important dimensions of eating in America.

7.  The Book of Goodbyes by Jillian Weise from Academy of American Poets.

Weise’s collection “examines the daily life and consciousness of a speaker with a disability willing to confront all taboos associated with sex, intimacy, identity, gender, and love.” – Coldfront Magazine

The Los Angeles Times described Jillian Weise’s debut poetry collection as “a fearless dissection of the taboo and the hidden.” In this second collection she forwards her bold, sexy poetics by chronicling an affair with a man she names “Big Logos.” These poems throw into question sex, the law, identity, sentiment, and power, shifting between lyric and narrative, hyper-realism and magical realism, fact and fiction.

8.  Put Your Hands In by Chris Hosea from Academy of American Poets.

“Exactly a century ago, the Armory Show brought European avant-garde art to New York. We are still experiencing its consequences. Among the works on view was Marcel Duchamp’s notorious Nude Descending a Staircase, which a derisive critic wanted to rename ‘Explosion in a Shingle Factory.’ Both titles come to mind as one reads Chris Hosea’s Put Your Hands In, which somehow subsumes derision and erotic energy and comes out on top. Maybe that’s because ‘poetry is the cruelest month, ‘ as he says, correcting T. S. Eliot. Transfixed in midparoxysm, the poems also remind us of Samuel Beckett’s line (in Watt): ‘The pain not yet pleasure, the pleasure not yet pain.’ One feels plunged in a wave of happening that is about to crest.” — John Ashbery, from his judge’s citation for the Walt Whitman Award.

9.  Reflections of Hostile Revelries by Jennifer C. Wolfe from the poet for review.

Jennifer C. Wolfe’s new collection Reflections of Hostile Revelries is the voice in our heads that needs to be spoken. In this progressive work, Wolfe targets our richest and most powerful enemies addressing their essential flaws and epic mistakes while reminding the reader these are the exact people running our countries. Reflections of Hostile Revelries is direct and honest oral poetics and will leave you tired, but eager to read on. —Jordan Antonucci, Editor, Monkey Puzzle Press “Jennifer Wolfe’s second book, Reflections of Hostile Reveries, takes as its subject the American political landscape. In biting and often hilarious poems that spare no one, Wolfe skewers the absurdity and inanity of our politics and politicians. Everyone gets called out–from Sarah Palin to Barack Obama, from Chris Christie to the Supreme Court. Wolfe showcases her talents in a wide range of forms, from long-lined, discursive poems to haikus.

What did you receive?

Mailbox Monday #212

Mailbox Mondays (click the icon to check out the new blog) has gone on tour since Marcia at A Girl and Her Books, formerly The Printed Page passed the torch. This month’s host is Unabridged Chick.

The meme allows bloggers to share what books they receive in the mail or through other means over the past week.

Just be warned that these posts can increase your TBR piles and wish lists.

Here’s what I purchased at a recent library sale:

1.  Sense & Sensibility by Jane Austen, hardcover for $1 as my copy mysteriously disappeared.

Marianne and Elinor Dashwood are sisters. Marianne always acts impulsively, while Elinor is painfully sensitive to social convention. When each falls in love, they come to realize that sense must mix with sensibility if they are to find happiness. First published in 1811, Sense and Sensibility inaugurated the brilliant career of one of the world’s most beloved literary figures and ranks among her most popular novels.

2.  Lizzie’s War by Tim Farrington for 50 cents.

A family epic laced with authenticity, wit and unforgettable characters. Liz O’Reilly has a husband in Vietnam, 4 kids under the age of 12 (and one on the way), and a burgeoning crush on the family priest. An unconventional love story.

It’s Summer 1967 and Mike O’Reilly’s just shipped out to Vietnam. Liz O’Reilly is trying to keep it all together for their four kids – 6 year old Deb–Deb (who believes she is an otter), 8 year old Angus, Kathie, (who at age 9 helps to integrate the local Blue Bird troop with her best friend Temperance), and 11 year old Danny – the spitting image of Mike. While Mike is off fighting “his” war, Liz struggles with her own desires and yearnings – to pick up the theatre career she abandoned when Danny was born, to care for the four children she loves fiercely yet also occasionally resents, to leave the backdoor unlocked so she always has an escape route. While set during the conflict in Vietnam, Farrington’s novel captures the other side of any war – that of the war at home and the careening emotions of the spouses and families left behind.

3.  Martha Peake by Patrick McGrath for 50 cents.

When Ambrose Tree is summoned by his ancient uncle to the brooding mansion Drogo Hall, he suspects it’s to hear the old man’s dying words and then collect a sizable inheritance. He has no idea he is about to learn the bizarre story of Harry Peake, Cornish smuggler turned poet who became a monster capable of the most horrifying acts. Or that he’s about to become psychologically enmeshed in the riveting life of Harry’s daughter, Martha, who flees her father for colonial America where she becomes a heroic figure in the revolution against England. Or that he himself has a crucial role to play in this mesmerizing tale as it rushes headlong and hauntingly toward its powerful climax. Martha Peake is a spellbinding alloy of Gothic mystery and historical romance.

4.  Empress by Shan Sa for 50 cents.

In seventh-century China a young girl from the humble Wu clan entered the imperial gynaecium, housing ten thousand concubines. Inside the Forbidden City, she witnessed seductions, plots, murders, and brazen acts of treason – but shrewdly masterminded her way to the ultimate position of power. From there she instigated positive reforms in government and culture. And yet, from the moment of her death to the present day, her name has been sullied, her story distorted, and her memoirs obliterated by men taking vengeance on a women who dared become Emperor. This amazing historical novelization reveals a fascinating, complex figure who in many ways remains modern to this day.

5.  Cookie Countdown by Sarah Albee and Tom Leigh for 50 cents.

Cookie Monster couldn’t be happier! He’s got five yummy cookies to eat. But Cookie just can’t help but share his sweet treats with his friends. Just when it looks like there won’t be any left for Cookie, his friends deliver a delicious surprise. Young readers will not only enjoy counting with Cookie & learning about sharing, they’ll also have fun shaking Cookie Monster’s Googly Eyes.

6.  Curious George by H.A. Rey and Margret Rey for 25 cents.

In this, the original book about the curious monkey, George is taken from the jungle by the man in the yellow hat to live in a new home, but–oh, what happened! Though trying to be good, George is still very curious and takes a swim in the ocean, escapes from jail, and goes for a flying ride on a bunch of balloons. This treasured classic is where it all began for the curious, loveable monkey and is a must have for any children’s book collection.

7.  On Sesame Street by Renee Tawa for 50 cents, it folds out into a full street of characters and you can press Elmo’s nose and he will sing the theme song.

The Elmo Fold-Out Play-a-Sound Book folds out horizontally to reveal an Elmo and Sesame Street story on 10 sturdy cardboard pages. Designed for children ages 18 months and older, the interactive book features Elmo s face in 3D on the front cover. Kids press his nose to hear a lively excerpt from the Sesame Street Theme song.

Song lyrics are displayed on the fold-out pages, enabling kids to sing along. Illustrated snapshots and captions on each page feature Elmo, Zoe, Ernie, Bert, and other Sesame Street friends as they stroll down Sesame Street, with stops at the fire station, Big Bird s nest, and Hooper s Store. Several prompts ask kids questions about the things they see on the pages.

These are for review:

8.  Thinking of You by Jill Mansell for review in May from Sourcebooks.

When Ginny Holland’s daughter heads off to university, Ginny is left with a severe case of empty nest syndrome. To make matters worse, the first gorgeous man she’s laid eyes on in years has just accused her of shoplifting. So, in need of a bit of company, Ginny decides to advertise for a lodger, but what she gets is lovelorn Laurel. With Laurel comes her dangerously charming brother, Perry and the offer of a great new job, and things begin looking up…until Ginny realizes that her potential boss is all too familiar. Is it too late for Ginny to set things right after an anything but desirable first impression?

9.  All Woman and Springtime by Brandon W. Jones, unsolicited from Algonquin Books, which will be new in paperback in March.

Before she met Il-sun in an orphanage, Gi was a hollow husk of a girl, broken from growing up in one of North Korea’s forced-labor camps. A mathematical genius, she learned to cope with pain by retreating into a realm of numbers and calculations, an escape from both the past and the present. Gi becomes enamored of the brash and radiant Il-sun, a friend she describes as “all woman and springtime.” But Il-sun’s pursuit of a better life imperils both girls when her suitor spirits them across the Demilitarized Zone and sells them as sex workers, first in South Korea and then in the United States.

10.  Fox Forever by Mary E. Pearson from Shelf Awareness.

Locke Jenkins has some catching up to do. After spending 260 years as a disembodied mind in a little black box, he has a perfect new body. But before he can move on with his unexpected new life, he’ll have to return the Favor he accepted from the shadowy resistance group known as the Network.

Locke must infiltrate the home of a government official by gaining the trust of his daughter, seventeen-year-old Raine, and he soon finds himself pulled deep into the world of the resistance—and into Raine’s life.

What did you receive?