Monday, May 16, 2011

Mailbox Monday May 16


It's Monday again! I can't believe how quickly the weeks go by. Time for another Mailbox Monday post. Mailbox Monday is the creation of Marcia from A Girl and Her Books. The meme is on tour and this month's host is Mari of MariReads. Thank you for hosting Mari! Just be warned Mailbox Monday can lead to toppling stacks of books and large wish lists. Don't ask me how I know this.

I hope everyone had a great reading week and a is enjoying spring. The weather has decided to pretend it is late fall here. It was a miserable weekend-cold, rainy and windy. However, it made for a great weekend to tuck in and read which is exactly what I did on Saturday! I also pre-ordered an upcoming summer read that I am looking forward to reading on the beach...without wearing mittens and a winter coat! I posted it today even though it hasn't been mailed yet because I am so excited to read it! As far as last weeks mailbox goes, I received one book which also looks to be a great summer read. If summer ever comes. I'm really not bitter about the cold weather we are having..really I'm not..ha! If anyone sees spring, maybe you could send that to my mailbox! Running the furnace in May is not my idea of spring! On to my mailbox!


South of Superior by Ellen Airgood

A debut novel full of heart, in which love, friendship, and charity teach a young woman to live a bigger life.

When Madeline Stone walks away from Chicago and moves five hundred miles north to the coast of Lake Superior, in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, she isn't prepared for how much her life will change.

Charged with caring for an aging family friend, Madeline finds herself in the middle of beautiful nowhere with Gladys and Arbutus, two octogenarian sisters-one sharp and stubborn, the other sweeter than sunshine. As Madeline begins to experience the ways of the small, tight-knit town, she is drawn into the lives and dramas of its residents. It's a place where times are tough and debts run deep, but friendship, community, and compassion run deeper. As the story hurtles along-featuring a lost child, a dashed love, a car accident, a wedding, a fire, and a romantic reunion-Gladys, Arbutus, and the rest of the town teach Madeline more about life, love, and goodwill than she's learned in a lifetime.

A heartwarming novel, South of Superior explores the deep reward in caring for others, and shows how one who is poor in pocket can be rich in so many other ways, and how little it often takes to make someone happy.

I received this book from Riverhead Books through Librarything Early Reviewers


Best Staged Plans by Claire Cook


As a professional home stager, Sandy Sullivan is an expert at transforming cluttered rooms into attractive houses ready for sale. If only reinventing her life were as easy as choosing the perfect paint color. She's eager to put her family's suburban Boston home on the market, to downsize, and to simplify her own life. But she must first deal with her foot-dragging husband and her grown son, who has moved back home after college to inhabit the basement "bat cave."

After reading them the riot act, Sandy takes a job staging a boutique hotel in Atlanta recently acquired by her best friend's boyfriend. The good news is that she can spend time with her recently married daughter, Shannon, in Atlanta. The bad news is that Shannon finds herself heading to Boston for job training, leaving Sandy and her southern son-in-law, Chance, as reluctant roommates.

If that's not complicated enough, Sandy begins to suspect that her best friend's boyfriend may be seeing another woman on the side.

Filled with characters who are fresh and original, yet recognizable enough to live in your neighborhood plus plenty of great tips and tricks for fixing up houses, and lives this is a wise and witty story of letting go and moving on.

I pre-ordered this book on Saturday while I was dreaming of summer. This book will be released on June 7, 2011 by Voice. I love Claire Cook and did not want to miss out on her newest book. Hopefully by the time it is released, I will be wearing short sleeves, capris and flip flops and it will be warm!


That is what came to my mailbox and what will be coming soon. What wonderful treats made their way into your home?

27 comments:

  1. Beth, these both look good and I'll try to send a little warmth your way. We're enjoying the last of some not too hot weather before we hit real summer. Hope you get to your capris and flip-flops before long!

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  2. I'm also almost crying over having to run the space heaters in May (I've already turned off our furnace). I'm just happy that the weather held nice for my Not-So-Bebe-Girl Autumn's prom on Friday! Both of these look like great reads, and South of Superior is one I've definitely had my eye on! Enjoy!

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  3. South of Superior looks like a great read. I am adding it to my TBR list. Happy reading!

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  4. My sister is reading, and loving, South of Superior right now.

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  5. These both sound great. Hope you enjoy them!

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  6. I really want to read the new Claire Cook. I like the idea of house staging, and it sounds like this is a metaphor for changing up the character's life.

    Enjoy your week.

    Thanks for visiting my blog.

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  7. Both books sound great so I hope you enjoy them.

    It's been rainy and chilly here, too :-(

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  8. Both of these books sound excellent!

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  9. Beth: Nice mailbox. I would love to read both of them. Here in New England, spring has yet to come, unless I missed it. My sweaters have not yet been put away.

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  10. I can't wait to see what you think of both books. Enjoy!

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  11. I love your mailbox! I wonder if I should start putting up synopsis of books?

    Angie

    XOXO Angela's Anxious Life

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  12. These both sound promising. Enjoy!

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  13. The weather here has been uncooperative as well, it's ridiculous! It was snowing last week!

    South of Superior sounds really good, I've got it on my list :) Hope you enjoy it!

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  14. Lot's of interesting titles this week. Enjoy your books!

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  15. Both books sound good, enjoy them.

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  16. I want to read both books! Best Staged Plans was already on my radar, I'll keep an eye on South of Superior now...

    Enjoy your reading, and I hope the weather starts behaving!

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  17. Your weather is just like ours in Montreal. Ugh! On Friday I was wearing flip-flops and today I was wearing my winter coat!
    My review partner, Sandra, will be reviewing South of Superior too. Enjoy all your books.

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  18. These both souund great - enjoy!

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  19. Great titles you got there!
    I really can't wait to read The Distant Hours. I really love Kate Morton's work, especially The Forgotten Garden.

    Thanks for stopping by my MM!

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  20. These look like great reads...if summer ever comes. I'm running my space heater and I am in CA so I feel your pain.

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  21. Both of those look good.

    I see I'm not the only one who had the heat turned on this past weekend. Sheesh. No gardening for me. I haven't even bought summer plants yet and tonight a frost warning. If I do see summer I'm going to grab it and lock it in my basement!

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  22. South of Superior looks good.

    I can't wait for some warm weather. I'm tired of cold and rainy.

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  23. What is it with the weather everywhere? I'm beginning to wonder about summer coming at all. lol.

    I have South of Superior to read and yes, it sounds fantastic! Isn't that just a beautiful cover as well?

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  24. It's rainy and cold here but I'm kind of loving it. This is my kind of weather.

    I'm positively drooling over South of Superior. I can't wait for your review.

    If you haven't yet, stop by and enter my giveaway. If you don't have the Lisa See book yet you may want to join in:
    http://heyiwanttoreadthat.com/2011/05/13/double-giveaway/

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  25. It feels like late fall here too, all rainy! South of Superior looks great! Enjoy.

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  26. I'm with you on the summer thing. We've had rain and wind this week, it's so weird.

    Both of these are on my wish list. I'm looking forward to your reviews!

    2 Kids and Tired Books

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