Monday, May 23, 2011

Mailbox Monday May 23

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.

I can't believe it is Monday already! The weeks are just flying by. I am looking forward to summer reads. Nothing is better than sitting in the backyard with a glass of sweet tea and a great summer read! I received new outdoor chair cushions for my birthday that match the patio umbrella my kids bought me for Mother's Day so I am all set. I tried to blog outside yesterday but found I can't see the laptop screen outside. I need to figure out how to remedy that. Anyone have some helpful tips?

I received three books last week. Two are purchases and one is for review.




Wench by Dolen Perkins-Valdez

Situated in the free state of Ohio, Tawawa House offers respite from the summer heat. A beautiful, inviting house surrounded by a dozen private cottages, the resort is favored by wealthy Southern white men who vacation there, accompanied by their enslaved mistresses.

Regular visitors Lizzie, Reenie, and Sweet have forged an enduring friendship. They look forward to their annual reunion and the opportunity it affords them to talk over the changes in their lives and their respective plantations. The subject of freedom is never spoken aloud until the red-maned, spirited Mawu arrives and voices her determination to escape. To run is to leave behind the friends and families trapped at home. For some, it also means tearing the strong emotional and psychological ties that bind them to their masters.

When a fire on the resort sets off a string of tragedies, Lizzie, Reenie, and Sweet soon learn tragic lessons,that triumph and dehumanization are inseparable and that love exists even in the cruelest circumstances as they bear witness to the end of an era.

I purchased this book after reading so many great things about it. I was going to purchase it on my nook but the paperback was cheaper. What is up with that? Check out Dolan Perkins-Valdez website here.

The Fitting Room: Putting on the Character of Christ by Kelly Minter

Colossians 3:12 tells us to “clothe” ourselves in Christian virtues like forgiveness, joy, patience, compassion. But how does that work in real life? Can we really “dress up” in the character of Christ? Kelly Minter says the answer is yes—if we let the Master Designer do the fitting. This relatable book offers insightful Scripture study with real-life stories and simple, down-to-earth explanations of tricky concepts as justification and sanctification—stitching it all together with dry humor and down-to-earth honesty. There are no gimmicks, no guilt trips, just an irresistible invitation for women to enjoy a spiritual makeover—to put on a life that’s personally tailored by the One who knows and loves them best.

I purchased this as a readalong with the Bloom Book Club. I am going to try my hardest to follow along. I love the Bloom Book Club reads. I always learn so much from them.

The Little Women Letters by Gabrielle Donnelly

Vibrant, fresh, and intelligent, The Little Women Letters explores the imagined lives of Jo March’s descendants—three sisters who are both thoroughly modern and thoroughly March. As uplifting and essential as Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women, Gabrielle Donnelly’s novel will speak to anyone who’s ever fought with a sister, fallen in love with a fabulous pair of shoes, or wondered what on earth life had in store for her.

With her older sister, Emma, planning a wedding and her younger sister, Sophie, preparing to launch a career on the London stage, Lulu can’t help but feel like the failure of the Atwater family. Lulu loves her sisters dearly and wants nothing but the best for them, but she finds herself stuck in a rut, working dead-end jobs with no romantic prospects in sight. When her mother asks her to find a cache of old family recipes in the attic of her childhood home, Lulu stumbles across a collection of letters written by her great-great-grandmother Josephine March. In her letters, Jo writes in detail about every aspect of her life: her older sister, Meg’s, new home and family; her younger sister Amy’s many admirers; Beth’s illness and the family’s shared grief over losing her too soon; and the butterflies she feels when she meets a handsome young German. As Lulu delves deeper into the lives and secrets of the March sisters, she finds solace and guidance, but can the words of her great-great-grandmother help Lulu find a place for herself in a world so different from the one Jo knew? Vibrant, fresh, and intelligent, The Little Women Letters explores the imagined lives of Jo March’s descendants—three sisters who are both thoroughly modern and thoroughly March. As uplifting and essential as Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women, Gabrielle Donnelly’s novel will speak to anyone who’s ever fought with a sister, fallen in love with a fabulous pair of shoes, or wondered what on earth life had in store for her.

Some things, of course, remain unchanged: the stories and jokes that form a family’s history, the laughter over tea in the afternoon, the desire to do the right thing in spite of obstacles. And above all, of course, the fierce, undying, and often infuriating bond of sisterhood that links the Atwater women every bit as firmly as it did the March sisters all those years ago. Both a loving tribute to Little Women and a wonderful contemporary family story, The Little Women Letters is a heartwarming, funny, and wise novel for today.

I received this book for my honest review from Touchstone/Simon & Schuster.

What wonderful books made their way into your home?

22 comments:

  1. Great mailbox Beth! You are so right about time flying...this year has gone by so fast! I hope you enjoy your new books!

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  2. What great books! I've been hearing good things about The Little Women Letters, so hopefully it lives up to all the praise. And YAY for good weather and being able to read outside. I love the mood boost I get from sitting in the sun with a good book!

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  3. I've been meaning to read WENCH for a while. Also wondering about the LITTLE WOMEN book. Enjoy!!

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  4. I've heard great things about Wench. I'll have to stop by later and see how you like it! Happy reading :)

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  5. Wench has been on my wishlist forever! I'll keep an eye out for your review!

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  6. I have been wanting to read The Little Women Letters for a while, it looks like a great book. Hope you enjoy reading them all!

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  7. Fantastic mailbox. I hope you enjoy your new reads.

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  8. These look like some good ones. I absolutely loved Wench and hope you do too!

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  9. These all sound fabulous! The Little Women Letters is on my wish list. I'm curious about Wench.

    Thanks for visiting my blog.

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  10. Wench and The Little Women Letters both look great. Happy reading!

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  11. These books look wonderful, Beth, and I'm so glad that I found your blog - I'm enjoying it!
    I'm especially interested in what you think of The Little Women Letters and The Fitting Room, because I'm putting them on my own TBR library list! Have you read Geraldine Brooks's 'March' (a novel about the Little Women's absent father)?
    Hope you'll like mine too...
    http://whatsheread.blogspot.com

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  12. Enjoy! your reads.

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  13. The Little Women Letters sounds really interesting, and its one I'd love to read! Happy reading :)

    Here's my Mailbox! ~ Wendi

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  14. I've had my eye on The Little Women Letters! Looking forward to your review.

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  15. I so envy you this week for all of your books!

    Wench! I have heard so much about this one and I can't wait to read your review next :)

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  16. I got The Little Women Letter, too. I'm really looking forward to it.

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  17. The Fitting Room: Putting on the Character of Christ sounds awesome!

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  18. Jo was always my favorite of the Little Women, I'd love to read about her descendants! I've been wanting to read Wench too.

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  19. You have some great books...The Little Women Letters sounds delightful. Have a great week--
    *smiles*

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  20. The Little Women letters is the one I am hoping to read (soon)!

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  21. I've been seeing The Little Women Letters around today. Will look forward to your review!

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  22. I received a copy of Little Women Letters at BEA - I love the cover and can't wait to get to it!

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