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In My Mailbox (9)
I admit it. I failed. I refuse to take full responsibility, though. It wasn't my fault. Those books were practically screaming my name. I couldn't resist! What's this, you may ask? This is me lamenting the fact that I bought books. Like some of you, I tried to go on a book buying hiatus until my TBR pile dwindled. Last week, if I do say so myself, I did exceptionally well managing to get only one book from the library, Rumors. But before I tell you which books made me cave, I'll start off with the books I got in my actual IMM. Well, I don't actually have a mailbox. I only have a post office box, so I guess that makes it IMPOB? Anyway...
First off, I received The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Bronte
Though poor, plain, and unconnected, Charlotte Bronte possesses a deeply passionate side which she reveals only in her writings—creating Jane Eyre and other novels that stand among literature's most beloved works. Living a secluded life in the wilds of Yorkshire with her sisters Emily and Anne, their drug-addicted brother, and an eccentric father who is going blind, Charlotte Bronte dreams of a real love story as fiery as the ones she creates. But it is in the pages of her diary where Charlotte exposes her deepest feelings and desires—and the truth about her life, its triumphs and shattering disappointments, her family, the inspiration behind her work, her scandalous secret passion for the man she can never have . . . and her intense, dramatic relationship with the man she comes to love, the enigmatic Arthur Bell Nicholls.
Doesn't that sound cool? Oh, and the "e" in Bronte is supposed to have those two little dots over it, but I have no idea how to do that. Next, I won a few books from Elizabeth Scott's blog, Elizabeth Writes.
Same Difference
The last thing sixteen-year-old Emily wants is to pool hop and tan her way through another summer in Cherry Hill. Now that her best friend has a boyfriend, everything feels...different in a way Emily doesn't quite understand. So when offered a spot at a prestigious art program in Philadelphia, Emily jumps at the chance to leave her hometown for a few hours a day. But it takes more than a change of scenery and a new group of friends to discover yourself. As Emily bounces between a suburb where everyone tries to fit in and a city where everyone wants to be unique, she struggles to find her own identity. And while the rules may change, the pressures remain the same. Friendships can be hard to navigate. Boys are both deeply mysterious and utterly predictable. And the line between right and wrong is always a little blurry.
Twenty Boy Summer
According to her best friend, Frankie, twenty days in Zanzibar Bay is the perfect opportunity to have a summer fling, and if they meet one boy every day, there's a pretty good chance Anna will find her first summer romance. Anna lightheartedly agrees to the game, but there's something she hasn't told Frankie--she's already had that kind of romance, and it was with Frankie's older brother, Matt, just before his tragic death one year ago."
I was totally excited when I saw those two books in the box, but I was kind of surprised to see that there was yet another book in there. I pulled it out, and I'm pretty sure I squealed!
Love You Hate You Miss You
It's been seventy-five days. Amy's sick of her parents suddenly taking an interest in her. And she's really sick of people asking her about Julia. Julia's gone, and Amy doesn't want to talk about it. No one knew Julia like she did. No one gets what life is without her. No one understands what it's like to know that it's all your fault. Amy's shrink thinks she should keep a journal but instead, Amy starts writing letters to Julia. And as she writes letter after letter, she begins to realize that the past holds its own secrets--and that the present deserves a chance.
I also got a book from the library. About a month and a half ago I put a bunch of books on hold, and they have been very slowly trickling in. Emphasis on the "very slowly" part. :)
Do Hard Things: A Teenage Rebellion Against Low Expectations
The next generation stands on the brink of a "rebelution."
Combating the idea of adolescence as a vacation from responsibility, the authors weave together biblical insights, history, and modern examples to redefine the teen years as the launching pad of life and map a clear trajectory for long-term fulfillment and eternal impact. Written by teens for teens, Do Hard Things is packed with humorous personal anecdotes, practical examples, and stories of real-life rebelutionaries in action. This rallying cry from the heart of revolution already in progress challenges the next generation to lay claim to a brighter future, starting today.
Here's where I get to the part of failure. My family and I went into town (we live in the sticks) and my dad wanted to go into a used bookstore. Usually this book store doesn't have very many books that really interest me, so I erringly assumed I would be safe. Wrong! They had a lot of good books. Although I failed, I didn't fail epically because I only bought the three books that sounded the very best most interesting to me.
Funny Cide : How a Horse, a Trainer, a Jockey, and a Bunch of High School Buddies Took on the Sheiks and Bluebloods...and Won
They had no business being there. They were up against million-dollar horses owned by patricians and oilmen and Arab sheiks and Hollywood producers. They were ten working-class men, and all they wanted was to win a race.
That's only the first part of the blurb on the jacket, but I think that sums it up pretty well. Funny Cide ran in the Triple Crown races a while before I started watching, so I thought it would be interesting to learn more about this fabulous horse. Plus, I've been wanting to read more nonfiction. Some title, huh?
Everything I Needed to Know About Being a Girl I Learned from Judy Blume
Whether laughing to tears reading Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great or clamoring for more unmistakable "me too!" moments in Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret, girls all over the world have been touched by Judy Blume's poignant coming-of-age stories. Now, in this anthology of essays, twenty-four notable female authors write straight from the heart about the unforgettable novels that left an indelible mark on their childhoods and still influence them today. After growing up from Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing into Smart Women, these writers pay tribute, through their reflections and most cherished memories, to one of the most beloved authors of all time.
This one looked really cool. I remember reading a couple books by Judy Blume a while back and I really enjoyed them. So many awesome authors contributed to this book! Last but certainly not least:
Burning Bright
Following the accidental death of their middle son, the Kellaways, a Dorsetshire chair maker and family, arrive in London's Lambeth district during the anti-Jacobin scare of 1792. Thomas Kellaway talks his way into set design work for the amiable circus impresario Philip Astley, whose fireworks displays provide the same rallying point that the guillotine is providing in Paris. Astley's libertine horseman son, John, sets his sights on Kellaway's daughter, Maisie (an attention she rather demurely returns). Meanwhile, youngest surviving Kellaway boy Jem falls for poor, sexy firebrand Maggie Butterfield. Blake, who imagined heaven and hell as equally incandescent and earth as the point where the two worlds converge, is portrayed as a murky Friar Laurence figure whose task is to bind and loosen the skeins of young love going on around him—that is, until a Royalist mob intrudes into his garden to sound out his rather advanced views on liberty, equality and fraternity.
The only other book I've read by this author is Girl with a Pearl Earring
And that is the end of my IMM post. Most of the summaries came from the book jackets, but a couple came from Amazon. I can't wait to read all of these books! I'm planning on starting on LYHYMY tomorrow. Thanks to Kristi from The Story Siren for hosting this awesome meme! Hope you all have a great week in reading!
