Mailbox Monday - 6/15/09

Thanks to Marcia at The Printed Page for hosting Mailbox Monday every week.  I enjoy seeing what everyone else is getting.  I can compare it with what I get and find books to add to my wish list.

Here's what came into my house this week.  Some were purchases, but they still came in the mail.

Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfeild, from Amazon - I ordered this one because of a blog post and discussion on Twitter with @LisaMantchev, author of Eyes Like Stars, and @mstohl, author of Beautiful Creatures. - Pauline, was rescued from a shipwreck as a baby. She longs to be an actress. Petrova, is a Russian orphan. She is happiest when playing with cars and engines. Polly was handed over with just a pair of ballet shoes to her name. If she could, she would dance all day! But one thing they DO have in common is, that with money running out at home and Great Uncle Matthew missing, the sisters want to stay together. Whatever it takes. As they prepare for a dazzling life on stage, the dreams and fears of the fossil girls are about to come true...

Castration Celebration by  Jake Wizner, from Random House.  I already have this ARC to read, so this hardcover copy will be a giveaway when I do my review. - It’s High School Musical—rated R!  When the girl who’s foresworn men meets the boy who’s devoted himself to picking up women, there’s bound to be drama—perfect for a sixweek summer program devoted to the arts. Olivia’s summer goal: to write a musical that censures men with wandering eyes. Max’s summer goal: to hone his acting skills, along with his talent for attracting the ladies. Before camp is over, they’ll perform Olivia’s musical onstage and in real life—though the ending may turn out differently than either expects.  

Generation T: Beyond Fashion: 120 New Ways to Transform a T-Shirt by Megan Nicolay, from Workman Publishing - Megan Nicolay revolutionized the T-shirt. She repurposed it, reinterpreted it, reinvented it—and created the #1 craft book in the nation, Generation T, which continues to dominate. Now she explores new ways to slash a tee, scrunch a tee, and sew a tee with Generation T: Beyond Fashion. A collection of 120 projects for every occasion, it takes the humble yet ever-malleable tee in dozens of new directions—from baby gifts to pet accessories, stuff for the home, the car, the road, the boyfriend.
The rallying cry is: Don't buy; DIY. The result is hip, imaginative, crafty, and very green. There's a basic primer on techniques—knotting, sewing, braiding, lacing—plus a full tutorial on embellishing. And then an amazing range of projects. There’s fashion, of course: all-new halters and tank tops, sexy gaucho pants, a baby-doll dress, twisted shrug, and hooded scarf. But also baby gifts: Jumper for Joy, Baby Back Bib, Wild Thing Blankie. Home décor: plant hanger, wine cozy, toilet seat cover, ruffled apron, and Spastic Plastic (grocery tote). Grill mitts and bolo ties for the guys, doggie tee and stuffed cat toys, a steering wheel cover for the car, the Ants Go Marching (picnic blanket), and Beach Bum (beach caddy). Projects range from the simplest no-sew to intermediate, and all have easy-to-follow illustrated directions—plus, how to throw your own Tee Party.
Time to get your craft on.

Drawing in the Dust by Zoe Klein, from Pocket Books -Brilliant archaeologist Page Brookstone is convinced bones speak, yet none of the ancient remnants she has unearthed during her twelve years of toiling at Israel's storied battlegrounds of Megiddo has delivered the life-altering message she so craves. Which is why the story of Ibrahim and Aisha Barakat, a young Arab couple who implore Page to excavate the grounds beneath their house in Anatot, instantly intrigues her.
The Barakats claim the ghosts of two lovers haunt their home, overwhelming everyone who enters with love and desire. Ignoring the scorn of her peers, Page investigates the site, where she is seduced by an undeniable force. Once Ibrahim presents Page with hard evidence of a cistern beneath his living room, she has no choice but to uncover the secret of the spirits.
It is not long before Page makes miraculous discoveries -- the bones of the deeply troubled prophet Jeremiah locked in an eternal embrace with a mysterious woman named Anatiya. Buried with the entwined skeletons is a collection of Anatiya's scrolls, whose mystical words challenge centuries-old interpretations of the prophet's story and create a worldwide fervor that threatens to silence the truth about the lovers forever.
Caught in a forbidden romance of her own, and under constant siege from religious zealots and ruthless critics, Page risks her life and professional reputation to deliver Anatiya's passionate message to the world. In doing so, she discovers that to preserve her future in the land of the living, she must shake off the dust of the dead and let go of her own painful past.

GirlForce: A Girl's Guide to the Body and Soul by Nikki Goldstein, from Bloomsbury for blog tour -Welcome to GirlForce, an exciting new lifestyle brand for tween and teen girls that is simply irresistible. At its core, Girl Force is based on an ancient science called Ayurveda that says our bodies are made of three elemental energies: Fire, Air, and Earth. And with just two quick quizzes about body and mind you can determine your Body Type. Air girls are outgoing and creative; Fire girls are born leaders and highly passionate; and Earth girls are easygoing and make loyal friends.

Guided by these principles, and using lush, high-end photography and gorgeously designed pages, GirlForce imparts the best food, exercise, makeup, yoga, stress relievers and more for your body type. But don't just read about your type...reading your friends' types can help you figure them out too! 

 

My Spaceship: The Arrival by L.G. Bavaro, from Tate Publishing - On a small Nebraskan farm, the days are quiet, the night's even more so. But life on this farm is about to change. L.G Bavaro authors a true winner of a story about the adventures of 13-year old James Grant. Being an avid antique radio and TV nut, James stumbles upon an old-time HAM radio at a local flea market that magically intrigues him, and purchases it for $10.00, confident that he can restore it. That evening a summer storm passes, lightning hits the tree outside his bedroom window, then arcs into the room and hits the radio, the radio is destroyed. Three days pass when an unoccupied UFO is discovered in James' barnyard. The next week is somewhat of a dream to James, his father, a few friends, and the federal government.

Seeds From Nobody by Nobody, from author - Haven't you noticed we are all beginning to question ourselves and the state of the world we live in? People everywhere, who are interested in bona fide change, are challenging old fated stereotypes, antiquated rules, and questioning the credibility of the status quo. Things are completely screwed up... We are in dire need of a whole new way of thinking-an upgraded model for the human global family-one that speaks to the integrity and complete well-being of each and every individual. One that also speaks to the commonality of our collective spirit and insures that every human being has the opportunity to be authentically happy.   

Tell Me Something True (ARC) by Leila Cobo, from Grand Central Publishing - Gabriella always loved the picture of her mother kneeling in front of a bed of roses, smiling, beautiful and impossibly happy. But then she learns that her late mother hated gardening; that she had never wanted the house in the Hollywood hills, the successful movie producer husband, and possibly, her only daughter. When Gabriella discovers a journal--a book that begins as a new mother's letters to her baby girl, but becomes a secret diary--the final entry leaves one question unanswered: the night her mother died, was she returning to Colombia to end an affair, or was she abandoning her family for good?

I, Alex Cross (ARC) by James Patterson, from Grand Central Publishing - Alex Cross's niece is found brutally murdered. Overcome with grief, Alex vows to take down her killer before he strikes again. But shortly after he begins the investigation, Alex discovers that his niece had gotten mixed up with some very important, very dangerous people. And she's not the only one who has disappeared.
The hunt for the murderer leads Alex and his girlfriend, Detective Brianna Stone, to Washington's most infamous club--a place where every fantasy is possible, if you have the credentials to get in. The killer could be one of their patrons, one of Washington's elite who will do anything to keep their secrets buried. 

Nurture Shock: New Thinking About Children (ARC) by Po Bronson & Ashley Merryman, from Grand Central Publishing - In a world of modern, involved, caring parents, why are so many kids aggressive and cruel? Where is intelligence hidden in the brain, and why does that matter? Why do cross-racial friendships decrease in schools that are more integrated? If 98% of kids think lying is morally wrong, then why do 98% of kids lie? What's the single most important thing that helps infants learn language?
NurtureShock is a groundbreaking collaboration between award-winning science journalists Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman. They argue that when it comes to children, we've mistaken good intentions for good ideas. With impeccable storytelling and razor-sharp analysis, they demonstrate that many of modern society's strategies for nurturing children are in fact backfiring--because key twists in the science have been overlooked. 

A Separate Country (ARC) by Robert Hicks, from Grand Central Publishing - Set in New Orleans in the years after the Civil War, A Separate Country is based on the incredible life of John Bell Hood, arguably one of the most controversial generals of the Confederate Army--and one of its most tragic figures. Robert E. Lee promoted him to major general after the Battle of Antietam. But the Civil War would mark him forever. At Gettysburg, he lost the use of his left arm. At the Battle of Chickamauga, his right leg was amputated. Starting fresh after the war, he married Anna Marie Hennen and fathered 11 children with her, including three sets of twins. But fate had other plans. Crippled by his war wounds and defeat, ravaged by financial misfortune, Hood had one last foe to battle: Yellow Fever. A Separate Country is the heartrending story of a decent and good man who struggled with his inability to admit his failures-and the story of those who taught him to love, and to be loved, and transformed him. 

Roses (ARC) by Leila Meachum, from Grand Central Publishing - Spanning the 20th century, the story of Roses takes place in a small East Texas town against the backdrop of the powerful timber and cotton industries, industries controlled by the scions of the town's founding families. Cotton tycoon Mary Toliver and timber magnate Percy Warwick should have married but unwisely did not, and now must deal with the deceit, secrets, and tragedies of their choice and the loss of what might have been--not just for themselves but for their children, and children's children. With expert, unabashed, big-canvas storytelling, Roses covers a hundred years, three generations of Texans and the explosive combination of passion for work and longing for love