Mailbox Monday - 9/14/09

Mailbox Monday is back at Write For A Reader!!  I'm so happy to be joining in again, letting you guys see what I received in the mail over the last week.  I interrupted my posts for Michelle Zink's contest, which was a lot of fun, and my new job had me a little swamped.  But, hopefully things are back to semi-normal again and blogging with reviewing, can resume.  I haven't read or reviewed anything since Prophecy of the Sisters, and those of you that know me, know that's not like me.  I can read 2-3 books a week, and was a blog reading fool as well.  I have neglected my blogging buddies and my reading, but that stops now.

A lot has happened in the last month.  The new Assistant Principal job is fun, busy, exhausting, time consuming, did I mention fun?  Now that we've been in school almost a month, I feel like my time is not slipping away from me in the evenings.  I'm learning how to prioritize it all, let work stay at work unless absolutely necessary, and get back some "me" time.  I was nominated for 2 Book Blogger Appreciation Week awards, but I didn't make the short list.  That's okay!  For a blog that's not even a year old, I'm thankful for those of you who nominated me in the two categories: Best KidLit Blog and Best Writing.  I was happy to be able to judge some of the blogs this year and can't wait to see who the winners are.  I put my name in the hat to be a Cybil's judge this year, and am waiting to see what comes of that.  Whether I do or don't get picked, I'm just happy to be part of this great community of bloggers.

Thanks for sticking with me through this time of semi-hiatus here at my blog.  I know that I've missed a lot of what's been going on, so please, fill me in.  I'm ready to get back in the swing of things.

This was a light week for me, thank goodness!  I have a lot of blog tours coming up, and I need some time to catch up on my reading.  Mailbox Monday is hosted each week over at The Printed Page.

Here's what I did receive in the mail last week:

The Miles Between by Mary E. Pearson - from The Compulsive Reader for a 1 arc tour.
Destiny Faraday makes a point of keeping her distance from her classmates at Hedgebrook Academy. Her number-one rule: Don’t get attached. But one day, unexpectedly finding a car at their disposal, Destiny and three of her classmates embark on an unauthorized road trip.  They’re searching for one fair day—a day where the good guy wins and everything adds up to something just and right. Their destination: Langdon, a town that Destiny’s unsuspecting companions hope will hold simply a day of fun. But, as Destiny says, “Things are not always what they seem.” Only she knows that Langdon holds far more than that—a deep secret she has never shared with anyone.

TheMiles Between explores the wonder andmagic of a very real world where chance, mystery, and secrets abound.

Going Bovine by Libba Bray, from Knopf Delacorte Dell

Can Cameron find what he’s looking for?

All 16-year-old Cameron wants is to get through high school—and life in general—with a minimum of effort. It’s not a lot to ask. But that’s before he’s given some bad news: he’s sick and he’s going to die. Which totally sucks. Hope arrives in the winged form of Dulcie, a loopy punk angel/possible hallucination with a bad sugar habit. She tells Cam there is a cure—if he’s willing to go in search of it. With the help of a death-obsessed, video-gaming dwarf and a yard gnome, Cam sets off on the mother of all road trips through a twisted America into the heart of what matters most.

The Random House Book of Bible Stories retold by Mary Pope Osborne and Natalie Pope Boyce, from Random House

A beautifully illustrated collection of more than 50 Bible stories.

In the Random House Book of Bible Stories, more than 50 stories from the Old and New Testaments come to vivid life, ready to captivate readers and listeners of all ages. Each story is crafted for reading aloud, so the whole family can share the experience.

Accompanied by stunning full-color illustrations by Michael Welply, these timeless narratives are retold by bestselling author Mary Pope Osborne and her sister, Natalie Pope Boyce, with all the grace and wonder of the Bible itself.

What did you get?