Mailbox Monday

I'm baaaack! After a wonderful week with my husband's family (and limited internet access), I am back to the real world, starting my first day of work tonight and the first day of my last semester tomorrow. I'm excited to be getting back to the blogging world - I have missed reading everyone's blogs.

I'm participating for the second time in Mailbox Monday, hosted this week by Rose City Reader. I think I have acquired more books this week than I have at one time ever before!

This is majorly because of my sister in law, Kathryn (who, if you like crafting and cooking, has a fabulous blog with my one of my other sisters in law, Ashleigh). Kathryn loves to read but (unlike me) is not a book hoarder - once she reads something she likes to give it away or lend it out. I ended up borrowing seven books from her shelf (many of them were even on my TBR!) They are:

• Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi. I've been wanting to read this for a long time - it always pops out to me at bookstores, but I've been squeamish about spending money on books now that I am a married student. This is on my TBR for the Middle East Challenge.
• So Brave, Young and Handsome by Leif Enger. I loved his first book, Peace Like a River, so I look forward to this one. He is also visiting my local library this month - I am hoping that I can attend the lecture.
• Bel Canto by Ann Patchett - I don't know much about this one, but I have heard positive reactions, so hopefully I enjoy it as well.
• The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. I've heard this is an exciting read - can't wait.
• Graceling by Kristin Cashore - This is a YA about people born with special powers. I have a little weakness for fantasy YA, so this will be a nice light read in between some of the heavier things I have on my TBR this year.
• Nerfiti and Cleopatra's Daughter - both by Michelle Moran. These are two historical fiction novels. I have never heard of either of them, but they look interesting. Should be fun.
  
• Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. This one I actually swiped off my husband's shelf in his old room. I've never read this one, even though I love Steinbeck, and I think it is one of the more widely read novels, so I am hoping to get acquainted with it soon.

My husband and I each received $50 gift cards to Barnes and Noble from my dad (he knows us well) so one afternoon we went on a little excursion and blew it all (going only 8 dollars over, however!).

His picks:

• John Adams by David McCullough. I recently read and reviewed this novel, which made The Husband want to read it. I really loved it and I'm glad it is making its way into our permanent library.
• My Lobotomy by Howard Dully. This is about a man who received a lobotomy as a young man and later explores the reasons why his parents decided to have him undergo this controversial operation. As a neuro geek,I think I will really enjoy this once my husband is finished with it.
• Cheating Death by Sanjay Gupta - This is about new, highly experimental medical procedures. Should be fun to read.
  

My picks:

• Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger. I've never read Salinger before, and after reading Dash and Lily's Book of Dares, where they discuss the book, I decided this was a good place to start.
• A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth. I am participating in the South Asian Challenge and have been reading South Asian literature for years, so I decided to buckle down and attempt this chunker this year. I knew that if I checked it out from the library it would certainly go overdue, so I decided to buy it.
• Arrowsmith by Sinclair Lewis. This book was cited by my neuroscience teacher, and because it is about a doctor and science-obsessed man I think I will enjoy it. I am probably going to work it in to my Back to the Classics reading list.
• The History of Love by Nicole Krauss - I have been seeing rave reviews all over the blogosphere about this book, so I decided to make it my wild card - I know very little about it, but I am hoping I love it.

I also received my first two ARCs ever. They are both scheduled to come out in the next month or so, so I need to get going with them. They are:

• Delirium by Lauren Oliver - Another YA dystopian novel. I saw some raves about it on Twitter so I requested it on NetGalley.
• The Memory Palace by Mira Bartok. I won this in a facebook giveaway. It is about the author's relationship with her schizophrenic mother. Another good book for a neuro geek/bookworm.

That's all (whew!) I am going to have my hands full this month. I can't wait to get started.