Mailbox Monday: The Last Few Weeks.

Ok, so it's really almost Tuesday. But I promised myself that I would make some serious headway on the old to-do list before I did any blogging. The list isn't quite complete, but complete enough for me to have earned a little respite.

I only do this meme every once in a while because I don't like typing up a whole post unless it is going to be fairly substantial. These are basically my acquisitions for the month of February and this little slice of March. It's been a good haul lately. :)

Purchased:

• The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie. This has been on my TBR for a while, and when I went to Borders today to use up my 40% off coupon, this book stood out to me more than any of the others I read a few pages of. Can't wait to get started, although I can tell it's definitely going to be a weird trip.
• The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown. I also looked at this one today at Borders, but ended up using my Amazon giftcard to buy it for my Kindle. It seems pretty intriguing - I really like the different voices of the sisters.
  
• Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn. I read a sample of this and finally had to buy it for the Kindle because it was on sale for a low price. It seems like it will be hilarious and vocabulary-enlarging.
• The Odd Women by George Gissing. I saw this on a list of under-appreciated literary classics, and as it was a public domain book, snatched it up!
• Thanks for the Memories by Cecilia Ahern. This was on sale for $1.99 when I purchased it for my e-book. I thought I'd grab it for a time when I need a light-hearted beach read.
  
• The Slippery Art of Book Reviewing by Mayra Calvani and Anne K. Edwards. While I plan on taking all advice with a grain of salt, I thought I could use a bit of professional assistance in working to improve my review-writing skills.

Won:

• Between Shades of Grey by Ruta Sepetys. This lovely book showed up on my doorstep and I was a little bemused until I realized that I had entered to win it on Shelf Awareness. Looks to be a haunting historical fiction novel.
• The Complete Adventures of Curious George by H.A. Rey. I didn't realize it was this book I would win when I entered a Facebook contest for "liking" HMH. But I don't have any picture books, so this will come in handy in a few years, and when my niece comes over.
• Best American Short Stories of 2010 were won in that same Facebook contest. I love reading short stories so I am really excited to jump into this one.
  

ARCs:

• The Mother Who Stayed by Laura Furman. This book has three sets of three short stories. Once again, I adore short stories so this should be a great read.
• Beyonders: A World Without Heroes by Brandon Mull. Mr. Mull is a local author, and I am really enjoying this read so far. It is an exciting adventure story for middle grade readers, but I am swept up in the story even though I am about 10 years older than the recommended age.

Netgalleys:

• Say Her Name by Francisco Goldman. This book looks absolutely heartrending. It is a novel written for Goldman's wife to help him deal with his grief after losing her.
  
• Darkness Visible by William Myron. This is a memoir about a man's fight with depression. I enjoy reading about mental illness because of my background in neuroscience, and I am really looking forward to this memoir.
• A Tale of Two Castles by Gail Carson Levine. I love Gail Carson Levine. She is the first author I ever heard speak, and I was absolutely enchanted. I can't wait to read her next book.
• Bumped by Megan McCafferty. Bring on the dystopia. I may laugh at it but I clearly can't get enough!
• The Last Little Blue Envelope by Maureen Johnson. Ok, confession. I have not read the first book. I have never read any Maureen Johnson. But she is so freaking hilarious on Twitter that I knew I needed to start reading her books. When I saw this one on NetGalley, requesting was a no-brainer.

So, obviously I have quite a bit of reading to do! I'm planning on making the most of the next few months before I start nursing school and have to start being responsible again. (Oh, by the way, I got into nursing school!) But now I'd better get back to completing that dreaded to-do list. Have a good night everyone!

Mailbox Monday is hosted this month by I'm Booking It.

Mailbox Monday: The Story Girl officially needs to stop buying books

Mailbox Monday is being hosted this month by Rose City Reader.

I won't lie to you - I am super busy and super behind this week. I lazed around this week and had a fantastic weekend - I have to get the most out of them now that I have to work every other weekend - but now I'm back to the daily grind of school, work, and housework. However, I wanted to dash off a list before I head out the door until the wee hours of the night (that's what I get for working the night shift) because this week has been very fruitful in acquiring books. :)

I received two books from NetGalley -

• The Book of Tomorrow by Cecilia Ahern (Review coming tomorrow, unless I drown in biochemistry homework and am unable to complete it)
• Minding Ben by Victoria Brown

I also received my "gently used trade paperback" from completing the Birth Year Challenge (Thanks J.G.!) This challenge is a blast; I highly recommend that you sign up for this year here.
The book I chose was A Room With a View by E.M. Forster.

I also went to a symposium at my local library with Leif Enger. Because I went to a special luncheon, I received a signed copy of So Brave, Young and Handsome by the aforementioned author. I was sad about returning my sister-in-law's copy to her because I loved the book, so I am excited to have my own copy. (Write-up of that event will also be forthcoming, if the biochemistry homework is merciful).

In order to support the symposium and others like it, the library had a used book sale this weekend as well. I made out like a bandit - I only brought six dollars in quarters to keep from damaging my fragile budget, and spent five of them. Here's the damage:

• Daughter of Fortune by Isabel Allende - I've been wanting to read other books by this author. This was the only book by her that I found, but I'm hoping it proves to be enjoyable.
• Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson - I've heard nothing but rave reviews of this author. This is the title that I think would appeal the most to me, so I was glad to find it, albeit in a large print version.
• The Hours by Michael Cunningham - I always wanted to see this movie, and I'm glad the book found its way into my hands.
• My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult - Although I didn't finish the other Picoult novel I tried to read, I liked this movie despite the swimming in tears. I think this will make a nice drama read one of these days.
• The Hand that First Held Mine by Maggie O'Farrell - I read an earlier book of O'Farrell's, The Disappearing Act of Esme Lennox, a few years ago and loved it, although I'm not usually much of a feminist. I read a sample for this one on my Kindle a little while ago and decided I wanted to buy it, so I was thrilled to find an ARC for sale at the library.

Finally, I won a book from the library for advertising their book sale on Facebook. (Gotta love the times!) They haven't told me which one I will receive yet, but I am excited to add yet another to the collection. Sorry about the blah post today - if I posted pictures of all the books I would never get out the door to work! (And my laundry isn't put away yet!) I hope you are all having a great Monday (and may it be less manic than mine!) :)

Mailbox Monday, or The Story Girl Discovers NetGalley

Happy Monday, blogosphere! For some reason I am feeling more chipper than usual for a Monday morning. A large part of it is probably that I only have to go in to work for an hour-long meeting, instead of my usual seven hour shift. Hooray!

Another part of it may be the large quantity of e-books that I have acquired this week. Although I have been blogging a few months now, I didn't know how to receive ARC's and galleys - I didn't even know that book bloggers frequently do receive them from publishers hoping to get some feedback. After following a Twitter conversation about NetGalley, a website that allows you to request and download electronic versions of unreleased books to your e-reader or computer, I was very excited to check it out and put in requests for a few books. I may have gotten a bit carried away - I won't be requesting any more until I have the chance to get through most of my books.

Here are the winners:
Honestly, these

























Honestly, these were all just books that sounded interesting to me. I am participating in a South Asian challenge and a Middle East Reading challenge, so I was drawn to books that seemed to fit into those categories, but I also just picked a few that looked interesting. I am looking forward to diving into these reads! Thanks to Rose City Reader for hosting Mailbox Monday this month!

Oh, and in other news, I just want to share that I am very excited because I just picked up my tickets for a literacy symposium where Leif Enger will be the
keynote speaker. :-D

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.

Mailbox Monday

I've never participated in this meme before, but I have had quite a few books enter my life in the past few weeks so I thought I would highlight them.

Of course, I got some wonderful books thanks to Christmas. I found I am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced in my stocking, which will be great for the Middle East Challenge in which I am currently participating. My handsome husband bought me The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer by Siddhartha Mukherjee, one of my most anticipated reads this year.

This next batch came thanks to my mother's eccentric hairdresser. She also did my hair in high school, and really liked me because I was heavily involved in competitive classical piano. Her son is a cellist and I think her dearest hope is for him to become the next Yo Yo Ma (he is even half Asian!) Anyway, this lady, who I will just call K., has always had CDs she wants me to listen to, movies she wants me to watch, etc. The last time my mom went to her, she had several books that she had read and wanted to pass along to me. So nice of her! The books are...

• The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood. I haven't read any Atwood yet, so I am excited to get started. Also, it is a beautiful hardback edition, and my husband and I are trying to build a library, so I'm excited to include it.
• North to the Orient by Anne Morrow Lindbergh. This is about Charles Lindbergh and the author's trip to the Orient. Probably not a book I would choose for myself, but as I own it now, I will probably read it.
• Mockingbird by Charles J. Shields. This is about Harper Lee, the author of To Kill a Mockingbird. I am looking forward to this one, especially because I am rereading To Kill a Mockingbird for the Back to the Classics Challenge.
• The Man Who Knew Infinity: A Life of the Genius Ramanujan by Robert Kanigel. I don't really know anything about this book, but I might be able to use it in the South Asian Challenge.

I also acquired some gift cards to Amazon and Barnes and Noble, and have already bought a few books. They are:

• Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan (Reviewed here)
• In the Dark Streets Shineth by David McCullough (Reviewed here)
• Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonsen (Can't wait for this one)
• An Anthropologist on Mars by Oliver Sacks. Also looks like a winner - the title story is about an autistic person, one of my main areas of interest in neuroscience right now, so I'm hoping to get to that one soon.

I can't wait to use the rest of the money. Part of me wants to hoard it until some irresistible book comes out, and the other part of me wants to spend it all right now. My husband also received a Barnes and Noble card, and I am hoping his purchases benefit me as well. :)