Mailbox Monday

Mailbox Monday is a weekly meme created by Marcia at The Printed Page and is being hosted all this month by Laura of Library of Clean Reads.

I had a particularly good visit to the library over the weekend and ended up with a great set of books, some via Interlibrary Loan and some that the library ordered when I requested the book.

Starting off, I picked up Alison Arngrim's wonderful memoir Confessions of a Prairie Bitch: How I Survived Nellie Oleson and Learned to Love Being Hated. I don't usually read contemporary memoirs but this was just so darned intriguing and a nice break from my usual fare. I never did watch Little House on the Prairie, not wanting to sully my image of Laura and the gang, but I was definitely aware of the phenomena that it was. Arngrim is funny, snarky, and the book is well written and moves at a good clip.

I also got Nocturne, by Syrie James. A few fellow bloggers have reviewed this book and given that it is set in Colorado, I couldn't resist this "Haunting Story of Forbidden Love," as the jacket promises.

In the audio section, I picked up The Secret History of the Pink Carnation by Lauren Willig, and am absolutely loving it.

And then, I stopped by Borders to use my February Borders Bucks, and finally got a copy of Colm Toibin's Brooklyn. Can't wait to sink my teeth in this one.

In the Interlibrary Loan area, I got a copy of Post-War British Women Novelists and the Canon, by Nick Turner. Again, this has been highly recommended to me by people whose taste in books runs along the same grooves as mine.

And I got a copy of The Chicago World's Fair of 1893: A Photographic Record. I recently finished the audio version of Eric Larson's fascinating but chilling The Devil in the White City and I just had to be able to look at all those buildings and the layout of the fair.



Public Service Announcement

Today is the last day you can vote for your three favorite stories in the "Jane Austen Made Me Do It" short story competition.

FYI--my story is #23, "Carpe Diem," which is a Lucy Steele backstory. I have a penchant for trying to find something to like in Austen's nastier characters, although I have had the stomach to spend quality time with Mrs. Norris yet!

I sure would appreciate your vote!