Mailbox Monday

It's been awhile since I did a Mailbox Monday, but with a good selection of Christmas books that I received, it seems a natural for an early January post.  Stop on by Mailbox Monday to see what other reading bloggers are excited about this week.

I've already blogged about Well-Read Women, water color portraits of literature's leading ladies by artist Samantha Hahn.  I know many of my internet and blogger friends will love this book too.

In the book about books category, I also received By the Book, Writers on Literature and the Literary Life from the The New York Times Book Review.

Also in this category is Lewis Buzbee's The Yellow-Lighted Bookshop, which I received from Bev of My Reader's Block, who was my Bookish Secret Santa this year.

In fiction, I received and am excited to read Ann Patchett's This is the Story of a Happy Marriage.  But first, I have to read her State of Wonder, which is the first book I'm reading on my TBR Pile Challenge this year.

My son gave me First Impressions, the Austenesque novel by Charlie Lovett, which I cannot wait to read.  Seems like a fun, fresh approach to Austenmania.

And finally, the piece de resistance, is a hardbound, with cover book of Audubon's early drawings of birds.  This was a gift from my husband--we started birding just over a year ago, and it is a treasured addition in the gorgeous book category.