Mailbox Monday

Thanks for joining me for Mailbox Monday!  I am so pleased to host in December because it just adds to my general giddiness this festive time of year.

MM was created by Marcia, who graciously hosted it for a long, long time, before turning it into a touring event (details here).  Marcia is looking for someone to take over tour organizing duties.  Many people have volunteered, but I don't know that there is a final plan for 2014.

MY THEME THIS WEEK: BOOKS AS GIFTS (GIVING)

Will you give books as gifts this year? Which ones? Please share!

MY GIFT BOOKS: My gift book of choice this year is Things We Set on Fire by Deborah Reed.  This latest novel from Deborah Reed is an aching but beautiful  family story that you can get lost in.  Perfect for anyone who likes mother/daughter themes or books by Anne Taylor, Barbara Kingsolver, Anita Shreve or other popular but substantive women authors.  

Of course, there are plenty of men and a few women on my list who wouldn't read a mother/daughter story, no matter how excellent, on pain of death.  They'll get a lump of coal.  And a copy of Harry Dolan's new mystery, The Last Dead Girl.

MY BOOKS: I did get a couple of new books for myself this week.  They are completely different from each other, but both look very good:



Worthy Brown's Daughter by Phillip Margolin. Available now for pre-order; released January 21.

Margolin writes fast-paced contemporary thrillers like his hugely popular Gone, But Not Forgotten and the recent best seller,  Capitol Murder.

Worthy Brown's Daughter is a departure for Margolin -- it's a historical drama set in 19th-Century Oregon involving a freed slave trying to rescue his 15-year-old daughter.  There is still a murder, a complicated plot, and all the exciting twists and turns readers expect from a Margolin thriller.




The Art of Selling Real Estate by Patricia Cliff.

Cliff offers timely, practical advice for real estate sellers, whether seasoned professionals or newcomers. 

While focusing on real estate, Cliff's book is a guide for anyone in sales, with her goal to show how to make yourself indispensable to any transaction by being a consistent, authentic, remarkable deliverer of a high level of personalized service.


YOUR BOOKS

What books came into your house last week?  Leave your link below or in a comment.  If you don't have a blog but want to play along, leave a comment listing your new books.