In My Mailbox...

In My Mailbox... I've received some great books in my mailbox! And I decided I would join in on the fun sharing them with you and the other bloggers participating in Mailbox Monday!

Mailbox Monday is a weekly event for bloggers to share what books arrived in their mailboxes. Mailbox Monday was originally created by Marcia of To Be Continued and is now hosted by Vicki, Serena and Leslie at Mailbox Monday's own blog.

So, here are the books...

Mothering Sunday by Graham Swift... From the Booker Award winner: a luminous, profoundly moving work of fiction that begins with an afternoon tryst in 1924 between a servant girl and the young man of the neighboring house, but then opens to reveal the whole life of a remarkable woman.

Twenty-two year old Jane Fairchild, orphaned at birth, has worked as a maid at one English country estate since she was sixteen. And for almost all of those years she has been the secret lover to Paul Sheringham, the scion of the estate next door. On an unseasonably warm March afternoon, Jane and Paul will make love for the last time--though not, as Jane believes, because Paul is about to be married--and the events of the day will alter Jane's life forever. As the narrative moves back and forth from 1924 to the end of the century, what we know and understand about Jane--about the way she loves, thinks, feels, sees, remembers--deepens with every beautifully wrought moment. Her story is one of profound self-discovery and through her, Graham Swift has created an emotionally soaring and deeply affecting work of fiction.

A small, wonderful book! I started reading this and immediately fell in love with Graham Swift's prose and felt such empathy for the protagonist, Jane Fairchild. Two words that come to mind are beautiful and quiet. Look for my review this week. Thank you to Knopf for sending a review copy my way! Mothering Sunday will be on the shelves of your local bookstore April 19th!

This Too Shall Pass by Milena Busquets...  A “literary tsunami”* that is taking the world by storm—already sold in over 30 countries—about one unforgettable woman’s search for a meaningful life

Blanca is forty years old and motherless. Shaken by the unexpected death of the most important person in her life, she suddenly realizes that she has no idea what her future will look like.

To ease her dizzying grief and confusion, Blanca turns to her dearest friends, her closest family, and a change of scenery. Leaving Barcelona behind, she returns to Cadaqués on the coast, accompanied by her two sons, two ex-husbands, and two best friends, and makes a plan to meet her married lover for a few stolen moments as well. Surrounded by those she loves most, she spends the summer in an impossibly beautiful place, finding ways to reconnect and understand what it means to truly, happily live on her own terms, just as her mother would have wanted. 

A fresh, honest, and ruefully funny story about love, sex, marriage, grief, friendship and parenthood, THIS TOO SHALL PASS is an irresistible novel that is fast becoming an international phenomenon.

Oh, I love Spanish writers. The stories are usually rich and without fear. This book has been a major European hit, and was gobbled up for six figures to be published in the United States. It is only 169 pages, but has made quite an impact on early reviewers... of which I am now one! So I'll be opening this up this week too and I can't wait! From my brief samples, I am loving the writing! And I LOVE the cover! Look for my review beginning of next week! Thank you to Hogarth (which is an imprint of Crown Publishing and a division of Penguin Random House) for sending along a review copy! This Too Shall Pass by Milena Busquets will be at your local bookstore on May 24th!

Something New by Lucy Knisley... In 2010, Lucy and her long-term boyfriend John broke up. Three long, lonely years later, John returned to New York, walked into Lucy's apartment, and proposed. This is not that story. It is the story of what came after: The Wedding.

DIY maven Lucy Knisley was fascinated by American wedding culture . . . but also sort of horrified by it. So she set out to plan and execute the adorable DIY wedding to end all adorable DIY weddings. And she succeeded. This graphic novel--clocking in at almost 300 pages of humor, despair, and eternal love--is the story of how Lucy built a barn, invented a whole new kind of photo booth, and managed to turn an outdoor wedding on a rainy day into a joyous (though muddy) triumph.

Happy endings do happen, and that includes me getting an advanced reading copy of Lucy's new book in the mail! Fun, wonderfully illustrated (Yes, this IS a Graphic Novel!), and a great story are all benchmarks of a Lucy Knisley book, and are found in Something New. Thanks goes to First Second Press for an advanced copy of Something New, which goes on sale May 3rd! Review will be coming soon!

I am so excited about these books! So, that's what was in my mailbox, how about you!? What do you think about these books? You can check out what everyone else received in their mailbox, by going to Mailbox Monday! Enjoy!