Mailbox Monday

It's Mailbox Monday, a fun weekly meme sponsored by Marcia at The Printed Page.  Just as the post office or mailbox is a place to gather to share the news, this gives readers  a chance to share the books that came into their house last week.  The past two weeks have been mercifully slow, giving me a chance to catch up on the piles of review copies and book club "must reads" that are all clamoring for my attention.  But the ones that did arrive were top notch

Vestments

by John Reimringer

I really enjoy being able to find and read good debut novels.  This one is an Indie Next selection for October 2010 and I'm jumping it to the top of my queue. Many thanks to Milkweed Editions for making this review copy available.

From the Publisher's Webpage

Let me begin today, illumined by Thy light, to destroy this part of the natural man which lives in me in its entirety, the obstacle that constantly keeps me from Thy Love.

Taught this prayer as a boy by his grandfather, James Dressler recites it when he’s tempted by earthly desires. But intimacy is not easily denied. Originally drawn to the priesthood by the mystery, purity, and sensual fabric of the Church, as well as by its promise of a safe harbor from his violent father, James finds himself—just a few years after his ordination—attracted again to his first love, Betty García. Torn between these competing loves, and haunted by his father's heritage, James finds himself at a crossroads.

Exploring age-old and yet urgently contemporary issues in the Catholic Church, and infused throughout by a rich sense of the history and vibrant texture of Saint Paul, this is an utterly honest and subtly lyrical novel. A major debut.

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Preserving the Harvest

by Carol W. Costenbader

 This one I bought for myself.  I'll be reviewing  this one sometime this month, because it is a book to read, not just a cookbook.  Some really yummy and useful stuff here.  The charts are especially useful.  I've already "dripped" in it!!

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 To Fetch a Thief

by Spencer Quinn


A review copy from the Atria Galley Grab earlier this year. I'm always up for a good mystery, and this is a new author and new series for me. This is the third in the Chet and Berney series, and has gotten some good reviews.  I'm especially fond of series, because I often feel I don't get enough of good characters in one volume.