Monday Mailbox - October 29th

Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house recently. Created by Marcia at The Printed Page, Mailbox Monday, now has its own blog. Hosting duties are rotated every month. Gina at Book Dragon's Lair is our host for October. Be sure to drop by to see what everyone else got this week.

I haven't done a Mailbox post for over a month.  Being on the road, and then trying to catch up, has put me way behind on this one.  Fortunately, the advent of the e-format has kept huge physical piles of books from accumlulating in my PO box or in bags from USP hanging on my doorknob.  This month my arriving books were all of the virtual variety: I got some great ARCs via Net Galley.  Next week, I'll fill you in on the books I've been loading onto my Nook from Barnes and Noble.

From Net Galley for possible reviews:

Here are some words from the wonderful publishers who made these ARC available through Net Galley:

Widow of Port Seaton - by Susan Gibbs, published by Hawkshadow Publishing Co, Inc.

Upon leaving Boston in disgrace Gael Somerled, a young widow, finds employment as a lighthouse keeper in Port Seaton, Massachusetts. However, the unwanted romantic attentions of her minister, Andrew Zabel, a lonely and troubled man, begin to unravel her sense of independence......Her efforts to use law enforcement to end Andrew's harassment meet with failure when she discovers that no laws exist to protect her. Ultimately, Gael and Andrew become locked in battle of wills with dreadful results.

The Forgotten Presidents by Michael Gerhardt, published by Oxford University Press.
I had to nab this one for my US Presidents Biography Reading Challenge.

Gerhardt, one of our leading legal experts, tells the story of The Forgotten Presidents. He surveys thirteen administrations in chronological order, from Martin Van Buren to Franklin Pierce to Jimmy Carter, distinguishing political failures from their constitutional impact. Again and again, he writes, they defied popular opinion to take strong stands.

Blue Ribbon Jalapeno Society Jubilee by Carolyn Brown, published by Sourcebooks.
This one just sounds like plain pure fun.

Bestelling author Carolyn Brown makes her first foray into women's fiction with this poignant and hilarious novel about four friends in Cadillac, Texas—where the best jalapenos in the world are grown...Everything is calm ... until Aunt Agnes declares war on Violet Prescott, the president of the Blue-Ribbon Jalapeno Society, just in time for the annual jubilee.

A Thousand Pardons by Jonathan Dee, to be published in March 2013 by Random House.

For readers of Jonathan Franzen and Richard Russo, Jonathan Dee’s novels are masterful works of literary fiction. In this sharply observed tale of self-invention and public scandal, Dee raises a trenchant question: what do we really want when we ask for forgiveness?

The Yellow Birds by Kevin Powers, published by Little, Brown and Company.
I've been avoiding asking for this one because I'm afraid of the subject matter, but from the reviews I've seen so far, this one is too good and too important to ignore.

 A major literary debut by a veteran of the war in Iraq: a haunting novel about two young soldiers trying to stay alive...With profound emotional insight, especially into the effects of a hidden war on mothers and families at home, THE YELLOW BIRDS is a groundbreaking novel about the costs of war that is destined to become a classic.

Margaret from Maine by Joseph Monninger, published by Penguin Group.

 Margaret Kennedy lives on a dairy farm in rural Maine. Her husband Thomas—injured in a war overseas—will never be the man he was. When the President signs a bill in support of wounded veterans, Margaret is invited to the nation’s capital. Charlie King, a handsome Foreign Service officer, volunteers to escort her... Joseph Monninger’s Margaret from Maine is a page-turning romance that poignantly explores the dilemmas faced by those who serve our country—and the men and women who love them.

As you can see, I have plenty to keep me busy if the big storm hits here tonite and we lose power.  I'm charging up the Nook, the smart phone, the computer, and the MP3 tonite.  Be sure to let us know what you got in your mailbox.