I’m sorry to be late this week, but I spent a good part of yesterday compiling the entries for my Bookmark It contest for Bookroom Reviews’ Book Giveaway Carnival.  I didn’t even have time to enter any contests myself.  It’s a good problem to have, though.   If you haven’t entered my contest, please do.  I think it’s a lot of fun.

I did not even come close to visiting all of the Mailbox Monday posts last week.  I’m going to do my best to do better this week.

Before I feature any of the other books I received last week, I want to give a special shout out to our own Marcia, one of the biggest supporters of my Facebook Book Club, the Historical Fiction Lovers book club.  Saturday, the FedEx man showed up with a parcel for me.  I wasn’t expecting anything, so I tore into the package, and this is what I found:

I could not believe my eyes!  It was almost like receiving bars of gold.  I could not put the book down.  It is divided into more than a dozen sections dedicated to one aspect of historical fiction or the other.  I was so excited and surprised that I got tears in my eyes.  I will never be at a loss for suggesting historical fiction to the book club or to another person again.  I could pretty much read nothing other than what can be found in this book and still not read them all.  It is truly an incredible resource.  Thank you so much, Marcia!  I treasure this book and look forward to many more hours perusing its pages.  I now have a TBR glacier waiting to be mined of all its literary gems.

Here is the rest of what I found in my mailbox last week:

From Harvey River: A Memoir of My Mother and Her Island by Lorna Goodison sent by HarperCollins.

The Shadow Year by Jeffrey Ford sent by HarperCollins.

The Unfinished Clue & Behold, Here’s Poison by Georgette Heyer, bought under the influence of Amy from Passages to the Past.  She “owes” me $20 bucks, but I won’t hold my breath. ;

The Used World by Have Kimmel (bought)

Rubies in the Orchard: How to Uncover the Hidden Gems in Your Business by Lynda Resnick sent to me from Pom Wonderful.  I saw this  featured on The View and was sent an email about it that very same afternoon.  I took it as kismet.  I don’t read a lot of business related books, but this deals with branding and I’m all about that right now.  I’m almost finished with it and it’s very interesting.

What did you get in your mailbox last week?

Can you believe I’m organized enough to participate four weeks in a row?  I’m quite pleased with myself.  My goal for this week is to visit every Mailbox Monday post.  I’m on a roll!

I got three books again this week and they make for quite an eclectic little collection:

Just Like Family: Inside the Lives of Nannies, the Parents They Work For, and the Children They Love by Tasha Blaine sent by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.  If only this came with a real nanny…  This book discusses nannies working for the middle class, but looking at the news articles at the end of the post, it looks as though nannies are a dispensable luxury in these increasingly tight economic times.

The Last Witch of Langenburg: Murder in a German Village by Thomas Robisheaux sent by W.W. Norton & Company.  After reading The Witch’s Trinity, I have been intrigued with European witch trials.  When I was offered this book, I jumped at the chance.

The Tory Widow by Christine Blevins sent to me by the author.  This one was extra special because it came with a pretty hanky and a bottle of lavender water wrapped in a beautiful linen bag.  Amy from Passages to the Past blogged about it last week.  Check her post out for a picture.  What fun!  I really loved The Midwife of the Blue Ridge, so I’m looking forward to diving in to this one.

What surprises did your mailbox hold?

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Here is what I found in my mailbox over the past week:

On Borrowed Wings by Chandra Prasad sent by Simon & Schuster
Unlocked: The Life and Crimes of a Mafia Insider by Louis Ferran sent by HarperCollins
Deep Dish by Mary Kay Andrews sent by HarperCollins
Crossed Wires by Rosy Thornton sent by the author (thanks so much, Rosy!)

And, because I’m off today and have more time than I know what to do with (yeah, right!), here’s the photo I’m entitling “Self Portrait with Books 021609″:

Don’t forget to check out my Hail to the Chief Giveaway. Contest ends 02.23.09.

Have a great week, everyone!

Go with Me by Castle Freeman from HarperCollins
Jane Austen Ruined My Life by Beth Pattillo from Phenix & Phenix

I also bought a copy of The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank.  I am reading this as part of my War Through the Generations Reading Challenge.  I considered getting this from the libary, but I’m sure this is something that my daughters will be reading someday.

What goodies did you find in your mailbox this week?