MM - August 13th


Yes, I was sadly late this week with Mailbox Monday. I didn't want to skip it as I haven't been getting as many books lately, but did get an exciting haul this week. It's a minor collection of used books from the Friends of Library, some borrowed books, a new book, a free study bible, and also a few bookmarks received as gifts.

 I've been trying to budget and only picked up some cheap ones right now - when Melissa and I went on our trip to the two local town libraries (post here and here), we had to pick a few up. Also visited a used bookstore in the north part of town that we have never had the chance to visit before. Post for that is coming up soon.

Also, I did purchase this new Mailbox Monday graphic. This makes three total for the meme. It's such fun and one of my favorites. Now I have two regular ones that I'll alternate as I do with Tune-in-Tuesdays, and the December one for the Christmas month. Still have to  get a Halloween one eventually. Yes, I'm this cheesy! Hope you like the new graphic, I found it adorable.

The Books:



Yay, less glare in this room!



The first is the sixth edition of Norton Anthology of Literature. This may sound silly, but I do like Literature study books. I work at a University bookstore and always love looking through the edition we sell, it's the seventh and has pictures and such in the center. When the University library was clearing out books for a sale, I purchased the fourth edition for $1.50. Now I get this one from my local library. Sadly neither have pictures but they are both neat looking when I feel like actually studying something for once.

The second is St. Teresa of Avilas Life of Prayer. I've seen it quoted before on the Christian Forums.

The third is a nifty Barbara Michaels. I already had this book but it was pretty worn out from frequent readings, moves, and shelving. This version is in much better condition, and I greatly prefer the cover this one has!

Upon the death of her grandfather, Meg Venturi unexpectedly inherits the eccentric millionaires antique jewelry business. There is one catch to her sudden windfall - she must share the wealth with a taciturn and oddly attractive young man who has an entire town stirring up rumors - about murderous secrets and a dark legacy. Now Meg is about to learn the truth behind an old adage: all that glitters is not gold....

My best friend bought this series in St. Augustine, Florida, during a vacation. She has now read all three and loaned them to me. They look cute and I should get to them within the next week or so.

La Vida Vampire (Oldest City Vampire, #1)


Being dead isn't all it's cracked up to be. Take it from Francesca Marinelli, trapped underground for over 200 years and rediscovered during the renovation of a Victorian mansion in historic St. Augustine. A tourist attraction herself, she's well suited for a job as an Old Ghost Town Tour guide. Francesca's due for a new lease on afterlife-and with enough sunblock, she can finally live it.

Unfortunately, everything she learned about men is a little dated. And when people in her tour group turn up dead, naturally the police suspect her. After all, she is a vampire. Which is why a crazed vampire-hunting vigilante squad is out to get her as well. Between the dead bodies, the stalkers, and a seriously non-existent love life, she's starting to wish she was dead. Or at least buried, where she was safe.


Last Vampire Standing (Oldest City Vampire, #2)


228-year-old Francesca Marinelli thought her past was dead-then a stranger from the Atlanta vampire nest crashes her home looking for sanctuary. A budding stand-up comic, Jo-Jo's running from an undead superior eager to drive a stake through the heart of his dream job. But Jo-Jo's bad jokes aren't the only dark clouds on the horizon. A psychotic vampire with a murderous agenda has followed Jo-Jo to Florida, putting everyone close to Francesca in danger.

Always the Vampire (Oldest City Vampire, #3)


Cesca Marinelli has been slacking on her duties as a vampire princess, but she will be the best maid of honor ever for Maggie's Victorian wedding. However, when her mostly-human honey, Saber, falls ill due to a magical construct called the Void, she knows she'll have to go beyond the call of bridesmaid duty...

The Void is affecting every supernatural being in Cesca's afterlife, including her shapeshifter ex, Triton. To counter the Void's reign of terror, Cesca must fully summon her vampire powers-which may lead to her own doom.






The Agatha Christie Five Complete Novels

I already own and have read three of these five, so almost didn't get it. Turns out I hadn't read two of them though and some of my Christies aren't in the best condition anymore. This now makes three hardcover Christies I own that look pretty nifty on the shelf.  These are also Poirot books, who is my favorite. The books are: Murder on the Orient Express, Death on the Nile, Thirteen at Dinner, The ABC Murders, and Cards on the Table.

Classics Purchased

I've read this, but forget most of it. It's been years since I've read it, and I'm trying to get a little collection of classics going.

Les Miserables looks like a huge book, over 1400 pages! Not sure when I'll ever get to this one and what I'll even think of it.

Picked up Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson (haven't read before), and one Flew over the cuckoo's nest, which I've wanted to read for a long time.

Also grabbed the three Spiderwick chronicles books, these are adorable.

  The Gutter and The Grave

Matt Cordell's life was perfect: He had a thriving private investigation agency and a beautiful wife -- now he's a homeless alcoholic, living in denial over his wife's betrayal. But when an old acquaintance tracks down Cordell in one of his seedy Bowery haunts and practically begs him for detective help, Cordell reluctantly agrees -- and stumbles headlong into a case involving generous amounts of booze, lethally sexy women, and cold-blooded murder. The closer Cordell comes to solving the case, however, the closer he comes to becoming the murderer's next target


The Free Study Mini New Testament


I love study bibles, they fascinate me. I have my main bible already, but this one was on Facebook and the company gives away free New Testament study bibles. Usually when I do stuff like this I dont receive anything. This time though, I did, and it only took a few weeks. I was pleasantly surprised - have the study bible, which is very indepth inside and small, a little case for it that it fits into, a little resource/directory pamplet. Very cool. The facebook page is Bibles for America.


The Bookmarks



The top one is from the oldest schoolhouse in America from St Augustine, Florida. Melissa brought this for me as a souvenier from her trip. She also got me a mermaid magnet bookmark, but I have it in a book somewhere and haven't taken a photo of it yet. Love both of them!

The second is a crafted bookmark she made for me for her new crafting business, Melrins designs. She knows how much I love the moon so both sides are a mood bead design, and the blue ribbon has moons and stars. Love it!

Well, that's all for me the last two weeks. What about everyone else?