I’ve been in a bit of a funk lately and I’m convinced it’s to do with lack of sun. We’ve had rain for the past several weeks and I’m about ready to buy one of these thingies. I swear I’ve never seen a summer like this in Texas before.
Lucky for me something did brighten my spirits today and that was the arrival of several BookMooches. Here’s what I got:
- A Sensible Life by Mary Wesley. She was a thin, lonely child with huge eyes and an extensive vocabulary of French foul language. Amongst the elegant middle-class British families holidaying in Dinard in 1926–leading their privileged lives of secure routine pleasures–Flora was a ten-year-old misfit. Ignored by her self-absorbed parents, unloved, and pitied by the pleasant, stylish people in Brittany that summer, Flora was–peripherally–included in their gracious circles. And there, meeting kindly civilised people for the first time, she fell in love–with Cosmo–with Hubert–with Feix. It took forty years for the love affairs to be explored, consummated and finally resolved.
- Melted into Air by Sandi Toksvig. Frances Angel’s life has seen better days. A theatrical impresario by trade – an impression of an impresario in reality – her current production of Macbeth is so bad that one of the three witches falls into the cauldron through laughing so hard. To make matters worse, her beloved Alistair has done what actor lovers always do – exited stage left.
- Crow Lake by Mary Lawson – Here is a gorgeous, slow-burning story set in the rural “badlands” of northern Ontario, where heartbreak and hardship are mirrored in the landscape. For the farming Pye family, life is a Greek tragedy where the sins of the fathers are visited on the sons, and terrible events occur—offstage.
- Frangipani by Celestine Vaite. A heroine you’ll wish was your best friend. Her name is Materena Mahi, and she’s the best listener in Tahiti. In Tahiti it’s a well-known fact that women are wisest and mothers know best. But it’s Materena Mahi who really knows best of all.
Ah, books to the rescue. I still have quite a few points so maybe I’ll indulge in more BookMooch therapy. And, if anyone has some sun to spare would you mind sending it my way. Muchas gracias!
34 Comments
Right now I’m thankful everyday that’s NOT sunny! 😛
But then I literally melt in the sun in this season. Hope you get some soon.
Books are always great for a cheer-up. I’ve only read ‘Crow Lake’ and it was good. Enjoy!
I heart Bookmooch, too. I’ll at least think sunny thoughts for you since we’re getting hail and rain here as well. Have a good weekend!
Want some sun? Come on over here to NC, we have plenty!!
Yay for BookMooch! I’ve received quite a few mooches myself lately 🙂 It’s nice to SORT of get free books, isn’t it? I have 30 points now and I’m itching to spend some, but I really need to get some of my own books read!
I received Crow Lake via Bookmooch also – in fact, i’ve given away 30 books and received 33. It’s the best!
I’d love to send you some sun, we’ve had loads of it and could use some rain. Don’t you just love seeing those chuncky packages in the mail? I love bookmooch too, and I also do paperbackswap.com. Great ideas.
We’ve got some sun here, and I’d send it to you if I knew how! Enjoy your new books.
Tanabata – I’ll send you some rain, how’s that? 🙂 Usually, I’d be begging for rain this time of the year but we’ve just had a lot of freak weather since Spring. Ugh.
aka Nik – You have a great weekend too and thank you for the sunny thoughts!
Heather – NC is sounds wonderful. And, I do think it’s time you spent some of those 30 points! I’m jealous, I thought I had a lot (15).
Stephanie – It’s so fun isn’t it. I’ve given away about 20+ books. I need to add some more.
Tara – They are the best aren’t they. Especially as they feel like free books! Let’s trade some sun for rain 🙂
Dorothy W. – Thank you! Luckily I do have some good books going on right now so that’s helping too.
I should check out bookmooch. But, I have enough to read. Enough to pass along as well. LOL!
Sending sunshiney vibes your way. Overcast here. 🙁
Melted into Air sounds like a bit of fun chic-lit!
This weather is really depressing me too! Ugh….
Living in the Northwest, I can completely relate to your rain-rain-go-away funk, so I’m sending you some lovely sunshine thoughts. It’s beautiful here this week…we had the first sunny 4th of July in many many years!
I think London gloomy weather moved West! I wish the cool air would move West also.
It’s not fun: being under overcast skies with hot air.
I really enjoyed Crow Lake, I read it a few years ago. Her other more recent book is really good as well.
Are you in the part of Texas that is flooding? I know exactly how you must feel, I hated the clouds and rain when I lived in Seattle. Then, when I moved to Australia, I quickly learned to love the rain again!! Hopefully the sky will clear up soon for you.
good thing bookmooch came to the rescue! i have more than enough sun … sending it over by one of your bookmooches … hahaha!
Nancy – You should. It’s fun and just think of all the books you can get 🙂
Christine – Seriously girl, we may need to get out of town! Hopefully our crafty day tomorrow will help us.
Robin – Aw, thank you! This is just so bizarre for us because even our winters are sunny.
Isabel – I think you are onto something there. I know, muggy and overcast. Ugh. Not to mention that my hair is not liking this either 🙂
Kailana – Oh good to hear that. I’ll let you know what I think.
Alisia – Thankfully no flooding in my part of town but even in other suburbs around they’ve had some flooding. It’s crazy.
Aloi – I’ll be waiting for it 🙂
I had the WORST bookmooch experience yesterday! Someone had sent a book just absolutely reeking of patchouli oil (to the point that the postal worker complained!), and I have bad fragrance allergies. Not only am I STILL having an allergic reaction the next day (even though I threw the book into the outside trash immediately) but the person I mooched from got mad at the negative feedback and bombarded me with bullying, badgering emails til I changed his feedback to neutral just to shut him up. BLAH. Good thing experiences like that are rare, because I just adore bookmooch!
We’ve had rain up here, too, for too long. In fact, the last couple of days when it’s been sunny, we’ve gotten out and done everything but run around naked. The girls have loved it.
Frangipani was an excellent book. I hope you enjoy it. 🙂
I heart bookmooch, too. Just sent something off to someone in Canada yesterday. And got something from Singapore, with the bonus of some beautiful stamps on the package 🙂
I’ve heard about all of your rain. We could use some up here in MN, we’re having a bit of a drought. Hope you see the sun again soon. if not, at least you have some good books to read 🙂
You don’t want to know how much sunshine we’ve had up here in Nebraska. Let’s just say I’ve spent all my free afternoons and weekends at our best friends’ house, floating in their pool. Sorry. I know my daughter is sick of the rain, too (she’s in Dallas).
Enjoy Crow Lake. I’ve read it twice and loved it both times.
Dew – That is awful! Seriously, I would have thrown the book away aside from the fact that I don’t like patchouli, I know it would have thrown my allergies into overdrive. I hope your next mooches are odorless 🙂
Melissa – Glad to hear you liked Frangipani! I hope you get more sun this weekend!
Gentle Reader – Doesn’t that feel like such a treat?! Right now I feel like I can splurge as I have quite a few points but once my number goes down to 4 or 5 I feel like I have to “guard” those 🙂
Stefanie – We saw the sun this afternoon! Now if it only stays through for a bit longer.
Les in NE – Oh I’m jealous 🙂 I think I read about Crow Lake first on your blog and I’ve had it in my mind ever since. Looking forward to it.
Frangipani is lovely – the sequel is out now.
I’ll trade you our sun for your rain! We’re in severe drought conditions over here, and I’d love to have a few good days of rain. Always want what we can’t have, right?
I have Crow Lake on my TBR shelf. I’ve heard it’s quite good!
Isn’t it lovely to get things in the mail that aren’t bills or junk? Just makes my day, especially when it’s bookish mail!
I hope things get sunnier there soon.
It could be worse; think Ray Bradbury’s “All Summer in a Day”…
But seriously, hope you have a few sunny days soon. Grey rainy days are nice once in a while, as a break from sun, not in reverse!
I’ve begun using Bookmooch myself; I received one and sent two so far. It’s really a clever idea, certainly.
I have Crow Lake on my TBR. I cheered myself up by buying books today. It only rained a little bit this morning on the way to San Marcos, otherwise hot and muggy.
I too heart bookmooch – I have had to put it “on vacation” for the whole summer while I am away from home, and I feel quite drab without it!
I’m with Nat; I’m happy any time the sun is nicely buried because I get awfully tired of roasting. It has definitely been a bizarre summer in the bread basket, hasn’t it? Thank goodness for books arriving in the mail; I know just what you mean.
Sorry I have been away… I am back now and wanting to read more of what you post. Thanks for this BookMooch thing… first I’ve heard of it… will be visiting back more now 🙂 bye
If it’s any consolation, today the temperature is 35C or 95F but with humidity will feel like 45C or 112F here where I am.
I love BookMooch too. Well I just started using it, have one book I’ll be sending out tomorrow and one on the way.
The weather here isn’t fabulous either. But the books sound great – I’d particularly like to read the Mary Wesley biography.
Jodie – I didn’t know there was a sequel. Thanks for the heads up on that!
Lesley – We had a beautiful sunny day on Saturday but the rain is back today. Geez. I’ll send you some somehow 🙂
Melanie – I hope you enjoy BookMooch. I think it’s great and in the short time I’ve been using it, I’ve had lots of luck finding some books I’ve been looking for.
Kelly – Oh book buying does wonders for the spirit doesn’t it?
Sycorax Pine – Oh no, you can’t mooch for the whole summer? That is a bummer! I have gotten addicted to it 🙂
Nancy, aka Bookfool – We’ve just had the craziest weather since Spring what with all the tornado warnings. I’m ready to move 🙂
JCR – Good to see you dropping in. You must check out BookMooch. I promise you’ll like it!
Callista – I had to go check your blog to see where you are. Isn’t that super hot for Canada? Our temps have been in the 90s too. Which is technically a bit better than what we normally have this time of the year – 100!
Litlove – Hope the weather gods are nicer to you too! 🙂
Yay for bookmooch indeed! I’ve mooched a TON lately. Now I just need to read ’em!
Hi Iliana,
It’s been forever:) How are you? I’m on bookmooch! Come find me…. 🙂 Via my email address. Isn’t it addictive? Today I got a mooch in the mail and yesterday too:)
Hope all is well! How many books have you read this year so far?
Write soon
Oh yeah, note my new email address at the top!
Heather – Hiya! I couldn’t get your email from your post. Send me an email ok.