Mailbox Monday, May 3

Mailbox Monday is hosted by Marcia at The Printed Page.

We share what books that we found in our mailboxes last week.
I had a very lucky week! This is what I received:

The Lovers by Vendela Vida

From Goodreads:
Yvonne, recently widowed and the mother of grown twins, returns to Datça, the coastal village in Turkey where she and her husband honeymooned 24 years ago. She hopes to immerse herself in the warm sand and sea, and in memories of a better time in her life. But her plans are quickly complicated. Her Turkish landlord and his bold and intriguing wife have a curious marital agreement and are constant visitors to the home. And rather than being comforted by her memories, they begin to trouble her.

Overwhelmed by her past and her environment, Yvonne clings to her newfound friendship with Ahmet, a young Turkish boy who sells shells at the local beach. With the boy as her guide, Yvonne gains new insight into her own grown children and begins to enjoy the shimmering sea and the relaxed pace of the Turkish coast. But a terrible accident throws her life into chaos, and her own sense of self into turmoil.

With the crystalline voice, mordant humor, and depth of feeling for which her work has been so celebrated, Vendela Vida has crafted another unforgettable heroine in a beautiful and mysterious landscape.

I received this uncorrected proof from Ecco Marketing through Shelf Awareness! I am excited to read this book!
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This One is Mine by Maria Semple

From Goodreads:
Violet Parry is living the quintessential life of luxury in the Hollywood Hills with David, her rock-and-roll manager husband, and her darling toddler, Dot. She has the perfect life--except that she's deeply unhappy. David expects the world of Violet but gives little of himself in return. When she meets Teddy, a roguish small-time bass player, Violet comes alive, and soon she's risking everything for the chance to find herself again. Also in the picture are David's hilariously high-strung sister, Sally, on the prowl for a successful husband, and Jeremy, the ESPN sportscaster savant who falls into her trap. For all their recklessness, Violet and Sally will discover that David and Jeremy have a few surprises of their own. THIS ONE IS MINE is a compassionate and wickedly funny satire about our need for more--and the often disastrous choices we make in the name of happiness.

I won this from: Kristi at http://booksandneedlepoint.blogspot.com/. Thanks!
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Spellbinder by Helen Stringer

From Goodreads:
Belladonna Johnson can see ghosts. It’s a trait she’s inherited from her mother’s side of the family, like blue eyes or straight hair. And it’s a trait she could do without, because what twelve-year-old wants to be caught talking to someone invisible?

It is convenient, though, after Belladonna’s parents are killed in a car accident. They can live with her the same as always, watching the same old TV shows in their same old house. Nothing has changed . . . until everything changes.

One night, with no warning, they vanish into thin air—along with every other ghost in the world. It’s what some people think ghosts are supposed to do, but Belladonna knows it’s all wrong. They may not be living, but they’re not supposed to be gone.

With the help of her classmate Steve, a master of sneaking and spying, Belladonna is left to uncover what’s become of the spirits and to navigate a whole world her parents have kept well-hidden. If she can’t find her way, she’ll lose them again—this time for good.

I won this book from the read-a-thon! The book I got has a different cover than the picture. It's a uncorrected proof. Sounds great! I think I picked a good one. There were a lot of books to pick from!
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Descent into Dust by Jacqueline Lepore


From Goodreads:
The Extraordinary Adventures of Emma Andrews, Victorian Lady and Vampire Hunter

"Though it is many decades later, it all comes back to me; back to those early days when the terror was new and I was dangerously untrained. When I was young and did not yet know I had a secret . . ."

Twenty-five-year-old widow Emma Andrews grew up in the shadow of her mother's madness, so when she arrives at Dulwich Manor in the midst of a mysterious plague and soon thereafter begins to see specters, her family fears fate has finally caught up with her. But one guest among them knows Emma's visions are more than a trick of the mind. Valerian Fox has hunted the great vampire lord Marius through time and across continents, and he knows Emma has a remarkable destiny. She is Dhampir—a vampire hunter.

Surrounded by those who would use her powers for their own ends, Emma does not know who to trust or what she can believe. But when her young cousin is marked for death, she must embrace the terrible inheritance that lies in her very blood to save those she loves.

An extraordinary saga of courage, love, duty, and honor, of darkest destiny and ancient evil . . . and of the shadow of the Dracula himself. It begins.

I own an author signed copy of this book! I won this at: http://bittenbybooks.com/

I was excited to get it!
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Breaking the Food Seduction by Neal Barnard, M.D.

From Goodreads:
Cure Your Food Cravings Once and For All

If sweets and high-fat foods are sabotaging your efforts to lose weight and get healthy, Dr. Neal Barnard has the solution to conquering your food addictions. Backed up by scientific research, Breaking the Food Seduction explains that your biochemistry, not your lack of willpower, is the problem. Dr. Barnard reveals the simple dietary and lifestyle changes that can break the stubborn cycle of cravings and make you free to choose healthy and tasty foods that can help to you lose weight, lower cholesterol, and improve your overall health.

Featuring a 3-week kickstart plan and 100 delicious, satisfying recipes

I bought this book because it sounded like the perfect book for me. I am having such trouble with my sugar cravings and they are getting worse. I am hoping this gives me advice to help me to reach my weight loss goals.
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One More!

I have to add this because I went home for lunch and found this in my mailbox today (Tuesday)!


This is Why You're Fat by Jackie Warner

From Goodreads:
"Being fat isn't your fault; staying fat is." That's what Jackie Warner, America's favorite no-nonsense celebrity fitness trainer tells her own clients, and that's why no one delivers better results than Jackie does. Now for the first time, Jackie shares her revolutionary program, showing readers the best ways to drop pounds and inches fast, without grueling workouts or deprivation, and keep them off for good! Her two-tiered approach provides a complete nutritional makeover and a failure-proof condensed workout routine PLUS all the emotional support and encouragement you need to get to the finish line and beyond. With Jackie's core principles, you'll discover once and for all which behaviors are making you fat, and which can finally make you thin forever-and some may surprise you:

· ADDTO LOSE: In Jackie's 2-week jump start, no food is off-limits. You'll actually add food to your diet in order to lose weight.

· CHEATING IS ALLOWED: Eat clean for 5 days, and then indulge in whatever you want over the weekend!

· FAT IS NOT THE ENEMY: Fat doesn't make you fat; sugar does! Nothing you eat should contain over 9 grams of sugar

· SKIP THE CRUNCHES: They just build muscle under the fat. Discover the fastest way to burn calories, tone muscle, and spark your metabolism for rapid fat loss

· LESS (EXERCISE) IS MORE: Workouts shouldn't take over your day-give Jackie 20-minutes and you'll see results.

Find out today why THIS IS WHY YOUR FAT (AND HOW TO GET THIN FOREVER) is your first and last stop on the way to the new fit and healthy you!