Books That Caught Our Eye

Here at Mailbox Monday, we want to encourage participants to not only share the books they received, but to check out the books others have received. We encourage you to share the books that caught your eye in the comments.

Here are the books that caught our eye this week:

Serena

1. The Gardener’s Surprise by Carla Balzaretti, Sonja Wimmer @ The Busy Mom’s Daily.

I love when people find something of beauty that attracts their attention, and Andy a train mechanic just cannot help but love gardening. My daughter really loves books with big and bold illustrations, and we’ve started gardening together, so this would be a good one to read with her.

2. The Georgetown Set: Friends and Rivals in Cold War Washington by Gregg Herkin from Chaotic Compendiums.

Anyone who knows me, knows I cannot get enough of WWII books, the Cold War, and political intrigue. This one has a behind-the-scenes look at journalists, spies, and government officials waging the Cold War in Georgetown. These civilians played an integral role in not only the lead up to the Vietnam War, but the rampant persecution of people under McCarthyism — and then there is that lovely Watergate scandal. I would be unable to pass this up or put it down.

Vicki

I saw The Girl with All the Gifts by M.R. Carey @ Bakey’s Book Blog.

Melanie is a little girl who lives in a cell. Dr Caldwell calls her ‘our little genius’. When they come to take her to class, Sergeant keeps his gun pointing at her while two of his people strap her into the wheelchair. She jokes that she won’t bite, but they don’t laugh. She tells her favorite teacher all the things she’ll do when she grows up. This makes Miss Justineau look sad. I have to know what’s going on. Why do the kids live in cells and why is Miss Jusineau sad when Melanie talks about growing up.

I found Torn Away by Jennifer Brown @ The Reading Date.

This is about a girl from the Midwest who loses her mother and sister when a twister hits their town. She’s sent to live with her biological father, then her estranged grandparents. Together, they create a new definition of family. I love love love stories about family, and this sounds really good.

Leslie

Frog Music by Emma Donoghue at BermudaOnion.

I loved Emma Donoghue’s last book, Room, so I was eager to learn about her newest book. This is a literary thriller that resolves a long-forgotten, never-solved crime that occurred in San Francisco during the summer of 1876 while the city was suffering a record-breaking heat wave and a smallpox epidemic. All plot elements I enjoy.

Landline by Rainbow Rowell at Serendipity and BookNAround.
I keep reading good things about Rainbow Rowell’s books and have yet to read one. The cover with its old-fashioned telephone caught my eye. (And yes, I remember when that was the only phone I had). This is described as, “a hilarious, heart-wrenching take on love, marriage, and magic phones“. I could use a light, entertaining read!