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.

To that end, we’ve decided to share “Books that Caught Our Eye” with you. Each week, Leslie, Serena and Vicki  will each share 2 books that caught their eye from that week’s Mailbox Monday and share them here.

We encourage you to share the books that caught your eye in the coSerenamments.

Here are the books that caught our eye this week:

Serena
2 A.M. at The Cat’s Pajamas by Marie-Helene Bertino @From L.A. to LA  and @The Reading Date 
This one is about a nine-year-old aspiring jazz singer who goes looking for The Cat’s Pajamas, a famous jazz club in Philadelphia. I’ve seen this one everywhere and I love the cover, but the idea of a nine-yr-old seeking a life’s dream in a big city is scary and inspiring.

 

 

A Song for Ella Grey by David Almond @Infinite Curio 
Bearing witness to a complete love can be daunting, and this can be especially so when a friend succumbs to Orpheus, the god of sleep. Claire finds herself in exactly this situation.

 

 

 

Leslie
Jackaby by William Ritter at The Infinite Curio
A book for young readers described as: Doctor Who meets Sherlock in William Ritter’s debut novel, which features a detective of the paranormal as seen through the eyes of his adventurous and intelligent assistant in a tale brimming with cheeky humor and a dose of the macabre. This was exactly the kind of book I was always searching for when I was a “young reader”. Now as an old reader, I still enjoy them!

 

 

Claustrophobia by Tracy Ryan at Sam Still Reading 
I know it’s not available in the states yet, but that won’t stop me from putting this dark, psychological thriller on my to-read list. Claustrophobia is the taut, compelling story of a young Perth wife who sets out to protect her husband by stalking his ex-lover, but unexpectedly falls into a passionate affair and a world of lies.

 

 

 

Vicki
Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice  by Phillip Hoose @ Reviews By Martha’s Bookshelf 
The first in-depth account of a major, yet little-known, civil rights figure whose story provides a fresh perspective on the Montgomery bus protest of 1955–56.
I’ve always thought that what Rosa Parks did in 1955 was such an act of bravery, and a huge risk, but it ultimately started the beginning of the end of segregation. I have never heard that a teenager named Claudette Colvin had doen the same thing months before, but unlike Rosa Parks, she was shunned by her peers and community leaders. Both these women were amazing, and I want to read Claudette’s story.

 

Tunnel Visions  by Kurt Kamm @ Beauty In Ruins 
Working 5 miles inside a Los Angeles water tunnel in 1971, Willie Carter was one of 17 men killed in a methane explosion in what became known as the Sylmar Tunnel disaster.
I remember the first tunnel I ever saw. We were on our way to New Jersey/New York from Ohio. I was only a little kid and the tunnel looked dark and scary, especially when went inside the tunnel. But then, the scary turned to fascination. Since then I’ve always loved anything to do with tunnels.

 

For any other tunnel lovers out there: Have you ever seen the movie Daylight with Sylvester Stallone? It’s about being trapped in an underwater tunnel that’s busting apart, and is one of the best movies ever. I’ve watched it over and over and it’s still one of my favorite movies.