Friday, January 30, 2009

TGIF: Better Late Than Never





I spoke too soon last Friday. Friday evening two more books arrived in the mail and so I decided to add them to this week's Mailbox Monday mailbag.

Bait by Nick Brownlee ~ My friend Valentina sent me this debut crime fiction novel set in Kenya.

Inspector Singh Investigates: A Most Peculiar Malaysian Murder
by Shamini Flint ~ Another generous gift from my friend Valentina. I cannot thank her enough.

Breathing Out the Ghost
by Kirk Curnutt ~ I was lucky enough to win a copy of this much raved about novel through a contest hosted by Serena at Savvy Verse & Wit. Thank you to Serena and the author.

Slumdog Millionaire
(aka Q&A) by Vikas Swarup ~ With all the movie buzz in the air, I could not help but to order a copy of this one.

Bronx Justice
by Joseph Teller ~ Lori of Lori's Reading Corner was kind enough to send me a copy of Joseph Teller's latest. Thank you for your kindness, Lori.

Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews ~ Just because it sounded good.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
by Stieg Larsson ~ My blogger friends have been more than generous with me lately, and I cannot thank Melody from Melody's Reading Corner enough for sending me a copy of this one.

Kitty Raises Hell
by Carrie Vaughn ~ When I heard that Hachette Book Group was having book tour for one of my guilty pleasure series, I immediately signed up to review the up and coming latest in this paranormal series.

Gods Behaving Badly
by Marie Phillips ~ I could not pass up entering a contest for this witty book. Many thanks to Anna from Diary of an Eccentric for hosting the giveaway.

The Burglar in the Closet by Lawrence Block ~ My husband is a fan of the author, and enjoyed the first book in the series (which I got him for Christmas), and I couldn't resist getting him the second one as well. I can't always buy books just for me, after all. We won't talk about the fact that I plan to read the series someday myself.

The Sins of the Fathers by Lawrence Block ~ Another book I ordered for my husband. Really. I was not thinking of myself at all.

The Vagrants
by Yiyun Li ~ Sometimes an unexpected surprise comes in the mail, and, from the looks of it, this is one I will enjoy quite a bit.






1. I'd really like a foot massage right now.

2. S**t is the word you'd most often hear me say if I stubbed my toe.

3. Possession is a very uncomfortable state to be in. I mean, imagine having someone else controlling your body against your wishes.

4. Johnny Depp makes an excellent Captain Jack Sparrow.

5. Marshmallows and fire go together like cocoa mix and hot water.

6. Sometimes I can go on and on about something when I am excited.

7. And as for the weekend, tomorrow my plans include going to see Phantom of the Opera in Los Angeles and Sunday, I want to listen to the Phantom of the Opera soundtrack over and over, spend time reading, and catch up on this past week's television shows (fortunately there are only two I'm watching).






Tamara from Books by TJBaff an Jan from Jan in Edmonds gifted me with the "Your Blog is Fabulous Award" this week. Thank you so much, Tamara! I think you are pretty fabulous yourself.

The Rules:
Write 5 things that you are addicted to and tag 5 other people.

My Addictions:


Books ~ Did you really think this wouldn't top my list? Whether it is reading them, buying them, organizing them, or being surrounded by them, I can't seem to get enough of them.

E-mail ~ I check my e-mail several times a day, including first thing in the morning when I get up. Those e-mails telling me you left comments on my blog are especially nice.

Television shows on DVD ~ This is the best way to watch television, if you ask me. No commercials, no wait for the next episode, and I can watch as many or as few episodes as I want when I want. I've been able to go back and watch shows I missed the first time around or catch shows that were not available to me in the first place.

Minesweeper ~ My husband urged me to cop to this little addiction. Once I start playing, I can play for hours if I let myself.

Clock Gazing ~ When I decide to turn out my light and go to sleep, I look to see what time it is. If I wake up in the middle of the night, I check the clock. When I wake up (if my alarm isn't set), I immediately check the time. I am constantly checking my watch or the clock to see what time it is during the day as well.

I am going to do what I often do and avoid tagging specific bloggers. Every one of the blogs I follow is fabulous and worthy of this award. If you want to play along, please do and let me know.

30 comments:

  1. Sounds like you kept the post office and the delivery guys busy this week, Wendy :-)! I bought Gods Behaving Badly a couple of months ago because everyone was raving about it - I hope to get around to reading it soon. Reading over your list, Magic Bites caught my eye too - I don't know anything about it, but I have a friend named Ilona. Like my own name, it's an unusual one, so I noticed.

    Enjoy Phantom this weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Florinda - I think I received a package in the mail just about every day this week (except today). LOL No complaints from me though.

    I look forward to reading your thoughts on Gods Behaving Badly. I was so excited when I won a copy. It sounds like it will be good.

    Magic Bites is the first in a series, I believe. I can tell I'm entering a fantasy/paranormal phase because my eye has been wandering in that direction when I'm at the bookstore. :-)

    I am super excited about seeing Phantom tomorrow. It's at the Pantages.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I seem to be in the minority...I was not crazy enthused about Gods Behaving Badly. Some parts of it were witty but mostly it seemed in bad taste. I am never prudish about books so I am not sure why this just grated on my nerves.
    Tamara

    ReplyDelete
  4. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is on my list as a must read! And anything in the Burglar series is an absolute hoot! You have some goodies this week!

    Love your answers on the addictions. I like this meme...what but addictions can really be the best way to get to know people!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I LOVED the movie Slum Dog Millionaire. Congrats on your award! and BTW...I addicted to clock gazing at night as well LOL.

    ReplyDelete
  6. LOVED Gods Behaving Badly and Breathing Out The Ghost. I reviewed them both and hope that you really enjoy them!

    ReplyDelete
  7. My list is ridiculous...and I just keep adding to it! Some great sounding titles here.

    I'm addicted to television series on DVD, too. Especially British series!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Enjoy your new books, Wendy! And have a great weekend :)

    I'm addicted to checking my e-mail too. I wake up earlier than I have to every morning just so that I can spend half an hour or so checking my e-mail and my google reader while I have my coffee.

    ReplyDelete
  9. LOL-I had to laugh at the clock comment. I do the exact same thing. I also wear a watch with that indigo so at night when I wake up I just look at that since I'm pretty much blind without my glasses. Nice to meet another clock addicts-I'm bad for watching the time during the day too.

    Wow, you got a good pile of books there. Lots to read!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Oooh me likes Johnny Depp and he's great as Jack Sparrow!

    That's really sweet of Melody to send you a copy of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. It's in my TBR as well and I hope to read it soon. I was supposed to read it earlier but got sidetracked by others. LOL. Enjoy yours!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Thank you for stopping by the 'mailbox' this week. Like you I'm addicted to books and email but I'm including blogging as one of my addictions.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Tamara - That's okay. Not every book will appeal to everyone. It will be interesting then to see how I feel about it when I read it.

    Sandy - I am glad you enjoy the Burglar series! My husband is quite fond of Lawrence Block. He discovered him this past year through the Hard Case Crime books. I haven't yet tired anything by him, but it's a given I probably will considering what genre he writes.

    I'm really looking forward to reading Larsson's book. I've heard such great things about it.

    It wasn't easy to come up with the last two addictions. LOL It's a fun little meme.

    ABA - I hope to see the movie eventually. I've heard such good things about it.

    Sher - I've heard good things about both and am looking forward to reading them. :-)

    Jenclair - Tell me about it! The books keep coming and coming coming . . . Not that I'm complaining. LOL

    And yes! I love those British shows! Thank goodness for DVD's.

    Janet - A foot massage would be so nice. I don't get one of those often enough, unfortunately.

    Nymeth - Thank you! I hope you have a great weekend too.

    My e-mail addiction is really bad when I am home all day because I'll constantly be checking to see if anything new has come in. LOL I have to remind myself sometimes that a watched kettle never boils.

    Dar - I'm not alone! That's good to know. :-)

    I think I'll have some good reading ahead of me.

    Alice - Yes, there's just something about Johnny Depp, isn't there?

    I thought it was really nice of Melody too. I'm looking forward to reading it!

    Marcia - Blogging can be addictive too, that's for sure. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  13. First of all, I really like your new blog layout. I need to stop reading blogs in my RSS reader. I miss out on stuff, lol.

    Secondly,I left you a little something on my blog...

    http://trishaj.blogspot.com/2009/01/being-awarded.html

    ReplyDelete
  14. Addictions! Yes, I have many of them too with book buying toping the list, then there are the DVDs, blogging, watching TV, movies, and being on the Internet. I figure there are alot worse things I can be addicted to! I hope you are having a good weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Oh, yes, I like Minesweeper. Sometimes I'll play the intermediate or easy one and not indicate which ones are bombs as more of a challenge. Then there's the see how fast I can do the easy and intermediate levels.

    ReplyDelete
  16. I'm suffering from mailbox envy!!! I did win a book a few weeks ago and it showed up this week!! Love goodies in the mail. Did you love Phantom of the Opera? My jaw dropped open when I saw that you were going tonight!!! I love watching t.v. shows on DVD...no commercials. Really the only time I enjoy commercials is when I'm watching the Super Bowl!! I like to DVR all my stuff that way I can fast-forward through all the fluff!! Addictions can be healthy...except for that Clock Gazing one...I'm suffering from that right now...can't sleep all the way through the night..ugh!

    Have a great Sunday!!

    ReplyDelete
  17. I've never been able to figure Minesweeper out myself. My four year old thinks she wins when she hits the mines, so that seems to work for her. I'm in a Tetris phase right now.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Wendy -- I have an award for you. Please come to my blog. Thanks.

    jottingsfromjan.blogspot.com

    Jan (in Edmonds)

    ReplyDelete
  19. You got some great books this week! I'm looking forward to getting my copy of Breathing Out the Ghost.

    I completely agree with you about TV shows on DVD. I still watch a few each week but I much prefer focusing on one show and watching however many episodes I want whenever I want.

    I hope you had a wonderful time at Phantom!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Trisha - Thanks. I have finally adjusted to my new look, I think. LOL It's practice for when I get my hair cut in another two weeks. :-)

    Thank you so much for the award!

    Yvonne - Book buying is definitely one of mine. You are right; there are much worse things we could be addicted to. :-)

    Debi - I like to see how fast I can go too. :-)

    Staci - I figure this past week made up for the rest of the month when I didn't get a whole lot. :-)

    Phantom of the Opera was really good! I'm so glad I finally got to see it.

    I DVR all the television shows I watch too. I can't stand sitting through commercials anymore.

    I've never really been able to sleep through a night without waking up at least once, sometimes more. I think it's just normal for me.

    I hope you have a great Sunday too!

    Jennifer - At least your four year old "wins" more often than not her way! LOL

    I've never gotten into Tetras myself, but my husband used to play that one a lot.

    Jan - Thank you so much! Since I did that one here in this post, I went ahead and added your name as someone who tagged me. :-)

    Nat - I've heard such great things about Breathing Out the Ghost. I look forward to hearing what you think of it when you read it, Nat.

    Watching TV shows on DVD is just so much more convenient!

    Phantom was wonderful! I'm ready to see it again. Haha!

    ReplyDelete
  21. I really enjoyed the movie Slumdog Millionaire, so I can't wait to see what you think of the book.

    ReplyDelete
  22. What a lovely hual, Wendy! Enjoy your books!

    And congrats on the award! Very well-deserved! I too think your blog is fabulous! :)

    ReplyDelete
  23. LOL! I'd probably say S**t also if I stubbed my toe. How can you help it when it hurts soooo bad. :) I'll be interested in what you think of Slumdog Millionaire, the book. I'm still dying to see the movie for the second time.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Kathy - I am looking forward to seeing the movie. Hopefully I'll get the book done this week so I can see the movie next weekend. :-)

    Melody - Thanks! I have some good reading ahead of me.

    Trish - Exactly! LOL So far, I am really enjoying the book.

    ReplyDelete
  25. I loved Q & A when I read it (was it last year?) It was one of the few books that my husband recommended to me. I still haven't seen the movie though.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Ooooo ... another clock gazer. I do that too. For some reason this annoys my husband greatly.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Michelle - I wish I'd known sooner the movie was based on a book. I would have read it sooner. Still, I am enjoying it. Hopefully I'll get it finished so I can see the movie this weekend.

    Terri - You too, eh? I'm glad to know I'm not alone. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  28. Wow! You got a lot of books! Glad to hear you received Gods Behaving Badly. I hope you enjoy it! I can't wait to hear what you have to say about Breathing Out the Ghost and The Vagrants. The latter was completely unexpected, but it looks good. Happy reading!

    --Anna
    Diary of an Eccentric

    ReplyDelete
  29. Anna - I can't wait to get to Gods Behaving Badly. Thank you so much!

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for taking the time to visit Musings of a Bookish Kitty. Don't be shy! I would love to hear from you. Due to a recent increase in spam, I will be moderating all comments for the foreseeable future. Please be patient with me as it may take a few hours before I am able to approve your comment.