In My Mailbox – Weekend Edition #3 – March Madness

In My Mailbox (IMM) is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. It originated in November 2008 as a way to share with other readers and bloggers what books were received, bought, won, etc each week and has evolved ever since. It still informs readers each Sunday of the books Kristi obtained over the course of the week only now the books are creatively shared via her web vlog.

To learn more details about IMM, its history and how to participate, please visit Kristi at The Story Siren:

http://www.thestorysiren.com/p/in-my-mailbox.html

For my weekly version of In My Mailbox, I’ve decided to do a recap of all the books that have come into my home and my hands – some via snail Mail, the Internet, Book Store, Library, Raffles, Giveaways, Authors and Publishing Houses. I read paperback books; borrow hardcover novels; scroll through e-books with my ereader, The Novel, and I listen to audio books. As you can imagine, I might not get to all the books that come into my possession each week, so be on the lookout for their reviews on my blog and if there is one (or two) in particular that you want to learn more about, read a review or find where you can obtain your own copy, please contact me at cgraceh at gmail dot com and I will do my best to respond to your request in a timely fashion.

I missed the last few week’s of recap of books brought, bought and borrowed but boy do I have some good books for you this week to make up for it. The sales went up again at Borders as they are about to close their doors but I stood strong and stayed home; but that didn’t stop me from checking out one of my favorite discount stores in Boston, Building 19 (b); I “rented” a few books from the library (L) to assist me in my writing endeavors and I finally got off the waitlist for a few good audio books on my local library’s Overdrive Media Web site (A).

So here we go…Lip Gloss and Literature Presents….the books that made it into my mailbox this week:

My first venture into the dystopian world….

Delirium by Lauren Oliver (A)

Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing. They didn’t understand that once love -- the deliria -- blooms in your blood, there is no escaping its hold. Things are different now. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the governments demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Holoway has always looked forward to the day when she’ll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy.
But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable: She falls in love.

Great title and a cover too hard to resist….

Getting Rid of Bradley by Jennifer Crusie (A)

Lucy Savage is not having a good week. Her cheating husband, Bradley, lobbed the final insult when he stood her up in divorce court. A dye job gone wrong has left her hair green. And someone is trying to kill her. To top it off, sexy cop Zack Warren is certain the very same man Lucy is trying to wash right out of her hair is the same Bradley he wants to arrest for embezzlement. When someone shoots at her and then her car blows up, Zack decides she needs twenty-four-hour police protection. Next thing Lucy knows, Zack has moved in to her big Victorian house, making them both sleepless . . . and not just from things that go bump in the night!

Dreaming of summer and reminding me of Judy Blume’s Summer Sisters…hoping it’s just as good!...

Beachcombers by Nancy Thayer (A)

Beautifully written, powerfully felt, full of both abundant joy and heart-wrenching sorrow, Beachcombers is an extraordinary novel that centers on the bittersweet reunion of three captivating, very different sisters on Nantucket over one gorgeous, exhilarating summer. Abbie Fox hasn’t seen her father or two younger sisters in almost two years, during which she’s jetted around the world and experienced life, if not love. But now Lily, the baby of the family, is sending Abbie urgent emails begging her to return home to Nantucket. Their middle sister, Emma, has taken to her bed, emotionally devastated after the loss of her high-powered stockbroker’s job and a shockingly unexpected break-up with her fiancé. Also, Lily is deeply worried that Marina, the beautiful, enigmatic woman renting their guesthouse, has set her sights on the sisters’ widowed father, Jim. The Fox girls closed ranks years ago after the haunting, untimely death of their mother, but seeing their dad move on with his life forces each of them to take stock. Over the course of the summer, the sisters’ lives grow as turbulent as the unpredictable currents encircling Nantucket. When Abbie encounters an incredibly appealing married man, she breaks her own rules in the name of love, fearing all the while that she’ll regret it. Meanwhile, type-A Emma learns a new definition of success, and strong-minded Lily must reconcile her dreams with reality. Even Marina, who has come to Nantucket to forget heartbreak and betrayal, faces an astonishing turn of events that will find her torn between fate and freedom. At summer’s end, these unforgettable women will face profound choices—and undergo personal transformations that will surprise even themselves.

An eagerly anticipated 2011 release…in stereo…

I Think I Love You by Allison Pearson (A)

                                                                                                                        

From the author of the best seller I Don’t Know How She Does It, a follow-up that promises to be one of the most widely read and talked-about novels of the season. 1974, Wales. Thirteen-year-old Petra and her best friend, Sharon, are in love with David Cassidy and obsessed with The Ultimate David Cassidy Quiz, a contest whose winners will be flown to America to meet their teen idol. 1998, London. Petra is pushing forty and on the brink of divorce. While cleaning out her mother’s closet, she finds a dusty letter—a letter her mother had intercepted—declaring her the winner of the contest she and Sharon had labored over with such agony and bliss. Twenty-four years later, twenty pounds heavier, the girls reunite for an all-expenses-paid trip to Las Vegas to meet their teen idol at last, middle age—theirs and his—be damned. Poignant, hilarious, joyful, profoundly moving and uplifting, I Think I Love You captures what girls learn about love through the universal experience of worshipping a teen dream. It will resonate with readers everywhere.

After making her mark in chick lit, this author turned to YA/Teen fiction....

The Booster by Jennifer Solow (b)

Jillian Siegel is living the quintessential Manhattan life: great clothes, fabulous boyfriend, a job at the hottest ad agency in town. But what nobody knows is that this twenty-nine year-old hides a dark secret - one that involves stuffing her oversize Gucci handbag with high-priced designer clothes and leaving the store without paying. There was once a time when Jillian didn't need to shop (much less steal) to feel whole. But that was long ago - when she spent hours amusing herself in the enchanted world of her uncle's elegant Upper East Side department store, and her mother's prolonged absences were easily forgotten with a new camel-hair coat or a fresh pair of Mary Janes. But then one day it was all gone - pulled right out from under her. Now, years later, her "perfect" life is loosely held together with half milligrams of Ativan and stolen cashmere scarves - and it's only a matter of time until everything crumbles. Packed with vibrant characters, bristling dialogue, and rich detail, The Booster is a uniquely stylish, deftly woven story about discovering one's true self in the most unexpected places.

I just love when I can find an old Red Dress Ink novel…I still miss that imprint…

My Fake Wedding by Mina Ford (b)

Katie's given up on love . . .so she'll be the perfect bride. When Katie Simpson discovers her boyfriend boffing "Fishpants Fraser," she vows to eat toenail clippings before getting involved again. Life as "the ginger spinster of Pelham Parish" will be lonely, but bearable as long as she shags lots of strangers and hangs tight with her friends. Unfortunately, Katie has the unerring ability to hit on the only gay man at the party (not again!). And her pals are somewhat preoccupied. Mover-and-shaker Janice has started scoping funerals for doddering sugar daddies. George, Katie's gorgeous, flamingly gay best friend (yes, she's tried it), is madly in love with an Aussie heartbreaker (struck out there, too) who needs some speedy nuptials to stay in the country. What better opportunity to plan a fake wedding more elaborate than a ten-tier cake? However, love hasn't given up on Katie. Just when the girl who eats like a cow, wears clompy shoes and is unacquainted with her own hairbrush starts trying on white dresses, romance comes from the unlikeliest -- and straight and male -- source. Will Katie let the man she loves ruin her wedding day?

As an aspiring chick lit writer, I thought what better book to read (and own) than a collection of essays on the major influences in some of my favorite authors’ lives….

Everything I Learned About Being a Girl I Learned from Judy Blume Edited by Jennifer O’Connell

For millions of American girls growing up, Judy Blume's awkward, self-conscious characters became surrogates, allies, and comforters in their silent struggles. The 24 essays of Everything I Needed to Know about Being a Girl I Learned from Judy Blume honor an unconventional mentor who has entertained readers even as she teaches them. The topics touched here are as wide and deep as Blume's fiction: divorce, bullying, peer pressure, menstruation, weight issues, sibling rivalry, and racism. The contributors include Meg Cabot, Beth Kendrick, Julie Kenner, and Cara Lockwood.

All week in my writing practices I’ve been curious, is it better to start a book with plot or character….What do you think?...

Creating Characters: How to Build Story People by Dwayne V. Swain (L)

Along with a clever plot, well-drawn characters make us want to continue reading a novel or finish watching a movie. In Creating Characters, Dwight V. Swain shows how writers can invent interesting characters and improve them so that they move a story along. "The core of character," he says in chapter 1, "lies in each individual story person's ability to care about something; to feel implicitly or explicitly, that something is important." Building on that foundation-the capacity to care-Swain takes the would-be writer step-by-step through the fundamentals of "finding characters who turn you on"; labeling them so readers will recognize them within the story; fleshing them out with realistic "tags, traits, and relationships"; giving them motivations and goals; and bringing them to life with emotions. Additional chapters on giving a character a background, developing offbeat characters and heroes, writing dialogue, and much else make this basic but thought-provoking how-to a valuable tool for both the novice and the seasoned writer.

Building Fiction: How to develop Plot and Structure by Jesse Lee Kercheval (L)

No one looks at structure like Jesse Lee Kercheval. She builds a work of fiction just as an architect would design a house—with an eye for details and how all parts of a story or novel interconnect. Even with the most dynamic language, images, and characters, no piece of fiction will work without a strong infrastructure. Kercheval shows how to build that structure using such tools as point of view, characterization, pacing, and flashbacks. Building Fiction will help you envision the landscape of your fiction and build great stories there.

And that wraps up my week of book shopping, borrowing, downloading and bargaining…what’s in your mailbox???

In My Mailbox – Weekend Edition #2 March 6, 2011

In My Mailbox (IMM) is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. It originated in November 2008 as a way to share with other readers and bloggers what books were received, bought, won, etc each week and has evolved ever since. It still informs readers each Sunday of the books Kristi obtained over the course of the week only now the books are creatively shared via her web vlog.

To learn more details about IMM, its history and how to participate, please visit Kristi at The Story Siren:

http://www.thestorysiren.com/p/in-my-mailbox.html

For my weekly version of In My Mailbox, I’ve decided to do a recap of all the books that have come into my home and my hands – some via snail Mail, the Internet, Book Store, Library, Raffles, Giveaways, Authors and Publishing Houses. I read paperback books; borrow hardcover novels; scroll through e-books with my ereader, The Novel, and I listen to audio books. As you can imagine, I might not get to all the books that come into my possession each week, so be on the lookout for their reviews on my blog and if there is one (or two) in particular that you want to learn more about, read a review or find where you can obtain your own copy, please contact me at cgraceh at gmail dot com and I will do my best to respond to your request in a timely fashion.

This was another big week book-wise (I guess this meme is opening my eyes to how many nooks I actually buy or maybe I’m buying more books so that I will have some great reads to feature…yeah that’s it…wink wink!) I had to go to Borders again after Friday’s announcement that their bankruptcy book blowout increased from 20 to 25% of all books in the store; I went to a library sale close to my work; I received a book in the mail from Paper Back Swap; I received a book in the mail from Canada that I won from chick lit blog, Novel Escapes; I used one of my free credits on Amazon’s audio book web site, Audible to download a paranormal chick lit debut and last but certainly NOT least, I was approached by a fabulous chick lit author to read her latest release and received it as an e-book.

Lip Gloss and Literature presents….the books in my mailbox this week:

Two Borders Bargains...I almost bought this hardcover novel last time I visited Borders’ closeout sale. Eyeing the last copy on the shelf, I couldn’t resist adding it to my basket…

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris—until she meets Étienne St. Claire: perfect, Parisian (and English and American, which makes for a swoon-worthy accent), and utterly irresistible. The only problem is that he's taken, and Anna might be, too, if anything comes of her almost-relationship back home.  As winter melts into spring, will a year of romantic near-misses end with the French kiss Anna—and readers—have long awaited?

For more on Stephanie Perkins and her high-rated 2011 chick lit teen debut visit:

http://www.stephanieperkins.com

And because I can never leave a bookstore without looking at the writing reference section…

The 101 Habits of Highly Successful Novelists by Andrew McAleer

This title focuses on the behaviors necessary to succeed in the dog-eat-dog world of fiction writing by asking successful authors how they practice their craft. Readers will learn how to adopt those habits on their quest to become novelists. The book will inspire, nourish, and provide the needed kick in the pants to turn the wannabes into doers! The 101 Habits of Highly Successful Novelists is full of "aha" experiences as the reader uncovers the collected wisdom from the cream of today's fiction writers.

What better way to pass a half hour’s time than to head to the local library and check out what new books they’ve added to their basement sale? For a whopping $3.00 I brought home…

Fourplay by Jane Moore

Jo Miles has a nice London home, a lawyer husband, two lovely children, and a thriving part-time career as an interior decorator. In the world of contemporary women's fiction, she's clearly due for some kind of disaster. In Fourplay, disaster comes as divorce. Jo's husband leaves her for a creature Jo comes to refer to as "the Cliché," a 23-year-old blond secretary. After hubby's departure, Fourplay becomes an extended bout of frog-kissing as Jo, clearly much too saucy and adorable for a lifetime of singleness, entertains four different suitors. Sean is an irresistible cameraman, about whose sexual proclivities we hear far too much; Martin is a millionaire record exec; Conor is a steadfast old friend; and Jeff, her ex, of course comes crawling back. Throughout, Jo is supported and nurtured by her chubby, hilarious, less adorable best friend Rosie. On the whole, the book is ridden with clichés, but here's the funny thing: those very stereotypes make Fourplay a pleasant--even a compulsive--read. We know all will be right for Jo; we know Rosie will never let her down, yet never be prettier than her, either; we know true love will descend on all like a wet, inevitable London fog.

I Don’t Know How She Does It by Allison Pearson

Delightfully smart and heartbreakingly poignant, Allison Pearson’s smash debut novel has exploded onto bestseller lists as “The national anthem for working mothers.” Hedge-fund manager, wife, and mother of two, Kate Reddy manages to juggle nine currencies in five time zones and keep in step with the Teletubbies. But when she finds herself awake at 1:37 a.m. in a panic over the need to produce a homemade pie for her daughter’s school, she has to admit her life has become unrecognizable. With panache, wisdom, and uproarious wit, I Don’t Know How She Does It brilliantly dramatizes the dilemma of every working mom.

I can’t tell you my excitement when I opened an email to receive the message “Your wish has been granted” from Paperbackswap, indicating that a debut release from one Disney-fame teen celeb, was being sent to me and it arrived this week!

Elixir by Hilary Duff

Clea Raymond has felt the glare of the spotlight her entire life. The daughter of a renowned surgeon and a prominent Washington DC politician, she has grown to be a talented photojournalist who takes refuge in a career that allows her to travel to the most exotic parts of the world. But after Clea’s father disappears while on a humanitarian mission, Clea’s photos begin to feature eerie, shadowy images of a strange and beautiful man—a man she has never seen before.
When fate brings Clea and this man together, she is stunned by the immediate and powerful connection she feels with him. As they grow closer, they are drawn deep into the mystery behind her father’s disappearance, and they discover the centuries old truth behind their intense bond. Torn by a dangerous love triangle and haunted by a powerful secret that holds their fates, together they race against time to unravel their pasts in order to save their lives—and their futures.

Another great surprise and 2010 debut – a recent win from fellow chick lit aficionados’ blog, Novel Escapes arrived in the “post”…

Single in the City by Michele Gorman

What happens when you take one 26 year old American, add to one 2,000 year old city, add a big dose of culture clash and stir?
Hannah Cumming and the population of London are about to find out.
How is Hannah to know that there's a special technique to crossing the street or riding a bus, or that words like tomato will elicit snide elocution lessons from the locals? Hannah lands alone in London only to find that she is totally ill-equipped to live there. Not that a complete lack of forethought has ever stopped her before. She charges headlong into London life, perplexing its residents with continual faux pas and cultural misunderstandings in her pursuit of a new life, new love and sense of herself.

For my listening pleasure and maybe a good scare (if I’m lucky), I downloaded another debut I’ve been eagerly anticipating after seeing ad upon ad all in various hot spots…

First Grave on the Right (Charley Davidson #1) by Darynda Jones

A smashing, award-winning debut novel that introduces Charley Davidson: part-time private investigator and full-time Grim Reaper Charley sees dead people. That's right, she sees dead people. And it's her job to convince them to "go into the light." But when these very dead people have died under less than ideal circumstances (i.e. murder), sometimes they want Charley to bring the bad guys to justice. Complicating matters are the intensely hot dreams she's been having about an Entity who has been following her all her life...and it turns out he might not be dead after all. In fact, he might be something else entirely. This is a thrilling debut novel from an exciting newcomer to the world of paranormal romantic suspense.

Finally, one of the highlights of my weekend came, again, in the form of a surprise email Friday night (what would I do without modern technology? Really??) requesting my review of an author’s latest novel in the chick lit genre from the author herself!...

How I Learned to Love the Walrus by Beth Orsoff

In an age of cynicism, is it possible to become an idealist?
When Los Angeles publicist Sydney Green convinces her boss to let her produce a documentary for the Save the Walrus Foundation, the only one Sydney Green is interested in saving is herself. The walruses are merely a means to improving her career and her love life, and not necessarily in that order. Sydney would’ve killed the project the second she learned she’d be the one having to spend a month in rural Alaska if it had been for any other client. But for rising star and sometimes boyfriend Blake McKinley, no sacrifice is ever too great.
But a funny thing happens on the way to the Arctic. A gregarious walrus pup, a cantankerous scientist, an Australian sex goddess, a Star Wars obsessed six-year-old, and friends and nemeses both past and present rock Sydney Green’s well-ordered world. Soon Sydney is forced to choose between doing what’s easy and doing what’s right.

And that wraps up all the shopping, winning, receiving, and mailing book extravaganza for the week at Lip Gloss and Literature…what’s in your mailbox???

In My Mailbox - Weekend Edition #1

In My Mailbox (IMM) is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. It originated in November 2008 as a way to share with other readers and bloggers what books were received, bought, won, etc each week and has evolved ever since. It still informs readers each Sunday of the books Kristi obtained over the course of the week only now the books are creatively shared via her web vlog.

To learn more details about IMM, its history and how to participate, please visit Kristi at The Story Siren:

http://www.thestorysiren.com/p/in-my-mailbox.html

     For my weekly version of In My Mailbox, I’ve decided to do a recap of all the books that have come into my home and my hands – some via snail Mail, the Internet, Book Store, Library, Raffles, Giveaways, Authors and Publishing Houses. I read paperback books; borrow hardcover novels; scroll through e-books with my ereader, The Novel, and I listen to audio books. As you can imagine, I might not get to all the books that come into my possession each week, so be on the lookout for their reviews on my blog. If there is a book you see featured that you want to learn more about, wish to read a review or learn where you can obtain your own copy or read a review for, please contact me at cgraceh at gmail dot com and I will do my best to respond to your request in a timely fashion.

This was a big week book-wise. I went to Barnes and Noble and bought 4 bargain books via a great Groupon gift certificate, I received an ebook via NetGalley and a paperback book via FSB Media (two websites that provide books for review for book bloggers) and I received an eagerly awaited audio book via my local library's Overdrive online service.

Here's a peek at what came in my “mailbox” this week......... Just when she thought she had life and love all figured out… Divorce attorney Harper James can’t catch a break. Bad enough that she runs into her ex-hubby, Nick, at her sister’s destination wedding, but now, by a cruel twist of fate, she’s being forced to make a cross-country road trip with him. And her almost-fiancé back at home is not likely to be sympathetic. Harper can’t help that Nick has come blazing back into her life in all of his frustratingly appealing, gorgeous architect glory. But in Nick’s eyes, Harper’s always been the one. If they can only get it right this time, forever might be waiting—just around the bend. My One and Only by Kristan Higgins - Due out March 29th, 2011. For more books, info and preview trailers visit the author at http://www.kristanhiggins.com.

     As a past yoga-junkie myself, I can't wait to open up this book from debut author Rain Mitchell. A story about friendship, finding oneself and meditation, Tales from the Yoga Studio was released in late 2010.

      The yoga studio is where daily cares are set aside, mats are unfurled, and physical exertion leads to well-being, renewal, and friendship. An aggressively expanding chain of Los Angeles yoga "experience centers," has Lee and her extraordinary teaching abilities in its sights. They woo her with a lucrative contract, a trademarked name for her classes, and a place for her handsome musician husband. But accepting the contract means abandoning the students at the homey studio Lee runs in L.A.'s Silver Lake district- and leaving behind four women whose friendships are suddenly more important to her than retirement benefits and a salary increase.     

Sunday night I found myself wandering the stacks at a Barnes and Noble – and I do mean wandering because I'm one of those people who can get lost in a bookstore for hours and not have a clue what's going on outside...digging through the bargain books, I happened upon four great novels... The first two I picked up have since inspired me in my own writing, reminding me, first and foremost, “to write what you know” and that usually, true happiness and love are right in front of you the whole time....

Petite Anglaise by Catherine Sanderson (2008)

http://www.petiteanglaise.com

     Petite Anglaise chronicles a year in Catherine’s beloved Paris when all that seemed stable—motherhood, romance, work, even her very identity—explodes. Fizzing with the candor, wit, and panache that have drawn millions to her blog and attracted the attention of publishers around the world, Petite Anglaise offers a decidedly fresh twist on the classic story of reinvention abroad: how a young woman transforms herself wielding the power of a mouse.

     She has a job in Paris, the city of her dreams, a handsome Frenchman, a beautiful bilingual toddler, and a charming apartment with breathtaking views. So why does Catherine Sanderson feel that her life is coming apart? Stuck in a relationship quickly losing its heat, overwhelmed by the burdens of motherhood, and restless in a dead-end administrative job, Catherine reads an article about starting an online diary and on a slow day at work—voilà—Petite Anglaise is born. But what begins as a lighthearted diversion, a place to muse on the fish-out-of-water challenges of ex-pat life, soon gives way to a raw forum where Catherine shares intimate details about her relationship, discontents, and most impulsive desires—a daily soap opera starring herself, her lover (Mr. Frog), and their daughter (Tadpole). 
      When a faithful reader (who happens to be an attractive, charismatic Englishman) tries to get close to the girl behind the blog, the lines between Catherine’s real and virtual personas blur, tempting her to leave Mr. Frog and the life she has worked so hard to construct, in pursuit of l’amour fou. Propelled by her intoxicating alter ego and cheered on by thousands of readers, Catherine’s life spirals to exhilarating highs and dizzying lows as her life and her creation collide head-on and she must somehow make peace with both.

Face Value by Kathleen Baird Murray (2008)

     Kate Miller is no beauty expert. The rookie reporter from small-town England can’t walk properly in a pair of heels and doesn’t know the first thing about waxing. But then she receives an incredible phone call. Darling magazine in New York wantsher to be their new beauty editor! So what if she has no idea whether gray eyeshadow is the new black kohl? Suddenly Kate—along with her deep-discount clothes and hopelessly dated hair—is in the Big Apple, being swept away by the world of fashion. But she better find a way to put a positive spin on plastic surgery for the big yearly supplement or she’ll lose everything––including the hotshot plastic surgeon-to-the-stars who thinks Kate’s beauty is way more than skin deep.

The third book I just couldn't resist for its cover and title alone. I thought for sure I would be in for a world of fun and laughter....I'm With Stupid by Elaine Szewcyk (2008)

http://www.stupidnovel.com

     A hilarious tale of girl meets boy, girl falls in lust, girl discovers boy is not playing with a full deck...

     When Kas meets William while on safari in South Africa he seems perfect-a gorgeous park ranger, both kind and brave (he saved the tour from certain death by water buffalo). Her two best friends, Max, an endlessly scheming personal trainer, and Libby, a jobless bombshell, would like to get their hands on William...but he's only interested in Kas, an editorial assistant at a struggling New York literary agency who thinks William is out of her league. The two have a fling, and Kas returns home to New York wondering if she'll hear from William again. So when he finally sends an email, she's delighted.

     Until she opens it.

     The email is not quite the love missive Kas expected. Did she misjudge William? A miscommunication ensues, triggering a rapid-fire series of comic developments that, within days, bring William to New York, now under the impression that Kas has offered him a place to live. As he unveils his big plan to take Manhattan by storm and make his fortune, Kas finally recognizes how limited William's intellectual capabilities are: He makes Kevin Federline look like Albert Einstein.

     The last book I added to my basket at B&N is one I've wanted forever. Inspiring in its own way, one, for its author's accomplishments at such a young age and two, for the risks she took to her reputation, Chloe Does Yale (2006) by author Natalie Krinsky looks every bit as scandalous and revealing as it sounds.

     Chloe Carrington is a typical Yale student, except that along with toiling through the usual grind of coursework, she pens a notorious and much-dished-over sex column for the campus newspaper. This touch of fame has wrought havoc on her social and love life, turning it literally into an open book. Chloe doesn't help matters much; she likes to share and can't resist divulging the gory details of her most recent date (or lack thereof) in her column, baring her soul for all to see.

     Like her friends, she dreams of hooking up with Mr. Right, at least for a little while but that proves even more arduous than participating in Yale's notorious "shopping" session (a two-week period in which students are encouraged to take as many classes as possible, in order to decide what courses to enroll in for that semester). As Chloe probes the campus hot spots, we get a peek at just what goes on behind the Ivy League's dormitory doors from drinking at Toad's to "Exotic Erotic" (Yale's answer to a Hugh Hefner style Playboy party, complete with coeds in skimpy bikinis).

Last but certainly not least, I have been eagerly awaiting the US release of Irish Chick Lit queen, Cecilia Ahern's latest novel, The Book of Tomorrow and to my great fortune, not only has it arrived, but I secured myself an unabridged audio book copy via my local library's Overdrive program. Can't wait to hear all the magic firsthand!

     The magical new novel from number one bestseller Cecelia Ahern. Tamara Goodwin has always got everything she's ever wanted. Born into a family of wealth, she grew up in a mansion with its own private beach, a wardrobe full of designer clothes and all that a girl could ever wish for. She's always lived in the here and now, never giving a second thought to tomorrow. But then suddenly her dad is gone and life for Tamara and her mother changes forever. Left with a mountain of debt, they have no choice but to sell everything they own and move to the country. Nestled next to Kilsaney Castle, their gatehouse is a world away from Tamara's childhood. With her mother shut away with grief, and her aunt busy tending to her, Tamara is lonely and bored and longs to return to Dublin. When a travelling library passes through Kilsaney Demesne, Tamara is intrigued. Her eyes rest on a mysterious large leather bound tome locked with a gold clasp and padlock. What she discovers within the pages takes her breath away and shakes her world to its' core.

So that's what came in at Lip Gloss and Literature. What's in Your Mailbox this week?

**All cover photos and synopses provided by Goodreads**