Mailbox Monday

Mailbox Monday is sponsored by Marcia over at the Printed Page.  It's the place where we brag about share the books that arrived in our mailboxes each week.  I also try to find a mailbox that is somehow associated with what I'm reading right now.  I just started A Field of Darkness by Cornelia Read which is set in Syracuse, NY and, believe it or not, the sad and lonely mailbox above lives there.

Here's what I got this week:

How to Mellify a Corpse by Vicky Leon (via InkWell Management).   In How to Mellify a Corpse, Vicki León brings her particular hybrid of history and humor to the entwined subjects of science and superstition in the ancient world, from Athens and Rome to Mesopotamia, the Holy Land, Egypt, and Carthage. León covers subjects as diverse as astronomy and astrology, philosophy and practicalities of life and death (including the titular ancient method of embalming), and ancient mechanical engineering. How to Mellify a Corpse of course invokes legendary thinkers (Pythagoras and his discoveries in math and music, Aristotle's books on politics and philosophy, and Archimedes' "Eureka" moment), but it also delves deeply into the lives of everyday people, their understanding and beliefs. A feast for the curious mind, How to Mellify a Corpse is not only for those with an interest in the experimental: it's for anyone who's inspired by the imagination and ingenuity humanity uses to understand our world.

The Journal of Beatrix Potter, 1881-1897, transcribed by Leslie Linder (a birthday present from my folks).  Between the ages of 15 and 30, Beatrix Potter kept a journal, written in a code which was not deciphered until 1958. Now the journal has been completely revised and updated with additional information and new material. Illustrated with drawings, photographs, and a section of color plates.

The Dark End of the Street edited by Jonathan Santlofer and S.J. Rozan (via ShelfAwareness).  In one fast-paced story, a strong and aggravated man considers the pretty woman at the bar while he fingers the knife in his pocket. But what becomes of his prey when they move to the bedroom? In another tale, a man remembers the victim of a ghastly murder who visited the same hair salon as he does. And a Don Juan of a protagonist has a hobby of marrying vulnerable women, getting access to their bank accounts, and then robbing them blind.  But there is much more to this collection than dark-haired vixens and crimes of passion. Some stories are brooding, some twisted; some bring righteous satisfaction, some linger in the back of your mind. What is truly on display is an impressive collection of literary talent: a group of some of the best writers we have, weaving fresh and memorable stories from a pair of classic themes. Taken as a whole, they are a rare treat for fans of great fiction, whether it's high literature, good old-fashioned suspense, or anything in between. Original black-and-white art by artist/author Jonathan Santlofer completes this innovative, exciting, and irresistibly intriguing book?a true literary gem.  The Dark End of the Street features brand new fiction by:

Madison Smart Bell * Lawrence Block * Stephen L. Carter * Lee Child * Michael Connelly * Lynn Freed * James Grady * Amy Hempel * Janice Y.K. Lee * Jonathan Lethem * Laura Lippman * Patrick McCabe * Val McDermid * Joyce Carol Oates * Francine Prose * Abraham Rodriguez, Jr. * S.J. Rozan * Jonathan Santlofer * Edmund White

The Lovers by Vendela Vida (via ShelfAwareness).   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.