Friday Finds

My bookshelves are going to break.

After two slow weeks of finds, this week erupted with boxes of galleys, upcoming releases, even published comps. We always get a bit bombarded by stuff in the Fall - between current releases and upcoming Winter/Spring titles, there's no end to the stuff publishing reps want you to take note of. I'm more than happy to oblige them, but... seriously, I need to get rid of some books. If I had more blog followers, I'd do a giveaway. Maybe I should offer them to other bloggers for their giveaways. Hmm... not a bad idea...

Possible bloggers reading this, take note! Want a giveaway for your blog? Need a promotional or free book for attracting readers? I'm your girl! Want a galley for personal perusal? Right here! Just leave me a comment or email me.

Come one, come all. Free books! Free books!

Okay, now that the histrionics are out of the way, my Friday Finds. This is a somewhat abbreviated list (I got a ton of Macmillan upcoming kids releases, but I won't go into all of those right now)....

- Six Suspects by Vikas Swarup
If you're starting to recognize that name, it's probably due to Slumdog Millionaire. A year ago, Swarup's Q&A was a blip on the radar, nothing much more. That book, modified and re-titled, became an Oscar-winning smash. This is Swarup's follow-up, a murder mystery set at a posh New Dehli restaurant.

- The Magician's Elephant by Kate DiCamillo
I finally got hip to what a lot of librarians and teachers have known for a long time - Kate DiCamillo is awesome. I just checked this one out from the store, but I have a feeling I'm going to love it. A story of a boy searching for his sister by following the clues given to him by a mysterious fortune teller, clues that lead him to a magician, his elephant, and a world of magic. I'm a sucker for anything having to do with magicians or circuses, and this promises to have a little of each flavor.

- Past Imperfect by Julian Fellowes
Snapped this out of a Macmillan galley box. I've been meaning to read a book by Julian Fellowes, whose screenplay for Gosford Park ranks among my very favorites. A mystery involving the rich elite of 1960s London. I'll just assume that it sparkles with wit.

-Blame by Michelle Huneven
I know nothing about Huneven, I've never read anything she's written, and I'm not even sure that I know what this book is about. But Richard Russo recommends her, so why not give her a try.

- You Better Not Cry by Augusten Burroughs
A flasher Santa marks the cover of this upcoming Burroughs Christmas-themed collection. Guaranteed to be as heartwarming as Holidays on Ice. I think I will read both, back-to-back, while drinking whiskey and writing Christmas cards to exes.

-The Man Who Loved Books Too Much by Allison Hoover Bartlett
Truthfully? Picked it up because of the title. I held onto it because its subtitle is, "The True Story of a Thief, a Detective, and a World of Literary Obsession." The book concerns the true story of John Charles Gilkey, literature nut and unrepentant rare book thief, and his rise and inevitable fall, as well as the overall culture of literary obsession. As my bookish tendencies sometimes grow to out-of-control proportions, I am interested in Bartlett's perspective and analysis of literary obsessives.

- The Man in the Wooden Hat by Jane Gardam
I don't have much bias toward publishing houses, but I carry a torch for the Europa Editions. We were sent two copies of this newest release by the Whitbread Prize winner, whose Old Filth has had a spot on my "to be read" list for years. Here's hoping I have a more successful follow-through with this one.

- The Dreamer by Pam Munoz Ryan & Peter Sis
Came in a Scholastic box today, and because I love Esperanza Rising, I had to have it. Written with Ryan's characteristic magical realism and South American backdrop.

- Love and Summer by William Trevor
A Viking release by the author of The Story of Lucy Gault, one of those books that gets a lot of mention, but no one seems to have read. This one sounded like a safe bet, and the cover is nice.

-Eat Your Feelings: Recipes for Self Loathing by Heather Whaley
An Amy Sedaris-like cookbook, each recipe is half actual recipe with half snarky proposed scenario. Good for a laugh, and some of the recipes even look halfway decent. Yet another unique addition to my small (but growing) library of cookbooks.