Mailbox Monday: New arrivals

Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.

Happy Monday everyone. For the mommas in the U.S., I hope you enjoyed Mother’s Day. I had a nice one with my kids and hubby. The rain passed early on, leaving us with a beautiful, sunny day. I was treated to breakfast in bed (its tradition) and a gift bag full of my favorite goodies and treats since I have a sweet/salty tooth (another tradition started by my son years ago). We also visited my mom for a bit and it really was a nice, relaxing day.

Later on, my daughter made me chocolate covered strawberries. We both enjoy scary movies so we rented and watched The Forest together as well. I recommend it, as it scared me enough to have me peeking through my hand during some scenes because I was too scared to fully watch.

On a bookish note, these are my latest arrivals:

Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter came via HarperCollins. I have read this author before and I enjoyed her thrilling work.

Sisters. Strangers. Survivors.

More than twenty years ago, Claire and Lydia’s teenaged sister Julia vanished without a trace. The two women have not spoken since, and now their lives could not be more different. Claire is the glamorous trophy wife of an Atlanta millionaire. Lydia, a single mother, dates an ex-con and struggles to make ends meet. But neither has recovered from the horror and heartbreak of their shared loss—a devastating wound that’s cruelly ripped open when Claire’s husband is killed.

The disappearance of a teenage girl and the murder of a middle-aged man, almost a quarter-century apart: what could connect them? Forming a wary truce, the surviving sisters look to the past to find the truth, unearthing the secrets that destroyed their family all those years ago . . . and uncovering the possibility of redemption, and revenge, where they least expect it.

Crochet Taxidermy 30 Quirky Animal Projects, from Mouse to Moose by Taylor Hart was a NetGalley arrival. How cute is that octopus? I can see one of these hanging by my bookshelves.

Crochet Taxidermy puts a new twist on amigurumi, the popular Japanese method of creating considerably cute stuffed animals with oversized heads. In this delightful collection, heads of animals from farm and forest, sea and safari come to life with irresistible details like the drowsy eye (for the shy deer and sleepy octopus) and fuzzy yarn (for the skittery skunk’s stripe and lazy lion’s mane). Step-by-step instructions and adorable photos guide you through these 30 easy crochet patterns. Most require just one skein of yarn, so they’re affordable and quick to crochet!

Some of you already know this because I post it on my Instagram and Snapchat, books are not the only latest arrival to my household. As of a few weeks ago, a new puppy is now living with us. Otis is finally a big brother at two years old.
Huey was a gift from my stepfather, whose friend’s dog had a litter and was looking for homes for all but one of the pups, which he kept. Huey is now around three months old and has been giving Otis a run for his money.

I had been wanting to get a second dog for about the last year or so Otis could have a little friend at home. Huey is a dachshund mix and is just the cutest little guy. He shouldn’t grow to be much bigger than Otis. He has a habit of following not only Otis around, but myself as well since he knows I am”mom” or probably “she who provides everything“. He loves to sit at my feet whether I’m on the computer, washing the dishes, or just sitting on the couch watching tv. Otis was weary at first, and I could tell he was curious but mainly scared of the new puppy. I set up an initial meeting at my house before bringing Huey home officially to ease Otis into this transition. Thankfully, they are getting along really well now and can be found chasing one another around the house more often than not.
Otis has accepted his little stepbrother, with stipulations of course. It is funny to watch them interact. Otis does not want anyone touching his favorite pink stuffed kitty toy and will take it and hide it if Huey gets too close. Huey is teething so he is chewing on everything but his favorite thing to do is follow Otis around and do what he is doing.

Having a new puppy at home is kind of like having a new baby. I had almost forgotten how stubborn they can be when being housebroken but I’m hoping Huey will take a cue from Otis and learn sooner.

And finally, on a totally different note,  I know it happened weeks ago now, but I was really sad to hear Prince had passed away. His music was fantastic and he is one of those artists whose work I have enjoyed since I was a young tween. I found Adam Levine singing my favorite Prince, Purple Rain. I’ll close my post with a clip of that.

Enjoy your week! What books have arrived at your doorstep recently?

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disclaimer: Nothing in this post is available for download. The photos are my own.