Mailbox Monday (119)

Not only is today the end of the weekend, but it's the end of the Jewish year. Tomorrow I'll be heading to services with Elley in tow. We may only be staying for the children's service, but it will be the first year of many for her of High Holy day services. First though, here's a look at the books that have made their way into our home in the recent weeks.
From PJ Library
Sammy Spider's First Book of Jewish Holidays by Sylvia A. Rouss
Speaking of Jewish holidays, in this book Sammy Spider shows how we celebrate Jewish holidays throughout the year. I love the illustrations and think it's adorable. I'd even say it's my favorite of all the PJ Library books we've received so far.

Gifted
Math at the Art Museum by Group Majoongmul
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews
While visiting my dad in California (which I'll be finishing up writing about this week), he gifted me and Elley these two books. The first, for Elley, shows various famous paintings and explains the concepts of perspective, composition, and symmetry through them. The second, instead for me, is a YA book, one that was recently made into a movie.

From the Publisher
The Sea Beach Line by Ben Nadler
This one surprised me a bit. It's a mystery, which isn't the type I normally read. But it's about a Polish-Israeli street vendor, which intrigues me a bit, and I'm guessing is part of the reason I wound up receiving it.

From My Mom
Brick Lane by Monica Ali
Going through my mom's books I found this one, about a Bangladeshi woman who is sent to London for her arranged marriage. It's a book I wound have likely picked up on my own, but knowing it was one of my mom's makes me want to read it even more.

Childbirth Choices in Mothers' Words by Kim Selbert
It may be a bit odd adding a book about childbirth 9 months after my daughter was born. Except this book, which is a collection of birth stories, includes my mom's. As in the birth stories she wrote about having me and my brother. It's a little bittersweet reading it, especially when she talks about having her mother with her when I was born, since she couldn't do the same with me, but I'm so happy to have it. So far hers is the only one of the stories I've read, but I do plan on reading the rest.

For Review from TLC Book Tours
The Determined Heart by Antoinette May
I started this book last night, and so far really like it. It's a historical fiction about Mary Shelley, the author of Frankenstein. Even now I really have no idea who Mary Shelley was, and only recently put together the fact that Frankenstein was written by a woman, so I know it's one where I'll learn a lot and hopefully enjoy along the way.

Broken Homes & Gardens by Rebecca Kelley
I've actually already read and reviewed this one. It's a cute chick lit type book that I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it.

What did you find in your mailbox this week?