Mailbox Monday (105)

I have an exciting week of books to share in today's Mailbox Monday post!
From Paperback Swap
The Betrayal of the Blood Lily by Lauren Willig
The next in the Pink Carnation series! I think what I'm most excited for with this is that it takes place in India.

From Goodreads
She Weeps Each Time You're Born by Quan Barry
This is a historical fiction that takes place in Vietnam. I've read very little about Vietnam, but what I have read I've really enjoyed. Hopefully this one joins that opinion.

Remember by Eileen Cook
This is a YA dystopian. It seems to be similar to the idea behind Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, a movie that I loved, so I have high hopes for this.

A Fifty-Year Silence by Miranda Richmond Mouillot
This is a memoir about a girl whose grandparents were Holocaust survivors. She decides to investigate the reason why her grandparents marriage fell apart after the war.

Definitely an interesting mix of genres, don't you think? It's hard to pick the one I'm looking forward to most, but maybe The Betrayal of the Blood Lily followed by She Weeps Each Time You're Born.

Which one would you want to read first? And what did you find in your mailbox this week?

Mailbox Monday (77)

It's been a busy week of books here. One I wasn't necessarily expecting, but much appreciated nonetheless. As always, I'm linking up with Mailbox Monday to share the books I've recently added to my shelves.
Won from Savy Verse & Wit
The Frangipani Hotel by Violet Kupersmith
From what I can tell this is a bunch of interconnected stories that take place in Vietnam. I don't really know much about it, but it does look intriguing.

From Paperback Swap
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
I've already read and loved this book. But the copy I read was borrowed from a friend, and this is the type of book that you need to own. So now, just in time for the movie, I can officially say I do.

For Review from TLC Book Tours
A Triple Knot by Emma Campion
First can we take a minute to capture how pretty this cover is. And this is only an ARC of it! This is a historical fiction about Joan of Kent the niece of King Edward III. I've read a lot of English history, but not sure I can remember anything else from the court of Edward III, so I'm definitely excited for this.

Unsolicited
Helena Rubinstein by Michele Fitoussi
I can't ever remember receiving a book unsolicited, so I was in a little disbelief when this arrived. Although it is from a marketing agency I've worked with before, I can't deny how excited I was. This is a biography of a woman who according to the cover invented beauty. She's someone I've never heard of before, but I'm definitely curious to learn more.

From Goodreads
The Saint by Tiffany Reisz
This looks to be some type of thriller, with a bit of Fifty Shades thrown in. At least that's the vibe I'm getting from it, so we'll see what it actually holds.

The Bridesmaid's Best Man by Susanna Carr
So I realize this may not go down as a literary classic, but you can't deny that it looks like a lot of fun, right?

What did you find in your mailbox this week?

Good Morning Vietnam

Flesh by Khanh Ha
Based on the cover and the description I thought this would be one that I was glad to have read, but couldn't quite say I enjoyed. Except while there were a few unpleasant parts, overall I loved this book, and think it is quite an enjoyable tale.

Going into this I knew very little of Vietnam's history, and now that I've finished I feel like I know even less. I don't mean this story taught me nothing, but more that it opened me up a world I didn't know, and made me realize just how much I am unaware of. And while this story did teach me about life in Vietnam in the early 1900s, so much of it is timeless and the overall story of growing up and falling in love, really is universal.

There was a pretty big twist at the end that I never expected, and I'm still not to sure how I feel about it. I expected something else, and definitely wish my prediction had been correct. I was a little sad to have this one end, because I wanted to keep reading Tai's story, and am still very curious as to what happened after the book ended.

The book definitely wasn't what I expected, which is a good thing because I loved it so much more than I thought. There were a few scenes that were a bit confusing, but even with that I would whole-heatedly recommend this one.

4.5/5

Disclosure: I was provided this book through Virtual Author Book Tours. All opinions expressed are my own.