TGIF: Better Late Than Never

I spoke too soon last Friday. Friday evening two more books arrived in the mail and so I decided to add them to this week's Mailbox Monday mailbag.

Bait by Nick Brownlee ~ My friend Valentina sent me this debut crime fiction novel set in Kenya.

Inspector Singh Investigates: A Most Peculiar Malaysian Murder by Shamini Flint ~ Another generous gift from my friend Valentina. I cannot thank her enough.

Breathing Out the Ghost by Kirk Curnutt ~ I was lucky enough to win a copy of this much raved about novel through a contest hosted by Serena at Savvy Verse & Wit. Thank you to Serena and the author.

Slumdog Millionaire (aka Q&A) by Vikas Swarup ~ With all the movie buzz in the air, I could not help but to order a copy of this one.

Bronx Justice by Joseph Teller ~ Lori of Lori's Reading Corner was kind enough to send me a copy of Joseph Teller's latest. Thank you for your kindness, Lori.

Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews ~ Just because it sounded good.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson ~ My blogger friends have been more than generous with me lately, and I cannot thank Melody from Melody's Reading Corner enough for sending me a copy of this one.

Kitty Raises Hell by Carrie Vaughn ~ When I heard that Hachette Book Group was having book tour for one of my guilty pleasure series, I immediately signed up to review the up and coming latest in this paranormal series.

Gods Behaving Badly by Marie Phillips ~ I could not pass up entering a contest for this witty book. Many thanks to Anna from Diary of an Eccentric for hosting the giveaway.

The Burglar in the Closet by Lawrence Block ~ My husband is a fan of the author, and enjoyed the first book in the series (which I got him for Christmas), and I couldn't resist getting him the second one as well. I can't always buy books just for me, after all. We won't talk about the fact that I plan to read the series someday myself.

The Sins of the Fathers by Lawrence Block ~ Another book I ordered for my husband. Really. I was not thinking of myself at all.

The Vagrants by Yiyun Li ~ Sometimes an unexpected surprise comes in the mail, and, from the looks of it, this is one I will enjoy quite a bit.

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1. I'd really like a foot massage right now.

2. S**t is the word you'd most often hear me say if I stubbed my toe.

3. Possession is a very uncomfortable state to be in. I mean, imagine having someone else controlling your body against your wishes.

4. Johnny Depp makes an excellent Captain Jack Sparrow.

5. Marshmallows and fire go together like cocoa mix and hot water.

6. Sometimes I can go on and on about something when I am excited.

7. And as for the weekend, tomorrow my plans include going to see Phantom of the Opera in Los Angeles and Sunday, I want to listen to the Phantom of the Opera soundtrack over and over, spend time reading, and catch up on this past week's television shows (fortunately there are only two I'm watching).

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Tamara from Books by TJBaff an Jan from Jan in Edmonds gifted me with the "Your Blog is Fabulous Award" this week. Thank you so much, Tamara! I think you are pretty fabulous yourself.

The Rules:

Write 5 things that you are addicted to and tag 5 other people.

My Addictions:

Books ~ Did you really think this wouldn't top my list? Whether it is reading them, buying them, organizing them, or being surrounded by them, I can't seem to get enough of them.

E-mail ~ I check my e-mail several times a day, including first thing in the morning when I get up. Those e-mails telling me you left comments on my blog are especially nice.

Television shows on DVD ~ This is the best way to watch television, if you ask me. No commercials, no wait for the next episode, and I can watch as many or as few episodes as I want when I want. I've been able to go back and watch shows I missed the first time around or catch shows that were not available to me in the first place.

Minesweeper ~ My husband urged me to cop to this little addiction. Once I start playing, I can play for hours if I let myself.

Clock Gazing ~ When I decide to turn out my light and go to sleep, I look to see what time it is. If I wake up in the middle of the night, I check the clock. When I wake up (if my alarm isn't set), I immediately check the time. I am constantly checking my watch or the clock to see what time it is during the day as well.

I am going to do what I often do and avoid tagging specific bloggers. Every one of the blogs I follow is fabulous and worthy of this award. If you want to play along, please do and let me know.