what's in the mail? 7-19-12 edition

Forget the dates...it looks like I'll never post when I intended anyway! Here's what I've gotten since the last "What's in the Mail?" post:

Mortal Fire by C.F. Dunn
This is for a Kregel tour ... and it's not due until September! This means I won't read it until September, so on the shelf it will remain. It does sound interesting, though; here's a snippet from the back cover: Emma, a young and self-contained professor of history, leaves Cambridge for a post in an exclusive university in the USA, intent on finding a long-overlooked seventeenth-century journal. Bound within its pages are secrets that threaten to bring Emma into conflict with the present, but can she discover the truth—and will she believe it?

I don't know what it means to be a "self-contained professor," but I'm betting I'll soon find out! This was published by Monarch Books in the UK, which is also the publisher of Mel Starr's wonderful books.
 
Love Finds You in Mackinac Island, Michigan by Melanie Dobson
I'm excited to read this book for two reasons. 1) I really liked the other Melanie Dobson book I read. 2) I haven't yet come across a book published by Summerside Press that I didn't like! So this looks like a win-win (win!) situation for me. This one's for Litfuse, and the review will be up sometime before August 4.

The Stars Shine Bright by Sibella Giorello
I'm reading The Stars Shine Bright right now, and I have to force myself to put it down to do other things. This is book five in Giorello's Raleigh Harmon series. I jumped in at book four, The Mountains Bow Down, which I reviewed for Litfuse. Since I loved it so much, I was really anticipating reading The Stars Shine Bright—and so far, it's even better than its predecessor!

The Haven  by Suzanne Woods Fisher
Suzanne Woods Fisher is one of the prominent names in Amish fiction, but I haven't read much of her work. I absolutely loved her Christmas novella, which I reviewed last fall. So I'm looking forward to reading this book, which is the second in her Stoney Ridge Seasons series.

Relentless Pursuit by Ken Gire
Every once in a while, some strange notion overtakes me, and I request a nonfiction book to review. At the time, it always makes perfect sense, but when it comes time to actually pick up the book, I struggle because I'd much rather be reading fiction! Relentless Pursuit looks really good, though, so hopefully I won't have any trouble reading it!

In Paris 1500 Piece Puzzle
I love jigsaw puzzles! My grandma and I used to put them together—when I lived with her for a few months, we would spend hours and hours working puzzles. I picked out this Ravensburger puzzle from Vine because I think it will look fabulous on the wall...I just have to find the time to do it! Maybe I'll take it to my parents' house during the Olympics as I'll practically be living there in order to watch as much of the Games as possible.

One For All OARN04S 4 Device Remote Black
Do I need a universal remote? No. But I thought it might be nice to have one that would connect all my devices. Unfortunately, I can't get it to connect to my VCR (yes, I still have and use one!)...and since I only get three channels, it's not that helpful for my TV, either! But for what it is, it does a good job, and setup was quite simple (minus the VCR headache).

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received these products free in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review and received no monetary compensation. The opinions expressed are my own.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."