The worst thing about having these titles is that I can't read them. Not yet, anyway. I'm still in the middle of reading books for Elle's Reader's Jury Prize, which is the magazine's Best Books of the Year contest. I'm almost done with the non-fiction selections, but I've still got a total of 5 1/2 books to read for them by September 16. Funny thing is, after addressing Shannon Hale's complaints about bloggers, I keep hearing her voice in my head saying, "Are you choosing a winner based solely on its merits or are you just picking the ones you LIKE the best?" I'm currently torn between two novels, both of which I liked. One, however, is a grand, sweeping story that's impressive in scope; the other is less impressive, but more engaging. Which should be my choice for first place?

Okay, chew on that tidbit while I brag a little. Here are the incredible (seriously, I'm so excited to read them) books that entered my home (all on their own, I swear!) this week:

206 Bones by Kathy Reichs - Temperance Brennan is one of my favorite characters in crime fiction. I love how she is portrayed in Reichs' books; the Bones chick, on the other hand, drives me crazy. Read the books to find out what Tempe is all about. This is her latest caper, but you'll want to start with Deja Dead, the first in the series.

Where'd ya get it? I hate paying for books, but this one was 20% off at Borders, plus I used a $1 off coupon and $5 in Border Bucks. The cashier let me stack another coupon on top of that, although she complained, "With all the coupons and Borders Bucks being used today, I just don't know how we're going to make any money." To which, I replied, "Waaaaa!" Not really, but seriously, I wouldn't have been in the store if it wasn't for the discounts. So there.

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins - This one needs no introduction. Everyone's got it. So. Excited. To. Read. It.

Where'd ya get it? A month or so ago I did a review for which I was "paid" with an Amazon gift code. I pre-ordered Catching Fire. Since I also bought another book, I ended up shelling out a grand total of 37 cents. We have the Super Saver shipping, or whatever it's called, so I didn't even pay postage and handling. Ya gotta love that.

Sing Me to Sleep by Angela Morrison - Remember how much I loved Morrison's first novel, Taken By Storm? She's working on a sequel, but Sing isn't it. This one's a stand alone, and several people have told me they like it better than TBS. I'm excited read this second novel.

Where'd ya get it? Okay, I don't actually have this one yet. Angela's supposed to drop the ARC off this week. She lives a couple miles from me, which is just cool.

Viola in Reel Life by Adriana Trigiani - If you read this blog regularly, you know I love me some Adriana Trigiani. This is her first YA novel. I'm curious to see what it's all about.

Where'd ya get it? This one actually did come through the mail. It's an ARC from Harper Teen.

Lockdown by Walter Dean Myers - I've never read a book by Myers, although my son has been begging me to read Monster so that he can (I'm not sure it's appropriate for a 10 year old - opinions?). Can't wait to delve into both books.

Where'd ya get it? Another ARC from Harper Teen. Love them.

The Magicians by Lev Grossman - Everyone's reading this one. That's why I bought it. I'm a sheep - I admit it. I'm interested to see if it lives up to the hype.

Where'd ya get it? This is another one I bought with my (husband's) hard-earned money. I didn't even get a discount. Actually, I did have a $100 Cash Back check, but it hardly made a dent in my Costco bill. Let me tell ya, I cannot wait until my baby hits the 1-year mark and I can wean her from her very expensive formula habit. Anyway, Costco's book section doesn't have a lot of variety, but it has consistently low prices. It also has the best kiddie dinner in town - 2 very large slices of pizza for $1.25. Really, you can't beat that.

Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson - I still need to finish the Mistborn series, start the Alcatraz series and read every other thing this man has written. Despite the fact that I've slacked on his backlist, I'm a huge Sanderson fan. This one is a stand alone.

Where'd ya get it? Funny enough, I had this one in hand at Borders. I was so going to buy it, but prices on new hardcovers are ridiculous, so I put it back. Then, I saw that the folks at Phenix & Phenix were in charge of Sanderson's blog tour. Because I have no shame, I emailed his publicist and begged for a copy. I didn't hear back from her. I figured, "Oh, well, I tried." Then, lo and behold, what should appear on my doorstep but a beautiful, new copy of Warbreaker. I believe you can read this novel on the Internet - only, I prefer real, live books to the electronic kind. I'm still doing a happy happy joy joy dance over this one.

Hate me yet?

Concerning the object in the photo which is not a book ... well, I'm going to have to start mainlining the green (yellow?) stuff in order to read all of these. If I had stuck a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup in the picture, it would have been a perfect "Wordless Wednesday" shot depicting my addictions. Ahem. Moving on ...

A funny: According to my husband (who put the kids to bed since I was at a church meeting - I'm the Beehive leader for those "in the know" - for the rest of you, it means I'm in charge of the 12-13-year-old girls at my church - another lady and I teach them on Sunday and supervise them at weekly activities. ANYWAY ...), our 4 year old tried out this line on God: "Dear Heavenly Father (only he pronounces it "fadder"), Please bless it to be Christmas tomorrow." Considering all the great books now in my possession, I think He came through in a big way. The 4 year old's still waiting for his prayer to be answered in Legos.

Since this post can't get any more random, I have to tell you about this morning's conversation with the 7 year old. Getting her ready for school is never easy - every morning, I have to pry the book out of her hands in order to get her to put her clothes on, comb her hair, brush her teeth (you can see how she gets around this in the picture above), etc. Today, she just about stepped into the shower, book in hand. Not for the first time, I informed her that "your book is not waterproof." Then, it occurred to me - why hasn't anyone invented waterproof books? For those of us who like to read in the bathtub, reclining on a floatie in the pool, or on the beach, wouldn't it make sense? I think it would. Just do me a favor - if you steal my idea, and make millions with waterproof books, just don't tell my daughter. Otherwise, I'll never get her out of the shower :)

For the two of you who are still reading, thanks for your patience. I'm a little gun shy on the reviews since I totally libeled an author on Tuesday. Yikes. Thank goodness she was so understanding. My current read - I'll Never Be French (No Matter What I Do) by Mark Greenside - is a nice little travel memoir (that also happens to be hilarious). So, I should be safe on this one. Let's hope ...