2026

Posted in The Monday Check-In by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

My Monday tradition, including a look back and a look ahead — what I read last week, what new books came my way, and what books are keeping me busy right now. Plus a smattering of other stuff too.

Life.

Happy New Year! It’s the first Monday of 2026… which means it’s time to return to a normal routine after a few quieter weeks.

While I worked part of last week, I also enjoyed a few days off, with plenty of reading time, family time, and time to be free and unscheduled!

Sigh. It’s hard to think about going back to the daily grind.

Year-end wrap-up and looking forward:

I share my usual batch of end-of-year and beginning-of-year posts, including:

What did I read during the last week?

Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent by Judi Dench: I loved this audiobook! It was a wonderful listen, and it also inspired me to plan to read some new-to-me Shakespeare plays in the coming year. My review is here.

Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher: Such a beautiful, heart-warming novel! My review is here.

Puzzle time!

A couple of weeks ago, I started a puzzle created from a family photo, which was really fun… until I got all the faces and interesting bits done, and was left with hundreds of pieces that were just grass and leaves. I tried to power through, until our kitty managed to pull the whole thing off my puzzle table. Annoying… but it also gave me an excuse for calling it a day!

Moving on, I pulled out a puzzle I bought a while ago but hadn’t unboxed, and had a wonderful time with it. I loved the colors and design, as well as the quality of the pieces. This time around, I took defensive measures to keep the kitty away!

Ravensburger: Riverside Town **
**Amazon affiliate link: Links to purchase site; I may earn a small commission at no cost to you

Pop culture & TV:

I finished Pluribus, and really liked it! Can’t wait to see where the story goes whenever a new season drops.

After that, I started Shrinking. I haven’t gotten very far, but I like what I’ve seen.

I also watched a movie that left me with very mixed feelings — All of You on AppleTV. It’s well acted and the stars have great chemistry — but (spoiler alert!) a large part of the plot includes cheating, which I did not expect and which I would typically not choose to watch.

Fresh Catch:

A batch of new books this week:

I’ve now officially used up all gift cards and credits! I treated myself to the Harper Muse Classic edition of Sense and Sensibility, leaving me with just one more Jane Austen novel to add to the collection down the road. I couldn’t resist the gorgeous hardcover of The Once and Future Queen by Paula Lafferty — fingers crossed that I’ll love the story as much as I love the cover design! Inspired by the Judi Dench audiobook that I finished last week, I ordered copies of two Shakespeare plays that I’ve never read and that I look forward to exploring.

Two library holds came in over the weekend, and while I was there, I grabbed two graphic novels that caught my eye. I’m happy with my library haul!

What will I be reading during the coming week?

Currently in my hands:

All Better Now by Neal Shusterman: I borrowed this book from the library after reading this article on what to read after finishing Pluribus. Totally an impulse borrow, and I’m really curious to see how it all works out.

Now playing via audiobook:

The Heartbreak Hotel by Ellen O’Clover: Thanks to days of never-ending rain, I haven’t been able to get out for my usual walks, which means I haven’t had nearly enough time for audiobooks. I like this one so far, and hope to make good progress this week during my daily commutes.

Ongoing reads:

My longer-term reading commitments — starting back up this week after a holiday break!

Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen: My book group’s current classic read. We’re reading and discussing two chapters per week. Progress: 29%. Coming up this week: Chapters 11 & 12.
The Return of the King by J. R. R. Tolkien: My book group’s journey through the LOTR books starts up again this week, as we begin The Return of the King. Progress (relative to the entire LOTR opus): 62%.

What will you be reading this week?

So many books, so little time…

29Dec2025

Book Review: The Stolen Queen by Fiona Davis

Posted in Book Reviews by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Title: The Stolen Queen
Author: Fiona Davis
Publisher: Dutton
Publication date: January 7, 2025
Length: 352 pages
Genre: Historical fiction
Source: Library
Rating:

From New York Times bestselling author Fiona Davis, an utterly addictive new novel that will transport you from New York City’s most glamorous party to the labyrinth streets of Cairo and back.

Egypt, 1936: When anthropology student Charlotte Cross is offered a coveted spot on an archaeological dig in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings, she leaps at the opportunity. But after an unbearable tragedy strikes, Charlotte knows her future will never be the same.

New York City, 1978: Eighteen-year-old Annie Jenkins is thrilled when she lands an opportunity to work for iconic former Vogue fashion editor Diana Vreeland, who’s in the midst of organizing the famous Met Gala, hosted at the museum and known across the city as the “party of the year.” Though Annie soon realizes she’ll have her work cut out for her, scrambling to meet Diana’s capricious demands and exacting standards.

Meanwhile, Charlotte, now leading a quiet life as the associate curator of the Met’s celebrated Department of Egyptian Art, wants little to do with the upcoming gala. She’s consumed with her research on Hathorkare—a rare female pharaoh dismissed by most other Egyptologists as unimportant.

That is, until the night of the gala. When one of the Egyptian art collection’s most valuable artifacts goes missing . . . and there are signs Hathorkare’s legendary curse might be reawakening.

As Annie and Charlotte team up to search for the missing antiquity, a desperate hunch leads the unlikely duo to one place Charlotte swore she’d never return: Egypt. But if they’re to have any hope of finding the artifact, Charlotte will need to confront the demons of her past—which may mean leading them both directly into danger.

I seem to say this a lot: Thanks to my book group, I’ve read yet another book that I might not otherwise have picked up… and I’m so glad I did!

In The Stolen Queen, author Fiona Davis presents a dual-timeline story, alternating between events in Egypt in 1937 and in New York in 1978. The connection is Charlotte Cross, a curator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art specializing in Egyptian artifacts. In 1937, as a young student, she worked on an archaeological team in the Valley of the Kings, where she helped discover a previously unknown tomb. But tragedy struck, and she vowed never to return to Egypt.

Now, in 1978, she has a steady career at the Met, and pursues her passion project — an investigation into the woman pharaoh Hathorkare, whom most historians ignore or consider unimportant. Charlotte has uncovered evidence that disputes the generally held beliefs about Hathorkare, and just needs approval to move ahead with publication.

The other main character is Annie, a 19-year-old who works hard at menial jobs to support herself and her immature, selfish mother while dreaming of a future in fashion. When a chance encounter puts her into the orbit of Diana Vreeland, her dreams appear to be within reach — until a disaster at the Met Gala seems to entirely ruin her hopes.

When a priceless Egyptian artifact is stolen and Charlotte and Annie end up in the path of the thief, they join forces to track down the missing item. Charlotte is finally forced to confront her past as the search leads them to Egypt. Together, they not only trace clues to the theft, but uncover deeper secrets that have a huge impact on Charlotte’s life and change everything she thought she knew about her own past.

I picked up this book with some trepidation. I wasn’t entirely sure that I was in the mood for historical fiction, and was afraid (for whatever reason) that the story would be dry. I’m happy to report that my fears were unfounded! Once I started reading, I was hooked.

Both timelines are handled very well. The 1937 storyline gives us a strong foundation for who Charlotte is as a person, and is crucial for understanding the woman we meet in the later timeline. We get a very good sense of the status of women in the field of archaeology, as well as a vivid picture of the challenges and triumphs of life on a dig. The descriptions of working in Egypt — the heat, the sights and sounds and smells — bring the period and the setting to vibrant life.

In the 1978 timeline, we initially encounter a very different Charlotte, but as the book progresses, we can make the connection between who she once was and who she is now, as a 60-year-old woman with respected status in her field and a personal life that seems to teeter back and forth between being satisfying or just a holding pattern. The tragedy from Charlotte’s past is never forgotten, but also never spoken of — and as we learn, there are unresolved pieces that even Charlotte doesn’t fully understand.

I did question the inclusion of the Diana Vreeland storyline. I suppose if you’re writing a novel set at the Met, including the Met Gala adds glamour and excitement — but of all the various story threads, this is the one that interested me the least and seemed least successful. This is Annie’s entry into Charlotte’s life, but other than that, much of the Met Gala plot felt unnecessary to me.

My other quibble with the book is Charlotte’s focus on the curse associated with Hathorkare. As a scholar and an archaeologist, Charlotte’s belief in the curse and her suspicion that it was responsible for some of the tragedies in her life just isn’t credible. I couldn’t prevent a bit of eye-rolling whenever the subject of the curse cropped up.

On the other hand, I enjoyed the scenes in Egypt and the investigation that occurs there, as well as the development of the research into Hathorkare’s tomb and her history. Some events feel a bit too convenient or coincidental, but ultimately, I was able to overlook these as the overarching story kept me engaged throughout.

Themes of lost and found family tie the various elements of the plot together, as does the examination of women’s professional opportunities and how those have changed (or not) over the decades.

Through the characters’ discussions, we also gain insights into the ongoing debate about where antiquities belong. Does preservation or the ability to share with a greater public override the claims of the country of origin, even if that country doesn’t have the means to adequately preserve, protect, or display the antiquities? There aren’t any easy answers, but I appreciate the thoughtful way the issues are discussed in this book.

The Stolen Queen is the first book I’ve read by Fiona Davis, although I have a few others on my TBR list. If you have recommendations, please let me know!

Overall, I’m very glad to have read The Stolen Queen. It had me hooked right from the start. I loved the characters, the historical elements, and the several mysteries that are central to the plot. Definitely recommended for fans of historical fiction — and needless to say, recommended for book groups!

Purchase links: Amazon – Audible audiobook – Bookshop.org – Libro.fm
Disclaimer: When you make a purchase through one of these affiliate links, I may earn a small commission, at no additional cost to you.

29Dec2025

The Monday Check-In ~ 12/29/2025

Posted in The Monday Check-In by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Life.

The clock is ticking… it’s almost 2026! I have no plans for New Years, other than enjoying a day off from work and doing whatever I end up feeling like.

It’s been a good week, with family time and a few fun get-togethers with different groups of people. I’ve enjoyed the relaxed vibe of this end-of-year time — just wish it could last longer!

Blog posts:

I shared some thoughts on audiobooks, and what I think could make them better. Check it out here — I’d love to hear what you think! Also new this week: the first of my traditional year-in-review posts, this one about my series reading in 2025.

What did I read during the last week?

Through Gates of Garnet and Gold (Wayward Children, #11) by Seanan McGuire: Another terrific addition to a great series. My review is here.

A Damsel in Distress by P .G. Wodehouse: A delightfully silly story. My review is here.

3 Days 9 Months 27 Years by John Scalzi: An excellent short story with a twisty approach to time travel.

The Stolen Queen by Fiona Davis: My book group pick for December — finished just under the wire! I couldn’t put it down. Review to follow later in the week.

Pop culture & TV:

I finished season 2 of The Morning Show! Geez, that series is all over the place. Some characters are just so messy… and the pandemic is still recent enough that watching it on TV isn’t exactly entertainment. Still, I’m interested enough to keep going and see what happens next.

Meanwhile, I’ve watched 5 episodes of Pluribus. It’s so weird, and so hard not to binge straight through!

Fresh Catch:

Three new books this week:

I treated myself to copies of an Austen-related book and the Judi Dench book that’s my current audio listen, and received an early copy of the new Wayward Children book from the publisher.

What will I be reading during the coming week?