2014

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

Not a lofty, ambitious to-be-read list consisting of 100+ book titles. Just a simple plan for the upcoming week — what I’m reading now, what I plan to read next, and what I’m hoping to squeeze in among the nooks and crannies.

How did I do with last week’s agenda?

The Ghost Train to New Orleans (The Shambling Guides, #2) Love Letters to the Dead The Serpent of Venice

The Ghost Train to New Orleans by Mur Lafferty: Done! My review is here.

Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira: Done! My review is here.

The Serpent of Venice by Christopher Moore: Done! Be sure to check out my blog tour post on April 22nd.

Fresh Catch:

I behaved myself this week — didn’t buy, borrow, or request any new books! All bets are off for the coming week though — my library’s big spring sale starts on Tuesday, and that’s always dangerous territory for me!

What’s on my reading agenda for the coming week?

Far From You The Here and Now Burial Rites

Coming up this week:

Far From You by Tess Sharpe

The Here and Now by Ann Brashares

And for an upcoming book group discussion: Burial Rites by Hannah Kent

Random pop culture goodness:

Orphan Black returns this week!

Image credit: http://adn-z.deviantart.com/art/Orphan-Black-Simpsonized-393146267

And is anyone watching the AMC’s new series, Turn, about a Revolutionary War spy ring?

I saw Captain America: The Winter Soldier last weekend, and was super impressed with the way the movie’s events carried over into Agents of SHIELD.

And yeah, Mad Men is back too, and I’m not sure that I care…

And also in the works:

The Outlander Book Club’s re-read of An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon continues! Coming up this week: Chapters 64 – 68. Want to join in? Contact me and I’ll provide all the details!

So many book, so little time…

That’s my agenda. What’s yours? Add your comments to share your bookish agenda for the week.

7Apr2014

The Monday Agenda 4/7/2014

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

How did I do with last week’s agenda?

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency #1) The Mapmaker's Daughter The Ghost Train to New Orleans (The Shambling Guides, #2)

The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith: Done! My review is here.

The Mapmaker’s Daughter by Laurel Corona: Done! My review is here.

The Ghost Train to New Orleans by Mur Lafferty: I’ve read about half of this very entertaining urban fantasy novel (sequel to The Shambling Guide to New York City, reviewed here), and it’s a ton of fun so far.

I posted my review and blog tour feature for The Summer I Wasn’t Me by Jessica Verdi. The author was kind enough to participate in a Q&A, even answering my dorkier questions! Check the post out here, and be sure to enter the giveaway for this terrific book!

Fresh Catch:

A few new ARCs came my way this week that look pretty awesome:

What’s on my reading agenda for the coming week?

The Serpent of Venice Love Letters to the Dead Far From You

Once I finish The Ghost Train to New Orleans by Mur Lafferty, I have big plans!

I’m looking forward to starting The Serpent of Venice, Christopher Moore’s upcoming new release (and sequel to his hilarious Fool).

If I can squeeze in a couple more this week, then I’ll devote some time to catching up on review books, starting with Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira and then Far From You by Tess Sharpe.

Random pop culture goodness:

It’s the return of Game of Thrones!

And a very sad good-bye to Being Human.

I’m going to miss these crazy kids.

But at least this week’s Grimm finally answered a question viewers have been asking for three years: How do Wesen spot a Grimm? Inquiring minds want to know.

[Update: Oops! Looks like the video clip that used to live right here is gone from YouTube. Alas…}

Oh, TV, you give and you take…

And also in the works:

The Outlander Book Club’s re-read of An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon continues! Coming up this week: Chapters 59 – 63. Want to join in? Contact me and I’ll provide all the details!

So many book, so little time…

That’s my agenda. What’s yours? Add your comments to share your bookish agenda for the week.

31Mar2014

The Monday Agenda 3/31/2014

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

How did I do with last week’s agenda?

The Shambling Guide to New York City The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry

The Shambling Guide to New York City by Mur Lafferty: Done! My review is here.

The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin: Done! My review is here.

Visible City by Tova Mirvis: Done! My review is here.

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury: After weeks of picking this one up and then putting it back down, I finally sat down to re-read Fahrenheit 451 — probably about 20 or so years after the first time I read it. Still shocking. Still amazing. I’m so glad I finally read it again!

Fresh Catch:

A few new ARCs came my way this week, plus the newest volume of an amazing graphic novel series!

The Art of Floating The Last Policeman (The Last Policeman, #1) Henna House Saga, Volume 3

What’s on my reading agenda for the coming week?

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency #1) The Mapmaker's Daughter The Ghost Train to New Orleans (The Shambling Guides, #2)

I’ve just started The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith. I’ve been thinking about reading this one for years, and for some reason, it just really seemed to suit my mood this week.

After that, I’m planning to read The Mapmaker’s Daughter by Laurel Corona, which sounds completely fascinating.

And then I’ll be ready for something fun and quirky, and what could be better than the 2nd book in the Shambling Guide series? I’m so looking forward to reading The Ghost Train to New Orleans by Mur Lafferty.

And also in the works:

The Outlander Book Club’s re-read of An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon continues! Coming up this week: Chapters 54 – 58. Want to join in? Contact me and I’ll provide all the details!

So many book, so little time…

That’s my agenda. What’s yours? Add your comments to share your bookish agenda for the week.

24Mar2014

The Monday Agenda 3/24/2014

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

How did I do with last week’s agenda?

Despite another week of real-life craziness, I did manage to read some great books!

Night Broken (Mercy Thompson, #8) Grasshopper Jungle The Summer I Wasn't Me

Night Broken by Patricia Briggs: Loved it! My review is here.

Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith: Weird and wonderful. My review is here.

The Summer I Wasn’t Me by Jessica Verdi: Done! Watch for my review and blog tour post about this terrific YA book on April 5th!

The kiddo and I have more or less ditched Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper, although we may end up giving it one more shot. We also read the first chapter of Treasure Island, but we’re feeling very non-committal at the moment.

Fresh Catch:

No new physical books this week, but I did get a few e-ARCs that look pretty terrific:

What’s on my reading agenda for the coming week?

The Shambling Guide to New York City The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry Visible City

I’ve just started The Shambling Guide to New York City by Mur Lafferty, and so far, it’s a riot.

After that, I’ll be diving into:

The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

Visible City by Tova Mirvis

And also in the works:

The Outlander Book Club’s re-read of An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon continues! Coming up this week: Chapters 49 – 53. Want to join in? Contact me and I’ll provide all the details!

So many book, so little time…

That’s my agenda. What’s yours? Add your comments to share your bookish agenda for the week.

17Mar2014

The Monday Agenda 3/17/2014

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

How did I do with last week’s agenda?

Real life interrupted my reading and blogging plans this week in a big way… but here’s what I did manage to accomplish in my bookish life this past week:

Sunrise (Ashfall, #3) Night Broken (Mercy Thompson, #8)

Sunrise by Mullin: Done! A great conclusion to an action-packed trilogy, Sunrise will definitely satisfy fans of the Ashfall series. Check out my stop on the blog tour here, and be sure to enter the giveaway!

Night Broken by Patricia Briggs: I’m absolutely loving this newest installment in the Mercy Thompson series — and just wish I’d had the time to devote to reading it. I hope to finish in the next day or two!

Fresh Catch:

Here’s what the kiddo and I brought home from the library this week:

What’s on my reading agenda for the coming week?

Grasshopper Jungle Side Effects May Vary The Lost Sisterhood

The next few books I plan to dive into are:

Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith

Side Effects May Vary by Julie Murphy

The Lost Sisterhood by Anne Fortier

And also in the works:

Over Sea, Under Stone (The Dark Is Rising Sequence) The kiddo and are slowly working our way through Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper.

The Outlander Book Club’s re-read of An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon continues! Coming up this week: Chapters 44 – 48. Want to join in? Contact me and I’ll provide all the details!

So many book, so little time…

That’s my agenda. What’s yours? Add your comments to share your bookish agenda for the week.

10Mar2014

The Monday Agenda 3/10/2014

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

How did I do with last week’s agenda?

House of Glass The Opposite of Maybe 16 Things I Thought Were True

House of Glass by Sophie Littlefield: Done! A story of a home invasion that quickly spirals out of control, House of Glass focuses on the family whose world is turned upside down and how their relationships and secrets factor into the dangerous situation they face. Shelleyrae at Book’d Out wrote a spot-on review of this book; you can see it here.

The Opposite of Maybe by Maddie Dawson. Done! My review is here.

16 Things I Thought Were True by Janet Gurtler: Done! My author Q&A, review, and blog tour post can be found here.

D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths The kiddo and I are finished D’Aulaires’ Book of Greek Myths this week, and loved it! A great book to share, one that we each enjoyed. Finally, a successful book pick for the two of us!

Fresh Catch:

One library book:

Grasshopper Jungle

Two books I just had to buy before that Amazon gift card burned a hole in my pocket:

Sailor Twain: Or: The Mermaid in the Hudson We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves

(PS – I’ve read Sailor Twain already, but didn’t own a copy — and now that it’s out in paperback, just couldn’t resist!)

And the next volume in one of my ongoing series… which I really, seriously need to get caught up on one of these days:

What’s on my reading agenda for the coming week?

Sunrise (Ashfall, #3) Night Broken (Mercy Thompson, #8)

I’m so excited to read Sunrise by Mike Mullin, book three in the terrific trilogy that starts with Ashfall and Ashen Winter. My blog tour post will be up on March 15th — be sure to check it out!

I’m also practically bouncing off the walls waiting for the new Mercy Thompson book to arrive this week! Night Broken by Patricia Briggs will be released this Tuesday, and this will be a (as they call it in my son’s school) DEAR book for me — “drop everything and read”! Can’t wait.

And also in the works:

Over Sea, Under Stone (The Dark Is Rising Sequence) Next up for the kiddo and me: We’re just starting Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper.

The Outlander Book Club’s re-read of An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon continues! Coming up this week: Chapters 39 – 43. Want to join in? Contact me and I’ll provide all the details!

So many book, so little time…

That’s my agenda. What’s yours? Add your comments to share your bookish agenda for the week.

3Mar2014

The Monday Agenda 3/3/2014

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

How did I do with last week’s agenda?

City of Jasmine The Husband's Secret 16 Things I Thought Were True

City of Jasmine by Deanna Raybourn: Done! My review is here.

The Husband’s Secret by Liane Moriarty. Done! My review is here.

16 Things I Thought Were True by Janet Gurtler: Done! Watch for my blog tour feature later this week…

Fresh Catch:

Just a few new books on my Kindle, one bought, two received as ARCs:

Somewhere in France: A Novel of the Great War The Here and Now The Daring Ladies of Lowell

What’s on my reading agenda for the coming week?

House of Glass The Opposite of Maybe The Mapmaker's Daughter

It looks like this will be an adult fiction week, starting with:

House of Glass by Sophie Littlefield: I meant to read this one last week, but somehow I ran out of time. (Ummm, too much TV, perhaps?)

After that:

The Opposite of Maybe by Maddie Dawson

The Mapmaker’s Daughter by Laurel Corona

And also in the works:

D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths My kiddo and I are still reading D’Aulaires’ Book of Greek Myths each night before bed, and it’s loads of fun. I feel like I’m reliving my childhood, and kiddo is really enjoying the crazy shenanigans of the gods. Finally, a win in the book arena for mom!

And my ongoing project:

The Outlander Book Club’s re-read of An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon continues! Coming up this week: Chapters 34 – 38. Want to join in? Contact me and I’ll provide all the details!

So many book, so little time…

That’s my agenda. What’s yours? Add your comments to share your bookish agenda for the week.

24Feb2014

The Monday Agenda 2/24/2014

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

How did I do with last week’s agenda?

The Time Tutor After I'm Gone

Better off Friends Whisper Of Jasmine

The Time Tutor by Bee Ridgway: A review — plus a giveaway of the new paperback edition of The River of No Return — will be up a bit later today. Check back to enter!

After I’m Gone by Laura Lippman. Done! My review is here.

Better Off Friends by Elizabeth Eulberg: Done! My review is here.

Whisper of Jasmine by Deanna Raybourn: This romantic novella is a prequel to City of Jasmine (see below), and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Fresh Catch:

No new books this week… but in book-related news, Game of Thrones season 3 arrived on DVD!

What’s on my reading agenda for the coming week?

City of Jasmine The Husband's Secret House of Glass

I’m *this close* to finishing City of Jasmine by Deanna Raybourn, and should have a review up in the next couple of days.

Next up, I’ll be reading:

The Husband’s Secret by Liane Moriarty (which I’ve been wanting to read — and now need to read for a book group discussion)

House of Glass by Sophie Littlefield

And also in the works:

D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths In the never-ending struggle to keep my kiddo engaged with books, we’re now reading assorted stories from D’Aulaires’ Book of Greek Myths each night before bed, and he’s really enjoying it. It’s been so long since I’ve looked through this book, so I’m getting a kick out of it too!

And my ongoing project:

The Outlander Book Club’s re-read of An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon continues! Coming up this week: Chapters 29 – 33. Want to join in? Contact me and I’ll provide all the details!

So many book, so little time…

That’s my agenda. What’s yours? Add your comments to share your bookish agenda for the week.

17Feb2014

The Monday Agenda 2/17/2014

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

How did I do with last week’s agenda?

The Fiery Cross (Outlander, #5) The Winter People See Jane Run The Time Tutor

The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon: I finished this massive 1,400 page book thanks to lots of binge-reading and staying up past my bedtime… but I got it done! I love the series (obviously), and was surprised by how much I enjoyed my re-read of The Fiery Cross. To be honest, I’d been avoiding it, as there are several parts that are just so awful or painful that I couldn’t stand the thought of experiencing them again. And yes, plenty of terrible things happen in this book, but there’s so much to love as well. All in all, I’m really happy that I decided to drop everything else and do a re-read!

The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon: I think this one will stay on my “on hold” list for now. I hope to come back to it in a few weeks.

See Jane Run by Hannah Jayne: Done! My review is here, and I should be posting an author feature a bit later this week, so check back!

The Time Tutor by Bee Ridgway: Done! Stay tuned for a review and a very special giveaway coming up next week!

House of Secrets by Chris Columbus and Ned Vizzini: Did not finish. I was reading this one with my son, and neither of us ended up caring enough about the story to want to continue. We’re officially done with this one.

Fresh Catch:

Here’s what arrived this week:

By Blood We Live (The Last Werewolf, #3)

By Blood We Live by Glen Duncan: The third book in the trilogy that begins with The Last Werewolf and continues with Talulla Rising, I expect this book to be just as gory and blood-drenched as the previous two — and just as incredible a reading experience. These books are not for the squeamish, but I do think they’re excellent! I’m really looking forward to reading this one!

What’s on my reading agenda for the coming week?

After I'm Gone Better off Friends City of Jasmine

I’m about half-way through After I’m Gone by Laura Lippman. I’ve never read anything by this author before, since I don’t usually go for crime/mystery novels — but I’m really wrapped up in this book so far! I hope to finish in the next day or so.

And after that, I’m planning to read review copies of two books due out later this month:

Better Off Friends by Elizabeth Eulberg

City of Jasmine by Deanna Raybourn

In addition:

My quest to find a book that interests my son continues! We started reading Fahrenheit 451 together a few days ago. I’m convinced that he’ll love Bradbury if he just gives him a chance! So far, so good, although the language and symbolism often go over the kiddo’s head. Still, he’s interested for now, and I’m happy to have an excuse to revisit this book again after so many years!

The Outlander Book Club’s re-read of An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon continues! Coming up this week: Chapters 24 – 28. Want to join in? Contact me and I’ll provide all the details!

So many book, so little time…

That’s my agenda. What’s yours? Add your comments to share your bookish agenda for the week.

10Feb2014

The Monday Agenda 2/10/2014

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

How did I do with last week’s agenda?

When Audrey Met Alice Archetype

I had the pleasure of reading and reviewing two new books right in time for their release dates last week:

When Audrey Met Alice by Rebecca Behrens: My review, along with the author’s guest post, is here.

Archetype by M. D. Waters: Suspenseful and altogether terrific. My review is here.

And then things went a bit astray, despite my careful planning…

The Fiery Cross (Outlander, #5) Instead of moving forward to the next ARC on my reading schedule, I decided to reread a truly massive book. So, for the past several days, I’ve been reading Diana Gabaldon’s The Fiery Cross — because I’m in the midst of an attack of Outlander obsession and felt the need to re-read the books I’m less familiar with in order to be ready for the upcoming new book in June. Sigh. I love it, but I’m also shaking my head at myself for starting a 1400 page book when I have so much else to read!

Fresh Catch:

Two very different books came my way this week:

Riot

Riot by Mary Casanova: I just received a review copy of this new book aimed at middle grade readers, set in 1989 during a labor dispute in Minnesota. It sounds quite interesting, if a bit outside of my usual reading topics.

Locke & Key, Vol. 6: Alpha & Omega I am completely thrilled that volume 6 of the incredible Locke & Key graphic novel series has finally been released! I think I need to hold off on reading #6, though, until I have time to re-read #5 (if not all of them), so that I can truly enjoy this final volume with all of the details fresh in my mind. I love these books!

What’s on my reading agenda for the coming week?

The Winter People See Jane Run The Time Tutor

Assuming I finish The Fiery Cross within the next few days (only 400 pages to go!), I’ll return to my regularly scheduled reading with:

The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon (which I started last week, then abandoned for my huge red book…)

See Jane Run by Hannah Jayne: I was intrigued by the premise of this new young adult novel, and will be participating in the blog tour next week.

The Time Tutor by Bee Ridgway: A prequel novella connected to The River of No Return — which was one of my very favorite books of 2013!

In addition:

House of Secrets (House of Secrets, #1) House of Secrets by Chris Columbus and Ned Vizzini: My son and I have practically stalled on our read-together venture with this book, but we haven’t quite abandoned it yet. We keep ending up with other things to do besides sitting down to read House of Secrets — which may be a sign that, despite being pretty fun so far, neither of us feels really grabbed by this book. We’ll keep going, and see if we get more into it this week.

The Outlander Book Club’s re-read of An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon continues! Coming up this week: Chapters 19 – 23. Want to join in? Contact me and I’ll provide all the details!

So many book, so little time…

That’s my agenda. What’s yours? Add your comments to share your bookish agenda for the week.