2013

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?

When You Were Here Openly Straight The Impossible Lives of Greta Wells

I read three terrific books this past week:

When You Were Here by Daisy Whitney: Done! My review is here.

Openly Straight by Bill Konigsberg: Done! My review is here.

The Impossible Lives of Greta Wells by Andrew Sean Greer: Done! My review is here.

Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock

Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock by Matthew Quick: I read the first 20 pages, and just couldn’t get into it — and the formatting problems with the ARC didn’t help. So, for now, this is a DNF book for me. Have you read it? Should it I give it another try once it’s available in hard copy?

The Silver Chair by C. S. Lewis: Moving along — we got a slow start, but my son and I have enjoyed the first four chapters so far.

Fresh Catch:

New to me this week: A graphic novel, a book for a discussion group, and two library books that I’d been waiting for (not entirely patiently):

Orchid, Volume 1 The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry

The Cuckoo's Calling (Cormoran Strike, #1) The Humans

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

The Cuckoo's Calling (Cormoran Strike, #1) The Humans Trash Can Days: A Middle School Saga

How to decide? I was on a good, long wait list for both The Cuckoo’s Calling and The Humans, and now they’re both here! I hope to find time to read both this week, once I figure out which one to read first.

It’s doubtful that I’ll finish both and still have time for anything else — but if I do, it’ll be a review copy of a new middle-grade book, Trash Can Days.

Meanwhile, our Narnia journey continues with The Silver Chair.

So many book, so little time…

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

5Aug2013

The Monday Agenda 8/5/2013

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

How did I do with last week’s agenda?

Out of the Easy The Shade of the Moon (The Last Survivors, #4) When You Were Here

Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys: Done! My review is here.

The Shade of the Moon by Susan Beth Pfeffer: Done! My review is here.

When You Were Here by Daisy Whitney: Reading now, about 175 pages into it, and I’m really liking this one so far!

The Silver Chair by C. S. Lewis: My kiddo and I just started reading The Silver Chair one over the weekend — the 2nd to last book left in our Narnia read! We’re really enjoying the series, and I’m wondering why I never read these books back when I was a kid!

Fresh Catch:

Several new books found their way to me this week:

Fairest, Vol. 2: Hidden Kingdom Season of the Witch: Enchantment, Terror, and Deliverance in the City of Love Openly Straight To Kill a Mockingbird The Unwritten, Vol. 4: Leviathan

Two graphic novels, a non-fiction book set in San Francisco, a young adult novel, and a new copy of a classic. Not a bad haul for one week!

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

Openly Straight The Impossible Lives of Greta Wells Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock

I’m about half-way through with When You Were Here by Daisy Whitney, and looking forward to finishing in the next day or so.

Next, three books that I’m really and truly excited about — I just hope I can make a big dent in most (if not all) of them:

Openly Straight by Bill Konigsberg

The Impossible Lives of Greta Wells by Andrew Sean Greer

Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock by Matthew Quick

And of course, marching forward with The Silver Chair.

So many book, so little time…

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

29Jul2013

The Monday Agenda 7/29/2013

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

How did I do with last week’s agenda?

If I Ever Get Out of Here Tumble & Fall The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (Chronicles of Narnia, #3)

What a great reading week! I’ve enjoyed everything I read this week, no doubt about it!

The Book of Secrets by Elizabeth Joy Arnold: Done! My review is here.

If I Ever Get Out Of Here by Eric Gansworth: Done! My review is here.

Tumble & Fall by Alexandra Coutts: I really enjoyed my sneak peak at a review copy of this new YA book. I’ve posted some thoughts on Goodreads already, but I’m holding my “real” review until closer to the book’s September release date. I thought this book was terrific — has anyone else read it yet?

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C. S. Lewis. My son and I wrapped up this part of our Narnia read-aloud, and loved it!

Fresh Catch:

Zip. Zilch. Nada.

I bought no new books this week, and didn’t step foot in the library. A first for me!

Not that I lack for books to read…

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

Out of the Easy The Shade of the Moon (The Last Survivors, #4) When You Were Here

I’ve only just started Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys.

Next, I plan to read The Shade of the Moon by Susan Beth Pfeffer, the about-to-be-released 4th book in the Last Survivors series.

After that, I’d love to dig in to When You Were Here by Daisy Whitney.

Meanwhile, the kiddo and I are ready to jump into our 2nd to last Narnia book, The Silver Chair.

So many book, so little time…

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

22Jul2013

The Monday Agenda 7/22/2013

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

Thank you to everyone who entered my giveaway or became a new follower this week! It’s been so much fun celebrating my 1st blogoversary with you!

How did I do with last week’s agenda?

Mist (Mist, #1) Gorgeous

Mist by Susan Krinard: Done! My review is here.

Gorgeous by Paul Rudnick: Done! My review is here.

Reading with the kiddo: Sailing ahead with The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C. S. Lewis. We have about four chapters to go. Excellent!

Fresh Catch:

A few new ARCs this week:

… plus I ended up buying myself a copy of this book, after missing the archive date for the review copy:

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

I’m just past the halfway point of The Book of Secrets by Elizabeth Joy Arnold — and loving it. In fact, I’m having to force myself to put it down to work on this post and take on other mundane tasks like paying the bills. 🙂

Next up, a review copy of If I Ever Get Out Of Here by Eric Gansworth, a YA book that sounds great!

And, ever ambitious, I hope to find time for one more book from my shelves– most likely Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys.

So many book, so little time…

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

And don’t forget: Read what makes you happy! That’s my mantra these days… so:

15Jul2013

The Monday Agenda 7/15/2013

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

This past week marked my 1st anniversary as a blogger! It’s been a blast! Don’t forget to enter my giveaway.

How did I do with last week’s agenda?

Joyland by Stephen King: Done! My review is here.

Mist by Susan Krinard. Still working on it. To be honest, it feel likes a bit of a struggle not to “DNF” it, but I’m hoping I’ll feel differently if I just give it a bit more time.

Reading with the kiddo: We started The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C. S. Lewis this week. Our Narnia adventure continues!

Fresh Catch:

Two new books this week, one from the library and one to keep:

Gorgeous Bring Up the Bodies (Thomas Cromwell, #2)

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

I hope to finish Mist by Susan Krinard shortly. I’m ready to move on!

I was looking forward to reading my review copy of The Book of Secrets by Elizabeth Joy Arnold — but due to either human error (blushing) or a technical problem (sure, blame the other guy!), it didn’t get “sent to Kindle” when I thought it did… and now it’s archived and unavailable. Le sigh. Trying to figure out how to get my hands on a copy.

Meanwhile, if that doesn’t work, I’ll dive into some YA fiction, starting with Gorgeous, and if there’s time, one of my summer TBR books — most likely Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys.

So many book, so little time…

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

8Jul2013

The Monday Agenda 7/8/2013

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

I’m back, busily bustling through bunches of books (and amusing myself with alliteration, it would seem).

How did I do with last week’s agenda?

This is really a two-week check-in, since I was away (on a lovely vacation, thanks for asking!) and skipped a week of blogging. Here’s what I’ve read since my last update:

Vacation books:

The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde: Done! Loved it. My review is here.

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel: Done! My review is here.

A Small Death in the Great Glen by A. D. Scott: Done! My review is here.

Post-vacation reading:

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman: Done! Beautiful book. My review is here.

Saga, volumes 1 and 2 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples: Amazing new graphic novel series from the author of Y: The Last Man, one of my favorites. I loved the two volumes of Saga, and can’t wait to read more.

Fresh Catch:

Well, I was away, after all, so the fresh catch collection is on the smallish side:

Saga, Volume 2 When You Were Here The Girl You Left Behind Openly Straight

Yes, I did read Saga, volume 2 already, the second it reached my hot little hands! The other books are from a giveaway (When You Were Here — thank you, Perpetual Page-Turner!) and two ARCs that were just approved. Looking forward to all of them!

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

I’ve just started Joyland by Stephen King, and I’m hooked!

Next up, one of my pending review copies, either Mist by Susan Krinard or The Book of Secrets by Elizabeth Joy Arnold.

Mist (Mist, #1) The Book of Secrets: A Novel

Plus, I’d really love to get to more of the books on my summer TBR list!

My kiddo is safely home from an “awesome” time at summer camp, and ready to resume our nightly reading tradition. We’re continuing our Narnia quest, and will be starting The Voyage of the Dawn Treader this week. Four books down, three to go!

So many book, so little time…

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

24Jun2013

The Monday Agenda 6/24/2013

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

True fact: I’m away and not actively blogging this week. Oh, the power and beauty of scheduling! Just because I’m off to parts known and unknown, it doesn’t mean I can’t post a Monday Agenda for this week.

How did I do with last week’s agenda?

Sea Change by S. M. Wheeler: DNF. I read about 30 pages or so, but it just never really clicked for me.

Fathomless by Jackson Pearce: Done! My review is here. Warning: Contains rants and spoilers.

The Horse and His Boy by C. S. Lewis: Done! My son and I have now read four Narnia books together, and plan to continue as soon as we’re back home. We loved The Horse and His Boy. We managed to squeeze in a quick Q&A With The Kiddo post on our Narnian adventures — you can see it here.

That’s it! It was a low-volume reading week, thanks to the typical pre-trip frenzy of packing, laundry, and last-minute dashes to the store for insect repellant and other such nonsense.

Fresh Catch:

Neil Gaiman! Plus, two paperbacks — bought cheap! — arrived from the UK this week. I’m so looking forward to reading all of these!

The Ocean at the End of the Lane Rose Under Fire The 5th Wave (The Fifth Wave, #1)

Yes, I’ve already read (and loved!) The 5th Wave… and now I have my own copy!

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

Instead of choosing my own vacation reading, I asked my blog visitors to do it for me! Based on my poll results, here’s what I’ll be reading in the next week and a half:

The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

A Small Death in the Great Glen by A. D. Scott

… and possibly Me Before You by Jojo Moyes, although I doubt I’ll fit all this into my not-as-long-as-I’d-like vacation.

Thank you to everyone who voted and offered an opinion (or two)! I’ll report back — when I get back!

So many book, so little time…

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

17Jun2013

The Monday Agenda 6/17/2013

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

How did I do with last week’s agenda?

Invisibility by Andrea Cremer and David Levithan: Done! My review is here.

The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay: Done! My review is here.

This Is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith: Done! My review is here.

My overall summary? This Is What Happy Looks Like is a perfect summer book, light and romantic; The Sea of Tranquility is a beautifully written book about tragedy and hope; and Invisibility, while having a great premise and some very interesting twists, is ultimately a bit of a let-down.

The Horse and His Boy by C. S. Lewis: About six chapters to go! My son and I continue to power through our Narnia read… and we continue to love it!

Fresh Catch:

Two eagerly awaited pre-orders finally arrived this past week! Now if only I had time to actually read them…

The Firebird Joyland

These two books both have amazing covers, in their own way — but look so wrong together.

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

I’ve just started reading a review copy of Sea Change by S. M. Wheeler, received via NetGalley. Isn’t this a great cover?

Sea Change

After that, I’d like to finally sit down with Fathomless by Jackson Pearce, which is due back at the library next week.

Meanwhile, I’m getting ready for a short vacation that starts next weekend, so what with packing my bags and getting my kid ready for camp, I’m not sure how much reading I’ll actually get through this week.

Have you voted in my vacation reading poll yet? Rather than pick my own reading material for my upcoming trip, I thought I’d let everyone else do it for me! Here’s the link to see the options and cast your vote. Choose wisely! Whichever books get the most votes by Friday are going straight into my suitcase.

So many book, so little time…

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

10Jun2013

The Monday Agenda 6/10/2013

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

How did I do with last week’s agenda?

Dead Ever After by Charlaine Harris: Finished! My review is here.

Doll Bones by Holly Black: Finished! My review is here.

Invisibility by Andrea Cremer and David Levithan: Started over the weekend; about half-way through. I’m intrigued, but withholding judgment until I see where it’s going.

Prince Caspian by C. S. Lewis: Another Narnia book goes in the “finished” column! My son and I finished this one a few days ago — and like the rest of the series, it’s great!

Fresh Catch:

No new books this past week — can that be true? I did buy one new book from Amazon — but when it arrived, it had some ugly sticker marks and residue on the cover, so I returned it… and realized I didn’t want it all that badly after all. So, in my mind, it’s like I saved money! (Technically, that would be a no, but hey, whatever works…)

Also in the Amazon fail department, a book I’d preordered ages ago was supposed to arrive on Thursday — and then got delayed until this coming week. Bummer.

I did get approved for a few review copies via NetGalley, but I’ll wait to discuss those until I’m ready to start each one.

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

I’ll be wrapping up the rest of Invisibility by Andrea Cremer and David Levithan in the next day or so.

After that, I’m looking forward to reading The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay.

And if there’s time, I’ll continue working my way through my stack of library books, starting with Fathomless by Jackson Pearce and This Is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith.

The kiddo and I have gotten our Narnia reading order slightly messed up — going neither by publication date nor by story chronology — but that’s okay, we’re enjoying it all anyway. We’re now a few chapters into The Horse and His Boy. And after that? Only three to go!

So many book, so little time…

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

3Jun2013

The Monday Agenda 6/3/2013

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

How did I do with last week’s agenda?

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey: Finished previous week, reviewed this past week. Amazing book. My review is here.

Tempest Reborn by Nicole Peeler: Done! I laughed and cried my way through the final book in the Jane True series. My review is here.

Dead Ever After by Charlaine Harris: Finally started, will continue this week.

Friends with Boys by Faith Erin Hicks: Done! My review of this graphic novel is here.

Read but not reviewed: I read the first three volumes in the graphic novel series Morning Glories — and will not be reading any further. I found the plot confusing, scattered, sadistic, and not terribly engaging. I continued reading the series beyond volume 1 only to see if the storyline would become clearer or if my impression of the books would improve. Neither happened.

Prince Caspian by C. S. Lewis. My son and I are continuing our Narnia read-aloud, and enjoying it very much.

Fresh Catch:

My book haul this week is a bit more modest than last week. I bought one new book, picked up used copies of three books that I’d already read but didn’t own, and added an ARC to my list of upcoming reads:

Fair Coin (Coin, #1) Cinderella, Vol. 1: From Fabletown With Love The Dovekeepers Delirium (Delirium, #1) The Sea of Tranquility

And then on Thursday, I went to a lovely book event and got my copy of this book signed by the author:

The River of No Return

I know I’ve raved about this book several times already, but seriously — I loved it! Check it out. (My review is here)

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

I’ve just gotten started with Dead Ever After, the final entry in Charlaine Harris’s Sookie Stackhouse series.

Next, I have a few library books waiting for some attention. I plan to read Doll Bones by Holly Black next, and then Invisibility by Andrea Cremer and David Levithan.

The kiddo and I should be finished with Prince Caspian in the next couple of days, and I’m assuming that he’ll want to keep plowing ahead with our Narnia read. Not that I’m complaining! Besides being tremendously fun, I feel like I’m finally filling in a gap in my childhood reading history.

So many book, so little time…

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