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?

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.

11Mar2014

Wishing & Waiting on Wednesday: Henna House

Posted in Wishlist Wednesday by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

There’s nothing like a Wednesday for thinking about the books we want to read! My Wishing & Waiting on Wednesday post is linking up with two fabulous book memes, Wishlist Wednesday (hosted by Pen to Paper) and Waiting on Wednesday (hosted by Breaking the Spine).

My most wished-for book this week is:

Henna House by Nomi Eve
(Release date: August 12, 2014)

Synopsis via Goodreads:

An evocative and stirring novel about a young woman living in the fascinating and rarely portrayed community of Yemenite Jews of the mid-twentieth century, from the acclaimed author of The Family Orchard.

In the tradition of Anita Diamant’s The Red Tent, Henna House is the enthralling story of a woman, her family, their community, and the rituals that bind them.

Nomi Eve’s vivid saga begins in Yemen in 1920, when Adela Damari’s parents desperately seek a future husband for their young daughter. After passage of the Orphan’s Decree, any unbetrothed Jewish child left orphaned will be instantly adopted by the local Muslim community. With her parents’ health failing, and no spousal prospects in sight, Adela’s situation looks dire until her uncle arrives from a faraway city, bringing with him a cousin and aunt who introduce Adela to the powerful rituals of henna tattooing. Suddenly, Adela’s eyes are opened to the world, and she begins to understand what it means to love another and one’s heritage. She is imperiled, however, when her parents die and a prolonged drought threatens their long-established way of life. She and her extended family flee to the city of Aden where Adela encounters old loves, discovers her true calling, and is ultimately betrayed by the people and customs she once held dear.

Henna House is an intimate family portrait and a panorama of history. From the traditions of the Yemenite Jews, to the far-ranging devastation of the Holocaust, to the birth of the State of Israel, Eve offers an unforgettable coming-of-age story and a textured chronicle of a fascinating period in the twentieth century.

Henna House is a rich, spirited, and sensuous tale of love, loss, betrayal, forgiveness, and the dyes that adorn the skin and pierce the heart.

I love the sound of this book! The story of Henna House focuses on a piece of history that I think is not well known — but for me, there’s a personal connection as well, as the time period and the community portrayed here are a close match for my husband’s family history. Henna House sounds deeply touching and quite fascinating, and I’m hoping (fingers crossed!) to be able to get hold of a review copy.

What are you wishing for this Wednesday?

Looking for some bookish fun on Thursdays and Fridays? Come join me for my regular weekly features, Thursday Quotables and Flashback Friday! You can find out more here — come share the book love!

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

Do you host a book blog meme? Do you participate in a meme that you really, really love? I’m building a Book Blog Meme Directory, and need your help! If you know of a great meme to include — or if you host one yourself — please drop me a note on my Contact page and I’ll be sure to add your info!

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.

4Mar2014

Wishing & Waiting on Wednesday: The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry

Posted in Wishlist Wednesday by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

My most wished-for book this week is:

The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin
(Release date: April 1, 2014)

Synopsis via Goodreads:

In the spirit of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, Gabrielle Zevin’s enchanting novel is a love letter to the world of books-and booksellers-that changes our lives by giving us the stories that open our hearts and enlighten our minds.

On the faded Island Books sign hanging over the porch of the Victorian cottage is the motto “No Man Is an Island; Every Book Is a World.” A. J. Fikry, the irascible owner, is about to discover just what that truly means.

A. J. Fikry’s life is not at all what he expected it to be. His wife has died, his bookstore is experiencing the worst sales in its history, and now his prized possession, a rare collection of Poe poems, has been stolen. Slowly but surely, he is isolating himself from all the people of Alice Island-from Lambiase, the well-intentioned police officer who’s always felt kindly toward Fikry; from Ismay, his sister-in-law who is hell-bent on saving him from his dreary self; from Amelia, the lovely and idealistic (if eccentric) Knightley Press sales rep who keeps on taking the ferry over to Alice Island, refusing to be deterred by A.J.’s bad attitude. Even the books in his store have stopped holding pleasure for him. These days, A.J. can only see them as a sign of a world that is changing too rapidly.

And then a mysterious package appears at the bookstore. It’s a small package, but large in weight. It’s that unexpected arrival that gives A. J. Fikry the opportunity to make his life over, the ability to see everything anew. It doesn’t take long for the locals to notice the change overcoming A.J.; or for that determined sales rep, Amelia, to see her curmudgeonly client in a new light; or for the wisdom of all those books to become again the lifeblood of A.J.’s world; or for everything to twist again into a version of his life that he didn’t see coming. As surprising as it is moving, The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry is an unforgettable tale of transformation and second chances, an irresistible affirmation of why we read, and why we love.

Okay, this book sounds like it’s totally full of win. Because a) Gabrielle Zevin and b) bookstore. Sold! Seriously, I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve read by this author so far, and what could be better than a book about books, book lovers, and book sellers?

What are you wishing for this Wednesday?

Looking for some bookish fun on Thursdays and Fridays? Come join me for my regular weekly features, Thursday Quotables and Flashback Friday! You can find out more here — come share the book love!

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

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.

25Feb2014

Wishing & Waiting on Wednesday: The Paying Guests

Posted in Wishlist Wednesday by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

My most wished-for book this week is:

The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters
(expected publication date: August 28, 2014)

Synopsis via Goodreads:

It is 1922, and London is tense. Ex-servicemen are disillusioned, the out-of-work and the hungry are demanding change. And in South London, in a genteel Camberwell villa, a large silent house now bereft of brothers, husband and even servants, life is about to be transformed, as impoverished widow Mrs Wray and her spinster daughter, Frances, are obliged to take in lodgers.

For with the arrival of Lilian and Leonard Barber, a modern young couple of the ‘clerk class’, the routines of the house will be shaken up in unexpected ways. And as passions mount and frustration gathers, no one can foresee just how far-reaching, and how devastating, the disturbances will be.

This is vintage Sarah Waters: beautifully described with excruciating tension, real tenderness, believable characters, and surprises. It is above all a wonderful, compelling story.

Fingersmith by Sarah Waters is one of my all-time favorite, most recommended, you’ve-absolutely-got-to-read-this books… so I’m pretty much willing to read whatever new book she comes up with. Granted, it seems like there are a ton of books out right now set in 1920s London — but no matter. I’m sure, in the hands of Sarah Waters, it will be genius! And meanwhile, maybe between now and the end of summer I can catch up on the two of her previous novels I’ve yet to read.

What are you wishing for this Wednesday?

Looking for some bookish fun on Thursdays and Fridays? Come join me for my regular weekly features, Thursday Quotables and Flashback Friday! You can find out more here — come share the book love!

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

24Feb2014

Top Ten Tuesday REWIND: Top Ten Books I HAD To Buy…But Are Still Sitting On My Shelf Unread

Posted in Top Ten Tuesday by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week’s topic is:

Top Ten Tuesday Rewind:
Where we pick a topic we’ve done before, or one we skipped the first time around, and come up with a whole new top 10!

I wrote my first version of this list in March 2013… and sad to say, some of the same books are still on it! Yes, I’m the type who buys candy while waiting in line at the check-out stand, who picks up goofy souvenirs at the airport gift shop two minutes before boarding — I’m totally prone to buy on impulse, and nothing attracts me more than a brand new, shiny book THAT I HAVE TO HAVE RIGHT NOW.

Here are the top 10 books that I couldn’t wait to get my hands on, bought in a fit of total urgency, preordered months in advance… and they’re still sitting there on my shelves (or on my Kindle), taunting me with their pristine dust jackets, uncreased spines, and 0% completion.

1) S. by J. J. Abrams and Doug Dorst. I was so fascinated by this book when I first heard about it, couldn’t wait to get my own copy… and then once it arrived, I realized I had no idea how to actually go about reading it. It felt kind of like a chore, so I put it aside and never picked it up again.

2) The Dressmaker by Kate Alcott: A friend recommended this historical novel centered around the Titanic, and I thought it sounded like something I’d love. And I’m sure I will enjoy it, when I finally read it.

The Dressmaker

3) The Buffy graphic novels: I’ve read all of Buffy season 8, but I fell seriously behind on season 9 and its various spin-offs, so now I have several volumes of Buffy, Angel & Faith, and Willow to read.

4) Other Kingdoms by Richard Matheson: This ended up being one of Richard Matheson’s last novels, published two years before his death in 2013. I loved the plot description for Other Kingdoms, and bought a copy as soon as it was released.

Other Kingdoms

5) In Cold Blood by Truman Capote: I was absolutely convinced that I was going to read this right away… and that was last September.

In Cold Blood

6) Me Before You by Jojo Moyes: I know this book is supposed to be amazing! I swear, I will read it in 2014!

Me Before You

7) Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh: Picked this one up in a bookstore a few months ago…

Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened

8) Small Damages by Beth Kephart: The reviews were excellent, and I couldn’t wait to read this young adult novel:

Small Damages

9) If I Stay and Where She Went by Gayle Forman: After reading Just One Day, I knew I needed to read more by Gayle Forman, and quickly got myself copies of these two books. I know, I know… gotta read them ASAP.

If I Stay (If I Stay, #1)

10) All the books from last year’s various TBR lists that I still haven’t gotten to:

Once again, this top 10 list is a good reminder to me of all the amazing books I ALREADY OWN that I need to read. (In other words, note to self: STOP BUYING BOOKS! Or more realistically, buy fewer books and read the ones I already have!)

Have you read any of these? Which of these should I dive into first?

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.

18Feb2014

Wishing & Waiting on Wednesday: The Silkworm

Posted in Wishlist Wednesday by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

My most wished-for book this week is:

The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith
(expected US publication date: June 24, 2014)

Synopsis via Goodreads:

Private investigator Cormoran Strike returns in a new mystery from Robert Galbraith, author of the #1 international bestseller The Cuckoo’s Calling.

When novelist Owen Quine goes missing, his wife calls in private detective Cormoran Strike. At first, Mrs. Quine just thinks her husband has gone off by himself for a few days–as he has done before–and she wants Strike to find him and bring him home.

But as Strike investigates, it becomes clear that there is more to Quine’s disappearance than his wife realizes. The novelist has just completed a manuscript featuring poisonous pen-portraits of almost everyone he knows. If the novel were to be published, it would ruin lives–meaning that there are a lot of people who might want him silenced.

When Quine is found brutally murdered under bizarre circumstances, it becomes a race against time to understand the motivation of a ruthless killer, a killer unlike any Strike has encountered before…

A compulsively readable crime novel with twists at every turn, THE SILKWORM is the second in the highly acclaimed series featuring Cormoran Strike and his determined young assistant, Robin Ellacott.

The announcement was just made this past weekend that Robert Galbraith, aka J. K. Rowling, will have a new book out this June — and I, for one, can’t wait! I had mixed feelings about Rowling’s first post-Potter book, The Casual Vacancy, but I did really enjoy The Cuckoo’s Calling, which Rowling published pseudonymously last year. What I liked best about The Cuckoo’s Calling was the main character, Cormoran Strike, who struck me as smart, unusual, and not-quite-perfect. I’m really looking forward to reading the next Strike mystery, and hope it takes the character in new and complicated directions.

What are you wishing for this Wednesday?

Looking for some bookish fun on Thursdays and Fridays? Come join me for my regular weekly features, Thursday Quotables and Flashback Friday! You can find out more here — come share the book love!

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

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.