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?

The Girl You Left Behind Doctor Sleep (The Shining, #2)

Why do I feel like I’ve had no time to read this week? Oh yeah, real life intrudes once again… I’ve been grabbing my reading time in teeny, tiny increments all week, and I’ve made little to no progress in my stacks of books waiting to be read.

Here’s what I managed to read in the past seven days:

The Girl You Left Behind by Jojo Moyes: Done! My review is here.

Doctor Sleep by Stephen King: I started it on Wednesday, and I’m just past the 60% mark at this point. I like it so far — just wish I had more time!!

And in kids’ books:

Leven Thumps and the Gateway to Foo (Leven Thumps, #1)

Leven Thumps and the Gateway to Foo by Obert Skye. My kiddo and I are reading this one together, and so far, he likes it more than I do. I’m finding it kind of dark and scattered, and we’re far enough into it by now that we should have a better sense of what’s going on. If it were just me, I might move on at this point, but kiddo seems to want to continue — so onward we go.

Fresh Catch:

Holy crow, was this a big week for acquiring books! I attended my very favorite annual event, the Big Book Sale in support of our public libraries. Over 500,000 items on sale in a huge warehouse, with avid booklovers crowding around the tables, and everything priced at $3 or less. I wrote about it here last year — so much fun! This year, I showed a bit more restraint than usual, but still managed to come home with 25 books (for a whopping price of $46!).

Among my finds were 12 ARCs for books that have just been released this year (including Double Feature by Owen King, The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes, More Than This by Patrick Ness, and Maya’s Notebook by Isabel Allende), a beautiful hardcover edition of The Book Thief to replace my old battered paperback, and copies of several books that I’ve been meaning to get to, including a few more Thursday Next books by Jasper Fforde and Soon I Will Be Invincible by Austin Grossman.

On top of all that, this week saw the arrival of two eagerly awaited new releases as well as a couple of library books for me to read with the kiddo:

Doctor Sleep (The Shining, #2) Shadows Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes The Expeditioners and the Treasure of Drowned Man's Canyon

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

The Incrementalists Sky Jumpers (Sky Jumpers, #1) Charming (Pax Arcana, #1) Before I Met You

Assuming I get through Doctor Sleep in the next few days, I need to tackle the review books that have started to pile up:

First up: The Incrementalists by Steven Brust and Skyler White.

After that, one of several possibilities:

Sky Jumpers by Peggy Eddleman (a middle grade book)
Charming by Elliott James
Before I Met You by Lisa Jewell

We’ll just have to wait and see what strikes my fancy when the time comes to start something new!

So many book, so little time…

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

24Sep2013

Wishing & Waiting on Wednesday

Posted in Wishlist Wednesday by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Wednesday is a perfect day for a good book meme, and I thought I’d branch out a bit! I’ve been participating in Wishlist Wednesday, hosted by Pen to Paper, for over a year — and I’ve been wanting to jump into Waiting on Wednesday (hosted by Breaking the Spine) for a while now too. So why not do both?

Wishlist Wednesday is a place to highlight any book from our wish lists — old, new, not yet released — that we’re dying to read. Waiting on Wednesday focuses on upcoming new releases.

Some weeks, I’ll probably have two different books to wish and wait for… but this week, here’s one that works for both!

My wishlist book this week is:

Lair of Dreams (The Diviners, #2) by Libba Bray
(release date April 22, 2014)

From Goodreads:

After a supernatural showdown with a serial killer, Evie O’Neill has outed herself as a Diviner. Now that the world knows of her ability to “read” objects, and therefore, read the past, she has become a media darling, earning the title, “America’s Sweetheart Seer.” But not everyone is so accepting of the Diviners’ abilities…

Meanwhile, mysterious deaths have been turning up in the city, victims of an unknown sleeping sickness. Can the Diviners descend into the dreamworld and catch a killer?

Why do I want to read this?

Because I absolutely loved The Diviners, and can’t wait to see what happens next! Evie is a fabulous main character, and I love the 1920s New York setting. The Diviners was a perfect mix of creepy and absolutely snazzy — and I was just so excited to find out this week that book #2 has a title, a cover, and a release date!

Who else is excited about Lair of Dreams?

So what are you doing 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!

23Sep2013

The Monday Agenda 9/23/2013

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

How did I do with last week’s agenda?

The Book of Lost Things (Mister Max #1) Two Boys Kissing The Girl You Left Behind

Mister Max: The Book of Lost Things by Cynthia Voigt: Done! My review is here.

Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan: Done! My review is here.

The Girl You Left Behind by Jojo Moyes: Currently reading, at about the half-way point. Very moving so far!

And in kids’ books:

Leven Thumps and the Gateway to Foo (Leven Thumps, #1)

My son and I have settled on our next read-aloud book. We’ve just started the first book in the Leven Thumps series by Obert Skye, which seems to have originally been titled Leven Thumps and the Gateway to Foo, but which now appears to be called just The Gateway. Whatever the title, we’re about 6 or 7 chapters into it, and it seems to be a fun if somewhat dark fantasy series. We’ll definitely read all of book 1 before we decide about the rest of the series.

Fresh Catch:

In my quest to find books that will appeal to both my son and me, I picked up a couple of new (used) kids’ books plus a graphic novel for me:

Liesl & Po House of Secrets (House of Secrets, #1) Angel & Faith: Death and Consequences (Angel & Faith, #4)

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

The Girl You Left Behind Doctor Sleep (The Shining, #2) The Incrementalists

First, I need to finish The Girl You Left Behind… by Tuesday, because…

Holey moley, I’m so excited for the release of Doctor Sleep by Stephen King! I finished my re-read of The Shining a couple of weeks ago, and have been on pins and needles waiting for Doctor Sleep ever since! I plan to start reading it the second it arrives.

If by any chance I have time left this week, then my next book will be The Incrementalists by Steven Brust and Skyler White, one of my recent Wishlist Wednesday picks.

AND — on top of all this reading goodness — coming this week is one of my very favorite events of the year: the Big Book Sale hosted by the Friends of the San Francisco Public Library. Hundreds of thousands of books for $3 or less! I’ll be attending the member preview on Tuesday night. What could be more fun than being in a huge room filled with books and surrounded by hundreds of crazy book lovers? Last year, I came home with 40 books and spent $80. Let’s see how I do this year!

So many book, so little time…

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

17Sep2013

Wishlist Wednesday: All The Truth That’s In Me

Posted in Wishlist Wednesday by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Welcome to Wishlist Wednesday!

The concept is to post about one book from our wish lists that we can’t wait to read. Want to play? Here’s how:

Follow Pen to Paper as host of the meme.
Do a post about one book from your wishlist and why you want to read it.
Add your blog to the linky at the bottom of the post at Pen to Paper.
Put a link back to Pen to Paper somewhere in your post.
Visit the other blogs and enjoy!

My wishlist book this week is:

All the Truth That’s In Me by Julie Berry
(release date September 26, 2013)

From Goodreads:

Four years ago, Judith and her best friend disappeared from their small town of Roswell Station. Two years ago, only Judith returned, permanently mutilated, reviled and ignored by those who were once her friends and family. Unable to speak, Judith lives like a ghost in her own home, silently pouring out her thoughts to the boy who’s owned her heart as long as she can remember—even if he doesn’t know it—her childhood friend, Lucas. But when Roswell Station is attacked, long-buried secrets come to light, and Judith is forced to choose: continue to live in silence, or recover her voice, even if it means changing her world, and the lives around her, forever. This startlingly original novel will shock and disturb you; it will fill you with Judith’s passion and longing; and its mysteries will keep you feverishly turning the pages until the very last.

Why do I want to read this?

I just recently stumbled across a preview for this book, and haven’t been able to stop thinking of it since. It sounds incredibly disturbing, and yet I found the little excerpts I’ve read so far to be beautifully written, with quite a unique style. The synopsis makes me want to know more: What happened to Judith? Why is she being shunned? What really happened to her friend, and what are the secrets of the town? I’m hoping to get my hands on a copy before too long — I want answers!

What’s on your wishlist this week?

So what are you doing 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!

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

16Sep2013

The Monday Agenda 9/16/2013

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

How did I do with last week’s agenda?

Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk Fangirl The Book of Lost Things (Mister Max #1)

Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk by Ben Fountain: Done! My review is here.

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell: Done! My review is here.

Mister Max: The Book of Lost Things by Cynthia Voigt: Just about at the half-way point. It’s a fun story so far, but I’m not really clear on where it’s going.

The Last Battle by C. S. Lewis: Done! After five months and seven books, our Narnia journey has reached its end. A few reflections can be found here.

Fresh Catch:

Besides Fangirl, which I devoured as soon as it arrived, I also received one book I purchased and one book from the library, both of which I’m really looking forward to reading!

Unthinkable (Impossible, #2) Two Boys Kissing

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

First, I need to finish Mister Max.

Next, I’ll be diving into my two “fresh catch” books, Unthinkable by Nancy Werlin and Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan.

It’s highly unlikely that I’ll finish those and still have time to spare… but if I do, next up is The Girl You Left Behind by Jojo Moyes.

Plus, now that we’ve finished the Narnia books, the kiddo and I have to start our next reading adventure. Let’s see, what can I tempt him with? I’m thinking A Wrinkle in Time, but may experiment a bit and try introducing him to some stories from my Bradbury collection instead.

So many book, so little time…

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

11Sep2013

Wishlist Wednesday: Longbourn by Jo Baker

Posted in Wishlist Wednesday by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Welcome to Wishlist Wednesday!

The concept is to post about one book from our wish lists that we can’t wait to read. Want to play? Here’s how:

Follow Pen to Paper as host of the meme.
Do a post about one book from your wishlist and why you want to read it.
Add your blog to the linky at the bottom of the post at Pen to Paper.
Put a link back to Pen to Paper somewhere in your post.
Visit the other blogs and enjoy!

My wishlist book this week is:

Longbourn by Jo Baker
(release date October 8, 2013)

From Goodreads:

• Pride and Prejudice was only half the story •

If Elizabeth Bennet had the washing of her own petticoats, Sarah often thought, she’d most likely be a sight more careful with them.

In this irresistibly imagined belowstairs answer to Pride and Prejudice, the servants take center stage. Sarah, the orphaned housemaid, spends her days scrubbing the laundry, polishing the floors, and emptying the chamber pots for the Bennet household. But there is just as much romance, heartbreak, and intrigue downstairs at Longbourn as there is upstairs. When a mysterious new footman arrives, the orderly realm of the servants’ hall threatens to be completely, perhaps irrevocably, upended.

Jo Baker dares to take us beyond the drawing rooms of Jane Austen’s classic—into the often overlooked domain of the stern housekeeper and the starry-eyed kitchen maid, into the gritty daily particulars faced by the lower classes in Regency England during the Napoleonic Wars—and, in doing so, creates a vivid, fascinating, fully realized world that is wholly her own.

Why do I want to read this?

I’m a Pride and Prejudice fan, although I do usually try to avoid re-tellings, which mostly strike me as attempts to cash in without being terribly original. (Notable exceptions, for me, are Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and Death Comes to Pemberley — and in movies, Bride and Prejudice!) From the description, I’d say that Longbourn sounds a bit Downton Abbey-ish, with the focus on the happenings below stairs and how those crazy Bennet sisters create chaos for their mostly silent servants.

This strikes me as being a fresh approach to a familiar story, and I have high hopes for it! I’ve just received an ARC, which I plan to get to in the next few weeks, and I’m hoping Longbourn will be as fun and entertaining as it sounds.

What’s on your wishlist this week?

So what are you doing 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 blog hop or 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!

9Sep2013

The Monday Agenda 9/9/2013

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

After a busy week of travel through Alaska (gorgeous!), I’m back and ready to dig into my ever-growing pile of books!

How did I do with last week’s agenda?

Bring Up the Bodies (Thomas Cromwell, #2) The Shining (The Shining, #1) The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk

Bring Up The Bodies by Hilary Mantel: Done! I read this all in one intense day of travel, and was just blown away. My review is here.

The Shining by Stephen King: Done! Re-reading this book after 20 years, I was reminded all over again of how great Stephen King is at what he does. I’m so glad I read this one again — now I feel ready for the release of Doctor Sleep later this month! Further thoughts to follow.

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce: Done! My review is here.

Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk by Ben Fountain: Just started, have read about 50 pages… and I think it’s going to be great.

The Last Battle by C. S. Lewis: Now that I’m back, my son and I are picking up where we left off.

Plus, I posted a review of a book I’d read earlier. If you missed it, check out my review of Tumble & Fall by Alexandra Coutts — a surprisingly lovely book about living through the last week of life on earth.

Fresh Catch:

Despite being on vacation, I managed to pick up two books at a used book store, plus a couple of Kindle deals:

The Lady Elizabeth In Cold Blood The Husband's Secret The Rithmatist (Rithmatist #1)

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

Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk The Book of Lost Things (Mister Max #1) The Girl You Left Behind The Universe Versus Alex Woods

First up, I need to finish Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk, which I’m really enjoying so far.

Next, I plan to read a review copy of Mister Max: The Book of Lost Things by Cynthia Voigt. (For some reason, I keep thinking of this as Mad Max and visualizing a young Mel Gibson. No connection, I know, but there you have it.)

After that, I have a few more ARCs to get through, starting with either The Girl You Left Behind by Jojo Moyes or The Universe Versus Alex Woods by Gavin Extence.

Plus, I’m very eagerly awaiting the arrival of this new release later this week:

Fangirl

So many book, so little time…

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

2Sep2013

The Monday Agenda 9/2/2013

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

I’m out of town on vacation this week, driving through beautiful Alaska (with my beautiful daughter)! Here’s the quick version of the Monday Agenda.

How did I do with last week’s agenda?

The Returned The Thinking Woman's Guide to Real Magic

The Returned by Jason Mott: Done! My review is here.

The Thinking Woman’s Guide to Real Magic by Emily Croy Barker: In all of my pre-trip frenzy, I ran out of time, and since this is a long book, I’m going to wait until I’m back from my travels to dig into it.

The Last Battle by C. S. Lewis: My son and I have read about five chapters so far. Last book in the series! I’m sad to see the Narnia adventure coming to an end. The Last Battle gets off to a pretty depressing start; I hope it picks up — and lightens up! — before the kiddo loses interest.

Fresh Catch:

For my inner fangirl, a treat from the Buffy-verse:

Willow: Wonderland

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

Here’s what I packed to bring on vacation. We’ll see how much reading actually gets done – after all, I have trails to hike, and hope to spend my nights enjoying the Aurora Borealis (fingers crossed!!).

Bring Up the Bodies (Thomas Cromwell, #2) The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry

Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk The Shining (The Shining, #1)

It’s crazy that I brought so many books, but heaven forbid that I run out!

So many book, so little time…

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

27Aug2013

Wishlist Wednesday: Doctor Sleep

Posted in Wishlist Wednesday by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Welcome to Wishlist Wednesday!

The concept is to post about one book from our wish lists that we can’t wait to read. Want to play? Here’s how:

Follow Pen to Paper as host of the meme.
Do a post about one book from your wishlist and why you want to read it.
Add your blog to the linky at the bottom of the post at Pen to Paper.
Put a link back to Pen to Paper somewhere in your post.
Visit the other blogs and enjoy!

My wishlist book this week is:

Doctor Sleep by Stephen King
(release date September 24, 2013)

From Goodreads:

Stephen King returns to the characters and territory of one of his most popular novels ever, The Shining, in this instantly riveting novel about the now middle-aged Dan Torrance (the boy protagonist of The Shining) and the very special twelve-year-old girl he must save from a tribe of murderous paranormals.

On highways across America, a tribe of people called The True Knot travel in search of sustenance. They look harmless—mostly old, lots of polyester, and married to their RVs. But as Dan Torrance knows, and spunky twelve-year-old Abra Stone learns, The True Knot are quasi-immortal, living off the “steam” that children with the “shining” produce when they are slowly tortured to death.

Haunted by the inhabitants of the Overlook Hotel where he spent one horrific childhood year, Dan has been drifting for decades, desperate to shed his father’s legacy of despair, alcoholism, and violence. Finally, he settles in a New Hampshire town, an AA community that sustains him, and a job at a nursing home where his remnant “shining” power provides the crucial final comfort to the dying. Aided by a prescient cat, he becomes “Doctor Sleep.”

Then Dan meets the evanescent Abra Stone, and it is her spectacular gift, the brightest shining ever seen, that reignites Dan’s own demons and summons him to a battle for Abra’s soul and survival. This is an epic war between good and evil, a gory, glorious story that will thrill the millions of devoted readers of The Shining and satisfy anyone new to the territory of this icon in the King canon.

Why do I want to read this?

Hello? Stephen King? The Shining? Sequel? This one is a no-brainer. I’m so excited to see where the story goes, what’s become of Danny since his horrific boyhood, and what will happen when he finally confronts the people of the True Knot.

It’s been many, many years since I read The Shining, and I think I need a refresher. Fortunately, Charleen at Cheap Thrills and Tif at Tif Talks Books are hosting a read-along from September 2 – 23! Visit their blogs for more info — it should be fun!

What’s on your wishlist this week?

So what are you doing 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!

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

26Aug2013

The Monday Agenda 8/26/2013

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

How did I do with last week’s agenda?

The Humans Letters from Skye: A Novel The Returned

I love these kind of weeks when I end up loving everything I’ve read.

The Humans by Matt Haig: Done! My review is here.

Letters from Skye by Jessica Brockmole: Done! My review is here.

The Returned by Jason Mott: I’ve read about a third of this book so far… and it’s a good one!

The Silver Chair by C. S. Lewis: Done! Book #6 in our great Narnia read-aloud was terrific. I can’t believe we’ve almost finished the series!

Fresh Catch:

One new book, and a copy of a book I’ve read already but just had to have:

Bone Quill (Hollow Earth #2) Some Kind Of Fairy Tale

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

The Returned The Thinking Woman's Guide to Real Magic

I aim to finish The Returned in the next few days.

Next up, a review copy of The Thinking Woman’s Guide to Real Magic by Emily Croy Barker, which I think sounds like a lot of fun.

At the end of the week, I’m heading off on a week’s vacation — and I’m working on the all-important decision of what books to bring. As of now, top contenders are:

Bring Up the Bodies (Thomas Cromwell, #2) The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry

Rose Under Fire Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk