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.

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!

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

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!

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

Four books for a one-week trip is a bit excessive, but I have until Friday to narrow it down!

And… the Narnia read continues! As of Sunday night, we’ve officially started the last book, The Last Battle.

So many book, so little time…

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

20Aug2013

Wishlist Wednesday

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:

Reality Boy by A. S. King
(release date October 22, 2013)

From Goodreads:

Gerald Faust knows exactly when he started feeling angry: the day his mother invited a reality television crew into his five-year-old life. Twelve years later, he’s still haunted by his rage-filled youth—which the entire world got to watch from every imaginable angle—and his anger issues have resulted in violent outbursts, zero friends, and clueless adults dumping him in the special education room at school.

Nothing is ever going to change. No one cares that he’s tried to learn to control himself, and the girl he likes has no idea who he really is. Everyone’s just waiting for him to snap…and he’s starting to feel dangerously close to doing just that.

In this fearless portrayal of a boy on the edge, highly acclaimed Printz Honor author A.S. King explores the desperate reality of a former child “star” who finally breaks free of his anger by creating possibilities he never knew he deserved.

Why do I want to read this?

I read Ask The Passengers by A. S. King a few months ago, and thought it was wonderful. The author has a gift for portraying young adults as real people facing hard choices and dealing with the fall-out. I’ve been wanting to read more by this author (an earlier novel, Please Ignore Vera Dietz, was a Printz Honor book in 2011) — and Reality Boy sounds like a great choice. I’m intrigued by the concept, following a boy forced into a public role via reality TV at such a young age. I’d really love to know what happens to him, and whether he finds a way to escape his past and lead a normal life.

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!

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

19Aug2013

The Monday Agenda 8/19/2013

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

How did I do with last week’s agenda?

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

The Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith (J. K. Rowling): Done! My review is here.

The Humans by Matt Haig: About 100 pages into it so far, and loving every moment.

Trash Can Days by Teddy Steinkellner: Done! This one was almost a DNF; however, I did end up finishing it and wrote up my thoughts here.

The Silver Chair by C. S. Lewis: About 2/3 of the way through. The end is in sight!

Fresh Catch:

No NEW new books this week, although I did finally get my hands on a copy of Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell. I read it in the spring as a library book, loved it, and have been looking for a copy ever since. I ended up getting the UK paperback version, which looks like this;

Eleanor & Park

Plus, I have a trip to plan, so I picked this up while I was at the library:

Fodor's Alaska 2013

Exciting!

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

The Humans The Returned Letters from Skye: A Novel

The Humans is so good! If I have time to sit and read — without interruptions — I shouldn’t have any problems finishing this up in the next day or so.

I have a review copy of The Returned by Jason Mott that I’m eager to get to. So far, I’ve heard good things!

And — just got an email from the library saying the copy of Letters from Skye that I’d requested is now available.

My son and I should be close to the end of The Silver Chair this week. Onward for the glory of Narnia!

So many book, so little time…

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

13Aug2013

Wishlist Wednesday

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:

The Geography of You and Me by Jennifer E. Smith
(release date April 2014)

From Amazon:

Lucy and Owen meet somewhere between the tenth and twelfth floors of a New York City apartment building, on an elevator rendered useless by a citywide blackout. After they’re rescued, they spend a single night together, wandering the darkened streets and marveling at the rare appearance of stars above Manhattan. But once the power is restored, so is reality. Lucy soon moves to Edinburgh with her parents, while Owen heads out west with his father.

Lucy and Owen’s relationship plays out across the globe as they stay in touch through postcards, occasional e-mails, and — finally — a reunion in the city where they first met.

A carefully charted map of a long-distance relationship, Jennifer E. Smith’s new novel shows that the center of the world isn’t necessarily a place. It can be a person, too.

Why do I want to read this?

I’ve read and enjoyed Jennifer E. Smith’s two previous young adult books, The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight and This Is What Happy Looks Like (reviewed here). In both, we meet likable, unusual characters who fall in love — but with clever twists, a few obstacles, and quite a lot of intelligence. I really enjoy the author’s writing style, the light, upbeat approach, and the sweet romance of it all.

Plus, those titles! I’m a sucker for a book with a great catchy title, and this is yet another good one. Count me in!

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!

12Aug2013

The Monday Agenda 8/12/2013

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

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.

6Aug2013

Wishlist Wednesday

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:

Hollow Earth

Hollow Earth by John Barrowman & Carole E. Barrowman

From Goodreads:

Imagination matters most in a world where art can keep monsters trapped—or set them free.

Lots of twins have a special connection, but twelve-year-old Matt and Emily Calder can do way more than finish each other’s sentences. Together, they are able to bring art to life and enter paintings at will. Their extraordinary abilities are highly sought after, particularly by a secret group who want to access the terrors called Hollow Earth. All the demons, devils, and evil creatures ever imagined are trapped for eternity in the world of Hollow Earth—trapped unless special powers release them.

The twins flee from London to a remote island off the west coast of Scotland in hopes of escaping their pursuers and gaining the protection of their grandfather, who has powers of his own. But the villains will stop at nothing to find Hollow Earth and harness the powers within. With so much at stake, nowhere is safe—and survival might be a fantasy.

Why do I want to read this?

Reason #1:

Excuse me for getting all fangirl-y… but it’s written by CAPTAIN JACK HARKNESS! John Barrowman can, apparently, do everything. He sings, he dances, he hunts aliens, and now (in partnership with his sister) he writes children’s books! This man is just golden (and so, so pretty in his captain’s coat. See below if you don’t believe me).

Fangirlishness aside, I really do want to read Hollow Earth! It sounds like a promising, exciting start to a middle grade adventure (the sequel, Bone Quill, has just been released as well). I love the concept of the twins being able to enter paintings, and wonder what the connection to Hollow Earth and the trapped terrors will be. Add to that the Scottish setting, and I think it sounds pretty terrific!

I’ve just ordered myself a copy of both books, and plan to dive in as soon as my reading schedule eases up a bit. (Ha! Like that ever happens… ) Meanwhile, I’ll amuse myself with more pictures of Captain Jack, in all his Torchwood/Doctor Who glory:

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!

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