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?

NOS4A2 by Joe Hill: Finished! And just in time for the author’s book signing! My review (including random gushiness about the book event) is here.

Twerp by Mark Goldblatt: I read a review copy of this delightful book for middle-grade readers. My review is here.

The Dead Fathers Club by Matt Haig: Finished last night, review to follow. Quick response: I loved this imaginative re-telling of Hamlet!

Fresh Catch:

Just a few items this week. I bought myself copies of two books that I’d borrowed from the library and loved: The Dog Stars by Peter Heller and Attachments by Rainbow Rowell. In addition, I picked up an e-book version of The Madman’s Daughter by Megan Shepherd, which looks like the start of a promising trilogy.

The Dog Stars Attachments The Madman's Daughter (The Madman's Daughter, #1)

Looks like a few more books on my library hold list will come in the next few days as well — but sadly, no Sookie yet. For whatever reason, my library system still lists the new book as “on order”, despite the fact that it came out two weeks ago! Argh.

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

After finishing The Dead Fathers Club last night, I started Amity and Sorrow by Peggy Riley. After that, I’ll try to get through one or two library books, most likely starting with The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey.

Meanwhile, I need to squeeze in a quick re-read of Tempest’s Fury, book 5 in the amazing Jane True series by Nicole Peeler. The sixth and final book comes out next week, and I want to be ready!

My son and I are about 2/3 of the way through The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, and I expect we’ll be ready for book #3 in the Narnia series by the end of the week.

So many book, so little time…

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

14May2013

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 Wednesday book is:

MaddAddam (MaddAddam Trilogy #3)

MaddAddam by Margaret Atwood
(to be released September 2013)

From Goodreads:

Months after the Waterless Flood pandemic has wiped out most of humanity, Toby and Ren have rescued their friend Amanda from the vicious Painballers. They return to the MaddAddamite cob house, which is being fortified against man and giant Pigoon alike. Accompanying them are the Crakers, the gentle, quasi-human species engineered by the brilliant but deceased Crake. While their reluctant prophet, Jimmy — Crake’s one-time friend — recovers from a debilitating fever, it’s left to Toby to narrate the Craker theology, with Crake as Creator. She must also deal with cultural misunderstandings, terrible coffee, and her jealousy over her lover, Zeb.

Combining adventure, humour, romance, superb storytelling, and an imagination that is at once dazzlingly inventive and grounded in a recognizable world, MaddAddam is vintage Margaret Atwood, and a moving and dramatic conclusion to her internationally celebrated dystopian trilogy.

Is anyone else as excited about this book as I am?

I had no idea a third book was on the way until I stumbled across this on Amazon last week. The first book in the trilogy, Oryx and Crake, is one of my very favorite books. At the time that I read Oryx and Crake, I was under the impression that it was a stand-alone novel. When The Year of the Flood came out a few years later, I was thrilled. And now — here comes book three!

If you haven’t read Oryx and Crake, I’d say drop everything and get this book! Here’s the Amazon synopsis:

Oryx and Crake is at once an unforgettable love story and a compelling vision of the future. Snowman, known as Jimmy before mankind was overwhelmed by a plague, is struggling to survive in a world where he may be the last human, and mourning the loss of his best friend, Crake, and the beautiful and elusive Oryx whom they both loved. In search of answers, Snowman embarks on a journey–with the help of the green-eyed Children of Crake–through the lush wilderness that was so recently a great city, until powerful corporations took mankind on an uncontrolled genetic engineering ride. Margaret Atwood projects us into a near future that is both all too familiar and beyond our imagining.

Margaret Atwood is a complicated, challenging, and always engaging writer. Her books require effort, but they’re well worth it. The first two books of this trilogy are science fiction with a dystopian twist — but with a unique worldview and literary approach. I absolutely cannot wait for MaddAddam!

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!

13May2013

The Monday agenda 5/13/2013

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

How did I do with last week’s agenda?

Considering I was sick in bed with a nasty cold most of the week, I did pretty well with my reading plans. Accomplished in the past week:

The Shadowy Horses by Susanna Kearsley: Done! My review is here.

The Theory of Everything by J. J. Johnson: Done! My review is here.

The Magician’s Nephew by C. S. Lewis: Finished this read-aloud with my son. Our thoughts are here.

Read but not reviewed:

I went on a graphic novel bender, reading three books in the Mercy Thompson series and two books in the Alpha & Omega series, all based on novels by Patricia Briggs. I enjoyed the Mercy graphic novels very much; the Alpha & Omega books fell a bit flat for me, particularly because of the cartoonish illustrations.

Also finished: My read-through of Much Ado About Nothing (c’mon, you know who the author is!). I ended up doing a quick read on my Kindle during my sick days. I’m not sure how much I truly absorbed — but it was enough to feel like I had a better familiarity with the plot and the characters. And now I can’t wait to see the movie version AGAIN when it comes out in June. (For more on the Much Ado movie, click here.)

Fresh Catch:

So first of all, this arrived this week — all 700 pages of it:

I also returned a bunch of library books, and as per usual, came home with more. But only two this time, and one is a tour book, so I consider that a win!

And in other news highlighting my amazing powers of self-restraint, I went into an adorable used book store over the weekend and didn’t buy a thing! (Of course, I didn’t see anything that I actually wanted, but that’s beside the point.)

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

Gotta finish NOS4A2. I’m about 400 pages into it — and it is by far the creepiest, most twisted thing I’ve read in ages. I came close to putting it down and picking up something lighter — you know, with kitties or rainbows — but I managed to keep going. Joe Hill is an amazing writer, but geez, this is a disturbing book.

I’m not sure what I’ll end up picking up next — I’m thinking either The Dead Fathers Club by Matt Haig or A Tale For The Time Being by Ruth Ozeki.

Meanwhile, my son and I are pressing ahead with our Narnia read, and have started The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe.

So many book, so little time…

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

7May2013

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 Wednesday book is:

Fangirl

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
(to be released September 2013)

From Goodreads:

A coming-of-age tale of fan fiction, family and first love.

Cath is a Simon Snow fan.

Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan . . .

But for Cath, being a fan is her life — and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving.

Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.

Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to.

Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words . . . And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.

For Cath, the question is: Can she do this? Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories?

Or will she just go on living inside somebody else’s fiction?

Why do I want to read this?

This just sounds perfect for me in so many ways! First, I’ve read Rainbow Rowell’s two other novels, Eleanor & Park and Attachments, in the past month or so, and while they’re quite different, I loved them both so much! (Click on the links if you’d like to read my reviews…)

And then, of course, the plot of Fangirl just sounds right up my alley. I’m imagining the Simon Snow series to be somewhat akin to Harry Potter — and who can’t relate to obsessing over characters, dressing up, waiting for movie premieres??? Plus, the deeper story of sisters growing up and growing apart sounds quite lovely, and I know that I love the way this author writes. All in all, Fangirl is a book that I just can’t wait to read!

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!

6May2013

The Monday agenda 5/6/2013

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

How did I do with last week’s agenda?

A Spear of Summer Grass by Deanna Raybourn: Finished it; enjoyed it; reviewed it. My review is here.

Ask The Passengers: Done! My review is here.

Read but not reviewed:

Far in the Wilds by Deanna Raybourn: A prequel to A Spear of Summer Grass. This novella provides the backstory for one of the main characters, and is worth checking out if you’ve read Spear.

Interview with the Vampire: Claudia’s Story by Anne Rice and Ashley Marie Witter. This graphic novel retells events from Interview from the perspective of Claudia, the child vampire. Fans of Anne Rice’s books may want to read this as a side-note to the novels, but I wouldn’t recommend it in place of reading Interview with the Vampire.

Fresh Catch:

I managed not to buy any new books this week, although I did pick up a used copy of this book after a book club friend recommended it:

See? Real self-restraint this week. No guarantee that will last, however.

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

I wrote a bit of a blogging manifesto for myself over the weekend (you can read it here), in which I reminded myself to put reading ahead of blogging — in other words, read the books I really want to read, rather than picking books based on what might work well as blog posts. There are so many other sources of stress in my life. Reading shouldn’t be one of them. So, onward! With a fresh outlook, I hope.

That said, here’s where I stand in terms of a reading agenda for the coming week. I’m about midway through The Shadowy Horses by Susanna Kearsley, and I’m enjoying it very much. I decided it was finally time to make it a priority, even though it’s been on my shelf for months now, because the author has new book due out soon and I’ve heard that at least one of the characters from The Shadowy Horses will be showing up.

After much internal debate about continuing to buy brand-new hardcovers when I already have so many unread books in my house (you see where this is going, don’t you?), I finally broke down and ordered myself a copy of Joe Hill’s new novel, NOS4A2. It should be arriving on Tuesday, and I plan to start reading it the second it arrives.

Since NOS4A2 is 700+ pages, I’m guessing that will fill up my reading agenda very nicely this week, thank you very much.

But, if I do have any random down-time, I’ll continue my slow but steady read-through of Much Ado About Nothing. I’m aiming for a scene each day — not too ambitious, but it’s still not always happening. I don’t feel a great sense of urgency about this, but I would like to become more familiar with Shakespeare’s comedies, and this is a good start.

My son and I are approaching the end of The Magician’s Nephew by C. S. Lewis. We’re in Narnia and have met Aslan. Looking good. And seeming likely that we’ll continue with the Narnia books after this one is done.

So many book, so little time…

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

1May2013

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 Wednesday book is:

The Abominable: A Novel

The Abominable by Dan Simmons
(to be released October 2013)

From Goodreads:

It’s 1926, and the desire to summit the world’s highest mountain has reached a fever-pitch among adventurers. Three young friends, eager to take their shot at the top, accept funding from a grieving mother whose son fell to his death on Mt. Everest two years earlier. But she refuses to believe he’s dead, and wants them to bring him back alive.

As they set off toward Everest, the men encounter other hikers who are seeking the boy’s body for their own mysterious reasons. What valuable item could he have been carrying? What is the truth behind the many disappearances on the mountain? As they journey to the top of the world, the three friends face abominable choices, actions–and possibly creatures. A bone-chilling, pulse-pounding story of supernatural suspense, THE ABOMINABLE is Dan Simmons at his best.

Why do I want to read this?

Sometimes, there’s nothing like a good horror story to really hit the spot! I haven’t read that much by Dan Simmons, but what I have been has been intense, disturbing, and scary. Perfect!

Plus, I’ve always been fascinated by Mt. Everest and the people who feel compelled to climb it. The idea of a horror novel centering on an early Everest expedition just sounds like something I’d love. Can’t wait!

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!

29Apr2013

The Monday agenda 4/29/2013

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

How did I do with last week’s agenda?

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness: Done! My review is here. Beautiful, heart-breaking book.

Attachments by Rainbow Rowell: Done! Delightful. My review is here.

A Spear of Summer Grass by Deanna Raybourn: I’ve read about 30% by now. So far, so good.

Fresh Catch:

First of all, this arrived:

Angel & Faith, volume 3: Family Reunion. My inner fangirl nerd is squealing with delight right now.

I did end up with a few library books this week as well. I don’t understand how that happened — all I did was stop at the library to return a book, and somehow I ended up with these:

I just can’t get ahead.

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

After A Spear of Summer Grass, I need to get through a few more books sitting on my Kindle, including The First Rule of Swimming and Questions of Travel. But I’m highly fickle these days, as well as easily distracted, so who knows what shiny new cover may catch my eye?

On the “call me ambitious” front, after seeing the amazing new movie version of Much Ado About Nothing this past weekend (see my reaction here), I’ve decided that I really need to read a Shakespearean comedy or two to make up for what are apparently some very sad deficiencies in my education. So, I pulled my massive Riverside Shakespeare off the shelf and plan to read through Much Ado in the next week or two. And I’m sure I’m going to be perfectly insufferable about the whole thing.

My son and I are continuing with The Magician’s Nephew by C. S. Lewis. We’ve just about reached the half-way mark at this point, and we’re finding it a quick and entertaining read.

So many book, so little time…

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

23Apr2013

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 Wednesday book is:

jacket image for Picture Me Gone by Meg Rosoff - large version

Picture Me Gone by Meg Rosoff
(to be released October 2013)

From Amazon:

Printz Award-winning author Meg Rosoff’s latest novel is a gorgeous and unforgettable page-turner about the relationship between parents and children, love and loss.

Mila has an exceptional talent for reading a room—sensing hidden facts and unspoken emotions from clues that others overlook. So when her father’s best friend, Matthew, goes missing from his upstate New York home, Mila and her beloved father travel from London to find him. She collects information about Matthew from his belongings, from his wife and baby, from the dog he left behind and from the ghosts of his past—slowly piecing together the story everyone else has missed. But just when she’s closest to solving the mystery, a shocking betrayal calls into question her trust in the one person she thought she could read best.

Why do I want to read this?

First off, I’ve read all of Meg Rosoff’s other books, and while some appeal to me more than others, I always enjoy her writing, her creativity, and how she never repeats herself. How I Live Now is one of my very favorite books, What I Was was just impossible to get out of my mind when I was done with it, and The Bride’s Farewell was lovely.

Second, I just really like the sound of this one! I like the emphasis on the father-daughter relationship, and I’d really like to know more about Mila’s talents and the secrets she uncovers. I’m really looking forward to reading Picture Me Gone!

What are you wishing for 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!

22Apr2013

The Monday agenda 4/22/2013

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

How did I do with last week’s agenda?

The River of No Return by Bee Ridgway: Done! My review is here. Short version: Amazing! Don’t miss it — the book is being released this week.

Attachments by Rainbow Rowell: Just started. I’ve read about 50 pages, and it’s a hoot so far.

From last week’s agenda: The Love Song of Jonny Valentine by Teddy Wayne. Finished reading during the previous week, but didn’t get the review up until a few days ago.

Fresh Catch:

NO NEW BOOKS! That’s right — a very big accomplishment for me. During this past week, I neither bought any new books nor borrowed any books from the library.

However… I did get a few review copies of books via NetGalley (thank you, NetGalley!). Here are some pretty pictures of the newest titles now waiting for me on my Kindle:

I’m really excited to read all of these, and can’t wait to dig in!

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

Once I finish Attachments, I plan to read A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness, and then dive into one of the lovely books pictured above.

My son and I have started reading The Magician’s Nephew by C. S. Lewis, although we haven’t gotten past the first chapter yet. I’m a Narnia novice — we’ll see how it goes for both of us. This is also a test to see whether my 10-year-old still has the patience for having his mom read to him. Fingers crossed!

So many book, so little time…

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

16Apr2013

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 Wednesday book is:

Unthinkable by Nancy Werlin
(to be released September 2013)

From Goodreads:

Fenella was the first Scarborough girl to be cursed, hundreds of years ago, and she has been trapped in the faerie realm ever since, forced to watch generations of daughters try to break this same faerie curse that has enslaved them all. [SNIP! A bit of the synopsis has been deleted to spare y’all from spoilers related to the previous book!]

In her desperation, Fenella makes a deal with the faerie queen: If she can accomplish three acts of destruction, she will be free, at last, to die. What she doesn’t realize is that these acts must be aimed at her own family and if she fails, the consequences will be dire, for all of the Scarborough girls.

How can she possibly choose to hurt her own cherished family not to mention the new man whom she’s surprised to find herself falling in love with? But if she doesn’t go through with the tasks, how will she manage to save her dear ones?

Why do I want to read this?

BECAUSE IT’S THE SEQUEL TO IMPOSSIBLE!

Okay, I’ll calm down now. I loved Impossible. The story of the Scarborough curse is haunting and beautiful, and I loved how the author constructed the story using the old Scarborough Fair song — but altered to fit the faerie-curse storyline. I am so excited that the author has written a follow-up novel, and I can’t wait to see what happens next.

Meanwhile, between now and September, check out Impossible — and I also highly recommend Nancy Werlin’s more recent faerie-world book, Extraordinary.

Quick note to Wishlist Wednesday bloggers: Come on back to Bookshelf Fantasies for Flashback Friday! Join me in celebrating the older gems hidden away on our bookshelves. See the introductory post for more details, and come back this Friday to add your flashback favorites!