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?

Lady of Ashes by Christine Trent: Done! My review is here.

Not on last week’s agenda, but I read it anyway: The Love Song of Jonny Valentine by Teddy Wayne. Terrific read; review to follow.

Fresh Catch:

New acquisitions, both purchased and borrowed from the library — here’s what joined my collection, permanently or temporarily, this past week:

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

I plan to start with The River of No Return by Bee Ridgway. It’s a bit on the big side, so I may not have time for much else — but if I do, I should probably dig into some of the library books I have sitting in a pile here, before the nice library folks demand them back. Waiting to be read are Attachments by Rainbow Rowell, A Natural History of Dragons by Marie Brennan, and The House Girl by Tara Conklin.

Don’t even ask me about all the unread titles on my Kindle…

So many book, so little time…

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

9Apr2013

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:

Shadows by Robin McKinley
(to be released September 2013)

From Amazon:

A compelling and inventive novel set in a world where science and magic are at odds, by Robin McKinley, the Newbery-winning author of The Hero and the Crown and The Blue Sword, as well as the classic titles Beauty, Chalice, Spindle’s End, Pegasus and Sunshine.

Maggie knows something’s off about Val, her mom’s new husband. Val is from Oldworld, where they still use magic, and he won’t have any tech in his office-shed behind the house. But—more importantly—what are the huge, horrible, jagged, jumpy shadows following him around? Magic is illegal in Newworld, which is all about science. The magic-carrying gene was disabled two generations ago, back when Maggie’s great-grandmother was a notable magician. But that was a long time ago.

Then Maggie meets Casimir, the most beautiful boy she has ever seen. He’s from Oldworld too—and he’s heard of Maggie’s stepfather, and has a guess about Val’s shadows. Maggie doesn’t want to know . . . until earth-shattering events force her to depend on Val and his shadows. And perhaps on her own heritage.

In this dangerously unstable world, neither science nor magic has the necessary answers, but a truce between them is impossible. And although the two are supposed to be incompatible, Maggie’s discovering the world will need both to survive.

Why do I want to read this?

Robin McKinley is the author of some of my very favorite books, among them The Blue Sword, Deerskin, Sunshine, and Beauty. She’s absolutely one of the tops when it comes to world-building, particularly when magic and mystery are involved. I love the sound of Shadows — the idea of a truce between science and magic is so intriguing! I really can’t wait to read this book.

Meanwhile, if magic, fairy tale retellings, and mythology appeal to you, then I definitely recommend checking out any or all of Robin McKinley’s books.

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!

8Apr2013

The Monday agenda 4/8/2013

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

Sometimes I ask myself, why bother with a plan? After all, I just end up reading whatever strikes my fancy, 9 times out of 10. Or so it seems. Anyway, in my own probably futile attempt to control the chaos, here goes:

How did I do with last week’s agenda?

Dreamers of the Day by Mary Doria Russell. Finished last week, and finally wrote a review. Plus, my book group discussion about Dreamers of the Day was terrific. And now I can say that I’ve read everything written by Mary Doria Russell — and can only sit back and wait for her to finish the next book.

The Uninvited Guests by Sadie Jones. Finished! My review is here.

Not on last week’s agenda, but I read it anyhow: Stranded by Jeff Probst and Chris Tebbetts. My son finished this middle grade book, then insisted I read it as well. Our take on Stranded is here. Short version: If your kids are Survivor fans, this kids’ book by the Survivor host is a great choice.

Also in kids’ books: My son abandoned me midway through our read-aloud of Down the Mysterly River by Bill Willingham, so I finally decided to finish it on my own. My review is here.

Fresh Catch:

New acquisitions, both purchased and borrowed from the library — here’s what joined my collection, permanently or temporarily, this past week:

Bought or received:

Plus, I went to hear Cheryl Strayed speak this past week (she was fantastic!) and I finally bought myself a copy of Wild, since the copy I read a few months back was borrowed from a friend. And look! She signed it!

I also picked up a few books from the library. Why do all my holds come in all at once??? I may not get to read them all before they’re due again, but here’s what came home with me this week:

So yeah. My book habits are out of control. Like that’s a surprise.

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

I actually have a clean slate at the moment. I’m not in the middle of anything! So what to read?

I intend to start with Lady of Ashes by Christine Trent. A Victorian lady undertaker! Sounds like something I’ll love.

Next, I’m really looking forward to reading the review copy of The River of No Return by Bee Ridgway, which just arrived in the mail yesterday. Time travel + historical fiction = something I can’t wait to read.

Meanwhile, I really should get to one of the new, biggish novels that have come my way, but I’m trying not to overcommit — so no promises for what’s next!

So many book, so little time…

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

2Apr2013

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:

World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks

From Goodreads:

The Zombie War came unthinkably close to eradicating humanity. Max Brooks, driven by the urgency of preserving the acid-etched first-hand experiences of the survivors from those apocalyptic years, traveled across the United States of America and throughout the world, from decimated cities that once teemed with upwards of thirty million souls to the most remote and inhospitable areas of the planet. He recorded the testimony of men, women, and sometimes children who came face-to-face with the living, or at least the undead, hell of that dreadful time. World War Z is the result. Never before have we had access to a document that so powerfully conveys the depth of fear and horror, and also the ineradicable spirit of resistance, that gripped human society through the plague years.

Why do I want to read this?

Well, I’m definitely late to the party on this one. World War Z has been sitting on my shelf for years, and I’m a little tired of the zombie craze, to be honest… but then I saw the movie trailer for the upcoming Brad Pitt production, so how can I resist?

Plus, I love novels that masquerade as journalism, and this book of “eyewitness” accounts of the zombie war sounds right up my alley.

1Apr2013

The Monday agenda 4/1/2013

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

Back from vacation, ready to catch up with the world once again!

How did I do with last week’s agenda?

I was on a family vacation all of last week, which meant plenty of reading, but not much blogging. May the gods of the interwebs bless my bulky but trusty home computer — trying to get by on a netbook and Starbucks wifi was not a fun experience! I still have some reviews to write, but here’s how I did last week:

Dreamers of the Day by Mary Doria Russell. Finished it, loved it, but haven’t had time to sit down and review yet. Stay tuned.

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell. Done! Amazing, intense, beautiful book. My review is here.

That Time I Joined The Circus by J. J. Howard. Finished last week, but didn’t review until this week.

Fresh Catch:

Despite being out of town, a few new books came my way, via a giveaway (thank you!!) and my lovely neighborhood library branch. Here’s the fresh catch of the week:

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

I’ve started the The Uninvited Guests by Sadie Jones, but haven’t gotten quite half-way yet. (Tried to read more on the airplane yesterday, but the three-year-old sitting behind me was just a wee bit distracting.)

Next up, either one of the library books (above) or else my new copy of A Tale For The Time Being by Ruth Ozeki, which I had to buy the second it came out but still haven’t had time to read yet!

So many book, so little time…

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

26Mar2013

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 Mercy of Thin Air by Ronlyn Domingue

From Goodreads:

New Orleans, 1920s. Raziela Nolan is in the throes of a magnificent love affair when she dies in a tragic accident. In an instant, she leaves behind her one true love and her dream of becoming a doctor — but somehow, she still remains. Immediately after her death, Razi chooses to stay between — a realm that exists after life and before whatever lies beyond it.

From this remarkable vantage point, Razi narrates the stories of her lost love, Andrew, and the relationship of Amy and Scott, a couple whose house she haunts almost seventy-five years later. The Mercy of Thin Air entwines these two fateful and redemptive love stories that echo across three generations. From ambitious, forward-thinking Razi, who illegally slips birth control guides into library books; to hip Web designer Amy, who begins to fall off the edge of grief; to Eugenia, caught between since the Civil War, the characters in this wondrous novel sing with life. Evoking the power of love, memory, and time, The Mercy of Thin Air culminates in a startling finish that will leave readers breathless.

Why do I want to read this?

Okay, I just heard of this book a few days ago, when I found out that I won a different book by this author in a giveaway (yay, me!). I feel like I’m on a roll with picking Wishlist Wednesday books with a New Orleans connection (like my selection a few weeks ago, Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys). A multi-generational story featuring ghosts, New Orleans, modern love, and the Civil War — count me in! I can’t wait to get my hands on this one.

24Mar2013

The Monday agenda 3/25/2013

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

You’ll have to excuse my brevity and lack of pictures this week. I’m out of town, staying in a lovely hotel which charges an arm and a leg for internet access… hence, my late night visit to the Starbucks across the road, which is apparently closing in 10 minutes. So, the very brief version of The Monday Agenda, courtesy of Starbucks and my finicky netbook.

How did I do with last week’s agenda?

That Time I Joined The Circus by J. J. Howard: Done! Review to follow.

Dreamers of the Day by Mary Doria Russell. Started, about 100 pages to go. Really enjoying so far… and learning something too, while I’m at it.

Monday Agenda feature (but not this week): Fresh Catch!

Nothing to report this week. I’m out of town, hauling books and my Kindle everywhere I go, but so far managing not to add to my load by picking up any new books.

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

Since I’m traveling, I’m trying to stay nimble and light. I have two more “real” (i.e., made of paper) books with me, The Uninvited Guests by Sadie Jones and Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell. And I have a feeling those will last me until I’m back home again.

And that’s it! My normal blogging and reading routines are definitely off this week — a small price to pay for an opportunity to visit with family and see some new sights.

So many book, so little time…

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

19Mar2013

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:

Curtsies & Conspiracies (Finishing School: Book the Second) by Gail Carriger

I was so happy to see Gail Carriger’s post this week announcing that book 2 in her Finishing School series is now available for pre-order! Sadly, we still have a while to wait until the book is released in November, but it’s never too early to break out the teapots in anticipation!

From Goodreads:

Sophronia’s first year at Mademoiselle Geraldine’s Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality has certainly been rousing! For one thing, finishing school is training her to be a spy (won’t Mumsy be surprised?). Furthermore, Sophronia got mixed up in an intrigue over a stolen device and had a cheese pie thrown at her in a most horrid display of poor manners.

Now, as she sneaks around the dirigible school, eavesdropping on the teachers’ quarters and making clandestine climbs to the ship’s boiler room, she learns that there may be more to a school trip to London than is apparent at first. A conspiracy is afoot–one with dire implications for both supernaturals and humans. Sophronia must rely on her training to discover who is behind the dangerous plot-and survive the London Season with a full dance card.

In this sequel to bestselling author Gail Carriger’s YA debut Etiquette & Espionage, class is back in session with more petticoats and poison, tea trays and treason. Gail’s distinctive voice, signature humor, and lush steampunk setting are sure to be the height of fashion this season.

Why do I want to read this?

I became an instant fan of Gail Carriger and her unique fictional worlds from the very first page of Soulless, book one in the unforgettable Parasol Protectorate series. In her new young adult series, Gail takes her steampunk/supernatural Victorian world and inserts one precocious teen with an undeniable talent for trouble and intrigue. I enjoyed Etiquette & Espionage, book one in the Finishing School series (my review is here), although I felt that I’d like to see main character Sophronia move from more childish antics into young womanhood. I’m hoping that as the books in the series progress, we’ll see Sophronia’s development, both as a young lady of manners as well as a first-rate intelligencer, much as we saw Harry Potter grow and mature in each book and each year at Hogwarts.

I was also tickled to learn that book three, while still in the works and not due until sometime in 2014, will have the magnificent title Waistcoats & Weaponry. Fabulous.

18Mar2013

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

Oh, I am so guilty of the mad, impulse-driven, can’t-sleep-until-I-order it book purchase. And yes, inevitably, for at least some of these must-own-NOW books, they arrive and I never make time to read them. Doesn’t mean I never will — I just haven’t been in the right mood, or the stars haven’t been perfectly aligned, or ____ (insert your favorite excuse here…)

I’ll start with a couple that I couldn’t wait to get this past winter, after I was fortunate enough to receive a nice Amazon gift card in time for the holidays:

1) My Ideal Bookshelf by Thessaly La Force and Jane Mount. I’m still totally in love with the concept behind this beautiful coffee table book about books, but always end up feeling too rushed to sit down, page through, and savor it completely.

And from lovely to not so much:

2) The Walking Dead Compendium, Volumes 1 & 2 by Robert Kirkman. I have not watched the TV show, but I’ve been meaning to read the graphic novels, and thought these huge compilations would be the way to go. Over 1,000 pages each, they just seem like such a BIG commitment that I haven’t started. Yet.

And a whole bunch more that have been languishing on my shelves:

3) The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales by J. R. R. Tolkien. When I finished reading Lord of the Rings years ago, I just had to get these… and then promptly lost interest. Some day, I swear.

4) The Dark Tower series, books #4 – 7 by Stephen King. I was only about 15 pages into The Gunslinger before I decided I had to read the entire series. Bought ’em all, and then never got past book three. I really liked the books that I read; it’s just that I decided I needed a break after the 3rd book, and somehow that break has now lasted over two years.

5) Three novels by Kate Morton (The House at Riverton, The Forgotten Garden, and The Distant Hours). Because why buy only one book by an author who’s new to you when you can buy three? I kept hearing such good things about her novels that when I found these, I had to get them. And have yet to read them.

6) The 13 1/2 Lives of Captain Bluebear by Walter Moers. I happened to browse through this book in an airport bookstore and thought it looked completely charming. I made sure to write down the title and get myself a copy when I got back home. That was years ago. And there it still sits on my shelf.

7) Graceling, Fire, and Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore. Like the books by Kate Morton, I’ve only heard good things about these books, and keep buying them as new ones are released, but have yet to read a single one.

8) Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel. I know, I know… won lots of prizes, supposed to be amazing, etc, etc… but I just haven’t been in the mood for serious historical fiction. This one is on my 2013 TBR Challenge list, so I really, really have to give it a try.

9) Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley. I always try to keep up with the Printz award winners, and I was dying to get a copy of this one — so I did. And someday, I’ll read it.

10) Moloka’i by Alan Brennert. I love books about Hawaii, and I’m fascinated in particular by the history of the island of Moloka’i and its leper colony. I was so happy to get this book. Like the others on this list — someday, I really will read it.

Whew. I’ve barely scratched the surface. Putting together 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 you already have!)

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

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18Mar2013

The Monday agenda 3/18/2013

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

How did I do with last week’s agenda?

The Best of All Possible Worlds, by Karen Lord: Done! My review is here. (Amazing book. √ it out!)

Revenge of the Girl With the Great Personality by Elizabeth Eulberg: Finished reading on Sunday – review to follow. Lots of fun!

And in the category of unbelievable accomplishments:

Fairy Tales from the Brothers Grimm by Philip Pullman: At long last, done! It may have been a struggle at times, but I’m glad I stuck with it. My review is here.

New Monday Agenda feature: Fresh Catch!

In addition to looking at my reading plans from the last week and setting goals for the coming week, I thought it might be fun to provide an update each week on all the new acquisitions that make their way into my home and onto my shelves. So, Fresh Catch for the past seven days:

From the library, I checked out four different urban fantasy anthologies for one specific purpose: To read the short story by Patricia Briggs in each collection! After reading the newly published Frost Burned (Mercy Thompson series, book #7) last week, I felt like a starving woman grasping at crumbs — please, give me more! The Patricia Briggs stories in these collections are not about Mercy herself, but do take place in her world:

book cover of Strange Brew byP N Elrod

Other new books purchased or received:

A Tale For The Time Being by Ruth Ozeki

That Time I Joined The Circus by J. J. Howard

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

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

I’m in pre-vacation mode, heading out of town for a week starting next weekend, and that puts me into serious book decision-making panic. What to bring? What to read on the plane? What do I bring as back-up? See what I mean? Decisions, decisions, decisions.

To start the week, I want to read the review copy I received of That Time I Joined The Circus, a YA novel which sounds like a lot of fun.

I should try to read Eleanor and Park before I leave, so I can return it to the library and into the hands of whoever is eagerly awaiting it. (I understand there’s a rather long waiting list right now).

For “serious” vacation reading, I’m planning to bring with me Dreamers of the Day by Mary Doria Russell and The Uninvited Guests by Sadie Jones. And if I get through those, maybe I’ll finally read one of the 40 or so titles on my Kindle that I still haven’t gotten to!

My son seems to have bailed on our co-read of Down the Mysterly River by Bill Willingham, although he hasn’t yet declared himself officially out. I want to know what happens! If the kiddo decides not to keep going, then I’m definitely going to gobble this one up on my own. It’s quite wonderful so far!

So many book, so little time…

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