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 Love Song of Jonny Valentine by Teddy Wayne

From Goodreads:

Megastar Jonny Valentine, eleven-year-old icon of bubblegum pop, knows that the fans don’t love him for who he is. The talented singer’s image, voice, and even hairdo have been relentlessly packaged—by his L.A. label and his hard-partying manager-mother, Jane—into bite-size pabulum. But within the marketing machine, somewhere, Jonny is still a vulnerable little boy, perplexed by his budding sexuality and his heartthrob status, dependent on Jane, and endlessly searching for his absent father in Internet fan sites, lonely emails, and the crowds of faceless fans.

Why do I want to read this?

This new release has been getting a lot of attention (inevitable, given its instant association with Justin Bieber and other teen pop stars), as well as some excellent reviews. The topic is probably a little outside of my normal reading interests, but I’ll give it a whirl! Has anyone read it yet? Any thoughts?

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!

11Mar2013

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books On My Spring 2013 TBR List

Posted in Top Ten Tuesday by Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies

Top 10 Tuesday new 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 On My Spring 2013 TBR List

Easy-peasy! My TBR (to-be-read) list grows by leaps and bounds. The challenge is not to come up with ten — it’s deciding which ten out of the hundreds of unread books in my house will actually make the list.

Without further ado:

Let’s start with a few books already pre-ordered, which will bump up to the top of my reading pile as soon as they arrive:

1) The Ocean At The End Of The Lane by Neil Gaiman. From Goodreads: “THE OCEAN AT THE END OF THE LANE is a fable that reshapes modern fantasy: moving, terrifying and elegiac – as pure as a dream, as delicate as a butterfly’s wing, as dangerous as a knife in the dark, from storytelling genius Neil Gaiman.” Okay, it’s Neil Gaiman. I’m in.

2) NOS4A2 by Joe Hill. Joe Hill writes some of the scariest horror I’ve ever read. The new book sounds terrifyingly terrific.

3) Tempest Reborn by Nicole Peeler. The 6th and final book in the amazing Jane True urban fantasy series. Jane is a totally kick-butt heroine with a soft spot for good books, yummy food, and hot guys. I’ve love watching Jane’s development of the course of the series from sad, downtrodden town pariah to fully empowered action hero with heart. Go, Jane!

A few books that have been on my shelves for longer than I care to admit:

4) Dreamers of the Day by Mary Doria Russell. The only book by this author that I haven’t read yet — and given the fact that I’ve adored everything else she’s written, I’m really looking forward to finally sitting down with this one.

5) The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde. I’ve been wanting to get to this silly-sounding series for years! This spring, I’m going to make it happen.

6) The Shadowy Horses by Susanna Kearsley. I’ve read three of Susanna Kearsley’s atmospheric, romance-drenched time-slip novels, and want to read this one ASAP, as I understand a character from The Shadowy Horses features in her new upcoming book, The Firebird.

And a few newer acquisitions, which I really, really, really intend to read!

7) Me Before You by Jojo Moyes. I’ve read nothing but good reviews for this new release, and it’s been a while since I’ve read a book that made me cry. (I’ve been warned)

8) The Child’s Child by Barbara Vine. I’m not usually a mystery buff, but this story about family secrets and a book-within-a-book sounds too good to miss.

9) Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk by Ben Fountain. So much buzz about this book! Must check it out, see if it lives up to the hype.

10) The Uninvited Guests by Sadie Jones. My city’s public library system is featuring this book as its current “One City, One Book” selection. Coming off the most recent season of Downton Abbey, this tale of an English manor house and the entanglements of its inhabitants sounds very appealing to me.

Whew! That’s ten! If I don’t get distracted by some other ten or twenty books, I hope to make a serious dent in this list over the next few months. Have you read any of these? Any thoughts or recommendations? And what are you planning to read this spring?

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11Mar2013

The Monday agenda 3/11/2013

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?

Spellbinding by Maya Gold: Done! My review is here.

Frost Burned (Mercy Thompson, book 7) by Patricia Briggs: Done! My review is here. (Short version: Loved it! I want to live in Mercy’s world.)

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 picked up copies of A Natural History of Dragons by by Marie Brennan; The Painted Girls by Cathy Marie Buchanan; and The Uninvited Guests by Sadie Jones.

Front Cover

Other new books purchased or received:

Frost Burned by Patricia Briggs (of course!); Where She Went by Gayle Forman; and for my son, Stranded by Jeff Probst. (Yes, the Survivor host has written the first in a middle-grade trilogy about a bunch of kids stranded on an island. Hey, write what you know, Jeff!)

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

I received an e-ARC of a new science fiction book, The Best of All Possible Worlds, by Karen Lord. I’ve only read the first few pages, but I’m intrigued. I hope to make a big dent in this one in the next few days.

Next up, I’m expecting a copy of Ruth Ozeki’s new release, A Tale for the Time Being. I loved this author’s My Year of Meats, and I’m really looking forward to starting her newest book.

And if I finish both of these books and still have time, I need to dig into some of the books that have been patiently waiting for me. Dreamers of the Day by Mary Doria Russell is inching its way to the top of the pile. Our destinies may finally intertwine by the end of this week.

In the world of reading with my kiddo, we’re still enjoying — and puzzling over — Down The Mysterly River by Bill Willingham, although the kiddo has now discovered the joys of reading books on my IPad, and has ditched our mom/kid reading sessions for individual reading for a few days now. He is totally hooked on Dan Gutman’s hilarious Funny Boy books. Could it be that my boy is finally reading without being pressured to do so? I’m not holding my breath just yet, but perhaps we’re having a breakthrough!

And yes, I’m still reading Philip Pullman’s collection of Grimm fairy tales, a few stories each week. Slow and steady, but I’m getting there. Boy, there are some really gross and disturbing fairy tales in the mix!

So many book, so little time…

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

5Mar2013

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:

A Small Death in the Great Glen by A. D. Scott

From Amazon:

In the Highlands of 1950s Scotland, a boy is found dead in a canal lock. Two young girls tell such a fanciful story of his disappearance that no one believes them. The local newspaper staff—including Joanne Ross, the part-time typist embroiled in an abusive marriage, and her boss, a seasoned journalist determined to revamp the paper—set out to uncover and investigate the crime. Suspicion falls on several townspeople, all of whom profess their innocence. Alongside these characters are the people of the town and neighboring glens; a refugee Polish sailor; an Italian family whose café boasts the first known cappuccino machine in the north of Scotland; and a corrupt town clerk subverting the planning laws to line his own pocket.

Together, these very different Scots harbor deep and troubling secrets underneath their polished and respectable veneers—revelations that may prevent the crime from being solved and may keep the town firmly in the clutches of its shadowy past.

Why do I want to read this?

I’ll be honest — they had me at Scottish Highlands. I’m a sucker for this setting, although most of my Highlands fiction tends to take place centuries in the past, with an emphasis on dashing men in kilts. I’ve yet to read a book set in Scotland within a more contemporary time frame — as soon as I spotted this one in a bookstore, I knew it was for me. The story itself sounds intriguing — local drama and deception, a tragic and suspicious death, a melting pot of townspeople and immigrants. Great ingredients for what I hope will be a terrific mystery!

4Mar2013

The Monday agenda 2/25/2013

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

How did I do with last week’s agenda?

The Imposter Bride by Nancy Richler: Done! My review is here.

Spellbinding by Maya Gold: Started, but still have about half-way to go.

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

I hope to finish Spellbinding in the next day or two. And this is important, because it’s time to clear the decks for this week’s new arrival:

Frost Burned by Patricia Briggs, book #7 in the Mercy Thompson series, comes out this week! I absolutely cannot wait, and want to be able to start reading it the second it arrives. I just discovered this series last year, and fell head-over-heels in love with it.

After Frost Burned, I really should try to make a dent in the TBR shelf — but what exactly I’ll read is TBD.

The kiddo and I are making steady progress with Down The Mysterly River by Bill Willingham, although it just took a big turn for the weird –which is probably a very good thing. So far, so good. Onward we go.

And yes, I’m still inching my way through Philip Pullman’s collection of Grimm fairy tales. Emphasis on inching. Forward motion is happening in very small increments, but it is indeed happening.

So many book, so little time…

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

26Feb2013

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:

Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys

From Amazon:

It’s 1950 and the French Quarter of New Orleans simmers with secrets. Known among locals as the daughter of a brothel prostitute, Josie Moraine wants more out of life than the Big Easy has to offer. She devises a plan get out, but a mysterious death in the Quarter leaves Josie tangled in an investigation that will challenge her allegiance to her mother, her conscience, and Willie Woodley, the brusque madam on Conti Street.

Josie is caught between the dream of an elite college and a clandestine underworld. New Orleans lures her in her quest for truth, dangling temptation at every turn, and escalating to the ultimate test.

With characters as captivating as those in her internationally bestselling novel Between Shades of Gray, Ruta Sepetys skillfully creates a rich story of secrets, lies, and the haunting reminder that decisions can shape our destiny.

Why do I want to read this?

I’ve come across a few reviews of this new YA release recently — all raves. The New Orleans setting sounds wonderful. I like that the book is set in 1950; so much of the New Orleans fiction that I’ve read has been set in the 18th or 19th century. I’m interested in seeing what life in mid-20th century New Orleans would have been like for a young woman, particularly one growing up in such difficult circumstances. Out of the Easy sounds like a terrific mix of mystery, scandal, and coming-of-age tale. Yet another book that I can’t wait to read!

25Feb2013

The Monday agenda 2/25/2013

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

Happy Monday! Scanning the reading horizon for turbulence… and here we go.

How did I do with last week’s agenda?

Wild by Cheryl Strayed: Done! My review is here. This was a tremendously inspiring and involving read, to the point that it was hard to settle on just one thing to read next. I started two different books for me, plus a new one with my son. I haven’t made more than a dent in any, so…

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

Digging into the books I’ve just begun:

First up is Spellbinding, a not-yet-released YA novel by Maya Gold that I received as a digital ARC. I enjoyed the first several chapters, but had to take an ill-timed break when my Kindle battery died unexpectedly. I’ll dive back in within the next couple of days.

I’ve also just started The Imposter Bride by Nancy Richler, described on Amazon as “an unforgettable novel about a mysterious mail-order bride in the wake of WWII, whose sudden decision ripples through time to deeply impact the daughter she never knew”. Great opening chapter — can’t wait to read more.

My son and I have just started Down The Mysterly River, a middle grade novel written by Bill Willingham, author of the amazing Fables graphic novel series. ‘Nuff said. I’m in.

I’m still moving forward, tiny bit by tiny bit, in my quest to get through my book of fairy tales. Some are weird, some are totally familiar, all are quite fun. Onward!

So many book, so little time…

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

19Feb2013

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:

Midwinterblood by Marcus Sedgwick

From Amazon:

Seven stories of passion and love separated by centuries but mysteriously intertwined—this is a tale of horror and beauty, tenderness and sacrifice.

An archaeologist who unearths a mysterious artifact, an airman who finds himself far from home, a painter, a ghost, a vampire, and a Viking: the seven stories in this compelling novel all take place on the remote Scandinavian island of Blessed where a curiously powerful plant that resembles a dragon grows. What binds these stories together? What secrets lurk beneath the surface of this idyllic countryside? And what might be powerful enough to break the cycle of midwinterblood? From award-winning author Marcus Sedgwick comes a book about passion and preservation and ultimately an exploration of the bounds of love.

And from Goodreads, with more specifics:

Have you ever had the feeling that you’ve lived another life? Been somewhere that has felt totally familiar, even though you’ve never been there before, or felt that you know someone well, even though you are meeting them for the first time? It happens. In 2073 on the remote and secretive island of Blessed, where rumour has it that no one ages and no children are born, a visiting journalist, Eric Seven, and a young local woman known as Merle are ritually slain. Their deaths echo a moment ten centuries before, when, in the dark of the moon, a king was slain, tragically torn from his queen. Their souls search to be reunited, and as mother and son, artist and child, forbidden lovers, victims of a vampire they come close to finding what they’ve lost. In a novel comprising seven parts, each influenced by a moon – the flower moon, the harvest moon, the hunter’s moon, the blood moon – this is the story of Eric and Merle whose souls have been searching for each other since their untimely parting.

Why do I want to read this?

First of all, this got a rave review in my local paper last week! I’d never heard of it before, but this new YA novel sounds fascinating — dark, mysterious, a little creepy, tragically romantic. I love the idea of the seven connected stories, and can’t wait to see how they all come together. The Amazon and Goodreads summaries are really different, but between the two, I’m fairly certain that Midwinterblood is a book that I’ll love.

18Feb2013

The Monday agenda 2/18/2013

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

Happy Monday! Three day weekend = more time to read!

How did I do with last week’s agenda?

Y: The Last Man (graphic novel series) by Brian K. Vaughan: Done! My review is here. I could not put these books down. Highly recommended.

Fairy Tales From The Brother Grimm by Philip Pullman. Making progress, bit by tiny bit.

Wild by Cheryl Strayed. Have only read the first few chapters, but I’m hooked.

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

First up will be to finish Wild. The first chapter was incredibly sad, but I’m looking forward to learning more about the author’s journey.

I’ll be continuing in my quest to get through my book of fairy tales, a few stories each week, until I’ve read the entire collection. Onward!

If I manage to finish Wild by the end of the week, I’ll have to make a hard choice between some of my latest arrivals. The “fresh catch” this week included two new young adult novels that I’m very eager to read: Midwinterblood by Marcus Sedgwick and Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys. Both are sitting within easy reach as I write this — I’m hoping one will make it to the top of my reading pile by week’s end!

So many book, so little time…

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

12Feb2013

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:

Miss New India by Bharati Mukherjee

From Amazon:

Anjali Bose’s prospects don’t look great. Born into a traditional lower-middle‑class family, she lives in a backwater town with only an arranged marriage on the horizon. But her ambition, charm, and fluency in language do not go unnoticed by her charismatic and influential expat teacher, Peter Champion. And champion her he does, both to powerful people who can help her along the way and to Anjali herself, stirring in her a desire to take charge of her own destiny. So she sets off to Bangalore, India’s fastest‑growing metropolis, and soon falls in with an audacious and ambitious crowd of young people, who have learned how to sound American by watching shows like Seinfeld in order to get jobs in call centers, where they quickly out‑earn their parents. And it is in this high‑tech city where Anjali — suddenly free of the confines of class, caste, and gender — is able to confront her past and reinvent herself. Of course, the seductive pull of life in the New India does not come without a dark side . . .

Why do I want to read this?

I’ve had this book on my wish list since I first heard about it last year. Americans tend to make fun of the concept of US companies that outsource call centers to India — but what is the experience like for the people who actually work for one of these call centers? I really liked the sound of this book, with its focus on a girl from a traditional upbringing finding freedom in the big city, plus I always enjoy reading about new places and cultures, and I haven’t read much fiction set in modern-day India. I’m really looking forward to reading this one… and luckily, I won’t have to wait long! I snatched up a copy of Miss New India at a book swap I attended last week, and as soon as my reading pile shrinks a bit, I’ll be diving in.