Mogsy’s Bookshelf Roundup: New Books, Reading Challenges Update, Books I’ve Read
Bookshelf Roundup is a feature I do every two weeks where I talk about the new books I’ve added to my library or received for review, what I plan to read soon, and what I’ve finished reading in the last fortnight. Sometimes I throw in progress reports like reading challenge updates.
Received for Review
It’s been an amazing couple of weeks with the arrivals of some of my most anticipated reads this summer:
Armada by Ernest Cline – Print ARC, with thanks to Wunderkind and Random House. I confess, I devoured this one already. I just could not in good conscience let it sit on my shelf for one second longer without being read. I think sci-fi fans and gamers will really enjoy this one. It’s cheesy. It’s gimmicky. But I loved it.
Dark Ascension by M.L. Brennan – Print ARC, with thanks to Roc. This fourth book of Generation V was a surprise arrival, and I’m glad I was alone the day the package came because I’m sure there was some major squeeing and embarrassing flailing on my part. If I could make out with this book without rendering it unreadable, I would.
Splintered by Jamie Schultz – Paperback, with thanks to Jamie and Roc. When the author contacted me about reviewing this book, I very enthusiastically accepted. This is the sequel to the dark and highly entertaining heist novel Premonitions I read last year.
Queen of Fire by Anthony Ryan – Hardcover, with thanks to Ace Books. This one came in a surprise package, but I had a good guess from the shape and heft of this huge tome that it might be the final volume of the Raven’s Shadow trilogy. I’m excited to see how it ends.
Dark Orbit by Carolyn Ives Gilman – Print ARC, with thanks to Tor. Sweetness, this sounds good. Any book with a character who is an “exoethnologist” gets my full attention. I have a tour review for this scheduled on its release date, so keep an eye out for it next month.
The Galaxy Game by Karen Lord – Audiobook, with thanks to Audible Studios. I’ve wanted to read Karen Lord for a long time. There was a few months wait after the initial book’s release, but I was pleased to see The Galaxy Game finally available in audio format.
Updraft by Fran Wilde – Digital ARC via NetGalley with thanks to Tor. The concept behind this book’s world just sounds so damn cool! When I saw it up on NG, I knew had to check it out.
The Dinosaur Lords by Victor Milán – Digital ARC with thanks to Tor. This one has been on my radar for a while, but I waffled for a bit before caving in to the temptation of dino-riding knights and eventually wrote to the publisher to request a digital galley. 2015 is undoubtedly the year of the dinosaur!
Giveaway Win
Last First Snow by Max Gladstone – I was very excited to win an ARC of this from Tor. I haven’t caught up with Full Fathom Five yet, but I’m hoping all the books in the Craft Sequence follow the stand alone pattern. I’m loath to read books out of order, but it’s nice knowing I can jump right in.
Reading Challenges Progress
Seeing others update their progress on their reading challenges have reminded me we’re about halfway through the year (Already? I know!) and that now’s the time to take stock of where I’m at:
You can see my progress in the update that my co-bloggers and I posted yesterday!
Goodreads 2015 Reading Challenge:
100 books is my usual Goodreads Challenge “default” I set every year, and while there’s little doubt that I’ll hit it, I might end up updating my goals or I might not. I’ll just see how many books I end up with at the end of the year. I had initially decided not to be too ambitious with my goal, not knowing how much I’ll have time to read in 2015 with the birth of my second child, because I knew that if this baby was going to be anything like my oldest, she would want to be attached to me 24/7.
As it turned out, I was able to get A LOT of reading done. What I hadn’t consider was that reading is actually one of the few hobbies I could do one-handed (with an e-reader) whereas my time for everything else (gaming, crocheting, drawing, painting, etc.) petty much went out the window. So whenever I had free time and during 1am, 3am and 5am feedings, I read. And read. And read. I also underestimated the power of audiobooks. Being such a convenient way to “read”, they’ve really bumped up my number of books completed as well.
WWEnd’s 2015 Women of Genre Fiction Reading Challenge:
Every year I do multiple Worlds Without End challenges, but the most important one to me is Women of Genre Fiction Reading Challenge. Ever since its inception, it’s been my goal to do this challenge annually with the most stringent adherence to the rules. That means only books by a female author I’m reading for the first time in 2015 count towards the goal, and I’m also not counting Young Adult titles because those go towards another challenge. This year I’m going for broke by taking on the Master tier, reading 24 books towards this challenge instead of 12. Books so far:
What I’ve Read Since the Last Update
Keep an eye out for my reviews of these books in the coming weeks, and you can see my reviews for these books which are up already: Hidden Huntress, A Murder of Mages (with a US giveaway running until 6/28), and Nemesis Games.
Have you heard of or read any of the books featured in this week? What looks interesting to you?
The BiblioSanctum 
I still envy you and that hardcover of Queen of Fire! 🙂
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Just a few more weeks til it’s out in the world! I can’t wait to see how the trilogy will end 🙂
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Just finished Armada, I enjoyed it, but I have some issues with it – mostly revolving around the relentless movie quotes… It hit peak nerd snark.
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Pretty much my thoughts too, I loved the book but he’s definitely doing the same shtick with the pop culture references and quotes.
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I don’t know about Armada – just not sure Ernest Cline can strike gold twice, now that the novelty has worn off. I just picked up the first Anthony Ryan book the other night, so I have some catching up to do, and I’ve been sitting on my review of The Dinosaur Lords until closer to release day (but it’s fun).
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I think folks will be divided on Armada, either love it because Cline does pretty much the same thing, or become disappointed that it’s not different enough. I am so looking forward to reading the Dinosaur Lords, and I’m so glad to hear that it’s fun!
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Ooh nice! Lots of new to me reads here! Hope you thoroughly enjoy them all!
My STS will be up tomorrow, so be sure to stop by then!
Have a GREAT day!
Old Follower 🙂
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Dark Orbit does sound really good. And I’m still hoping for a copy of Last First Snow. I really need to hop on over and update my Women of Genre Fiction challenge, I think I’ve read more than I suspect with that challenge. And don’t you just love Jamie for being one of those few authors who gets out there and contacts bloggers himself? His book is coming up soon on my reading pile.
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I’m betting that you have indeed read more than you suspect for the Women of Genre Fiction challenge! Most probably wouldn’t be in WWEnd’s database though, like mine. I listed my books here on my own because it’s a much better reflection on my progress, hopefully some of these titles will be added soon so I can update my WWEnd profile 🙂
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That Queen of Fire cover is freaking beautiful! I have to read the first book, and soon. Awesome books this week. I’m way up on my GR challenge and looks like I’ll be at my goal by the middle of July. I may up it to 150 and stop there. Happy weekend!
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I may be hitting my goal soon as well at this rate. I think upping it to 150 is a great idea, I might do the same as you 🙂
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I’m interested in Armada, but I mostly can’t wait to hear about The Dinosaurs Lords. And yes, Horizon Zero Dawn 😉
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That game looks like all kinds of amazing!
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I’m looking forward to Armada! Even if I know it may not be as great as Ready Player One. 🙂 Also, that is some serious audiobook progress!!
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I know! Thank goodness for audiobooks, they’ve helped me do so much reading.
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I am so curious about the dinosaur lords
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Me too, I’m planning on reading it closer to release, but it’s taking me some serious restraint not to pick it up and read it right now 🙂
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Armada! It’s a relief to know that it’s good and that it didn’t fall prey to a sophomore slump. Great job on 93 books as well – I’m in awe – how do you get that much read AND with two kids. I guess the reading one handed with a newborn makes sense but still…very awesome.
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I’ve seen some excellent reviews for Armada already and I’ve also seen tons that panned it. I guess it’s all in the eye of the beholder! I’d be very interested to hear what you think when you get to it.
And yeah, I’m also surprised at the number of books I’ve read so far this year. But I’m also not, since thanks to the baby’s erratic schedule I don’t sleep anymore. 😛 It’s incredible how much reading one can get done in the middle of the night during those late night feedings and also afterwards when you’re lying there trying to get back to sleep.
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Oh that’s nice, I so can’t wait for the new Brennan book, I love this series so much! Happy reading!
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Gaaah, I want The Dinosaur Lords so much!
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Looking forward to your review of Rosemary and Rue! I’m also going to keep an eye out for your thoughts on The Dinosaur Lords. It looks like a lot of fun but I’m sceptical at the same time…I’ve been burned by awesome covers before. I read somewhere that you can figure out the chronology of events in the Craft Sequence books by the number in the title, eg. events of Three Parts Dead happen after Two Serpents Rise which happens after Last First Snow. Not sure how true that is but it makes sense given that LFS is a prequel!
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My RaR review is coming up later this week for Backlist Burndown!
And you’re probably right about the Craft Sequence. If it’s true, that would mean there should be a “Four” coming out soon that would take place between Three Parts Dead and Full Fathom Five, that’s some planning by the author 🙂
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Great post.
I’m really looking forward to Armada – it should be interesting to compare the two.
Queen of Fire is my next book – excited, so excited.
And, I love the look of the Dinosaur book – went to see Jurassic World a couple of weeks ago and couldn’t help thinking of the cover from that book!
Lynn 😀
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Jurassic World was a lot of fun! I’m seeing dinosaurs everywhere this summer – games, movies, books, everything! I think the dino rage is making a comeback 🙂
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