Bookshelf Roundup: 02/13/21: Stacking the Shelves & Recent Reads
Bookshelf Roundup is a feature I do every weekend which fills the role of several blog memes, like Stacking the Shelves where I talk about the new books I’ve added to my library or received for review, as well as It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? where I summarize what I’ve finished reading in the last week and what I’m planning to read soon. Mostly it also serves as a recap post, so sometimes I’ll throw in stuff like reading challenge progress reports, book lists, and other random bookish thoughts or announcements.
The laptop saga continues. It was determined that my old one was well and truly busted, so I did get a replacement this week…only to get a faulty one that didn’t work right out of the box. So right now, that return is being processed and I’m still sharing my desktop with my kids, but hopefully by the start of next week everything will be sorted.
In the meantime, we had a couple of back-to-back snow events these past few weeks. I was driving in my neighborhood after a fresh snowfall one morning and just had to pull over and take this pic because I was struck by how perfectly beautiful everything was.
Received for Review
My thanks to the publishers and authors for the following review copies received, and be sure to click the links to their Goodreads pages for more details and full descriptions!
Kicking off this week’s roundup is My Heart Is A Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones, a surprise arrival from the amazing folks at Saga Press. Ever since The Only Good Indians I’ve been meaning to pick up another book by the author, and with luck this one seems way more my speed. And seriously, that title is awesome!
Earlier in the week I also received an ARC of Wings of Fury by Emily R. King with thanks to 47North and the Wunderkind PR team. This one was new to me, but a quick look on Goodreads revealed it to be a Greek mythology inspired fantasy, which is all I need to know! Definitely want to check this one out if I can.
And with thanks to Subterranean Press, I also received Alias Space and Other Stories by Kelly Robson. I’ve never read the author, but her name has popped up on many of the biggest SFF anthologies in the last few years which has made me curious about her work. Getting a book collecting all of her best stories in one handy volume is pretty sweet!
This week, I received lot of exciting new audiobooks for review. With thanks to Harper Audio, I snagged a couple of YA titles I’ve had my eye on, including the highly anticipated The Iron Raven by Julie Kagawa, and a new fantasy debut called The Bright and the Pale by Jessica Rubinkowski. I was also happy when the audiobook of The Bone Maker by Sarah Beth Durst became available to request, because I think it has the potential to be a really good listen. There were also quite a few early ALC titles offered, and I couldn’t help but be drawn to the synopsis for Mother May I by Joshilyn Jackson, a mystery thriller about a mother who will stop at nothing to get her abducted infant son back.
And speaking of thrillers, with thanks to Penguin Random House Audio, I also received The Downstairs Neighbor by Helen Cooper. Not gonna lie, the blurb comparing it to Shari Lapena’s work was a big part of why I wanted to take a look. Last but not least, I was also super pumped to receive a listening copy of Quiet In Her Bones by Nalini Singh. I’ve always wanted to read her, maybe 2021 will finally be the year!
Reviews
The Witch’s Heart by Genevieve Gornichec (4 of 5 stars)
Winter’s Orbit by Everina Maxwell (3.5 of 5 stars)
These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong (3 of 5 stars)
Guest Posts
“Writing About Plague in A Time of Plague” by Stephen Deas
This Week’s Reads
Have you heard of or read any of the books featured this week? What caught your eye? Any new discoveries? I hope you found something interesting for a future read! Let me know what you plan on checking out. Until next time, see you next Roundup!
The BiblioSanctum 
February has definitely felt like “snow, snow, snow”, even if it is just a dusting to an inch. Bleh……….
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I know, I’m just so sick of it. I don’t mind the cold, but it’s the greyness and drab of winter they usually gets me down
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me too!
I actually had to start taking some vitamin d supplements
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I don’t know any of these writers, Mogsy. I need at least two lifetimes!
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Time is always what I need more of too 🙂
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Love that photo. I need to just pull over and take more pictures.
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Yeah it was quiet at the time and no cars, so I thought why not 🙂
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Ah… that snow scene is absolutely beautiful! We’ve just got a bitter, bitter Beast from the East slicing through everything. Though I’m not sorry about not having any snow as I hate living with the stuff – but your pic is wonderful:)). I also have a copy of Wings of Fury and I’m really looking forward to tucking into it!
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It’s started raining so sadly the beautiful white snow has turned slushy and gray, but it was beautiful while it lasted! 😀
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Yes… that’s why I hate the stuff. It’s always lethally slippery and then in a matter of hours, it turns slushy and ugly, too. Well, it does here, anyhow!
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Awesome haul! I have an e-ARC of My Heart Is A Chainsaw but I’d love a copy to hold in my hand. I started reading The Bone Maker the other night and it’s SOOOO good. 🙂
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I am so looking forward to The Bone Maker! Probably one of my most anticipated releases this year.
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Seems like everyone is getting a little snow this week! We have a dusting going on right now too. It’s so pretty!
Nice new reads! Some new to me ones here but I did read The Iron Raven and loved it! Hope you enjoy all the new reads!
My StS will be up tomorrow, so stop by then if you can!
Have a GREAT day!
Old Follower 🙂
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Yep, it’s snow snow and more snow! Really looking forward to The Iron Raven!
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Snow!! I love seeing everyone’s snow photos, since snow just isn’t something I get to experience. I also got My Heart is a Chainsaw, I’m so excited to read it, and it sounds completely different from his last book😁
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I hope it will be very different, because I wasn’t completely enamored with his last one, tbh haha!
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Wings of Fury is a book I have already seen around, and the Greek mythology setting sounds fascinating: I look forward to your take on this one 🙂
As for the snow picture, it’s lovely: I like to admire snowscapes when I don’t have to actually *deal* with them… 😀 😀
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I’m so glad Wings had been getting some buzz, I couldn’t believe I hadn’t heard of it, but I’m definitely interested in checking it out now 🙂
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Though I’m not a big fan of driving to work in it, I do absolutely love how beautiful the world looks covered in a layer of snow. Most of these books are new to me, but seeing one from Sarah Beth Durst is kinda cool as I recently finished listening to the audiobook of The Queen of Blood, and then the very next day won a goodreads giveaway for The Deepest Blue. 🙂
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Very pretty indeed 😀
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That’s a beautiful photo. Yesterday was my first time driving in sleet with ice forming on the car as I drove. It was interesting, but I was too nervous to admire it. It wasn’t until I got home that I could do so.
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The snow was really beautiful this past week, I’ll give it that! Sorry to hear about all the laptop struggles, hopefully that will all be sorted very soon. I just finished Wings of Fury and I liked it a lot more than I had expected it too. I definitely have thoughts on it but overall I had fun with it! Hope you enjoy it if you get the chance to check it out.
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What a beautiful landscape! I love taking that kind of photo. Ach technology. I hate having to buy and set up anything tech in case there are issues with it. I hope you get it sorted soon.
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That is such a beautiful picture. I love to look at snow but at this point, I’m really tired of it and ready for Spring. You got some good looking books this week and I’m a tad envious that you have the new Stephen Graham Jones book. I also love the looks of Alias Space and I can’t wait to read Bone Maker. Hope the laptop issue gets sorted out.
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I totally sympathise with your laptop issues – very frustrating.
Interested in the Graham Jones book – I couldn’t get into The Only Good Indians, although I am going to retry it because the way my moods veer at the moment I think I just might not have been in the right head place. Keen to see what you make of the Kagawa book.
Lynn 😀
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