Bookshelf Roundup: 06/05/21: 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.
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!
With thanks to Orbit Books for a review copy of Catalyst Gate by Megan E. O’Keefe, the third and final installment in The Protectorate trilogy!
Also thank you to Random House for a finished copy of Scorpion by Christian Cantrell, a high concept technothriller about a cat-and-mouse hunt for an international killer known as the Elite Assassin.
And also my thanks to Minotaur/Wednesday Books for an ARC of Enola Holmes and the Black Barouche by Nancy Springer, which is technically the seventh volume in the series but can be read as a standalone. In fact, the last book came out more than a decade ago, so this is definitely more of the series revival following the success of the Netflix movie more than anything!
Huge thanks also to Hachette Audio for the following audiobooks added to the digital review pile this month: A Season of Sinister Dreams by Tracy Banghart is a YA court intrigue fantasy, and The Retreat by Elisabeth de Mariaffi is a locked room mystery-thriller with a snowy setting that I’ve been looking forward to checking out.
Reviews
The Shape of Darkness by Laura Purcell (4 of 5 stars)
The Lights of Prague by Nicole Jarvis (4 of 5 stars)
The Trouble With Peace by Joe Abercrombie (4 of 5 stars)
What I’ve Been Reading
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!
The BiblioSanctum 
Oh wow! I didn’t even know that the Enola Holmes movie was based on a novel! Are they any good?
LikeLike
I’ve never read them! But fans of the books were very excited with the movie and so the adaptation must have ben pretty good!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ve had my head buried in the sand so much with my exam that I haven’t really been keeping an eye on upcoming books, and most of these are new to me. o_o I’m curious about the Enola Holmes series now, though, for sure.
LikeLike
Me too! I didn’t know it was a book series before I received this book, or that it had been a while ago since the previous books came out.
LikeLike
I’m SO looking forward to Catalyst Gate: I’m beyond curious to see how O’Keefe will wrap up her saga 🙂 And Scorpion looks very, very intriguing…
LikeLike
I’m more behind than I thought! I have to binge books 2 and 3!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ooh nice new reads! Those are new to me ones. I hope you enjoy them all!
My StS will be up tomorrow so stop by then if you can!
Have a GREAT day!
Old Follower 🙂
LikeLike
Thanks! Happy reading!
LikeLike
The Retreat caught my eye back when you featured it on WOW ( if I’m remembering correctly) so I’ll be curious to see what you think!
LikeLike
I’m curious too! The reviews I’m seeing have been mixed though, yikes!
LikeLike
I would like to try The Protectorate trilogy one of these days. And The Retreat is one I’d love to learn more about.
LikeLike
I’m going to try and get to The Retreat – I’m tempering my expectations though, reviews I’m seeing are all over the place!
LikeLike
I’ll be keeping an eye out for your review of A Season of Sinister Dreams! I’m always down for more court intrigue fantasy 😀
LikeLike
Same! I hope this one won’t disappoint!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I really regret not having applied for a copy of Day Zero, as I LOVED Sea of Rust. I think I’m going to get hold of a copy, anyway… And I enjoyed Library of the Dead – my biggest grizzle was that I thought the title was rather misleading, as the library angle seemed rather tacked on. Although I’d happily read the 2nd book in the series because I really liked young Ropa and the family dynamic:)). I hope you enjoy the new books, Mogsy!
LikeLike
Oh yes, you enjoyed Sea of Rust, Day Zero is a must! It’s a separate story, but I think it adds a lot to the saga especially if you know what happens to the world. And I agree with you on The Library of the Dead, I did not get enough of the library! Considering I picked the book up because of it, I was disappointed the library did not get a bigger role!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m definitely treating myself to Day Zero, then:)).
Yes – it was annoying – I really enjoyed the worldbuilding and the family dynamic, but it seems a shame that a good book is spoilt because of a bad title choice!
LikeLike
Ooh I liked enola Holmes on Netflix, I’m sure the books are fun too!
The Retreat looks promising.
LikeLike
I liked the Enola Holmes movie too, definitely makes me even more curious about the books!
LikeLike
Interesting books as always 🙂
LikeLike
Thanks! I’m looking forward to digging in!
LikeLike
I have a copy of the Retreat which I’m looking forward to.
Lynn 😀
LikeLike