Bookshelf Roundup: 09/04/22: 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.
Wow, let’s see, my last Bookshelf Roundup was…three weeks ago?! In that time though, our family got to fly out to Nevada to visit my parents and we got to see Las Vegas and also do the National Parks circuit for that area, so overall it was very picturesque trip:
Upon our return, we also got together with some friends at the beach for a final few days of fun before school starts for our kiddos, so all in all a great time was had. But now, time to get back to the grind and the books!
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!
Here’s the first batch of what awaited me upon my arrival home. With thanks to Subterranean Press for an ARC of Knot of Shadows by Lois McMaster Bujold, the latest Penric and Desdemona novella from the author’s World of the Five Gods, as well as Unbreakable by Mira Grant, a story about a group of magical warriors that defend the Earth.
Thank you also to Redhook for an ARC of It Rides A Pale Horse by Andy Marino. Cannot wait to read this one! Also thanks to Grand Central Publishing for a review copy of The Darkness of Others by Cate Holahan, a psychological thriller set in New York City amidst the lockdowns of the pandemic.
Big thanks also to the kind folks at Tordotcom for an ARC of Into the Windwracked Wilds by A. Deborah Baker which is a character from Seanan McGuire’s Middlegame as well as the author’s pen name writing for the Over the Woodward Wall series. And finally, with thanks to Angry Robot for a review copy of The Hollows by Daniel Church. A horror set in an isolated village in the middle of a snowstorm? Gimme!
In the digital pile, courtesy of Tantor Audio I received a listening copy of Norylska Groans by Michael R. Fletcher and Clayton W. Snyder, a finalist in the 7th Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off so I have a great feeling about this one. Plus, I simply adore Fletcher’s work and I’m looking forward to checking out this collaboration with Snyder. Also thanks to Penguin Audio for a review copy of Bad Dolls by Rachel Harrison, a short story collection. I don’t usually do short story collections, but I love this author, I’ve already listened to this and it turned out to be so good! Last but not least, thank you to Hachette Audio for a listening copy of Blood of Troy by Claire M. Andrews, the sequel to Daughter of Sparta.
Reviews
The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean (4 of 5 stars)
Just Like Home by Sarah Gailey (3.5 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 
Wow seeing your pictures reminds me of our trip there where we enjoyed all the beauty! Bryce was a big favorite! I also read The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy!
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Bryce was so beautiful! I’m so glad you also enjoyed your visit when you went there!
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Back to the grind indeed.
Makes me think of that Rankin and Bass song from the old animated hobbit movie sung by the goblins:
Swish, smack! Whip crack!
Smash, grab! Pinch, nab!
You go, my lad!
Ho, ho! my lad!
The black crack! the back crack!
The black crack! the back crack!
Down down to Goblin-town
Down down to Goblin-town
Down down to Goblin-town
You go, my lad!
Ho, ho! my lad!
Goblins quaff, and Goblins beat
Goblins laugh, and Goblins bleat
Batter, jabber, whip, and taver hoooooo!
Below, my lad!
Ho, ho! my lad!
The black crack! the back crack!
The black crack! the back crack!
Down down to Goblin-town
Down down to Goblin-town
Down down to Goblin-town
You go, my lad!
Ho, ho! my lad!
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Sounds like an old shanty! But yep, nose to the grindstone again!
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Oh wow! Those pictures are amazing!! I’ve never been to Nevada. Or anywhere in the west really! It’s on my bucket list though. Lol.
Nice new reads! Those are new to me ones but I hope you enjoy each and every one of them!
Here’s my StS
Have a GREAT day!
Old Follower 🙂
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Thanks, it was hot, but it was a very nice visit. So many beautiful vistas out there!
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Sounds like a great trip! I’m so excited to read It Rides a Pale Horse and The Hollows as well😁
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Yep, the months leading up to Halloween this year are going to be great for horror! I can’t wait to check out The Hollows!
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Beautiful pictures, indeed! I visited the Grand Canyon on my first trip to the USA in 2008 and still remember the strong sense of majesty that it conveyed…
And back to the books, I’m very curious to see how Mira Grant will fare now that she’s taken a path away from her zombies 😉
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Wow, what an awesome trip that must have been! Glad that was your first trip to the USA, must have been super impressive…the scope of it really is something, isn’t it!
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One of the friends I was traveling with woke us up before dawn so we could see the sun rise from the Grand Canyon, and it turned out to be an amazing, unforgettable experience…
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Wow, sounds like you had a great time off! You even got to see a rainbow in Sedona, nice. I absolutely loved the Sedona area, even though the town was very touristy. Beautiful photos, thanks for sharing them. I’d love to try Bujold one of these days.
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It was my first time even hearing about Sedona, and when I went there it was so lovely I could stay there forever lol! You’re right, very touristy though and very posh with all the expensive homes in the hills! But we were lucky, it did sprinkle a little that day, gave us that rainbow and some very pretty views 🙂
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Wow, what gorgeous pictures. Horseshoe Bend- awesome.
I’m looking forward to the Hollows quite a lot.
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Thank you! Horseshoe bend was really cool, but I didn’t want to get too close to the edge for more pictures, I hate heights, lol!
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I do too, I’d have to stay a few steps back ha!
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Sounds like some great trips. Love the photos.
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Thank you!
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That looks like a great trip!!
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We definitely had a good time!
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I am very intrigued by the Penric and Desdemona novellas, I think I’m going to add the first one to my list of books to read in 2023! 😀
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I really enjoy Bujold’s fantasy, more so than her sci-fi…so after I read all her Chalion books, it was only natural for me to check out the Penric and Desdemona novellas. I do like them a lot, and love the fact that most of them are bite sized reads!
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It sounds like you had a fantastic holiday. Lovely photos, thanks for sharing.
Lynn 😀
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Omg amazing pics
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