Bookshelf Roundup 08/27/23: 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.
I’m back! Actually, we got back earlier in the week but there was a mountain of things I had to take care of before hitting the books, though henceforth things should be getting back to a regular schedule. There will be a ton of reviews incoming, because who’da thunk it, I managed to get a lot of reading done onboard what turned out to be a very relaxing Alaskan cruise. We had an amazing time. Days were spent on excursions at port (Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan) or on the balcony while at sea, enjoying the picturesque sights. I even got to cross off one biggie on my US National Park bucket list: Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve.
Hope you enjoy the pics! From left to right, top to bottom: A stand of Sitka spruce in Tongass National Forest; the sunrise that greeted me outside my window when I woke up on the first morning of the cruise; Nugget Falls in Juneau by the Mendenhall Glacier; the early mists rising off the water in Skagway; a fiery sunset after a day of rain captured off the coast of Ketchikan; and a shot of the blue sky and ocean off the port side of our ship.
The weather was extremely random and changeable while we were there, sometimes it felt as though we experienced all four seasons in one day. But as you can see, Alaska is beautiful, and I fell completely in love with the land and am already dreaming of the day I can go back.
Received for Review
With thanks to Titan Books for:
- Bloom by Delilah S. Dawson, a dark gothic horror about an obsessive romance that sparks between two women who chance to meet at a farmer’s market.
- The Pale House Devil by Richard Kadrey, a horror noir about two detectives—one dead, one living—who are hired to banish a demon from a haunted mansion.
With thanks to Tordotcom for:
- The Water Outlaws by S.L. Huang, a finished copy of which I found waiting for me upon my return. While on my trip, I didn’t get a chance to fit in this historical fantasy inspired by the Chinese classic Outlaws of the Marsh, but will hopefully be dipping into it real soon.
With thanks to Berkley for:
- The September House by Carissa Orlando, following a couple who move into a large Victorian mansion they purchased at a shockingly reasoning only to find it—surprise, surpise—haunted. We’re being overrun with haunted house horror novels this season, and I’m loving it.
With thanks to Tor Books for:
- Devil’s Gun by Cat Rambo, the second book in the Disco Space Opera series following the crew of the You Sexy Thing on another adventure as they attempt to set up a pop-up restaurant business while running from a vengeful space pirate-king. I enjoyed the first book and I hope this sequel is as bonkers as it sounds.
With thanks to Del Rey for:
- The Art of Destiny by Wesley Chu, the follow-up to The Art of Prophecy and a continuation of The War Arts Saga, an epic fantasy inspired by the martial-chivalric traditions of the Wuxia genre. Strangely, the series has not been getting the attention it deserves but hopefully the release of this sequel will bring more to it.
With thanks to Subterranean Press for:
- Winter’s Gifts by Ben Aaronovitch, which I just about screamed when I received. Sure, it’s not a new novel in the Rivers of London series, but it’s the next best thing: a novella set in the same world, following up with Special FBI Agent Kimberly Reynolds on a new paranormal case that takes her to snowbound town in northern Wisconsin.
With thanks to Simon & Schuster Audio for:
- Holly by Stephen King, a new novel marking the return of Holly Gibney, beloved by fans for her roles in Mr. Mercedes, Finders Keepers, and finally in The Outsider where she shone as a private detective. I haven’t been this excited for a King book in a long time.
With thanks to Hachette Audio for:
- A Haunting on the Hill by Elizabeth Hand. What was I saying about the abundance of haunted house books? Here comes the ultimate haunted house book this October, the first-ever authorized novel to return to the world of Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House.
With thanks to Listening Library for:
- Midnight at the Houdini by Delilah S. Dawson, who has been quite busy apparently. This YA fantasy follows a girl who discovers a surreal hotel where no one ever leaves, and she’ll be stuck there forever too unless she breaks free of the magic before the clock strikes midnight.
Reviews
Highlighting a couple reviews from the beginning of the month:
- 3.5 of 5 stars to The Weaver and the Witch Queen by Genevieve Gornichec
- 3 of 5 stars to Immortal Longings by Chloe Gong
Recent Reads
Whoo-wee, that’s a lot of books I finished, but then again, it’s been three weeks. I’ll be working on catching up with reviews for the next little while.
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 
Glad you had such a great trip, and those photos are stunning!
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We had a blast, and thank you!
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Welcome back to the blogosphere.
That sunset pix was stunning! Glad you had such a good time. And no food poisoning. I’m always hearing about food poisoning on those big cruise ships, so now I kind of associate the two, hahahaha 🙂
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Yes, very happy that I didn’t catch anything on the cruise! Though generally the chances of that happening are very rare, it’s just that every time it happens it tends to make the news 😀
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Ahhh yes, the “media effect”…..
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Your photos are stunning. Alaska is on my bucket list. The trouble is that there are so many places that I would to go to.
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Oh, same! Even in the US alone there are so many places I want to visit. I want to visit as many National Parks as I can, for one.
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Oh nice! The pictures are gorgeous! An Alaskan cruise sounds like my kind of cruise! Lol!
And whoa! Lots of awesome new reads! A nice haunted house theme for some of them too! Lol! I’m curious about Dawson’s new novella as it sounds spooky and delightful! Lol! I’m starting to get curious about The September House as I keep seeing it around and oooh also excited for Dawson’s other new book this year too! That one sounds incredible!
Glad you enjoyed your vacation and hope you enjoy all of your new reads!
Here’s my StS
Have a GREAT day!
Old Follower 🙂
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Yes, lots of haunted house books this year, not that I’m complaining, lol! I hope to get to September House soon so hopefully I’ll have something to report shortly 😀
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Absolutely gorgeous photos! I envy you that trip, and the photos you created. I was born up there but we left when I was only about 18 months old so no memories, and I’ve never managed to get back. There’s something magical about that Skagway photo with the mists off the water.
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Thank you, coming from you the compliment means a lot! And wow, that’s awesome you were born in Alaska, whereabouts? Reminds me of a joke one of our tour guides made while we were in Juneau, which isn’t accessible by roads. He said, “There are only three ways into Juneau – by air, by sea, and by birth canal!”
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Too funny, that joke, and it does fit several parts of the state. 🙂 I’m from much further inland, the Fairbanks area, but I remember as a kid reading a great old homesteading sort of story (a true story) called Cheechakoes by Wayne Short that took place down near Juneau. I still have the old hardcover with a faded and tattered slipcover. One of these days I hope to reread it.
And I absolutely do love your photos. They really are fantastic.
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Welcome back, what an amazing vacation! My hubby would be so jealous, Alaska is one of his bucket list trips. Well be reading a lot of the same books next month, I’m hoping to start Schrader’s Chord this week.
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Definitely a trip worth taking for any photographer! He would love it especially since I know he loves taking wildlife pics!
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These pictures are stunning Mogsy!
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Thank you!
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What an amazing looking vacation. Sounds fantastic. And lots of good books to look forward to going forward
Lynn 😀
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Yep, lots to read and lots of reviews to write!
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What amazing pictures! Especially that third one. Wow.
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Thank you! I was surprised how close we were able to get to the falls.
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Glad to hear that you had a wonderful vacation. Love the photos! I’ve always wanted to go on a cruise. That’s on my bucket list.
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Cruises are a wonderful time, especially if you like relaxing vacations. I love it when everything is all inclusive and done for you, lol 😀
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Omg, amazing photos
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Thanks!
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Omg Steff. I’ll be completely honest, I checked out after those pictures and don’t remember anything else. Glad you enjoyed the vacation!!
So… time to move to Alaska?
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Oh man, it’s tempting, it’s so beautiful up there! I don’t know that I have the personality for it though. My oldest daughter, an introvert and homebody whose favorite pastime is reading and who would be perfectly happy with the idea of being holed up in the house for months during the cold dark winters says she’d love to move to Alaska. But for my younger daughter the social butterfly, it’d be hell. I’m somewhere in between.
When we were there though, a lot of the “residents” we met only lived/worked there during the summers, then when winter comes they are back in lower 48. Kind of like how snowbirds go to Florida in the winter, a lot of them are from hot states and go to Alaska for the summer. I kinda like the sound of that arrangement 🙂
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Well, something to think about! Your photos were absolutely amazing!!
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Wow! Those are some stunning pics. The views are breathtaking. Alaska is on my bucket list. A cruise sounds like a great way to go.
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Beautiful photos!
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Great pictures! I’m glad you enjoyed your vacation.
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