Bookshelf Roundup 09/10/23: 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.

Before you know it, it’s September. I’m still catching up on some blog things, mainly trying to get started on this month’s TBR and to get the huge review backlog written and posted. There are also a few more books I received while I was away that need featuring, many of which have already been released, so we’ll get to those post-haste!

Received for Review

With thanks to Tordotcom for:

• Mislaid in Parts Half-Known by Seanan McGuire, the ninth novella in the Wayward Children series. Earlier this year I received a copy of Be Sure which collects books 1-3, and I hope to read it soon so that will be a great start to catching up.

With thanks to HarperVoyager for:

• Godkiller by Hannah Kaner, finally coming to the American market after its UK release earlier this year. Since then, I’ve heard some great things about this debut which make me very excited to dive into it.

With thanks to Orbit Books for:

• These Burning Stars by Bethany Jacobs, the first book in a new space opera trilogy called The Kindom. The fate of a galaxy rests on a single memory that can reveal the truth behind the empire’s downfall decades ago, and now the three women are caught up in the middle of it.

With thanks to Redhook for:

• The Star and the Strange Moon by Constance Sayers, a haunting historical following a struggling American actress who tries to save her career by accepting a role in a horror film. I’ve really enjoyed the author’s work and am looking forward to reading this one as well.

With thanks to St. Martin’s Press for:

• Murdle: Volume 2 by G.T. Karber, which contains 100 additional murder mysteries to be solved. I received the first volume earlier this year but haven’t even gotten through half the puzzles in it yet, and another book is out already.

With thanks to Simon & Schuster Audio for:

• Curious Tides by Pascale Lacelle, a YA academia fantasy following a teen mage who investigates a secret society that may have been involved in her classmates’ deaths. I confess the cover was what first drew me to this one, but the story sounds fascinating too.

Reviews

• 5 of 5 stars to Delicate Condition by Danielle Valentine
• 4 of 5 stars to Good Bad Girl by Alice Feeney
• 4 of 5 stars to Schrader’s Chord by Scott Leeds
• 2.5 of 5 stars to Together We Rot by Skyla Arndt

Recent Reads

I have been reading up a storm! It helps that I’ve been blessed with a streak of good books lately, like Black Sheep and The September House, both of which will have their five star reviews posted this week if all goes as planned. In fact, the only weak link was probably Vampires of El Norte, whose writing I felt could have used a bit of polish. And although it’s not even October yet, horror and dark fantasy books have been dominating my TBR. I think that’s been the case since the beginning of summer, since 2023 has been a great year for these genres.

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!