Bookshelf Roundup 10/15/23: 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.

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!

Red River Seven by A.J. Ryan (Orbit): So curious to read this horror sci-fi amnesia story by fantasy author Anthony Ryan writing as A. J. Ryan.

The Eight Reindeer of the Apocalypse by Tom Holt (Orbit): Switching gears to humor and…Christmas? And on the topic of pen names, K.J. Parker writing as Tom Holt can always be counted on for some wild and quirky stories.

Saevus Corax Deals with the Dead by K.J. Parker (Orbit): And from K.J. Parker himself, the first book of a trilogy about a battlefield salvager taking advantage of the conflict between a nation at war with its neighbors. The book description doesn’t offer much, but my interest is definitely piqued.

The Devil You Know by P.J. Tracy (Minotaur): As we approach the paperback publication of this third book of the Detective Margaret Nolan series, this was a surprise arrival and I’m sad to say I still have yet to try any of these books but I do find the concept behind these police procedural stories intriguing.

Exordia by Seth Dickinon (Tordotcom): I’m actually a little nervous about this one since it’s been years since I read The Traitor Baru Comorant, and even though I loved it, I hated its sequel. I definitely want to give the author a try again though, with this sci-fi novel of first contact.

Mister Lullaby by J.H. Markert (Crooked Lane Books): Last week I featured this book for Waiting on Wednesday and I was so excited when my request for a review copy came through!

Nestlings by Nat Cassidy (Macmillan Audio): Another horror novel being compared to Rosemary’s Baby, 2023 seems to be the year for them. But I just can’t resist!

Reviews

As I look back at my reviews in the last few weeks, I see that very few books have broken the 3.5 star barrier. Needless to say, I’m hoping to get back to a good run like I had at the end of summer, and soon! Things have gotten busy since early October, so my reading has slowed down, giving me a chance to catch up with my write-ups. For anyone counting, that’s six more reviews to write before I’m all caught up, and it was eleven a month ago. Yay, progress!

• 4 of 5 stars to The Hexologists by Josiah Bancroft
• 3.5 of 5 stars to Sword Catcher by Cassandra Clare
• 3 of 5 stars to Hemlock Island by Kelley Armstrong
• 2.5 of 5 stars to The Water Outlaws by S.L. Huang

Recent Reads

Like I said, my reading has slowed down and I only finished two books this week. After the Forest was okay, but I’m starting to wonder if we’ve reached peak saturation when it comes to historical fantasy fairy tale retellings. It just feels like I’ve read a variation of this story many times before. An Inheritance of Magic was a nice change of pace though – literally. It was action-packed and moved fast, and I had a great time with it.

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!