Bookshelf Roundup 11/05/23: 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!
City in Ruins by Don Winslow (William Morrow): The third and final installment in the Danny Ryan mob thriller trilogy.
Saevus Corax Gets Away with Murder by K.J. Parker (Orbit): The Corax trilogy whose books are being released in rapid succession also comes to a close with this finale.
Betrayal by Phillip Margolin (Minotaur Books): A surprise arrival which turned out to be the seventh installment of the Robin Lockwood series. Legal thrillers aren’t really my thing, but anyone know anything about these books?
Blood Betrayal by Ausma Zehanat Khan (Minotaur Books): More betrayal! This is the second book of the Blackwater Falls series which is new to me, but I’ve read the author’s fantasy before.
The Last Girl Breathing by Court Stevens (Thomas Nelson): Eight years ago, Lucy’s little brother was swept away in a flood when a dam broke and she could not save him. Now her stepbrother is missing, and certain parallels lead Lucy to think the events could be connected.
The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose (Macmillan Audio): It’s the beginning of the month so that means a bunch of new listening copies. So excited about this follow-up to The Maid!
Only She Came Back by Margot Harrison (Hachette Audio): A YA thriller about a true crime junkie and her friendsihp with a high school classmate suspected of murdering her boyfriend.
The Ghosts of Beatrice Bird by Louisa Morgan (Hachette Audio): I would never pass up a chance to read more Louisa Morgan, and I hope this ghostly paranormal fantasy will be another winner.
The Beautiful and the Wild by Peggy Townsend (Penguin Audio): A chilling thriller and story of survival that takes place in the wilds of Alaska. I read the description and just couldn’t resist.
Reviews
We began this week with a couple of reviews to wrap up Spooktastic Reads and ended it with one to kick off ScifiMonth.
- 4.5 of 5 stars to The Reformatory by Tananarive Due
- 3.5 of 5 stars to Nestlings by Nat Cassidy
- 3.5 of 5 stars to Red River Seven by A.J. Ryan
Recent Reads
I spent almost the whole week reading The Olympian Affair, a hefty book at more than 600 pages. Even though it’s been years since the first book came out, getting back into the world was surprisingly easy. Not so easy was the first half of the book which went on and on and on without much happening, but then it was like a light switched on at that point and the rest was incredible! Still, I felt like I needed a break after that. Just for fun, I picked up Small Spaces by Katherine Arden, the first of her middle grade horror dark fantasy quartet of the same name. Her new book The Warm Hands of Ghosts is due out next February, five years since the conclusion of the lovely Winternight Trilogy. This MG series was what she had been working on in the interim, and I was curious to check it out.
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 
I don’t follow author news, so I was wondering, has Butcher made any statements about the Cinder Spire books on what he foresees the length of the series being?
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I haven’t been following either, so I have no idea. If I’m not mistaken, I don’t think he has a set end for Dresden Files either which is his other series I follow.
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Yeah, Dresden is a never ending story. I’m just hoping Cinderspires follows Alera rather than Dresden 🙂
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I’m glad The Olympian Affair ended up working, although slogging through the first half does not sound appealing to me, lol.
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It definitely wasn’t fun. Was so tempted to skim huge sections!
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OOoh nice new reads! These are all new to me ones but a few are catching my eye! I might have to remember some of these when I am craving a thriller or mystery! Hope you enjoy each and every one of them!
Here’s my StS
Have a GREAT day!
Old Follower 🙂
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I haven’t read much mystery since summer, I need to read more too!
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You weren’t kidding about Olympian Affair being a slog—but I shall persevere! It’s actually the shortest book I’m currently reading, haha but it feels the longest. Are you reading the MG ones with your daughter, then?
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Oh man, what other books are you reading that are longer than 650 pages!?
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Um, long term reading Rhythm of War, which is 1200ish, and more actively Great North Road, at about 1000. My recent choices are questionable haha
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Ooh, okay yeah those are monster tomes lol. Good luck!
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Thanks! You completely nailed the Olympian Affair. Slog turned into epic-ness, hmmm tough rating choices…
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Yay! And whew, I’m actually relieved you felt the same! I would have felt so bad if I had made you push through the first half with no reward 😀
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Oops, and no, not reading the MG series with my daughter but if I think she’ll like it I’ll probably recommend she pick it up.
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Yikes – nobody wants a 600 page book to feel like a slog for half of it! I want to re-read The Aeronaut’s Windlass before I dig into the sequel, but who knows when that will happen!
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I was glad to find I didn’t have to reread the first book to get back into it. The new one catches you up well enough!
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I can’t wait to read The Mystery Guest and even better, listen to it!
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I’m so excited to listen too!
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I keep trying to push The Maid up higher in my TBR. Seems I’ve not been fast enough, as The Mystery Guest is just about here.
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Yes! Luckily the first one was quick. And I’m not sure, but I’m guessing this second book will be about a new case so there will be some standalone flexibility.
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I’ve been interested in that arden series too. And I still have to read the Maid too.
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I hadn’t paid much attention to releases outside adult fantasy, so it was a nice surprise to discover the Arden series!
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Yep, I don’t mind a 600 page book – but I do mind it feeling like a 600 page book.
Lynn.
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Happy reading! Good new books
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