Bookshelf Roundup 11/12/23: 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!

Heartless by H.G. Parry (Subterranean Press): A Peter Pan inspired novellas wher newly-orphaned James meets ten-year-old Peter, and the two boys forge a strange friendship based on their shared love of stories about a magical island called Neverland.

Logical Fantasy: The Many Worlds of John Wyndham edited by David Dyte (Subterranean Press): A collection of the author’s work which also includes many of his previously uncollected stories.

Doorway to the Stars by Jack McDevitt (Subterranean Press): An ancient stargate is discovered on Sioux land in this new novelette that is loosely tied to the author’s novel Thunderbird, coming to print for the very first time.

The Tusks of Extinction by Ray Nayler (Tordotcom): Mammoths are brought back from extinction in this novella about trying to help a resurrected species stay alive. To do this, the digitized consciouness of a late scientist who was the world’s foremost expert in elephant behavior is uploaded into the brain of a mammoth. This one sounds fascinating.

Off the Air by Christina Estes (Minotaur): A new-to-me murder mystery about a local TV reporter who is determined to solve the murder of a controversial talk show host who she had interviewed just before his death. This one is giving off mega entertaining vibes too, so I hope I’ll get some time this winter to check it out.

The Professor by Lauren Nossert (Macmillan Audio): A former detective turned research assistant is tasked to investigate the scandal of a college professor who was suspended after her student is found dead, the rumor being that he apparently killed himself after their affair went sour. After a month of SFF reads, I felt like I was due for a thriller and requested this because it sounded interesting.

Godly Heathens by H.E. Edgmon (Macmillan Audio): A YA contemporary fantasy set in small town Georgia where two teens discover they are reincarnated gods who have known each other across lifetimes.

Reviews

• 4 of 5 stars to The Olympian Affair by Jim Butcher
• 3 of 5 stars to Good Girls Don’t Die by Christina Henry
• 3 of 5 stars to Shield Maiden by Sharon Emmerichs

Recent Reads

As you can see, I’m closing the gap between my finished books and reviewed books. This week I polished off Good Girls Don’t Die and The Hunting Moon, which were both quick reads. And speaking of quick, I also got to listen to the audiobook of Dead Voices, the second volume of Katherine Arden’s Middle Grade Small Spaces quartet. I found that I could finish these books in a little less than two hours at the playback speeds I’m used to.

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!