Bookshelf Roundup 12/24/23: 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.

It has been a whirlwind week. I still have presents to be wrapped, there are more books and Amazon boxes in my closet than clothes, my house looks like a crime scene, and on top of that, both my kids came down with something nasty earlier this week (joining a good chunk of elementary school-aged kids across the country, it seems). Whatever it was, it knocked them both out flat, and while my youngest bounced back nicely, my older daughter got hit harder with high fever, chills, and even mild hallucinations. It was a relief when it was over, and knock on wood, but I seem to have emerged unscathed thanks to the copious amounts of Emergen-C I’ve been slamming back.

This blog, though, has not been getting the attention I wanted to give it this week. I had planned for at least three reviews and maybe an end of year list, but looks like I’ll just have to cram in all in next week! For now, I’m just focused on getting through the next day. Wishing everyone and their families a joyous holiday season and a Merry Christmas, and may the day bring you love, warmth, and the magic of shared joy.

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!

Night for Day by Roselle Lim (Ace): Maybe the holidays are making me feel sentimental, but I love the premise behind this. Two ex-lovers have another chance at romance, but they both take up the same magical job working opposing night-day shifts, never to see each other except for a few minutes just before each dawn.

The Last Phi Hunter by Salinee Goldenberg (Angry Robot): Described as a Thai-inspired dark fantasy adventure, exploring the themes of identity and forbidden love. The cover is also jaw-dropping.

The Angel of Indian Lake by Stephen Graham Jones (Saga Press): The third book and highly anticipated conclusion of the Indian Lake trilogy. I wasn’t crazy about the first book, but by the second, the story and the characters really grew on me. I’m very excited to read how this saga ends.

Mislaid in Parts Half-known by Seanan McGuire (Tordotcom): A finished copy landed on my doorstep earlier this week. I still have plans to start this series before I fall even farther behind, but at least these novellas seem like pretty quick reads.

Scorpio by Marko Kloos (Brilliance Audio): I am a big fan of Kloos’s Palladium Wars and I was kind of hoping we’ll get another book, but when I found out about Scorpio, the first book of a new series called Frontlines: Evolution, I knew I had to check it out. An orphan survivor of an alien invasion must learn to survive on her own with her dog, a loyal black shepherd raised to sense threats.

So Let Them Burn by Kamilah Cole (Hachette Audio): This YA fantasy caught my attention with its synopsis, a Jamaican-inspired story about sisterhood and the aftermath of war. The protagonist must choose her loyalties when her sister bonds with an enemy dragon, marking her for death.

These Deadly Prophecies by Andrea Tang (Listening Library): Another YA I just couldn’t resist this week, and mainly because of its comparison to Knives Out. A sorcerer’s apprentice must solve her boss’s murder–a death he himself predicted–in order to prove her innocence.

And I almost forgot! My Cosmere pin pack that I purchased as an addon from Brandon Sanderson’s Four Secret Novels Kickstarter campaign also arrived this week, just in time for a nice Christmas surprise!

Reviews

• 4 of 5 stars to The Paleontologist by Luke Dumas
• 4 of 5 stars to Holly by Stephen King

Recent Reads

I finished quite a few books this week. Never mind that two of them are novellas, I’m still just gonna flex, okay? The Pale House Devil was a fun little story that I hope to review some time in the next week. I was also quite taken with Winter’s Gifts which is part of the Rivers of London world. I also finished Becoming the Boogeyman by Richard Chizmar which was kind of a personal mood read, and even got a jump on a January book with No One Can Know. In the next week, I hope to read more early 2024 books and get a strong head start on early new year releases.

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!