It feels like the stacks are settling down. Probably just in time for the fall books to start showing up! Not that I haven’t already received plenty of those, as well as a few books that won’t be out until 2021. This year is just weird for everything.

But George is turning out to be an absolute delight. Just like several of these books look to be! Although the books aren’t nearly as cute. (BTW I’m going to keep including pictures of George until people tell me to stop!)

For Review:
The Awakening (Dragon Heart Legacy #1) by Nora Roberts
A Choir of Crows (Owen Archer #12) by Candace Robb
The Daughters of Foxcote Manor by Eve Chase
Dead Man in a Ditch (Fetch Phillips #2) by Luke Arnold
The Devil and the Dark Water by Stuart Turton
The House on Widows Hill (Ishmael Jones #9) by Simon R. Green
Like Lovers Do (Girls Trip #2) by Tracey Livesay
My Favorites by Ben Bova
The Second Home by Christina Clancy
Sherlock Holmes & the Ripper of Whitechapel by M.K. Wiseman
The Sight of You by Holly Miller
The Summer Set by Aimee Agresti
The Trials of Koli (Rampart #2) by M.R. Carey

Purchased from Amazon/Audible:
Queen of the Unwanted (Women’s War #2) by Jenna Glass (audio)

If you have not seen that there will be a full cast recording of the adaptation of the first three books of Neil Gaiman’s awesome Sandman graphic novels, consider yourself told. It’s going to be awesome. And in the ultimate casting against type, Michael Sheen will be playing Lucifer this time, after his turn as the angel Aziraphale in Good Omens. Which was marvelous and we might watch it again. I still need to get around to The Annotated American Gods. One of these days.

Kitten pic for attention. This is George. He’s 2 months old, give or take. Also utterly adorable with the winsomest face ever. He purrs ALL THE TIME.

For Review:
Axiom’s End by Lindsay Ellis
The Book of V. by Anna Solomon
The Fate of a Flapper (Speakeasy Murders #2) by Susanna Calkins
The Fires of Vengeance (Burning #2) by Evan Winter
The Forgotten Kingdom (Lost Queen #2) by Signe Pike
His & Hers by Alice Feeney
The House of Whispers by Laura Purcell
The House that Fell from the Sky by Patrick Delaney
Invisible Girl by Lisa Jewell
Just Like You by Nick Hornby
The Lies that Bind by Emily Giffin
Murder in Old Bombay by Nev March
The Nothing Man by Catherine Ryan Howard
The Peace Machine by Özgür Mumcu
The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue
The Relentless Moon (Lady Astronaut #3) by Mary Robinette Kowal
Safecracker by Ryan Wick
Shiner by Amy Jo Burns
Survivor Song by Paul Tremblay
The Talented Miss Farwell by Emily Gray Tedrowe
The Three Mrs. Wrights by Linda Keir
The Tourist Attraction (Moose Springs, Alaska #1) by Sarah Morgenthaler
An Unnatural Life by Erin K. Wagner

Purchased from Amazon/Audible:
Elven Doom (Death Before Dragons #4) by Lindsay Buroker
The Physicians of Vilnoc (Penric & Desdemona #8) by Lois McMaster Bujold (review)
The Sandman by Neil Gaiman (audio/preorder)

I keep thinking these are going to get shorter – but it hasn’t happened so far. Obviously I have a terrible case of tsundoku, particularly in times like this when it can be hard to concentrate. On the other hand, I read Network Effect this week and got completely lost in it for a day. Then it was done, and I had to search for another read. C’est la vie!

For Review:
Ashes of the Sun (Burningblade & Silvereye #1) by Django Wexler
Attack Surface by Cory Doctorow
Black Sun (Between Earth and Sky #1) by Rebecca Roanhorse
The Bladebone (Khorasan Archives #2) by Ausma Zehanat Khan
Bright and Dangerous Objects by Anneliese Mackintosh
The Bright Side of Going Dark by Kelly Harms
The Care and Feeding of Waspish Widows (Feminine Pursuits #2) by Olivia Waite
Cat Me if You Can (Cat in the Stacks #13) by Miranda James
The Dating Charade by Melissa Ferguson
The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey
The Eyes of the Queen (Agents of the Crown #1) by Oliver Clements
Fortune Favors the Dead by Stephen Spotswood
A Heart of Blood and Ashes (Gathering of Dragons #1) by Milla Vane
Hella by David Gerrold
The Hollow Places by T. Kingfisher
House of Correction by Nicci French
In a Midnight Wood (Jane Lawless #27) by Ellen Hart
In the Black by Patrick S. Tomlinson
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
The Lady Brewer of London by Karen Brooks
Little Wishes by Michelle Adams
Night Train by David Quantick
The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow
The Raven Lady (Faery Rehistory #2) by Sharon Lynn Fisher
A Resolution at Midnight (Lady Dunbridge #3) by Shelley Noble
Ring Shout by P. Djeli Clark
Stories from Suffragette City edited by M.J. Rose and Fiona Davis
Tiny Nightmares edited by Lincoln Michel and Nadxieli Nieto
Tsarina by Ellen Alpsten
White Trash Warlock (Adam Binder #1)  by David R. Slayton
You Lucky Dog by Julia London
You Were There Too by Colleen Oakley

Purchased from Amazon/Audible:
Love Lettering by Kate Clayborn

It feels like April was about a million years long – but now it’s May. That means spring is starting to settle in, except down here in the South where it will undoubtedly make way for summer long before any of us are ready for it.  And then there’s the whole “reopening the economy” mess. As much as I’d love for things to go back to something approaching normal, we’re not ready. It’s going to be a long and bumpy road to the future, whatever it turns out to be.

Meanwhile, there are books. There are lots of books. It’s been a great time to sit out on the back porch and read, and I’m expecting more of that in the future!

For Review:
The Abstainer by Ian McGuire
All Scot and Bothered (Devil You Know #2) by Kerrigan Byrne
All the Devils Are Here (Chief Inspector Gamache #16) by Louise Penny
Ashes of the Sun (Burningblade & Silvereye #1) by Django Wexler
The Brief and True Report of Temperance Flowerdew by Denise Heinze
The Constant Rabbit by Jasper Fforde
Daring and the Duke (Bareknuckle Bastards #3) by Sarah MacLean
Dark Star Rising (Blackwood & Virtue #2) by Bennett R. Coles
A Deadly Education (Scholomance #1) by Naomi Novik
East of Hounslow (Jay Qasim #1) by Khurrum Rahman
The Eighth Detective by Alex Pavesi
Escaping Dreamland by Charlie Lovett
First Cut by Judy Melinek & T.J. Mitchell
Forbidden Promises (Jackson Falls #1) by Synithia Williams
The Four Profound Weaves (Birdverse) by R.B. Lemberg
Get a Life, Chloe Brown (Brown Sisters #1)  by Talia Hibbert
Good Girls Lie by J.T. Ellison
Hard Ride (Clean Slate Ranch #5) by A.M. Arthur
Headliners (London Celebrities #5) by Lucy Parker
Lionhearts (Nottingham #2) by Nathan Makaryk
Love Her or Lose Her (Hot & Hammered #2) by Tessa Bailey
One by One by Ruth Ware
The Only Child by Mi-Ae Seo
Prime Deceptions (Chilling Effect #2) by Valerie Valdes
Second Chance Angel (Last Stop Station #1) by Griffin Barber and Kacey Ezell
Shadows in Death (In Death #51) by J.D. Robb
A Star is Bored by Byron Lane
The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
To Sleep in a Sea of Stars by Christopher Paolini
The Tyrant Baru Cormorant (Masquerade #3) by Seth Dickinson
When No One Is Watching by Alyssa Cole
Wicked Bite (Night Rebel #2, Night Huntress Universe #15) by Jeaniene Frost

Welcome to the 698th day of Marchril. Or something like that. What’s really bizarre is that this has been going on long enough that it’s starting to feel as if it has always been this way.  I know that’s not true, but I don’t know about the rest of you, but this is starting to feel like normal. That I normally work from home so the changes aren’t that drastic may be part of it, but still, it seems like strange is the new normal.

And that’s strange.

But still, there are plenty of books to read, although publication dates are starting to slip all over the place. The late Spring stuff is moving to August. Not because anyone actually knows anything, but just to kick the can down the road a piece. We’ll see.

For Review:
Anthems Outside Time and Other Strange Voices by Kenneth Schneyer
Architects of Memory (Memory War #1) by Karen Osborne
The Art of Deception (Daughter of Sherlock Holmes #4) by Leonard Goldberg
Brides of Rome (Vesta Shadows #1) by Debra May Macleod
Cher Ami and Major Whittlesey by Kathleen Rooney
A Chorus of Fire (Sorcerer’s Song #2) by Brian D. Anderson
The Color of Air by Gail Tsukiyama
Dali Summer by T.J. Brown
Eighty Days to Elsewhere (Ex Libris Adventure #1) by kc dyer
Empire of Wild by Cherie Dimaline
Final Cut by S.J. Watson
The Heirs of Locksley (Robin Hood Stories #2) by Carrie Vaughn
Hidden Bones (Dead Remaining #2) by Vivian Barz
Home Before Dark by Riley Sager
Ink & Sigil (Ink & Sigil #1) by Kevin Hearne
Interlibrary Loan (Borrowed Man #2) by Gene Wolfe
Kiss My Cupcake by Helena Hunting
The Lost Jewels by Kirsty Manning
Masquerade at Middlecrest Abbey by Abigail Wilson
The Memory of Souls (Chorus of Dragons #3) by Jenn Lyons
Peachy Scream (Georgia B&B #2) by Anna Gerard
Sorcery of a Queen (Dragons of Terra #2) by Brian Naslund
The Summer House by Lauren K. Denton
Ten Arrows of Iron (Grave of Empires #2) by Sam Sykes
A Touch of Stone and Snow (Gatherine of Dragons #2) by Milla Vane
The Unconquered City (Chronicles of Ghadid #3) by K.A. Doore
Vanessa Yu’s Magical Paris Tea Shop by Roselle Lim
The Vanished Queen by Lisbeth Campbell
What You Wish For by Katherine Center
Wonderland by Zoje Stage
Would I Lie to the Duke (Union of the Rakes #2) by Eva Leigh

Purchased from Amazon/Audible:
The Annotated American Gods by Neil Gaiman (hardcover)
A Borrowed Man by Gene Wolfe
Ghostrider (Miranda Chase NTSB #4) by M.L. Buchman (preorder)

Borrowed from the Library:
The Testaments by Margaret Atwood

I think this is the last really big stack. I sure hope it is. Things are also starting to get weird in that books that were originally going to be released this spring and summer are now being pushed back to fall and even winter. It’s a confusing time.

And we’re all about a week away from doing something seriously insane with our hair. I know that people think that worrying about hair is nuts in this time of crisis, but how we see ourselves, how we look, is a big part of our self-image, and changing that drastically can be hard on the self-esteem, even when we’re willing. When we’re not it can be pretty darn devastating that the person in the mirror isn’t the person we expect it to be anymore. We all look different as we age, but that’s gradual. This is going to be a sudden shock for a lot of people. Including me – one I’m definitely not looking forward to.

For Review:
Afterland by Lauren Beukes
Ashes of the Sun (Burningblade & Silvereye #1) by Django Wexler
The Aunt Who Wouldn’t Die by Shirshendu Mukhopadhyay
The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel
Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall
Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas
Dear Emmie Blue by Lia Louis
Driftwood by Marie Brennan
A Duke, the Lady, and a Baby (Rogues and Remarkable Women #1) by Vanessa Riley
Flyaway by Kathleen Jennings
Ghosting by Tash Skilton
A Good Marriage by Kimberly McCreight
The Hero of Hope Springs (Gold Valley #10) by Maisey Yates
Miss Graham’s Cold War Cookbook by Celia Rees
Mission: Her Shield (Team 52 #7) by Anna Hackett
Night of the Mannequins by Stephen Graham Jones
One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London
Or What You Will by Jo Walton
The Outsider (Kate Burkholder #12) by Linda Castillo
Paris is Always a Good Idea by Jenn McKinlay
Peace Talks (Dresden Files #16) by Jim Butcher
Quantum Shadows by L.E. Modesitt, Jr.
ReV (Machine Dynasty #3) by Madeline Ashby
The Rightful Queen (Empire’s Ghost #2) by Isabelle Steiger
The Secret Women by Sheila Williams
Sex and Vanity by Kevin Kwan
The Shadows by Alex North
The Silence of the White City (Trilogy of the White City #1) by Eva García Sáenz
A Summoning of Souls (Spectral City #3) by Leanna Renee Hieber
Unconquerable Sun (Sun Chronicles #1) by Kate Elliott
Until It’s Over by Nicci French
Well-Behaved Indian Women by Saumya Dave
The Woman Before Wallis by Bryn Turnbull
Would I Lie to the Duke (Union of the Rakes #2) by Eva Leigh
You Had Me at Hola by Alexis Daria

In theory, I have more time to read. In reality I seem to have more time to look for things to read, but less inclination to actually read them. It’s just so weird right now. But I really want to get lost in something and I have high hopes for quite a few of these!

For Review:
The Angel of the Crows by Katherine Addison
The Bad Boy of Redemption Ranch (Gold Valley #10) by Maisey Yates
Big Familia by Tomas Moniz
The Boyfriend Project by Farrah Rochon
By Force Alone by Lavie Tidhar
The Coldest Warrior by Paul Vidich
Conventionally Yours (True Colors #1) by Annabeth Albert
Dead to Her by Sarah Pinborough
Docile by K.M. Szpara
The Eighth Life by Nino Haratischvili
The End of October by Lawrence Wright
Guard (Galactic Gladiators: House of Rone #5) by Anna Hackett (review)
The Heir Affair (Royal We #2) by Heather Cocks & Jessica Morgan
How the Penguins Saved Veronica by Hazel Prior
The Inspector of Strange and Unexplained Deaths by Olivier Barde-Cabuçon
Machine (White Space #2) by Elizabeth Bear
Night Call (Walking Shadows #1) by Brenden Carlson
The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich
The One for You (Ones Who Got Away #4) by Roni Loren
Red Sky Over Hawaii by Sara Ackerman
The Sea of Lost Girls by Carol Goodman
The Secrets of Love Story Bridge by Phaedra Patrick
Summer at Lake Haven (Haven Point #11) by RaeAnne Thayne

Purchased from Amazon/Audible:
The Citadel of Weeping Pearls (Xuya Universe) by Aliette de Bodard
The Last Emperox (Interdependency #3) by John Scalzi (audio)(preorder)
On a Red Station, Drifting (Xuya Universe) by Aliette de Bodard
The Unbound Queen (Four Arts #3) by M.J. Scott (preorder)

This does rather feel like the “embarrassment of riches” edition of Stacking the Shelves. One way or another, an incredible number of books found their way onto my virtual shelves. For me it feels reassuring, that as long as I can power up my iPad I’ll have PLENTY to read, and that’s something that always makes me feel better. We all need to look for little things that make us feel a bit better right now, as so much seems like its falling apart.

For Review:
Afterlife by Julia Alvarez
All Adults Here by Emma Straub
Beach Read by Emily Henry
The Best Man Plan (Boots and Bouquets #1) by Jaci Burton
The City of Tears (Burning Chambers #2) by Kate Mosse
The Down Days by Ilze Hugo
Driving the Deep (Finder Chronicles #2) by Suzanne Palmer
Echoes of Another by Chandra Clarke
The Ghosts of Harvard by Francesca Serritella
The Guest List by Lucy Foley
I’d Give Anything by Marisa de los Santos
The Kingdom of Liars (Legacy of the Mercenary King #1) by Nick Martell
The Mother Code by Carole Stivers
Mousse and Murder (Alaskan Diner Mystery #1) by Elizabeth Logan
My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell
Out of Body by Jeffrey Ford
Say Yes to the Duke (Wildes of Lindow Castle #5) by Eloisa James
Shakespeare for Squirrels by Christopher Moore
Something to Talk About by Meryl Wilsner
Sweet Sorrow by David Nicholls
This is How I Lied by Heather Gudenkauf
Until the End (Final Hour #3) by Juno Rushdan
The Wife Stalker by Liv Constantine

Purchased from Amazon/Audible/Kickstarter:
Familiarity by Kristine Kathryn Rusch (Kickstarter)
Five Feline Fancies by Kristine Kathryn Rusch (Kickstarter)
Servant of the Crown (Dragonslayer #3) by Duncan M. Hamilton (audio)
Skulduggery Pleasant (Skulduggery Pleasant #1) by Derek Landy

As we enter week 2 – or is it week 3 – of the pandemic, are you sheltering in place? Are you working from home? Are you still going to a workplace? Most importantly, ARE YOU OK?

At the moment, it feels like we are all getting an object lesson in the reason why the phrase, “May you live in interesting times” is considered a curse and not a blessing. While there is undoubtedly plenty of cursing going on, there are plenty of blessings to be had if one looks for them – or at least there are if one is safe, healthy, fed and fortunate enough to be not too frantic about one’s immediate future prospects of remaining at least two out of those three.

We’re probably all worrying about our own health, that of our loved ones, and that of our community as a whole. Even in its many, many socially distanced parts. Please stay safe out there, and in there.

Also take some time to remind yourself that a book is a great vehicle for taking you far away from where you are when you have to remain where you are.

For Review:
A Bad Day for Sunshine (Sunshine Vicram #1) by Darynda Jones
The Big Finish by Brooke Fossey
The Book of Koli (Rampart Trilogy #1) by M.R. Carey
The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd
The Book of Lost Friends by Lisa Wingate
Dead Land (V.I. Warshawski #22)  by Sara Paretsky
Death in Her Hands by Ottessa Moshfegh
The Girl and the Stars (Book of the Ice #1) by Mark Lawrence
Godshot by Chelsea Bieker
The Happy Ever After Playlist by Abby Jimenez
He Started It by Samantha Downing
Her Seafaring Scoundrel (Crawfords #3) by Sophie Barnes
The Hocus Girl (Simon Westow #2) by Chris Nickson
How Much of These Hills is Gold by C Pam Zhang
The Human Son by Adrian J. Walker
A Hundred Suns by Karin Tanabe
Island Affair (Keys to Love #1) by Priscilla Oliveras
Jack by Connie Willis
The King’s Beast (Bone Rattler #6) by Eliot Pattison
The Last Emperox (Interdependency #3) by John Scalzi
The Last Hunt (Benny Griessel #7) by Deon Meyer
Little Secrets by Jennifer Hillier
Little Siberia by Antti Tuomainen
The Lost Boys of London (Bianca Goddard #5) by Mary Lawrence
The Love Story of Missy Carmichael by Beth Morrey
Master Class by Christina Dalcher
Our Riches by Kaouther Adimi
Paladin (House of Rone #4) by Anna Hackett
Queenie Malone’s Paradise Hotel by Ruth Hogan
The Rakess (Society of Sirens #1) by Scarlett Peckham
The Roxy Letters by Mary Pauline Lowry
A Shadow Intelligence by Oliver Harris
Simon the Fiddler by Paulette Jiles
Sin Eater by Megan Campisi
The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix
Strike Me Down by Mindy Mejia
To Have and to Hoax by Martha Waters
The Wise Friend by Ramsey Campbell
You Deserve Each Other by Sarah Hogle
You Let Me In by Camilla Bruce