Stacking the Shelves (467)

Posted on October 23, 2021October 22, 2021 by Marlene Harris | Author : Marlene Harris | Stacking the Shelves

Every once in a while, the daily deal from Audible provides me with a real winner. I’m in the middle of Day Zero right now, and so far, it’s awesome. It’s certainly WAY more awesome than the $2.99 it cost me, so I’m considering it a serious win.

This week’s stack is fairly short. I have more new books in the hopper, but I tend not to post them here until I get covers. After all, oohing and aahing over the pretty covers feels like a big part of the point of STS. (That and keeping me organized, but that’s not half so interesting.) So here’s what I have that I have covers for. The supply chain seems to be wrecking havoc in all sorts of places!

For Review:
A Botanist’s Guide to Parties and Poisons by Kate Khavari
The Hookup Dilemma by Constance Gillam
Nightwork by Nora Roberts
A Taste of Ginger by Mansi Shah
When Blood Lies (Sebastian St. Cyr #17) by C.S. Harris

Purchased from Amazon/Audible:
Day Zero by C. Robert Cargill (audio)

If you want to find out more about Stacking The Shelves, please visit the official launch page

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Stacking the Shelves (466)

Posted on October 16, 2021October 15, 2021 by Marlene Harris | Author : Marlene Harris | Stacking the Shelves

This feels all too much like one of those weeks where I might have forgotten to put the text into this post and left the “XXX” – but I managed to avert that fate! For some reason, this has felt like a particularly long week at Chez Reading Reality. But we made it! It’s the weekend! YAY!

I also managed to get some interesting and/or much anticipated books this week, and that’s always a win. I’m especially happy that State of Terror finally popped up on Edelweiss – just as the book came out. I love Louise Penny so I’m very curious to see how her collaboration with Hillary Clinton works out.

state of terror by hillary clinton and louise penny

star wars light of the jedi by charles soule

marion lane and the deadly rose by ta willberg

flowers for the sea by zin e rocklyn audio

homicide and halo halo by mia p manansala

For Review:
Adult Assembly Required by Abbi Waxman
Atomic Anna by Rachel Barenbaum
Black Tide by KC Jones
Book Lovers by Emily Henry
Circus of Wonders by Elizabeth Macneal
Comeuppance Served Cold by Marion Deeds
Deadly Director’s Cut (Catskill Summer Resort #2) by Vicki Delany
A Fine Madness by Alan Judd
Flowers for the Sea by Zin E. Rocklyn (audio)
Goodbye Again (Wyndham Beach #2) by Mariah Stewart
Homicide and Halo-Halo (Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mystery #2) by Mia P. Manansala
A Lullaby for Witches by Hester Fox
Marion Lane and the Deadly Rose (Marion Lane #2) by T.A. Willberg
Ogres by Adrian Tchaikovsky
The Overnight Guest by Heather Gudenkauf
State of Terror by Hillary Rodham Clinton and Louise Penny

Purchased from Amazon/Audible:
Fan Fiction by Brent Spiner
Paladin’s Hope (Saint of Steel #3) by T. Kingfisher
Tricky by Josh Stallings

Borrowed from the Library:
Star Wars: Light of the Jedi (The High Republic #1) by Charles Soule

If you want to find out more about Stacking The Shelves, please visit the official launch page

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Stacking the Shelves (465)

Posted on October 9, 2021October 7, 2021 by Marlene Harris | Author : Marlene Harris | Stacking the Shelves

The fascinating book in this list is the audio of Brent Spiner’s Fan Fiction. I don’t even HAVE the ebook. Honestly I wasn’t planning to read the book at all. BUUUUUT it’s a full cast recording with the cast of Star Trek Next Generation along with a few others. When I saw THAT I couldn’t hit the request button fast enough. I’ll be listening to it next week, after I finish Nothing but Blackened Teeth – which is creepy but so good and the language is amazingly lyrical. But seriously creepy, so I’m hoping that Fan Fiction will bring on the fun!

danger on the atlantic by erica ruth neubauer

For Review:
Asking for a Friend by Andi Osho
Danger on the Atlantic (Jane Wunderly #3) by Erica Ruth Neubauer
Fan Fiction by Brent Spiner (audio)
Girls of Flight City by Lorraine Heath
The Hacker (Norcross Security #5) by Anna Hackett
Kundo Wakes Up by Saad Z. Hossain
Nine Lives by Peter Swanson
Project Namahana by John Teschner
A Rip Through Time by Kelley Armstrong
Sundial by Catriona Ward
The Sweetness of Water by Nathan Harris
The Wedding Crasher by Mia Sosa
The Wedding Wager by Eva Devon

If you want to find out more about Stacking The Shelves, please visit the official launch page

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Stacking the Shelves (464)

Posted on October 2, 2021October 1, 2021 by Marlene Harris | Author : Marlene Harris | Stacking the Shelves

Not that I’m not looking forward to reading every single book in this stack, sooner or later, but there are a couple I’m way more excited about than the rest. One is The Sacred Bridge, the 25th book in the Leaphorn, Chee and now also Manuelito series by Anne Hillerman, taking over for her late father. I loved the earlier series on audio, way, way back when that still meant actual tapes, and I love them even more now. That the new book generally comes out right around my birthday always makes them a special treat.

And then there’s Crowbones, the third book in Anne Bishop’s World of the Others series, that follows along and kind of next to her Others series that started with Written in Red. There was just something about Written in Red and its sequels, even when it all drove me crazy, and it often did. It was like there was some kind of crack embedded in even the virtual pages. It’s alt-history and paranormal and crackfic all rolled into one delicious ball. I also wasn’t expecting a new book in the series at any particular time, so it’s a treat to see it now – and I’ll probably dive into it WAY ahead of the pub. date because I just can’t resist.

mr dale and the divorcee by sophie barnes

For Review:
Absynthe by Brendan P. Bellecourt
Billy Summers by Stephen King
Bloomsbury Girls by Natalie Jenner
Boss Witch (Fix-It Witches #2) by Ann Aguirre
The City of Dusk (Dark Gods #1) by Tara Sim
Crowbones (World of the Others #3) by Anne Bishop
Dark Things I Adore by Katie Lattari
Forever Home (Dogwood County #2) by Elysia Whisler
Kagen the Damned (Kagen the Damned #1) by Jonathan Maberry
Mr. Dale and the Divorcée (Brazen Beauties #1) by Sophie Barnes
Obsidian by Sarah Daley
The Sacred Bridge (Leaphorn, Chee & Manuelito #25) by Anne Hillerman
The Sorority Murder by Allison Brennan
The Thin Place by C.D. Major
What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher
Wild and Wicked Things by Francesca May

If you want to find out more about Stacking The Shelves, please visit the official launch page

Please link your STS post in the linky below:

Stacking the Shelves (463)

Posted on September 25, 2021September 24, 2021 by Marlene Harris | Author : Marlene Harris | Stacking the Shelves

All of a sudden, I can get audiobooks on NetGalley. It’s so hard not to let the temptation get out of hand, and it’s not easy resisting the impulse to get, well, everything. I’m listening to Under the Whispering Door now, and Nothing But Blackened Teeth is next. I’m kind of counting on my usual pattern of listening to half and then reading the rest because I just HAVE to find out what’s happening next. And I’m killing time until Jade Legacy drops on November 30. I’ve been looking forward to that for what seems like AGES!

AND I’m also a bit intrigued by The Wolf of Oren-Yaro, which I picked up in one of Audible’s Daily Deals, and not just about listening to it. The series title on Goodreads is Chronicles of the BITCH Queen, while the series title for the exact same book is Chronicles of the WOLF Queen on Amazon. I wonder what THAT’S about?

roughest draft by emily wibberly and austin siegemund broka

under color of law by aaron philip clark

nothing but blackened teeth by cassandra khaw

For Review:
Insurrection (Dark Desires Origins #3) by Nina Croft
Iron Widow (Iron Widow #1) by Xiran Jay Zhao
No One Goes Alone by Erik Larson (audio)
Nothing But Blackened Teeth by Cassandra Khaw (audio)
Oh William! (Amgash #3) by Elizabeth Strout
One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle
Pets in Space 6 by S.E. Smith, Veronica Scott, Honey Phillips, Carol Van Natta, Cassandra Chandler, J.C. Hay, S.J. Pajonas, Greta van der Rol, Deborah A. Bailey, Melisse Aires , Kyndra Hatch
Rise of the Mages (Age of Ire #1) by Scott Drakeford
The Roughest Draft by Emily Wibberly and Austin Siegemund-Broka
Under Color of Law (Trevor Finnegan #1) by Aaron Philip Clark
Under the Whispering Door by T.J. Klune (audio)

Purchased from Amazon/Audible:
Jade Legacy (Green Bone Saga #3) by Fonda Lee (audio) (preorder)
Love, Comment, Subscribe (Ponto Beach Reunion #1) by Cathy Yardley
The Wolf of Oren-Yaro (Chronicles of the Bitch Queen #1) by K.S. Villoso (audio)

If you want to find out more about Stacking The Shelves, please visit the official launch page

Please link your STS post in the linky below:

Stacking the Shelves (462)

Posted on September 18, 2021September 16, 2021 by Marlene Harris | Author : Marlene Harris | Stacking the Shelves

I just realized that this list makes it look like I cut off half the alphabet – except for that one book I got from the library. Looks kind of weird, but that’s the way the cookie crumbles, or at least that’s the way the titles fell out this week.

practical guide to conquering the world by kj parker

league of gentlewomen witches by india holton

For Review:
An Impossible Impostor (Veronica Speedwell #7) by Deanna Raybourn
Just One Look by Lindsay Cameron
The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera
The League of Gentlewomen Witches (Dangerous Damsels #2) by India Holton
The Night Shift by Alex Finlay
The Paris Bookseller by Kerri Maher
A Practical Guide to Conquering the World (Siege #3) by K.J. Parker
Shady Hollow (Shady Hollow #1) by Juneau Black
Sweep of Stars (Astra Black #1) by Maurice Broaddus
The Thousand Eyes (Serpent Gates #2) by A.K. Larkwood
Unity by Elly Bangs
What Comes After by Joanne Tompkins

Borrowed from the Library:
Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty

If you want to find out more about Stacking The Shelves, please visit the official launch page

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Stacking the Shelves (461)

Posted on September 11, 2021September 10, 2021 by Marlene Harris | Author : Marlene Harris | Stacking the Shelves

Today marks the 20th anniversary of 9/11. 9/11 feels like one of those watershed moments, the kind where you remember where you were, what you were doing, who you were with, for the rest of your life. I know I do. But also, how soon we forget. It feels both like yesterday and like a lifetime ago. Only because it was.

lightning in a mirror by jayne ann krentz

master of rods and strings by jason marc harris

heroic hearts by jim butcher and kerrie l hughes

librarian always rings twice by marty wingate

For Review:
Boundaries (Tales of Valdemar #15) edited by Mercedes Lackey
The Bone Orchard by Sara A. Mueller
The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James
Children of Demeter by E.V. Knight
The Deadliest Sin (Crispin Guest #15) by Jeri Westerson
The Good Wife of Bath by Karen Brooks
Heroic Hearts edited by Jim Butcher and Kerrie L. Hughes
The Librarian Always Rings Twice (First Edition Library Mystery #3) by Marty Wingate
Lightning in a Mirror (Fogg Lake #3) by Jayne Ann Krentz
Master of Rods and Strings by Jason Marc Harris
The Ninja Betrayed (Lily Wong #3) by Tori Eldridge
The Untold Story (Invisible Library #8) by Genevieve Cogman
We Were Never Here by Andrea Bartz
Westside Lights (Gilda Carr Tiny Mystery #3) by W.M. Akers

If you want to find out more about Stacking The Shelves, please visit the official launch page

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Stacking the Shelves (460)

Posted on September 4, 2021September 5, 2021 by Marlene Harris | Author : Marlene Harris | Stacking the Shelves

For those in the U.S., Labor Day is on Monday and for many people it’s a 3-day weekend. That’s always worth a YAY, especially since I prep these posts on FriYAY. Here at Chez Reading Reality, it makes for a nice long weekend to read a bunch of books, write up a bunch of stuff, and generally sit in places where the cats can use one or both of us as mattresses for their mid-morning and mid-afternoon naps!

I’ll be spending at least a bit of time looking for safe places to store my new walking shoes. I like my shoes to fit, and George likes to eat shoelaces. Our goals are not aligned! So, my nearby bookshelves are serving double-duty as bookcases and safe shoe racks. Wish me luck!

sherlock holmes and the singular affair by mk wiseman

all the horses of iceland by sarah tolmie

haunting of leigh harker by darcy coates

sisters of the vast black by lina rather

sisters of the forsaken stars by lina rather

seamstress of new orleans by diane c mcphail

For Review:
Age of Ash (Kithamar Trilogy #1) by Daniel Abraham
All the Horses of Iceland by Sarah Tolmie
The Brightest Star in Paris by Diana Biller
Duke, Actually by Jenny Holiday
Fevered Star (Between Earth and Sky #2) by Rebecca Roanhorse
A Game of Fear (Inspector Ian Rutledge #24) by Charles Todd
The Haunting of Leigh Harker by Darcy Coates
The Ice Coven by Max Seeck
The Killing Hills by Chris Offutt
King of Eon (Eon Warriors #9) by Anna Hackett
The Seamstress of New Orleans by Diane C. McPhail
Sherlock Holmes & the Singular Affair by M.K. Wiseman
Sisters of the Forsaken Stars (Sisters of St. Rita #2) by Lina Rather
A Swift and Savage Tide (Kit Brightling #2) by Chloe Neill
Witch, Please (Fix-It Witches #1) by Ann Aguirre (audio)

Purchased from Amazon/Audible:
Sisters of the Vast Black (Sisters of St. Rita #1) by Lina Rather

Borrowed from the Library:
Pack Up the Moon by Kristan Higgins

If you want to find out more about Stacking The Shelves, please visit the official launch page

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Stacking the Shelves (459)

Posted on August 28, 2021August 26, 2021 by Marlene Harris | Author : Marlene Harris | Stacking the Shelves

First of all, the lists are getting shorter. It’s that time of year, which probably sounds strange. But not a lot comes out in December and January, and that’s affecting what’s available in NetGalley and Edelweiss. I have some eARCs as far out as May, but that’s so far out they don’t have covers yet!

There’s one book on here that I’ve already read/listened to. I got an AudioARC for The Heart Principle earlier this week, started it in audio, got hooked, and switched to the ebook, as yesterday’s review will attest. There’s one book in here that I did not expect at all but am really happy to see, that’s The Misfit Soldier by Michael Mammay. I’ve enjoyed his Planetside series because I love the voice of the main character. This isn’t a part of that series, but I’m hoping that the voice of the protagonist in this one will be just as good.

how to kill your best friend by lexie elliott

once more upon a time by roshani chokshi

best of world sf volume one by lavie tidhar

no gods no monsters by cadwell turnbull audio

For Review:
The Best of World SF: Volume 1 edited by Lavie Tidhar
Cyber Mage by Saad Z. Hossain
Goliath by Tochi Onyebuchi
The Good Girl’s Guide to Rakes (Last Chance Scoundrels #1) by Eva Leigh
The Heart Principle (Kiss Quotient #3) by Helen Hoang (audio)
How to Kill Your Best Friend by Lexie Elliott
The Misfit Soldier by Michael Mammay
No Gods, No Monsters (Convergence Saga #1) by Cadwell Turnbull (audio)
Once More Upon a Time by Roshani Chokshi
Woman on Fire by Lisa Barr

Purchased from Amazon/Audible:
The Gentleman and the Thief (Dread Penny Society #2) by Sarah M. Eden
The Lady and the Highwayman (Dread Penny Society #1) by Sarah M. Eden

If you want to find out more about Stacking The Shelves, please visit the official launch page

Please link your STS post in the linky below:

Stacking the Shelves (458)

Posted on August 21, 2021August 20, 2021 by Marlene Harris | Author : Marlene Harris | Stacking the Shelves

Today (Friday as I write this) has just been one of those days. It feels like I take two steps forward and one step back – or possibly the other way around. Or both! It’s a dance! No wait, it’s just the usual insanity.

So many books, so many reviews to write, so little time. C’est la vie. Like I said, one of those days. I just love deadlines. I love the sound they make as they go whizzing by!