The Sunday Post AKA What’s on my (Mostly Virtual) Nightstand BIRTHDAY EDITION 4-5-26 + #Giveaway

Sadly, today marks the end of this year’s Blogo-Birthday Celebration. Weirdly, today is Easter Sunday, it’s the middle of Passover (which began on April 1st) AND it’s my birthday. So if you celebrate either Passover or Easter, I hope this is a good holiday for you! If you’re here for my birthday, or just for the Sunday Post, thanks for stopping by to celebrate with me!

There’s one final giveaway to make today a true ‘Hobbit Birthday’ where I give presents instead of getting them. Today’s giveaway is a book giveaway. Specifically, I’m giving one lucky winner a copy of one of my favorite books of this year (so far, not including books from this week’s previous giveaways BUT including one that’s coming soon that I’ve already finished), or, if my tastes and yours don’t coincide, a copy of the book of YOUR choice instead of one of mine, (up to $30 US).

Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett
The Architect of New York by Javier Moro
Blindside by Michael Mammay
The Daughter Who Remains by Nnedi Okorafor
Eleanore of Avignon by Elizabeth DeLozier
Fire Must Burn by Allison Montclair
Inside Man by John McMahon
Junkyard Riders by Faith Hunter
A Lion’s Ransom by Candace Robb
Nine Goblins by T. Kingfisher
Ode to the Half-Broken by Suzanne Palmer
A Pretender’s Murder by Christopher Huang
Propaganda Girls by Lisa Rogak
Sentient by Michael Nayak
The Shadow Carver by Nadine Matheson
Trailbreaker by Ruthie Knox and Annie Mare

Just let me know in the giveaway widget at the end of the post what book you’d most like to have your very own copy of, from my list or yours, in whatever format suits you best. Someone is going to get very lucky – at least when it comes to a good book to read.

But first I need to show you this week’s feline poster child! Because it’s just not the Sunday Post around here without a cat.

Rounding out the week – AND the saga of our home remodeling – today’s cat picture is of George, the Destroyer of Worlds. Or at least, the destroyer of carpets AND carpet samples. That’s the new hardwood living room floor under George and the carpet sample he wrecked. At first, this was just an adorable sight, while the carpet was a perfect match for our color scheme AND did a great job of meeting Galen’s and my differing tastes in the middle. BUT, the next morning, there were blue tufts EVERYWHERE and the sample looked like it had taken a serious beating – along with a whole lot of pulling, clawing and outright mauling. So we’re still looking, and now we know that every rug we even THINK about has to pass the ‘George Test’ to be even a possible contender.

Current Giveaways:

$25 Gift Card or $25 Book in Reading Reality’s Fifteenth Annual Blogo-Birthday Celebration Week and Giveaway!
Any (1) of Anna Hackett‘s books
$10 Gift Card or $10 Book in the Honey Bunny Giveaway Hop
Any (1) of Charles Todd‘s books
Any (1) of Tim Sullivan‘s books in the DS Cross series
Any (1) book in Stacking the Shelves #699 on April 4, 2026
Any book from my best books or 2026 (so far) or a book of your choice
$10 Gift Card or $10 Book PLUS EVENT-WIDE AMAZON/PAYPAL PRIZE in The Spring Giveaway Event!
$10 Gift Card or $10 Book in the Spring 2026 Seasons of Books Giveaway Hop

Winner Announcements:

The winner of the Chasing Rainbows Giveaway Hop is Heather

Blog Recap:

Fifteenth Annual Blogo-Birthday Celebration Week and GIVEAWAY!
Grade A #BookReview: In the Devil’s Nebula by Anna Hackett + #Giveaway
Honey Bunny Giveaway Hop
A+ #BookReview: Legacy of the Dead by Charles Todd + #Giveaway
A+ #BookReview: The Politician by Tim Sullivan + Giveaway
Stacking the Shelves (699) Blogo-Birthday Edition + #Giveaway

Coming This Week:

When the Wolves are Silent by C.S. Harris (#BookReview)
The Museum of Unusual Occurrence by Erica Wright  (#BookReview)
No One Would Do What the Lamberts Have Done by Sophie Hannah (#BookReview)
Seasons of Glass and Iron by Amal El-Mohtar (#AudioBookReview)
Double Shadow by Andrew Luddington (#BookReview)

The Sunday Post AKA What’s on my (Mostly Virtual) Nightstand 3-29-26

This is the first “normal” weekend we’ve had in a while. The floors are finished, the handymen have come and gone after fixing several years of minor stuff that accumulated into a fairly big list, and the cats are finally settling down into some slightly different behavior patterns. (The night that the cats decided to test the new acoustics AT 2AM will live in infamy). Today’s cat picture is of Hecate, cuddled up to Galen, proclaiming that he belongs entirely to her with every single glare.

But the change in feline dynamics means that Luna is cuddled up on Galen’s other side – closer than Hecate has ever let her without hissing if not a bit of ‘pawsticuffs’. Galen has become the feline version of the Berlin Wall, and he’s not unhappy about it at all!

This coming week is going to be different from the usual, but this time in an excellent way. Tomorrow marks the beginning of Reading Reality’s 15th Blogo-Birthday Celebration Week. For those who are new to the celebration, it’s a “blogo-birthday” because Reading Reality’s blogoversary is April 4, and my own birthday is April 5.

As always, it’s a ‘Hobbit Birthday’ meaning that I’ll be giving presents all week as part of the celebration. Mostly books, because of course, books. I’ve chosen three books to review and giveaway this year, an old favorite re-released and newly re-available in Anna Hackett’s In the Devil’s Nebula, a new favorite series by a long-time favorite author in Charles Todd’s Legacy of the Dead, and a new favorite series newly available in the U.S. after a best-selling run in the U.K.: Tim Sullivan’s The Politician.

Come one, come all and join in ALL the fun!

Current Giveaways:

$10 Gift Card or $10 Book in the Chasing Rainbows Giveaway Hop (ENDS TUESDAY!!!)
$10 Gift Card or $10 Book PLUS EVENT-WIDE AMAZON/PAYPAL PRIZE in The Spring Giveaway Event!
$10 Gift Card or $10 Book in the Spring 2026 Seasons of Books Giveaway Hop

Blog Recap:

A- #BookReview: The Legend of the Nine-Tailed Fox by Katrina Kwan
A- #AudioBookReview: Tiny House, Big Love by Olivia Dade
B #BookReview: Trace Elements by Jo Walton and Ada Palmer
A- #BookReview: Hunter Squad: Marc by Anna Hackett
B- #BookReview: Magic and Mischief at the Wayside Hotel by Elizabeth Everett
Stacking the Shelves (698)

Coming This Week:

Blogo-Birthday Celebration Week (#Feature, #Essay, #GIVEAWAY)
In the Devil’s Nebula by Anna Hackett (#BookReview, #Giveaway)
Honey Bunny Giveaway Hop (#BlogHop, #Giveaway)
Legacy of the Dead by Charles Todd (#BookReview, #Giveaway)
The Politician by Tim Sullivan (#BookReview, #Giveaway)
Stacking the Shelves BLOGOVERSARY EDITION (#Giveaway)
Sunday Post / Virtual Nightstand  BIRTHDAY EDITION (#Giveaway)

The Sunday Post AKA What’s on my (Mostly Virtual) Nightstand 3-22-26

No one at Chez Reading Reality had the best week this week, and the reviews definitely reflect that. I only had ONE book work for me, and there was even more flailing and bailing than seems evident from here. We were finally able to sleep in our own bed again Thursday night – and things are slowly getting back to normal although there’s a lot of clean up to do AND a whole lot of area rugs to decide on. But with the cats, hardwood is definitely a better option than carpet.

The humans were definitely NOT the only people in the house who were not best pleased with the work being done. The cats stayed in the basement while we decamped to a hotel. It took several hours on Thursday evening for most of them to emerge from what had clearly become their new ‘safe place’.

But if a picture is worth a thousand words, Tuna is just saying ‘DADDY I’M SCARED!’ over and over again. Even between the knees of a ‘security human’, Tuna was obviously petrified of all the changes. This was taken Friday morning just below the top of the stairs because he was just not coming up. He did finally join the rest of the fam late Friday evening. Everyone seems to be okay now, even Tuna, but they’re all still a bit clingy. And so are their humans!

Current Giveaways:

$10 Gift Card or $10 Book in the Chasing Rainbows Giveaway Hop
$10 Gift Card or $10 Book PLUS EVENT-WIDE AMAZON/PAYPAL PRIZE in The Spring Giveaway Event!
$10 Gift Card or $10 Book in the Spring 2026 Seasons of Books Giveaway Hop

Winner Announcements:

The winner of the Winter 2025-2026 Seasons of Books Giveaway Hop is Sherry

Blog Recap:

Chasing Rainbows Giveaway Hop
B- #AudioBookReview: Desire and the Deep Blue Sea by Olivia Dade
Grade A #BookReview: A Pretender’s Murder by Christopher Huang
C+ #AudioBookReview: And Now Back to You by B.K. Borison
Spring 2026 Seasons of Books Giveaway Hop
Stacking the Shelves (697)

Coming This Week:

The Legend of the Nine-Tailed Fox by Katrina Kwan (#BookReview)
Tiny House, Big Love by Olivia Dade (#AudioBookReview)
Trace Elements by Jo Walton and Ada Palmer (#BookReview)
Magic and Mischief at the Wayside Hotel by Elizabeth Everett (#BookReview)
Hunter Squad: Marc by Anna Hackett (#BookReview)

The Sunday Post AKA What’s on my (Mostly Virtual) Nightstand 3-15-26

This is Luna, telling Galen all about just how unhappy she is and (probably) how much the other cats have misbehaved.

You might be asking yourself “Why is Luna so unhappy?” If you knew her better, you might also be wondering how we can tell, as this is a fairly typical Luna pose, with her mouth open mid-conversation. She always has a LOT to say.

She, and the other cats, are unhappy because the “great carpet tear-out” is still ongoing. Things should return to their new normal at the end of THIS week. But in the meantime, the cats are stuck in the basement room – which is heated and carpeted and full of places to play and hide – because the last thing that ANY of us need is little kitty pawprints preserved in the new hardwood floor finish. And we want them as far away from the smell of the varnish as they can be. So they’re in the basement.

Don’t worry, their humans visit FREQUENTLY! But never enough to suit them and of course it’s not the same. Then again, at the moment, neither is anything else around here!

Current Giveaways:

$10 Gift Card or $10 in Books in the Winter 2025-2026 Seasons of Books Giveaway Hop
$10 Gift Card or $10 Book PLUS EVENT-WIDE AMAZON/PAYPAL PRIZE in The Spring Giveaway Event!

Blog Recap:

A- #BookReview: The Somewhat Wicked Witch of Brigandale by C.M. Waggoner
#BookReview: The Girl Who Made a Mouse From Her Grandfather’s Whiskers by Kenneth Hunter Gordon
Grade A #BookReview: Blindside by Michael Mammay
A+ #AudioBookReview: Propaganda Girls by Lisa Rogak
Grade A #BookReview: The Shadow Carver by Nadine Matheson
Stacking the Shelves (696)

Coming This Week:

Chasing Rainbows Giveaway Hop
No One Would Do What the Lamberts Have Done by Sophie Hannah (#BlogTour #BookReview)
The Legend of the Nine-Tailed Fox by Katrina Kwan (#BookReview)
A Pretender’s Murder by Christopher Huang (#BookReview)
Spring 2026 Seasons of Books Giveaway Hop

The Sunday Post AKA What’s on my (Mostly Virtual) Nightstand 3-8-26

Today’s cat picture is of George, trying his rather large best to look like a very tiny baby. He does sort of succeed. He’s the same size Tuna is but Tuna always looks HUGE and George just looks long. Also, as in this picture, looks rather longingly at something-or-other.

He’s also looking a bit sad, but unfortunately for George and all of our cats, not nearly as sad as he’ll look tomorrow morning. That carpet underneath him, well, let’s just say that none of the cats have treated it very kindly. It has hills. And BALD SPOTS. It wasn’t new when we moved in and it DEFINITELY isn’t in the greatest of shape now. So starting tomorrow we’ll be replacing the carpet with hardwood, including the section that is right under George’s fuzzy orange butt in this picture. I wouldn’t be surprised if they don’t all hang out in my office for the entire week, as most of the first floor, thankfully including my office, is hardwood. I have questions about whether they can manage to all hide together without Hecate going “GROWLTIGGER” on everyone, but we’ll see. And probably hear as well.

Wish us LUCK!

Current Giveaways:

$10 Gift Card or $10 in Books in the Winter 2025-2026 Seasons of Books Giveaway Hop
$10 Gift Card or $10 Book PLUS EVENT-WIDE AMAZON/PAYPAL PRIZE in The Spring Giveaway Event!

Winner Announcements:

The winner of the Wish Big Giveaway Hop is Wendy

Blog Recap:

B #AudioBookReview: Hot Chocolate on Thursday by Michiko Aoyama, translated by E. Madison Shimoda
A+ #BookReview: The Patient by Tim Sullivan
A+ #BookReview: Sentient by Michael Nayak
A- #BookReview: Cabaret in Flames by Hache Pueyo
A- #BookReview: Nobody’s Baby by Olivia Waite
Stacking the Shelves (695)

Coming This Week:

The Somewhat Wicked Witch of Brigandale by C.M. Waggoner (#BookReview)
Blindside by Michael Mammay (#BookReview)
The Girl Who Made a Mouse From Her Grandfather’s Whiskers by Kenneth Hunter Gordon (#BookReview)
Propaganda Girls by Lisa Rogak (#AudioBookReview)
The Shadow Carver by Nadine Matheson (#BookReview)

The Sunday Post AKA What’s on my (Mostly Virtual) Nightstand 3-1-26

How’s the first day of March where you are? Do temps in the mid-70s constitute lion-like or lamb-like behavior? That’s what we’re supposed to get in the ATL and inquiring minds probably need to know. Personally, I think it’s just that spring has sprung here, whether the calendar says so or not, but we’ll see.

While this picture isn’t a creepy cover, it did kind of creep both Galen and I out when we saw it in real life.

It’s their faces, especially Luna’s. It’s so very clear that they are ALL accusing us of something. At the same time, their faces are very individual. George is concerned, while Tuna looks is a bit lost AND he’s hiding behind his sister, who is smaller than he is. Luna, on the other hand, looks seriously pissed and very clearly like she expects her humans to DO SOMETHING about whatever has pissed her off.

Which turned out to be a bug, flying around in the lofted part of our bathroom ceiling. They could SEE it, they could probably hear it, but it wouldn’t come down for them to play with and we were supposed to FIX THAT for them. (We fixed it by getting the pest control people in, but I don’t think – honestly I hope – their collective ability to link cause with effect isn’t quite that good. Because Luna, at least, is VERY capable of holding a grudge.

Current Giveaways:

$10 Gift Card or $10 in Books in the Winter 2025-2026 Seasons of Books Giveaway Hop
$10 Gift Card or $10 Book PLUS EVENT-WIDE AMAZON/PAYPAL PRIZE in The Spring Giveaway Event!

Blog Recap:

A+ #AudioBookReview: Inside Man by John McMahon
Spring Giveaway Event!
B #BookReview: Snake-Eater by T. Kingfisher
A- #BookReview: At Star’s End by Anna Hackett
B #BookReview: Monster in the Moonlight by Annelise Ryan
Stacking the Shelves (694)

Coming This Week:

The Patient by Tim Sullivan (#BookReview)
Hot Chocolate on Thursday by Michiko Aoyama, translated by E. Madison Shimoda (#AudioBookReview)
Sentient by Michael Nayak (#BookReview)
Cabaret in Flames by Hache Pueyo (#BookReview)
Nobody’s Baby by Olivia Waite (#BookReview)

The Sunday Post AKA What’s on my (Mostly Virtual) Nightstand 2-22-26

This week’s schedule fell completely to bits, because last weekend turned out to be a lot busier than I thought it was going to be. One of the things that made it so busy was running out to get our new gaming chair. Which you wouldn’t think would be THAT big a deal, but it turned out to be. I’m thrilled with the chair as it’s a lot more supportive for my back when I play.

Luna is equally thrilled, as you can see from the picture. Not about the new chair, but about her sole possession of the old one, complete with additional pillows and lumbar seating and every other thing I stuffed into or onto it to make it incrementally better. For my back, it wasn’t enough. But all of those extra accoutrements turned the chair into Princess Luna’s perfect throne. She’s VERY happy to have it all to herself and have a cushier place from which to oversee all of her minions.

Current Giveaways:

$10 Gift Card or $10 Book in the Wish Big Giveaway Hop
$10 Gift Card or $10 in Books in the Winter 2025-2026 Seasons of Books Giveaway Hop

 

 

 

 

Blog Recap:

Wish Big Giveaway Hop
B+ #AudioBookReview: The Murder at World’s End by Ross Montgomery
Grade A #GuestReview: Waging a Good War by Thomas E. Ricks
#A- #AudioBookReview: Accidentally Yours by Christina Lauren
B+ #BookReview: Perūn’s Hammer by Ian Heller
Stacking the Shelves (693)

 

Coming This Week:

Inside Man by John McMahon (#AudioBookReview)
Spring Giveaway Event! (Begins 2/24 at Reading Reality)
A Pretender’s Murder by Christopher Huang (#BookReview)
At Star’s End by Anna Hackett (#BookReview)
Monster in the Moonlight by Annelise Ryan (#BookReview)

The Sunday Post AKA What’s on my (Mostly Virtual) Nightstand 2-15-26

Yesterday was Valentine’s Day, so it seemed like a good idea to include a lovely picture of one of our little loves. This is obviously Princess Luna of the little white feets, catching a nap in a sunbeam and looking cute and adorable. As she does. She’s certainly more ‘beautifully’ posed than last week’s snap of her brother Tuna!

This is one of those week’s where there’s both a BOOK of the week and an AUDIOBOOK of the week. Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter was a lot of fun, filled with magic and cats and even a cat who takes off with the villain of the piece. Because cats.

Trailbreaker was just every bit as compelling as Homemaker – and even a bit more. I’ve been talking the series up with every reader I know. Any story that could keep me riveted by both its mystery AND its domesticity is definitely something to shout about!

Current Giveaways:

Autographed copies of Homemaker and Trailbreaker and MORE from the authors of Trailbreaker
$10 Gift Card or $10 in Books in the Winter 2025-2026 Seasons of Books Giveaway Hop

Blog Recap:

A- #BookReview: The Rainseekers by Matthew Kressel
Grade A #BookReview: Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett
A- #BookReview: After the Fall by Edward Ashton
Grade A #AudioBookReview: Trailbreaker by Ruthie Knox and Annie Mare + Giveaway
B #BookReview: The Midnight Taxi by Yosha Gunasekera
Stacking the Shelves (692): Valentines Day Edition

Coming This Week:

Wish Big Giveaway Hop
The Murder at World’s End by Ross Montgomery (#AudioBookReview)
The Patient by Tim Sullivan (#BookReview)
Perun’s Hammer by Ian Heller (#BookReview)
Remember That Day by Mary Balogh (#BookReview)

The Sunday Post AKA What’s on my (Mostly Virtual) Nightstand 2-8-26

Reading-wise, it was a very good week. In the getting-things-done department, it was a bit less successful. I started out behind because of Monday’s post, which was not what I’d originally planned. We also had insulation installers in on Wednesday and the plumbers on Friday, so more disruption than I care to have. But it was all necessary, and I’ll get caught up eventually. Probably. Hopefully.

We always say that there is a LOT of Tuna to love. This picture is proof. Admittedly, the Tuna-butt isn’t quite as ginormous as it looks here but let’s just say the perspective was unfortunate for Tuna’s ego. If Tuna HAD an ego, that is. While Hecate and Luna are trying to out-queen each other, Tuna is definitely diving for the position of omega-cat. He’s not quite as self-effacing – and even self-erasing – as poor, sweet, dim Erasmus, but he’s not exactly putting his rather large self front and center in any way. Still, he knows he’s loved and that’s what really matters!

Current Giveaways:

$10 Gift Card or $10 in Books in the Winter 2025-2026 Seasons of Books Giveaway Hop

Blog Recap:

The Overachievers’ Book Club AKA 2026 Reading List Awards
A- #BookReview: No Matter the Cost by Anna Hackett
B+ #BookReview: Stolen in Death by J.D. Robb
A- #BookReview: Nightshade and Oak by Molly O’Neill
Grade A #BookReview: The Daughter Who Remains by Nnedi Okorafor
Stacking the Shelves (691)

Coming This Week:

The Rainseekers by Matthew Kressel (#BookReview)
Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett (#BookReview)
After the Fall by Edward Ashton (#BookReview)
Trailbreaker by Ruthie Knox and Annie Mare (#AudioBookReview, #BookTour)
The Midnight Taxi by Yosha Gunasekera (#BookReview, #BookTour)

The Sunday Post AKA What’s on my (Mostly Virtual) Nightstand 2-1-26

It’s our second “Winter Wonderland” weekend in a row! This is not what we moved to Atlanta for at all. But it sure is pretty as long as one is on the inside while the blizzard is OUTSIDE.

But it’s not completely outside as this picture of George certainly attests. The catio is fully screened in so the cats can’t get out, but very small things can get in. Like leaf bits. And bugs. And SNOW! George, who tends to be more of a Serious George than a Curious George, nevertheless can’t resist exploring the strange, cold white stuff that has invaded his domain.

Today is February 1, and a cold blustery one it is. It’s also the day that new terms start for the various American Library Association Book Awards Committees. I served on the 2026 Reading List Award Council this past year. While I can’t talk about which books are in contention while the contention is going on, I can now that they’ve been officially announced. The press release detailing all our winners and shortlisted titles is at https://rusaupdate.org/2026/01/2026-reading-list-years-best-in-genre-fiction-for-adult-readers/.

I’m including this information in this Sunday Post for two reasons. Tomorrow’s post will be about the process and the results in a bit more detail. It’s kind of a shout out both to the wonderful people I worked with on the committee this past year, and to celebrate the authors who provided us with the marvelous books that we read. In the past, these awards were announced and celebrated at the ALA Midwinter Conference, but the Midwinter Conference is no more. So I decided on a little bit of hoopla of my own.

Also, this note is here to serve as a transparency notice. I will be serving on Reading List again this year, and our new terms officially start today. That there is a bit of a lull between the final deliberations of the 2026 committee and the start of the 2027 committee, means that my Stacking the Shelves posts have been a bit lighter than usual. Once the new committee gets into its full swing, they’ll embiggen again. During the year, I do not mention which books are in the Stack or are being reviewed because of the committee. After all, the first rule about Book Club is that we don’t talk about Book Club. At least not until the official Press Release comes out!

Current Giveaways:

$10 Gift Card or $10 in Books in the Winter 2025-2026 Seasons of Books Giveaway Hop

Winner Announcements:

The winner of the Winter Wishes Giveaway Hop is Amber 

Blog Recap:

A- #BookReview: Homemaker by Ruthie Knox and Annie Mare
Grade A #BookReview: Fire Must Burn by Allison Montclair
B #BookReview: The Case of the Murdered Muckraker by Rob Osler
B+ #BookReview: Make It Out Alive by Allison Brennan
A+ #AudioBookReview: Junkyard Riders by Faith Hunter
Stacking the Shelves (690)

Coming This Week:

The Overachievers’ Book Club AKA 2026 Reading List Awards (#FeaturePost )
No Matter the Cost by Anna Hackett (#BookReview)
Stolen in Death by J.D. Robb (#BookReview)
Nightshade and Oak by Molly O’Neill (#BookReview)
The Daughter Who Remains by Nnedi Okorafor (#BookReview)