Stacking the Shelves (518)

Posted on October 15, 2022October 14, 2022 by Marlene Harris | Author : Marlene Harris | Stacking the Shelves

This is certainly an interesting bunch of new books! I got lucky with a couple of the Audible Daily Deals, which accounts from some of the audiobooks, but the ones that really intrigue me this week are the “book books”. I’m fascinated by the concept of Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea because it looks like someone is trying to find that same cozy fantasy sweet spot that Legends & Lattes filled so wonderfully and successfully. So this one has my curiosity bump itching to see whether or not this lives even remotely adjacent to that marvelous book. I have hope!

The other book that is piquing extra interest in this stack is Dead Country by Max Gladstone. I loved the first few books in his Craft Sequence, which started with Three Parts Dead, but it eventually succumbed to the deadly “so many books, so little time” problem. Dead Country is supposed to be the first book in a trilogy that will bring the entire series to a close – by going back to the protagonist of that first, utterly marvelous book. It’s also being billed as a good entry point for the series so I’m hoping to jump right back in. We’ll see.

cant spell treason without tea by rebecca thorne

girl with the emerald flag by kathleen mcgurl

when the angels left the old country by sacha lamb audio

when life gives you vampires by gloria duke

ballad of perilous graves by alex jennings

For Review:
The Atlas Paradox (Atlas #2) by Olivia Blake
The Atlas Paradox (Atlas #2) by Olivia Blake (audio)
Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea (Tomes & Tea #1) by Rebecca Thorne
Dead Country (Craft Wars #1) by Max Gladstone
The Girl with the Emerald Flag by Kathleen McGurl
Nothing but the Rain by Naomi Salman
When Life Gives You Vampires (Slaying It #1) by Gloria Duke
When the Angels Left the Old Country by Sacha Lamb (audio)

Purchased from Amazon/Audible:
The Atlas Six (Atlas #1) by Olivie Blake (audio)
The Ballad of Perilous Graves by Alex Jennings (audio)
A Lady for a Duke by Alexis Hall (audio)

Borrowed from the Library:
Boldly Go by William Shatner with Joshua Brandon

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:

The Sunday Post AKA What’s on my (Mostly Virtual) Nightstand 10-9-22

Posted on October 9, 2022October 8, 2022 by Marlene Harris | Author : Marlene Harris | The Sunday Post> Virtual Nightstand

Have you ever seen the full Purrrrina Cat Chonk Chart? I specifically mean the full one because often only the bigger half of the chart gets displayed. Lucifer has never hit even the middle of that chart.

But at least, based on his most recent vet visit, he’s finally moved up from “Chonk Zero” to “Lean and Mean” – not that he’s ever mean in spite of the look on his face at the vet’s this weekend.

But this picture does make it a bit clearer why the boy is named for a demon. Someone is not best pleased in this picture. The good news at the vet was that he’s stopped disappearing. This time last year he only weighed 8 pounds but his bone structure would happily support a much bigger cat. The less good news was that Mr. Senior Cat there has some arthritis in his back hips and legs. Poor baby! I do feel for him – sometimes literally. At 10-ish years old, Lucifer is definitely the Elder Statescat of the household and he never lets us forget it!

For anyone wondering about how the rest of the clowder stack up on the cat chonk chart, George is a Fine Boi, Luna is a Fine Girl, and the still-feuding Hecate and Tuna are both Heckin’ Chonks.

Stacking the Shelves (517)

Posted on October 8, 2022October 7, 2022 by Marlene Harris | Author : Marlene Harris | Stacking the Shelves

Hands down – or perhaps that should be covers up – the one I’m most looking forward to in this batch is this year’s Pets in Space collection. Because pets. In space. With romance. What’s not to love?

I’m also looking with deep curiosity at Engines of Chaos by R.S. Ford. Because the first book in the series, Engines of Empire, turned out to be a rage read – or at least a rage listen – for me. I found the story utterly compelling but absolutely hated nearly all of the point of view characters. There are just SO MANY characters I want to see get their just desserts – but most of them seem to be the ones we’re supposed to be rooting for. So I really want to find out what happens next even if I want to see at least half of them BURN.

fairy bargains of prospect hill by rowenna miller

For Review:
Breaking the Circle (Margaret Murray #2) by M.J. Trow
Courting Dragons (King’s Fool #1) by Jeri Westerson
Engines of Chaos (Age of Uprising #2) by R.S. Ford
The Fairy Bargains of Prospect Hill by Rowenna Miller
The Immortal Detective (Immortal Detective #1) by D.B. Woodling
Lavender House by Lev AC Rosen (audio)
The Meister of Decimen City by Brenna Raney
One for My Enemy by Olivie Blake
Pets in Space 7 by S.E. Smith, R.J. Blain, Grace Goodwin, Skye MacKinnon, Carol Van Natta, Honey Phillips, Carysa Locke, S.J. Pajonas, JC Hay, Kyndra Hatch
The Warden by Daniel M. Ford
The Winter Knight by Jes Battis

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:

The Sunday Post AKA What’s on my (Mostly Virtual) Nightstand 10-2-22

Posted on October 2, 2022October 1, 2022 by Marlene Harris | Author : Marlene Harris | The Sunday Post> Virtual Nightstand> Winner announcement

I changed things around a bit from last week. Partly because Travel by Bullet was calling my name, and partly because Sweep of Stars turned out to be a bit longer than I was expecting and it threw my reading plans off a bit. It’s not that the page count was incorrect (I have a print copy and checked) it’s that the print is rather small and the kindle loc count reflects a book that should be at least 100 pages longer and I just wasn’t prepared for that this week.

C’est la vie.

Returning to other parts of my vie (life) I have an adorable picture of a sleepy Luna to share. She likes to cuddle up to my legs while I’m reading – as cats do. She also adores the cushy blanket she’s nesting in. All the cats love the cushy blankie but she seems to get possession of it more than most.

Current Giveaways:

$10 Gift Card or $10 Book in the Fall 2022 Seasons of Books Giveaway Hop

Winner Announcements:

The winner of the Fabulous Fall Giveaway Hop is Maria G.
The winner of the Falling into Leaves Giveaway Hop is Wendy J.

Blog Recap:

B Review: Marple: Twelve New Mysteries by Agatha Christie et al.
B Review: A Death in Door County by Annelise Ryan
B Review: In the Shadow of a Queen by Heather B. Moore
A Review: Travel by Bullet by John Scalzi
A+ Review: The Monsters we Defy by Leslye Penelope
Stacking the Shelves (516)

Coming This Week:

Spooktacular Giveaway Hop
Howloween Giveaway Hop
The Belle of Belgrave Square by Mimi Matthews (blog tour review)
A Fox in the Fold by Candace Robb (review)
Station Eternity by Mur Lafferty (review)

Stacking the Shelves (516)

Posted on October 1, 2022September 30, 2022 by Marlene Harris | Author : Marlene Harris | Stacking the Shelves

I said these would start getting smaller, and they have. YAY! If you’re wondering why, it’s because of the ALA committee that I’m on, jokingly referred to as the ‘Overachievers’ Book Club’. To be eligible for the awards that we’re working on this year, a book has to be published between 11/1/2021 and 10/31/2022. While people can submit books for consideration up to the very end of the period, in reality we’re past the 90% mark. So stacks get shorter. Again, YAY!

This is my final year of eligibility for this particular committee. I’ll volunteer for something else, but most have shorter lists overall than this one does – hence the ‘Overachievers’ nickname.

Several here I’m REALLY looking forward to. A House with Good Bones because I love me some T. Kingfisher even when she’s writing horror. Witch King by Martha Wells of Murderbot fame because I’m interested in her take on fantasy and this looks like a standalone. And, most definitely and most surprisingly, Antimatter Blues by Edward Ashton. I loved its predecessor, Mickey7, but the ending didn’t seem like it was pointed at a potential sequel. Although I’m very happy to see that it spawned – or perhaps that should be cloned? – a sequel anyway!

when the angels left the old country by sacha lamb

intrigue in istanbul by erica ruth neubauer

For Review:
Antimatter Blues (Mickey7 #2) by Edward Ashton
The First Bright Thing by J.R. Dawson
A House with Good Bones by T. Kingfisher
Intrigue in Istanbul (Jane Wunderly #4) by Erica Ruth Neubauer
The London Séance Society by Sarah Penner
Red Team Blues by Cory Doctorow
A Rogue’s Rules for Seduction (Last Chance Scoundrels #3) by Eva Leigh
When the Angels Left the Old Country by Sacha Lamb
Witch King by Martha Wells

Purchased from Amazon/Audible:
Sweep of the Heart (Innkeeper Chronicles #6) by Ilona Andrews (preorder)

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:

The Sunday Post AKA What’s on my (Mostly Virtual) Nightstand 9-25-22

Posted on September 25, 2022September 25, 2022 by Marlene Harris | Author : Marlene Harris | The Sunday Post> Virtual Nightstand> Winner announcement

It seems fitting that the Fabulous Fall Giveaway Hop ends tonight, on this first fabulous fall weekend. It’s beautiful here in Atlanta, and the temperature has finally dropped down from OMG IT’S HOT to just lovely. It’ll be long-sleeve weather soon!

Speaking of lovely things, here’s a particularly good picture of the lovely Luna, the Princess of Quite A Lot auditioning for the position of Queen of All She Surveys. Hecate is still off grumping in the kitchen window seat and refusing to compete.