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Stacking the Shelves 77

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It’s Saturday again which means it’s time for my weekly Stacking the Shelves post. Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Marlene at Reading Reality and details are on her blog. The gorgeous graphic is also used courtesy of the site.

Stacking the Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

This week we’re all back to normal as the library has reopened. This means my stacking the shelves will be the books that I have borrowed from the library this week. As I couldn’t borrow any books last week, I’ve got a bumper haul this week which is a mixture of random shelf picks and books that I had reserved.

The House with the Golden Door by Elodie Harper
This is the follow up to The Wolf Den and Amara is now freed from the slavery of the wolf den. However, she is still dependent upon the good will of her patron and so isn’t really free. I’m looking forward to reading more about the lives of these women in Ancient Pompeii

Cat Lady by dawn O’Porter
This is a completely random pick off the shelf. The title and the blurb both intrigued me.
It’s safer for Mia to play the part that people expect. She’s a good wife to her husband Tristan, a doting stepmother, she slips on a suit for work each morning like a new skin.
But beneath the surface, there’s another woman just clawing to get out.
And she owns a cat called Pigeon. How could anyone resist?

The Three Dahlias by Katy Watson
This was another random shelf pick. The cover attracted me but the story sounds very intriguing. Three different actresses have played the role of a 1930s detective Dahlia Lively, and they have to team up to solve a real murder.

Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn
This is was a Net Galley request that I wasn’t accepted for so I ordered it from the library. Four women have been assassins for years, working for the Museum. However, when they are sent off on an all expenses paid trip to mark their retirement, they realise that they are now the targets. Can they survive?

Beyond Absolution by Cora Harrison
I was really pleased to spot this one on the shelf as I love this historical crime series. It’s set in Cork in the 1920s and features Reverend Mother Aquinas who somehow keeps getting involved in murder investigations.

Realm Breaker by Victoria Aveyard
This was another book that I was really pleased to find. I have already read it back in 2021 when it was first released. I have got the second book Blade Breaker on order at the library but I realised that I don’t remember an awful lot about the first one. It’s a classic epic fantasy involving a group of very disparate characters who come together to save the world. I remember enjoying it but don’t remember the details so I’m going to have a quick reread before tackling the new one.

So that’s my latest library haul.

What have you added to your bookshelf this week?

Stacking the Shelves 75

It’s Saturday again and it’s the last day of 2022. The year seems to have flown by even more quickly than usual and it seems unbelievable that it has almost ended.

However, Saturday still means it’s time for my weekly Stacking the Shelves post. Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Marlene at Reading Reality and details are on her blog. The gorgeous graphic is also used courtesy of the site.

My STS posts are generally my library books. I’m a great believer in libraries, mainly because I could never afford to buy all the books that I want to read, and visit mine every week whenever possible. I love the fact that I can look at the online catalogue and request books to borrow. This is great for books that are recommended to me by different bookbloggers.

This week however, I’ve got a mixture of books that I’ve added to my shelves: library books, ebooks and actual books.

Library Books – I just found two this week.

The Wolf Den by elodie Harper
I didn’t read this when it first came out so I was pleased to spot it sitting on the shelf. It’s the first in a trilogy about women in Ancient Pompeii and I’ve heard so many great things about it that I can’t wait to read it.

The Russian Cage by Charmaine Harris
This is the third instalment in the Charmaine Harris’s series about Gunnie Rose. This one picks up right after the second book ended but takes Gunnie into the Russian controlled part of the imaginary 1930’s America. I’ve loved the previous two books and I’m really glad that I spotted the review on Tessa Talks Books which introduced me to the series

Ebooks – just two new ones both of which were in the kindle sale for 99p😃

Abandoned in Death by J D Robb
I enjoy this crime series set in 2056 New York. The crimes are quite grim but the relationships between the main characters are really warm which makes the books a pleasure to read.

The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri
This is another book that I’ve heard lots of good things about so when I saw it was on sale for 99p, I had to buy it.

Bought Books

Real Life Recipes by Tom Kerridge
When I was teaching full time, both myself and my husband worked long hours and so it made sense to use ready made meals quite often for our dinner. However, now that I’m retired, I do have a lot more time and so this year, I want to try and cook different things to eat.

Wilderness Watercolor Landscapes by Kolbie Blume
I love water colour painting although I don’t really have any skill. Another thing I want to do in 2023 is to spend a bit more time on my painting and see if I can try to get my paintings to look a bit more like the ideas in my head.

So that’s the very varied collection of books that I have added to my online and physical bookshelves this week. What have you added?

Stacking the Shelves 72

It’s Saturday again and this week we’re up in Manchester visiting my son. We went to the Christmas light trail at the RHS garden at Bridgewater last night which was lovely although very cold and today we woke up to a mini snow storm. Winter is definitely here.

Saturday means it’s time for my weekly Stacking the Shelves post. Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Marlene at Reading Reality and details are on her blog. The gorgeous graphic is also used courtesy of the site.

My glut of books that I have been putting on hold has just about finished now. I’ve just got the new Louise Penny to arrive and then my reservations will be empty which is really unusual. That meant that this week, I was free to just wander around the shelves.

A Summer of Murder by Oliver Botini
This is a very unseasonal pick but the cover appealed and I don’t think I’ve read any German Crime Fiction before. It’s set in the Black Forest and is actually the second in a series but hopefully that won’t matter too much.

Portrait of a Murderer by Ann Meredith
This one is a lot more seasonal as it’s labelled a Christmas crime story😃 It was originally published in 1933 and is about the death of Adrian Grey on Christmas Eve 1931. He was unloved by his family (echoes of a Christmas Carol here?) and so there are plenty of suspects for his murder.

The Christmas Invitation by Trisha Ashley
I had to pick this one up as it has such a pretty cover. The bits that look grey on the photo are actually very sparkly. It was published in 2019 but I haven’t read it before so I’m looking forward to another feel good book after reading the two crime stories above.

That’s what I’ve added to my book shelves this week.

What’s been added to your bookshelves recently?

Stacking the Shelves 70

It’s Saturday again, Thanksgiving has been and gone and Advent begins tomorrow! Where has the year gone?????????

Saturday means it’s time for my weekly Stacking the Shelves post. This is my 70th Stacking the Shelves post which feels fairly impressive to me! Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Marlene at Reading Reality and details are on her blog. The gorgeous graphic is also used courtesy of the site.

This week’s library haul 😃 They are all a lot shorter than Black Ink Heart which is nice.

The Night Ship by Jess Kidd
I saw this in the bookshop and thought that it looked interesting. Ir’s a dual time-line book set in 1628 and 1989 about two children, one on board a ship and the other on the coast of Australia. I’m hoping it’s better than the last one I spotted which I didn’t finish.

Tomorrow, Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
I’ve seen lots of great reviews and so I ordered it from the library. It’s a great story about two children who meet in hospital and go on to design computer games together as adults. It works really well after Robert Galbraith’s Black Ink Heart which had an online game at its centre.

An Astronaut’s guide to life on Earth by Chris Hadfield
This was recommended by Carol at Reading Ladies and I’m looking forward to reading it as part of my Non Fiction Reader Challenge.

The Christmas Holiday by Philippa Ashley
I’ve read a few Christmas books as ARC’s but this is the first physical Christmas book that I’ve picked up. I think I might save it until Dec 1st though

The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller
I remember seeing lots of positive comments about this one when it first came out so I thought I would pick it up when I saw it on the shelf yesterday.

An Easy Death by Charlaine Harris
This series was recommended by Lady Tessa at Tessa Talks Books and this is the first one. It’s about a young girl/gun for hire Gunnie Rose who hires herself out to protect travellers and set in an alternative 1930’s US where the country has fragmented into different states. Sounds fun.

That’s what I’ve added to my book shelves this week. Have you read any of them? What did you think?

What’s been added to your bookshelves this week?

Stacking the Shelves 65

It’s Saturday again. Doesn’t it come around quickly? We’re hurtling towards Halloween and the end of October but today is another beautiful sunny Autumn day.

My STS posts are generally my library books. I’m a great supporter of libraries, mainly because I could never afford to buy all the books that I want to read, and visit mine every week whenever possible. I love the fact that I can look at the online catalogue and request books to borrow. This is great for books that are recommended to me by different bookbloggers. It works much better for crime and mystery stories rather than fantasy though. For some reason, Leicestershire readers don’t borrow fantasy books so not many of them are purchased by the library system. It’s also great for finding books in bookshops that I might like. Getting a book from the library means that I don’t need to worry about wasting my money if I don’t like it!

This week was another mammoth haul of books that I had reserved at the library. It’s going to take a while to read them as I still haven’t finished two of my books from last week and we’re also very busy this week as we’re performing on stage at the end of the week so madly rehearsing. Pictures to follow for anyone who is interested 😃 🎭

Babel by R F Kuang
I have seen so much about this book and am very excited to read it. Set in an alternative Oxford in 1836, Babel is the university’s Royal Institute of Translation. But is it a paradise or a prison?
It’s a lengthy book at 541 pages so we’ll see how it goes.

The Starless Crown by James Rollins
I have wanted to read this since it came out at the beginning of the year. My mother and I used to avidly read his Sigma thrillers and so I’m intrigued by this new fantasy novel.

The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon
The library had the latest volume of this series which sounded interesting so I thought I would read the first book to see what it was like.
For two hundred years, the Scion government has led an oppressive campaign against unnaturalness in London.
Clairvoyance of any kind has been decreed a criminal offence but Paige Mahoney is a powerful dreamwalker who leads a double life, hiding her gifts from her father who works for the government.

Other People’s Husbands by Elizabeth Noble
As a break from all this fantasy, I’ve got this contemporary novel by one of my favourite authors.
A group of friends met two decades ago at the school gate and think they know each other so well. Then the affair happens…..

That’s what I’ve added to my shelves this week and I am so looking forward to reading all of them.

What’s been added to your bookshelves this week?

This is post 22 for Blogtober 2022

Stacking the Shelves 61

It’s Saturday so it’s time for my weekly Stacking the Shelves post. Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Marlene at Reading Reality and details are on her blog. The gorgeous graphic is also used courtesy of the site.

After last week’s bumper collection of books I’m back to my usual 4 today. I had two reservations come in so my other two books are ones that I picked up as I meandered around the shelves.

When the Curtain Falls by Carrie Hope Fletcher
I’ve seen Carrie perform on stage but never read any of her books before. This is set in a theatre in 1952 and 2022 and the plot for the 1952 story line sounds a bit Phantom of the Opera-ish so hopefully will be a good read

The Rising Tide by Ann Cleeves
This was one of my reserved books and is the long awaited next episode in Ann Cleeves’ Vera series. This one is set on the holy island of Lindisfarne which is place that I love and has to be a great setting for a murder mystery as it is so atmospheric.

Vengeance in Venice by Philip Gwynne Jones
I’m continuing my read through this series set in Venice. I really enjoyed the last one so I’m looking forward to reading this one.

The Nature of Fragile Things by Susan Meissner
This was another random pick off the shelf. It’s a historical fiction book set in San Francisco just before the devastating earthquake of 1908. It’s about three different women who become involved in each others’ lives. I love stories about friendship so I’m looking forward to this one.

That’s what I’ve added to my shelves this week and I am so looking forward to reading all of them. I’ve also still got Helgoland – The story of quantum physics to read!

What’s been added to your bookshelves this week?

Stacking the Shelves 60

It’s Saturday again Summer has definitely ended. The temperature was 8 degrees C when I left the house this morning. Very chilly!!! It’s gloriously sunny now but the air has that nip in it that lets you know Autumn is very close,

As it’s Saturday, it’s time for my weekly Stacking the Shelves post. Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Marlene at Reading Reality and details are on her blog. The gorgeous graphic is also used courtesy of the site.

I couldn’t go to the library last week so this week is a bumper week and I have some great books to read that I am really looking forward to.

Lefthanded Booksellers of London by Garth Nix
After reading and loving Sabriel last week, I had to pick this one up when I saw it on the shelf. It’s more of a magical take on 1980s rather than a traditional fantasy story but I love the idea of the protagonists being booksellers.

A Spoonful of Murder at Carnegie Hall by J M Hall
I was attracted by the cover of this book. Three retired school teachers begin to investigate the unexpected death of an ex-colleague. It sounds as though it might be similar to the Richard Osman books.

Oblivionin by Robert Harris
Robert Harris is a must read author for me. I’ve read mixed reviews about this book concerning the lives of men who signed the death warrant for Charles 1 and then began new lives in America. I’m interested to see what it’s like.

Helgoland by Carlo Rovelli
I saw this in Waterstones and requested it a couple of weeks ago. I have no idea if I will enjoy it or not. It’s the story of quantum physics which is something about which I know less than nothing. I’m hoping to learn something😃

The Death of Lucy Kyte by Nicola Upson
I’m still catching up on the books that I have missed in this historical crime series about the writer Josephine Tey. I do love the way Nicola Upson writes and am really looking forward to this one. It’s quite seasonal too as it begins in September 1936.

The Whalebone Theatre by Joanna Quinn
I’ve been waiting for this book for a while and I’m excited that it’s finally arrived. A family of children grow up on the coast as war approaches, neglected by their parents, they bring themselves up and have to find their own way.

That’s what I’ve added to my shelves this week and I am so looking forward to reading all of them. What’s been added to your bookshelves this week?

Stacking the Shelves 53

It’s Saturday again and that means that it’s time for my weekly Stacking the Shelves post. Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Marlene at Reading Reality and details are on her blog. The gorgeous graphic is also used courtesy of the site.

My STS posts are generally my library books. The library is where I get most of my books and I hope that maybe I can inspire other people to use their local library. Our libraries are constantly under threat of closure but the more people that use them, the less likely that is. My library is also how I manage to read a lot of newly released hardbacks as I can order them. Sometimes they can take quite a while to arrive if a title is really popular though.

This week I had three reservations come in and then I picked a thriller off the shelf as I’m getting withdrawal symptoms from a lack of crime in my reading diet.

Godmersham Park by Gill Hornby
Definitely this week’s prettiest cover. I loved Miss Austen last year and I’ve heard lots of good things about this story of Anne Sharp who goes to be a governess to Jane Austen’s niece, Fanny.

Thrown by Sara Cox
I’m always a bit wary of celebrity authors but this another book that I have heard good reviews of. A group of women come together to try a new pottery class and make new friendships and discoveries. I love stories about random groups of people who come together so I’m really hoping to enjoy this one.

Elektra by Jennifer Saint
I’ve been waiting to read this for ages and am so glad that it’s finally arrived. Not just the story of Elektra but also Cassandra and Clytemnestra in the aftermath of the Trojan War.

Quiet Acts of Violence by Cath Stancliffe
I read Running out of Road earlier this year and loved it so I’m looking forward to this story of a dead baby and a missing mother.

That’s what I’ve added to my shelves this week. What’s been added to yours?

Stacking the Shelves 48

It’s Saturday again and the Summer Solstice has been and gone. This year seems to just be racing away so quickly. There are just 6 months until Christmas!!!!!! Scary or what?

Saturday means that it’s time for my weekly Stacking the Shelves post. Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Marlene at Reading Reality and details are on her blog. The gorgeous graphic is also used courtesy of the site.

This week I didn’t have any reserved books waiting for me so all my choices are ones that I found on the shelves. I could have picked four crime novels but decided to try and broaden my choices a bit.

The Forgotten Sister – Nicola Cornick
A historical mystery involving Amy Robsart and the favourite courtier of Elizabeth 1, Robert Dudley combined with a present day story involving a musician who causes a scandal at a wedding. I quite like dual time line stories and I’ve heard good things about Nicola Cornick although I haven’t read anything by her before so this seemed like an interesting book to choose.

Dark in Death by J D Robb
Another book in the In Death series. Lovely escapism into futuristic crime solving in New York twenty years from now.

The Dead of Winter by Nicola Upson
Maybe I should have hunted down more books by authors called Nicola? This is another in the historical crime series featuring author Josephine Tey. I’ve loved all the others and this one sounds just as good.

The Telephone Box Library by Rachel Lucas
This week’s feel good read concerns a local community trying to set up a volunteer library in a disused telephone box. I’m a sucker for any books with Library in the title and this promises to be a nice light read.

I’ve also still got half of Bleak House and my non fiction book I belong here to read from last week’s library visit so I have plenty to keep me occupied over the next seven days.

What have you added to your bookshelf this week?

Stacking the Shelves 40

It’s Saturday, it’s a bank holiday weekend and the sun is shining. Can you believe that it’s the last day of April and we are a third of the way through the year???Welcome to the weekend and another Stacking the Shelves post. Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Marlene at Reading Reality and details are on her blog. The gorgeous graphic is also used courtesy of the site.

This week I didn’t even bother to look at what was on the shelves as I had four books that I had reserved arrive since my last visit. That’s quite enough to keep me occupied for this week especially as I haven’t finished everything from last week yet.

Angel with Two Faces by Nicola Upson
I’ve just read Nicola Upson’s latest book through Net Galley and realised that I hadn’t read all of the earlier ones in this crime series featuring the classic crime author Josephine Tey. So I ordered this one and I’m going to work my through them as they are fantastic historical crime novels.

Beach Read by Emily Henry
I requested Book Lovers through after seeing so many reviews for it on different blogs and loved it so I thought I would read her earlier novel. Sounds perfect for this gorgeous weather.

The Shadow Man by Helen Fields
This one was recommended to me by Yvonne at It’s all about the books so I’m hoping that I enjoy it. Three people are being kept in a flat by the Shadow Man but have no idea why. To escape, they need to uncover a very dark truth. It all sounds very mysterious and I just hope that it isn’t too dark for me.

Hotel Portofino by J P O’Connell
I reserved this simply because I saw it on a list of new acquisitions in the county library and thought it sounded like an interesting read. It’s set in 1926 on the Italian Riviera and the British owner of Hotel Portofino is struggling to cope with the demands of her guests and the political situation.

I’m really looking forward to reading all of these as well as hopefully finishing the ones I haven’t read yet from last week.

What have you added to your bookshelf this week?