*Stacking the Shelves* October 19, 2024

(Titles link to Amazon via Amazon Affiliate links)

Stacking The Shelves is a feature/weekly meme run by Reading Reality in which you share the books you are adding to your shelves, both physical and virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical stores or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

Now, I already have a monthly post I do featuring the books I get in the mail (and it's a lot because I have a serious Goodreads First Reads giveaway addiction), and I'm posting my monthly Read-A-Thon posts again too, which covers the books I receive through Netgalley. So my STS post will feature all the books I've been one-clicking on Amazon, winning through Goodreads giveaways, or the rare books I buy physical copies of at the store. And because I've been going crazy with one-clicking freebies lately with all my copious free time (from being currently unemployed), I'm going to sort the books on the list accordingly, and only feature a few of the freebies.

On that note, here are the books I picked up this week. 

Purchased

Christmas in Harmony Harbor by Debbie Mason - I am a sucker for Christmas books, and I just couldn't resist this one when I saw it on the shelves at Walmart when I had to go buy pet food and Lunchables for my kids because they're off school this week. (I'm pretty sure my kids don't eat the pet food, but they're teenagers so who really knows.) 

Christmas on Mistletoe Lane by Annie Rains - I grabbed this one at Walmart too, apparently unnecessarily as I purchased the ebook version in 2018. But now I have the trophy for when I do read it. 

Here Comes Cowboy Claus by Diana Palmer, Kate Pearce and Delores Fossen - I grabbed this book at the grocery store, where I was buying the rest of the groceries I needed for the week. I'm getting really excited for my 12 Books of Christmas reading challenge. 

Marie Antoinette, Serial Killer by Katie Alender - I had parent teacher conferences for my kids this week, and my daughter's middle school was having a Scholastic book fair, and she wanted to go. So of course I had to check out the books they had too. This one was just $3. 

Lord of the Fly Fest by Goldy Moldavsky - This was another book I picked up at the book fair for just $3. Even though I've never read Lord of the Flies (I do own it, I've just never read it), this gender flipped contemporary retelling caught my eye. 

A Pocket Full of Posies by Shawn Sarles - This cover screamed YA horror, and since it was only $3 at the book fair, it went to my stack. 

This Wicked Fate by Kalynn Bayron - I actually have the first book in this series/duology for Kindle, so getting the second book in paperback for just $3 at the book fair was awesome. But if we're being perfectly honest, when I got home I was a little worried this was going to be a book I already had as an ebook. I was happy to be wrong. 

League of Liars by Astrid Scholte - I really liked Four Dead Queens by Ms. Scholte, so when I saw this book on the $3 table at the book fair, grabbing a copy of it was a no brainer. 

At the Speed of Lies by Cindy L. Otis - I'm a sucker for a good YA thriller, and the cover for this book screams YA thriller. The fact that this less than 2 year old book was just $3 at the book fair is astounding to me. 

Curses by Lish McBride - This is obviously a Beauty and the Beast retelling based on the cover, and I love fairytale retellings. I did feel a little bit bad grabbing the last copy on the $3 bargain table, but my daughter said she'd read it too, and she's a student at the school so that relieves my guilt a little bit. 

Skin of the Sea by Natasha Bowen - I already own the second book of this series/duology as an ebook, so getting the first book at the book fair for just $3 was a major score. 

KL: A History of the Nazi Concentration Camps by Nikolaus Wachsmann - I got this non-fiction book on sale for just $4.99. I have a tendency to buy these kinds of books with full intention of reading them and then it just doesn't seem to happen. But I at least have the option. 

Portrait of a Shadow by Meriam Metoui - I got this creepy looking book on sale for just $2.99 (no longer on sale). It might make it into my spooky reading TBR this month. 

Smart on Crime by Kamala Harris - I got this one on sale for just $1.99. While this book is 14 years old, it's still not a bad idea to have an idea about what our politicians believe, especially when they're running for President. 

Half-Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout - I got this beauty for just $0.99 (no longer on sale). I just couldn't pass that up. 

Phantasma by Kaylie Smith - I got this one for $2.99. I don't know if that's a sale price or not because it was still that price when I was building this post, but I've heard some really good things about the book, so it seemed worth $2.99. 

Hauntingly Good Spirits by Sharon Keating and Christi Keating Sumich - I got this book of cocktail recipes for just $2.99 (no longer on sale). This is a book I'd gotten on Netgalley, but I didn't manage to get through the whole book before it was archived, so I was glad to get a copy on sale. 

The Years of Extermination: Nazi Germany and the Jews, 1939-1945 by Saul Friedlander - I got this non-fiction book on sale for just $4.99 (except I had $1.50 in credits from a recent purchase my husband made, so it was cheaper than that). Again, I have big intentions to read this, but it might not happen. 

Skyborn: Trilogy Box Set by Eric Asher - I got this beauty during the 2 for 1 credit sale on Audible. Since I already have the first box set in the series through Audible, getting this one was a no-brainer. 

Christmas and Other Horrors by Various Authors - This was the other audiobook I got for the 2 for 1 credit sale, because having at least one Christmas audiobook to listen to while I'm trying to read 12 Christmas books in December is a nice fail-safe for my success. Also, while I really like the cheese at Christmas time, I very much enjoy flipping the script and making it scary too. 

Freebies

Nixed: A Halloween Story by Teshelle Combs - This short story may still be free. 

Temptations Unlimited by Steven Watson-Morris - This book is no longer free. 

What I Would Do For You by W. Winters - This book may still be free.

Spellbound by Avery Carter - Might still be free. It's part of the Fantasy SYK event. 

Whispers of the Past by Sophea Chan - Fantasy SYK event book.

Night of Death and Flowers by Rebecca L. Garcia - Fantasy SYK event book.

Return of Eve by Daphne Paige - Fantasy SYK event book.

Serpent's Mark by Beth Alvarez - Fantasy SYK event book. 

Twisted Bond by Katlyn DeRouen - Fantasy SYK event book. 

When Gods Fall by S.E. Bouvier - Fantasy SYK event book. 

Won on Goodreads

The Gran Bwa Forest by R. Kwinn 

Never Forgotten by Hannah Linder

The Pursuer by Eva Shaw

Dare to Disrupt by Brendan P. Keegan

Reign of Shadow and Ashes by A.R. Anderson

Blue Skies by Paula Masters

Shadows of Tomorrow by Etienne Venegas

Polostan by Neal Stephenson

So this week I clearly demonstrated that I still cannot be trusted alone at a Scholastic book fair, especially when I have adult money and a debit card. But when I can get brand new books at thrift store type prices, and it helps support the school library (at least I think the book fairs help support the school library), it's just hard to say no. I also found a lot of good deals on Amazon this week that just called out to me. 

So which of these books do you think I should try to read sooner rather than later? Which one would you want to read most? Or what books have you recently added to your shelves. 

If you're stopping by form the link-up, please be sure to drop a link to your post below so I can be sure to check out your new pretties. - Katie 

Join the 12 Books of Christmas Challenge Here

*Book Blogger Hop* Novel Recommendations (October 18)

We are on to a new week for the Book Blogger Hop hosted by the lovely folks over at Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer. This weeks questions is: 

What novel would you recommend that blends characteristics of your favorite genre with horror concepts, and why? (submitted by Billy @ Coffee Addicted Writer)

So my favorite genre is horror so...I guess I'll have to go with my second favorite genre, which is probably science fiction. For that, I'd definitely recommend Dark Matter, which I guess should kind of be a given with that title. The plot of Dark Matter relies pretty heavily on Schrodinger's cat theory thing, and how you would get back to your universe if another version of you had switched places with you to steal your life. It's kind of horrifying to think about, right? My book club had a pretty interesting conversation about this one. 

What about you? What book would you recommend from your favorite genre that blends characteristics with horror concepts? 

If you're stopping by from the link-up, please be sure to drop a link to your post below so I can stop by and check out your post. - Katie 

Join the 12 Books of Christmas Challenge Here

*Top Ten Tuesday* Books I Was Assigned to Read in School

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. Joood - Hooligan of Platypire reviews bossed me into doing this, so I guess this is a thing I do now. 

This week’s theme is books I was assigned to read in school. This challenge may be rough for me as I attended my 20 year high school reunion a couple years ago, so it's been a minute since I was in school, and let's face it, my memory is just not what it used to be. So with that in mind, here are the books I remember having been assigned to read in school. 

The Devil's Arithmetic by Jane Yolen 

I am pretty sure this book started my obsession with WWII historical fiction. 

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry

If The Devil's Arithmetic didn't start my obsession with WWII historical fiction, then Number the Stars did. 

Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

I'm pretty sure most American school children were assigned to read this book. 

Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

I don't remember a whole lot about this book, but I remember I didn't enjoy reading it. 

Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt

So I might actually be confusing this book with another book with a yellow cover, because the book description for this does not ring any bells for me at all. The book I'm thinking of had a kid who grew up in a converted barn, and I think he had younger siblings who were twins and I think they were toddlers. 

The Giver by Lois Lowry

I remember really liking this book as a kid, but I also know I didn't realize the ending was a cliffhanger at the time. I honestly assumed that Jonas and the baby were dead, until I read the rest of the quartet a few years ago and found out I was wrong. 

Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell

This is a book I know I read, but I'm not 100% sure that it was assigned reading for school. However, it has similar themes to Hatchet, which is one I know I wouldn't have picked up on my own, so I feel fairly confident that it was assigned reading. 

The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane

This was a book we read for English class my freshman year of high school. I didn't like it much, but I at least understand why it was assigned reading because it's about the Civil War. 

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

This book was assigned for my English class junior year, and I hated it when it was assigned for class, which is crazy, because I'd read it on my own sophomore year and really enjoyed the story. It's also possible some of my dislike for the story junior year is tied to my dislike of the teacher. 

The Lottery by Shirley Jackson

So we really only read The Lottery and not any of the other stories in this collection, but it was a story that really left a mark on my psyche (because it's all I could think of for the tenth book in this post). 

It occurs to me that my school assigned reading was somewhat Holocaust heavy, but that may just be that those books made a bigger impact on me, so the fact that they were assigned reading became more of a core memory than other books that were assigned. What books were you assigned to read in school? Have you read any of mine? 

If you're stopping by from the linkup, please be sure to drop a link to your post below so I can stop by and check out your list. 

Join the 12 Books of Christmas Challenge Here

*Review* School is Full of Superheroes by Michael Dahl

Genre: Children's 4-8 years

Published: January 1, 2024

Pages: 36

DC Comics’ Greatest Superheroes celebrate teachers, librarians, cafeteria workers, and other heroic school figures in this superpowered picture book.

Where in the universe do the most powerful heroes assemble? School, of course! In this action-packed picture book, Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, and other DC Comics superheroes mirror the heroic tasks of real-life school figures. A principal leads their school toward a common goal, just like Aquaman commands his schools of sea life. A teacher demonstrates compassion with the same energy as the Amazon Princess, Wonder Woman. School custodians clean classrooms with the lightning-quick speed of The Flash. Written by award-winning author Michael Dahl, this powerful picture book is a Thank You to essential school workers, showcasing their everyday heroism. The perfect Teacher Appreciation gift or an inspiring read-aloud for any young student.

I received a copy of this book through Netgalley. This is my honest review. 

This is a story that seeks to compare the roles of teachers and staff in schools with very recognizable DC superheroes. It's clear the goal is to help the kids relate to the teachers and staff a little more by using characters that they idolize on the screen. It was cutely done. 

The illustrations were so bright and bold. They held true to the appearances of the superheroes used and really helped to show the similarities in a fun way. This would definitely be a good book to read with your young children who are a little newer to a school setting. Overall I give School is Full of Superheroes 3.7934 out of 5 stars. - Katie 

Amazon

Omar Lozano is an artist who have been working in most aspects of the entertaining industry, from comics, children books, to ads and movies. Although he studied business he has always been into art as passion and then as profession.

Michael Dahl is the prolific author of the bestselling Goodnight, Baseball picture book and more than 200 other books for children and young adults. He has won the AEP Distinguished Achievement Award three times for his nonfiction, a Teacher's Choice award from Learning magazine, and a Seal of Excellence from the Creative Child Awards. Dahl currently lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

*Review* Treasures of the Lochs by Hunter White

 

Genre: YA Fantasy

Published: September 12, 2023

Pages: 395

A long-lost treasure, a deadly chase, and a magnificent beast of legends

For almost three hundred years, people have searched for one of the greatest treasures in history—the lost gold of the Scottish Jacobites. Following his father’s death and a brazen late-night break-in at the United States Naval Academy, Lieutenant Carter Porter, his life and career in tatters, unwittingly joins the quest.

In Scotland, Hassie Douglass, a spirited young employee of a luxury inn situated on the picturesque shores of Loch Ness, thinks her prayers have been answered when she stumbles across four old gold coins that may be part of the Jacobite treasure. But she can’t tell anybody how she really found them; they would think she had lost her mind. Who would believe she followed a strange, ethereal voice emanating from the loch? Struggling to accept what she heard, she can’t deny that the gold in her hand is real.

The allure of such a valuable cache draws evil, like the moth to a flame. No sooner does Carter receive a strange bequest from his late father and Hassie’s find is publicized than a shadowy, well-armed group of mercenaries attacks each of them. Soon, Carter’s and Hassie’s fates are joined, and their survival depends on solving more than one ancient mystery while facing their worst nightmares.

Blending historical fact and Scottish legend within an action-packed adventure, Treasures of the Lochs is an exciting, powerful story of faith, friendship, and redemption.

I received the audiobook version of this through Netgalley. This is my honest review. 

This book had a National Treasure vibe to it, but set in Scotland, mostly. The main characters are trying to find a historical, but also mythical, treasure while avoiding people who want the treasure for themselves. Sounds familiar, right? And much like National Treasure there was a fair amount of historical information. As I'm not well versed in Scottish history, I cannot speak on the veracity of that information. There was one rather unexpected twist that I thought was a really nice touch though. 

The narration was solid. The opposite gendered voices didn't come across as caricatures, and at least to my American ear, the Scottish accents for the Scottish characters were well done. 

Overall I give Treasures of the Lochs 3.1785 out of 5 stars because although it was entertaining, it also felt a lot like a story I was already familiar with. - Katie 

Amazon

Hunter H. White practices law in Houston, Texas, where he lives with his wife of over thirty years. He has had a lifelong love of creative writing, and publishing this book has been a dream come true.

https://hunterwhiteauthor.com/

*Review* Blue Ribbon Radishes by Kimberly Derting and Shelli R. Johannes

Genre: Children's 3-8 years

Published: January 1, 2024

Pages: 36

Poppy is determined to win a blue ribbon for her cucumbers at the county fair. But Vincent Van Goat is always butting in—as goats do. He gobbles up her cucumbers before the big day! Poppy must come up with a new plan. Luckily, she knows a lot about fast-growing vegetables—and Vincent’s eating habits. If Poppy works hard enough, she might be able to present something at the fair after all. But will it be enough to win a blue ribbon?

I received a copy of this book through Netgalley. This is my honest review. 

This is a cute story about a girl named Poppy who wants to win  a blue ribbon at the county fair with produce. Her best friend, Vincent Van Goat, eats her first crop, so she builds a fence to keep him out of her radishes. Unfortunately, those radishes just aren't quite good enough to win a prize. But she still leaves with a ribbon for her wonderful goat Vincent. 

This book used really simple and easy sentences, making it great for an early reader. And I honestly kind of liked the twist that Poppy didn't win a ribbon for her produce in the end. The illustrations were really fun and colorful as well. Overall I give Blue Ribbon Radishes 4.0038 out of 5 stars. - Katie 

Amazon

Kimberly Derting is an award-winning author of young adult novels as well as the co-author of Penny, the Engineering Tail of the Fourth Little Pig, and the popular Cece Loves Science picture book series. In college, Kimberly studied biology, but her real experiments are done at home, where she wrangles three kids, one husband, two dogs, a cat, and a rabbit named Thumper.

Shelli R. Johannes is the author of Shine Like a Unicorn, the Theo Thesaurus series, and Florence Nightingale, a new chapter book in Chelsea Clinton's She Persisted series. Shelli is also the co-author of Penny, the Engineering Tale of the Fourth Little Pig, and the Cece Loves Science picture book series. She lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with her British husband, two teens, two needy Goldendoodles, and one super sassy bird.

*Review* The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune

 

Genre: Fantasy

Published: March 17, 2020

Pages: 393

Linus Baker is a by-the-book case worker in the Department in Charge of Magical Youth. He's tasked with determining whether six dangerous magical children are likely to bring about the end of the world.

Arthur Parnassus is the master of the orphanage. He would do anything to keep the children safe, even if it means the world will burn. And his secrets will come to light.

The House in the Cerulean Sea is an enchanting love story, masterfully told, about the profound experience of discovering an unlikely family in an unexpected place—and realizing that family is yours.

This was the pick for one of my book clubs (I'm in eight of them now because I'm in my book club era) and I absolutely adored it. I had made it my walking on the treadmill book and found myself walking longer than intended because I just didn't want to put the book down. 

At first this book gave me some serious Orwell 1984 vibes with the way Linus' department operates. I really thought I was about to be told that the truth is whatever the department says it is. That aspect had me intrigued, but I fell in love when Linus arrived at the island. 

I just can't decide which child I love most. At times I was sure it was fierce Talia, but then it was mischievous Lucy. And yet then along came sweet Chauncey and shy Sal popped up to break my heart. I genuinely have an easier time picking a favorite between my actual children than these fictional ones. 

Then there was the budding relationship between Linus and Arthur. It was really nice having two fairly average looking people also finding love, since most romances feature wildly attractive MCs. 

Overall I give The House in the Cerulean Sea 5.000172 out of 5 stars. - Katie 

Amazon

TJ KLUNE is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling, Lambda Literary Award-winning author of The House in the Cerulean Sea, Under the Whispering Door, In the Lives of Puppets, and the Green Creek Series for adults, the Extraordinaries Series for teens, and more. Being queer himself, Klune believes it's important—now more than ever—to have accurate, positive queer representation in stories.