*Stacking the Shelves* 17 March 2018

(Titles link to Amazon via Amazon Affiliate links)

Stacking The Shelves is a feature/weekly meme created by Tynga’s Reviews 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. And since I am currently technically a displaced person (all my things are packed up on a boat and I don't have a home to call my own at the moment), I'm not currently buying any physical books. So my STS post will feature all the books I've been one-clicking on Amazon. 

On that note, here are the books I picked up this week. *All Goodreads ebook wins unless otherwise specified.*

Understand and Disempower the Bully: You are Good as You Are by Biljana Ognenova
The Richest Girl in England: Katherine Manners, Duchess of Buckingham by Lita-Rose Betcherman
False Flag by F.W. Rustmann
In the Presence of Knowing by Valarie Savage Kinney - I snagged this book for free (no longer free) so that when I finally find the time to finish reading this book, it will count as a verified review on Amazon. I previously did a live Facebook reading of the first chapter of this book and really enjoyed it. 
The Male's Purpose: How to be the Man that God Wants You to Be by Tony Nzaka (I'm so not the target audience for this book.)
I Know Coffee: Harvesting, Blending, Roasting, Brewing, Grinding & Tasting Coffee by Jessica Simms (Not really the target audience for this one either!)
Mother of Chaos by John Patrick Kennedy - I snagged this book on sale (maybe) for $1.99 (still $1.99). It's the third book in a series that I have the first two books of, so I kind of needed it, right?
The Imam of Time: A Novel of Then and Now by F.W. Burleigh
Christian Controversies: Seeking the Truth by Scott Haraburda
Fortune in Blood: A Los Angeles Crime Heist Mystery Thriller Novel by Phil Philips (currently free)
Mercy Dogs by Tyler Dilts
Racino: Book 3 in the Michael Butler Saga by Peter P. Sellers
The Cave Maze: Wizard Warrior Quest by C.A.A. Allen
Fearless by Nicole Coverdale
Quiver (Angels and Demons Series Book 2) by Beth Green
Panteria Chronicles: Carnage by L.B. Sisk

So that's all the books I won or one-clicked this past week. Kind of a small haul, especially considering the fact that it includes the 15th which at least used to be a big win day on Goodreads. It would seem that the novelty of being able to offer ebook prizes for giveaways is starting to wear off and fewer authors are forking over the dough to do even that. 

What new books have you added to your shelves this week? - Katie 

*If you're stopping by from the linkup, please be sure to drop a link to your post below so I can check out all your new pretties.*

*Deja Revu* 11 March 2018

Déjà Revu is a weekly review round-up that is open to all book review blogs.

Meme

• TTT: Books I Could Re-Read Forever - Katie @Just Another Girl and Her Books
• Stacking the Shelves: 3 March 2018 - Katie @Just Another Girl and Her Books
• Book Blogger Hop: 2 March 2018 - Katie @Just Another Girl and Her Books
• Stacking the Shelves -- March 3rd, 2018 - Lenoreo @Celebrity Readers
• TTT: Favorite Book Quotes - Katie @Just Another Girl and Her Books
• State of the ARC: February 2018 - Katie @Just Another Girl and Her Books
• Platypire Read-A-Thon: January/February Results - Katie @Just Another Girl and Her Books
• Platypire Read-A-Thon: March 2018 - Katie @Just Another Girl and Her Books
• Book Blogger Hop: 9 March 2018 - Katie @Just Another Girl and Her Books
• Stacking the Shelves: 10 March 2018 - Katie @Just Another Girl and Her Books
• Stacking the Shelves -- March 10th, 2018 - Lenoreo & Curly Carla @Celebrity Readers

 

Romance

• Memphis by Ginger Scott - Lenoreo @Celebrity Readers
• Behind the Bars by Brittainy C. Cherry - Lenoreo @Celebrity Readers
• The Score by Elle Kennedy - Lenoreo @Celebrity Readers
• Punk 57 by Penelope Douglas - Lenoreo @Celebrity Readers
• The Goal by Elle Kennedy - Lenoreo @Celebrity Readers

Suspense/Thriller

• Consequence by Rachel Higginson - Lenoreo @Celebrity Readers

 

Paranormal

• Daring Fate by Megan Erickson - Lenoreo @Celebrity Readers
• Chasing Destiny by Megan Erickson - Lenoreo @Celebrity Readers

Romance

• Fighting Irish by Katy Regnery - Lenoreo @Celebrity Readers
• Changing His Game by Megan Erickson - Lenoreo @Celebrity Readers
• Playing For Her Heart by Megan Erickson - Lenoreo @Celebrity Readers
• Tied to Trouble by Megan Erickson - Lenoreo @Celebrity Readers

Suspense/Thriller

• Boots by Megan Erickson - Lenoreo @Celebrity Readers

 

*Book Blogger Hop* 16 March 2018

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:

Who is your favorite children's books author and why? (submitted by Kitty @ Vicarious Bookworm)

It's a tie between Roald Dahl and Shel Silverstein. Matilda was my absolute most favorite book when I was a kid (I read my copy of it literally to pieces), so Roald Dahl had to make my list. But I also super adore Shel Silverstein's funny poetry and hope that I can use it to inspire a love of poetry in my children (once I find my copies of his books**, or buy new ones if mine have legitimately disappeared).

Who is your favorite children's book author? - Katie

*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 see your answer too.*

**The books have been found. Turns out they were in a box in my closet for four years. Thank goodness for moving.

*Top Ten Tuesday* Books that Surprised Me

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 weeks theme is books that surprised me. This is not an easy topic for me because I don't want to slag on books, and I tend to go into books expecting the best. Not that I think every book is going to be a five star read, but pretty much every book does start out that way in my mind. So I'm going to go back to around the time I first started this blog to highlight a few of the indie books that redeemed my faith in indie's (after a very horrible indie experience years before).

Bully by Penelope Douglas - This one was an easy choice for me because it is responsible for me giving self-published books a second chance. You see, Penelope is my cousin through marriage, so way back when Bully was a self-published title and temporarily free on Amazon, I downloaded it as this huge favor to her (I was an ass) and even deigned to read it (seriously, so full of myself). I am so glad I read it though, because it restored my faith in self-published books, and ultimately led to me starting a book blog in the first place. Without this book, I wouldn't be here.

Save My Soul by K.S. Haigwood - This was one of the first book review requests I received after starting this blog and it made me a K.S. Haigwood fan. I haven't been doing a very good job of keeping up with her most recent releases, but I have at least read all the books in this particular series so far.

Minutes Before Sunset by Shannon A Thompson - Not only is this author a child (not really, she's reached the age of majority, but she is several years younger than me and I barely consider myself an adult most days), but she also went to KU, which is a major strike against her in my book (again not really because of the two major Kansas universities, KU has the better English program, but I'm being petty here!). So imagine my surprise when I finished this book and wanted to be this author when I grow up.

Separation Anxiety by Lisa Suzanne - I've never been big on the whole book boyfriend thing. Like a male character may appeal to me while I'm reading the book he's in, but I have no problem ditching him for the next guy when the book is over. I just never really feel too attached to them. They're basically one-night stands in book form. Except Jesse Drake. I still want a Jesse Drake of my own and I read this book over four years ago.

Intractable Souls by Tricia Daniels - I felt like this book took me forever to read (four months at a time when I was actually doing a somewhat decent job of sticking to my TBR list) because it felt so real, and it got rather deep.

And I'm going to wrap this post up here at five (it's the new ten after all, I declared that last week, I think). If I kept searching my Goodreads read shelf, I could probably fill it out, but I'm having some eye issues again and need to stop staring at this screen and save my eye for proofreading later today.

What are some books that really surprised you when you read them? - Katie

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

*Stacking the Shelves* 10 March 2018

(Titles link to Amazon via Amazon Affiliate links)

Stacking The Shelves is a feature/weekly meme created by Tynga’s Reviews 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. And since I am currently technically a displaced person (all my things are packed up on a boat and I don't have a home to call my own at the moment), I'm not currently buying any physical books. So my STS post will feature all the books I've been one-clicking on Amazon. 

On that note, here are the books I picked up this week. (All Goodreads ebook wins unless otherwise noted.)

Jackson and Franklin by Shawn Sprague
Resilient Health: How to Thrive in Our Toxic World by Valencia Porter MD MPH
Kat and Maus by Brad Chisholm and Claire Kim
Perdido Street Station by China Mieville - I snagged this book on sale for $1.99 (maybe still on sale) because my brother highly recommends it. 
Fallen Heir by Erin Watt - I got this beauty on sale for 99 cents (maybe still on sale) because I already own most of the other books in the series...I haven't read them yet, but I own them. 
Marathon Renegade by Dr. Kirk Mahoney
Dagobert Goes to the Dentist by Jean-Paul Colemonts
Beauty and the Vampire by Zoey Hunter
Falco the Dark Angel by Randall Moore
Modern Day Fables by Jason Petersen and Aarti Patel 
Boys South of the Mason Dixon by Abbi Glines - Snagged this book for free (maybe still free) after seeing a sponsored post for it on Facebook. 
Prodigal Girl by Emma Wright
Veronica and the Volcano by Geoffrey Cook
Softlife by James R. Hardin
Never Surrender: How to Overcome Life's Greatest Challenges by Joseph B. George
Crystal Secrets by James Funfer
Verbs that Move Mountains edited by Claire Trevien
Code Girls: The Untold Story of the American Women Code Breakers of WWII by Liza Mundy - I got this audiobook as the Audible Daily Deal for just $4.95. After recently finishing listening to Hidden Figures about the African American women who helped us win the space race (whose jobs mostly started with work on airplanes during WWII), I'm interested to learn about these women who I previously didn't know existed as well. 
Return of the First by M.A. Maggiano 
The Caretaker's Legacy by Michael Villa
There is a Generation II: Kids of the Greatest Generation by WH Buzzard

So that's all the books that I bought or won this past week. Next week's post will probably be a bit longer as it includes the middle of the month when there are usually more giveaways ending. 

What new books did you add to your shelves this week? - Katie 

*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 see all your new pretties.*

*Book Blogger Hop* 9 March 2018

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:

Do you enjoy reading retellings of, or 'sequels' to, classic novels? Why or why not? (submitted by Maria @ A Night's Dream of Books)

So much yes. It's like getting to dive back into a familiar story without reading the exact same thing, and I'm not big on rereading. Also, when I really love a story, I always want more even if the author didn't really want to give us more (or wasn't able because they died and haven't figured out how to write for us in the afterlife). Retellings of fairy tales and other stories from my childhood (like Alice in Wonderland) are my serious weak spot.

Do you like reading retellings of classic stories? - Katie

*If you're stopping by from the linkup, please be sure to include a link to your post below so I can stop by and see your answer.* 

*Platypire Read-A-Thon* March 2018

Photo courtesy of Platypire Maribel

March is here (and has been for over a week, boy am I behind) which means it's time for me to update my Platypire Read-A-Thon list. I've been rather out of sorts lately with moving which has left me even less organized than normal (I didn't realize that was possible to be perfectly honest, but apparently it was). So now I find myself desperately trying to play catch-up on pretty much everything blog related (and swearing that I'm never going to get behind again. HA!)

But without any further ado, here is my updated list (that I'm really hoping to make some sort of dent in before the month is over, but I'm not going to hold my breath). 

R - Read

C - Currently Reading

T - To Be Read
NR - Needs Reviewed

Read

Reviewed
*Titles link to reviews*

Needs Reviewed

NR - Mary Ting Proofread (Not yet listed on Goodreads)
NR - Alexandrea Weis Proofread (Not yet listed on Goodreads)
NR - Bicycle Thieves by Mary di Michele (March)
NR - Alexandrea Weis Proofread (Not yet listed on Goodreads)
NR - Mary Ting Proofread (Not yet listed on Goodreads)
NR - Damned by Alexandrea Weis and Lucas Astor (July)
NR - ISAN by Mary Ting (2016)
ISAN by Mary Ting (October) (This was a re-read, but it should still count for my numbers)
NR - The Witches: Salem 1692 by Stacy Schiff (July)*
NR - Cooking for Picasso by Camille Aubray (July)*
NR - Son by Lois Lowry (May)*
NR - The Library of Fates by Aditi Khorana (June)
NR - Impossible Views of the World by Lucy Ives (July)
NR - It Takes Death to Reach a Star by Stu Jones and Gareth Worthington (Oct.)
NR - Crown of Draga by Emma Dean (September)
NR - A Very Mer-Merry Christmas by Ginna Moran (October)
NR - Jinxed by Thommy Hutson (September)
NR - Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan (October)
NR - The Witchwood Crown by Tad Williams (June)*
NR - Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor (2016)*
NR - Love's Embrace by Mary Reason Theriot (October)
NR - Back Blast by Mark Greaney (2016)*
NR - Charlie Foxtrot by Jillian Ashe (December)
NR - Precious Bones by Irina Shapiro (December)
NR - I Know I Am, but What Are You? by Samantha Bee (December)
NR - Between This One and the Next by Ginna Moran (December)
NR - Jacob T. Marley by R. William Bennett (December)
NR - Give Me Your Answer True by Suanne Laqueur (2015)*
NR - The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams (December)
NR - The Souls of Black Folk by W.E.B. Dubois (December)
NR - You Can't Hide by Dan Poblocki (December)
NR - Jasmine of Draga by Emma Dean (November) 
NR - Seventh Decimate by Stephen R. Donaldson (Oct.)
NR - Devoted by Ginna Moran (January '18) 
NR - Bound by Alexandrea Weis and Lucas Astor (February '18)
NR - Ginna Moran Proofread (February '18) (Not yet listed on Goodreads)
NR - Ginna Moran Proofread (February '18) (Not yet listed on Goodreads)
NR - Jonas Saul Proofread (February '18) (Not yet listed on Goodreads)
NR - Punk 57 by Penelope Douglas (January '18)
NR - The Princess Diarist by Carrie Fisher (January '18)
NR - This is Just My Face: Try Not to Stare by Gabourey Sidibe (February '18)
NR - Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt (February '18)
NR - Carry On by Rainbow Rowell (February '18)
NR - Maybe in Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid (February '18)
NR - Crosstalk by Connie Willis (February '18)

Currently Reading

C - The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd (2015)*

C - The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin (2016)*

C - Sweetwater: The Kihn by Rivi Jacks (2015)*

C - The Voyage by Tammie Painter (2015)*

C - Black Earth: The Holocaust as History and Warning by Timothy Snyder (2015)*

C - The Road Home by Kathleen Shoop (2015)*

C - Troll by Ashley C. Harris (2015)*

C - The Sanctum of Souls by R.K. Pavia (2015)*

C - The Travelers by Chris Pavone (2015)*

C - Back of Beyond by Neeny Boucher (2016)*

C - The Things We Wish Were True by Marybeth Mayhew Whalen (2016)*

C - Letter's From Paris by Juliette Blackwell (2016)*

C - An Exaltation of Larks by Suanne Laqueur (2016)*

C - River of Ink by Paul M.M. Cooper (Jan)*

C - The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco (Jan)*

C - My Sister's Grave by Robert Dugoni (Feb)*
C - Everything Belongs to Us by Yoojin Grace Wuertz (Feb)*
C - Eleanor Roosevelt: The War Years by Blanche Wiesen Cook (Feb)*
C - What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty (April)*
C - The Women in the Castle by Jessica Shattuck (May)*
C - Handbook for Mortals by Lani Sarem (Sept.)
C - Beauty and the Mustache by Penny Reid (Sept.)
C - The Salt Line by Holly Goddard Jones (September)
C - The Christmas Tree Guy by Rainy Stone (November)
C - The Gift by Cecelia Ahern (December)
C - Spellbook of the Lost and Found by Moira Fowley-Doyle (August)
C - Every Dog Has His Day by Jen McKinlay (November)
C - The Red Umbrella by Christina Gonzalez (January '18)
C - Jillian Ashe Proofread (February '18)
C - Yes Please by Amy Poehler (March '18)
C - Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi (January '18)

To Be Read

T - The Devil's Prayer by Luke Gracias (Feb)

T - Courage to Soar by Simone Biles (March)
T - In Such Good Company by Carol Burnett (March)
T - The Idea of You by Amanda Prowse (April) 
T - The Radium Girls by Kate Moore (April)
T - Betwixters: Once Upon a Time by Laura C. Cantu (June)
T - Emma in the Night by Wendy Walker (July)

T - Everything We Left Behind by Kerry Lonsdale (July)
T - Zoonauts by Richard Mueller (July)
T - Cooking for Ghosts: The Secret Spice Cafe by Patricia V. Davis (July)
T - The Scary Train Ride by Marlene Bischoff (July)
T - Skyward Bound: Hot-Air Ballooning by Alese & Morton Pechter (July)
T - Roxie the Doxie Finds Her Forever Home by Jody A. Dean, Ph.D. (July)
T - Gerome Sticks His Neck Out by L.S.V. Baker (July)
T - The Adventure of Thomas the Turtle by Stuart Samuel (GR) (July)
T - The Fable of the Snake Named Slim by Doug Snelson (August)
T - How to Behave in a Crowd by Camille Bordas (August)
T - Ramses the Damned by Anne Rice & Christopher Rice (August)
T - Nyxia by Scott Reintgen (August)
T - Beasts Made of Night by Tochi Onyebuchi (August)
T - A Thousand Rooms by Helen Jones (August)
T - The Border by Steve Schafer (August)
T - Berserker by Emily Laybourne (August)
T - Nemesis by Anna Banks (August)
T - The Vengeance of Mothers by Jim Fergus (August)
T - Sneak Peek: The Returning Tide by Liz Fenwick (September)
T - Sneak Peek: Little Sister by Isabel Ashdown (September)
T - Lords of the Underworld Sampler by Gena Showalter (September)
T - The Screaming Staircase by Jonathan Stroud (September)
T - Sneak Peek: Nadiyah's British Food Adventure by Nadiyah Hussain (September)
T - How to Find Love in a Bookshop by Veronica Henry (September) 
T - A Conspiracy in Belgravia by Sherry Thomas (September)
T - Sneak Peek: The War I Finally Won by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley (Oct.)
T - Sneak Peek: Children of the Fleet by Orson Scott Card (Oct.)
T - Sneak Peek: Origin by Dan Brown (Oct.)
T - A Darker Sea by James L. Haley (Oct.)
T - CS Wilde Proofread (November)
T - Skipping Christmas by John Grisham (December)
T - A Christmas Hope by Joseph Pittman (December)
T - Blue Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews (December)
T - All I Want for Christmas by Jenny Hale (December)
T - Kissing Under the Mistletoe by Marina Adair (December)
T - Christmas at the Vicarage by Rebecca Boxall (December)
T - A Festival of Murder by Tricia Hendricks (December)
T - The Philosopher's Flight by Tom Miller (January '18)
T - Gods of Howl Mountain by Taylor Brown (January '18)
T - Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeney (January '18)
T - Boys Keep Swinging by Jake Shears (January '18)
T - The 53rd Card by Virginia Weiss (January '18)
T - Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones (January '18)
T - The First Kiss of Spring by Emily March (January '18)
T - How to Walk Away by Katherine Center (January '18)
T - The Italian Party by Christina Lynch (January '18)
T - Indecent by Corinne Sullivan (January '18)
T - The Lightning Stenography Device by M.F. Sullivan (January '18)
T - Enchantress of Numbers by Jennifer Chiaverini (January '18)
T - A Treacherous Curse by Deanna Raybourn (January '18)
T - The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory (January '18)
T - A False Report by T. Christian Miller and Ken Armstrong (January '18)
T - School for Psychics by K.C. Archer (January '18)
T - White Houses by Amy Bloom (February '18)
T - The Subway Girls by Susie Orman Schnall (February '18)
T - Love and Ruin by Paula McClain (February '18)
T - Tell Me No Lies by A.V. Geiger (March '18)
T - Ginna Moran Proofread (March '18)
T - Tomorrow Will Be Different by Sarah McBride (March '18)
T - A Tokyo Romance by Ian Buruma (March '18)
T - Nothing Left to Burn by Heather Ezell (March '18)
T - The Punishment She Deserves by Elizabeth George (March '18)
T - Patriot Number One: American Dreams in Chinatown by Lauren Hilgers (March '18)
T - Six Basic Cooking Techniques by Jennifer Claire (March '18)

So I've added 12 new books to my list since January, but that's only an average of six books per month, which is absolutely progress (as long as I do a better job of sticking to my list than normal). Unfortunately most of the books that I've been "reading" lately have been audio because I can listen while I work on unpacking my house (and washing all the dishes and folding ALL the laundry). I mean, that at least means that I'll have books to review, but it doesn't do much for putting a dent into my reading list. Fingers crossed that I'll suddenly become a different person after I get my house all sorted out. - Katie