Tag: Stacking the Shelves

Stacking the Shelves

Posted March 7, 2015 by in General / 36 Comments

Hmmm, I’ve had a bit of a busy week for acquisitions, compared to what I’ve read. Time to buckle down and get on with it, I think! I’m still within the bounds of my resolutions though, whew. How’s everyone doing?

Bought/received

Cover of A Darkling Sea by James Cambias Cover of Touch by Claire North Cover of The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro

I do love Claire North’s work, even if I found her last book disappointing. A Darkling Sea I’ve picked up based on a recommendation, and The Buried Giant is a) by Ishiguro and b) contains Arthurian stuff. Of course I got it on release day!

Received to review

Cover of The Infinite by Lori Lee

Maybe I should’ve finished the first book before requesting this, but hush.

Comics

Operation S.I.N. Spider-woman

Is that a different artist on Spider-woman? Or just the cover? I should go and look. Anyway, yay!

Also, how about that Avengers trailer? Omg, Bruce/Natasha. <3

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Stacking the Shelves

Posted February 28, 2015 by in General / 31 Comments

Hey everyone! I’ve been very good this week, and have nothing really new to report — just an ARC, and some titles from my pull list. I’m impressed by how long I’m keeping up my resolutions this year! How’s everyone else doing?

Review copy

Cover of The Raven's Head by Karen Maitland Cover of The Girl at Midnight by Melissa Grey

I found the last book a little too predictable in theme, plot and character, so I’m hoping this breaks the mould a little. I have loved Maitland’s books, but I fear she may be stuck in a rut… One more chance, and then I’ll give her books a rest for a while. Still, excited to get the ARC!

Pull list

Cover of Spider-Gwen #1 Thor

Working on a post to go up soon about my pull list, and how people lie when they say there’s no cool female superheroes… (Not, Marvel, that I’m saying there’s enough. Did you seriously put back the date of your Captain Marvel movie for Spider-man? Really? I’ve seen Spider-man. I need you to have the guts to give us a female superhero front and center. Black Widow would work too.)

And just to finish up, here’s a photo of the bunny in total relaxation, since I’m currently staying with her and my partner!

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Stacking the Shelves

Posted February 21, 2015 by in General / 15 Comments

Quite a busy week! But I’m still sticking to my goals, fear not.

Bought

Cover of A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab Cover of Half a King by Joe Abercrombie Cover of Impulse by Dave Bara

A Darker Shade of Magic was, of course, a pre-order; I had Half a King as an ARC and never got to it, so now I have the paperback; my sister bought me Impulse because we both love a bit of space opera. Obviously it sounds rather Star Trek-ish, but it could be fun anyway.

Received to review

Cover of Pacific Fire by Greg van Eekhout Cover of Voyage of the Basilisk by Marie Brennan

One word: eeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Library

 Cover of Season of Storms by Susanna Kearsley Cover of The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley Cover of The Firebird by Susanna Kearsley

  Cover of Annilation by Jeff VanderMeer Cover of Authority by Jeff VanderMeer Cover of Acceptance by Jeff VanderMeer

Cover of Memory of Water by Emma Itaranta Cover of The Explorer by James Smythe

I’m going away! I had to stock up! Annihilation is so weird; I had to grab the next two to see if there are any answers… Susanna Kearsley, I read and liked The Rose Garden not long ago, so I’ve grabbed some more of her work.

Comics

Ms Marvel Silk #1

Tell me again about the lack of female superheroes?

So there we go! Quite a busy week for me… How’s everyone else been doing? Any exciting acquisitions?

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Stacking the Shelves

Posted February 7, 2015 by in General / 37 Comments

And another week gone! This year is flying by already… which in a way is fortunate, because I was excited for the two books I picked up this week, both out on 03/02 (coincidentally, my mother’s birthday). Now it’s just A Darker Shade of Magic to go and then I’ll have the books I’m most eagerly coveting…

Bought

Cover of Karen Memory by Elizabeth Bear Cover of Trigger Warning by Neil Gaiman

The cover of Karen Memory is just perfect. I’m already partway through — might even have finished it by the time this goes live — and enjoying it very much. I’ve already finished Trigger Warning…

Library

The Periodic Table Cover of Stonehenge by Mike Parker Pearson

Guess who’s onto the chemistry section of their Open University textbook? And Stonehenge, well, who can resist archaeology about Stonehenge?

For review

Cover of The Mechanical by Ian Tregillis Cover of The Errant Prince by Sasha L. Miller Cover of Gates of Thread and Stone

Cover of Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas Cover of Nightshade by R.J. Scudiere Cover of The Adventures of Monkey Girl and Tiger Kite by Kai Schalk

I still haven’t read a single book by Ian Tregillis. I have them. I just need to, you know, read them. Oops.

Comics

Ms Marvel Operation Sin #2

Peggyyyyy. I really need to watch Agent Carter, too. Mind you, I still really need to watch Agents of SHIELD and, uh, Norton’s Hulk (though really Mark Ruffalo is the only Bruce Banner for me, sorry).

Anyway, this was quite a big haul for me, but I’m still keeping to my resolutions! For now, at least. I do need to hurry up and get reading my review copies, though. How’s everyone else been doing? Any massive hauls?

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Stacking the Shelves

Posted January 31, 2015 by in General / 18 Comments

Once again, a quiet week! Which is good, since that’s what I’m aiming for. I did get two new books — rewards for finishing books two and three of my Open University course!

Bought

Cover of Dreamer's Pool by Juliet Marillier Cover of Prickle Moon by Juliet Marillier

I’ve read (and reviewed) Prickle Moon already; it’s lovely. And I’d been wanting Dreamer’s Pool for a while!

Library

Cover of The Gabriel Hounds by Mary Stewart

Just one, a bit of self indulgence — I’ve read all of Mary Stewart’s romances, but this was the first one I read, and I’m looking forward to going back to it. Frothy comfort reading for the win! Though right now, I’m digging into Soulless (Gail Carriger) for that!

Oh, and the latest issue of Thor came out, too.

Comics

Thor #4

How’s everyone else doing? Broken your resolutions yet?

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Stacking the Shelves

Posted January 24, 2015 by in General / 14 Comments

Haven’t bought any books this week! I know, it’s shocking. I do actually owe myself a book from finishing my second OU textbook, and I think I know what I’m going to get, but I seem to be holding out on myself. (I’m probably going to get Owl and the Japanese Circus, by Kristi Charish. They actually approved me for an ARC of that on NG and immediately, literally seconds after, archived it so I could never have downloaded it anyway, though, so I’m a liiiittle bit cranky about that. No fair teasing like that!) Anyway, I have got some library books and it’s starting to get to the point where my pull list means I get at least one comic every week, woo.

Library books

Cover of The Secret Life of Trees by Colin Tudge Cover of Wildwood by Roger Deakin

Yep, that ol’ nature reading interest again.

Comics

Spiderwoman #3

Eee!

So how’s everyone else been doing? Still sticking to your resolutions? (I posted a bit about mine here just this week, if you’re interested!)

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Stacking the Shelves

Posted January 17, 2015 by in General / 34 Comments

I seem to have acquired some books this week! Though I’ve still been relatively conservative — my purchases were a novel and a novella, and the other book was bought for me by the wonderful Lynn. I’m still pretty much hanging in there with my resolutions: I’ve read some ARCs, I’m not buying anything on the spur of the moment, and I’m well within my budget. Woooo.

Bought/acquired

Cover of California Bones by Greg van Eekhout Cover of Half-Resurrection Blues, by Daniel José Older Cover of The Awakened Kingdom by N.K. Jemisin

I’ve already read two of the three, too! And I’m a good chunk of the way into California Bones. Good choices, so far. But then maybe I did also purchase a lot of comics…

Thor #1 Thor #2 Thor #3

Operation S.I.N #1 Captain Marvel #11

Lady Thor, Peggy Carter as a heroine, and the new Captain Marvel — how could I resist?

Library

Cover of The Lucifer Effect by Philip Zimbardo Cover of Pieces of Light by Charles Fernyhough Cover of When Life Nearly Died by Michael J. Benton

I didn’t actually find any fiction I wanted this week at the library. Shocking, I know! I’m especially interested in The Lucifer Effect, as I recently reviewed another book by that psychologist (The Time Paradox), and this promises to discuss his most famous and controversial work, that of the Stanford Prison Experiment.

For review

Cover of Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan Cover of Shadow Study by Maria V. Snyder Cover of The Salt Roads by Nalo Hopkinson

Eeeee. That’s all I have to say about Shadow Study. Nalo Hopkinson will be good, of course; Will Grayson, Will Grayson should be fun.

Freebie

Cover of Earthrise by M.C.A. Hogarth

I haven’t actually read anything I already have by M.C.A. Hogarth yet, but this was free on the Kobo store, so I thought I’d grab it while I could.

What’s everyone else been getting? Broken your resolutions yet?

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Stacking the Shelves

Posted January 10, 2015 by in General / 16 Comments

First full week of 2015; first chance for us to break all our resolutions and buy a load of books. How’s everyone else been getting along?

Comics

Cover of Batgirl volume 4 by Gail Simone

Late Christmas present from my dad. <3

Library books

Cover of Blood Bound by Patricia Briggs Cover of Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman Cover of Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

Cover of The Time Paradox by Philip Zimbardo Cover of The Secret Life of Birds by Colin Tudge

At my parents’ place again for most of January, so this is what I got out of the library to keep me amused — as if I needed anything more than what’s on my ereader and on my shelves from their generosity at Christmas! Ahem…

Anyway, so far this year I’ve avoided buying any new books; I’ve finished the first book in my Open University course already, so I feel like maybe I deserve one, but I can’t choose. I do now have an Amazon wishlist which I’m trying to keep updated. If nothing else, it’ll serve as a list of ‘approved’ books when I do want to get something, and I’ve saved stuff I haven’t preordered yet onto there too.

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Stacking the Shelves

Posted January 3, 2015 by in General / 28 Comments

With my book-buying resolutions just coming into force, this might be the busiest Stacking the Shelves post you’re gonna see from me in a while. On the other hand, I am now in charge of acquiring books for my library, so surely it won’t count if I just buy one or two or three for them…

Okay, okay, I’ll be good.

Library books

Cover of Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen Cover of Flow My Tears, The Policeman Said by Philip K. Dick Cover of The Relic Guild by Edward Cox

Cover of Otter Country by Miriam Darlington Cover of Badgerlands by Patrick Barkham Cover of The Sins of the Fathers by Lawrence Block

My usual odd mix — I’m not sure why I’m so drawn to nature writing at the moment, but hey, I’ll go with it.

Fiction

Cover of Station Eleven by Emily St John Mandel Cover of The Forever Watch by David Ramirez Cover of Ancillary Sword by Ann Leckie Cover of The Black Chalice by Steven Savile

There were sales! And I still had a voucher! And it wasn’t January yet!

Non-fiction

Cover of The Ancient Paths by Graham Robb Cover of Ashoka by Charles Allen Cover of A History of the World in 12 Maps Cover of Confronting the Classics by Mary Beard

Pretty much all of these were bought with gift vouchers. I’ve read bad things about The Ancient Paths now, but it might be interesting anyway.

Awesome

Cover of Faery Tales by Carol Ann Duffy

Gift from my aunt for Christmas. <3 Look at that pretty cover! I had no idea this was even coming out until just before Christmas, but it’s Carol Ann Duffy, soooo. Yeah. Happy.

What’s everyone else been getting? Been breaking your 2015 bookish resolutions already?

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Stacking the Shelves – The Holy Crap Edition

Posted December 27, 2014 by in General / 24 Comments

Or, Stacking the Shelves: The Christmas Edition! I think I’ve probably had similarly large hauls before, but still… I had a very good Christmas, and if I could just tear myself away from my new game (Final Fantasy Theatrhythm: Curtain Call), I’ll show you all the details. Plus my giant literary giraffe, a gift from my dad.

Photo of me wearing a paper party hat, next to my five foot tall giraffe
His name is Charles Parker, after Lord Peter’s best friend.
He turns up when you least expect it.
Turn around…

So yeah, that was a Christmas. And this is a haul…

Comics

Cover of Batgirl: Silent Running by Kelley Puckett Cover of Batgirl: A Knight Alone by Kelley Puckett Cover of Batgirl: Death in the Family by Gail Simone

Cover of She-Hulk vol. 1 by Dan Slott Cover of Saga vol 3 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples Cover of Saga vol 4 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples

The first four are from Mum and Dad — and don’t worry, I know it’s the first two feature Cassandra Cain as Batgirl, and the third Barbara Gordon — and the two Saga volumes are from my little sis. <3

Non-fiction

Cover of Ta-ra-ra-boom-de-ay by Simon Napier-Bell Cover of Sex & Punishment by Eric Berkowitz Cover of The Reluctant Yogi by Carla McKay

Cover of Lucy: The Beginnings of Mankind Cover of The Trouble with Physics by Lee Smolin

One of you lot recommended me The Trouble with Physics, and Dad got me that and the book on Lucy. The other three came from the Kindle sale.

Pure geekery

Maps of Tolkien's Middle-Earth Cover of Tolkien: A Dictionary by David Day

Little sister knows me well! Or, you know, remembered what I did some of my master’s work on.

Fiction

Cover of The Sea Road by Margaret Elphinstone Cover of Sold for Endless Rue by Madeleine E. Robins Cover of The Girls at the Kingfisher Club by Genevieve Valentine

Cover of Mitosis by Brandon Sanderson Cover of Heraclix and Pomp by Forrest Agguire Cover of The Wild Ways by Tanya Huff

Cover of The Future Falls by Tanya Huff Cover of Mélusine by Sarah Monette Cover of Mindscape by Andrea Hairston

Cover of Those Who Hunt the Night by Barbara Hambly Cover of Two Serpents Rise by Max Gladstone Cover of Full Fathom Five by Max Gladstone

Cover of Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch Cover of The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman Cover of Blue Remembered Earth by Alistair Reynolds

That’s a real mix of gifts, sales and randomness.

Audiobooks

Cover of Swordspoint audiobook by Ellen Kushner Cover of The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman (audiobook)

I had credits to spend.

I also got a £20 Waterstones gift card, which I’ll be spending today, so watch out for next week’s haul, too… What’s everyone else been getting?!

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