Stacking the Shelves #71

On February 5, 2022 By Beth JonesIn Stacking the ShelvesLeave a comment

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga where we share books we’ve bought or received this week. Find out more and join in here!

Hi everyone! It’s time for another stacking the shelves and I really need to slow down my book buying because there’s even more this week! I also received a couple of gifts which are lovely.

Bought

Goodreads | Waterstones

A seasonal Poirot and Marple short story collection that includes: The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding; The Mystery of the Spanish Chest; The Under Dog; Four and Twenty Blackbirds; The Dream; and Greenshaw’s Folly.

Goodreads | Waterstones

When Alice Ascher is murdered in Andover, Hercule Poirot is already on to the clues. Alphabetically speaking, it’s one down, twenty-five to go.
There’s a serial killer on the loose. His macabre calling card is to leave the ABC Railway guide beside each victim’s body. But if A is for Alice Asher, bludgeoned to death in Andover; and B is for Betty Bernard, strangled with her belt on the beach at Bexhill; then who will Victim C be?

Goodreads | Waterstones

The tranquillity of a cruise along the Nile is shattered by the discovery that Linnet Ridgeway has been shot through the head. She was young, stylish and beautiful, a girl who had everything – until she lost her life. Hercule Poirot recalls an earlier outburst by a fellow passenger: ‘I’d like to put my dear little pistol against her head and just press the trigger.’ Yet in this exotic setting, nothing is ever quite what it seems…

Goodreads | Waterstones

Motives for Murder: A fortune in uncut diamonds, hidden by an eccentric old man. A woman’s love, too freely given. A business empire built on ruthlessness. Each of them may have been a motive for the brutal slaying of wealthy old Simeon Lee. Coupled with Lee’s family, each member of which hated him and wished to see him dead, they presented Hercule Poirot with a baffling challenge–one which the astute detective solved only through his uncanny ability to see “the little things.”

The only books I’ve bought this week are Agatha Christie books to complete my collection of these stunning hardback clothbound classics. I’m so happy I’ve got this whole set now!

Gifted

Goodreads | Waterstones

I was sent a copy of Room to Dream by Knights Of, which is the third book in the Front Desk series, which I haven’t read yet but I really want to! Thank you to the publisher for this one.

Goodreads | Waterstones

Gabriel, Reese, Sal, and Heath are best friends, bonded in their small rural town by their queerness, their good grades, and their big dreams. They are about to embark on the summer before senior year of high school, where each is going on a new, big adventure. Reese is attending a design school in Paris. Gabriel is going to Boston to volunteer with a environmental nonprofit. Sal is interning on Capitol Hill for a U.S. Senator. And Heath is stuck going to Daytona Beach to help out at his aunt’s beachfront arcade.
What will this summer of new experiences and world-expanding travel mean for each of them—and for their friendship?

I also received a copy of Golden Boys by Phil Stamper. I still haven’t read a Phil Stamper book but I’d really like to! Thank you to the publisher for this one too!

Which books did you buy or receive this week?

-Beth

May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽

www.etsy.com/uk/shop/thebooksareverywhere

Stacking the Shelves #70

On January 29, 2022 By Beth JonesIn Stacking the ShelvesLeave a comment

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga where we share books we’ve bought or received this week. Find out more and join in here!

Hi all! I’ve definitely been bad (or good) this week with my book buying. I’ve been lucky enough to have quite a few books gifted to me, but I also found some limited editions I’ve really wanted for a while!

Bought

Goodreads | Forbidden Planet

[Extraordinary (Forbidden Planet Exclusive Special Signed Edition Balam Variant Hardcover) (Product Image)]

Goodreads | Forbidden Planet

Taking place in the years between VICIOUS and VENGEFUL, ExtraOrdinary follows the tale of a teenage girl named Charlotte Tills who following a fatal bus crash, seemingly dies only to wake up to discover she has become an EO — a person with ExtraOrdinary abilities. In Charlotte’s case, it’s the ability to see people’s deaths, but when she looks into her own future, sees her own murder at the hands of the self-proclaimed hero and notorious EO killer Eli Ever, who is currently in prison for the murder of Victor Vale. Refusing to accept her fate, Charlotte sets off to find–and change–her future–before it comes for her.

I’ve been collecting editions of Extraordinary by V.E. Schwab and I keep coming across new beautiful covers! I bought these two from Forbidden Planet.

Goodreads | Waterstones

Hidden in the heart of the old city of Barcelona is the ‘Cemetery of Forgotten Books’, a labyrinthine library of obscure and forgotten titles that have long gone out of print. To this library, one cold morning in 1945, a man brings his 10-year-old son Daniel. Daniel is allowed to choose one book from the shelves and pulls out ‘The Shadow of the Wind’ by Julián Carax.
Captivated by the novel from its very first page, Daniel reads the book in one sitting. But he is not the only one interested in Carax. As he grows up in a Barcelona still suffering the aftershocks of a violent civil war, Daniel is haunted by the story of the author, a man who seems to have disappeared without trace after a duel in Père Lachaise cemetery.
Then one night, in the old streets of the city centre, Daniel is approached by a figure who reminds him of a character from ‘The Shadow of the wind’, a character who turns out to be the devil. This man is tracking down every last copy of Carax’s works in order to burn them. What begins as a case of literary curiosity turns into a race to find out the truth behind the life and death of Julián Carax, and to save those he left behind.

I visited Hay-on-Wye earlier this week and came across a first edition hardback of this book which I’ve wanted to read for so long. I felt lucky to come across this one in pretty good condition for a really good price so I couldn’t resist picking it up!

Goodreads | Waterstones

First, there were ten a curious assortment of strangers summoned as weekend guests to a private island off the coast of Devon. Their host, an eccentric millionaire unknown to all of them, is nowhere to be found. All that the guests have in common is a wicked past they’re unwilling to reveal—and a secret that will seal their fate. For each has been marked for murder. One by one they fall prey. Before the weekend is out, there will be none. And only the dead are above suspicion.

I also came across this Agatha Christie, which is part of the set I’ve been collecting.

Goodreads | Waterstones

There’s a chill in the air and the days are growing shorter… It’s the perfect time to curl up in front of a crackling fireplace with this winter-themed collection from legendary mystery writer Agatha Christie. But beware of deadly snowdrifts and dangerous gifts, poisoned meals and mysterious guests. This compendium of short stories, some featuring beloved detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple, is an essential omnibus for Christie fans and the perfect gift for mystery lovers.

I also picked this one up to add to the set which is so pretty!

Gifted

Goodreads | Waterstones

Witty, intelligent Elizabeth Bennet has no desire for a marriage of convenience. And when she meets the handsome, wealthy Mr Darcy, her opinion of him is quickly set: he is aloof, selfish and proud – the last man in the world she would ever marry.
Until their paths cross again, and again, and the pair begin to realise that first impressions can be flawed… But as Elizabeth and Darcy become entangled in a dance through the strict hierarchies of society, will there be space for true love to bloom?

I was also sent quite a few proofs this week, including this Pride and Prejudice retelling by Laura Wood that’s also dyslexia friendly! Thank you to Barrington Stoke for this one!

Goodreads | Waterstones

Bailey and Vanessa shared everything: laughter, secrets, and packets of Pop Rocks to ward off bad days. But that all changed the night Vanessa left Bailey’s, headed for home, and ended up swerving off a cliff nowhere near her house. Now Bailey, who thought she knew Vanessa better than anyone in the world, is left with a million unanswered questions, and the only person with answers is gone.
To help grieve her loss, Bailey creates a chat bot of Vanessa using years’ worth of their shared text messages and emails. The more data she uploads to the bot, the more it feels like she’s really talking to her best friend. That is, until the bot starts dropping hints that there was more going on with Vanessa than Bailey realized–a secret so big, it may have contributed to Vanessa’s death.

Harper 360 sent me a few books too, including this one which I can’t wait for as it sounds so interesting.

Goodreads | Waterstones

Overachiever Luz “Lulu” Zavala has straight As, perfect attendance, and a solid ten-year plan. First up: nail her interview for a dream internship at Stanford, the last stop on her school’s cross-country college road trip. The only flaw in her plan is Clara, her oldest sister, who went off to college and sparked a massive fight with their overprotective Peruvian mom, who is now convinced that out-of-state-college will destroy their family. If Lulu can’t fix whatever went wrong between them, the whole trip—and her future—will be a waste.
Middle sister Milagro wants nothing to do with college, or a nerdy class field trip. Then a spot opens up on the trip just as her own Spring Break plans (Operation: Lose Your Virginity) are thwarted, and she hops on the bus with her glittery lipsticks, more concerned about getting back at her ex than she is about schools or any family drama. But the trip opens her eyes about possibilities she’d never imagined for herself. Maybe she is more than the boy-crazy girl everyone seems to think she is.
On a journey from Baltimore all the way to San Francisco, Lulu and Milagro will become begrudging partners as they unpack weighty family expectations, uncover Clara’s secrets, and maybe even discover the true meaning of sisterhood.

Harper 360 also sent me a proof copy of this one, thank you!

Goodreads | Waterstones

Emmy Harlow is a witch but not a very powerful one—in part because she hasn’t been home to the magical town of Thistle Grove in years. Her self-imposed exile has a lot to do with a complicated family history and a desire to forge her own way in the world, and only the very tiniest bit to do with Gareth Blackmoore, heir to the most powerful magical family in town and casual breaker of hearts and destroyer of dreams.
But when a spellcasting tournament that her family serves as arbiters for approaches, it turns out the pull of tradition (or the truly impressive parental guilt trip that comes with it) is strong enough to bring Emmy back. She’s determined to do her familial duty; spend some quality time with her best friend, Linden Thorn; and get back to her real life in Chicago.
On her first night home, Emmy runs into Talia Avramov—an all-around badass adept in the darker magical arts—who is fresh off a bad breakup . . . with Gareth Blackmoore. Talia had let herself be charmed, only to discover that Gareth was also seeing Linden—unbeknownst to either of them. And now she and Linden want revenge. Only one question stands: Is Emmy in?
But most concerning of all: Why can’t she stop thinking about the terrifyingly competent, devastatingly gorgeous, wickedly charming Talia Avramov?

And last but not least, my lovely friend Amy gave me this one, which I’ve had my eye on for a while! Thank you Amy!

Which books did you buy or receive this week?

-Beth

May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽

Stacking the Shelves #69

On January 23, 2022 By Beth JonesIn Stacking the ShelvesLeave a comment

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga where we share books we’ve bought or received this week. Find out more and join in here!

Hi everyone! After a few weeks of being pretty good with book buying, I’ve started buying some more again. I’ve realised that every January I seem to be collecting new sets – last year I collected the Wordsworth set, and this year I’ve started collecting…Agatha Christie books!

I’ve wanted to read Agatha Christie for a while and I have a few friends who love her books. I just wasn’t sure which set to start collecting, and then I spotted the absolutely beautiful HarperCollins hardback clothbound collection. I’ve managed to buy the few on this list and I’m hoping to get some more in the next few weeks.

Goodreads | Waterstones

Elspeth McGillicuddy is not given to hallucinations. Until she witnesses a murder at Paddington Station. But did she? No victim, no suspect, no other witnesses. In fact no one believes it really happened at all. Except her friend Miss Jane Marple, and she’s returning to the scene of the crime to discover just exactly what Mrs. McGillicuddy saw.

Goodreads | Waterstones

When the luxurious Blue Train arrives at Nice, a guard attempts to wake serene Ruth Kettering from her slumbers. But she will never wake again – for a heavy blow has killed her, disfiguring her features almost beyond recognition. What is more, her precious rubies are missing.
The prime suspect is Ruth’s estranged husband, Derek. Yet Poirot is not convinced, so he stages an eerie re-enactment of the journey, complete with the murderer on board…

Goodreads | Waterstones

An all-new collection of summer-themed mysteries from the master of the genre, just in time for the holiday season.
Summertime – as the temperature rises, so does the potential for evil. From Cornwall to the French Riviera, whether against a background of Delphic temples or English country houses, Agatha Christie’s most famous characters solve even the most devilish of conundrums as the summer sun beats down. Pull up a deckchair and enjoy plot twists and red herrings galore from the bestselling fiction writer of all time.

Goodreads | Waterstones

Just after midnight, a snowdrift stops the Orient Express in its tracks. The luxurious train is surprisingly full for the time of the year, but by the morning it is one passenger fewer. An American tycoon lies dead in his compartment, stabbed a dozen times, his door locked from the inside.
Isolated and with a killer in their midst, detective Hercule Poirot must identify the murderer—in case he or she decides to strike again.

Goodreads | Waterstones

The original weekday murder club.
‘Well,’ said Joyce, ‘it seems to me we are a pretty representative gathering. How would it be if we formed a Club? What is today? Tuesday? We will call it The Tuesday Night Club. It is to meet every week, and each member in turn has to propound a problem. Some mystery of which they have personal knowledge, and to which, of course, they know the answer.’
Two years before The Murder at the Vicarage, Agatha Christie first introduced the world to Jane Marple and the stories of murder and intrigue told by each member of the Tuesday Night Club. Time and time again, crimes so wicked they have confounded even Scotland Yard’s finest are solved by St Mary Mead’s sharpest mind and everyone’s favourite armchair detective.

Which books did you buy or receive this week?

-Beth

May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽

Stacking the Shelves #68

On January 16, 2022 By Beth JonesIn Stacking the ShelvesLeave a comment

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga where we share books we’ve bought or received this week. Find out more and join in here!

Hi everyone! I haven’t posted a Stacking the Shelves so far this year, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t gained any books! I haven’t actually spent any money on books so far this year, but I have picked some up.

Goodreads | Waterstones

My first purchase of the year was on a gift card, and I bought The Sad Ghost Club 2! I didn’t know this existed or had come out, so when I spotted a signed edition I knew I wanted to pick it up.

Goodreads | Waterstones

At first, Jude and her twin brother Noah, are inseparable. Noah draws constantly and is falling in love with the charismatic boy next door, while daredevil Jude wears red-red lipstick, cliff-dives, and does all the talking for both of them. Years later, they are barely speaking. Something has happened to change the twins in different yet equally devastating ways . . . but then Jude meets an intriguing, irresistible boy and a mysterious new mentor. The early years are Noah’s to tell; the later years are Jude’s. But they each have only half the story, and if they can only find their way back to one another, they’ll have a chance to remake their world.

I really didn’t need another copy of I’ll Give You the Sun, but Alex offered me this beautiful American paperback, and I just couldn’t bring myself to turn it down.

Goodreads | Waterstones

I had the Fairyloot edition of Our Violent Ends on pre-order and it arrived in the past few weeks. I haven’t read the first book yet but I’m hoping to soon now I have both of the books in the series!

Goodreads | Waterstones

Would you choose to find out the length of your life?
One spring day, small wooden boxes arrive for every person, all over the world, from suburban doorsteps to desert tents. All the boxes feature the same inscription, “The measure of your life lies within,” and vary in only two ways: the name of the recipient and the length of the single string inside. Instantly, the world is thrust into a collective frenzy, first to ascertain their origin and meaning, and then to confront the truth of the strings.
Told through multiple perspectives, The Measure introduces an unforgettable cast of characters whose lives weave and interlock with one another upon the arrival of the strings: a doctor who cannot save himself, a couple who thought they didn’t have to rush, best friends whose dreams are forever entwined, pen pals finding refuge in the unknown, and a politician whose string becomes a powder keg in an increasingly turbulent world.
As society divides itself, the truth has the power to unravel their long-held beliefs and relationships all while forging new alliances and philosophies about our time on this earth and our place in the community.

HarperCollins sent a box of proof copies to work, and this book was among the selection. It sounds super interesting so I picked it up!

Goodreads | Waterstones

Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. But when she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one in the journalism community is more astounded than Monique herself. Why her? Why now?
Monique is not exactly on top of the world. Her husband, David, has left her, and her career has stagnated. Regardless of why Evelyn has chosen her to write her biography, Monique is determined to use this opportunity to jumpstart her career.
Summoned to Evelyn’s Upper East Side apartment, Monique listens as Evelyn unfurls her story: from making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the late 80s, and, of course, the seven husbands along the way. As Evelyn’s life unfolds through the decades—revealing a ruthless ambition, an unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love—Monique begins to feel a very a real connection to the actress. But as Evelyn’s story catches up with the present, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique’s own in tragic and irreversible ways.

My lovely friend Courtney passed on her copy of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo after she read it and loved it so much that she bought a hardback copy! I can’t wait to finally read this one as I’ve heard so many good things about it.

Which books did you buy or receive this week?

-Beth

May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽

Stacking the Shelves #67

On December 11, 2021 By Beth JonesIn Stacking the ShelvesLeave a comment

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga where we share books we’ve bought or received this week. Find out more and join in here!

Hi all! I’ve been buying or receiving pretty much 2 books per week recently, but I actually got 3 this week, oops. So here are the books I got this week!

Goodreads | Waterstones

Oliver Marks has just served ten years in jail – for a murder he may or may not have committed. On the day he’s released, he’s greeted by the man who put him in prison. Detective Colborne is retiring, but before he does, he wants to know what really happened a decade ago.
As one of seven young actors studying Shakespeare at an elite arts college, Oliver and his friends play the same roles onstage and off: hero, villain, tyrant, temptress, ingenue, extra. But when the casting changes, and the secondary characters usurp the stars, the plays spill dangerously over into life, and one of them is found dead. The rest face their greatest acting challenge yet: convincing the police, and themselves, that they are blameless.

I’ve had my eye on this special edition of If We Were Villains for a while now, and I managed to find a copy this week! It’s so pretty and has black sprayed edges too.

Goodreads | Waterstones

The dead of Loraille do not rest.
Artemisia is training to be a Gray Sister, a nun who cleanses the bodies of the deceased so that their
souls can pass on. She’d rather deal with the dead than the living, who point and whisper about the odd girl who was once possessed by a violent spirit.
When her convent is attacked by possessed soldiers, Artemisia fights back by awakening an ancient spirit bound to a high saint’s relic. It is a revenant, a malevolent being now whispering in her head. Wielding its extraordinary power almost consumes her in body and soul. But death has come to Loraille, and only a vespertine, a priestess trained to wield a high relic, has a chance of stopping it.
As Artemisia investigates a mystery of saints, secrets and dark magic, an ancient evil is stirring. Can an untrained girl, tormented by the burden of containing the revenant’s devouring power, have any hope of defeating it?

I also had a pre-order come through in the form of this beautiful Fairyloot edition of Verspertine. I’ve wanted to read a book by this author for a while, and I couldn’t resist the Fairyloot edition!

Goodreads | Waterstones

Aideen has plenty of problems she can’t fix. Her best (and only) friend is pulling away. Her mother’s drinking problem is a constant concern. She’s even running out of outlandish diseases to fake so she can skip PE.
But when Aideen stumbles on her nemesis, overachiever Meabh Kowalski, in the midst of a full-blown meltdown, she sees a problem that—unlike her own disaster of a life—seems refreshingly easy to solve. Meabh is desperate to escape her crushing pile of extracurriculars. Aideen volunteers to help. By pushing Meabh down the stairs.
Problem? Solved. Meabh’s sprained ankle is the perfect excuse to ditch her overwhelming schedule. But when another student learns about their little scheme and brings Aideen another “client” who needs her “help,” it kicks off a semester of traded favors, ill-advised hijinks, and an unexpected chance at love. Fixing other people’s problems won’t fix her own, but it might be the push she needs to start.

I picked this one up kind of from the publishers/through the bookshop I work in, as I loved the authors’ other book The Falling in Love Montage.

Which books did you buy or receive this week?

-Beth

May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽

Stacking the Shelves #66

On December 4, 2021 By Beth JonesIn Stacking the ShelvesLeave a comment

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga where we share books we’ve bought or received this week. Find out more and join in here!

Hi all! I seem to have definitely gotten my book buying a little more under control, but it looks like my limit is 2 books per week as I seem to be consistently buying or receiving two each week at the moment! These are the two books I bought this week.

Goodreads | Waterstones

When three very different siblings, Fern, Rowan and Willow, go home for a Christmas reunion at their family home in Edinburgh, it’s not long before some VERY BIG SECRETS threaten their cosy holiday …
The McAllister house on Arboretum Road has seen 120 Christmases since its completion.
This year, FERN is bringing her gorgeous boyfriend home and she wants everything to be perfect.
But her twin brother ROWAN would rather go on the pull than pull crackers with the family.
And their younger sister WILLOW is terrified of Christmas Day.
With FOUR sleeps till Christmas,
THREE secretive siblings,
TWO hot houseguests,
And ONE juicy secret …
This Christmas, there will be some BIG surprises under the tree.
Sometimes at Christmas, you don’t get what you want, you get what you need…

I bought this one as I’m going to be reading it with friends as part of a little book club we have. It sounds really interesting and I’m looking forward to reading something a bit different for Christmas!

Goodreads | Waterstones

Simon Snow is the worst Chosen One who’s ever been chosen.
That’s what his roommate, Baz, says. And Baz might be evil and a vampire and a complete git, but he’s probably right.
Half the time, Simon can’t even make his wand work, and the other half, he starts something on fire. His mentor’s avoiding him, his girlfriend broke up with him, and there’s a magic-eating monster running around, wearing Simon’s face. Baz would be having a field day with all this, if he were here — it’s their last year at the Watford School of Magicks, and Simon’s infuriating nemesis didn’t even bother to show up.

I also had my pre-order of this one come through in a beautiful Waterstones edition to match my copies of Wayward Son and Any Way the Wind Blows. It looks so pretty and the sprayed edge is to die for!

Which books did you buy or receive this week?

-Beth

May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽

Stacking the Shelves #65

On November 27, 2021 By Beth JonesIn Stacking the ShelvesLeave a comment

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga where we share books we’ve bought or received this week. Find out more and join in here!

Hi all! I’ve definitely been doing ever so slightly better with book buying, and this week I only gained two books. One was a gift and one I did treat myself to!

Goodreads | Waterstones

To all the world, Alizeh is a disposable servant, not the long-lost heir to an ancient Jinn kingdom forced to hide in plain sight.
The crown prince, Kamran, has heard the prophecies foretelling the death of his king. But he could never have imagined that the servant girl with the strange eyes, the girl he can’t put out of his mind, would one day soon uproot his kingdom–and the world.

This one was the one I was gifted by the publisher, and I’m so excited for it! The author quotes on the proof copy really appealed to me and this one sounds like a great 2022 fantasy release.

Goodreads | Blackwells

Readers have been falling for the March family for over 150 years, and Greta Gerwig’s film adaptation is bringing the childhood classic to the big screen for a new generation of fans in 2019. Illustrated throughout with movie stills from the production—starring Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Timothée Chalamet, Laura Dern, Meryl Streep, Bob Odenkirk, and Chris Cooper—this edition of Little Women tells the timeless story of sisters Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy as they navigate hardship and adventure in post-Civil War Concord, Massachusetts.

I’ve wanted to pick up this copy of Little Women for a while (almost 2 years!) and I finally decided to purchase it. When you remove the half book jacket it’s so beautiful and is made to look like the version printed in the 2019 film. My copy also didn’t have Good Wives in it so I’m glad to have an edition that has both parts in it!

Which books did you buy or receive this week?

-Beth

May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽

Stacking the Shelves #64

On November 20, 2021 By Beth JonesIn Stacking the ShelvesLeave a comment

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga where we share books we’ve bought or received this week. Find out more and join in here!

Hi all! I feel like I have been better with my book buying the past few weeks, but there are still a couple that I’ve picked up.

Goodreads | Waterstones

Join your favorite villagers from Animal Crossing: New Horizons on new adventures!
What do the villagers of Animal Crossing: New Horizons get up to when you’re not around? Find out all about their antics in this hilarious manga filled with goofy gags and silly stories! Plus, read comics that highlight each villager, as well as get tips and tricks for playing the game in a special bonus section.

The only book I’ve actually bought was this one! I’ve heard really mixed things about it, but I am excited to see what they do with the game I adore so much.

Goodreads | Waterstones

New Orleans Fang Fest, 1995.
Mina’s having a summer to die for.
17-year-old Mina, from England, arrives in New Orleans to visit her estranged sister, Libby. After growing up in Whitby, the town that inspired Dracula, Mina loves nothing more than a creepy horror movie. She can’t wait to explore the city’s darkest secrets – vampire tours, seedy bars, spooky cemeteries, disturbing local myths…
And it gets even better when Mina lands a part-time job at a horror movie mansion and meets Jared, Libby’s gorgeous housemate, co-worker and fellow horror enthusiast.
But the perfect summer bliss is broken when, while exploring the mansion, Mina stumbles upon the body of a girl with puncture marks on her neck, clutching a lock of hair that suspiciously resembles Libby’s… Someone is replicating New Orleans’ most brutal supernatural killings. Mina must discover the truth and prove her sister’s innocence before she becomes the victim of another myth.

I also was very kindly gifted a few books from my friend and colleague Jo, including this one. I’ve had my eye on this one for a while so I’m very excited to now own it!

Goodreads | Waterstones

Mia Tang has a lot of secrets.
Number 1: She lives in a motel, not a big house. Every day, while her immigrant parents clean the rooms, ten-year-old Mia manages the front desk of the Calivista Motel and tends to its guests.
Number 2: Her parents hide immigrants. And if the mean motel owner, Mr. Yao, finds out they’ve been letting them stay in the empty rooms for free, the Tangs will be doomed.
Number 3: She wants to be a writer. But how can she when her mom thinks she should stick to math because English is not her first language?
It will take all of Mia’s courage, kindness, and hard work to get through this year. Will she be able to hold on to her job, help the immigrants and guests, escape Mr. Yao, and go for her dreams?

She also gave me this middle grade, which I’ve heard such good things about and sounds so good.

Which books did you buy or receive this week?

-Beth

May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽

Stacking the Shelves #63

On November 14, 2021November 14, 2021 By Beth JonesIn Stacking the ShelvesLeave a comment

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga where we share books we’ve bought or received this week. Find out more and join in here!

Hi everyone! I’ve been a little better with my book buying these past few weeks, but I still have a few that I want to share with you all.

Goodreads | Waterstones

Nine years ago, Vivienne Jones nursed her broken heart like any young witch would: vodka, weepy music, bubble baths…and a curse on the horrible boyfriend. Sure, Vivi knows she shouldn’t use her magic this way, but with only an “orchard hayride” scented candle on hand, she isn’t worried it will cause him anything more than a bad hair day or two
That is until Rhys Penhallow, descendent of the town’s ancestors, breaker of hearts, and annoyingly just as gorgeous as he always was, returns to Graves Glen, Georgia. What should be a quick trip to recharge the town’s ley lines and make an appearance at the annual fall festival turns disastrously wrong. With one calamity after another striking Rhys, Vivi realizes her silly little Ex Hex may not have been so harmless after all.
Suddenly, Graves Glen is under attack from murderous wind-up toys, a pissed off ghost, and a talking cat with some interesting things to say. Vivi and Rhys have to ignore their off the charts chemistry to work together to save the town and find a way to break the break-up curse before it’s too late.

I couldn’t resist picking up this one after deciding to do a buddy read with a few of my colleagues. It sounds perfect for spooky season and I want to keep the Halloween season going!

Illumicrate Exclusive: ExtraOrdinary by V.E Schwab and Enid Balam – Illumicrate

Goodreads | Waterstones

Taking place in the years between Vicious and Vengeful, ExtraOrdinary follows the tale of a teenage girl named Charlotte Tills who following a fatal bus crash, seemingly dies only to wake up to discover she has become an EO – a person with ExtraOrdinary abilities.
In Charlotte’s case, it’s the ability to see people’s deaths, but when she looks into her own future, sees her own murder at the hands of the self-proclaimed hero and notorious EO killer Eli Ever, who is currently in prison for the murder of Victor Vale. Refusing to accept her fate, Charlotte sets off to find-and change-her future-before it comes for her. This graphic novel introduces Eli Ever, the antagonist at the heart of the Villains series.

I also had a few Illumicrate orders turn up this week and this was one of them. I can’t read this yet as I haven’t read the Villains series, but I’m very excited to pick it up!

Goodreads | Waterstones

Scandalous gossip, wild parties, and forbidden love—witness what the gods do after dark in this stylish and contemporary reimagining of one of mythology’s most well-known stories from creator Rachel Smythe. Featuring a brand-new, exclusive short story, Smythe’s original Eisner-nominated web-comic Lore Olympus brings the Greek Pantheon into the modern age with this sharply perceptive and romantic graphic novel.
This volume collects episodes 1-25 of the #1 WEBTOON comic, Lore Olympus.

I bought Extraordinary alongside Lore Olympus and this one looks so beautiful. I’ve been recommended this by a friend and I can’t wait to read it!

Goodreads | Waterstones

I had this one come through as a pre-order and this finally completes my series! I’ve been collecting these in hardback and waiting for them all to come out, and I’m so excited to pick them up.

I also had my beautiful Illumicrate pre-order of these hardbacks. The House in the Cerulean Sea is my favourite book of the year so far so I couldn’t resist picking this set up! I’ll be reading Under the Whispering Door soon too.

Which books did you buy or receive this week?

-Beth

May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽

Stacking the Shelves #62

On November 6, 2021November 5, 2021 By Beth JonesIn Stacking the ShelvesLeave a comment

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga where we share books we’ve bought or received this week. Find out more and join in here!

Hi all! I’ve gained a few books in the past week in the form of deliveries or one’s I’ve bought, and I’m so excited for all of then.

Bought

Goodreads

I ordered a hardback copy of this one a while ago to complete my duology, and it finally arrived! I wanted to grab these older covers and I’m so glad I did, it’s beautiful.

Goodreads | Waterstones

Growing up in her sleepy Cornish village dreaming of being a writer, seventeen-year-old Lou has always wondered about the grand Cardew house which has stood empty for years. And when the owners arrive for the summer – a handsome, dashing brother and sister – Lou is quite swept off her feet and into a world of moonlit cocktail parties and glamour beyond her wildest dreams.
But, as she grows closer to the Cardews, is she abandoning her own ambitions… And is there something darker lurking at the heart of the Cardew family?

I also picked up this beautiful book as I’m reading it with some friends this month! I’ve wanted to read a Laura Wood book for a while so I’m really looking forward to this one.

Goodreads | Waterstones

Nothing is more important than loyalty.
But what if you’ve sworn to protect the one you were born to destroy?
Tarisai has always longed for the warmth of a family. She was raised in isolation by a mysterious, often absent mother known only as The Lady. The Lady sends her to the capital of the global empire of Aritsar to compete with other children to be chosen as one of the Crown Prince’s Council of 11. If she’s picked, she’ll be joined with the other Council members through the Ray, a bond deeper than blood. That closeness is irresistible to Tarisai, who has always wanted to belong somewhere. But The Lady has other ideas, including a magical wish that Tarisai is compelled to obey: Kill the Crown Prince once she gains his trust. Tarisai won’t stand by and become someone’s pawn—but is she strong enough to choose a different path for herself? With extraordinary world-building and breathtaking prose, Raybearer is the story of loyalty, fate, and the lengths we’re willing to go for the ones we love.

I finally picked up a copy of Raybearer and completed my set. I’ve heard such amazing things about this series and I’m so excited to read it.

Gifted

Goodreads | Waterstones

Adam Stillwater is in over his head. At least, that’s what his best friend would say. And his mom. And the guy who runs the hardware store down the street. But this pinball arcade is the only piece of his dad that Adam has left, and he’s determined to protect it from Philadelphia’s newest tech mogul, who wants to turn it into another one of his cold, lifeless gaming cafés.
Whitney Mitchell doesn’t know how she got here. Her parents split up. She lost all her friends. Her boyfriend dumped her. And now she’s spending her senior year running social media for her dad’s chain of super successful gaming cafés—which mostly consists of trading insults with that decrepit old pinball arcade across town.
But when a huge snowstorm hits, Adam and Whitney suddenly find themselves trapped inside the arcade. Cut off from their families, their worlds, and their responsibilities, the tension between them seems to melt away, leaving something else in its place. But what happens when the storm stops?

I received a few books from Harper 360 this week, thank you Harper! This one sounded so good for winter that I couldn’t resist requesting it, thank you for my copy Harper!

Goodreads | Waterstones

Half British Reaper, half Japanese Shinigami, Ren Scarborough has been collecting souls in the London streets for centuries. Expected to obey the harsh hierarchy of the Reapers who despise her, Ren conceals her emotions and avoids her tormentors as best she can.
When her failure to control her Shinigami abilities drives Ren out of London, she flees to Japan to seek the acceptance she’s never gotten from her fellow Reapers. Accompanied by her younger brother, the only being on earth to care for her, Ren enters the Japanese underworld to serve the Goddess of Death… only to learn that here, too, she must prove herself worthy. Determined to earn respect, Ren accepts an impossible task—find and eliminate three dangerous Yokai demons—and learns how far she’ll go to claim her place at Death’s side.

I also requested this one from Harper and it sounds so good. Aren’t both of these covers beautiful too?

Which books did you buy or receive this week?

-Beth

May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽

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