Stacking the Shelves (42)

There are an amazing number of new books at my house (mostly in my Kindle) this week. I have a record number of books from the library, the two free audiobooks from the SYNC summer give-away, and two books for review. I'm going to be spending all my free time reading in the next couple of weeks.

From the library:

I was totally flabbergasted when I received an e-mail from the library telling me that Kris Longknife: Defender was being held for me. A couple of weeks ago, I searched their Overdrive catalog and saw that they didn't have this book in their collection, so I sent in a request for them to get it, figuring it might be 6 months or more before they did. But, they must have ordered it right away. I downloaded it on Sunday afternoon and finished reading it on Tuesday evening. It's already been returned to the library. Mini-review to be posted on Monday morning.

And, as I arrived home from DC, I saw an e-mail letting me know that a book I had requested from another library in the consortium had arrived, so on Friday morning, I dashed up to the library to pick it up. The Quilter's Kitchen is another of the Elm Creek Quilts series that I selected to complete this year. It features Anna in her brand-new position as head chef for Elm Creek Quilts, Waterford, Pennsylvania's popular quilting retreat. Anna considers herself very fortunate to have gotten the job at Elm Creek, combining her two passions of food and quilting.

The thirteenth adventure in Kitty Norville's universe features Cormac the werewolf hunter. While he was in prison, he was invaded by the ghost of a witch who had died in the prison around 100 years ago. Now he must learn to share his body and mind with Amelia. The two of them investigate a century-old crime in a Colorado mining town. Can Cormac and Amelia learn to work together? And, will solving the mystery provide the key to translating a mysterious coded diary?

Late Friday afternoon I received the e-mail from the library that they had Kris Longknife: Tenacious ready for me to pick up. This was another case of the librarian quickly responding to the online request for this book to be added to their Overdrive subscription. (I submitted it on Wednesday!) Following right on from the previous book, Kris and her crew are headed to a planet which might be the home planet of the aliens who are attacking and refusing to communicate with the humans. Perhaps they can learn enough about these people to turn things around.

For review:

Siobhan Davis has sent me a copy of Destiny Rising, the third book in her True Calling SF trilogy. I'll be reading it and posting a review as part of a Blog Tour taking place 1-21 September. But between now and then, I'll be reading and reviewing Light of a Thousand Stars, a novella which supplements the main story.

Freebies:

From SYNC, this week's free audiobooks pair the classic Little Women with Geraldine Brooks' March, a novel which tells the story of the US Civil War from the perspective of Mr. March, the absent father who has left his family to serve in the Union Army.

Little Women is one of the most-loved books of all time. Mrs. March and her four daughters are struggling to make ends meet in their New England home. Their father has joined the Union Army as a chaplain. Each of the girls has a unique character. I remember being drawn to Jo, the tomboy of the bunch, rather than Meg, Beth, or Amy. The story tells of joys and sorrows, struggles and accomplishments. It's been said that Little Women is one of the best-loved books of all time.

In the almost 150 years since Louisa May Alcott penned Little Women, the father has been a shadowy figure—revealed only in the letters and remembrances of his family. Now, Geraldine Brooks has imagined the wartime experiences of Mr. March. Entering the Union Army as a chaplain, the fervent abolitionist becomes disillusioned by the cruelty and lack of abolitionist sentiment in his fellow soldiers. Brooks based her character on Alcott's own father—abolitionist, transcendentalist, educator, and philosopher.

 

How about you? Any new books? You're invited to tell us all about it by joining the fun at Stacking the Shelves. According to the reviewers at Tynga's Reviews who host the meme:

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