On the Bookshelf

Hush Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick
I have finally picked up a copy of Hush Hush. To be accurate, one of my friends is about to take a holiday to Bali and I helped myself to her bookshelf seeing as she won't be needing it while she is away.

I have seen so many good reviews of this book. I hope that it lives up to expectations!

50 Facts That Should Change the World by Jessica Williams
A bit of non-fiction this week and a bit of food for thought. I grabbed 50 Facts from the library where I work. Inside is fifty facts about major issues around the world and a brief essay accompanying each one, expanding on the issue. This is the 2007 edition.

Wildthorn by Jane Eagland
This is my second read from NetGalley. I have been wanting to try some historical fiction lately and Wildthorn sounded like an excellent place to start. I've actually already finished reading Wildthorn now so look out for my review very soon!

*In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren Go here to find out more.

Terra

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As I had previously mentioned, I was in Sydney yesterday seeing the musical Wicked live on stage, so this weeks What's on the Bookshelf is being brought to you on a Monday instead of Sunday. I had a fantastic time and I will bring you a review of the musical later today and the book upon which it is based in a couple of days.

In the meantime, check out this TV Spot advertising the musical!

Tyger Tyger by Kersten Hamilton
I don't usually try to get e-books as I prefer a physical book, but I had heard such great things about this book I just had to give it a try. Tyger Tyger is the first advance reader copy I have requested via NetGalley. At the moment I am about half-way through and I look forward to sharing both my thoughts on Tyger Tyger and my first NetGalley experience.

Tyger Tyger will be on shelves November this year.

The Divine Worshipper by Christian Jacq
I recently mentioned that I want to try reading some more historical books. I haven't read any Christian Jacq books before but I spotted this one cheap on a sales table so I decided to give it a shot. Now, it is the second book in the The Vengenace of the Gods series, but luckily my local library has the first book available so I will definitely be grabbing that soon!

Terra

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 Wicked by Gregory Maguire
I'm going to see Wicked next weekend! I'm going to see Wicked next weekend! I'm excited. Can you tell that I am excited? =D

Naturally, before seeing the stage show in Sydney I want to read the book and find out Maguire's take on things first.

Son of a Witch by Gregory Maguire
It's the sequel to Wicked. See above.

I really do love the rare occasions that I get to go to the theatre. I wish I could go more often.

Now excuse me while I go do my happy dance.

Terra

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The Dead-Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan
The Angus & Robertson store in town is having a big moving sale - 40 to 50 per cent off! My budget is rather tight at the moment but seeing as I had been lusting after this book for ages I took advantage of the opportunity to snag it cheap. I really look forward to reading it. The book that comes before it, The Forest of Hands and Teeth, was actually the first book I reviewed for this blog!

Alias Season One
I loved this show back when it was on the air and am really enjoying the chance to watch it again. I've basically spent the last week revisiting season one instead of my usual reading and blogging tendencies. It is just so easy to get sucked in again! Look for my  review in the next day or so.

Terra

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The Last Witchfinder by James Morrow
Not a big book week for me but this one caught my eye when I was shelving at work. Set in 1688, The Last Witchfinder promises a "showdown between old superstition and new science."

The cover also is part of what caught my eye with the quirky concept of the book details being worked into the image by having them on the book pictured on the cover.

Terra

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Serenity: Better Days by Joss Whedon, Brett Matthews, and Will Conrad (Illustrator)
I did my happy dance when this finally arrived on my doorstep. I had issues one and three of the comic but had been able to find issue two as it was never available at Kings Comics whenever I managed to make it into Sydney. So, I finally bought the entire volume through the Book Depository. I am so happy to finally be able to put on my browncoat and sit down and finish this comic.

Hourglass by Claudia Gray
I have not exactly been a fan of the Evernight series but I said that I would give the third instalment a try if it should fall into my lap. The reservation list at the library I work at dwindled out and seeing as it showed up in the returns I decided to go ahead and make good on that promise. I am somewhat curious as to how the series wraps up.

Terra

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From Dead to Worse by Charlaine Harris
So I am back reading the Southern Vampire Mysteries again. These books are so much fun. I have a review of Definately Dead on the way and went and bought the next book in the series already.

Darkness at Noon by Arthur Koestler
I wasn't familiar with this book but one of the local book stores is having a big moving sale and it caught my eye. An interesting (and somewhat sad) tid bit from Wikipedia, originally published in 1940, the original German story has now been lost and the current German versions are back translations from English.

Terra

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Posting is still slowish because of my back but also because of have now picked up a couple more injuries to nurse. I have been a complete walking disaster lately, I swear. Hopefully everything will heal up quickly though.

Tantalize by Cynthia Leitich Smith
Tantalize caught my eye because the main female character is called Quincie Morris - a direct reference to the young Texan, Quincey Morris, who played an important role in the defeat of Dracula in Bram Stoker's famous novel. If any vampire writer wants to catch my interest, showing respect for Dracula is a good way to go about it.

The Phantom of Manhattan by Frederick Forsyth
For those that haven't heard, this is the novel that Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical sequel to The Phantom of the Opera is based upon. I will try to approach this book without too much prejudice but when Love Never Dies was announced I cringed with horror. After hearing the plot of the musical (and some of the music too) I am left envisioning a train wreck. Forsyth published The Phantom of Manhattan after discussing it as a sequel to Phantom with Webber, only for Webber to originally pull out as he felt that their ideas were too difficult to adapt to the stage. From initial reviews, it sounds like a real shame that Webber changed his mind.

Terra

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I've hurt my back which is why posts have been minimal over the past week and why they will probably remain so for the coming week as it is not so comfortable to sit at the computer for very long at the moment.

Fire by Kristin Cashore
I absolutely loved Cashore's Graceling so I have really been looking forward to getting the chance to read Fire. This book is set in the past of the same universe as Graceling but it sounds like it is going to be quite a different story.

You can read my review of Graceling here.

Terra

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In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. Go here to find out more.

This week I have two books that I am so happy to finally be reading. I've been wanting these two for quite awhile now.

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld
I am always happy to have more Scott Westerfeld on my reading pile. When I saw that his latest book, Leviathan, had finally made it into the library collection I did my little happy dance and snatched it straight away. In Leviathan Westerfeld delves into the wonderful thing that is steampunk, which I have so much love for right now.

Storm Glass by Maria V Snyder
I am finally getting to read Storm Glass. I am so happy to be reading Snyder's work again. I absolutely loved her Study series. The Glass series is set in the same world as in the Study series, now following Opal Cowen.


Terra

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My apologies for yet another slow week. Just as my concerns about the possibility of developing RSI eased, I managed to give my left thumb a good hard crack. I was starting to worry that I might have sprained it but there's no swelling and it's not bothering me so much today. I think I just strained it a bit. But, as you can imagine, the past few days I have not felt like doing an awful lot of typing and have mostly been wanting to continue resting my hands and fingers from the keyboard. Hopefully this week will see things settle back to normal again.

The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas
I am trying something a bit different with The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas. The Slap gives the perspectives of eight people who witness a man slapping a child that is not his own at a neighbourhood barbecue and the consequences that follow. Tsiolkas is an Australian author so I can put this one towards the Aussie Author Challenge as well!

Terra

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Hi, all. So, I fell of the map over the last week or so but I am still here. I needed some break time from the computer as I was having some concerns about a bit of pain in my left hand and was worried that it may be related to my recent computer use. Ergonomics guys! Very important. So, I took things easy for a bit and everything seems pretty good now. Unfortunately, I did not get much reading done in this time but I did get to see Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland in 3D and mull over some blog related ideas and plans!

Stargazer by Claudia Gray
Admittedly, I was not all that fussed with the first book in this series, Evernight, but I recognise that this series seems pretty popular at the moment and I am all for second chances.

In the meantime, if you missed my review of Evernight you can read my thoughts on the young adult vampire romance novel here.

The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness
I have heard some great things about The Knife of Never Letting Go and I am just super excited to be able to add it to my reading list.

It follows Todd who lives in Prentisstown, a place where everyone can hear everyone's thoughts. Until Todd stumbles upon a silent spot.

Sacred Scars by Kathleen Duey
I absolutely loved Skin Hunger so I am bumping this sequel right to the top of my to-read list. The first book in the A Resurrection of Magic series was just fantastic and delightfully dark for Duey's first venture into young adult fiction.

Read my Sacred Scars review here.

Terra

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Book descriptions are from Goodreads.

Armageddon's Children by Terry Brooks:

Logan Tom is doomed to remember the past and determined to rescue the future. Far behind him lies a boyhood cut violently short by his family's slaughter, when the forces of madness and hate swept our world after decadent excesses led to civilization's downfall. Somewhere ahead of him rests the only chance to beat back the minions of evil that are systematically killing and enslaving the last remnants of humanity. Navigating the scarred and poisoned landscape that once was America and guided by a powerful talisman, Logan has sworn an oath to seek out a remarkable being born of magic, possessed of untold abilities, and destined to lead the final fight against darkness." "Across the country, Angel Perez, herself a survivor of the malevolent death-dealing forces combing the land, has also been chosen for an uncanny mission in the name of her ruined world's salvation. From the devastated streets of Los Angeles, she will journey to find a place - and a people - shrouded in mystery, celebrated in legend, and vital to the cause of humankind...even as a relentless foe follows close behind, bent on her extermination. Meanwhile, in the nearly forsaken city of Seattle, a makeshift family of refugees has carved out a tenuous existence among the street gangs, mutants, and marauders fighting to stay alive against mounting odds - and something unspeakable that has come from the shadows in search of prey." In time, all their paths will cross. Their common purpose will draw them together. Their courage and convictions will be tested and their fates will be decided, as their singular crusade begins: to take back, or lose forever, the only world they have.

I have never read anything by Terry Brooks before so I am looking forward to finding out what his writing is like. I selected this as my first ever Terry Brooks title pretty much purely on the fact that it was the only one of his books currently available in the library that was the start of a series and not the middle or end. Hopefully, though, it will still turn out to be a good pick.

I am afraid that it is just the one book tonight. It has been a pretty quiet week as far as getting new books go. I bought a car on Monday (extreme retail therapy) so that means that the book buying budget is tight. But, yay! Car! Now I just hope that I pass my driving test so that I can actually drive it. Eeeek!

Terra

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In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. Go here to find out more.

Book descriptions are from Goodreads.

Inferno by Dante Alighieri
The most famous of the three canticles that comprise The Divine Comedy, Inferno describes Dante's descent in Hell midway through his life with Virgil as a guide. As he descends through nine concentric circles of increasingly agonizing torture, Dante encounters doomed souls that include the pagan Aeneas, the liar Odysseus, the suicidal Cleopatra, and his own political enemies, damned for their deceit. Led by leering demons, Dante must ultimately journey with Virgil to the deepest level of all—for it is only by encountering Satan himself, in the heart of Hell, that he can truly understand the tragedy of sin.



Sabbath's Theatre by Philip Roth
Sabbath's Theater is a comic creation of epic proportions, and Mickey Sabbath is its gargantuan hero. Once a scandalously inventive puppeteer, Sabbath at sixty-four is still defiantly antagonistic and exceedingly libidinous. But after the death of his long-time mistress—an erotic free spirit whose adulterous daring surpassed even his own—Sabbath embarks on a turbulent journey into his past. Bereft and grieving, besieged by the ghosts of those who loved and hated him most, he contrives a succession of farcical disasters that take him to the brink of madness and extinction.

The Fall of Ossard by Colin Taber
Ossard is falling... Growing up in a city of Merchant Princes, Juvela discovers she can see what others can't. The very currents of the celestial are open to her, and that includes the truths they hide: An escalating series of unsolved kidnappings have been haunting the city-state, leaving its shadows pooled deep with innocent blood. Has Juvela been cursed with Witches' Kiss - or perhaps something worse? Yet, more is to come, for not only has she witnessed an abduction, but she will have to endure a role in the victim's ritual death. For Juvela is about to become forsaken, and that's before she learns the real truth of not just the crimes plaguing Ossard's bloody streets, but the wider world: A world at war, and governed by gods whose highest pleasure is to sup on the taste of death.


Terra

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This week I only picked up two books but I have been interested in getting to read these for awhile now.

The Princess Bride by William Goldman
I was wishing for this a few years ago and now I finally have! Now, I will just need to see the movie as well. I cannot believe that I have gone all these years without reading this classic or seeing the movie.

Boneshaker by Cherie Priest

Let's see a raise of hands from everyone who thinks that they need a bit more steampunk in their lives.

*Raises hand and waves entire arm around with considerable enthusiasm*

While I haven't seen people shouting the name of this book from rooftops, I have heard good things around it and cannot wait to read it.

 
Terra

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It has been a bit of a slow week for me, reading wise. I have been running around looking at cars and in this heat that does not leave much energy left over for book hunting or even reading.

However, after enjoying Dreaming Again, edited by Jack Dann, so much I decided to pick up another of the anthologies that he edited as it was available down at the library. I also hope to, sometime soon, get the chance to read some of his own actual writings.

Gathering the Bones edited by Jack Dann, Dennis Etchison, and Ramsey Campbell.

This anthology contains thirty-four (34) short stories of horror from Australia, Great Britain, and the United States. It looks like some really great authors have contributed to Gathering the Bones and I really look forward to reading all thirty-four short stories.

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. Go here to find out more.

Terra

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Once again, I have only one book to add to my bookshelf this week. I should be making a trip to the library (for borrowing instead of work purposes) sometime soon but in the mean time I still have a massive reading pile to work through, hence why I am not in a rush to add a million more books to it.

The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux

I did once try to read this as an ebook on my computer but I really am not a fan of spending hours sitting at a computer to read a book. All that staring at the monitor can make me feel a bit icky (remember OH&S rules guys! Give your eyes a frequent rest from looking at those computer screens!) so I never did get to finish it. I am such a big fan, however, of Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical that I have always regretted never finishing the original book. I was frilled to find a copy pop up in my local bookstore and now cannot wait to read The Phantom of the Opera through to the end.

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. Go here to find out more.

Terra

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I am posting this a day later than I normally would due to the fact that yesterday I was busy partying hard and celebrating my 21st birthday!

With all of the party preparations I did not have any time to spare for book hunting over the past week but people were very generous to me this birthday and I did receive one book among my gifts.

Fallen by Lauren Kate

I have been wanting to read this book after a woman came into the library where I work and ranted and raved to me about how good she thought it was.

I also love the cover on this one.

I also received a gorgeous ribbon bookmark with an owl charm on it along with Fallen. I shall have to try and upload a photo. I always love a nice bookmark. Not to ignore my other gifts, of course! I had expressed a desire for more silver jewelery and let's just say that now I shall never feel short of silver accessories ever again! I also received some beautiful gold jewelery and I type this post while sitting at a brand spanking desk!

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. Go here to find out more.

Terra

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Here we are for the first look at my bookshelf for 2010. I'm posting this a bit earlier than usual, but what the hey? Why not? You will get a nice shiny new review tomorrow instead.

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

My brother bought me this for Christmas. Thanks bro! It's straight off of my wish list and exactly what I wanted!

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

I picked this one up during the post-Christmas sales and I'm really looking forward to reading it. Yes, I bought one of the movie cover editions but I've been on a total Lord of the Rings kick seeing as I received the extended editions of the movies for Christmas so I don't mind a little extra Viggo.

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. Go here to find out more.

Terra

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I am really excited about the books that I picked up when I popped in at the library the other day!

The Painted Man by Peter V. Brett
This one has been catching my eye at the bookstore so when I spied it on the library shelves I jumped at the chance to take it out.

The Way of Shadows by Brent Weeks
This book was actually looking out to be my featured title for this coming Wishful Wednesday. Lucky me that I get to start reading it instead of wishing for it!

Considering the covers of these two books and the cover of The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss, my brother now thinks that I have an obsession with guys in hooded cloaks.

Procession of the Dead by D.B. Shan
I had not heard of this one before and grabbed it on a bit of whim. It has been around for awhile though, having been first published in 1999 and this edition in 2008.
I have just started this one and it is looking out to be quite interesting.

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. Go here to find out more.

Terra

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