Stacking the Shelves #67

 

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Reading Reality. It's a place to showcase any books I have purchased, borrowed, or been lucky enough to have been given an advance copy of. 

Hope you find something that looks interesting to you or that makes you remember a favorite book you need to finish. Happy reading ya'll!

What Angels Fear by C.S. Harris (Sebastian St. Cyr Book One)

LIbby Audiobook Borrow: Free

I have finally, finally started this series. I have been intending to for a very long time. Set during the Napoleonic Wars and sounding similar to the Anne Perry style of mysteries it looks like one I will enjoy.

I admit there is so much going on at work my blog and book life is suffering greatly so I am listening to this one in the car. So far I'm loving it and the narrator is fabulous. It's Davina Porter, the same lady who reads the Outlander series. So for those of you who've recommended this book series to me I thank you and look forward to continuing with it!

Murder in an Irish Castle by Verity Bright (Lady Eleanor Swift Book 12)

Kindle Purchase: Free with digital points

My next book in this delightful series! I have so many yet to go and just keep buying them when I can. This one looks like a Christmas/Winter one but I think I'll go ahead and start it. There is already a new one out I'm featuring on Can't Wait Wednesday this week. In this book Lady Eleanor is expecting a fun vacation at her late Uncle's estate in Ireland exploring her heritage and instead finds another body! Should be a fun read and I love that it is set in Ireland.

Mayhem in the Mountains by Kelly Oliver (A Fiona Figg and Kitty Lane Mystery Book 3)

Libby Borrow: Free

I think this series is really cute and this is the 6th book for me so far. The first three books were just Fiona but now her sidekick Kitty has been added along with her love interest Archie and villain Fredricks. I'm always trying to figure out if he is really a villain and suspect that when the series comes to an end he will turn out to be a secret spy good guy. I am excited to catch up with them!

Stacking the Shelves #66

 

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Reading Reality. It's a place to showcase any books I have purchased, borrowed, or been lucky enough to have been given an advance copy of. 

Hope you find something that looks interesting to you or that makes you remember a favorite book you need to finish. Happy reading ya'll!

The Strange Fate of Kitty Easton by Elizabeth Speller

Hoopla borrow: Free

This one just looked unique and interesting to me. It is number two in the Laurence Bartram series but the first book doesn't seem as exciting. This one involves the disappearance of a young girl in a village during 1916. The synopsis of the book sounds like it will have a lot of WW1 as the background and how the village is coping with it all. 

The Families of Eleanor of Aquitaine by J.F. Andrews

Amazon Kindle: Free with points

I just can't seem to resist any books about Eleanor of Aquitaine. And this one focuses on her daughters. The male line gets so much attention and I know her daughters had amazing lives as well. Can't wait to learn more about them!

A Sunless Sea by Anne Perry (William Monk Book 18)

Libby Borrow: Free

This is one series I have remained faithful to and love. And Libby has them all. I've been reading my way through the Monk series for 20 years and love everything Perry has written. It's time to catch up with the next one. Here Monk investigates the death of a woman who has been seeing a mysterious guest with possible ties to the government. Perry books are always great mysteries! You can't go wrong.

Stacking the Shelves #65

 

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Reading Reality. It's a place to showcase any books I have purchased, borrowed, or been lucky enough to have been given an advance copy of. 

With school starting back up and moving my son to college I only had two books to feature this week. I have not had a lot of time to focus on reading or my blog but I'm trying! 

Hope you find something that looks interesting to you or that makes you remember a favorite book you need to finish. Enjoy your reading this week!

At Bertram's Hotel by Agatha Christie

Libby borrow: Free

I am already listening to Cat Among the Pigeons, another Christie book that is a Read Christie selection. But this is the next one in the challenge that I haven't read and even though it is the book for September I'm going to start it and just have two Christie books going! This is book ten in the Miss Marple series and involves her solving a mystery at a famous London hotel. 

Blandings Castle by P.G. Wodehouse

Amazon purchase: $0.99

Last week I featured book one of the Blandings Castle series by this author but stumbled upon this one that is marked as Book Three. That's strange considering it is called "Blandings Castle." You'd think it would be the first book in the series. It is a collection of short stories that feature some of the famous characters from the series. I'm going to start with book one but this looks like a break from the longer stories and hopefully fills in some gaps like short stories tend to do. 

Stacking the Shelves #64

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Reading Reality. It's a place to showcase any books I have purchased, borrowed, or been lucky enough to have been given an advance copy of. Hope you find something that looks interesting to you or that makes you remember a favorite book you need to finish. Enjoy your reading this week!

The Queen's Children: The Start of the Stuart reign in England by Raymond Wemmlinger

Amazon Kindle purchase- $0.99

This is the fourth book in Raymond Wemmlinger's series. I'd forgotten I'd pre-ordered it on sale so it was fun to see it appear in my Kindle yesterday. The covers are beautiful and the characters intriguing. I have several already but have yet to start the series. 

This book and the previous book in the series are both about Anne of Denmark, wife of James I of England. In the previous book he focuses on her life as Queen of Scotland when she is younger and in this one she is Queen of England as well when James takes the throne.  The queen gives birth to the line of Stuart children who they hope will reign over England for years to come. I am putting his whole series on my TBR pile for the future as I collect them. He has another coming out in November 2025. 

Cat Among the Pigeons by Agatha Christie (Hercule Poirot Book 32)

Libby Audiobook borrow: Free

I have not participated fully in the Read Christie challenge this year due to vacations, already have read it, or just not interested in that month's book. I've truly missed it so since I already am behind and school is starting back up I thought I'd get a jump on the next read I’m doing and get ahead! This one I'm listening to driving to school and back. I absolutely love the Hercule Poirot audiobooks because Hugh Fraser narrates them and he does a great job. 

In this story there is a lot going on of course: murder, jewels, plane crashes, mysterious lights at a girls school, and a revolution in the making in the Middle East. Unique and keeping you guessing for sure. I'm really enjoying it so far, trying to figure out how it all ties together. 

Something Fresh by P.G. Wodehouse (Blandings Castle Series Book 1)

Amazon Kindle Purchase: $0.99

P.G. Wodehouse is a name that sounded familiar to me but I wasn't quite sure what he'd written. I discovered he's the author of the, what I call, "Jeeves the Butler" books. In this series he takes it to America but with the same dry humor and witty stories about Lords and their castles and stuffy traditions. This one is the first of those books and while I'd love to start it, I think I'd like to at least read the first book set in England with Jeeves before I go on to this one. It was on sale so I went ahead and got it though. 

Stacking the Shelves #63

 

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Reading Reality. It's a place to showcase any books I have purchased, borrowed, or been lucky enough to have been given an advance copy of. Hope you find something that looks interesting to you or that makes you remember a favorite book you need to finish. Enjoy your reading this week!

Loch Down Abbey by Beth Cowan-Erskine

Amazon Kindle purchase- $0.99

I thought this looked like a great cozy mystery set in Scotland. The author is an American who married into a Scottish family and therefore has a first hand knowledge of the the subject material. In this series, a Scottish aristocratic family living in a Downton Abbey like castle contends with a mysterious illness, locked in the house with a murderer loose. Looks like a lot of fun!

History of India: A History in 50 Events by Hourly History

Amazon Kindle- Free with Friday Freebies Newsletter

I love these Hourly History books and the Friday newsletter has lots of free and discounted books. This one about India is great because I am fascinated by the country's background but am not educated enough about it yet to delve too deep. I like the "snapshot" idea first and then I can see what areas I want to learn more about. 

California Gold by John Jakes

Libby borrow

Having completed so many of Jakes' books over the years I got a little burnt out but have always intended to return to and read them all. This is one that looks intriguing because I know very little about California. His research is always solid and he weaves a good tale with convincing characters. Sometimes his books can have them living through all the major events of the times and it can seem a bit "coincidental" but that is also a great way to use historical fiction to educate readers. I know it will be a good read.

Stacking the Shelves #62

 

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Reading Reality. It's a place to showcase any books I have purchased, borrowed, or been lucky enough to have been given an advance copy of. Hope you find something that looks interesting to you or that makes you remember a favorite book you need to finish. Enjoy your reading this week!

Midsummer Mysteries by Agatha Christie 

Amazon Kindle purchase- $1.99 

These short stories are great for a quick read. I have the winter version of this and haven't read it but want to do so this Christmas season. You can't go wrong with summer Christie mysteries!

The Red Prince: John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster by Helen Carr

Amazon Kindle purchase- $1.99 

I love Helen Carr. She's a great history author and covers more obscure topics from the Middle Ages. This book about John of Gaunt should be informative and written in narrative style. She has been featured on some podcasts I listen to and is top notch with her research. 

A Body on the Doorstep: London Ladies Murder Club Book One by Marty Wingate

Amazon Kindle purchase- Free with points

Another cozy mystery series to add to my huge collection....I didn't need it but I just can't help myself! This is book one in the series and I just couldn't pass it up. I find I'm enjoying getting the first book in cozies and reading it and then deciding if it's worth continuing with. Unfortunately I seem to love them all when I need a lift of mood. So it's hard to whittle them down. Mayble something unique will hop out from the pages of this one. 

Stacking the Shelves #61

 

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Reading Reality. It's a place to showcase any books I have purchased, borrowed, or been lucky enough to have been given an advance copy of. Hope you find something that looks interesting to you or that makes you remember a favorite book you need to finish. Enjoy your reading this week!

The Tangled Thread by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles (Morland Dynasty Book 10)

Amazon Kindle purchase- $0.99 this week

I have read two books in this series and I know the author has more set in the World War I era, Russia, and another called Ashmore Castle that is currently being written. This is book 10 of the long running 36 volume Morland Dynasty and it was on sale for 99cents. There are so many books covering all of English history chronologically. The latest book came out last year and so I'm guessing she will continue. 

I don't know if I'll read out of order but this particular book covers the Napoleonic/French Revolution era of which I am not as familiar with, and it being so cheap this week I went ahead and bought it. My experience with her other books was positive and she uses them to teach history in an interesting, easy to understand way which I really like. 

A Fatal Encounter in Tuscany by Vivian Conroy (Miss Ashford Investigates Book Three)

Amazon Kindle purchase- $0.99

This is a series I'm reading in order and have actually kept up with! While they aren't my absolute favorite cozies, they do take place in exotic, unusual locations which I love. I don't know anything about Tuscany except that wine vineyards come to mind when I think of it. Hopefully I'll learn about it a bit while seeing Atalanta Ashford also solve a murder. She gets to travel on the Orient Express with her friend Raoul and meet an Italian heiress. Agatha Christie vibes going there. It shopuld be fun. Great deal this week for 99 cents!

Hourly History, Eleanor of Aquitaine: A Life From Beginning to End

FREE with sign up to Hourly History newsletter (Free Friday books every week!)

Ya'll I have waaaayyyyy too many books and information on Eleanor. So what is the logical thing to do? Get another book on Eleanor, lol. No way can I pass it up. It was free! When you sign up for the Hourly History newsletter, each Friday they give away free, and practically free, (99 cents to $2) books. I just scroll through and pick what I want. I'm really cheap so typically I'll only take the free ones unless there is one I really, really want. 

This one popped up and I just couldn't say no. These books are meant to be read in an hour or less and give an overview of the subject. While I'm not likely to learn anything I don't already know about her, I like the refresher between novels about her that I will encounter again. She never ceases to fascinate me. 

Stacking the Shelves #60

 

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Reading Reality. It's a place to showcase any books I have purchased, borrowed, or been lucky enough to have been given an advance copy of. Hope you find something that looks interesting to you or that makes you remember a favorite book you need to finish. Enjoy your reading this week!

Death in SoHo by Emily Organ (Augusta Peel Book 1)

Amazon Kindle purchase

This author has two other series but this book was the first in this one and inexpensive and I thought it was unique in setting. I don't know anything about SoHo so it looks like a fun read! The heroine repairs old, neglected books which is fun for us book lovers and gets mixed up in a murder investigation. It is a good, light cozy for summer I'm sure.

 

Ladies of Magna Carta: Women of Influence in Thirteenth Century England by Sharon Bennett Connolly 

Sample downloaded (planning to purchase on Amazon Kindle with points)

Sharon Bennett Connelly is one of the hosts of my new favorite podcast, A Slice of Medieval, and the author of several great books. She is an expert on medieval history and has written several wonderful books. This one is unique, focusing on the women in an era that almost exclusively focuses on the men. Some of the people covered in this book include Ela of Salisbury, Eleanor of Brittany, and Nicholaa de la Haye. I know nothing about these women so I'm looking forward to this one. 

She has several other books focusing on women of the Norman Conquest and those in the twelfth century like Eleanor of Aquitaine.  I found seven books total on medieval women in different eras. Sometimes it is hard to get these types of books here in the U.S. especially for a deal.

The Secret Detective Agency by Helena Dixon (The Secret Detective Agency Book One)

Amazon Kindle purchase with points

I featured this book on one of my Can't Wait Wednesday posts awhile back and now I have it to read. Helena Dixon has written the Kitty Underhay mystery series and I enjoyed the first book. This is her new series about Miss Jane Treen in 1941 working as a government spy agent. The fact that her cat goes everywhere with her is a plus for me! It looks like a fun cozy read for summer. And there are more to follow if I like it. 

Stacking the Shelves #59

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Reading Reality. It's a place to showcase any books I have purchased, borrowed, or been lucky enough to have been given an advance copy of. Hope you find something that looks interesting to you or that makes you remember a favorite book you need to finish. Enjoy your reading this week!

Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crichton 

(Borrow from Libby app)

This will be a re-read for me. I read it years ago and another blogger reviewed it and reminded me I loved it! Thanks Olivia at Unsolicited Advice. Set in 1600's Jamaica during the crazy Pirate era, critics say it is too cliche and has way too many movie Pirate tropes but I don't care! I love all things pirate themed and this book I remember has a lot of history. It looks like a fun summer read and I've forgotten the story so I'm looking forward to reading it again. 

Fever Dream by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child (Aloysious Pendergast Book 10, or, Helen Trilogy Book One)

(Borrow from Libby app)

Technically this isn't historical fiction but it is a mystery. Not a cozy one though! One of the main characters also comes from the past. I have read books 1-9 (years ago) and came upon these again this week. I got hooked into looking into what Agent Pendergast has been up to and saw this is a middle of series trilogy (Helen books 10-12) about the death of his wife, Helen. It was where I left off before. So I thought I'd pick up with this next one. I hope I enjoy them as much as I used to. They are scary and suspenseful for sure. 

Conclave by Robert Harris

(Borrow from Libby app)

I haven't watched the movie yet but am going to. This isn't normally a book I'd choose first but the first chapter hooked me. I think it will be a bit of a history lesson too as I know absolutely nothing about this process. I like stories set around Italian politics concerning the church. It will be a power struggle for sure and should be interesting. It's not really historical fiction but it has that vibe and the mystery feel about it. So I'm counting it for my blog!

Stacking the Shelves #58

 

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Reading Reality. It's a place to showcase any books I have purchased, borrowed, or been lucky enough to have been given an advance copy of. Hope you find something that looks interesting to you or that makes you remember a favorite book you need to finish. Enjoy your reading this week!

Blood On the Tracks: Railway Mysteries by Martin Edwards (Editor)

(Kindle purchase)

This book is part of the British Library Crime Classics series that are being reissued. It contains a collection of mysteries, all set on trains, by some of the leading authors of the twentieth century. I know there are so many of these books, more than I could ever read, (over a hundred), but this one appealed to me because of the train setting. That's always a favorite of mine. Some of the authors I know like,  Arthur Conan Doyle, but most are new to me. I like being able to read one as I feel like it as most are short. 

Crown and Sceptre by Tracy Borman (A New History of the British Monarchy, from William the Conqueror to Elizabeth II. 

(Kindle purchase)

This was on sale for 99 cents and I was interested based on the title. I'm not sure what it means by "new" history but wondered enough to get it. And I love timeline books with short summaries or bios that I can refer to for quick information. This runs to Elizabeth II so it covers every monarch. I'll probably flip through and read about the ones I am most interested in first.

Murder Under the Mistletoe by Erica Ruth Neubauer (A Jane Wunderly Mystery Book 4.5)

(Libby audiobook borrow)

Having just finished through book 4 in this series, I thought I'd read the middle stand alone Christmas one before starting book 5. I'm sure there are things I'll learn about the characters that will be helpful to know. And Christmas in summer is always fun! It's called book 4.5 because it's shorter and a "gap" book. Should be fun.