Nightstand Books: January 2018

It’s time for Nightstand Books!

(Meme created by DJ Edwardson and Jenelle Schmidt; sharing the books on our “nightstand” the first Wednesday of the month.)

I can never be sure how much I’ll end up reading in a month, but here are some things I’d like to read in January, or soon, at any rate. 😉 (All titles link to the books on Goodreads, if you’re curious to check them out!)

(All the books in this stack except for Mind Writer were my Christmas presents! I also got a gorgeous copy of Halayda which makes me happy. ^_^)

• The Heroes of Tolkien by David Day — A gorgeous book I got for Christmas from a very dear friend! ❤ I’m so looking forward to reading this, and looking at all the pretty pictures. 😉
• A Matter of Magic by Patricia C. Wrede — Technically, I’ve read the second half of this. …Say what now? That is, it’s a collection containing Mairelon the Magician and Magicians’ Ward, the latter of which I read (and reviewed) at the beginning of LAST year and was one of my top favorites of the year. ❤ So I’m hoping to read the first book finally, and maybe re-read the second while I’m at it. XD Because Regency Fantasy and humor and Mairelon!
• Mind Writer by Mike Lynch and Lisa Godfrees — I KNOW, I’ve been saying I’ll read this for ages; but I will! It’s just very outside of my reading comfort zone and the size keeps daunting me and I have no idea why… But it’s on my read-soon list.
• (Not pictured: I just re-read (aloud) The Stroke of Eleven by Kyle Robert Shultz to my younger siblings. Yes, I did read it last month already; your point? XD Now that they know the spoilers — aaahh! — we’re currently reading Christmas in Talesend together too, and it’s so fun. :D)

Those are the ones I really want to read this month.

The other three on there are Christmas presents which I would so like to read soon, but we’ll see if they happen this month or if review-reading takes priority and these end up moving to February.

They are:

• The Midnight Queen by Sylvia Izzo Hunter — This is also Regency Fantasy and I know absolutely nothing about it besides the genre, so we’ll see if I like it. XD
• The Diamond Thief by Sharon Gosling — This is a YA novel set in the Victorian era (and may be slightly steampunk? I’m not sure.) about a jewel thief girl and a detective. That’s all I know about it but I’m really excited to try it out. 🙂
• The Icarus Hunt by Timothy Zahn — Again, this may be in danger of not-getting-around-to-reading-it-for-awhile-due-to-genre. Because I don’t actually love Sci-Fi all that much and have to be in the mood for it because 99% of the time I’d rather just read fantasy?? BUT it’s Timothy Zahn (I liked his Star Wars trilogy I read years ago; much better than the new depressing movies, which are fun but dark) and Jenelle speaks highly of this book, so. I’d been wanting to get it from my library for ages but it’s now labeled MISSING in their system so I gave up and got it for myself for Christmas because I want to read this!

Le E-Nightstand

My current to-reads in e-book form… (Which is why I suspect I won’t get to all of those physical ones this month. XD)

• Disowned by Sarah Addison-Fox — The lone review book I didn’t get to before November hit, and thus has rolled over through NaNo and Christmas season and now awaits me in the new year. I’m quite excited for it! 🙂 (Especially since the genre it falls under has recently been named. Because I’m weird like that and love being organized and categorized. XD)
• The Last Motley by DJ Edwardson — I’m in the middle of this one right now and it’s excellent so far! The writing is fabulous and I’m sooo intrigued by this fantasy story! o.o I’m reading it for review, so expect to hear all about it on this blog sometime in the coming weeks!
• Presumption and Partiality by Rebekah Jones — So excited to read the final Vintage Jane Austen book! I’ve loved all the books in that series by different authors thus far, so I’m really looking forward to this one! Plus, it’s a Pride and Prejudice retelling. Has to be a fact in its favor, there. 😉
• The Lord of Dreams by C. J. Brightley — This is the Fellowship of Fantasy book of the month for January, and I’m excited to try it out! It sounds intriguing! ^_^ (I’m always up for Faeries!)

And since I didn’t do a post like this in December… here: have a belated couple of pics of my December nightstand! 🙂

• I finally read On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness! *is so proud* Now I know about Peet the Sockman (EEP!) and HAS ANYONE ELSE SEEN THE ADORABLE SHORT FILM THEY JUST RELEASED?? It’s so so cute and I loved watching it and NEED MORE and also that singing bit absolutely SLEW me. SO GORGEOUS. ❤
• The Stroke of Eleven was mindblowing, of course, as I mentioned in my review. I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH MYSELF, HALP.
• Rulers and Mages was a very interesting read, which I hope to review soon. I’m torn about a certain ship though… *shifty eyes* And a couple things. But otherwise it was mostly really good, and faeriiiiie things! 🙂
• And a couple of random fantasy Christmas-esque stories, Hogfather by Terry Pratchett, and a collection of dragon Christmas stories called We Three Dragons. All of which I enjoyed.

I don’t always share all the short stories I read, but these were so cute together! Links: Nyssa Glass prequel (Christmassy!), Dreamings and Muses, Ceaseless, Distorted Glass, Christmas in Talesend. I enjoyed them all. ^_^ (Yay, more Christmassy things!)

What’s on your reading list for this month?

Thanks for reading! 🙂

Dream away in those pages . . .

~ The Page Dreamer / Deborah O’Carroll

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Start of Summer #BookHaul

I don’t buy a lot of new books, but lately I’ve splurged a bit because so many friends are coming out with books I NEED… plus I won a book and got one for review and went to a library booksale.

SO! I thought I’d share pics of these books because they are so gorgeous and I’m so excited about them. 🙂 Here’s my April/May/June (so far) book haul.

I’ve mentioned King’s Folly by Jill Williamson (and I reviewed it, whaddayaknow) which was a review copy from Bethany House. But I have to show it again because #gorgeous.

I won The Firethorn Crown by Lea Doué in a giveaway from Clean Indie Reads, and it came all the way from from Nova Scotia/Cape Breton in Canada! How cool is that?? ^_^ It’s a retelling of The Twelve Dancing Princesses, which I mayyy or may not have a gargantuan small obsession with, so I’m very excited to read it! 🙂

Paper Crowns by Mirriam Neal. I’M STILL BOUNCING OFF THE WALLS THAT THIS IS PUBLISHED AND I OWN IT AAAHH. ❤ ❤ ❤ I know I’ve mentioned it several times already but seriously, this book is one of my FAVORITEST of ever, and everyone needs to read it. Highly recommend. *nodnod* (And by “highly recommend,” I of course mean “YOU NEED THIS MARVELOUS BOOK IN YOUR LIFE GO GET A COPY RIGHT NOW YOU NEEEEED IT!”)

Songkeeper by Gillian Bronte Adams, which I read an e-ARC of before it came out, but simply HAD to get a physical copy! EEEP. Isn’t it lovely with its friends (Orphan’s Song and Out of Darkness Rising)? ^_^ (My review of Songkeeper.)

Aaand as I mentioned, the books by E. Kaiser Writes came out in print and I had to get these gorgeous beauties. THEY’RE SO PRETTY. She illustrated them, inside and out, and while I’ve only read Prince of Demargen so far (review here), I’m really excited about all of them. ^_^

THAW, 1-3:
Winter’s Child
Winter Queen
Prince of Demargen

Five Gems, 1-2:
Jeweler’s Apprentice
Traitor’s Knife

So! I’m really excited about my shiny new books. (I hardly ever get new books so this is really exciting. ^_^)

And then here’s my stack from a library booksale. (I’m noticing a green and gold theme…?)

Sabriel – Garth Nix (Really excited to read this one!)
The Thirteenth Tale – Diane Setterfield
The Time Paradox (Artemis Fowl, #6) – Eoin Colfer (Slowly collecting these…)
The Faerie Path – Frewin Jones
A Curse Dark as Gold – Elizabeth C. Bunce
Song of the Sparrow – Lisa Ann Sandel
Tales from Far and Near – Arthur Guy Terry
The Penderwicks – Jeanne Birdsall (I love this book! ❤ )
Conrad’s Fate – Diana Wynne Jones (I love this one too! ❤ )

Also a few picture books (Farmer Giles of Ham by Tolkien with a different illustrator, a Snow White illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman, Oscar Otter illustrated by Arnold Lobel), a pamphlet on Scottish history, and a blank journal. 🙂 (I collect journals… it’s a very bad habit of this particular writer…)

I’m curious if you’ve read any of these or want to? What’s a book you got recently you’re excited about? I’d love to hear! Share all, page-dreamers of mine! 🙂

Dream away in those pages . . .

~ The Page Dreamer

March Book Haul and DWJ #Shelfie

Where has March gone?? *flails*

There seem to be several delectable books that have made their way into my possession this month . . . so I thought it would be fun to share my March book haul.

Because we all love seeing pictures of stacks of books. 😉

• The Beautiful Pretender – Melanie Dickerson

This ARC came in the mail today and I’m SO incredibly excited to read it! (There may have been squealing and book-petting. Ahem.) Ever since reading The Huntress of Thornbeck Forest and learning that this sequel is about the Margrave from the first one… I can’t WAIT to read about his story!

• Dreams and Wishes: Essays on Writing for Children – Susan Cooper
• Playing With Fire – Derek Landy (Skulduggery Pleasant #2)
• A Spy’s Devotion – Melanie Dickerson

These were birthday presents, which I’m delighted with so far! A Spy’s Devotion was lovely, I’m enjoying the banter of Skulduggery Pleasant, as always, and Susan Cooper has some interesting things to say so far on writing and fantasy.

• Comet in Moominland
• Moominsummer Madness
• The Exploits of Moomipappa
• Moominland Midwinter
• Moominland in November
• Tales From Moominvalley

(The Moomin books, by Tove Jansson)

The Moomin books were from an aunt and cousin who have impeccable taste in books, and I’m having the time of my life reading them — aloud, in a British accent, naturally. 😉 Originally written in Swedish by an inhabitant of Finland, they are a bizarre whimsical fantasy delight. So. Much. FUN! I’ve so far read two and a half, and my favorite character is SNUFKIN. You may hear a lot about him at some point… He’s the best. ❤

What I’m hoping to read this month for #MarchMagics

• Deep Secret – Diana Wynne Jones
• Guards! Guards! – Terry Pratchett

These I got from the library this week, in honor of March Magics hosted by We Be Reading, and am so excited to read them! I haven’t read this DWJ book yet, and I’ve never read a Pratchett before, so I’m excited to try this one (especially since it was a recommendation from Sarah).

Speaking of March Magics… March has been speeding away in the blink of an eye and life has been too busy for me to read or post about Diana Wynne Jones… which annoys me muchly because I will take any excuse to read or talk about that author! But I’m hoping to get some reading in now.

And since the first prompt of the month (better late than never!) was to share your collection of Diana Wynne Jones (or Terry Pratchett) books, and/or which you were planning to read this month… and I just showed the ones I plan to read (and I wouldn’t say no to rereading any of the ones I own, if I have time, especially Dark Lord of Derkholm for the readalong this week) . . .

Here is my Diana Wynne Jones collection on my shelf.

It’s by no means all of her books, but I’m quite proud of what I HAVE collected. These were all careful, painstaking, slow-and-steady sporadic finds at various library sales (except for Fire and Hemlock, and The Tough Guide to Fantasyland, which were more or less Christmas presents).

(I’ve also read Enchanted Glass, The Pinhoe Egg, Castle in the Air, and Reflections: On the Magic of Writing, but tragically do not own them. Yet.)

And I couldn’t resist sharing them all laid out as well. *huggles all the loverly books*

So. Books, both new and old. ❤

Do you have a recently-acquired book you’re excited about?

If you’ll excuse me, I’ll be off now . . . I have a lot of reading to do . . . 😀

Dream away in those pages . . .

~ The Page Dreamer