Over-Booked [114] – A Book Haul Post

Welcome to Over-Booked, where I share my latest and greatest book acquisitions! I’m linking up with Stacking the Shelves over at Tynga’s Reviews and The Sunday Post at The Caffeinated Book Reviewer.


I’m thrilled to be back home this weekend, and I can resume my normal routine of putting together blog posts and writing reviews for the coming week. Last weekend I took a trip to Boston with my daughter, who is now moved into her new apartment and ready for the second semester of school to start soon. It was an eye-opening experience to say the least! Living in California my whole life and dealing with strict building codes (I work in the design/furniture business so I’m very aware of how new construction/renovations work in regards to handicap access, etc.),  I was shocked to discover that her building has no handicap access whatsoever. There isn’t even a landing when you walk up the front steps of her building. The front door literally opens ONTO the stairs. As someone who doesn’t like climbing stairs to begin with, I found this horrifying! Her apartment is on the fourth floor and the elevator was BROKEN. So I endured climbing many many flights of stairs over the course of three days, staircases without hand railing in some spots. I heard rumors that a new elevator is going to be built, but it sure didn’t help me during this trip! Luckily she’s young and walking up stairs doesn’t bother her, but I’m glad it’s her place and not mine:-P

Lots of surprises in the mail the last two weeks! Heartfelt thanks to all the publishers who sent books to me, it’s lovely to open a book you requested, but it’s also fun to get surprise bookmail. Here are my latest arrivals:

Up first, a nice batch of physical review copies. I was not expecting a finished copy of A Longer Fall by Charlaine Harris, since I read the eARC. But I’m very happy to have it! My review will be up next week sometime, so stay tuned!

The Bard’s Blade by Brian D. Anderson was also a surprise, and I couldn’t be happier to have this finished copy. This is probably my next read, so expect a review by the end of the month.

A Queen in Hiding by Sarah Kozloff hasn’t really been on my radar, but I just read a rave review of it on Fan Fi Addict’s blog, and now I want to read it.

I think it was Facebook where I saw Kristi Charish’s call out to bloggers if they wanted an ARC of her next book, Voodoo Shanghai, and I replied to her on a whim, not expecting to get a copy. But it just showed up in the mail, and I’m very excited!

Mazes of Power by Juliette Wade is a February release that I’ll be reading next month. It’s got some amazing reviews on Goodreads, which makes me eager to start it soon.

Shorefall by Robert Jackson Bennett was an ARC I specifically requested from the publisher. You may (or may not!) remember months ago I featured this book on a Future Fiction post before the cover was officially revealed, and a publicist contacted me and asked me to take down my post (which I did, right away). Oops. She told me at that time she’d make sure I got an ARC when they were available. I thought that was pretty nice of her, and long story short, the ARC showed up last week!

My finished copy of The Hanged Man by K.D. Edwards FINALLY arrived. Also, I’m excited because I have a blurb from my review inside:

Finally, this gorgeous, heavy-as-a-brick finished copy of Master of Sorrows by Justin T. Call arrived unexpectedly. I have this slated to read next month, and I’d like to start soon because it’s very long.

Hugs and thanks to Gallery/Saga Press, Tor Books, Vintage Books of Canada, DAW Books, Del Rey Books, Pyr Books and Blackstone Books:-D


On the digital review front, I have a handful of new titles that look promising! First up, The Ancestor by Danielle Trussoni was a Future Fiction book a few weeks ago, and I’m happy to be approved for this Gothic mystery.

Looking Glass by Christina Henry was a no-brainer to request, because I want to read ALL the Christina Henry books. This is a set of four shortish stories set in her Alice world.

Author Matt Betts approached me and asked if I’d like to read his horror story White Anvil: Sasquatch Onslaught. I mean, come on! First of all, if that title doesn’t reel you in, I don’t know if you’re even paying attention. I have to admit I decided to read this after doing a little research and discovering than Dan Stout blurbed this book. Since Dan can do no wrong in my book, I just HAD to give this a shot!

And another wonderful author approached me a couple of weeks ago! Stephanie Burgis’ next book in her Harwood Spellbook series, Moontangled, will be released next month. I have to admit I’m not quite caught up, but I’m planning on diving into this anyway very soon. And look at the glorious cover! This is all my childhood princess dreams in one cover:-D

Finally, a book with a fluffy dog on the cover! The Finders by Jeffrey B. Burton was a spur-of-the-moment request on NetGalley because I couldn’t resist the cover. This sounds like a really good thriller with a cadaver dog at the center of the story.

Big thanks to William Morrow, Ace Books, Matt Betts, Stephanie Burgis, and Minotaur Books:-D


And that’s my haul this week. Are you planning to read any of these books?

Posted January 18, 2020 by Tammy in Over-Booked / 54 Comments

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54 responses to “Over-Booked [114] – A Book Haul Post

    • Tammy

      Yes, I think it is a Golden! And it looks so happy, and definitely doesn’t say “cadaver dog” to me, lol:-)

  1. Will

    Congrats on the mention! I’m optimistic about Shorefall, but can’t guarantee I’ll get to any of the others this year. Also, remind me not to move to Boston any time soon. In fact, I think I’ll stay in my little corner of nowhere, thanks, for away from anything city-like.

    • Tammy

      Ha ha, I know what you mean. I’m happy with my feet firmly on the ground in a single story house.

  2. Sweet of you to link my review. 😉 I do hope you enjoy A Queen in Hiding. I look forward to reading your thoughts. The Bard’s Blade and Master of Sorrows are up for me soon, as well.

  3. Boston looks lovely. Never been there but maybe someday! Hope your girl is enjoying college. 🙂

    I’m so jealous of your Shorefall copy! I hope it’s as gorgeous in person as it is online. And I’m so excited for Voodoo Shanghai. I listened to the first two so I’ll probably have to get the third in audio too to keep up with tradition. 🙂 Happy reading!
    Bonnie @ For the Love of Words recently posted…Something To Look Forward To – Week of January 13th, 2020My Profile

  4. That situation with the apartment building sounds pretty familiar. I live in rural Ohio and building codes/ zoning laws I’ve been told are fairly lax compared to elsewhere. 🙂

    I’ve got an ARC of Shorefall from NetGalley and I’m so excited to read it.

    Happy reading, Tammy.

    • Tammy

      I’d like to get a jump on Master of Sorrows too, I’m a pretty slow reader so it’s going to take some time:-)

  5. That’s so cool you a blurb of your review was published. Congrats! 😀
    I’d like to try some of Stephanie Burgis’s books too. I’m so curious about them.
    And wow! That’s a lot of stairs all weekend. You’d be even more surprised by some apartments in NYC then.

    • Tammy

      Ha ha, I have heard stories about NY apartments, lol. I guess the older the city the scarier the stairs/apartments:-)

  6. Oh man, I missed the call for bloggers for Voodoo Shanghai! That was one I had planned on grabbing the audio though, glad its on it way to release. I also got a copy of A Longer Fall in the mail earlier this week. Saga Press is totally playing with my feelings, this was one I hadn’t written in to request figuring I wouldn’t hear anything, and bam, a finished copy shows up!

    • Tammy

      I know, Saga sent this to me unsolicited and I have no idea why! I’m not complaining, but it’s weird:-)

  7. Glad to hear your trip went well, even if it was a bit more uphill than desired. 🙂 And that’s absolutely awesome having a blurb from your review in print! Congratulations on that. I keep seeing The Bard’s Blade and it seems one I might enjoy. Mazes of Power also looks intriguing. And, of course, Shorefall, though I do have to read Foundryside first.

  8. Oh wow that building- it’s amazing sometimes how inaccessible some places are! Hope it turns out to be a good place for your daughter though. That’s a lot of stairs moving stuff in!

    Congrats on the blurb!!!!!

    White Anvil:Sasquatch Onslaught- and that cover! Now that’s one I’m curious about lol!
    Greg recently posted…Sunday Post #333My Profile

  9. Urg! That building sounds grim… the only bright side is that youngsters are better able to cope with such conditions. I recall some of the places where I used to live with a shudder… What a lovely haul of books – I’m looking forward to getting hold of Shorefall:)). And congratulations on getting quoted – how cool:). Have a great week, Tammy.

  10. Wow, that is crazy about your daughter’s building. I remember some of my dorms being like that back in the day when I was in college. Can’t imagine trying to live with all of those stairs now.

    Congrats on getting your review blurbed . That’s so cool!

  11. I hope you have a restful weekend of getting back into your schedule and blogging ways. I think it is absolutely awful that her place has no disabled access and opens onto the stairs DD: As someone with a wheelchair user sister that place sounds like a nightmare to me… especially four floors with no lift working :/
    Olivia Roach recently posted…December Wrap Up! [2019]My Profile

    • Tammy

      Ha ha, that’s how I felt! Maybe 20 years ago I wouldn’t have minded, but now stairs are not my friend;-)

  12. Welcome to the east coast lol. So many buildings here are older and need to be retrofit for ADA, I don’t understand why they haven’t been!
    Looks like you have some great books ahead of you. A Longer Fall! Can’t wait to see your thoughts on that one.

  13. Man, once again I’m running really behind. I’m glad you got your daughter settled but I am too old for that many stairs that many times a day. And all I could think of was The Big Bang Theory where their elevator was always broke until the last episode. As always, you got a great haul this week! Hope things slow down for you now.

  14. Nice to see your daughter is settled. I don’t envy her the four flights. We stayed in an apartment on the fourth floor of a building and there was no lift. In some respects it’s probably quite a good work out because I went up and down as a minimum (with the dog) three times a day -it certainly made me plan ahead about what I needed when I went out. Nothing quite like exiting a building to discover you’ve forgotten something.
    This is a great haul – it makes me realise how many good books I’m really looking forward to this year.
    Lynn 😀

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