Suvudu Universe

Stacking The Shelves and Mailbox Monday are a pair of weekly memes that are about sharing the books that came your way over the past week, and which you've added to your shelves - whether they be physical or virtual, borrowed or bought, or for pleasure or review.

First up this week are a few paperback reads I picked up at the local Book Outlet. On Stranger Tides just caught my eye (knowing Tim Powers inspired Pirates of the Caribbean certainly helped), Shadow Prowler is a series I've been curious about since reading Alexey Pehov's latest, and The Legend of The Crystal Lens had that immediate Romancing the Stone kind of appeal (even though I know nothing about Samantha Graves).

On the review front this week, I received a nice surprise in the mail from the good folks at Pyr - Sword of the Bright Lady by M.C. Planck. Just check out the opening paragraph of the cover blurb: "Christopher Sinclair goes out for a walk on a mild Arizona evening and never comes back. He stumbles into a freezing winter under an impossible night sky, where magic is real -- but bought at a terrible price."

On the digital review front we're definitely keeping it weird, with three new collections from Laird Barron (Year's Best Weird Fiction, Volume One), Elizabeth Hyder (All Wrapped Up), and D.K. Jernigan (Tall, Dark, and Wriggly). Big thanks to the gang at Undertow Publications and Storm Moon Press for the reads.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is another weekly meme, this time focused on what books are spending the most time in your hands and in your head, as opposed to what's been added to your shelf.

As for what I'm reading, it's quite a bit lately (spending a lot of time in hospitals with family does keep me reading), and while I have relegated several to DNF shelf, these are the ones that I expect to be reviewing soon:

• It Waits Below by Eric Red
A sunken 19th century treasure ship, a salvage operation, an alien lifeform, and modern day pirates - sounds like fun!

• Yesterday's Kin by Nancy Kress
The cover blurb had me at "Aliens have landed in New York" and a deadly plague that threatens human extinction sealed the deal.

• Gideon Smith and the Brass Dragon by David Barnett
The first Gideon Smith tale was a Victoriana / steampunk mash-up, an old-fashioned horror story, a penny dreadful romp, and an adventure worthy of Indiana Jones. Can't wait for the sequel!

What's topping your shelves this week?