On My Bookshelves #30: Science Fiction Books Waiting To Be Read...

It's another laid-back Sunday, just before the week's work madness begins, and I'm taking stock again...  For the longest time now, I've been facing a dilemma that I'm sure is common to many, if not most, bookworms and obsessed bibliophiles like me: how to balance reading books I already own, with books I want to buy, and do end up buying.  I don't know why I'm so compulsive about buying new books, when I have so many sitting around on my bulging shelves, that have been there for years, unread! 

My non-bookworm husband has been asking me, a long time now, to stop buying books until I finish reading all the ones I already have.  However, the lure of the new is just too much of a temptation...  My compulsive book buying has gotten even worse ever since I became a book blogger.  When I visit other blogs, I can't help but notice the soon-to-be-published, as well newly released, tantalizing books featured by the bloggers, and my addiction simply kicks into high gear! 

I don't think I'll ever be able to manage this problem...

Now that I've finished reading Paul T. Harry's excellent novel,  The 5 Moons of Tiiana, my appetite for science fiction has definitely been whetted.  So I went to my shelves and grabbed some SF books that I really should have read by now, to share them with you all.

To get more information about these books, just click on the pictures, and you'll be taken directly to their Goodreads pages.

On My Bookshelves #29

My Sunday book meme

highlights books that I own,

but have somehow never gotten to,

as well as those wonderful books

I would love to re-read!!

 

Here are my picks for this week!

Wings of the Wicked

(Angelfire #2)

Courtney Allison Moulton

Hardcover, 516 pages

HarperCollins/Katherine Tegen Books

January 31, 2012

Genre: YA Paranormal Romance,

Urban Fantasy

From the Goodreads Synopsis

Balancing real life with the responsibility of being Heaven’s warrior is a challenge for Ellie. Her relationship with Will has become all business, though they both long for each other. And now that the secret of who she really is has come out, so have Hell’s strongest reapers. Grown bold and more vicious, the demonic threaten her in the light of day and stalk her in the night.

Amazon Purchase Link

On My Bookshelves #28

My Sunday book meme

highlights books that I own,

but have somehow never gotten to,

as well as those wonderful books

I would love to re-read!!

Here are my picks for this week!

Thirty Nights with a Highland Husband

(Daughters of the Glen #1)

Melissa Mayhue

Mass Market Papeerback, 356 pages

Pocket Books

June 26, 2007

Genres: Fantasy, Romance,

Historical Fiction

On My Bookshelves #27: Two Mary Balogh Romance Novels

My Sunday book meme

highlights books that I own,

but have somehow never gotten to,

as well as those wonderful books

I would love to re-read!!

Here are my picks for this week!

Simply Perfect

Mary Balogh

Hardcover, 352 pages

Delacorte Press

March 26, 2008

Genre: Historical Romance

From the Goodreads Synopsis

Set against the seductive backdrop of Regency England, New York Times bestselling author Mary Balogh’s latest novel sweeps us into the sensual, enthralling world of an elite academy for young ladies. Here, amid music lessons and garden parties, whispered confessions and secret yearnings, one of the school’s teachers—headmistress Claudia Martin—will find her well-ordered world jolted by love when she meets a man who would make the perfect husband…for somebody else.

Need I mention how much I love

this stunning blue cover?

One Night For Love

Mary Balogh

Mass Market Paperback, 384 pages

Dell

July 13, 1999

Genre: Historical Romance

From the Goodreads Synopsis

It was a perfect morning in May . . .
Neville Wyatt, Earl of Kilbourne, awaited his bride at the altar—when a ragged beggar woman raced down the aisle instead. The cream of the ton saw him stare, shocked, then declare that this was his wife! One night of passion was all he remembered as he beheld Lily, the woman he'd wed, loved, and lost on the battlefield in Portugal. Now he said he'd honor his commitment to her—regardless of the gulf that lay between them...

Oh, and I also happen to like

this pale, cream-colored one! 

(Although not quite as much as

the blue one...)

Mary Balogh

She is the incomparable master

of historical romance,

in my opinion, and most especially

of the Regency romance.

I have yet to be disappointed by

any one of her books that I've read!

They always sweep me away

on a tide of beauty and passion,

and I always regret coming

to the very last page, since I can't help

but fall in love with her characters!

The men are dashing and noble,

and are inevitably attracted to women who

are spirited and anything but docile!

Reading a Balogh novel is, for me,

akin to savoring a fine wine...

something to be done slowly, and well.

Ah, romance!

On My Bookshelves #26

 

My Sunday book meme

highlights books that I own,

but have somehow never gotten to,

as well as those wonderful books

I would love to re-read!!

Here are my picks for this week!

 

 

Hereafter

(Hereafter #1)

Tara Hudson

Hardcover, 404 pages

HarperCollins

June 7, 2011

Genre: YA Paranormal Romance

From the Goodreads Synopsis

Drifting in the dark waters of a mysterious river, the only thing Amelia knows for sure is that she's dead. With no recollection of her past life--or her actual death--she's trapped alone in a nightmarish existence. All of this changes when she tries to rescue a boy, Joshua, from drowning in her river. As a ghost, she can do nothing but "will" him to live. Yet in an unforgettable moment of connection, she helps him survive.

 

This sounds like a very romantic tale!

I've always been fascinated

by stories of haunted romance,

so this is a must read for me!

 

 

Dark Visions

(Dark Visions 1 - 3)

L.J. Smith

Trade Paperback, 730 pages

Simon & Schuster

Sept. 3, 2009

(first published Nov. 1, 1998)

Genre: YA Parnormal Romance

 

From the Goodreads Synopsis

Kaitlyn Fairchild has always felt like an outsider. Her haunting eyes and prophetic drawings have earned her a reputation as a witch. But Kait's not a witch: she's psychic. Tired of being shunned, Kait accepts an invitation to attend the Zetes Institute, where she can study with other psychic teens and have a fresh start.

This is another must read!

L.J. Smith has long been

one of my favorite authors,

so I really have to

do my best to get this one

under my belt this year!!

On My Bookshelves #25: The Paid Companion, by Amanda Quick (Jayne Ann Krentz)

My Sunday book meme

highlights books that I own,

but have somehow never gotten to,

as well as those wonderful books

I would love to re-read!!

Here's my pick for this week!

The Paid Companion

Amanda Quick

(Jayne Castle, Jayne Ann Krentz)

Hardcover, 432 pages

Putnam Adult

May 3, 2004

Genre: Historical Romance

From the Goodreads Synopsis

The Earl of St. Merryn needs a woman. His intentions are purely practical-he simply wants someone sensible and suitably lovely to pose as his betrothed for a few weeks among polite society. He has his own agenda to pursue, and a false fiancée will keep the husband-hunters at bay while he goes about his business. The simplest solution is to hire a paid companion.

Finding the right candidate proves more of a challenge than he expected. But when he encounters Miss Elenora Lodge, the fire in her golden eyes sways him to make a generous offer...

This book is sitting right on one

of my living room bookshelves, and

I simply can't believe I haven't read it yet!

But then, I have to say that

about a lot of the books that I own...

I bought this one at a

Barnes & Noble near my house,

and it was several years ago...

Well, now that I've checked out the

plot again, maybe I'll get

to it this year!

 

On My Bookshelves #24: Phantom, by Susan Kay

My Sunday book meme

highlights books that I own,

but have somehow never gotten to,

as well as those wonderful books

I would love to re-read!!

Here's my pick for this week,

which I've been wanting

to re-read!

Phantom

Susan Kay

Hardcover, 458 pages

Llumina Stars

October 1, 2005

(first published 1990)

Genres: Historical Fiction, Romance,

Gothic Fiction, Literary Fiction

Romantic Novel of the Year Award,

1991

From the Amazon Synopsis

In a powerful and moving tour de force (the American debut for this British writer whose first novel, Legacy , won the Georgette Heyer Historical Novel Prize and the Betty Trask Award), she adds a new depth and perspective, moving well beyond the familiar boundaries of the story. This version begins with the birth of the horribly disfigured Erik and continues into the years following his doomed romance with Christine, ending in an unexpected and triumphant redemption.

Susan Kay

(1953 - )

I have been obsessed with Erik, The Phantom of the Opera, since I saw the 2004 film version of Lloyd Webber's musical!  However, when I read the original novel, penned by the French 19th-century writer, Gaston Leroux, I was terribly disappointed...  Kay does a much better job than the original author, as I happily found out when I read her own version!   Unfortunately, the book was out of print in 2004, which is when I first found out about it.  I finally bought a copy for $30.00, from Amazon in Canada!  (And it was a mass market paperback, too...)  Then, the following year,Llumina Press released it, and I was able to get the hardcover for $20.00, plus shipping and handling.  (The price has since gone up, though.)  If you've never read this book, I urge you to do so!!

Believe me, Kay tells a far more compelling story than Leroux ever did!!!   It's very unusual for the retelling of a classic to be even better than the original, but that's exactly what happened with this book, in my honest opinion.   Kay makes Erik an emotionally troubled, suffering character, instead of the monster Leroux depicts him as.

If you're only familiar with the original novel, and would like to see the difference between it and this masterful retelling, be sure to compare the two!  I'm confident you'll agree that Susan Kay is a far better writer than Gaston Leroux! 

Here's the Goodreads link to the original novel:

The Phantom of the Opera

Here's a link for the author:

Gaston Leroux

On My Bookshelves #23: The Robe, by Lloyd C. Douglas

Wishing all of you a 

very happy and blessed Easter!!

My Sunday book meme

highlights books that I own,

but have somehow never gotten to,

as well as those wonderful books

I would love to re-read!!

Today, in honor of Easter Sunday,

I'd like to feature a very moving classic

that I read years ago,

and am definitely planning

to re-read!!

The Robe

Lloyd C. Douglas

Trade Paperback, 528 pages

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

April 7, 1999

(first published 1942)

Genres: Christian Fiction,

Historical Fiction

From the Goodreads Synopsis

A Roman soldier, Marcellus, wins Christ's robe as a gambling prize. He then sets forth on a quest to find the truth about the Nazarene's robe-a quest that reaches to the very roots and heart of Christianity and is set against the vividly limned background of ancient Rome. Here is a timeless story of adventure, faith, and romance, a tale of spiritual longing and ultimate redemption.

Lloyd C. Douglas

(Aug. 27, 1877 - Feb. 13, 1951)

This novel made a lasting impression on me when I first read it, back in high school.  I was so disappointed with the movie version!  It was filmed back in the 1950's, and starred Richard Burton.  The main reason for my disappointment was the changes made by the filmmaker to the personality of Marcellus, the central character, who was played by Burton.  As originally conceived by Douglas, Marcellus was not a really bad person; he was just a rather worldly, spoiled rich kid, with not a care in the world -- apparently.  Underneath his happy-go-lucky exterior, he was deeply disturbed by the blatant depravity and corruption in the Roman society of his time.   He masked his moral uneasiness with carefree living, until he came across a very unusual garment -- the robe.


The film version of Marcellus, in contrast, is a thoroughly detestable character, callous and cruel, fitting the stereotype of the brutal Roman soldier of that era.  He undergoes a remarkable transformation due to his encounter with Christ's robe.  I suppose the filmmaker wanted to have a more dramatic story, but I much prefer the character Douglas created. 


The novel tells the story of one man's journey to find meaning in life, and his willingness to lay everything on the line for his newfound faith.  It is wonderfully inspiring reading, and I would recommend it to anyone wishing to feel uplifted and renewed, or to those who, like Marcellus, are seeking the ultimate meaning to the riddle of existence.

On My Bookshelves #22

My Sunday book meme/blog hop highlights books that I own, but have somehow never gotten to, as well as those wonderful books I would love to re-read!!

If you'd like to participate with your own selections, just grab the meme button (or create your own), link up in the Linky widget located at the bottom of this post, and have fun hopping to the other blogs on the list to see their books!!

Here are my picks

for this week!

The Vampire and the Virgin

(Love at Stake #8)

Kerrelyn Sparks

Mass Market Paperback, 345 pages

Avon

March 9, 2010

Genres: Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy

From the Amazon Synopsis

FBI psychologist Olivia Sotiris was looking for a cool ocean breeze, sand between her toes, and a break from her crazy, chaotic, and sometimes all-too-dangerous life. But when she escaped to the small Greek island of Patmos, all she got were meddling grandmothers trying to marry her off. Can't they see that none of the men around interests her—except Robby MacKay?

Shiver

(The Wolves of Mercy Falls #1)

Maggie Stiefvater

Hardcover, 390 pages

Scholastic, Inc.

August 1, 2009

Genres: YA Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy

From the Amazon Synopsis

For years, Grace has watched the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf--her wolf--is a chilling presence she can't seem to live without. Meanwhile, Sam has lived two lives: In winter, the frozen woods, the protection of the pack, and the silent company of a fearless girl. In summer, a few precious months of being human . . . until the cold makes him

shift back again.

Now, Grace meets a yellow-eyed boy whose familiarity takes her breath away. It's her wolf...

The Dragonriders of Pern

(Vols. 1 - 3)

Anne McCaffrey

Hardcover, 750 pages

Nelson Doubleday, 1978

Genres: Fantasy, Science Fiction

From the Goodreads Synopsis

Life inside of the major tree called Pern resembles a preindustrial society with lords, holds, harpers (musicians, entertainers & teachers) & dragons, with the occasional examples of higher technology like flamethrowers, telegraph, chemical fertilizers, microscopes & telescopes.

One of the main threats to Pernese civilization is Thread, described as a mycorrhizoid spore that periodically rains down on the planet due to the orbit of the Red Star.The Pernese use intelligent firebreathing dragons & their riders to fight Thread. The riders have a telepathic bond with their dragons, formed by Impression at the dragon's hatching.

The original trilogy stories, collected in an omnibus edition, take place immediately before & during the Ninth Pass.

What wonderful books

are waiting on your bookshelves,

to be read or re-read?