State of the Stack (Nov. 30, 2015)

This is my monthly State of the Stack post. It is my way to keep track of my review books and to hopefully reduce the stack that I have waiting for me. I take a look at my review commitments on the last Monday of each month. Please feel free to join in and let me know the state of your stack.

Here is my Review Books Spreadsheet I list them in publication order and sort them by month. I can quickly see how many books I have for each date. Ideally, this keeps me from over-committing to review books. Check my spreadsheet to find out where I got each book.

I also do this post because sometimes (frequently) review books sit on my stack for a while before I read and review them. I try to read and review books within two weeks of publication date. Sometimes I can't, though, if too many books are releasing on the same date or if the book arrives too near its publication date and my calendar is already full.

I am very grateful to the authors and publishers who support my reading habit.

My Review Pile

January

The 8th Circle by Sarah Cain (January 12)

Sword and Verse by Kathy MacMillan (January 19)

 The Capture by Tom Isbell (January 19)

Unholy Blue by Darby Kaye (January 19)

The Mystery of Hollow Places by Rebecca Podos (January 26)

Night Study by Maria V. Snyder (January 26)

February

 Burning Midnight by Will McIntosh (February 2)

Assassin's Heart by Sarah Ahiers (February 2)

Jockey Girl by Shelley Peterson (February 8)

 These Vicious Masks by Tarun Shanker (February 9)

Reign of Shadows by Sophie Jordan (February 9)

The Girl from Everywhere by Heidi Heilig (February 16)

 The Shadow Queen by C. J. Redwine (February 16)
 Behind the Canvas by Alexander Vance (February 23)
Fighting Dirty by Lori Foster (February 23)

 

March

 A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro (March 1)

Burning Glass by Kathryn Purdie (March 1)

Where You'll Find Me by Natasha Friend (March 8)

 The Great Hunt by Wendy Higgins (March 8)

A Drop of Night by Stefan Bachman (March 15)

The Inn Between by Marina Cohen (March 22)

Tumbled Graves by Brenda Chapman (March 22)

Cold Girl by R. M. Greenaway (March 28)

The Girl in the Tower by Lisa Schroeder (March 29)

   
April & Beyond 

Flamecaster by Cinda Williams Chima (April 5)

Mr. Fahrenheit by T. Michael Martin (April 19)

With Malice by Eileen Cook (June 7) 

 
I Read This Month

These are listed in the order I read them. Links go to my reviews for all that have been posted already. Otherwise, the date the review is scheduled for is listed.

1. Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen by Lois McMaster Bujold (Jan. 28)
2. Dangerous Games by Tess Diamond
3. Haunting Investigation by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro (Dec. 31)
4. Teen Frankenstein by Chandler Baker (Jan. 2)
5. She Can Kill by Melinda Leigh (Dec. 5)
6. Underwater by Marisa Reichardt  (Jan. 6)
7. The Short Drop by Matthew FitzSimmons 
8. Secrets of the Dragon Tomb by Patrick Samphire (Jan. 7)
9. Once Shadows Fall by Robert Daniels (Dec. 12)
10. Killing Trail by Margaret Mizushima (Dec. 17)
11. The Bitter Season by Tami Hoag (Jan. 7)
12. Kill Without Mercy by Alexandra Ivy (Dec. 24)
13. Game of Lies by Tess Diamond (Nov. 26)

Read Previously, Reviews Posted This Month

1. Tenacity by J. S. Law (Oct. 29)
2. The Anatomical Shape of a Heart by Jenn Bennett (Oct. 29) 
3. Sweep in Peace by Ilona Andrews (Oct. 31)
4. Young Widows Club by Alexandra Coutts (Oct. 31) 
5. Stars of Fortune by Nora Roberts (Nov. 4)
6. Finding Fortune by Delia Ray (Nov. 4)
7. Dark Turns by Cate Holahan (Nov. 5)
8. The Bad Boy CEO by Sugar Jamison (Nov. 5)
9. The August 5 by Jenna Helland (Nov. 5) 
10. Soundless by Richelle Mead (Nov. 7) 
11. The Reluctant Duchess by Sharon Cullen (Nov. 7)
12. Untimely Death By Elizabeth J. Duncan (Nov. 11)
13. On the Run by Tristan Bancks (Nov. 12)
14. Dark Turns by Cate Holahan (Nov. 12)
15. The Girl Who Could Not Dream by Sarah Beth Durst (Nov. 14)
16. The Producer's Daughter by Lindsay Marcott (Nov. 14)
17. Cast in Honor by Michelle Sagara (Nov. 19)

I Added These Books

These are listed in the order I received them. Links go to Amazon. Date published is listed in parentheses.

1. Dangerous Games by Tess Diamond (Nov. 3) 
2. Jockey Girl by Shelley Peterson (Feb. 8) 
3. She Can Kill by Melinda Leigh (Dec. 8)
4. The Short Drop by Matthew FitzSimmons (Dec. 1)
5. Once Shadows Fall by Robert Daniels (Dec. 8)
6. Killing Trail by Margaret Mizushima (Dec. 15)
7. These Vicious Masks by Tarun Shanker (Feb. 9)
8. Where You'll Find Me by Natasha Friend (March 8)
9. Underwater by Marisa Reichardt (Jan. 12) 
10. Behind the Canvas by Alexander Vance (Feb. 23)
11. Unholy Blue by Darby Kaye (Jan. 19)
12. The Bitter Season by Tami Hoag (Jan. 12)
13. With Malice by Eileen Cook (June 7)
14. Night Study by Maria V. Snyder (Jan. 26) 
15. Game of Lies by Tess Diamond (Nov. 17)
16. Kill Without Mercy by Alexandra Ivy (Dec. 29)
17. Fighting Dirty by Lori Foster (Feb. 23)

Next Month's Plan

I feel like I spent this month backtracking. I got a lot of books for review this month that needed to be read almost immediately. I began the month with only one December book to read to finish all my review obligations for the year. Then the new books arrived...

I have already read 9 of my 17 new arrivals. There was a lot of calendar rearranging going this month so that reviews would be posted near to publication dates. 

I am currently back on track and reading books that will be released in January. I am about six weeks ahead on my blogging calendar which seems like a nice cushion - though not as nice as the two month cushion I had at the end of October.