iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

JM Bookshelf @jmbookshelf.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

In this introspective, timely, and entertaining story, the medieval folkloric imagery was so fun: a bull for the Boleyn family, a sword (I won't tell you where Anne finds it), and the Green Man all make appearances! #NetGalley #CrownPublishing #TheBeheadingGame 5/5

000

JM Bookshelf @jmbookshelf.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

Knowing that he's too mercurial and narcissistic to rule, she vows revenge before he can marry Jane Seymour. And wonders why women are required to make themselves "small" for men. And why can't women rule? Her daughter Elizabeth, for example. 4/5

100

JM Bookshelf @jmbookshelf.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

In the ultimate patriarchy where women were property and pawns and the court was brutal, Anne had thought Henry loved her intelligence and passion for reform, but all he wanted was a male heir. So she was executed. 3/5

100

JM Bookshelf @jmbookshelf.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

After Anne wakes up in a chest and is able to escape and sew her head back on her body, she's helped by the commoners of London for whom she gains new respect and learns more about life. 2/5

100

JM Bookshelf @jmbookshelf.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

Thanks to NetGalley and @crownpublishing.bsky.social for this free copy of "The Beheading Game." #BookSky So I'm in a Tudor mood and TBG was incredible! Anne Boleyn's story is fascinating and mysterious enough, but this one all takes place AFTER her beheading. 1/5

250

JM Bookshelf @jmbookshelf.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Throw in the magic-infused historical everyday objects AND ghosts and you have a rollicking romance full of witty banter! #NetGalley #BerkleyPublishing #TheAntiquariansObjectOfDesire 3/3

000

JM Bookshelf @jmbookshelf.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

"Fake hating" is a new one for me, and I loved it! So Amelia and Caleb are lifelong friends but have to pretend to be fierce academic rivals because their colleagues would be shocked...Victorian morals and unmarried females and all that stuff. 2/3

100

JM Bookshelf @jmbookshelf.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Thanks to NetGalley and @berkleypub.bsky.social for this free copy of "The Antiquarian's Object of Desire." #BookSky OK, so I was already laughing on page one! This book was so jolly and hilarious! And now I absolutely HAVE to read the other two in the series! 1/3

160

JM Bookshelf @jmbookshelf.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

And when she starts to hear music behind a locked door that later disappears, then the nightmares begin. #NetGalley #KensingtonBooks #TheFourthWife 4/4

000

JM Bookshelf @jmbookshelf.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

When Hazel is ordered to be the fourth wife to Jacob, she has no idea that she'll be living with his other three wives and their children in the same house. But she finds the house, though large, is neglected and run-down. Plus she feels like the house is watching her. 3/4

100

JM Bookshelf @jmbookshelf.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

You can feel that she channeled all her feminist rage for the forgotten and silent wives into this book. It's much more powerful that it's taken from real events, real people. 2/4

100

JM Bookshelf @jmbookshelf.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for this free copy of "The Fourth Wife." #BookSky What a chilling horror debut! Mormon gothic horror - a new genre for me! But what's so remarkable about this book is that it's based on author Hamilton's ancestry. 1/4

160

JM Bookshelf @jmbookshelf.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

And Genevieve/new friend bond felt really rushed. Also the ending felt too abrupt - having it be slightly longer to tie together some of the threads and make it more cohesive could have helped to make it more satisfying. #NetGalley #PenzlerPublishers #TheDaughters 6/6

001

JM Bookshelf @jmbookshelf.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

When Genevieve's new co-worker/friend also goes missing, she starts searching for her with the help of new boyfriend Mason and spa owner and healing circle leader Cecile. > This was the weakest part of the book for me. The Genevieve/Mason relationship felt forced. 5/6

100

JM Bookshelf @jmbookshelf.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

> I wanted MUCH more about this and the ties to the supernatural! Book Three: Young women have been disappearing around Wilton Springs. 4/6

100

JM Bookshelf @jmbookshelf.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

> I love reading about lost diaries and historical documents and buried lineages, so this part was riveting for me. Book Two: One of the discoveries is a witch trial in the 1700's involving the Wilton's, so were they conniving? And why do her co-workers tell her the Wilton's are cursed? 3/6

100

JM Bookshelf @jmbookshelf.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Book One: Genevieve takes a job in Wilton Springs, NY to catalog the papers of town founders, the Wilton family. (I drew my own family tree so I could keep everyone straight and understand all the stories she uncovers about them.) 2/6

100

JM Bookshelf @jmbookshelf.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Thanks to NetGalley and Penzler Publishers for this free copy of "The Daughters." #BookSky This book actually felt like three books in one and I'll explain which parts I liked best: 1/6

140

JM Bookshelf @jmbookshelf.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Lastly, I applaud author Bennett for including neurodivergent characters in both books. We need much more of this! #NetGalley #KensingtonBooks #TheNannysHandbooktoMagicandManagingDifficultDukes #TheGovernesssGuidetoSpellsandManagingMisfitMarquesses 9/9

000

JM Bookshelf @jmbookshelf.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

But when magically transporting them to safety in her mother's cottage, they end up on Phineas O’Connell's ship (Phinn is the titular marquess). I won't spoil the innovative ruse that Phinn executes to hire Mina as a governess to help him with elocution, etiquette, and dancing. 8/9

100

JM Bookshelf @jmbookshelf.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

In "Misfit Marquesses," another of the graduates Mina Davenport is a governess for a child viscount. When the viscount's guardian whisks him away for an unexplainable sea voyage to the Artic, Mina plans to rescue the child and fulfill her obligations "no matter what." 7/9

100

JM Bookshelf @jmbookshelf.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

While magically transporting to an interview, Emmeline Chase, a recent widow, finds herself at the wrong house (Xavier's) which ends up being the right house because he realizes that he needs a nanny for his wards. 6/9

100

JM Bookshelf @jmbookshelf.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Problems keep arising in his house - is it a competitor, sabotage, or a ghost? 5/9

100

JM Bookshelf @jmbookshelf.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

In "Difficult Dukes," we meet the headmistress and two recent graduates who are looking for positions (so I hope I'm correct that this will be a trilogy!) Xavier Mason, the titular duke, is a clock designer who has three wards that are adorable. 4/9

100

JM Bookshelf @jmbookshelf.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

But this series is set in 1851 with graduates from the Parasol Academy whose motto is "Prim, proper, and prepared for anything." However, there are secrets of the Parasol Academy which must be kept at all costs. 3/9

100

JM Bookshelf @jmbookshelf.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

And I'm so glad I got to read them back-to-back (although it's not necessary to do so). And the covers are jaw-droppingly gorgeous! While reading them, I kept thinking of the show "Nanny and the Professor" (which I adored) from the early 1970's: a kind of rom-com Mary Poppins. 2/9

100

JM Bookshelf @jmbookshelf.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for these free copies of "The Nanny's Handbook to Magic and Managing Difficult Dukes" and "The Governess's Guide to Spells and Managing Misfit Marquesses." #BookSky These were an absolute magical joy to read! 1/9

110

JM Bookshelf @jmbookshelf.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Needless to say, I'll read whatever author Valeri writes! #NetGalley #AtriaBooks #TheProdigalDaughter 5/5

000

JM Bookshelf @jmbookshelf.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Her education was intended to show the dangerous power games played against her, but her education wasn't finished. Will she learn what she needs to know? And will she trust the right people to help her? As with LFTD, I didn't want it to end. 4/5

100

JM Bookshelf @jmbookshelf.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

The characters, events, and details from LFTD were so vivid and memorable that I only re-read a few segments to refresh my memory before jumping right into TPD, which picks up right where LFTD ends. Was coming back home a mistake? Should she have renounced her family? But she wants answers. 3/5

100

JM Bookshelf @jmbookshelf.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

While not expecting a sequel, I was overjoyed when author Valeri announced that the story of the "heiress" (I always think of her as Isabella since that's the author's name) would be continued! 2/5

100

JM Bookshelf @jmbookshelf.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for this free copy of "The Prodigal Daughter." #BookSky First, I have to shout from the rooftops again about "Letters from the Dead" and what a remarkable novel it is! 1/5

131

JM Bookshelf @jmbookshelf.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Eight years ago, Amy lost her family in a massacre on the island. But when islanders start feeling the irresistible urge to dig in their yards and start acting violently, is something stirring again? #NetGalley #CrookedLaneBooks #Dig 4/4

000

JM Bookshelf @jmbookshelf.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Her family has owned the island since the 1800's and it's known for its superior honey. But the island is also known for the legend of the Boo Hags that live in the swamp and feed off the life force of their victims. And Amy almost drowned in the swamp as a young child. 3/4

101

JM Bookshelf @jmbookshelf.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

You can feel the unnerving but mystical swamp and hear the water lapping against the boat as it glides through the water. So there's actual digging (with shovels) and then there's digging (researching). Amy is writing a book on the history of Crow Island, off the coast of Georgia. 2/4

100

JM Bookshelf @jmbookshelf.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this free copy of "Dig." #BookSky Atmospheric and creepy and swarming with island mystique and folklore! 1/4

260

JM Bookshelf @jmbookshelf.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

And what will they do when they find Elsebeth and Sister Ursula? #NetGalley #PoisonedPenPress #SourceBooks #BoneOfMyBone 4/4

000

JM Bookshelf @jmbookshelf.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Elsebeth rescues Sister Ursula from soldiers and during their escape in the forest, they find an injured man with the skull of a saint in a box. But is it truly a saint's skull or something else entirely? And who else is looking for the saint's skull? 3/4

100

JM Bookshelf @jmbookshelf.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Set during the Thirty Years War in Bavaria, you automatically think of Grimm's fairy tales but the war has devastated everyone and separated families, leaving nothing but destruction and starvation. 2/4

100

JM Bookshelf @jmbookshelf.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Thanks to NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press, and @sourcebooks.bsky.social for this free copy of "Bone of My Bone." #BookSky Very interesting book on many levels. Folklore horror, war horror, and undead horror are woven together in a dark and complex maze of survival. 1/4

140

JM Bookshelf @jmbookshelf.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

And kudos to author Barnett for the subtle shout-outs to "Withered Hill" and "Scuttler's Cove." Watch for it at the end - and then I had to go back and reread the endings of WH and SC, too! #NetGalley #Canelo #ScratchMoss 6/6

000

JM Bookshelf @jmbookshelf.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

I know the blurb reveals that the story is told in 5 timelines, but don't let that deter you. It's like peeling back an onion, solving clues to a mystery, and the flow and plotting are wonderful. 5/6

100

JM Bookshelf @jmbookshelf.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

The story of Scratch Moss, the mines established there, the ancient barrows underground, and the community that passively consents to the cost of the mine's survival is riveting, horrifying, yet heart-breaking. 4/6

100

JM Bookshelf @jmbookshelf.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

But he does remember "Red Clogs is coming to get you." And then Joe's mother begins acting strangely. 3/6

100

JM Bookshelf @jmbookshelf.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

His father had been in prison for 40 years and everyone in Scratch Moss hailed Joe's father as a hero and he doesn't understand why. Joe has forgotten so much about his childhood in the old mining community. 2/6

100

JM Bookshelf @jmbookshelf.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

Thanks to NetGalley and Canelo Books for this free copy of "Scratch Moss." #BookSky What a brilliantly-plotted, skin-crawling, cover-your-eyes folklore horror book by author Barnett! Joe Collier is returning to Scratch Moss for his father's funeral. 1/6

151

JM Bookshelf @jmbookshelf.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

You will love Daisy and Caleb who met when they were 9 and 12 respectively and this is their story as they weave in and out of each other's lives for years. Kudos to author Woeppel for a gorgeously-written, emotionally haunting, captivating experience. 3/4

120

JM Bookshelf @jmbookshelf.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

And yes, it's a super exciting and suspenseful love story, ghost story, murder mystery, serial killer in the family, trying to hide your past and recover from it, found family, and second chances book. But it's so much more than that and I won't spoil any of it for you. 2/4

120

JM Bookshelf @jmbookshelf.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

Thanks to LibraryThing and #BooksForwardPR for this free copy of "The Butcher and the Liar." #BookSky What an amazing, unforgettable book! With beautiful, touching moments, it's one of those books that you keep thinking about LONG after you read it. 1/4

180