Over the past few weeks I’ve received quite a few new books. With the exception of one book, all the rest are ARCs and all a surprise to me. Not a bad thing of course but that just means I have to find more time to fit them in my reading schedule and find room for them on my shelves. So here they are:

• Barnacle Love by Anthony De Sa (won from a giveaway Stefanie hosted – thank you Stefanie!).
• The Bird of the River by Kage Baker.
• Bad Penny Blues by Cathi Unsworth
• A Curable Romantic by Joseph Skibell
• The Last Letter from Your Lover by Jojo Moyes
• Prospero in Hell by L. Jagi Lamplighter
• A Bad Day’s Work by Nora McFarland
• Over the Edge by Norah McClintock
• Double Cross by Norah McClintock
• Going Away Shoes by Jill McCorkle
• The Last Page by Anthony Huso
• A Star Shall Fall by Marie Brennan
• Haunted Legends
• Exley by Brock Clarke

Aren’t I a lucky Bookgirl? Have you read some of these? Now, excuse me while I go find some space on the shelves for my new books.

It’s that time of the year again, Carl V.’s wonderful R.I.P. challenge is back. My track record with challenges is always iffy but there’s no way I’m missing out on joining this one. I’ve participated every year and I’m excited to see it back for the fifth year.

I’m going to try and complete the second peril which means I have to read two books between September 1 and October 31. Books can be in the genres of Mystery, Suspense, Thriller, Supernatural, Gothic, Horror and Dark Fantasy. I’ll try to stay away from counting traditional mysteries as I read those all the time anyway. I want to expand my horizons a bit more you know.

Part of the fun of joining a challenge of course is the list making right? I have quite a few books that would work for this challenge and I’m just going to choose as I read along but here are some potentials. If one of my list is a must read, let me know and I may move it up on the nightstand.

• The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins. I thought The Woman in White was fabulous and think I would definitely enjoy this one.
• Noctures by John Connolly.
• Hell by Kathryn Davis. Part mystery, part domestic meditation and part horror story. Scary…
• The Leavenworth Case by Anna Katherine Green. The book which introduces the first American series detective, Ebenezer Gryce.
• 20th Century Ghosts by Joe Hill. I’ve actually read a couple of the stories in this collection but even if I don’t finish it all I think taking in one or more stories would be a good thing.
• Don’t Look Now by Daphne du Maurier.

I have other books, some short story collections and more classics, so I don’t think I’ll have a shortage of reading material for the challenge. All of these sound so good I want to read them all now.

So are you joining? What is one book you can’t wait to read?