I’ve got a stack of new books waiting for my attention…as soon as I wade through a few other things, waiting for my attention. It’s a lovely sort of excess, isn’t it – having so many new books, you don’t know where to start? These all look great and I’m like a hungry gal at the buffet table — I can’t wait to dig in!

In no particular order…

In the Garden of Beasts, by Erik Larson. I loved The Devil in the White Cityso I’m really looking forward to this.

Berlin, 1933. William E. Dodd becomes America’s first ambassador to Hitler’s Germany in a year that will prove to be a turning point in history. A mild-mannered professor from Chicago, he brings along his wife, son, and flamboyant daughter, Martha…The year darkens ominously, and both Dodd and his daughter find their lives gradually transformed — until the bloody night that reveals Hitler’s true character.

And now for something completely different, Rubber Balls and Liquor, by Gilbert Gottfried. I would put a little blurb from the book flap, but what I found on the inside of the jacket is really unsuitable for a website without a warning for minors. Naturally, I can’t wait to read this one. 😉

When I picked up the package, I figured there had to be 2 or 3 books in it, but no – just The Map of Timeby Felix J. Palma. All 612 pages of it. This would really come in handy on one of those flights to Amsterdam.

Set in Victorian London with characters real and imagined, The Map of Time is a page-turner that boasts a triple play of intertwined plots in which a skeptical H.G. Wells is called upon to investigate purported incidents of time travel and to save lives and literary classics from being wiped from existence.

Finally, This Burns My Heart, by Samuel Park. This is the story of a woman trapped by custom and out-dated laws:

In a country torn between past and present, Soo-Ja struggles to find happiness in a loveless marriage and to carve out a successful future for her only daughter. Forced by tradition to move in with her in-laws, she must navigate the dangers of a cruel household and pay the price of choosing the wrong husband. Meanwhile, the man she truly loves remains a lurking shadow in her life, reminding her constantly of the love she could have had.

So those are the newest items on the TBR Shelf. Check back soon for reviews, teasers and more new books!