Blogging catch up November reads

November is always a busy month. Whilst I managed to find the time to read, I didn’t blog any of the titles I read. I enjoyed the first magical mystery bookshop and so in November I read the next title in the series Prose and Cons. It’s the annual wine and food festival in Cascade Springs and the bookshop puts on an Edgar Allan Poe reading. Just before the reading starts, one of the Red Inkers, the weekly writing group that meet at the bookshop is found dead. All of the writing group are suspects. It’s such a cozy read, I can’t wait for the next book in the series to be released next year.

Next I read The impossible girl by Lydia Kang. This was a Once Upon a Book Club title for October. I personally never would have picked this for myself, but I loved it. Part historical fiction, part medical mystery. This book is set in the 1850s in New York when grave robbers stole bodies for medical students to practice on. People with medical anomalies are dying suddenly. Cora was born with two hearts, can she protect herself? Such a thriller! As with all the Once Upon a Book club titles, this one came to life with the cleverly selected gifts.

For something a bit different, I enjoyed the Summer beach read The Identicals. Two twin girls are separated from each other and one of their parents when their parents get divorced. One sister lives on Nantucket with her mother and the other sister lives with her father on Martha’s Vineyard. When  the girls father passes away. The girls swap islands and try to find themselves. I loved this Elin Hildebrand novel, won’t be my last that I read.

The year I turned forty had been sitting on my shelf for a while, and so I blew off the dust and was not disappointed. I actually was a bit surprised at the plot line as I didn’t realise it was a time travel book. I may not have picked it up to read had I known this. Three friends go to Vegas for their fiftieth birthday. At a hypnotist show, they have the opportunity to travel back in time to when they were forty and recorrect the way their lives turned out. If they are not happy at the end of the year they can go back to the way things were at 50. An interesting read.

 

The last book for the month was Danielle Steel’s The House. It’s been a long time since I read Danielle Steel. This book was an enjoyable read as tax lawyer, Sarah has been managing the tax affairs of a 99 year old wealthy client for many years. When he passes away, Sarah rethinks her life and makes some risky decisions. 

Week 43

This week I listened to a couple of audiobooks. The first one was When the Lights go out by Mary Kubica. I’ve read a few of her titles and love the thrillers she writes. The story is told in two viewpoints in alternating timelines. We experience Jessie’s story in the present while uncovering her mother’s story told from the past. Then we get to the big reveal, and I must admit, I was disappointed this time.

The second audiobook was a Reese Witherspoon bookclub title Something in the water. I was also listening to this as a bonus title for the Erin 9.0 reading challenge.

What a page turner! This book was full of twists, I never suspected any of them,  I just kept listening  not wanting it to finish! Highly recommend.  

Week 42

This week I worked on the bonus round for Erin 9.0 reading challenge and ticking off more categories for the Ultimate Reading challenge.  Dumplin by Julie Murphy was highly recommended by other readers in Erin’s challenge for the unlikeable character. Willowdean is a curvaceous sixteen year old living in a small Texas town. The highlight of Clover city is its yearly beauty pageant which her mother is head of the committee. Willowdean enters the beauty pageant along with a few unlikely candidates.

This book is due to be a film next year with Jennifer Anniston.

M

Next was another highly recommended title, also due to be released as a movie. The goodreads winner for debut author and young adult read, The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. This was a  powerful story... informative, eye-opening, emotional and message filled. I also highly recommend this one! 

Lastly is a book by someone not known as an author. Mycroft Holmes was a collaboration between Kareem Abdul - Jabber and Anna Waterhouse. After finishing The adventures of Sherlock Holmes I picked this book up based on Sherlock’s brother. It is set in the same time period as the original short stories and feels like it is written in the same voice. This story is set however in 🇹🇹 Trinidad, full of mystery and thrills. 

Once Upon a Book Club - spooky box

I’m really loving the Once Upon a Book Club subscription and they were doing a once off box in October for Halloween. So I had to have it. Earlier this week my mailman delivered it... it was really heavy and this is what the gifts looked like upon unpacking.

The book was The Retreat by Mark Edwards. I was worried that I may not enjoy the book as horror is not my thing, but I found it a real page turner more intriguing than spooky. What happended to Lily the night she disappeared at the river? Who or what is spooking the retreat? 

These were some of the gifts that brought the book to life. 

I just loved the red coat. I read the book last night and it was pouring with rain and very cold. I couldn’t wait to put to on. It was really snuggly as well as spooky.

In the story, Julia and Lucas are given a map. I won’t show you the map, as it’s a plot spoiler but Once Upon a Book club pay attention to detail. It’s written on stationary that has the name of The Retreat on the top. 

Lastly I got a practical gift that has a few uses.

The book was fantastic, one of the best I’ve read this year. It has a gripping ending too. Highly recommend this one! What a great thrilling read for October! 

Week 40

Its spring break and I managed to get some serious reading done this week. I really liked the hint for the young adult once upon a book club title, and as soon as the title was known I ordered the book. In Another Time tells the story of The Women’s timber corp in Scotland during the war. I loved hearing about the strong lumberjills and it was a side of the war I hadn’t heard before. Interspersed in the story is a love story between Maisie and John. 

Americanah has been sitting on my shelf for a while. I bought it second hand as a title for my Read around the world for 🇳🇬 Nigeria. The title was also on an unlikeable character list and so it was one of my titles for Erin’s 9.0 reading challenge. This was the tenth title read for this challenge. This book takes on race, immigration and emigration, the politics of natural hair, interracial relationships, what it means to leave home, and what it means to return, all things I have no experience with wrapped up in a love story. I liked the main characters Ifemeulu and Obinze, I’m not quite sure which character was meant to be unlikeable. I’m unsure about the ending, it left me wanting more. 

So after reading this book, I planned my titles for Erin’s 9.0 bonus round. Walk Two moons was on someone’s TBR pile the longest and it was also sitting in my bookshelf. I had bought this as a Newberry title that might be good to use in the classroom. It had been a while since I had read a Newberry title. I found it slow to start, but the ending was powerful and had me shed a few tears. This book deals with issues relating to internalizing feelings, judging others, coping with emotions and not taking things for granted. All things children in upper primary experience and are learning about. 

Once upon a book club - September review

This month’s subscription contained a historical mystery fiction - The Glass ocean as well as some gifts tied to the plot.

Three females’ stories unravel around the fate of the Cunard Liner the Lusitania. The world’s largest passenger liner in 1915 was travelling from New York to Liverpool. On board in first class was Caroline, and in second class travelled Tess. Caroline is married to industrialist Gilbert who has come into new money. Their marriage is shaky as he spends a lot of time addressing the business concerns. just before departing New York, Caroline meets up with long time friend, :Robert. She feels a spark towards her old friend.  As you read the book, the gifts bring to life the gifts Gilbert bestowed to Caroline.

  

During the story you wonder if  Tess and Caroline will meet? What happens to Caroline and Robert? And what is the mystery regarding  the waltz composition? Who is after the secrets it contains?

Told at the same time in the present timeline is Sarah’s story,  she is uncovering the mystery of the Lusitania after finding a relic of her grandfathers. How does her story link to the other two women? This story is full of intrigue. 

The gifts in the subscription all were beautifully wrapped in designs close to the time period in the story. They were labelled with Caroline’s name which made it. I loved the historical fiction, it is hard to believe it was a collaboration between three authors as it was told seamlessly.

Week 38

This week I pulled a book off my shelf that I’ve had for quite a while, Foreign Fruit by Jojo Moyes. Set in two timelines, 1950s and the present. Lottie is a war evacuee that comes to live in a seaside town. She becomes friends with Celia Holden and together they visit the sea cliff mansion, Arcadia. Bohemian artist have recently moved and caused a scandal in the tiny town. Fast forward to the present, and we are introduced to Daisy who has been hired to renovate the seaside mansion. The story is slow to start, but then a beautiful story unfolds. This was my alliterative title for Erin’s 9.0 reading challenge.

I’ve become hooked to mysteries since starting the Bookies R us challenge, and so another cosy mystery, Killer Transaction was my other title read this week. This was a quick read. Cindy York, a real estate agent just had a listing stolen under by colleague Tiffany. Left feeling angry, Cindy threatens Tiffany in a voicemail. As she comes back to the office later that night, she discovers Tiffany dead and after her threat, she is the prime suspect. This is the first in a series. I actually enjoyed it and would like for the other titles in this series.

7 books read towards the Bookies r us challenge. 57 books in total read for my good reads challenge in 2018. 😊

Once upon a book club - August review.

I’m loving this book club! August’s title was The Space Between by Dete Meserve. Everything inside the box is wrapped exceptionally with an astronomy theme; stars, constellations and a special Christmas gift for the main character.

The gifts add to the book reading experience. As you read you enter the world of the main characters and the gifts take it to the next dimension. In the story Dr Sarah Mayfield just made an important space discovery which she has presented to NASA. Upon her return home, she discovers her husband not home, he doesn’t answer his phone and when she contacts his workplace the next morning, they raise the alarm as a trial he was appearing in was moved forward. We are left wondering what has happened to Ben. The first gift this month was...

Revealed when Sarah went to visit his workplace. On Ben’s desk was a photo taken from the Joshua Tree National Park where Ben proposed. He wanted to remember that time forever. This gift made you feel the same affection Sarah felt when she saw it. 

The second gift was...

The gift Ben had left wrapped under the tree. In the story, Ben gave Sarah a special gem necklace and  on the back written in their special code was the word, “I’m sorry”. Just before Sarah left she had questioned the state of their fifteen year marriage. Whatever happened you know he wanted to be there when Sarah returned home.

Sarah reviews the security footage and she sees something... what does this have to do with Ben’s disappearance? This gift was so cool. Not only is it practical. It’s a USB, but it also has a short clip acting out the security footage. I don’t picture Ben as portrayed on the film. But it definitely made me  question the events, and try and determine what happened with what the author revealed so far.

Towards the end of the story Sarah goes back to the Joshua Tree National Park that was so special to her and Ben. When walking on the path, she drops her drink bottle. The last gift was the drink bottle. The book club have each detail well thought out, if you look carefully in the drink bottle, it is labelled  Sarah’s and it has a quote which suits the moment in the story. This book was amazing, the once upon a book club brings the story alive. I love this book club, and you know what I want for Christmas ...😂

Week 37

Last week I wanted to get some more titles complete for the alphabet challenge. I read The Japanese Lover by Isabelle Allende for J. This historical fiction spanned the decades and was about a girl named Alma who escaped the war in Poland. She traveled to San Francisco, and met a boy named Ishimei. After Pearl Harbour he was imprisoned in a POW camp in Utah. I hadn’t heard a Japanese POW story before. It was years later that these two met back up. Such a beautiful story.

The next story was also for the Alphabet challenge - Under the egg. I bought this years ago to read to my class. The story follows the summer journey of quirky, self sufficient and academic Theodora Tenpenney as she attempts to solve her grandfathers art mystery, while at the same time learning how to make connections and friendships in order to escape her lonely childhood. Adults equally would enjoy this story.

That just leaves V, X,Y and Z left to read to complete this year’s challenge.

This week I read a new genre - cozy mysteries. I read two titles - Crime and Poetry about a magical  bookstore mystery. Grandma Daisy has convinced Violet to return to Cascade Springs. She wants Violet to take over running the Charming bookstore, however she has every intention to go back to Chicago until a dead man is discovered in the front of her Grandma’s house. This was a quick read.

The last book is Catering to Nobody. Goldy Bear is catering the wake of her son’s favourite teacher when her father in law is poisoned. This sees her catering business shut down. Desperate for the return of income, Goldy investigates the crime to clear her name and get her business up running again. 

 This is five books towards the Bookies R Us reading challenge for mysteries. 

Week 35

After Reading The Cuckoo’s calling I wanted to read the original London literary detective -Sherlock Holmes! I have had the book for a while and it was one of my titles for Erin’s 9.0 reading challenge. I didn’t realise The adventures of Sherlock Holmes 🕵️‍♀️ was a collection of short stories. I spent more time reading this book than others as I put it down after reading each short story. The collection is very cleverly written. At times I found the beginnings of the stories drawn out as they start very similarly. There are ten short stories in total, with my favourite being The adventure of the blue carbuncle. Reading the stories I reminisced about my time in London early this year. I wish I had visited the Sherlock Holmes museum now in Baker Street.

Another book towards the Ultimate Reading challenge and Bookies R us. 

Week 34

The last fortnight I’ve read quite a few titles. The first was a book recommended by Reese Witherspoon from her Hello Sunshine book club. The  Light we Lost. This was an Ahhh-maz-ing love story that spanned 30 years. Another page turner I just wanted to read more about Gabe and Lucy’s story and find out what happened. I think will explore more titles from this book club in the future. 

Next I went back to my list for Erin’s 9.0 reading challenge list and decided to try For the Love of a Son. This story was a true story, very heartbreaking. Maryam is a defiant Afghani girl fighting for equality. After an arranged marriage, she is continually brutally beaten  and her young son kidnaped by his father. Maryam remarries and moves to 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia. This is one mother’s search for her son. This book was my 5th title complete in Erin’s challenge and another title for my read around the world. 

The next book enjoyed was Where the road takes me. This young adult romance was full of cliches but the escapism was just what I needed after a busy days work.   Chloe is rescued by Blake when he is out for a jog one night. She attends his school and takes the same Math class but he can’t believe he has never set sight in her before. He can’t stop thinking about her, can Blake break down Chloe’s walls that she has built and let him love her? Totally predictable.

Lastly, the Bookies R us have picked mysteries for the next genre challenge and I have had The cuckoo’s calling by Robert Galbraith (aka JK Rowling) sitting waiting for me, this was the perfect time to get into it. A great whodunnnit that kept me guessing. I am actually interested in more in the series featuring  this ex military detective and checking out the tv series based on this book. 

The last weeks have been very productive reading weeks. I’ve now managed 49 titles towards the Goodreads Challenge, and a few more crossed off the Ultimate Reading challenge. 

Week 32

At the beginning of the fortnight I increased my goodreads challenge from my original plan of 36 books which I planned to be roughly 3books a month to 60 books. At the same time I was looking for a historical fiction book to sink my teeth into. I had seen many reviews about the Tattoist of Auschwitz, and a few mentions of the Librarian of Auschwitz. Having not long along finished A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and being introduced to Francie Nolan and her love of books. I decided to stick with another bibliophile character and download the audio version of The Librarian of Auschwitz. I didn’t research the book before I did and was surprised that it was based on the true events experienced by Dita Adler. The literary recount was originally written in Spanish and translated. It tells of the horrific imprisonment of Dita and her family in a camp at Auschwitz. A few minutes I had to stop the audiobook as it elaborated with quite detail about the torturous experiments of Dr Josef Mengele.

Dita is a 14 year old girl who is a teaching assistant in Block 31. She keeps a precious library of 8 books and through the terrifying recount of events. Her love of books and living books creates a sense of hope and courage in this horrific era. It is not just her story that is intriguing but the interview with Dita and the author at the end and details about what happened to historic figures we just read about.

This was a book set in Poland 🇵🇱.

The next book I encountered was a change of genre, but was still a heavy read. Behind closed doors by BA Paris was a thrilling read. Grace meets Jack Angel. He is such a charming man but the moment that they marry, things do not appear as they seem. This psychological thriller was a page turner and I can’t believe what Grace experiences. 

This makes my book total 45 books. 

Week 30

This week I received my very first book club box. I subscribed for three months to Once Upon A Book Club. I loved getting the book like pink box.

The idea of this book club is that as you read they have carefully selected gifts which you open at the designated reading pause. 

This month’s hard cover new release is The Lost Vintage by Ann Mah.

 

The gifts are wrapped in vineyard themed gift wrapping. I couldn’t wait to read and experience the world of the story. It wasn’t long before I got to the first book gift.

I couldn’t stop reading. 

  

 

 

 

I absolutely loved this book and the characters. I didn’t want it to end. This story is told in dual timelines. Helene narrates the past through a series of journal entries during WW2 , the present narrated through Kate. Kate is a sommelier, she is studying for the Master of Wine exam and visits her family vineyard in Burgundy, France. She finds a hidden wine cellar and the diary of her great aunt, and discovers the history of the vineyard during the war. It is exceptionally told. A great selection for a book club discussion later next month. I can’t wait for the next two instalments. 

This month the Bookies R Us challenge is to read as many historical fiction books as we can. This is my first. Overall it is my 43rd book this year for my goodreads challenge, and another for the ultimate reading challenge - a book about science. Helene is a chemist, it’s her knowledge of science that assists the vineyard during the war.