Week 26

This week was really cold, winter has well and truly arrived! So I enjoyed snuggling under the blanket and visiting my book world. The second book in the Crazy Rich Asians series arrived in the mail and so I couldn’t wait to see what happened next in Rachel and Nick’s world. This novel, China Rich Girlfriend has a bit of a back story about Rachel’s long lost half brother and father before we finally see the couple wed and go on their honeymoon to Shanghai. This series reminds a bit of sex and the city, lavish mega rich lifestyles... Next week, I will be enjoying the last in the series.

I also joined a new Facebook group who read different genres. The next four weeks are dedicated to the romantic suspense genre. When I searched the genre there were a lot of Nora Roberts and Linda Howard. I haven’t not read their books before so this week I added Open Season to my audiobook collection. This was very cliche with the recipe for a perfect romantic suspense. “Spinster” librarian has birthday decides to do a makeover, goes out to bars, witnesses a murder, gets a puppy and forms a relationship with the new deputy. A very quick read. More predictable than suspenseful although it has a ending twist. 

The second was also a romantic suspense genre, I discovered this title in Amazon’s best sellers for this genre and it was already an audible download. Everything we keep by Kerry Lonsdale was a completely different mood, opening with  Aimee attending her fiancé’s funeral the day they intended to be married. A psychic confronts her in the car park and tells her that her fiancé is still alive. Aimee slowly rebuilds her life, opens a cafe but can’t stop thinking about what the psychic said. Is James still alive? Predictable but has a few twists. I actually discovered it’s the first book in another triology. So I think you will find out more about this story in subsequent posts.

I plan to read one more book for this genre. With this book I completed my goodreads reading challenge. I think I will have to set a higher target for 2019.

Week 25

This week I enjoyed The Best of Us. This book was chosen for my read around the world challenge for Jamaica. Four college friends and their husbands go on vacation to celebrate Dwight’s 35th birthday. Listening to the lavish dinners, snorkeling trips and helicopter flights was just pure escapism, but then a hurricane arrives which leaves them all re-evaluating their lives.

Week 24

This week I discovered two new authors. After seeing a movie last weekend I saw a preview for the movie Crazy Rich Asians, and knew that it was based on the book by Kevin Kwan. I didn’t leave the complex until I had the book of the same name in my hands. It looked so enjoyable, and it was! I read it within the two days of the weekend.

Rachel and Nick lived in New York and had been dating for two years. Nick invites Rachel to Singapore, his home for his best friends wedding and to finally meet his family. It turns out Nick’s family is one of Singapore’s richest family. They hadn’t heard of Rachel and think she is a gold digger. This book is hiliarous and it turns out is the first book in a trilogy. I now have to wait for the next book to arrive...

The second book was an audiobook, and was suggested after finishing Confess by Colleen Hoover. The idea of love, a novel - did not disappoint. Ella has recently separated and is living alone in a crumbling apartment, she is a shoe salesperson in a wedding shop. When she meets “Hunter”, a historical coffee book author, she makes up a story about being a widow after her husband drowned, who designs wedding dresses for a living. Hunter also is not telling the truth. But as they say in the south, don’t let the truth get in the way of a good story. The was a quick enjoyable story this week on my commute.

Week 23

It’s taken me 3 weeks to read however Dark Places by Gillian Flynn is a haunting psychological thriller that left me wondering. After the first chapter I was hooked, I just had so much going on workwise that I found it difficult only uncovering what was happening at a chapter a night. Last night was a cold wet night, so I showered and dressed in my Pjs and was determined to read until the very end.

Each chapter is told in a different character- Ben Day, Libby Day and Patty their mother. Ben and Patty narrate the past and Libby the future. Who killed the Day family? Was it Ben who was into devil worshipping? Was it Runner - husband to Patty and father to Ben, Michelle, Debby and Libby? In true Gillian Flynn style there is a twist at the end which keeps you turning the page.

Book Challenge by Erin 9.0

The categories were announced today and I couldn’t wait to get home from work to check my book shelves and scan goodreads for recommendations. Two titles are audiobooks, the rest I own and have had them laying on my to be read pile for ages.

Here’s my selection

• 5 points: Freebie - read a book that is least 200 pages-  Lily and the Octopus by Steven Rowley
• 10 points: Read a book that starts with the letter N - Nothing to declare: memoirs of a woman travelling alone by Mary Morris
• 10 points - Read a book that has mostly an orange cover - The adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle
• 15 points: Read a book with an unlikeable character - Americannah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.
• 20 points: read a book from the of 100 books that PBS calls “The Great American Read” - A tree grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
• 20 points: read a book with something related to the water in the title- The secret river by Kate Greenville
• 25 points: read a book you’ve owned the longest but haven’t read yet - (audible) Swimming lessons by Clare Fuller
• 30 points: Read a book with an emotion word in the title- For the love of a son by Jean Sassoon
• 30 points: Read a book where each word in the title of the book begins with same letter. - Foreign Fruit by Jojo Moyes
• 35 points: Read a book featuring a character who shares your profession or similar one (teacher) -Because of Mr Terrupt by Rob Buyea

Starts July 1st