Week 28

I couldn’t wait for my holidays from work and the first book on my list was the third in the Crazy Rich Asians series by Kevin Kwan- Rich People problems. This story continues with Nick’s grandmother falling ill. He hasn’t spoken with her since the night he proposed to Rachel in Book 1. The family antics continue with Eddie and his wife Fiona jostling for the favourite grandson position hoping to be the heir to the grand estate in Singapore,  Astrid and Collin’s union and Nick trying to see his grandmother before she dies. I loved this series and can’t wait to see the movie when it comes out. I wonder how much of the story they reveal. This also was another tick in my ultimate reading challenge for a trilogy or series ✅

The next book read was for Erin’s 9.0 reading challenge. Swimming lessons by Clare Fuller was on my audible app the longest and so I used this for the category. The story switched between the past and the present. The past was told through hidden letters from wife, Ingrid to husband Gil, when they were going through a difficult time in their marriage. The present was told through the stories of Nan and her sister, Flora as they deal with caring for their aging father, Gil and the disappearance of their mother many years ago. It was an interesting read. Well narrated.

Lastly, I joined another book challenge group on Facebook last month called Bookies R us. Each month they have a challenge to read as many book for the chosen genre. The past month was Romantic suspense. I hadn’t read a title in this genre for a long time, not since the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich. So I read Linda Howard’s open season and Kerry Lonsdale’s Everything  we keep and lastly, Nora Roberts - Public Secrets. The genre surprised me, I actually enjoyed the novels more than I anticipated. I will probably revisit this genre again. Public secrets was a saga that spanned thirty years. Francie McAvoy, daughter to rockstar, Brian McAvoy, comes into is his life after her mother tries to use her birth to win him back. Seeing that she has been abused and neglected he decided to gain full custody. Brian has a new life with partner Bev, and a baby on the way and welcomes Francie into his new family. Baby Darren is adored by Francie and she promises him that she will never let anyone hurt him. Tragedy strikes when there is a bungled kidnapping and Darren is killed. Much of the book is about how Brian, Bev, Francie and the band members cope with this loss. Francie can’t remember the exact details of the night of the kidnapping and is isn’t until many years later and with the assistance of the son of the detective investigating that Francie remembers what happened that night. This was my first Nora Roberts book but it was when I finished this I remembered I bought a Nora Roberts book not long after I had my son Liam for a book club. Well I never read it and I am now thinking that this might be the longest unread physical book I own. 

Week 27

This week I read Nothing to Declare - memoir of a woman travelling alone by Mary Morris. This was the first book in Erin's 9.0 reading challenge. "Starting with N". It was an interesting travel log and memoir of a woman who ventured to Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua alone in the 1980s. Quite remarkable accounts of the landscapes, ruins and people in these parts of the world. I wonder if Mary returned to Mexico, I wonder what happened to her neighbour Lupe, who the book is dedicated to and her children. I choose this book also for my read around the world challenge for Guatemala.

Just recapping my read around the world challenge so far:

Oceania:

Australia - The Light Between Oceans by ML Stedman

Asia:

Korea - Kite fighters by Linda Su Park

Lebanon  - Oranges in No Man's Land by Elizabeth Laird

Israel  - One More River by Lynne Reid Banks

Afghanistan - A thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseni

Iran - Leila's Secret by Kooshyar Karimi

Singapore -  Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

Africa:

Kenya - Facing the Lion by Joseph Lemasolai Lekuton

Sudan - A long walk to water by Linda Su Park

Rwanda - One Thousand Hills by James Roy and Noel Zihabmwe

Somalia - Through my eyes: Amina by J L Powers

Europe:

Ireland - A taste for it by Monica McInerney

United Kingdom -  The War that Saved my life by Kimberley Brubaker Bradley

Guernsey - The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

Denmark - Number the Stars by Lois Lowry

France - Paris for One by Jojo Moyes

Norway - The Sunlit Night by Rebecca Dinerstein

Finland - Big Game by Dan Smith

Belgium - And We're Off by Dana Schwartz

Sweden - A Man called Ove by Fredric Backman

Russia - Sapphire Skies by Belinda Alexandra

Greece - Girl Gone Greek by Rebecca Hall

Italy - Trafficked by Sophia Hayes

Northern and Central America

United States - Everything I never told you by Celeste Ng

Canada - The Lightkeeper's Daughter by Jean E.Pendziwol

Mexico - Little Sister - Lucy Dawson

Jamaica - The Best of Us - Sarah Pekkanen

Guatemala - Nothing to Declare by Mary Morris

South America

Venezuela - Keeper of the House by Lisa St. Aubin de Terane

29 countries visited so far. 

29 categories completed for the Ultimate Reading challenge as well.

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