#IMWAYR

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

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It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? a place to meet up and share what you have been, and are about to be reading over the week. It’s a great post to organise yourself. It’s an opportunity to visit and comment and er… add to your groaning TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn here at The Book Date.
Jen Vincent, Teach Mentor Texts, and Kellee of Unleashing Readers decided to give It’s Monday! a kidlit focus. If you read and review books in children’s literature – picture books, chapter books, middle grade novels, young adult novels or anything in those genres – join them.

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Welcome in everyone. I had a pretty normal week, with a variety of activities, very few of them housework or anything like that! My reading was good, my admiration of Louise Penny continues to grow, and I really enjoyed the Mary Balogh audiobook.

I watched the last episode of Ted Lasso and was very sad to see it finish. Now that the nights get dark quickly with winter here, I tend to watch something. I think I might have to flick over to Netflix to catch up on a few things there.

What I read last week:

What I am reading now:

Famous in a Small Town

And I am going to start listening to…

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Up next:

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Last Week’s Posts

May Round Up of Reading

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Month in Review

May Round up of Reading

Total books read this month:  11

Book Ratings

The Money Club 4.25 stars (review book)
My Oxford Year. 4.25 stars.( audio)
Take My Hand   5 stars (library book)
The Wonderful Thing About Phoenix Rose (my own book)
Daisies and Devotion 3 stars.( audio)
The Last Lie Told. 3.25 stars. (library book)
The Little Italian Hotel. Phaedra Patrick 3.77 (review book)
Identity   4.25 stars ( my own paperback)
Atlas: The Story of Pa Salt.  4.8 stars (audio)
The Emma Project 4 stars. (my own paperback)
A Rule Against Murder.  4.25 stars (my own paperback)

Settings

South west Australia
Oxford, England
Alabama, USA
London/Somerset. England
Australia
Tennessee USA
Bologna Italy
Vermont USA
France/Germany/Norway/Scotland/England/Australia/Switzerland/Brazil/USA/Spain
California USA
Canada

New to me authors:

Dolen Perkins Valdez

Top Book for May

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A Few of the Books I look forward to seeing published in June

Linking up with Nicole from FeedYourFiction Addiction.

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#IMWAYR

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

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It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? a place to meet up and share what you have been, and are about to be reading over the week. It’s a great post to organise yourself. It’s an opportunity to visit and comment and er… add to your groaning TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn here at The Book Date.
Jen Vincent, Teach Mentor Texts, and Kellee of Unleashing Readers decided to give It’s Monday! a kidlit focus. If you read and review books in children’s literature – picture books, chapter books, middle grade novels, young adult novels or anything in those genres – join them.

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Well hasn’t May rolled through fast. I think June counts as our first month in winter. I hope we get some really nice cold weather.

I did a lot of listening this past week or two as I sped through 20 hours of Atlas: The Story of Pa Salt which ends a series. As Lucinda Riley died her son did the last book from the notes his mother left. He did an excellent job. This book was set in a number of countries so it was quite a ride.  The Emma Project has been on my shelf for awhile so it was time and I did enjoy it.

I got hooked into watching Ted Lasso on Apple TV and now just waiting for the last one in season 3 to drop on Wednesday. I’ve loved the show and think I need to turn around at some point and watch it all again.

What I read last week:

What I am reading now:

A Rule Against Murder

And I am listening to…

Someone to Wed

Up next:

Famous in a Small Town
 

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Top Ten Tuesday

Things That Instantly Make Me Want to Read a Book

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Linking up with That Artsy Reader Girl.

So many reasons to pick up and read a book. And I miss out on some from  being human and not able to read all my eye beholds.
Yours Truly

A newly published book by a newly loved author, these days there are just about more than I can keep up with. And they keep growing, for example I think of Abby Jimenez, I totally loved The Happy Ever After Playlist so I want anything she has written.

And then of course all the old auto read authors I have on my list. Even if I might have been a bit disappointed in their last book I still want to read them.

If a book is set in Scotland I’ll certainly want to at least read it or take a really good look at it.

Or if it is set somewhere that appeals to me like Nantucket. Or any kind of beach sounding read.

Talking of settings I always fall for a book set in a bookshop or a library and will most likely want to/have to read it. Or its main character is a novelist.

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If I read a blog review of a book and it has some elements I really like then I really want to read it now even though I have so many to read.

If I know it is a HEA or a HFN well that moves it up the list. I really need to read those kind of books that have hope and positivity in them. But it does have to have a bit of meat to it and really interesting characters.

The book is part of a great series and I just have to know what is happening next. As soon as it publishes I am there for it.

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If its contemporary, about characters down in the rough, but ready to get up and fight there way back, then I am all for it.

A book that everyone is talking about, it might be a huge reader favourite and. even if it doesn’t sound like me I want to try it to see if it could be. And yes I haven’t read this one…. but I want to try it.

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#IMWAYR

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

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It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? a place to meet up and share what you have been, and are about to be reading over the week. It’s a great post to organise yourself. It’s an opportunity to visit and comment and er… add to your groaning TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn here at The Book Date.
Jen Vincent, Teach Mentor Texts, and Kellee of Unleashing Readers decided to give It’s Monday! a kidlit focus. If you read and review books in children’s literature – picture books, chapter books, middle grade novels, young adult novels or anything in those genres – join them.

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Well one of my usual weeks with a bit of this and that. My reading slowed a bit as other things took over and I can see the coming week will be even slower but that’s okay. I am loving my audiobook and even though it started out at about 25 hours, its getting whittled down fast as I want to find out all the details.

What I read last week:

What I am reading now:

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And still listening to…

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Up next:

Not sure. Will decide a bit later down the track. 

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#IMWAYR

It’s Monday! What are You Reading?

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It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? a place to meet up and share what you have been, and are about to be reading over the week. It’s a great post to organise yourself. It’s an opportunity to visit and comment and er… add to your groaning TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn here at The Book Date.
Jen Vincent, Teach Mentor Texts, and Kellee of Unleashing Readers decided to give It’s Monday! a kidlit focus. If you read and review books in children’s literature – picture books, chapter books, middle grade novels, young adult novels or anything in those genres – join them.

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Welcome in. Hope you’ve all had a great reading week.

The third book is The Last Lie Told by Debra Webb. Not showing up in some browsers. I have so much trouble with this image I give up!

What I read last week:

What I am reading now:

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And listening to…

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Up next:

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Books I Recommend

April Reading Round Up

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Month in Review

April Reading Round Up

Total books read this month:  13

Book Ratings

The Cruellest Month.   4.25 stars (paperback from my shelf)
Marry in Secret.  3.75 stars (from my Kindle)
The Lions of Fifth Avenue.  3.75 stars (audio)
Arabella. 4.25 stars (audio)
The Girl from Donegal.  3.5 stars (paperback from my shelf)
Paper Cuts.  4.25 stars. (review book)
The Happy Ever After. 4.75 stars. (audio)
A Hard Day for a Hangover. 5 stars (local library)
Fault Lines.  4 stars  (local library)
Accidentally on Purpose 3.75 stars. (audio)
Get a Life Chloe Brown 3. 45 stars. (local library)
The Next Best Thing 3 stars.  (local library)
Quilt or Innocence. 2.75 stars (paperback from my bookshelf)

Book Settings:

Canada.
England
New York
North Carolina
Donegal/Canada/Bahamas
LA/Minnesota
New Mexico
Japan
San Francisco

New to me authors:

Fiona Davis
Emily Itami
Talia Hibbert
Elizabeth Craig.

Top Book for April

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Looking forward to reading in May

Well listening actually. I have it pre-ordered at Autdible.  The final book in The Seven Sisters.book cover

Linking up with Nicole from FeedYourFiction Addiction.

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Top Ten Tuesday

Books I Recommend

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Linking up with That Artsy Reader Girl.

This week it’s about the top books I recommend to others. And of course that depends on the reader. A book I might recommend to one I might not recommend to another because of reading taste. But here are some that I really loved and would recommend to the right reader.

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Okay for Now. Gary D. Schmidt.  For those who love an excellent middle grade book.  It has an excellent hero Doug and heroine Lil and I just fell in love with it. About friendship  and community.  I have read it a couple of times and want to reread it.  Historical fiction.

Tell Me Three Things. Julie Buxbaum. If you are a YA reader. It is contemporary realistic fiction. The kind of book that almost reads itself. I loved Jessie and the journey she takes through grief, change, a new blended family, a new school and new friends, coping with bullies. Ethan was delightful too and SN. Some humour, some wisdom and insight. Valuing the authentic self as opposed to being popular and plastic.

The Gunckle. Steven Rowley. A gay uncle takes over care of a young niece and nephew for awhile. Full of humour and poignancy. A whole journey of loss and grief and finding a way through it, with great compassion and love.

A Thousand Roads Home. Carmel Harrington. Contemporary fiction by an Irish author. My top favourite of hers. It explores homelessness, friendship and second chances. Quirky characters and a loveable dog. It’s sad yet uplifting.

One Mountain Away.  Emilie Richards. For those who love good women’s fiction. The first in the Goddess Anonymous series, although each book is a full stand alone.  It explores issues with a lot of compassion and friendship, love and forgiveness.book cover

Ten Beach Road. Wendy Wax. Contemporary fiction about  a group of women down on their luck who pull together and renovate an historic property in Florida. Plenty of drama along the way. And if you enjoy it there is a couple of more books that follow it.

The Bookshop on the Shore. Jenny Colgan. So if you like romance set in Scotland this is for you. Plus it has Nina and a travelling bookshop. I love this kind of book magic that draws me into a story. It often surprised a laugh out of me. It often had me worrying over the outcome for characters. There are some serious issues that are explored.

First Lady. Susan Elizabeth Phillips. For. those who love a good. romance with some White House thrown in. ( I do).  Nealy is being First Lady for her father but she escapes from it and finds herself on a road trip with a father and and two girls. Has drama and humour and later on has a follow up book.

Snowed in for Christmas. Sarah Morgan. Romance – set in the Highlands. What more could you want? Well a well told story with a quirky character or two at Christmas time. It just has such a warm, cosy, family feel to it. I felt like I was there in Scotland, with snow and wonderful smells and the chaos of family interactions.

State of Affairs.  Marie Force. Romantic suspense readers will enjoy this. It is a spin off of a previous series so you may be better off reading that first but if not pick it up here where Nick and Sam find themselves in the White House. Sam retains her job with the police so of course there is mystery and crime involved. As well as that all the intrigue of politics. A very addictive series.

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#IMWAYR

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

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It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? a place to meet up and share what you have been, and are about to be reading over the week. It’s a great post to organise yourself. It’s an opportunity to visit and comment and er… add to your groaning TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn here at The Book Date.
Jen Vincent, Teach Mentor Texts, and Kellee of Unleashing Readers decided to give It’s Monday! a kidlit focus. If you read and review books in children’s literature – picture books, chapter books, middle grade novels, young adult novels or anything in those genres – join them.

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Well last week was mainly a wet week, yet warm. Strange weather for late Autumn.

Saturday night (our time) I watched the coronation of King Charles in England. Such ceremony. I stumbled off to bed at midnight as they left the church.

I had a good reading week, My Oxford Year was a very good listen, although not quite what I expected. Take My Hand was outstanding and opened my eyes to shocking injustice.

What I read last week:

What I am reading now:

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Listening to… Daisies and Devotion

My new slow and steady read…

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Up next:

The Last Lie Told. Debra Webb

Last Week’s Posts

The Money Club.  Fiona Lowe

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Review

The Money Club. Fiona Lowe

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Published: Harlequing Australia
Date: 3rd May
Source: Publisher via NetGalley

Izzy Harrington’s fiance is a successful entrepreneur and everyone’s friend, but today she’s waiting for him to get home so she can tell him they’re over. Except Brad never arrives.
Instead, three angry men knock on the door and insist on talking to Brad. When the police arrive asking difficult questions and demanding to see his passport, Izzy’s packed suitcases suddenly take on a whole new meaning. Brad’s disappearance sends ripples through their small town and a furious mob camps on Izzy’s lawn desperate to recover their losses. They have Izzy in their crosshairs, determined to make her pay for Brad’s audacious con. As the search intensifies, conflicting clues emerge. Clues that suggest no one really knew Brad – least of all Izzy …

The Money Club is  another thought provoking book from Fiona Lowe. To some extent we all like money, but how far would we go to grow our money, how much risk would we take. And what about if it looks too good to be true! Some of the people in this book find out.

Izzy is a wonderful character, taken for a ride by her fiancé Brad who has red lights flashing all around him. He is promoting a scheme for lots of local people to invest with him, but what happens when it all goes pear shaped? It brings a lot of distress and questioning from those who were involved in giving their money to Brad.  And of course the police are knocking on Izzy’s door, because Brad has disappeared.

There are characters I didn’t like at the beginning but as they began to re assess their values and what they really wanted out of life, I began to think differently of them. I liked the small town feel, the relationships that built and the ones that broke.

I was engrossed in the story and found it well paced and engaging. I was happy with most of the book but had questions about the those who had engineered the scam. I wanted more about the ugly goings on in the background that stayed in the background.

However ultimately I felt this was a book about victims standing up for themselves and getting on with their lives rather than wallowing in the bad things that happened to them.