Modern Mrs Darcy Reading Challenge 2019

I am joining this challenge again for 2019. In 2018 I made 11 out of the 12 books, for 2019 I hope to read the full 12.

The topics are:

1. A book you’ve been meaning to read.
2. A book about a topic that fascinates you.
3. A book in the backlist of a favorite author.
4. A book recommended to you by someone with great taste.
5. Book One by same author.
6. Book Two by same author.
7. Book Three by same author.
8. A book you chose for the cover
9. A book by an author who is new to you.
10. A book in translation
11. A book (genre) outside your comfort zone.
12. A book published before you were born.

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Audiobook Challenge 2019.

So time to take on an audiobook challenge for 2019.

Read all the details over at Caffeinated Reviewer or Hot Listens.

Read all about the challenge on either of the links above.

I am going for the Binge Listener level again. In 2018 I was aiming for 28 and I am just finishing that now.

My aim is for 30 books for 2019.

Audiobooks

1. Tides of Honour narration – Fajar Al- Kaisi 4 stars. Length: 12hrs 23 min
2. The Dream Daughter – narration Susan Bennett  5 stars.  Length 13 hrs 32 min

Library Challenge 2019

I am going to do the library challenge again which is hosted at Angela’s Guilty Pleasures.

Follow the link to get all the information.

In 2018 I used the library really well thanks to this challenge and went beyond my goal of 24. I learned how to reserve books while the books were still on order at the library and so I read a number of them that were published in 2018 and saved myself from buying them! My only difficulty was sometimes having so many become available at one time.

My goal for 2019 is going to be Overdrive Junkie with 36 as the total I am aiming for.

Books Read

1. Becoming Mrs Lewis  Patti Callahan  Historical Fiction.   5 stars.
2. Suitcase of Dreams  Tania Blanchard  Historical Fiction 4 stars.
3. Marilla of Green Gables  Historical Fiction  4 stars

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

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.

Firstly I wish each of you a very blessed and enjoyable time with family and friends this Christmas.

I have been thinking about my first book for January 2018 as Sheila is hosting it again next year. If you haven’t done it before this is a fun book event to become involved in. Read all about it here.

I need to get my photo and book organised!

This week I also noticed that Sarah from Sarah’s Bookshelves is going to start a new book podcast in the New Year. I listened to the Trailer and loved it so I am looking forward to listening in during 2019. If you like a good book podcast head over to her blog and read all about Sarah’s Bookshelves Podcast.

What I read last week:

I read three review books ( one was short). I enjoyed them all.

I also finished this audiobook, and I have to say it hooked me in, it was so well narrated by January LaVoy.

What I am reading now:

I am listening to…

I am reading

Up next:

 

Last Week’s Posts

Audiobooks Listened to in 2018

The Valentine’s Curse   Jodi Thomas

 

The Valentine’s Curse by Jodi Thomas

Published: Kensington Books
Date: 18th December 2018
Source: Publisher via NetGalley

 

Set in Texas after the civil war The Valentine’s Curse is a short (74 pages) novella, however it makes a very satisfying read and it was an absolute pleasure to lose myself in the pages for a little while.

Brody is a Yank and not that well received by the other cowboys on the ranch that he works on, they were on opposite sides of the war. So he is an outsider.

Valerie has lost two husbands and its said in town she has a widow’s curse and anyone who touches her will die by evening. So she too is an outsider.

But… these two outsiders are upstanding and outstanding people and what does it matter what others say or do?

Perfect reading for a wet afternoon.

Audiobooks I listened to in 2018

The Challenge Details can be found at Caffeinated Reviewer   and Hot Listens.

This year I was going  for the Binge Listener Level which is the 20 -30 level,  28 was my aim.

1. The Sea of Tranquillity   Katja Millay. 5 stars. Narrated:Kirby Heyborne and Candace Thaxton.  5 stars
2. A Grown Up Kind of Pretty   Joshilyn Jackson   Narrated: Joshilyn Jackson     4 stars
3. The Secret Hour  Luanne Rice.  Narrated: Christine Traister  4.5 stars
4. The Pearl Sister.  Lucinda Riley. Narrated: Stephanie Racine & Rehanna MacDonald  5 stars.
5. Sweet Tea and Sympathy.  Molly Harper.  Narrated by Amanda Ronconi.  4 stars.
6. Still Me   Jojo Moyes.  Narrated by Anna Acton  4.5 stars
7. The Denim Blue Sea   Joanne Demaio   4 stars  Narrated by Nick Cracknell 3 stars
8. The Endless Beach  Jenny Colgan  5 stars   Narrated by Sarah Barron   5 stars
9. Meet Me at The Cupcake Cafe   Jenny Colgan 4.5 stars   Narrated by Penelope Rawlins 5 stars
10. Beard Science Penny Reid 4 stars. 4 stars for narration by Joy Nash, Chris Brinkley
11. Promise Me Dad.  Joe Biden (Memoir) Narrated by Joe Biden.  5 stars
12. Beach Blues Joanne DeMaio  3.5 stars   Nick Crackness narrator 3.5 stars
13. The Rogue Not Taken Sarah Maclean  3.5 stars story 3.5 stars narration by Justine Eyre
14. The Sugar House Blues   Mariah Stewart. 4 stars story 4.5 stars narration by Joy Osmanski
15. Her Royal Spyness    Rhys Bowen  4 stars story 5 stars narration by Katherine Kellgren
16. A Royal Pain   Rhys Bowen  4 stars story   5 stars narration by Katherine Kellgren
17. Crimes Against A Book Club 4 stars story  5 stars narration by Katherine Kellgren
18. Persuasion  Jane Austen 4 stars story 5 stars narration by Juliet Stevenson
19. Leverage in Death J. D. Robb 5 stars   5 stars narration Susan Eriksen
20. The Lilac Bouquet    Caroline Brown 4 stars. 5 stars narration  Brittany Pressley
21. Royal Flush Rhys Bowen  4 stars. Narration Katherine Kellgren 5 stars
22. How to Find Love in a Bookshop   4 stars. Veronica Henry Narration Julia Barrie 4 stars
23. An Island Christmas.  Jenny Colgan  5 stars.  Narrator Sarah Baron 5 stars
24. The One You Really Want  Jill Mansell 4.5 stars  Narrator Sarah Baron 4.5 stars
25. Brothers and Sisters Fiona Palmer  4.5 stars   Narrator Anna Steen 4.0 stars
26. Lake Silence   Anne Bishop  4.5  stars  Narrator Alexandra Harris 4.5 stars
27. Little Fires Everywhere  Celeste Ng. 5 stars. Narrator Jennifer Lim 5 stars
28. Shelter in Place Nora Roberts   4.5 stars Narrated by January LaVoy 5 stars

I listened to some wonderful books, all of them I enjoyed. I think my favourite and most memorable was

Others that I loved were

And this year I also discovered I enjoyed the Rhys Bowen series and will certainly continue with those next year.

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

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.

My week seems to have been centred around my trip to Rotorua, which while tiring seems to have moved things forward. Lawyers are so slow! It took me a couple of days to recover after the long trip and then I had the pleasure of a friend’s visit Saturday.

Other than that just a little of this and that. Next week will be Christmas Eve – so much excitement already amongst the little ones everywhere.

What I read last week:

A delightful Christmas story of family and reconciliation and understanding.

A beautifully written book set in the marshlands of Nth Carolina. A haunting story full of nature, mystery and murder – a court procedure and a final reveal of the murderer that I just couldn’t adjust to!! You’ll know if you read it. Most people liked the ending – me … not so much!  Well worth reading.

What I am reading now:

And still listening to…

Up next:

A review book that is a republish I believe.

 

 

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

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.

It’s been a week of weeding the garden (boring) – reading and sewing (not boring!)

I am off again to Rotorua – (5-6 hours away) to sign more papers at the lawyer because my sister’s estate is still not finalised. I travel with another sister for part of the way. Up one day and home the next, but it will be over the time when this post is live. Your Monday – my Tuesday! I might be able to visit with some of you – all going well.

I posted a reading challenge this week Connect Five Books – a new one I am hosting. I will finish with my Full House Reading Challenge at the end of this year.  This new one is different, and it will challenge me if no one else! Check it out.

What I read last week:

I really liked this Australian author’s book set on an island with a Dr. visiting Turtle Bay to wrap up her grandfather’s estate. She arrives in designer boots and meets cow pats! Goodbye designer shoes.

I also read and am just okay with this one, it was interesting but wasn’t a riveting read for me. If you are going to read it don’t let that put you off, it might be your “cup of tea”.

I finished listening to this one and got really into it, I was a little dubious starting off, but loved it in the audiobook version.

What I am reading now:

Time for a Christmas read…. I so am in love with this cover.

I just started listening to this one. The narrator is narrating so well and the story has started off so sadly with a mass shooting and the terror of the people involved. Shed tears already!  Will listen to more of it as I am driving for first and last leg of my journey.

Up next:

This one publishes in January. My first of the 2019 reads.

 

Last Week’s Posts

Connect Five Books Reading Challenge 2019

Connect Five Books Reading Challenge

Join me for 2019 in Connect Five – Books.

Let’s look at connections for books… what books link for some reason or another.

When you have five that connect in whatever way you are able to group them then link up. How might you do this?

• Write and link up a blog post
• Share the five books on Instagram and link up
• Have a Goodreads shelf and link that up – this may be a little different but maybe use it in combination with a comment.
• Or… if you belong to none of these places, share five books in a comment.

What’s the Challenge?

To look for connections between books you read. There will be  many connections that just float over our awareness. Let’s see can we raise that a bit, whether its fairly surface level or something deeper.

Guidelines:

Here are some examples that might get you thinking! It’s not hard work, you don’t need to plan it out, just see what happens.

It could be ….

• Five books of the same genre
• Five books by the same author
• Five books with a similar theme or issue being explored for example mother/daughter relationships
• Five books from the same series
• Five books you bought in 2018
• Five books from the depths of your TBR
• Five books with fabulous covers
• Five debut books
• Five new to you authors
• Five books that weren’t for you.
• Five books that really connect to your own life in some way.
• Five books with the theme of friendship

And you can come up with ones you think of… there will be so many.

However

• The five books connection cannot be too simple, for example five paperbacks or five ebooks or five women authors – unless of course you hardly ever read women authors. I could challenge myself and have a group though of five male authors because I hardly ever read male authors! Five USA authors would be rather simple, but it could be five USA authors from the same state.
• A book can only be used once.
• The books must be read in 2019.
• Books can be carried over until you have five of something. It may take a few months to gather five of something.
• You may have  many connections of five to link up . So if you have two groups of five then you can link up twice and so on within a month.
• You may just link one group of five during the year sometime or many each month.
• You don’t have to write a commitment post but if that helps to remind you then that is an excellent idea and any way you can share this challenge is welcomed. Use the hashtag  #connect5books2019

When?

Each month I will post a link up on the last Wednesday of the month. The link up will be open until the  Tuesday before the last Wednesday of the next month. The first link will go up in January 30th 2019.  Link up at any time during that following month. And then we will roll on with each month.

#connect5books2019

The Bonus – A Giveaway

For those who have a five book connection and link up there will be a random prize draw for one reader who will win a book of their choice for that month from the Book Depository. The last link up will be posted in November and go through December. At the end of the year there will be one draw as well for all those who have participated during the year, –  a book of choice from the Book Depository.

And a Connect Five from 2018

Browsing through my reading from this year I can see a number of connects.

1. Books that have quite a bit to do with books and libraries.

   

   

   

   

   

   Four are obvious, but Harry’s Trees includes a library that if it doesn’t get any funding it will close down – it has one very elderly but loyal volunteer librarian.

2. Books that are about Christmas or the Spirit of Christmas.

   

   

   

   

   

3. Books with a theme of family

   

   

   

   

   

   And it could have been possible if I was reading with more awareness that I could have collected books about family that deal with just sisters and brothers, or adoption, or marriage.  I could see a connection where children played a significant role in the plot but I’d already used Harry’s Trees in another connect so no go!

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

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.

Oh my, welcome to December! We began it with a large extended family gathering for Christmas for family far and near.  It was perfect and my lovely niece hosted nicely. We all bring a dish but still, its work for the person whose place it is at.  So many new young faces here since last year.

One of my sisters had made us a Christmas boot little stocking from my Dad’s shirts. He died September 2017. A really lovely thought. I got her to make one for our young 5 year old grand nephew as he was close to his great grandad – Poppa. This morning his mother said he woke up and said

“Where is my booty I want to talk to Poppa”

“Hello Poppa, I’m sorry you died…. I want to sing a song for you”.

We have been experiencing summer! Do I complain or celebrate… or a bit of both!

What I read last week:

Three books – all very satisfying reading. Harry’s Trees was one I heard about on the What Should I Read Next podcast.  Was well worth reading. A Thousand Roads Home was my favourite for November and Fatal Invasion was #13 in a romantic series that is the best!

What I am reading now:

And I am listening to…

Up next:

 

Last Week’s Posts

November Reading Month in Review

A Thousand Roads Home   Carmel Harrington