October Wrap Up

Total books finished this month: 15

Book Ratings

Hart’s Ridge 4 stars
Lucy in the Sky 3.5 stars
In My Life 3.5 stars
Borrowed Time 3.25 stars
Summer Reading 4 stars
My Reading Life 4 stars
Caught Dead Handed 4 stars
Happy Place 3.25 stars
Daisy and Kate. 5 stars
The Perfect Christmas Village. 3 stars
I Can See You. 4.75 stars
Someone to Trust 4.25 stars
A Dish Best Served Hot. 3.7 stars
Bright Lights Big Christmas 3.8 stars
The Wishing Bridge. 3.8 stars

Settings

Martha’s Vineyard USA
Blue Ridge Mountains USA
Nth Carolina USA
Massachusetts USA
Maine USA
South Australia
England
Minnesota USA
London England
Chicago USA
New York USA
Michigan USA

Where did I Get the Books?

My Kindle 4

Audiobook 3

Library  2

For Review: 3

Own Bookshelf:3

New to me authors:

Kay Bratt
Natalie Caña

Top Book for October

By Australian author Meredith Appleyard.

Looking forward to reading in November

Review of Reading Goals

I am accomplishing some but others like keep Anne Bogel’s reading journal sort of fell by the way. One I did accomplish was to read #6 in the Louise Penny series.

Linking up with Nicole from FeedYourFiction Addiction.

The Perfect Christmas Village. Bella Osborne

Published: Aria
Date: 20th October 2023
Source: Publisher via NetGalley

Blythe is just one sale away from being Real Estate Agent of the Month, so she twists the truth to sell a home to city boy Sam, who is looking for the perfect house in the perfect location. Little does he know he’s just bought a cottage in the middle of the most Christmassy village in the country. And if there’s one thing Sam loathes, it’s Christmas.

Sam’s arrival puts Holly Cross’s chance to win the title of Britain’s Most Christmassy Village now in jeopardy, and the villagers are soon up in arms. Meanwhile, Sam is in his own personal hell surrounded by fairy lights and everyone is looking to Blythe to fix things.

But as the festive season looms, maybe there’s more than just Christmas in Holly Cross for Sam to fall in love with…

The Perfect Christmas Village is a bit of a Christmas extravaganza. The whole village sets out to make their village the most amazing Christmas village ever. And while that might be in terms of how it looks, it’s not only that, its really about the community spirit that goes into it.

Entering this village, unbeknown to him, is Sam who is a little bit of a Christmas grinch, although I must say with good reason, and I felt on his side all the way through.

How the village and Sam come to terms with each other takes almost the whole of the book, and when it does I have to say its extremely heart warming.

As well there is a little mystery that turns out surprisingly nicely and there is an only semi tame cat that steals in and makes himself at home. Sam starts out being a little dishonest, but I guess she soon realises it wasn’t the way to go.

If you really love all the bling of Christmas and people coming together for others and each other then this book could be for you.

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.

Welcome in. Today is a long weekend here as we celebrate Labour Day today. Always nice to have a public holiday.

What I read last week:

What I am reading now:

And I am listening to this as a reread to get ready for the next book coming out soon.

Up next:

 

Last Week’s Posts

The Head That Wears the Crown

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Libraries Draw a Reader in

I was listening to a podcast that mentioned a book that has as part of its setting a library. I decided I’d like to read it, but that set me thinking about books I’d already read that either had a library somewhere in its setting or one of the main characters was a librarian.

Well obviously this has a library in it. It’s not really about the library as such, but… it is an important place in that one of the characters finds refuge there. Another loves coming there for book club and the librarian is afraid her job is going because the council are threatening to close the library.

Plus who couldn’t love the cover. This was so worth reading on so many levels.

There are a number of cozy mystery series that has the library as a strong setting.  The Haunted Library series by Allison Brook is a really good one. It has a library ghost who appears every so often to one of the librarians – Carrie. Of course there is a cat in it – Smoky Joe who is totally delightful. There is usually a great mystery to be solved – like murders and Carrie has a romantic relationship developing.  This is #5. #6 is published this year.

 The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles presents us with the American Library in Paris in the months leading up to WW11 and during the war. Like all stories set in this era at times it is stark and heart breaking. The people suffer so much.

Yet within the confines of the library there are warm friendships among those who work there and those who come to read, write and borrow books.  I really found it good reading.

This one The Giver of Stars along with The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek – I read both – gives us insight to the courageous librarians of the WPA Packhorse Library in rural Kentucky from the mid 1930’s to the mid 1940’s.  The Appalachian mountains were challenging to say the least. I really enjoyed both books set here. Both very worth reading. I listened to The Giver of Stars which was excellent.

I’d forgotten this one has a librarian but it does. Samantha Casey is a school librarian who loves her job, the kids, and her school family with passion and joy for living. But she wasn’t always that way.

I liked the emphasis on however life is going, take the moments you can, to celebrate and to choose joy – even be a little wacky at times. I also loved Sam’s library set up.

A good summer read.

Next week five books set in a library or with a librarian I want to read. Already going to be difficult to confine to five! However if you have a favourite book with library vibes to it, let me know!

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March Reading Round Up

Total books read this month: 13

I enjoyed most of the books I read this month. I did find the Lyn Kurland audiobook a little tedious (3 stars)  and Robyn Carr and Susan Mallery  did not quite live up to my expectations.  3.5 stars.  All the others were rated by me as 4 stars. Except my two top books which I gave 5 stars.

New to me authors:

Alyssa Cole
Bella Osborne
Janette Oke
Lily King

Formats/Sources

Audiobooks. 3
Paperbacks from TBR: 5
Library: 1
Review: 4

Top Books for March

Looking forward to reading in April

From my own shelf and two for review.

Review of Reading Goals for March

• Read five books off my print shelf.   Yes.
• Read my three review books. Yes.  Four actually.
• Keep reading a chapter most days from Pride and Prejudice.  Ouch, very few pages.
• Maybe fit in a Kindle or library book.  One library book.

Main Reading Goals for  April

• read five more print books off my TBR shelf
• read at least one library book.
• Re focus on Pride and Prejudice.

Linking up with Nicole from FeedYourFiction Addiction.

The Library. Bella Osborne

Published:   Aria
Date:  1st May 2022
Source:  Publisher via NetGalley

“Teenager Tom has always blended into the background of life. After a row with his dad and facing an unhappy future at the dog food factory, he escapes to the library.

Pensioner Maggie has been happily alone with her beloved novels for ten years – at least, that’s what she tells herself.

When they meet, they recognise something in each other that will change both their lives for ever.

Then the library comes under threat of closure, and they must join forces to prove that it’s not just about books – it’s the heart of their community.”

Meet Tom, a teen of sixteen who is living with his Dad under very trying circumstances. At school he is not doing so well, and there is a bully that shows his hand every so often.  And then Tom takes up reading books from the library, not ones you’d expect either.

Meet Maggie, about in her seventies, small time farmer who likes her own company – sort of. She has quite a back story too, but let me tell you has a heart of gold. And a few tricks up her sleeve.  I loved her and of course Tom too. They are both characters I totally fell for.

When they meet up that’s when the story gets going. Sometimes I smiled, sometimes my heart squeezed. Sometimes I wanted to look away.

The story explores the library today, loneliness, alcoholism, parenting and loss. Tough subjects but told with such warmth and humor. I totally fell for this book. Of course the cover drew me in, and the story kept  me within its covers.  It is a keeper.

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.

Some good reading to be had this week. Plus because we didn’t do everything on the island that we visited last week we went over again and walked around the perimeter of the island. It was mainly in bush and on a very good track. We spent a longer time so we brought our lunch and caught the 2:30 pm ferry back to the mainland. Another good day!

What I read last week:

I really enjoyed Love Comes Softly and The Library was a big winner for me. Review to come.

Another Chance to Dream  was okay. Review for The Summer Getaway to come.

What I am reading now:

Set during the North / South Civil War in the USA.  So far very good.

Listening to…

Very good cosy series, involving a bookshop.

Up next:

Review book.

 Last Week’s Posts

Audiobook Abundance

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