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.

Greetings all. I had a good week. We dipped back into winter for a very short time but seem to be out of it again. Sunday I went into the city and my friend and I did our usual trip around the harbour for oysters and chips. Only trouble was as we sat on a set near the sea,  a gust of wind took our paper and emptied some of said chips and oysters onto the sand. To the glee of some very eager seagulls, and the disappointment of two horrified adult humans. We rescued what we could and the seagulls had a bit of a win. We had a walk afterwards up into the hilly bush which was nice and contemplated how soon we might be swimming in the sea below. In fact a few brave people were but just a tad early for me.

What I read last week:

Three review books and Lessons in Chemistry on audiobook completed. I really enjoyed Lessons in Chemistry, it is so well done on audio.  Possibly not for everyone but I was entranced by it.

What I am reading now:

So about to get into The Winter Garden.  I am a little nonplussed about why I chose this, I think it came through on an email offer and I was in a clicking mood. It is a dual time line and I don’t usually go for them. However it will be a different kind of read and that’s always good.

I am going to do a reread of One Mountain Away by Emilie Richards. These books were on sale recently and I couldn’t resist as the series is a favourite of mine.

Up next:

A review book #2 in a series and I did enjoy the first one in the Haunted Haven series.

Last Week’s Posts

A Brighter Flame.   Christine Nolfi

Murder on the Poet’s Walk.    Ellery Adams

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Ellery Adams. Murder on the Poet’s Walk.

Published: Kensington
Date:  27th September 2022
Source: Publisher via NetGalley

When corpses clutching poems begin turning up around Storyton Hall, resort manager Jane Steward is on the trail of someone exercising poetic license to kill…

As Jane eagerly anticipates the wedding of her best friend Eloise Alcott, Storyton Hall is overrun with poets in town to compete for a coveted greeting card contract. They’re everywhere, scrawling verses on cocktail napkins in the reading rooms or seeking inspiration strolling the Poet’s Walk, a series of trails named after famous authors. But the Tennyson Trail leads to a grim surprise: a woman’s corpse drifting in a rowboat on a lake, posed as if she were “The Lady of Shallot.”

Murder on the Poet’s Walk by Ellery Adams is #8 in the Book Retreat cozy mystery series. However this was my first read in this series and I do believe a reader could easily pick it up here. However like most series – earlier books enrich with background, that cannot be denied. I have plans to move through some previous books in the series.

Jane owns this amazing place that is a hotel that was once her home. It is large and rambling and has some secret passages. She has a large staff, with many who have been with her a long time. They all have roles at the hotel, but when it comes to mystery and murder they are there with their expertise. Jane has two twin boys, about twelve, Hem and Fitz and they feature in small and significant ways in the book. Add in Edwin who obviously loves Jane and the boys, the Cover Girls who are part of a book club and Uncle Aloysius and Aunt Octavia. A large cast with a big family feel.

With a poetry competition going on at the hall, the place is full of hopeful poets who are joining in in a competition that could be very worthwhile. Until one of them is murdered! What is going on? Mystery and sleuthing galore. Half way through on the back of the paper I wrote down who I thought was the murderer, from one small clue. But then I thought as time went by hmm no, of yes, no and YES!

Plenty of poetry and book references. A set of characters to enjoy and like, a little romance and one person out to make mayhem at the conference.

I thought it was a good mystery and read and as I said above I would like to delve into some of the earlier books.

September Reading Round Up

Total books read this month:  14

Book Ratings

The Best is Yet to Come. 4 stars
Thank You for Listening. 5  stars
The Book Haters’ Book Club. 3 stars
Snowed in for Christmas. 4.5 stars
Flirting with Fifty.   4 stars
All is Bright.  4 stars
A Brighter Flame. 3 stars
The Italian Daughter 4 stars
Grace Under Fire. 4 stars
Murder on the Poet’s Walk. 4 stars
LowCountry Boil.  4 stars
The Bodyguard 4.5 stars
State of the Union 4 stars
Becoming Beth. Meredith Appleyard. 3.5 stars.

New to me authors:

Gretchen Anthony
Susan M Boyer*
Julia Whelan*

*Would read again

Top Print Book for September

Top Audio Book for September

Top Kindle Book for September

Looking forward to reading in  October

It’s going to be just about all review books. My finger was trigger happy at NetGalley!  There is nothing that stands out, but they all looked good enough for my my finger to go “Read it!”

Review of Reading Goals  for September

• read one or two off my shelf.  I did get one print and one Kindle book from my own shelf.
• keep up to date with library books with my turn. Read three from the library.
• Read the review books on my calendar.  Yes – done
• Choose and start my slow and steady read. I chose Emma by Jane Austen and I am happy to say I am more than half way through it.

Main Reading Goals for October

• Read the review books I have on my calendar
• Continue with my slow and steady read – Emma
• Maybe sneak in one off my shelf or a library book if necessary.

Linking up with Nicole from FeedYourFiction Addiction.

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.

Hope you all had a great week. We went into daylight savings on the weekend so springing forward. I don’t mind that, its the gaining an hour that throws me.

We have a public holiday in honour of the Queen’s life here – I know a little late, but our Prime Minister only arrives back now after being overseas.

What I read last week:

A good reading week. Yikes, I read The Bodyguard in a day. So enjoyable.

What I am reading now:

And I will be listening to…

Up next:

 

Last Week’s Posts

Snowed in for Christmas.   Sarah Morgan

The Book Haters’ Book Club.     Gretchen Anthony

All is Bright.   RaeAnne Thayne

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The Vanishing Type. Ellery Adams

Published: Kensington
Date: 26th April 2022
Source: Publisher via NetGalley

While January snow falls outside in Miracle Springs, North Carolina, Nora Pennington is encouraging customers to cozy up indoors with a good book. Even though the shop and her bibliotherapy sessions keep Nora busy during the day, her nights are a little too quiet—until Deputy Andrews pulls Nora into the sci-fi section and asks her to help him plan a wedding proposal.

His bride-to-be, Hester, loves Little Women, and Nora sets to work arranging a special screening at the town’s new movie theater. But right before the deputy pops the question, Nora makes an unsettling discovery—someone has mutilated all her store’s copies of The Scarlet Letter, slicing angrily into the pages wherever Hester Prynne’s name is mentioned.

The coincidence disturbs Nora, who is one of the few in Miracle Springs who knows that Hester gave up a baby for adoption many years ago. Her family heaped shame on her, and Hester still feels so guilty that she hasn’t even told her future husband. But when a dead man is found on a hiking trail just outside town, carrying a rare book, the members of the Secret, Book, and Scone Society unearth a connection to Hester’s past. Someone is intent on bringing the past to light, and it’s not just Hester’s relationship at stake, but her life. . .

The Vanishing Type is #5 in The Secret, Book and Scone Society. By now we know Nora Pennington – owner of the bookshop and her three friends well. Hester owner of the Gingerbread House Bakery, Estella owner of  a salon and spa and June about to take up a new job. What stands out is that these women share so much of themselves with each other and are there to support each other through any trial.

This time the focus is on Hester, or quite a bit of the mystery has to do with Hester. As her past rushes up to meet her it throws her into a spin and at times things just get too much for her. But… remember – trusty friends. There is a mystery about some books, some damage to books and one or two murders.  It takes awhile for all the clues to build up until finally as the reader you start to suspect just one or two.

The mystery is just part of the book’s appeal, this book and others in the series is full of book talk. Enough to delight any reader’s heart aside from murder and mystery. I was really pleased to note I knew of some of the books and had read some of them. It’s such fun to see what books crop up. Plus the bookshop with Nora and the wonderful helper Sheldon provide book happiness.

Another cozy mystery in this series that furthers the characters stories and makes me already looking forward to another.

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.

So we are at the last Monday in April can you believe!  We are well into Autumn now here in NZ. Got that feel to it, but very little rain really so far.

I have given totally up on Bloglovin’ now to follow blogs, I have remembered WordPress Reader and because I can use it for Blogger blogs as well I think it will work out. I am in process of putting in the blogs I follow but haven’t done them all. This Monday link up will help me sort some more.

I viewed all of Season 1 of All Creatures Great and Small set in Yorkshire and now I discover Season 2 is not here yet. So sad about that because I was right into it!

What I read last week:

What I am reading now:

And still a way to go on my audiobook The Wedding Veil.

Up next:

A backlist book from the library.

 Last Week’s Posts

Sunday at the Sunflower Inn.  Jodi Thomas

Library Theme Books I want to Read

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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.

On the whole my week was good, not stirring out that much because of the virus being rampant around us at the moment in NZ. Some of my extended family are sick with it, and it does worry me as one is not vaccinated. Walking into the unknown really.

Our government has gone down in the polls so they are doing things to bring themselves into popularity again. So annoying. Guess it’s politics.

I’ve spent the week not listening to the news, it is just too heartbreaking.

What I read last week:

Ink and Shadows was really good. A Hope Divided was also good and to me an outsider told me quite a bit about how the USA has come about from its history. A Family Affair is for review, only to say here I think it could have benefited from better editing and development.

What I am reading now:

From my print shelf and enjoying it. #1 in the series so I guess I’ll be following up. I am doing an informal challenge that needed food and recipes. I wish I could call into this place, food is yummy.

I am listening to

Up next:

From the library. A highly recommended middle grade book.

 Last Week’s Posts

The Summer Getaway.  Susan Mallery

First Five Books Bought in 2022

 

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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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Audiobook Abundance

When I noticed Audible was having a sale and a good one, I couldn’t resist. They were good bargains too. So I went through my Wishlist there and chose five audiobooks that I wanted to read/listen to.

Part of a cosy mystery series I am following. This is #4 and as I have picked out #5 to review at NetGalley I decided this one needed to be read first.  It is very good on audio (the previous three have been too). I have started this one and am loving all the book references.

Nora and her friends no doubt are about to solve some murder, hasn’t been mentioned yet but there is something very odd going on across the road from Nora’s bookshop.

I had wanted to buy this one and listed it as so. But then decided to borrow it from the library. However when it was going very cheaply from Audible, well had to get it.

It is set in England in WW2 and is about some children sent to the country who are looking for a lasting home for ever. A middle grade book I am really looking forward to reading.

This is a reread but via audiobook. I listened to the first one as a reread and it was every bit as good as I remember. So when the sale came along I purchased Book 2. This is Ethan the fisherman and boat builder.

I am sure it will involve most or all of the brothers, so looking forward to this one .

I know I saw some reviews for Writers and Lovers when it came out and put it in my Wishlist. The reviews I can see at Audible are great too.

Sounds like the heroine is torn between two possible love relationships. I wonder what happens.

Like A Place to Hang the Moon, this book The Wedding Veil was in my list of buy books. When I noticed I would only be able to buy the hardback in my country for quite awhile at $50, I also placed it in my audio Wishlist. And then the sale came along and it made it a very good choice. Usually KWH books are excellent on audio and this has some great narrators.

I had to pre-order it but that’s good, as you can see I have plenty to go on with.

It’s a pity I limited myself to five, but I guess I do need to be somewhat restrained. Sigh!!  But I am just so delighted with these five. Makes me happy.

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Next in Series

I can really get lost in series, start new ones and know I have others to continue but they go on hold. So it is time to set some priorities.  Here is where I want to focus.

#5 in the Below Stairs series. I am pretty up to date with this series but I guess there will be another one out this year, so I need to read it. And its off my print TBR shelf so that is a plus.

#8 in the Royal Spyness series.

I enjoy this series on audiobook and so will be one  on my audio agenda. I did think of skipping a few but probably won’t!

#3 in the Secret Book and Scone Society. I recently enjoyed #2 and while I have the women fairly recent and sorted in my mind I need to follow up with this one. Again via audiobook.

#4 in a romantic suspense series. I have read two so far this year and to read this one I want to buy it. But before I do that I have to read three off my print shelf so won’t be the first series book off the line.

#7 in the Tradd St series. And that will close the series and I will be finished. Again an audio version is what I go for.

So eyes off other books in series. And I am already started a reread of a favourite Nora Roberts series and Go Tell the Bees I am Gone – #9 in the Outlander series is going to take me a long time to read. I am barely making a dent in it, but thoroughly enjoying it.

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