Books on my Autumn Reading List

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Well its meant to be Spring reading list but as I live in the Southern Hemisphere lets make that Autumn to me.

These are books on my Autumn reading list.  There are a number of books coming out during this time but I am looking mostly at books that are already long out or just out. By the time I buy the books coming out they might make my winter reading list! That’s most likely your summer.

The Color of Light. Emilie Richards. A reread via audiobook. #4 in her Goddess Anonymous series.

The Lions of Fifth Avenue. Fiona Davis. An audiobook and a book I’ve wanted to read for awhile.

The Wife’s Promise Kate Hewitt. An audiobook and since I saw a good review for it its been in the back of my mind to read.

The London Girls Soraya Lane. Set in WW2 and one on my Kindle for awhile.

In the Unlikely Event. Judy Blume. I have already started this as a slow and steady read, most likely through a good part of this season.

Tom’s Midnight Garden. Philippa  Pearce. I have long wanted to read this book and so its on somewhere for the month of March. It won a Lewis Carroll Shelf Award in 1963 and the Carnegie medal in 1958.

Unlikely Animals.  Annie Hartnett. An unlikely read! I heard about it from Anne Bogel.

Paper Cuts.  Ellery Adams.  This is a review book and is the latest one in the Secret Book and Scone Society. A cozy series I really enjoy.

The Money Club. Fiona Lowe A review book too from my top favourite Australian author

The Cruellest Month. Louise Penny. #3 in the Gamache series and I am due to read the next one so its going on this list.

Favourite Book Heroines

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I love a good heroine – who doesn’t?

Claire from Outlander. I’ve read the books only not the TV series. I like Claire because she is a time traveller who adapts really well. Plus she has some really amazing adventures.

Sam from the First Family series. Sam is a detective who really goes the whole way to solving murders, she is as well now the First Lady and she is an amazing mother to her adopted children.

Elizabeth Zott from Lessons in Chemistry. Elizabeth really fights for what she believes in.

Sunshine Vicram from Sunshine Vicram series. Sunshine is a local sheriff in New Mexico. She takes on the job even though she didn’t apply for it. Plus she puts her best foot forward in it and she is a great mother to her teenage daughter.

Sophy from the Grand Sophy.  Geogette Heyer.  Sophy is just larger that life and I just plain love her and her kindness and not taking no for an answer.

Kate Coppola.  Kate was the first heroine I met in Karen Rose’s suspense series. All her heroines are great but I’ll always have special love for Kate – Special Agent Kate Coppola is the heroine of Karen Rose’s  book Every Dark Corner. Kate is on a mission to stop the man who is trafficking drugs and acquiring teens for the internet sex trade. Tough as nails, yet compassionate, Kate is an origami and knitting queen, with a songs playlist you wouldn’t expect. She also has a very good reason to always carry a certain genre of book on her. (No, not telling, can’t spoil the surprise.). Meet a badass with a yarn bag and a work partner named Agent Luther Troy.

Daunis Fontaine   –  The Firekeeper’s Daughter As a biracial, unenrolled tribal member and the product of a scandal, Daunis Fontaine has never quite fit in—both in her hometown and on the nearby Ojibwe reservation. When her family is struck by tragedy, Daunis puts her dreams on hold to care for her fragile mother.  She is very brave and stands against the crowd. Won my heart.

Kat Holloway. From the Kat Holloway Mystery Series.  Kat is a cook in a London household. She is a very good one too, and as well when it comes to sorting out murders she is a dab hand. Very practical and.. a great mother to her young daughter.

Sasha Duncan  from Slave to Sensation.  Sasha is a psy in the pay changeling world and she has been deeply affected by Silence. But it falls and then she falls for the leader of the local changeling leopard pack. They make a wonderful pair right through out the series and I love how she operates with Lucas Hunter.

Helen Demetriou.  A Home Like Ours. Helen has been homeless but she is determined to make something more of her life. She stands up for others and she stands up for herself and what she believes in a very ordinary situation against the local council.

January 2023 Reading Round UP

Total books read this month:  11

Book Ratings

A Wish for Winter.  3.75 stars
Tell Me A Story. Cassandra King Conroy.  5 stars
Picking Up the Pieces 4.5 stars
Birthright 5 stars.
Spare. Prince Harry.  5 stars.
Bookclubbed to Death   3 strs
Sugar and Salt. 4 stars
Lady of Quality 3 stars
Blackberry Summer 3.75 stars
Christmas at Copper Mountain. 3.75 stars

New to me authors:

Cassandra King Conroy
V. C. Burns
Maddie Please

Formats:

Paper: hardback or paperback.   4
Kindle. 4. But two of these were review.
Audio . 2.

Top Book for January

Review of January Reading 2023

I finished two really excellent memoirs.

I only read two of my own from my Kindle, I’d like to read more but there you are.

I am not reading so much in the hot summer weather, I mostly can only read morning, by afternoon and evening I am too tired and can’t concentrate so well.

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.

A nice week of summer – I even had my first swim of the season in the sea. Lovely once I was in! Yesterday I went 20 minutes up the road to a children’s market where they were selling what they had for sale, often stuff they had made themselves. That was fun and I tried out the new part of the express way. It was great, I can now go straight to Otaki in a blink.   My nine year old great niece was selling her “books” that she had written so I purchased them and a few other things.

What I read last week:

An English author and an Australian author! Very much enjoyed both.

What I am reading now:

I am a good way into this and have thoroughly enjoyed it. I can’t believe the vitriol I see on some of the social media sites. All the armchair critics I suspect who have done little with their lives or else they really are talking about themselves.

Up next:

A slightly overdue review book so its up next.

 

Last Week’s Posts

Picking Up the Pieces.   Amanda Prowse

Anticipated Releases for First Half of 2023

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My Anticpated New Release Reads for the first half 2023.

Today I am taking part in The Artsy Reader Girl’s  link up.

Todays link up asks us to take a look at our most anticipated books being released in the first half of 2023.

I thought I wouldn’t find ten but I did!  There are a couple of others but I have them so I am choosing the ten I want to remind myself to keep an eye out for.

1. Someone Else’s Shoes  Jojo Moyes.  February

2. Coronation Year.     Jennifer Robson.   April

3. The Wonderful Thing about Phoenix Rose.   Josephine Moon.   April

4. Identity.   Nora Roberts.   May

5. The Girl from Donegal.  Carmel Harrington. No cover out yet.  May

6. Warrior Girl Unearthed.  Andeline Boulley.  May

7. The Celebrants.   Steven Rowley.   May

8. Atlas: The Story of Pa Salt. Lucinda Riley/Harry Whittaker.  Audio most likely.  May

9.  The Secret Book of Flora Lea.  Patti Callahan Henry.   May

10. The Money Club  Fiona Lowe.  May

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? 2023

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 to 2023.   May it be one to shower blessings on you all.

What I read last week:

What I am reading now:

Listening to…

Ongoing Slow Reads

Up next:

 

Last Week’s Posts

First Book of the Year

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A Family of Strangers. Fiona Lowe

Published:  Harlequin Australia
Date: 2nd March 2022
Source: Publisher via NetGalley

With a coveted promotion dangling within reach, the last thing Addy Topic needs to do is waste precious time singing in Rookery Cove’s choir. But when she’s reminded how much music meant to her late mother, she can’t say no. The building pressure raises the ghosts that sent her running from Rookery Cove years earlier – memories she’s spent decades hiding from, silencing them with work, alcohol and sex.

For Stephanie Gallagher, Rookery Cove was meant to be a new beginning in the slow lane. A place where she and her husband can embrace community, parenthood and evenly share the load. But the sea-change is changing everything. How much longer can they survive as a family?

Brenda Lambeck is finding her feet after the death of her husband when her best friend convinces her to join the choir. Beloved as a grandmother, Brenda is determined to mend the fraught relationship she has with her daughter, Courtney. But is that even possible when she continues to lie?

In the wake of a spectacular betrayal, three women are forced to face the uncompromising truths about the choices that have shaped their relationships with those they love most. The consequences will shatter their lives and all they hold dear. After such a disaster is rebuilding even possible?

Australian author Fiona Lowe has done it again. She has totally reeled me in and made me feel so fully involved in the lives of her characters. At first I found all the characters and situations a little overwhelming, but once I was in – I was in! A little bit of reader concentration and work never hurts us!

The story is told from three women’s point of view. They all live in a small town in Tasmania and while they start out not very linked, its not long before they are all interacting and enabling each other to work through the challenges facing each of them.

Addy has returned to the Rookery Cove to take up a teaching job and refurbish the house where she lived with her parents. It soon becomes apparent that she drinks heavily and that her life is not going well. She overworks and quite frankly her school situation stinks.

Brenda is in her late fifties and has just started living with her lover Miriam. But her family think Miriam is just a lodger. Miriam wants to share with others who they are, but Brenda is nervous and holding back. Plus she just doesn’t seem to get along with her uptight daughter Courtney. Her lovely grand daughter Livvy is however nothing short of a blessing.

Stephanie and her husband Henry have moved to the Cove to get more of a work/life balance. Only trouble is that just isn’t working out from Stephanie’s way of seeing it. Add to that now Zoe, Henry’s daughter has been foisted upon them by Zoe’s mother. Baby Monty is a charm but he is in constant need of care of course.

So many issues in this book that the characters are dealing with. It soon becomes obvious what the three main characters are coping with or in fact not coping with. However as a reader I wonder as I read why Zoe is acting out?

Tying all this together is the Rookery Choir, resurrected by Miriam and Brenda. It brings people together, and eventually helps bring about wondrous things. I can’t sing and would never join a choir but I can really see the benefits.

As each of the three women face into how they need to move forward, I was returning to the book every minute I had. Wanting to move through it, yet aware I was moving to the end. I loved the ending but am already missing these characters.

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.

A really good reading and quilting week! My firewood arrived on Saturday and we wheeled it around near the wood shed but left it out as its not that dried out, needs some more sun and wind!

What I read last week:

What I am reading now:

I am joining in with an informal reading challenge on Emilie Richards Readers Page and this month the label is – A book that somehow deals with race relations. I’ve chosen a middle grade book. “Julie Kim just wants to fit in. So, she tries not to draw attention to herself. But when racist graffiti appears at her middle school, Julie must decide between staying silent or speaking out.”. I chose this because I had seen a good review for this book on the Nerdy Book Club blog and plus Colby Sharp, a teacher and someone I follow gave it five stars.

And about to start listening to this one. A YA book, one I bought in an Audible sale. Reading off my audio shelf as well so not always buying a new audiobook!

Up next:

A Kindle book I pre-ordered last year. A spin off from one of her series I love – First Family.

 

Last Week’s Posts

Five More Books Read from my Print TBR

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January 2022 Reading Round UP

 Total books read this month: 13

New to me authors:

Nancy Naigle

Ratings.  Which are totally arbitrary, depending on enjoyment.

Most books were four stars and Goodbye Again by Mariah Stewart and The Moon over Kilmore Quay by Carmel Harrington three stars. Top book was five stars!

Top Book for January

Nostalgic reread of older book by Nora Roberts. I listened to it and really enjoyed that. David Stuart narrated and he was very good. It is about found family and three older men taking in ten year old Seth. Plus a romance between Cam the oldest and Seth’s social worker – Anna. It retained the five stars I had given to it previously many years ago when I read the print version. A feel good story!

Looking towards reading in February

The only review book I intend reading. As I love Fiona Lowe as an author I am anticipating a good read.

I will want to read at least five books from my actual print shelf as well.

Main Reading Goals for February

I am doing a slow read of Pride and Prejudice. I reached Chapter 22 by the end of January. I aim for a chapter most days. It has the notes that go with it so that takes a bit of glancing at as well.

Keep an eye on my five main reading goals for 2022. I have started well on reading from my own shelf. It has been a bit of a challenge to stop myself from buying new books before I have read the three off my shelf first. However in January I read six off my shelf, which entitled me to two new books. As I am reading Go Tell the Bees that I am Gone with its almost 900 pages that may put a damper on buying for awhile! It could take most of February to read!

Thank you

To Nicole for a book that I won a couple of months ago from her monthly wrap up. It arrived in January.

Linking up with Nicole from FeedYourFiction Addiction.

Loved Characters of 2021

Often what leads me to love a book are the memorable characters. The ones my heart warms up to when I look back at the cover of the book and think… ” I really loved that character”. I am sure there are more than five but these five are enough to make me put the books on my keeper shelf.

In no particular order!

Sunshine Victram. She is a mother, with such a great relationship with her teen daughter. And she is a sheriff of the local town. She is very tough with a huge soft centre. She  does not hold back from a challenge and in spite of some bad things in the past she is a wonderful human being. I liked her so much I’ve read the second book with her in it as well this year.

Helen Demetriou.

Helen is in her mid fifties. She has seen life and experienced homelessness. But she has not stopped there. She runs a community garden and reaches out in the community to those who need it. She is tough, spiky and is a no nonsense communicator. She stands for justice against injustice.

Letty.  A young woman who when she discovers her sister dead, flees with her young niece looking for safety. She is feisty and caring and doesn’t give up. She finds her way into a small community of people who care for her and are willing to stand by her as danger circles.

Daunis  A young woman – a teen who lives in two worlds. Her father was Ojibwe and her mother white. Her father is dead and she lives with her mother. However she has strong links to her Objiwe relatives. I loved her beautiful caring of the elderly. Her sense of community is strong, she is brave and daring. Faced with a challenge she heads into it.

Megs.  A bright young woman who revels in Mathematics, Science and facts. She has a younger brother who is very ill. I loved how Megs went out of her way to bring about her beloved brothers dream. The way she read The Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis to him, and then even tracked this man down, all for her brother.  She was so warm hearted and loving.

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