Book Connections

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.


Death at the Crystal Palace
#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.

Queen of Hearts#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!

The Book of Candlelight #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.

Nothing to Fear #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.

The attic on queen street#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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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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Greetings to you all. Hope things are going well for you. I enjoy visiting when I can and seeing how you are getting on. Ah… also you’d be surprised at how the books I want to read grows as I visit. Even though we all have such different reading tastes, I find I often intersect somewhere with lots of you.

What I read last week:

I really enjoyed the Debbie Macomber book, a recommendation from Meredith at the Currently Reading podcast. I was pleased to finish the audio of The Attic on Queen Street. I will finish the one more book in the series although I find them a little same/same. Call of the Penguins was delightful and review for that later.

What I am reading now:

The Quiet wards

And listening to The Black Moth by Georgette Heyer.

The Black Moth

Up next:

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Book Connections

November Books on My List

Today I am listing the books being published in November that I have special interest in. They are ones I will read for sure.  It is always exciting to see what is publishing. I have been a reader of the Outlander books since the first one published. The others are all newer authors to me. Gleaned from my blogging rounds!!

Go tell the Bees That I am gone #9 in the Outlander series.  They come out so infrequently its a wonder I can remember what happened last, but I think I have a general idea and they are too big a book to go reread to remind myself.

This one comes out about November 23rd.  It’s the time of the American Revolution and they are all back at Fraser’s Ridge. (My favourite setting for these books).

I haven’t watched the TV series of these books, I just prefer the books. I can then skip the really gory parts!

This is one that is in the local shops so that’s where I can buy it.

The attic on Tradd StAnd #7 in the Tradd St Series. I am just listening to the previous one at present. I guess I’ll listen to this one as well. I feel it is about time it ends – so no regrets. It is due out very early November but most likely I won’t get to listen to it until 2022.

Doctors and Friends

Doctors and Friends comes out November 9th. I’ll most likely put in a pre-order for this one very soon.  This is the third book by Kimmery Martin. She is a emergency medicine specialist so all the details are there.

This one is about a pandemic but actually written before we were hit my our infamous world pandemic. Because its not Covid I can read it!

Call of the Penguins

Hazel Prior returns with another story about Veronica and the Penguins. I really enjoyed the first one about her adventure with the penguins. She is 87 years old and she is off to take part in a documentary about penguins. I was lucky enough to be given a copy for this one from NetGalley and I really look forward to reading it. It publishes on the 11th of November.

Death on a Shelf And to round things off a cosy mystery. Death on a Shelf  is #5 in the series and I have been listening to the audio version.  It publishes November 9th. It is set in a library and has a ghost and a library cat. Easy listening.

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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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Hope you all had a good reading week. I did and moving along into new books. I am thinking of the garden and need to go to the centre to see about pumpkin seeds and a tomato plant. And soon bean planting time.

I had to take my sewing machine to be serviced so that was a little trip north by half an hour. I do have a back up machine so hasn’t totally stopped me!

I set my sister up at the library with her own library card etc. Oh they have nice new cards and a small one to go on your key ring. Hmmm –  I wonder if I “lost” my card!  Now I will set up a tablet so she can access Libby online especially for audiobooks. She reads differently to me, I call me “light and soft” and her “heavy and hard” in terms of reading! However thanks to all the bloggers out there I have good suggestions for her. She can only read large print now so a little limiting, but they still have good options. Yay for libraries.

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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Last Week’s Posts

Be My Ghost.  C. J. Perry

One Hobby Leads to Another

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At Times Something Comes Last!

These five books have “Last” in their title. Sometimes its not so good to be last, but sometimes it can be a blessing too!
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Truthfully I don’t know what or who the last guard is! However I am going to say it refers to Anchors who are part of a secretive designation whose task it is to stabilize the PsyNet. And to the two main characters, both Anchors. Now the critical psychic network is dying, threatening to collapse and kill the entire Psy race with it. So Canto and Payal Rao are the last guard I do believe.

Last Guard is the most recent in the Psy Changeling series and I am always in awe of how Nalini Singh weaves a story that is engaging and has characters I love. Her books, and this one is a great example, are rich and deep. Full of wisdom about life and speaks to our world today.

5 stars.

book cover Well I do know what the word last means in this book. The last bookshop standing in war torn London during the Second World War.

Grace finds herself in London as the war begins. While she isn’t a reader her mother’s friend pushes her into a bookshop job with Mr. Evans. It’s an old dusty place with books everywhere. Before long Grace finds she has a place there and slowly builds a love of books and reading.  4.5 stars

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What happens one last night in London during the bombing that changed a lot of things? It takes most of the book for us to find out.

The characters are well developed and I really felt for them. I felt saddened by some of the war events, and chuckled at some of the gentle humour at other times.  There are secrets, some betrayal, love that endures and heartbreak. Well really this book has so much to offer.

5 stars

book coverDuring World War 2 it was only allowable that men would be the correspondents on the ground in the war zones.

In The Last Correspondent Soraya M. Lane gives us a graphic portrayal of what it was like for women correspondents to do what they so strongly felt called to do. Report what was happening at the front of World War 2.

And guess who is there when it really counts. Yes I will tell you – the women!

5 stars

And where possible I like to include one I haven’t read yet, but sits awaiting. I’ve read some good things about this book.

Before Owen Michaels disappears, he manages to smuggle a note to his beloved wife of one year: Protect her. So I am guessing that’s the last thing he told his wife, to take care of his 16 year old daughter from a previous relationship.

I’ll have to read it to see what unfolds.

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Authors’ Back Lists

Sometimes a new to me author makes me want to think about what the author has written previously and I like to think about what I could read of theirs.

The GunkleI’ve been reading The Guncle by Stephen Rowley which is exploring some serious issues, mainly that of grief and loss but with some humour and great compassion. And the main character is so engaging.

It’s made me realise I’ll need to read another by Steven Rowley. I think my next one will be The Editor.

And then here are other authors who I have come across in recent years and am well into reading their back lists.

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I’ve now read quite a few by Karen White but I have some to go and I’d like to keep reading anything she has written and at the moment I am working my way through the Tradd St series, but I have others of hers to read as well.

 

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I have read the recent books by Viola Shipman but there are a couple of previous books that I’d like to catch up on. The Charm Bracelet and The Hope Chest.

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When I read my first Katherine Center book How to Walk Away I knew I’d want to read anything else she has written. I have read her recent ones and have a few of her back list still to go. So I have chosen my next audiobook by her and it is called The Bright Side of Disaster. When I like an author I don’t even usually read the blurb – I just pick it up and read!

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I picked this book by Liz Byrski, from a local bookshop based on the cover as you do! It brought me the happy acquaintance of a new to me author. I have since read I think at least one or two of her books and she does have a few back list books. I picked up three of them cheaply from the same bookshop recently. She lives in Australia and I think is of British origin. She writes women’s fiction and often has an older character in her books. She has a new one coming out in September I see. 

When I read a new author I don’t always start to note their backlist books. I guess it’s a good indication if I do, that I really liked their books. In the past I’ve found  author sand read everything by them. 

Who is an author that you have at present that you want to read all their backlist books?

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Review

The Last Night in London. Karen White

The Last Night in London

Published: Simon & Shuster – Australia.
Date: 5th May 2021
Source: Publisher via NetGalley

London, 1939. Beautiful and ambitious Eva Harlow and her American best friend, Precious Dubose, are trying to make their way as fashion models. When Eva falls in love with Graham St. John, an aristocrat and Royal Air Force pilot, she can’t believe her luck – she’s getting everything she ever wanted. Then the Blitz devastates her world, and Eva finds herself slipping into a web of intrigue, spies and secrets. As Eva struggles to protect everything she holds dear, all it takes is one unwary moment to change their lives forever.

London, 2019. American journalist Maddie Warner travels to London to interview Precious about her life in pre-WWII London. Maddie, healing from past trauma and careful to close herself off to others, finds herself drawn to both Precious and to Colin, Precious’ enigmatic surrogate nephew. As Maddie gets closer to her, she begins to unravel Precious’ haunting past – and the secrets she swore she’d never reveal …

The Last Night in London by Karen White tells a very poignant story of two women during World War 11 in London, as well as a 2019 link with one of the women.  It is one of the best dual time lines that I have read, it goes together so seamlessly.

The story has mystery – what happened back in those early war times. What happened to some of the people who seem to have been wiped from the  face of the earth.  And in 2019 Cassie seems to be hiding something, there is an air of mystery to her as well.  It wasn’t until I had finished this book that I discovered Cassie had been a part of two previous books, and I had read the first one. I intend going back and reading that, then the second and then this one again! This one is a standalone book, but will be the richer for reading the three I do believe!

For readers who are fascinated by the fashion industry back just before the war and on into it. And if you love old houses and London that will help too. As the story develops, the clues emerge  slowly. There are a couple of twists that make this so worth hanging in with.

The characters are well developed and I really felt for them. I felt saddened by some of the war events, and chuckled at some of the gentle humour at other times.  There are secrets, some betrayal, love that endures and heartbreak. Well really this book has so much to offer.

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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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Thanks everyone for joining in. I love reading how you are all doing and what you are reading. I learn so much about various parts of the world.

My week has been of  course reading and quilting and a little time with a friend. Oh and of course a little exercise with this Japanese American 80 year old mother and daughter. Yes2Next.

Great for when I don’t want to go out into the weather when its too windy or cold.  How did I ever do without You Tube.

What I read last week:

Both very enjoyable books.

What I am reading now:

These Old Shades

And still listening to The Queen of Hearts.

Up next:

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It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

badge
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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I did get some good reading done earlier in the week and then…. I fell down the rabbit hole of quilting.  It’s really like books, I see all these patterns and fabric I want to get into, and of course I can’t do it all… but I want to! Rather like wanting to read all those books I just don’t quite make it to.

What I read last week:

Had a good reading week. Loved all the books completed.  The Ellery Adams book was audio and very good in that format. I’ll just have to keep going with the series as I will with the Debra Webb books. It had that fast pace I was needing.  I love women’s fiction but sometimes I need a change and that was perfect.

What I am reading now:

The Australian/NZ cover of this book. I am really enjoying it.  For review.

The Last Night in London

Up next:

I enjoy this Australian author and the book has come in from the library.

The Jam Queens
And I will start listening to
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Last Week’s Posts

The Summer Seekers.  Sarah Morgan

Another Generation of Readers

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Book Connections

Looking at 2021 Books March to April.

I like to look ahead to books I want to read, when they are publishing  and whether I’ll buy or reserve them at the library. I know I said I’ll buy less books this year, but it could work the other way!

These are just five I have in my sights, however I have more!! I love checking out books to be published by authors I love!

book coverThe Summer of Lost and Found is another book in Mary Alice Monroe’s Rutledge family and the sea turtles of course. I see this one acknowledges the coronavirus which is interesting. I will definitely want to read it.   May publication.

book cover I’ve become a fan of Viola Shipman’s books and so of course The Clover Girls will be an automatic read. It seems to be about four girls/women and their friendship.  May publication as well.

book coverAnother automatic read and it looks like this one will be great too, with it’s exploration of family what happens to embryo’s that are ‘abandoned’ because the mother has died. Even better Under Southern Skies publishes in April for audio and Kindle. Haven’t decided which format yet.

book coverSurviving Savannah is an exploration of the ship Pulaski and a family that boarded it. It seems a couple may have survived. History professor Everly Winthrop hopefully gets to discover more. And the reader of course as well! Publishes March. This one I have pre-ordered.

book coverEven though this is partially set in WW11 I can’t pass it by. Looks like a dual time line. It appears to have grief and resilience mixed in there, and I am sure lessons to be learned. Besides it’s written by Karen White!  Publishes in April.

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