August Reading Wrap Up.

Total books read this month: 13

New to me authors:

Steven Rowley
Lea Wait
Ali Mc Namara

Top Book for August

Very hard to decide! I think I’ll just note that I really liked The Guncle and will be reading more by Steven Rowley. Told with great compassion and love.

I Was Reminded…

I really enjoy a good historical romance. They are such fun. The Lisa Kleypas book was delightful, and The Grand Sophy on audiobook was so entertaining. Light and fluffy sure, but made me laugh and that’s always a good thing.

Looking forward to reading in September from my bookshelf

I do have a load I’d like to read but as you’ll see for my goal for September other books come first.

Review of Reading Goals for August

My goal was just to read what I really wanted. So I only read books that I knew I didn’t have to review and I sunk into books I felt like reading as I chose the next book.

Main Reading Goals for September

Well now, I need to gain ground a little and read the review books I ignored in August and then the ones I had on my calendar for September as well.

Our library has now decided to change to the Libby app, so I want to explore that for library audio books to see if improved over last one. Plus I usually get two credits per month at Audible, I have 8 in hand and may just need to cut back to 1 credit a month. I have a heap in my library to listen to as 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.

Hope you all had a good week. We’ve had heaps of rain. Must almost be floating by now! I’ve had a good week though. Saw one of my great nieces on Saturday. Miss Six. She showed me where she now had a missing tooth. “Is that your first tooth for the tooth fairy?” I asked her. “No, this is my “freeth” she said. Her version of threeth or as I said, “oh your third!” I get such joy from small moments like that!

What I read last week:

I finished listening to The Twelve Clues of Christmas. It was a really good listen with some gruesome death scenes at the end for the murderer.  The Guncle was excellent reading and I am happy I have my own copy of this to put on my keeper shelves.

What I am reading now:

and listening to

Up next:

 

Last Week’s Posts

July Reading Look Back

Authors’ Back Lists.

 

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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.

I’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.

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.

 

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.

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!

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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What You Wish For. Katherine Center

Published: St Martin’s Press
Date: 14th July 2020
Source: Publisher via NetGalley

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.
Duncan Carpenter is the new school principal who lives by rules and regulations, guided by the knowledge that bad things can happen.
But he wasn’t always that way.

Set within school life, What You Wish For did hook me and keep me reading. possibly because of my teaching career.  It has two main characters who had known each other a few years back and now meet up again at a different school.

Sam has just lost her beloved Principal and the whole staff are still grieving his loss. Duncan appears and he comes in with a bang. He is completely different to what Sam knew of him before. And so for awhile there I was totally horrified by his actions. However when we get to know Duncan more we come to understand.

There are minor characters who are rather sweet, especially the nine year old boy with the very remote and rather unlikeable Dad who also happens to be chairman of the board at the school.

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.

It’s a pleasant story, and if you are looking for a light summer read and you like Katherine Center’s work you can pass a few happy hours with it.

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 quiet week, lots of rain! And then we met our shortest day yesterday. Yay.

Well a little bit of a kerfuffle this week because we found out our quarantining at the border has been not that stringent and then two people from the UK were let out with the virus without testing on compassionate grounds, and there tended to be some large holes in their story. Hmm things then turned to custard!  We’ve had more coming in too as more NZers come home. So I am back to being cautious because I can’t trust what is going on at the border.

What I read last week:

What I am reading now:

And still listening to and enjoying Five Hundred Miles From You. by Jenny Colgan. Enjoying catching up with little cameos of past characters in the series.

Up next:

 

Last Week’s Posts

Book Delights Cost.

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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.

Hope you are all keeping okay, so much all going on these days.

Today I am off out to my first venture since Covid into a cafe to meet up with a group of friends. Up until now I had had my groceries delivered but last week I ventured into the supermarket myself.

What I read last week:

What I am reading now:

 

Just started listening to…

Up next:

Not sure, will be something from my own shelf, but which book is as yet undecided! 

Last Week’s Posts

Five Audiobooks Awaiting

Brave Girl. Quiet Girl. Catherine Ryan Hyde.

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Things You Save in a Fire. Katherine Centre

Published: Harlequin
Date: 13th August 2019
Source: Publisher via NetGalley

Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center is a short book. No! Not really! But that’s how it felt because I just loved reading it and it just went by far too fast. Always a sign of a good story.

One heroine who has a dark past that has left her angry, bitter and with a “keep your hands off me or you’ll be sorry” kind of attitude, even if its just a sympathetic hug.

Cassie is a firefighter and skilled paramedic. She knows to work alongside men she needs to be the best… and she is. When her mother needs her she reluctantly moves to be with her and start afresh. The men at the new fire station aren’t going to make it easy for her, the rookie provides an interesting new experience for her and life with her mother turns into something more than she was expecting.

Just when I was thinking to myself something is missing – you’ll know if you have read it, or when you read it – wham it arrived in a huge plot twist that was so good.

I loved how Cassie evolved, how she showed courage on so many fronts, how skilled and calm she was with her work. I loved how she came to know the power of forgiveness. And well… what I love most in a book – love and a happy, satisfying ending!

Its’s Monday! What Are You Reading? Hello August.

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.

For some reason the last week seems to have been rather long to me, not that it was boring, just that it had a lot of days in it! Lovely sunshine today, but cold, which I love and would welcome colder. Much of the country has snow but the cold only lightly graced our coastal area.

I had a good reading week, totally loved three of these books and one was just okay. But happily it was a library book.

What I read last week:

What I am reading now:

Just starting another book by Carmel Harrington – Irish author. Thanks to Trish at Between the Lines who introduced this author to me.

I am still listening to the Rosamunde Pilcher book The Shell Seekers and will likely be most of the month as its long.

Up next:

 

Last Week’s Posts

The Huntress. Kate Quinn

July Reading Round Up

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