Sofie Ryan – The Book Date

Month in Review

Book Ratings

You Can’t Hide. Karen Rose 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Beach House Summer. Sarah Morgan 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Fairy Godmother. Mercedes Lackey 🌟🌟🌟. 5

A Whisker of Trouble. Sofie Ryan 🌟🌟🌟. 5

Twilight Shadows. Emilie Richards 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

The Librarian. Salley Vickers 🌟🌟🌟🌟

A Mother’s Heart. Carmel Harrington 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

South of the Buttonwood Tree. Heather Webber 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Court of Thorns and Roses. Sarah J Maas 🌟🌟🌟

The Last House on the Street. Diane Chamberlain 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

New to me authors:

Mercedes Lackey
Salley Vickers
Sarah J Maas

Top Books for May

Looking forward to reading in June

Very likely ones.

Review of Reading Goals for May.

five books read from my print TBR. – yes
read more of Pride and Prejudice – not sure I read any
read a book from library – yes. The Last House on the Street by Diane Chamberlain.

Main Reading Goals for June

read five more books from my print TBR
continue to read Pride and Prejudice
read a library book if one comes in

Linking up with Nicole from FeedYourFiction Addiction.

Book Connections

Five Books From my TBR in May

May 27, 2022 Kathryn

Five more books read off my own shelves. Very satisfying to know that while I do add to it once I have read three, my print TBR has shrunk in 2022.

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The Librarian by Sally Vickers. 4 stars. It took me awhile to really come to like this book. It is set in a quaint stolid time of British history. But it does showcase small community and the petty jealousies and loves that abound in a small community. But mostly it shows one sincere, warm young women finding her way in the world, sharing her love of books as a children’s librarian. Some readers have said they didn’t like the modern ending – I did!

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#5 in the series.You Can’t Hide by Karen Rose. Another chilling book in this series. I did pick the killer behind the whole thing very early on, there were little clues that pointed. But that said, it was all very convoluted and involved. I could read about that Reagan family any day. Aidan and Tess – great pair. 5 stars.

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Sad to say I didn’t find myself addicted to this book or feel called to continue with the series. Happy that I tried it. I know there are so many fans but won’t be joining them. Very violent – too much so for me, with not enough to hold me in the world. Give me a Nalini Singh book any day. Was good to see what all the hype is about and to see how many have totally loved this series. I’ll end my journey here though. 3 stars.

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#2 book in the series. A Whisker of Trouble by Sofie Ryan. Fun mystery, did pick the murderer very early but that was more from intuition than picking out clues. Nice twists and turns and of course Elvis is so enchanting. While I didn’t star this highly I will certainly be continuing with the series and catching up with the sleuthing gang. 3.5 stars.

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A Small Blue Thing by Julie Hanify. This was a memoir by someone I had the privilege of being a colleague for awhile . She discovered she had ADHD and was on the autism spectrum. This is a recount – an often detailed one, of various events in her life. I found it a bit too detailed but glad I have finally read it. She certainly had a gift for reaching the students who presented with differing ways. A very gifted person but not sadly always appreciated by those who surrounded her. She wrote this memoir during a creative writing course at university. Not giving this one a rating.

#IMWAYR

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

May 16, 2022May 16, 2022 Kathryn

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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Welcome in and hope all is going reasonably well for you all. I had a good week. I ventured into Wellington city via a new road that opened a little while back. Quite an experience as it cuts through some high hills. It takes off a whole lot of the small towns and so you can go along at full speed.

After connecting with a friend we then travelled around the harbour to Eastbourne for a walk and the yummy oysters, scallops and chips. Great way to spend a day.

Now wet weather has set in and while not too cold I have lit the fire a few times. Makes things cosy!

What I read last week:

What I am reading now:

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And listening to..

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Up next:

I am not too sure, I am only beginning A Mother’s Heart and I am not sure what I will feel like reading once I finish that one.

Last Week’s Posts

Book. Directions

Lost Coast Literary. Ellie Alexander

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#IMWAYR

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

May 9, 2022May 9, 2022 Kathryn

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Welcome in all. Hope the week is starting well for you all.

Saturday for me was spent helping to dig out the veggie garden as roots from other things had grown up in it. All the soil was dug out ( no not me) and then we sifted it through some netting and put weed mat down and put the soil back. Hopefully it won’t compact like it did before. It’s a raised veggie bed. Now to grow veggies again. We had done half about a month ago and already I have some greens growing well. Helps with the growing price of vegetables at the supermarket.

Sunday I was a bit out to it, couldn’t even read I was so tired, so a few doses of Bridgerton and a Dancing with the Stars helped.

What I read last week:

What I am reading now:

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And still listening to The Fairy Godmother.

Up next:

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Last Week’s Posts

Emilie Richards and Twilight Shadows

2022 Books I want to Read

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Book Connections

Recent New to Me Authors I Have Added to My Want To Read More List

April 24, 2020April 24, 2020 Kathryn

It is always a danger finding a new author I like! It adds to that TBR list for sure. I find new authors through other reader/bloggers, the MMD reading club and summer guide and just picking up a book at either NetGalley or a shop I think I might like.

Alix E. Harrow.

I admit this is not my usual kind of read. But it sufficiently hooked me with its premise of doors opening into different worlds and its theme of safety versus freedom and choice. She has a new one this year and I will certainly give it a read to see if its really me.

Sofie Ryan.

I am not much of a cosy book reader but Sofie Ryan has managed to hook me with her cat Elvis (see I even remember his name without having to go look it up). I like the characters and so it is why I will go back and keep reading this series. Who knows after that!

Emma Hannigan.

I loved this story about five women and their households. At first I thought it would be too many people to keep track of, but I soon slipped easily into the goings on of Kingfisher Road, and was cheering them all on. While it covers a few serious issues, each woman has secrets, there is a light warm hearted tone to the book which was so uplifting. The women vary in age ranging from 70 to 20, yet the supportive kindness they extend to each other is wonderful. Maybe everything wraps up a little too well but I am not really complaining. I think I have one of her books already on my TBR shelf which I must reach!

Viola Shipman

I think its two books I have now read by Viola Shipman and I like his writing. I find its just the right kind of characters and warmth that I enjoy, with a little history at times. Will certainly explore any backlog. Must earmark them.

Uzma Jalaluddin

Uzma is a Canadian author and this was a debut novel I was introduced to by the Modern Mrs Darcy summer reading guide 2019. She hasn’t written another one, but I hope she does and I’d certainly read it. This book was a revamped Pride and Prejudice story, not that I care about that. I just liked the Muslim aspect and the pair involved int he romantic story. So hope she writes another, I’ll buy it and read it.

#IMWAYR

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

March 30, 2020March 30, 2020 Kathryn

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Hope you are all hanging in there and keeping safe and well. It certainly is different times and perhaps it’s going to bring about changes in the future in the ways our world operates. In the meantime we gotta live through this!

What I read last week:

What I am reading now:

And listening to The Spies of Shilling Lane.

Up next:

Last Week’s Posts

The Sea Glass Cottage RaeAnne Thayne

First Quarter Top Reads

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Month in Review

February Reading Wrap Up.

March 5, 2020 Kathryn

Total books read this month: 9

New to me authors:

Karen Hawkins
Alix E Harrow. *
Brenda Janowitz.
Sofie Ryan*

Ones I’d read again marked by a *

Top Book for February

Fantasy and most likely in the realm of literary fiction.

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Looking forward to reading in March

Incoming Books for February

Purchased

Library Books

From NetGalley or Edelweiss

Audio Books Purchased

Linking up wit Nicole at Feed Your Fiction Addiction.

#IMWAYR

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading this March?

March 2, 2020March 2, 2020 Kathryn

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I had a good week. I went to see Little Women. I enjoyed it although didn’t fall totally head over heels in love with this version. It covered some of about three of the books and bounced about in timeline which was a little confusing. But still worth seeing.

Well we are into March already, for most of you that’s a promise of Spring and for some of us a hint of Autumn. And of course this virus hitting the world throws in a little twist. We have one case so far in our biggest city coming in from a plane on Iran. It initiated a lot of panic buying in that city’s supermarkets. Personally I find for me I listen and watch only a limited amount of news each day. So much of it initiates panic in us, that most likely does us more damage than the virus.

What I read last week:

Sofie Ryan’s cozy mystery was very enjoyable and I’ll choose this series to read on into. Julie Buxbaum’s book has at its centre the impact on people’s lives who lost loved ones or were in the 9/11 event, 15 years on. YA but appropriate for anyone. She writes so well and it was a 4.5 stars for me.

What I am reading now:

I managed to buy this from a local shop after searching. It published last Monday – Australian author, only read the prologue but am into it.

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Up next:

For review

Last Week’s Posts

Tucker. Emily March

Hope is Always Welcome

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#IMWAYR

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

February 24, 2020February 24, 2020 Kathryn

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Well a good week again. Again I went into the city one day during the week and we crossed the harbour on the ferry – went for a bush walk and then a swim. The weather wasn’t as warm as last week but still okay. I would hate though to travel into the city every morning in that traffic and I was only hitting the tail end. This week I plan to see the movie Little Women before it totally disappears from theatres. Just takes me awhile to do these things!

What I read last week:

The Ten Thousand Doors of January is a fantasy book that I really liked, I’ll certainly read Alix E. Harrow’s next one which has something to do with witches. I finished listening to The Girl on Legare Street. I left too many gaps in-between listening and so got a little lost but I enjoyed it. The Grace Kelly Dress is a review book, and all I will say here is I think the title is misleading.

What I am reading now:

I read very few cozy mysteries but Katherine over at I wish I Lived in a Library, reviewed the most recent one in the series and I decided why not give it a go. I’ll hopefully read through the series all going well!

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I am about to start listening to…

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