Sonali Dev – The Book Date

Month in Review

May Round up of Reading

June 1, 2023 Kathryn

Total books read this month: 11

Book Ratings

The Money Club 4.25 stars (review book)
My Oxford Year. 4.25 stars.( audio)
Take My Hand 5 stars (library book)
The Wonderful Thing About Phoenix Rose (my own book)
Daisies and Devotion 3 stars.( audio)
The Last Lie Told. 3.25 stars. (library book)
The Little Italian Hotel. Phaedra Patrick 3.77 (review book)
Identity 4.25 stars ( my own paperback)
Atlas: The Story of Pa Salt. 4.8 stars (audio)
The Emma Project 4 stars. (my own paperback)
A Rule Against Murder. 4.25 stars (my own paperback)

Settings

South west Australia
Oxford, England
Alabama, USA
London/Somerset. England
Australia
Tennessee USA
Bologna Italy
Vermont USA
France/Germany/Norway/Scotland/England/Australia/Switzerland/Brazil/USA/Spain
California USA
Canada

New to me authors:

Dolen Perkins Valdez

Top Book for May

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A Few of the Books I look forward to seeing published in June

Linking up with Nicole from FeedYourFiction Addiction.

#IMWAYR

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

May 29, 2023May 29, 2023 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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Well hasn’t May rolled through fast. I think June counts as our first month in winter. I hope we get some really nice cold weather.

I did a lot of listening this past week or two as I sped through 20 hours of Atlas: The Story of Pa Salt which ends a series. As Lucinda Riley died her son did the last book from the notes his mother left. He did an excellent job. This book was set in a number of countries so it was quite a ride. The Emma Project has been on my shelf for awhile so it was time and I did enjoy it.

I got hooked into watching Ted Lasso on Apple TV and now just waiting for the last one in season 3 to drop on Wednesday. I’ve loved the show and think I need to turn around at some point and watch it all again.

What I read last week:

What I am reading now:

A Rule Against Murder

And I am listening to…

Someone to Wed

Up next:

Last Week’s Posts

Things That Instantly Make Me Want to Read a Book

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#IMWAYR

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

May 22, 2023May 22, 2023 Kathryn

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Well one of my usual weeks with a bit of this and that. My reading slowed a bit as other things took over and I can see the coming week will be even slower but that’s okay. I am loving my audiobook and even though it started out at about 25 hours, its getting whittled down fast as I want to find out all the details.

What I read last week:

What I am reading now:

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And still listening to…

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Up next:

Not sure. Will decide a bit later down the track.

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Month in Review

February Reading Round Up.

March 5, 2023March 5, 2023 Kathryn

Total books read this month: 11

Book Ratings

Birds in the Air 3 stars
The Matzah Ball. 4 stars
Woodrose Mountain. 3.75 stars
The Light We Carry 4. 5 stars
Archangel’s Resurrection 3.75 stars
The Vibrant Years. 3.75 stars
The Winners. 5+ stars
No River Too Wide. 5 stars
Johanna Porter is not Sorry 3.6 stars
Sweet Laurel Falls. 3.6 stars
Carrie Soto is Back. 4 stars

New to me authors:

Frances O’Roark Dowell
Jean Meltzer

Format

Paperback. 5. one of which was from the library.

Kindle. 3. Plus one review book on Kindle.

Audiobook. 2

Top Book for February

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Thoughts on February Reading.

Not an awful lot of reading done. I am keeping my review books to a minimum and that sure is a plus.

Linking up with Nicole from FeedYourFiction Addiction.

#IMWAYR

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

February 20, 2023February 20, 2023 Kathryn

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Greetings all. Well we (my country) have had a very sobering week as part of the country was badly damaged by a cyclone that really caused a lot of damage in the areas it hit. Watching the news each night is heartbreaking. Some amazing tales though of very brave rescues of people by ordinary folk helping others out. And then sad loss of life as well. Still many people not yet contacted – roads, bridges, electricity and communications totally wiped. Can you imagine living with everything gone. It’s too big to grasp.

In my area we had a 6.3 earthquake just off the coast where I live a few days later. It sure shook us up, but no damage. Phew! It felt like we were let off big time.

What I read last week:

I enjoyed The Light We Carry although I liked her first book more, but still really good. The Vibrant Years was about three generations of women and the backbone that each of them strengthen during the book. A little slow but worth the read.

What I am reading now:

A review book, not sure if it is to my taste but keeping me reading.

Johanna is not Sorry

And I am listening to… this book which is a reread as I reread through the Goddess Anonymous series.

No River Too Wide Emilie Richards

Up next:

Not sure at this stage what I will pick up. Something light I think so I will search my shelves to see what fits that.

Last Week’s Posts

Books With Strong Romantic Elements.

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#IMWAYR

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

February 13, 2023February 13, 2023 Kathryn

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Welcome in to another reading look back and forward. Nothing unusual in the past week – the usual – the weather was just a tad less humid and that helped. I visited, went for another sea swim, read and quilted.

What I read last week:

What I am reading now:

The Vibrant Years

Up next:

A review book.

Johanna is not Sorry

Last Week’s Posts

January Reading Round Up

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Book Connections

More 2022 Books on my WTR List

June 17, 2022 Kathryn

Busy time of the year for books! These books have either already been published in 2022 or soon will be. They are ones I have organised in my online shopping in various places. If they are books I really like the author, I generally get a print book as I prefer reading in that format when possible. The first three will be print books, Viola Shipman’s will be a digital egalley and the last one will definitely go best on audio.

These all show my liking for women’s fiction with a bit of a mix of romance !

book cover Flying Solo Linda Holmes. I really enjoyed Linda Holmes previous book – Evvie Drake Starts Over so this is an automatic buy for me. “Smarting from her recently cancelled wedding and about to turn forty, Laurie Sassalyn returns to her Maine hometown of Calcasset to handle the estate of her great-aunt Dot, a spirited adventurer who lived to be ninety”

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The Emma Project. This book is part of a series I’ve been reading. This one gives and Indian/American twist to Emma by Jane Austen. It’s a Rom Com and while that is not my favourite genre these books are well written and make a pretty good read. So another buy book.

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Kristan Higgins latest book Out of the Clear Blue Sky is another buy. I have found her last few books a little issue oriented but still can’t resist giving this one a read. Some readers I follow have loved it and some are not so warm about it. So I’ll have to read it and see where I sit. Perhaps knowing that I haven’t been so keen on her recent books might make me read this one slowly and patiently.

book cover The Edge of Summer publishes on the 12th of July. I am fortunate to have a NetGalley copy of this one but if I totally fall in love with it I know I’ll want to buy it as well. It’s about a woman seeking out the mystery of her mother who has just died and secrets that have as yet to be revealed. Viola Shipman is a pen name for Wade Rouse. He has recently written a memoir I’d like to read too at some point.

book cover An Island Wedding by Jenny Colgan. Well anyone who loves visiting the island of Mure will be waiting for this one. Looks like there are a few relationships happening and Flora and Joel are finding the going and hard and I can’t wait to see how Lorna and Saif are getting on. I love to listen to this series and so looking forward to it.

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Review

Incense and Sensibility. Sonali Dev

July 21, 2021 Kathryn

Incense and Sensibility

Published: William Morrow
Date: 6th July 2021
Source:Avon Publicist via NetGalley

Yash Raje, California’s first Indian-American gubernatorial candidate, has always known exactly what he wants—and how to use his privileged background to get it. He attributes his success to a simple mantra: control your feelings and you can control the world. But when a hate crime at a rally critically injures his friend, Yash’s easy life suddenly feels like a lie, his control an illusion. When he tries to get back on the campaign trail, he blacks out with panic.

Desperate to keep Yash’s condition from leaking to the media, his family turns to the one person they trust—his sister’s best friend, India Dashwood, California’s foremost stress management coach. Raised by a family of yoga teachers, India has helped San Francisco’s high strung overachievers for a decade without so much as altering her breath. But this man—with his boundless ambition, simmering intensity, and absolute faith in his political beliefs—is like no other.

Yash has spent a lifetime repressing everything to succeed, including their one magical night ten years ago—a too brief, too bright passion that if rekindled threatens to destroy the dream he’s willingly shouldered for his family and community . . . until now.

Sonali Dev takes up the life and times of the Raje family with the story of Yash who is in the middle of a campaign to be governor of California. He has himself in a bit of a tangle as he his along with Naina made it appear that they are a couple, but they are not, just friends mutually helping each other out. Yash really has only eyes for India – a very wise yoga teacher and reiki healer.

What a tangled web we weave when we set out to deceive! Well that should have been Yash’s lament, and at times I wanted to shake him. However reading on and finding out his back story I had sympathy for him and was hoping he’d find his way through the maze.

India is a lovely person, but sort of carries the weight if not of the world at least of her family. Her mother is unwell and her sister has herself involved in a relationship that doesn’t seem to be good for her.

Speaking of mothers I enjoyed the mothers in the story. Especially Yash’s mother when she came all over “mother”. She eventually sized up things well.

There is a stinky dog, a body guard or two who took my heart and numerous other members of Yash’s family we have met previously.

As all romances do, it ended well, but far too abruptly. I wanted just a tad more from the ending. A little more hoop la!

#IMWAYR

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

July 12, 2021July 12, 2021 Kathryn

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Welcome in. As I sit here its 1 degree Centigrade ( about 34 F I think) outside with a good frost on the ground. I am about to have a cup of coffee and then hit the pavement for my morning walk. I think I am building a good habit there!

Last Thursday I went into the city, picked up a friend and then went around the other side of the harbour, to Eastbourne, and had for lunch, chips, Bluff oysters and coffee. I had never had oysters before and these are a delicacy from the bottom of our South Island. Okay I now get why they are! We sat beside the sea to eat them. The harbour was like a mill pond. We could see Wellington across the other side and through the harbour mouth the alps of the South Island covered in snow. When I got home I thought what a perfect blissful day! Simple but the best.

What I read last week:

Enjoyed both. Two Steps Onwards takes up where Two Steps Forward left off really, three years later. It is written by a husband and wife team. Most likely these books aren’t for everyone, but if you enjoy walking as in the Camino and people making walking journey’s and inner journey’s then you’ll like them. I do, well I am not going to do such walking, I don’t mind if others do! But I like the inner journey.

What I am reading now:

Hope to finish this one today or maybe tomorrow morning. Heard about it on a podcast, not sure which book one now! It’s more about friendship and tension rather than books but a good enough read. From the library.

In a Book Club Far Away

Up next:

Another from the library. There are two Jennifer Ryan author’s. This one is the English one! I like her WW2 books. I have listened to the other two, so first time reading in print.

Last Week’s Posts

June Reading Round Up

Library Pile Up

And yes I did have my walk and its still 1 degree C. Now to see what I want to do for the day. Happy life of the retired!

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#IMWAYR

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

July 5, 2021July 5, 2021 Kathryn

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Hope all in the USA had a happy 4th July. Always nice to celebrate.

I had a good week, we had cold frosty mornings and lovely sunny cool days for the most part. Gone today though. I know many places in USA have been very hot, couldn’t manage in that kind of heat!