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.

Welcome in.  I had a slow but good reading week. I might have spent a little bit of time completing a jigsaw as well. Apart from that the week seems to have rushed by.  Today I plan to make some soup in the slow cook crockpot looking towards autumn and winter.

What I read last week:

What I am reading now:

And still listening to The Color of Light by Emilie Richard

Up next:

Set against the backdrop of a small town in the throes of a very real opioid crisis, Unlikely Animals is a tragicomic novel about familial expectations, imperfect friendships, and the possibility of resurrecting that which had been thought irrevocably lost.

Last Week’s Posts

Books on my Autumn Reading List

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Books on my Autumn Reading List

Linking up with ThatArtsyReaderGirl

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.

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!

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.

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

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

During 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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Women’s Contribution in War Times

Last weekend in New Zealand and Australia we had remembrance day for all the Australian and New Zealand soldiers. ANZAC  Day. This year the special focus was on the role of women. So I thought this Friday I would connect with some of the books that have helped me appreciate the role of women in war.

While I sometimes feel like every second historical book is set in one of the wars, when I looked back over the last couple of years reading to find books, I hadn’t read that many!

I was drawn to this book because of the bookshop aspect, however Grace not only looked after a bookshop during the war.

At night she helps out patrolling the streets, putting out fires and helping injured people. Her kindness and compassion changes hearts and inspires the ordinary person in the neighbourhood to keep going.

In this story we meet Louise who becomes a Gunner girl.  Her role was to identify German planes. The women were not allowed to actually fire the gun to shoot the plane down. Their male companion did that!

While this book is not set in war time we do meet a woman who worked for the Secret Service from London.  She carried out missions into Europe that were dangerous and she stands for many women who were spies and carried important messages. Mind you soon as the war was over she was ousted out of the secret service. An example of the prejudice of the time.

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.

In Danni and Ella we meet very gutsy women. Danni a photographer and Ella a writer. They see and deal with life threatening circumstances.

And of course they have to use devious means to get to where the war is happening because they are not “allowed” by the men to go to such places.

Nina is Russian and grew up in harsh conditions, survived and became a pilot in the Russian army, in a women’s division known as the Night Witches. What a character she is. She Is hard bitten and tough, a razor wielding vixen. But look closer and just maybe there is a softer side to her. I have to say I came to adore her.

The planes they flew were the worst but these women were skilled and brave.  This book would be my top book out of these five.

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The Last Correspondent. Soraya M. Lane

Published: Lake Union

Date: 1st November 2020

Source: Publisher via NetGalley

When journalist Ella Franks is unmasked as a woman writing under a male pseudonym, she loses her job. But having risked everything to write, she refuses to be silenced and leaps at the chance to become a correspondent in war-torn France.

Already entrenched in the thoroughly male arena of war reporting is feisty American photojournalist Danni Bradford. Together with her best friend and partner, Andy, she is determined to cover the events unfolding in Normandy. And to discover the whereabouts of Andy’s flighty sister, Vogue model Chloe, who has followed a lover into the French Resistance.

We are used to seeing journalists and reporters risk their lives to share with us the often dangerous and horrific events in our world.

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.

She has thoroughly researched this time period and the gender discrimination that existed. Only men were deemed strong enough to report the war. It was very difficult for women to get a look in.

In Danni and Ella we meet very gutsy women. Danni a photographer and Ella a writer. They see and deal with life threatening circumstances. Chloe who starts off as a rather young and naive women, eventually becomes an amazing young woman. 

The story is gripping, sometimes shocking. But mainly it delighted me with the strong bonds of friendship and the determination of the characters to seek what felt true to them, whatever the obstacle.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

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.

Welcome November. Casting off fast! Last week turned into a good reading week as I got through another audiobook, due more to quilting than walking but I’ll take it! As well busy pottering in the garden, love going out every morning to see if seeds are up or if plants are still alive!!

We had a sisters morning tea (six of us, one had to travel a couple of hours so nice catch up) on Friday at one of my sister’s homes.   Oh her garden was just gorgeous. Can you hear the envy in my voice!! Came home and resolved to do more in mine!

Fingers crossed for this week!!!!

What I read last week:

What I am reading now:

Just starting both these

And listening to #4 in Tradd Street series.

Up next:

 

Last Week’s Posts

Flying the Nest.  Rachael Johns

Books I Bought in November

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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 a head above water. This week I got some reading done and a bit of viewing – some on the TV – I am enjoying a British show The Trouble with Maggie Cole. I also watched half of the Colin Firth Pride & Prejudice (to be continued) via DVD, the first of the new David Letterman on Netflix and the movie The Two Popes. All good viewing.

I can see the I will use Netflix a lot more now that yesterday I sorted myself with a Google Chromecast. Two of my sisters and brother and spouses gathered for a fish ‘n chips tea (evening meal, not sure what you call tea!!) Saturday at my brother’s place and so I saw their Chromecast set up and that’s all the incentive I needed. I had been thinking about it for awhile.

What I read last week:

I also finished listening to

What I am reading now:

A long time book on my TBR. I saw her new book on NetGalley but wasn’t going to request it when I don’t know if I like her as an author, so off the shelf it comes – I picked it up at a Book Fair about four years ago.

I am listening to

Up next:

Last Week’s Posts

The Way Back Home.  Emilie Richards

Book to Screen

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