Roro rocks 2014

In order to be a bit more creative with my categories this year I have decided to base my categories on the hit songs in the year I turned 14, which was 1986. I have settled on 9 categories and I’m aiming for 7 in each, a total of 63 books.




1 – “Don’t Leave Me This Way” by the Communards
This category is for books that have been languishing on my shelves, either actual or virtual, just waiting to be read. They will be purchases from 2013 or earlier.
3 out of 7

2 – “Chain Reaction” by Diana Ross
This is where I will put all my series and sequels.
5 out of 7

3 – “That’s What Friends Are For” by Dionne Warwick
Books that I read for group themes or group reads can go here
3 out of 7

4 – “A Matter of Trust” by Billy Joel
I plan to let the kids choose some books for me. There are 5 of them so I think this category will fill up fast.
2 out of 7

5 – “Walk Like An Egyptian” by the Bangles
I loved this song, and I love historical fiction, so this is a perfect match.
4 out of 7

6 – “When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going” by Billy Ocean
This will be my war catergory. Books here will either be set in the heat of battle or on the home front during the war years.
3 out of 7

7 – “Addicted to Love” by Robert Palmer
Of course, I need a little romance in my reading now and again. This category is for romance.
3 out of 7

8 – “True Colours” by Cyndi Lauper
Non-fiction needs a home too. I don’t know if I will manage 7 but I will give it a good go.
3 out of 7

9 – “A Good Heart” by Feargal Sharkey
Another song I absolutely loved. This category is here for those books that I just had to read but don’t really fit anywhere else
2 out of 7

Don't Leave Me This Way



1 Cry of the Curlew by Peter Watt
2 One Breath Away by Heather Gudenkauf
3 City of Light by Lauren Belfer
4
5
6
7

Chain Reaction



1 Killing Floor by Lee Child - Jack Reacher book 1
2 Die Trying by Lee Child - Jack Reacher book 2
3 The Lion and the Rose by Kate Quinn - A Novel of the Borgias book 2
4 Seven for a Secret by Lyndsay Faye - Timothy Wilde book 2
5 Grail Knight by Angus Donald
6
7

That's What Friends Are For



1 The Invisible Ones by Stef Penney
2 In the Kingdom of Men by Kim Barnes
3 The House Girl by Tara Conklin
4
5
6
7

A Matter of Trust



1 Footprints of Lion by Beverley Harper
2 Some Sunny Day by Annie Groves
3
4
5
6
7

Walk Like An Egyptian



1 The Last Runaway by Tracy Chevalier
2 The Owl Killers by Karen Maitland
3 Wars of the Roses: Stormbird by Conn Iggulden
4 Daughters of the Nile by Stephanie Dray
5
6
7

WhenThe Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going



1 The Undertaking by Audrey Magee
2 Winter in June by Kathryn Miller Haines
3 The Pagan Lord by Bernard Cornwell
4
5
6
7

Addicted to Love



1 The Serpent and the Staff by Barbara Wood
2 Kiss River by Diane Chamberlain
3 The Girl You Left Behind by Jojo Moyes
4
5
6
7

True Colours


1 The Norman Conquest by Marc Morris
2 12 Years a Slave by Solomon Northup
3 Aprons and Silver Spoons by Mollie Moran
4
5
6
7

A Good Heart



1 The Gods of Gotham by Lindsay Faye
2 Blue Monday by Nicci French
3
4
5
6
7

Reading my actual books on my bookshelf ticker




Reading my ebooks ticker

Yay, a fellow rocker! :) Fun categories...I look forward to seeing how you fill them.

oh my! My teens came back to me in a rush there. Great song selection.

>13 Helenliz: I was hoping we would all enjoy the flashback. I sure did. I might even make a playlist of these songs on my phone.

Great to see you all set up and ready for 2014, Ro. My granddaughter and I were just singing "Walk Like An Egyptian" this last weekend. Well, it was actually more like me singing and her laughing!

1986 was the year my son was born so it was a special year for me. It's fun to remember all those songs. Have a wonderful year of books!

Wow, blast from the past! Great song choices. I like the "Don't Leave Me This Way" category ;)

Another musical thread - lovely!! I kinda wish now that I had repeated mine from this year. So much fun!

Great categories and the songs..... I will admit to having the Billy Ocean, Robert Palmer and Bangles songs currently on my iPod! I am struggling to remember the Don't Leave Me This Way song but I am pretty sure I will remember it when I hear it. ;-)

Fun! That was the year I turned13 so I remember and love most of these songs - especially Addicted to Love.

15- I wonder if you were doing the dance moves as well Judy? I know my kids would be laughing if I did.

20- Addicted to love was also one of my favourites. I was happy to see it on the list of 1986 hits.

I think it's impossible to sing "Walk Like An Egypian" and not do the dance moves!

Great choice of songs! I hope you have fun with your challenge!

>23 paruline: Thanks paruline.

Yay!! I worked out how to do the ticker thing.

Hooray for your ticker thingy! ;)

Well I have just finished my 2013 challenge and am trying to decide whether to come over here now or wait til next week. Hmmmmm

The water is great! Come on in!

Thanks mamzel. I think you are spot on.

I am not much of a planner with my reading and saying I am going to read something for a certain challenge is almost like giving the book a sentence of being ignored. However I am really trying to read books I already own in 2014 so maybe I will be reading The Song of Achilles for the January randomCAT. It has been sitting on my ebookshelf for a while and has many rave reviews on LT so it must be good.

Hi Roro8, The Song of Achilles was one of my favorite read of 2013. If not for the Group Read, it will still be on the TBR shelves. The premise could have result in a trashy kind of story but it was tasteful and there was a feeling of quietness even though there was a war going on. I hope that you will enjoy it !

>30 electrice: Thanks electrice. That's great encouragement to start reading it soon. Maybe even after my current read.

I really need to pick something for the mysteryCAT but I don't want to start another series. I might go and post something over there for recommendations.

I have just finished my first book for the year. Review coming soon (when it is my turn on the computer).

Chain Reaction
GeoCAT US

Killing Floor by Lee Child


Although this is the first book in The Jack Reacher series, it is the third Jack Reacher book I have read. I enjoyed the action and the pace of my first two ventures into the series so I decided I would go back to the beginning and start reading them all.

Killing Floor introduces us to Jack Reacher, a man who has spent his whole life in the military and has now been discharged. He is enjoying the freedom of being able to go anywhere he wants whenever he likes. He is living like a hobo. He has no fixed address and carries no luggage. Carries only cash and leaves no trail of where he has been. Jack enjoys music, so when he hears from his brother that an old musician named Blind Blake used to play in a town called Margrave where he was eventually murdered, Jack decides Margrave seems as good a place as any to stop next. Then a dead body turns up, and who seems the most likely suspect in this small town - the blow in that just arrived on the last bus. Jack needs to get out of this one, he knows he is innocent and needs to make them realise it.

Lots of action (and violence) in this book, as I would expect. A good read.

I just realised that a book I have had an eye on since it's release is going to fit 4 of my group reads this month. The Last Runaway by Tracey Chevalier will be perfect for the GeoCAT focus, also for the reading through time quarterly theme as it is set in the 1800s, also for the reading through time monthly theme "New Beginnings", and depending on how big a feature the journey from England to America is it may even work for the RandomCAT. Lucky my library has about 8 copies and several of them are due in next week, one will be coming home with me.

Silly me. I just remembered that the RTT quarterly theme excludes North America. So The Last Runaway won't fit there. Never mind, I am going to read it anyway.

Today I am taking my children shopping at Sunshine Plaza as they all have vouchers and money from Christmas that they want to spend. I imagine it will be packed as it is going to be quite hot today (36 degrees C). Fingers crossed I am home by lunch time.

That's What Friends Are For Read for a group theme
MysteryCAT

The Invisible Ones by Stef Panney



Ray is a private investigator eking out a living investigating cheating husbands and wives most of the time. He is mourning his lost relationship with his wife as she has left him a couple of years ago and wants a divorce.

Then Leon Wood walks into his office. He wants Ray to investigate the disappearance of his daughter Rose. The Wood family are gypsies and Rose was married off to another gypsy man 8 years ago. Leon has not seen her since the wedding and heard that she disappeared 7 years ago. He chose Ray due to his gypsy heritage.

What ensues is an interesting look into the modern day gypsy culture. Ray begins his investigation by interviewing the members of the Janko family, the family Rose married into. Ray begins to have suspicions very early that something bad has happened to Rose.

I really enjoyed The Invisible Ones when I read it, but particularly the view into Romany life felt a very inventive backdrop.

A Matter of Trust My 9yo daughter chose this book off my shelf as she like the lions on the cover
RandomCAT Janus Rules (beginning of a war)
Reading Through Time Quarterly Theme 19th century

Footprints of Lion by Beverley Harper



This book is sequel to Shadows in the Grass which I read a couple of years ago. It picks up on the lives of the Granger-Acheson family. Dallas and Lorna are still very much in love and have been bringing up their 7 children on their farm in Africa. The children are all growing up and it looks like war is about to begin. Each family member is affected by or participates in the war in varying ways.

Dallas and three of the boys join the army. Torben stays in Durban with his Africaans wife. He is in a difficult situation being a British citizen but married to an Africaans woman. He doesn't want to take sides, just make money out of the situation. One daughter is a doctor and another a nurse.

This book gave a readable perspective of what life could have been like living in the Boer war. There were tragedies and moments of heroism, love and betrayal. Mostly the theme of family loyalty shines through.

There won't be much reading for me tonight. My husband and I are taking our two youngest kids to the Pirates Honky Tonk Rodeo. They have never been to a rodeo before so they are quite excited. I hope it lives up to their expectations.

For a moment there I was thought I owned a copy of The Invisible Ones but a quick check of my LT catalogue proved me wrong. Have a lovely time at the rodeo!

Hi Ro, it's fun having the kids pick your books, isn't it. They have such a different perspective! Enjoy the rodeo.

Thanks Judy and Lori, we had a great time at the rodeo. The kids had lots of fun and want to go again. The bulls were definitely the winners of the night though.

Judy, I borrowed the kids choosing books idea from you, and I have to agree with you, it is fun to see what they pick and then talk to them about it afterwards.

Walk Like an Egyptian Historical Fiction
GeoCAT Immigration Focus - North America
Reading Through Time Theme New Beginnings

The Last Runaway by Tracy Chevalier



First I am going to open this review with saying that I loved this book. I chose to read it for the immigration theme for GeoCAT this month after remembering a great review published by the Historical Novel Society, I am so glad I did.

Honor Bright is a Quaker who leaves her home in England to accompany her sister to Ohio in the year 1850. Her sister is to be married, and for personal reasons Honor feels the need to start life afresh, and what better way than moving to a new country. Unfortunately Honor's sister dies on the journey to her fiancé. So Honor proceeds alone, eventually making it to her formerly potential brother-in-law's home. She meets some interesting characters along the way. However she cannot remain in this living situation in the Quaker community and soon finds herself a husband and moves in with his family. This proves difficult. The only light in her life is her meagre assistance to the runaway slaves fleeing to the north. Her new family don't approve. Honor must make some hard decisions.

The author has done a wonderful job of including the Quaker way of life into the book. I have read books that have had Quakers in them before but never described their way of life as much as this book did. It really helped to understand why the characters were making the choices that they did. The author also described living in Ohio in the 1850s in such a way that I was able to really imagine it.

A fantastic read.

My husband has taken our boys camping this weekend so it is just me and the girls at home. We went out for morning tea and a shopping excursion and have had a peaceful afternoon at home. I have spent a couple of hours reading, my sixteen yo has finished one book and is half way through another (so fast!!). My seventeen yo has been on the computer applying for a scholarship and then washed her car. My youngest, nine, went to play with the neighbour and has just returned. I hope the boys are enjoying their camping, kayaking and fishing.

Chain Reaction Book in a series
GEOcat North America
Unofficial ALPHAcat letter D

Die Trying by Lee Child - Book 2 Jack Reacher series



Jack is wandering through Chicago, minding his own business, when he sees a young woman on a crutch trying to get through a door with all her drycleaning. Of course, he offers to help. Next thing he is being abducted along with the young woman. They are bundled into a car and then into the back of a truck. Jack needs to find out why they have kidnapped this woman and how they are going to escape.

Packed with heaps of action, I ploughed through this book. The violence early on was a bit gory for my liking but I persisted. Jack is going to struggle getting out of this one. But we know he does as there are another 16 books in the series!!

Rather an inadvertant spoiler, isn't it, when you know the protagonist can't die. I am frequently reminded of a scene from one of my favorite movies, "Soap", where Whoopie Goldberg is a writer for a soap opera and is told to bring a character back into the story. The problem was that he had been beheaded. "You can't bring him back! He doesn't have a head!"

>46 mamzel: Mamzel, I have vague recollections of that movie. You are so right. We see this kind of stuff in TV and movies a lot.

Last night I went to see The Book Thief. I read the book almost two years ago and have been looking forward to the movie since I heard they were making one. It was great! And I am very grateful that my son reminded me that I needed tissues. The book had me sobbing, but I was much more dignified at the movie. I wonder if that was because I was in public.

Today (Jan 26), is Australia Day. My family and I are off for a day at the beach, including a BBQ lunch and lots of Aussie food to eat. After weeks of heat and sunshine today is cloudy and windy, why is this so???? Never mind we are going to have a great time anyway.

Happy Australia Day :-)

Have a great Australia Day! Sorry you are not having heat and sunshine but just think of us here in British Columbia having cloud, fog and snow! That'll warm you up!

49> Thanks Vivienne. We are back home now. The weather turned out OK, a bit windy but still good for swimming and family cricket. Everybody had a good day and heaps of fun.

My goodness, it's still Saturday here. Glad you had a fun day.

Belated Happy Australia Day!! What Aussie foods do you eat on Australia day?

Guessing shrimp on the barby?

Aussie foods that we ate on Australia day include lamingtons, pavlova, sausages and rissoles, BBQ onion and cheese and salad rolls, naturally with BBQ sauce. Vegemite on toast for breakfast. Beer and wine also. When we got home we got to watch the Aussies beat the English in the one day cricket match.

Oh, I forgot to mention, Anzac biscuits too.

True Colours Non Fiction

The Norman Conquest by Marc Morris



The whole Norman conquest of England has always been something that I really didn't fully understand which is what drew me to this book. First I downloaded a sample to decide if it was one of those put you to sleep type of books or if it was a more readable style of writing. I was very pleased to find that it was very readable so I purchased the book and got myself an education on the Norman Conquest.

The author starts out by giving an overview of the time leading up to 1066, which gave a good background for why the Duke of Normandy felt he had a claim to the English throne. The bulk of the book is of the reign of King William, the battles, the uprisings, the harsh treatment of the English people, the reformation of the church, the reallocation of the land, the creation of the Domesday Book. The book goes all the way through to William's death and then gives a brief overview of what happened next.

I found this to be a very informative read, that was easy to understand, so well written that I did not have to look things and people up on Google all the time.

Here is my Reading Bingo update for January………… I have managed to cross off 7 squares:

A book with more than 500 pages - Killing Floor by Lee Child

The second book in a series - Die Trying by Lee Child

A book by a female author - The Last Runaway by Tracy Chevalier

A book with a mystery - The Invisible Ones by Stef Penney

A book of non-fiction - The Norman Conquest by Marc Morris

A book set on a different continent - Footprints of Lion by Beverley Harper

A book more than 10 years old - Cry of the Curlew by Peter Watt

(ETA Cry of the Curlew)

>56 Roro8: That looks very interesting. Taken note of. Thanks for the review.

The Norman Conquest does look really interesting! Another book on the period I would recommend is 1066: The Year of the Conquest by David Howarth, which is also very readable but probably not as detailed as the Marc Morris book.

58 $ 59>. It's good that my review has stirred your interest. Thanks for the recommendation Christina. I'll have a look around for that one.

I'm now trying to decide on my next non-fiction. The three candidates are:
The Tigress of Forli about Catarina Riario Sforza de'Medici
12 Years a Slave which has just been released as a film
Aprons and Silver Spoons the memoirs of a 1930's scullery maid.

Glad you liked The Norman Conquest. The library has had it On Order for a while but I haven't seen it "arrive" yet. It looks quite interesting.

Re your next non-fiction, I recommend 12 Years a Slave. Are you planning to see the film?

>61 rabbitprincess: Yes, rabbitprincess, I would like to see the film. It was actually an ad for the movie that made me look for the book. I like to read the book first, then watch the movie, so I guess if I want to see it at the cinema I will have to read it very soon. Otherwise I will be waiting until the DVD release.

Don't Leave Me This Way books languishing on my bookshelf
Reading Through TIme quarterly theme 19th century, not set in US

Cry of the Curlew book 1 in the Frontier Series by Peter Watt



I have been wanting to start this series for ages and am so pleased that I finally did. It is the start a saga about the Duffy family of Irish catholics and the Scottish McIntosh clan living in Australia. The book starts in 1862 with a terrible dispersal of the Aboriginals camped on the property of Donald McIntosh where the son and heir to the McIntosh riches is killed by an Aboriginal warrior. Patrick Duffy, his son Tom, and Old Billy, just happen to passing through with their bullocky team at the wrong time. They try to protect an escaping Aboriginal warrior and end up on the wrong side of the McIntosh team and the traps (mounted police). This is the beginning of the ongoing quest for revenge between the families.

The Duffy daughter, Kate, lives in Sydney with her aunt and uncle and her brother Michael. Michael meets Fiona McIntosh and there are romantic sparks. But Michael is not good enough for the McIntosh family and he is a Duffy, so there is no way this relationship can be permitted to develop.

Peter Watt has done a great job of portraying the life of the people in 19th century Australia. He includes shocking descriptions of the dispersals of Aboriginals and collection of indentured workers from the islands. The life of the privileged, and life on the frontier. Also, he doesn't shy away from the sexual depravity of some of the characters.

A really good read. I'm rooting for the Duffys.

WhenThe Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going War

The Undertaking by Audrey Magee



Review to come soon… Here now

Peter Faber is a German soldier fighting on the front lines to gain territory from Russia. He is desperate for some leave. In order to obtain honeymoon leave he marries a stranger, Katharina Spinell. Katharina marries Peter in order to secure a widow's pension should he die. The pair are surprised by their mutual attraction over the leave period.

Peter must return to the front, and it is thoughts of his wife that spur him on and give him the will to live. The conditions are terrible. The inequity between the ranks is blatant. The treatment of the local villagers where the army passes is cruel, but necessary if the army is to proceed.

Meanwhile Katherina is in Berlin doing what she must. Her father is a member of the Nazi party and close friends with a high ranking officer. This relationship means that the Spinells are well provided for while the Germans are winning. But eventually the begin to lose ground and things begin to change for the Spinell family.

At first I had a lot of trouble getting into this book. At page 100 I seriously considered putting the book down. I continued though and I think the imagery will be in my mind for some time.

Love the cover for The Undertaking! Looking forward to seeing what you think of it.

@ 64 -- I see you rated The Undertaking 4 stars, so I assume you would recommend it even though it had a slow beginning?

>66 christina_reads: Hi Christina, initially I only rated it with 3 stars but after a couple of days I was still thinking about the characters and all they went through so I changed it to 4 stars. It is not very often that characters stick in my mind like this. I found myself thinking about the themes while driving to pick up the kids, hanging out the washing etc. So yes, even though it took me a while to get into, I would recommend the book. I should have added this to the review also.

>65 lkernagh:. Hi Lori. The cover speaks well of the contents. I got my hands on this book through my library. I have set up an alert through the library webpage that means the library emails me whenever they order new historical fiction books in. Then I can put a reserve on them straight away. Often I am the first peron to read the books that I get this way. I love reading a brand new book. Anyway, I had not heard of this book until the library email came through so I thought I'd just borrow it and see what I thought. Unfortunately this methods also means that I borrow way more books than I can ever read.

I have just been busy updating my reads on the wikis for the CATs. I also have a review to write for my latest read. But first I need to take my daughter to work and then go the the primary school swimming carnival.

When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going War
MysteryCAT series

Winter in June by Kathryn Miller Haines
Book 3 in the Rosie Winter Mysteries



In this installment Rosie heads of to the Pacific Islands as part of a USO entertainment group to perform for soldiers and the wounded in the area. Her ulterior motive is to look for her MIA ex boyfriend, Jack. Jack and Rosie parted on bad terms and since his departure for the warfront Rosie has been confused about her feelings for Jack.

Meanwhile there is a murder before she and her best mate Jayne even get on their ship, and another while they are on tour. Of course, Rosie can't help herself and must find out what has really happened.

Interest is added by the inclusion in the touring group of a Hollywood starlet that is currently on the outers. There are supplies going missing from the base camp and Japs watching their shows from hilltops. The girls are put under the supervision of a very strict officer, just to make things more difficult. Look out for the latrine duty Rosie!!

I really enjoyed this book which is probably my favourite in the series so far. I love the way the girls talk to each other and how all the soldiers have unique nicknames. I'm looking forward to getting my hands on book 4.

Glad to see your positive review of Winter in June! That's the next book for me in the Rosie Winter series...hoping to get to it this year. Possibly in June! :)

Thats what friends are for Read for a group CAT
GeoCAT Middle East and North Africa



In the Kingdom of Men by Kim Barnes

I chose to read this book for the geoCAT after reading a good review of it and thinking it looked interesting. I have to admit though, the book did not live up to my hopes.

Virginia is orphaned as a young girl and is brought up by her Grandfather in Oklahoma. They are very poor and grandpa is very religious. Virginia (Gin) is a bit rebellious and finds herself in trouble. She ends up marrying Mason and he gets a job working with Aramco in Saudi Arabia. While Mason goes off to work for extended periods of time Gin is left on her own in the compound with the houseboy. Gin and the houseboy develop a unique friendship. Mason is trying to unravel some fishy business at the refinery/mine.

Overall, I found this book a bit disappointing. I kept hoping for it to get better. Gin was very frustrating and I found Mason to be under-developed for my liking. Maybe the author was aiming for Gin's feelings to be catchy as she came across as bored and frustrated (that may be a bit harsh). I found myself thinking about my next book while reading this one. I really don't like writing bad reviews as the author has put in a lot of hard work to write this novel. I hope other people like it more than me.

>70 christina_reads: Hi Christina, I think we read one of the earlier Rosie Winter books for a RTT monthly theme. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did when you get to it.

My son (11 years old) just chose my next book so I will be starting Some Sunny Day tonight. He found this book on my bookshelf. I bought it online when booktopia was having a sale. I think it only cost $4. Anyway I have just discovered that it is book 2 in a series of four so I am hoping I can get away with reading it as a stand-alone.

I have recently purchased Imperial Fire the latest book of Robert Lyndon who wrote Hawk Quest which I really enjoyed last year. This book also has a journey featured in it. I also bought The Last Dragon: Twilight of the Celts Book 1 in M K Humes' newest trilogy. I loved her Merlin and Arthur books so I'm looking forward to this one. A friend recommended The Wild Girl by Kate Forsyth so I have downloaded that on my Kindle.

Promise to self - I am going to make a concerted effort to read more of my own books (less from the library).

True Colours Non Fiction



12 Years a Slave by Solomon Northup

I was inspired to read this book after seeing a preview for the movie (which I will now go and see). I floated the idea of reading it here and rabbitprincess quickly responded with her recommendation (thanks for that).

Solomon Northup was a freeman living in the North with his wife and three children. He worked in various jobs but was also very talented at playing the violin. Two men approached him to travel with them in order to play for the troupe they were travelling to meet up with. Unbeknownst to Solomon, this was a ruse, and he found himself drugged and waking up in chains. Declarations of his standing as a free man just lead to beatings so he learned to keep that information to himself. And so began his life as a slave.

He had multiple owners over the course of the 12 years and described the different types of owners he had. The whims of his owners and their family were also detailed. The stories of the slaves he laboured with were included also.

The editor's note is dated 1853. It declares that he has researched Solomon's story as far as possible and deemed it accurate, a note I found quite intriguing when I read it. The style of writing is naturally very old fashioned but after the first few pages I quickly got used to it. I sometimes found myself reading a sentence over a couple of times just to reread the amazing formal use of the English language. While reading the book it really felt as though Solomon was telling his story specifically to me.

I've been trying to read more off my shelves, too. It's really hard!

>74 virginiahomeschooler: Hi Traci, it is hard as I keep reading about more and more good books. Maybe I should start a new ticker counting books that are on my shelves. Or books that I own so that would include ebooks. I will go off and investigate. I think I saved a space near the top for just in case.

The editor's note is dated 1853.

That caught my attention! Making a note to see if 12 Years Slave is available through Project Gutenberg.

Hi Lori. I hope it is there as it is well worth reading.

Doesn't appear so based on a quick search but that just means I search further a field for a copy. ;-)

It is only 99c on the ebook stores Lori

For some reason I had assumed that the story would be in the public domain Good to know about the 99c. It looks like my local library has the book, the audiobook, the DVD (there's a movie?!) and a blue-ray available as well as instant access through Hoopla. Guess I can't say this one is hard to find. ;-)

I am also trying to read more from my own shelves this year and I did set a goal for myself and set up a ticker. I find having somewhere to report my progress helps to keep me on track.

A Matter of Trust books chosen for me by my children

Some Sunny Day by Annie Groves



My 11 year old son chose this book off my shelf for me to read. He thought I would like it as there was a pretty girl on the cover. I got this book from a website when they were having a big sale, I think it was only about $4. It has since sat on my bookshelf for probably at least 2 years.

Rosie Price has lived in Liverpool her whole life among the Italian community. Her father is a merchant seaman and her mother has a very busy social life. Rosie has attached herself to the family of her best friend Bella Grenelli. Then WWII begins and everything is about to change, especially when the Italians side with the Germans. The Italian part of town is not safe. All the Italian men are are gathered and taken away and Rosie loses her best friend Bella.

The bombing begins and before too long Rosie's home has been bombed out and she has to live with her mean aunty. The aunty is truly a horrible woman and Rosie decided to become a Land Girl where she meets a man totally inappropriate for her to fall in love with. Is there any chance that Rosie can find happiness after all the tragedy and heartbreak she has suffered?

Annie Groves has done a wonderful job with this story. I really enjoyed it. Rosie was a very loveable character but at times I felt she was a bit frustrating. This is true of the people we encounter in life as well though. This book is the second book in a series. I didn't know when I bought it. It didn't effect my enjoyment of the story, as the book worked well as a stand alone.

Don't Leave Me This Way Bookshelf book
Unofficial AlphaCAT letter H

One Breath Away by Heather Gudenkauf



This novel is set in the school of Broken Branch. A gunman enters the school on the final day before the spring break and holds a class of 3rd graders, and their teacher, hostage. All this in the middle of a sudden spring snowstorm.

The story is told from 5 perspectives. Meg, local policewoman and mother of Maria, who should have been in that class today but is spending the day with her father. Augie, 13 year old grandchild of Will and daughter of Holly. She is in the eighth grade and determined to see that her brother PJ, who is being held by the gunman, is safe. Holly, Mother of PJ and Augie, stuck in hospital in Arizona after suffering terrible burns in a house fire resulting in her children living in Broken Branch on their grandparent's farm. Will, PJ and Augie's grandpa, tells us the story of the parents waiting for the release of their children. Mrs Oliver, 3rd grade teacher ready for retirement and determined to keep her children safe.

We find out a bit about each of these characters, their backstories and what makes them tick. The police are trying to work out who it could possibly be in the school holding the children hostage.

This book was quite the page turner. I think I had it finished in about 3 days which is pretty quick for me. I found the setting in the snow storm really interesting too, having never dealt with anything like it. There were a couple of jolty sentences early in the book that just didn't seem right but none further into the book. I am pleased to report that, for a change, I had picked the baddie correctly.


Yay! another 4 star book

Two four-star books in a row! Nice work!

>84 VivienneR: Hi Vivienne, I have read some good ones this year. Thanks for stopping in.

It is a time of change in my house at the moment. My eldest daughter (17) is moving out to go to uni. She is excited which is great and I am a bit sad and emotional while being happy for her at the same time. I never thought about how hard it would be to let them go when I was having them. I have four more at home to keep me company so I won't be left to wallow too much.

First one to leave the nest.... that would be hard. Will she be moving very far away or will she be close enough for weekend visits home?

She has moved to Brisbane, so 90 mins in the car or 2 hours on the train. She messaged me this morning to say she got on the wrong bus. Thankfully she managed to get herself on the right one and arrived at uni safe and sound. Her phone battery is almost flat so I won't hear anymore until tonight. She is coming home on the weekend as she has a party to attend. I think she is on a steep learning curve of independence at the moment.

I have just finished The Owl Killers by Karen Maitland. Review coming soon.

Walk like and Egyptian Historical Fiction
Unofficial AlphaCAT Letter L or M
RandomCAT Bird in title or on the cover

The Owl Killers by Karen Maitland



After reading Company of Liars by Karen Maitland last year, I was pretty keen to try more of this author's work. I downloaded this book on my ereader with that intention. Then I saw the book at the library and noticed how big it was, something I really don't pick up on with ebooks until I realise how ling it is taking me to read. Anyway, I like a book with a lot of pages, as long as it doesn't drag, as for some reason I feel like I am getting more out of it than something that is quick to read. I know this is not always the case though.

This novel is told from the perspective of multiple characters and is set in a small fictional town of Ulewic in medieval England. A group of women have travelled from Flanders to set up a Beguinage on some land that was bequeathed to them. The Beguines are a group of women who live and work together swearing to celibacy but they do not have to take the vows of nuns. They are free to come and go as they please, as long as they contribute to the workload.

The local priest, Father Ulfrid, is not comfortable with the residency of women. He thinks it is not natural and they must be up to no good. The local Lord is not happy either.

There are stronger forces at play with the owl men. A group of pagan worshippers who have the town under their spell, They don cape and mask and hold pagan rights. They bring to life the owl man who strikes fear into all who see him.

The story is about which force is going to win the right to rule the town, the church or the owl men. And what will this mean for the women of the beguinage.

This was a good, if somewhat depressing read. There was no glorification of life in medieval times. Life was tough. Thank goodness I live in the 21st century.

Yay! It's my three year thingaversary.

Happy thingaversary! Have you picked out some books to celebrate?

happy thingaversary! so 3 books to celebrate?

Plus one to grow on!!

Thanks for the thingaversary wishes. Great plan for celebrating, 3 plus 1. I now have a plan to hit the bookstore websites this weekend. I'll let you know what I find.

Happy thingaversary! Looking forward to hearing about your haul :)

Have fun, thingaversays only roll around once a year!

Happy 3rd Thingaversary, Ro.

Happy Thingaversary!

Happy thingaversary!!! Yes, I agree, it's four new books total - one for each year and one to grow on. :)

Thanks for the thingaversary wishes everybody. Unfortunately I have had very little time to be able to access the online shopping this weekend so I haven't stocked up on any new books. I have a couple on my mental shopping list so it won't be long now. First I have a review for a book I finished last night.

Chain Reaction Series and sequels
Unofficial AlphaCAT Letter L

The Lion and the Rose by Kate Quinn



This book is the sequel to The Serpent and the Pearl and it pretty much picks up where the first one left off. There are three main characters. Guilia Farnese, mistress of the Pope of Rome, Rodrigo Borgia. Carmelina, Guilia's cook. Leonello, Guilia's bodyguard who also happens to be a dwarf but very handy with a knife.

There is still a murderer at large in the city of Rome. One of his first victims was a friend of Leonello's. So he is determined to find the killer and see justice done. Carmelina finds herself in more than one difficult situation. While Guilia must keep the best interests of her daughter at heart when making decisions affecting her future.

It would appear that this is the final book in the Borgia novels as there is no indication that there will be any more. The historical note and the end was very comprehensive and filled the reader in on the truth and fiction of the book to some extent which is always greatly appreciated by this reader. I really enjoyed reading this book, as I have with all this author's work. She is one of my favourite authors actually. I would definitely recommend reading The Serpent and the Pearl before this one.

Books with the Borgias as characters always attract my attention, mainly because of how the Borgias are portrayed..... I love historical church/political intrigue stories. Are there just the two books - The Serpent and the Pearl followed by The Lion and the Rose?

>101 lkernagh: Hi Lori. I love anything with the Borgias in it too. There are just the two books at this stage and from the way The Lion and the Rose ended I don't think any more are planned.

Roro, I take it you have also read Kate Quinn's series set in ancient Rome? Would you recommend Mistress of Rome and sequels? The plot sounds interesting, but I've been hesitant to pick up the book...

>100 Roro8: : The Lion and the Rose looks like a great read. I see my local library has it, so on to the list it goes. I will probably read The Serpent and the Pearl first, as you recommend.

Neat idea for reading books.

Hi Christina. I have read all of Kate Quinn's books. The Mistress of Rome series is very good. I would definitely recommend them. If you visit the Historical Novel Society website they have very professional reviews for most of Quinn's books

Hi Vivienne, I hope you like them as much as me.

Thanks DCavin

Thanks -- good to know!

ETA: And now I've gotten completely sucked into the Historical Novel Society website!

Christina, it is an excellent website. One of my favourites. I am a member so I get their quarterly magazine sent out to me which I always read from cover to cover.

Belated Thingaversary from one Ro to another!

>109 luvamystery65: Thanks.

I have to confess to all my thingaversary well wishers that I have not bought any celebratory books yet. I have had heaps of reserves come in at the library so I have started on those. This morning I finished The Serpent and the Staff by Barbara Wood. Also on my library pile are A Burnable Book, The Gallows Curse, As Time Goes By, No Good Deeds, The Museum of Extraordinary Things, The House Girl and Seven for a Secret. There is no way I will get through all these before they are due back, but at least I am spoiled with choice.

Seven for a Secret was excellent! Just when I wanted to smack Timothy he went and surprised me.

Roberta, apparently it is the second book, which I didn't realise when I borrowed it. Do you think it will matter that I haven't read the first one? Or should I reserve the first one (or buy it) and read them in order?

Addicted to Love Romance

The Serpent and the Staff by Barbara Wood



This was quite a complex love story, set in Syria in 1450 B.C.E. Leah is the daughter of a wealthy vintner. She is getting on in age and must be found a husband. Jotham is an older man who is also wealthy and wants Leah for his wife. Unfortunately the betrothal meeting goes badly, with Jotham and his sister feeling insulted and vowing to get revenge on Leah's family. And so begins a vendetta by Jotham to destroy the family that insulted him so.

Daveed is a scribe that comes to work for Leah's father Elias in the midst of the family's struggles. He is a man of honour, a warrior scribe, and he falls in love with Leah. He knows he is not an appropriate husband for Leah so he just has to standby while she is married off to a distant family member.

In order to win back the favour of Jotham and his sister, Leah tries to find the cure for the "falling sickness" which is rumoured to be in Jotham's family. This leads her to coaxing remedies from Aunt Rakel, who is getting old and is not always a very reliable information source. Daveed helps record Rakel's recipes for Leah.

There is also a lot of adventure in this novel as characters become involved with the royalty of Ugarit (Syria) and later with the Egyptian royals.

The author did a good job of giving this reader an idea of what life may have been like for women in this time. Leah is a very strong woman, and perhaps a bit modern for the times, but these behaviours are explained in a way I found appropriate. Her grandmother Avagail was one of my favourites, as well as poor old Aunt Rakel. There were a couple of parts in the story that just didn't quite seem right and the cover really didn't seem to relate to the story in my opinion. However, it was a good read and I enjoyed it.

>112 Roro8: Ro I don't think you NEED to read book 1, The Gods of Gotham but it really does give you the story of Timothy and his brother Val and how they became Copper Stars. It's very dark and involves street children being murdered. I don't see you have a lot of dark books in your library. The characters are fantastic and the book gives a good background for Seven for a Secret. If you library has it the first one then return the second and read GOG first.

I hate to do spoilers but the plot is not as dark as it seems at first. It is dark though. I hope I haven't confused you.

Thanks for the darkness warning Roberta, you are right when you notice there is very little in my reading that fits into the darkness you are referring to. It is good to mix things up a bit though.

I have managed to pick up The Gods of Gotham today. I may even get started tonight. I would have read some today but it was so hot that I feel asleep on the couch. Then when I went out to water the veggie patch I noticed there was a dead fish in my pond. I stuck my hand in there and the water was warm. The poor little fish. I raided the freezer for ice cubes and put them all in there. The remaining four fish should be more comfortable now. Now the kids are going to be upset when they find out.

I look forward to your thoughts on The Gods of Gotham and RIP to your fish.

A Good Heart
Unofficial AlphaCAT Letter L

The Gods of Gotham by Lindsay Faye



Firstly, a big thanks to Roberta for recommending this book to me. I am very glad that I read it prior to delving into it's sequel.

Timothy Wilde and his older brother Valentine (Val) live in New York, in 1845. They have had a rough childhood with both their parents being killed in a fire. Val is a fireman and Tim tends bar. On his way out from work, a disaster strikes their part of the city and Tim needs to find himself a new job. Big brother Val has arranged for both of them to become "Copper Stars", members of the brand new police force being developed to manage the rising levels of crime rising in the city.

It is also a time of political and religious unrest, greatly impacted by the arrival of huge numbers of catholic Irish people fleeing their homeland where there is great famine, in the hope of finding a better life in the mostly protestant city of New York.

Tim is a reluctant copper star but he does have excellent observation skills so when a young child turns up dead and the body mutilated Tim finds himself in the thick of the investigation. More bodies of children are found and Tim is determined to find the murderer. His brother Val is sometimes help and sometimes hindrance. Then there is Mercy Underhill, the pastor's daughter who Tim has known his whole childhood. She does a lot of charity work in the area and tries to help Tim.

The characters in this book are wonderfully done. They are both frustrating and likeable (apart from the baddies). The author has done a great job of portraying the religious and political unrest at the time, and also provides a vivid idea of living conditions. I actually surprised myself with how much I was impressed with this book. There is no doubt that I will be reading the next book in this series along with any more that follow.

Ro I'm thrilled you liked it. I also thought the characters were well written. You will love them even more in the sequel. Lyndsay Faye really can write. Tim is both exasperating and brilliant.

Don't Leave Me This Way from my bookshelf
Reading Through Time Theme - Education
Unofficial AlphaCAT Letter L

City of Light by Lauren Belfer



Louisa Barrett is the headmistress of the Macauley Girl's School in Buffalo in 1901. At 34 years old, she is deemed to be an old spinster school marm. The story largely revolves around the hydroelectric power station at Niagara Falls and the Pan-Am exposition in Buffalo. Louisa's best friend has recently died and Louisa is god-mother to Grace, her friend's adopted daughter. Grace is very unsettled after her mother's death so Louisa spends more time with her and her father Tom Sinclair, head of the power plant at Niagara.

The nature lovers are protesting about the use of the water from the falls. The unionists are complaining about the lack of safety at the power plant. Two integral employees of the plant have been found dead after seemingly being involved in "accidents". Louisa is frightened to find out what is really going on here but nevertheless finds her self more deeply embroiled than she realises.

I found this to be an average read. Not one I would rave about but a reasonable look at life in the area at the time.

When the Going Gets Tough War
AlphaCAT Letter L

The Pagan Lord by Bernard Cornwell



This is the 7th instalment of Bernard Cornwell's Saxon Cronicles series. It well and truly keeps up the pace of the first 6 books. Lord Uhtred is getting older, now around 50. His two sons are now adults and have chosen the paths of their future. As always, Uhtred's desire is to win back Bebbanburg, the land his Uncle stole from him.

There are a lot of battle scenes in this novel and a bit of sailing the high seas. A book full of action and adventure. I won't say any more as it would ruin the earlier books for those who have not read them yet.

I tell my children all the time that patience is a virtue. At the moment I am trying to follow my own advice. I had a job interview last Friday and am waiting to hear the outcome. I have mixed feelings as the job is full time and will be quite challenging. The job I have now is part time and allows me time to spend with my family, but it doesn't challenge me mentally. I hope they call soon either way as I need a good night's sleep. The uncertainty is unsettling.

On the reading front, I am currently reading The House Girl by Tara Conklin (a shame I didn't read it last week as it has two lovely birds on the cover), and Aprons and Silver Spoons which is a lovely memoir of a 1930's scullery maid.

That job-interview limbo is so stressful! I hope they get back to you soon.

Good luck on the job front! Interview limbo is a very frustrating place to be.

>122 Roro8: Best of luck to you!

Thanks rabbit princess, Lori and Christina. They said I should find out today, so my torture is almost over.

I just reviewed my reading bingo card and I have got my first bingo! It is the last column on the right I have completed.

A book with a number in the title - One Breath Away
A book with a mystery - The Invisible Ones
A book of non-fiction - Norman Conquest
A book at the bottom of your to be read pile - Some Sunny Day
A book with a blue cover - City of Light

My best reads for the first quarter of the year:

JANUARY - The Last Runaway by Tracy Chevalier

FEBRUARY - 12 Years a Slave by Solomon Northup

MARCH - The Gods of Gotham by Lindsay Faye

That's What Friends Are For Book read for a group theme
Reading Through Time Quarterly Theme 19th Century North America

The House Girl by Tara Conklin



I was inspired to read this book after reading a wonderful review for it published by the Historical Novel Society ( link to this review ). Then I walked into my local library last week and there it was, just sitting on the shelf.

The story is told in dual time periods. Josephine is a house slave for the Mr and Mrs Bell in Lynnhurst, Virginia, 1948. Lina is a New York City Lawyer in 2004 who has just been put on a slavery reparations case. Her task is to find a plaintiff that is a direct decendant from slaves to represent all descendants of slaves in the law suit, somebody that will help generate publicity.

Josephine looks after Missus Lu, her owner's wife. Missus Lu has no children and keeps Josephine as much for company as for her workload. Missus Lu likes to paint and draw, and allows Josephine to do so also. She also teaches Josephine to read and write. Josephine's life is described as much easier than the life of the field slaves. She gives the reader some insight of what life may have been like on a failing tobacco plantation.

Lina is going through her own personal struggles while working hard on this case. Her artist father is going through a transition period. He has kept information from her regarding her mother's death 20 years ago. While contacting people in the art world about potential plaintiffs for her case she stumbles across an art controversy involving Lu Anne Bell, and her house girl Josephine. Lina considers that the descendants of Josephine may be a good place to find the plaintiff she is looking for, given the current publicity.

I really cannot do this book enough justice in writing a review. I thought it was wonderfully written across the two time periods. The characters were so easy to connect with and very real conflicts and problems in their lives. This was an excellent book and I can see why it was a "New York Times Bestseller". I would not hesitate to recommend this book to historical fiction fans.

Great review of The House Girl!

Excellent review of House Girl. I see that it is at my local library too, so on the wishlist it goes!

Thanks Lori. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did Vivienne.

I have now started War of the Roses: Stormbird by Conn Iggulden. It fits our reading through time theme for this month and will also be an unofficial AlphaCAT/KIT - or AlphaKitKat ;-)

Another bullet! Iggulden's book is on order at my local library - although it can be a long time before it hits the shelves.

>133 VivienneR:. I bought it impulsively as soon as I saw it at the shops. I knew I would like it. My husband has read Conn Iggulden's Rome series and he doesn't read very much. My father-in-law has read the Mongul series and he usually only reads magazines. I have a good feeling about it. So far i am enjoying it but I'm only up to p60.

>134 Roro8: That sounds like a couple of excellent recommendations. I find the Wars of the Roses a fascinating time.

True Colours Non-fiction

Aprons and Silver Spoons: The heartwarming memoirs of a 1930's scullery maid



This book contains the wonderful recollections of Mollie Moran who started out her working life as a lowly scullery maid in 1931 at the young age of just 14. The work is hard but Mollie is determined to make a go of it. She wants to see and do exciting things. Her portrayal of life "downstairs" certainly sounds like a lot of hard work. She is an adventurous soul though and she finds herself in all sorts of mischief and wondering how she hasn't gotten herself sacked. She has written this book at the ripe old age of 96, and done a good job of it too. I quite enjoyed reading about the tales of her youth.

Aprons and Silver Spoons sounds delightful. I'm glad GOG made your top of March list. It really is a good book and I hope you find time to read the second in the series sooner rather than later.

Fingers crossed for your job prospects.

>137 luvamystery65: Seven for a Secret is next on my reading list. I still have it from the library as I was able to renew it.

>138 Roro8: Ro I can't wait until you've read it. Then we can "discuss" :-)

Hi Ro, book bullet duly taken for Aprons and Silver Spoons.

OH, I hope you like it Judy. I'm sure you won"t be disappointed.

So, I'm sitting here thinking The House Girl sounds lovely, and I so don't need any more books on my wishlist as I'll never finish all the ones on there now, and then I see your Aprons and Silver Spoons review and now I've got two to add. I think I should just stop reading all these threads. They're just getting me into trouble.

Hi Traci, I know what you mean. They are both great books though, and if you manage to get hold of them I'm pretty confident you'd like them. Maybe they would fit future randomCATs? That would give you a double reason to read them.

Meanwhile I am still in interview limbo. I received an email on Wednesday night saying that the interview process had just been completed on that day and I should get a phone call by Monday. Of course, the longer it takes, the worse I think I have done. I have now virtually convinced myself that I don't want it anyway as it is full time and I have four kids at home and one that comes home from uni on weekends that probably would not really like their mum being at work every day. To make it worse I had two missed calls from the employer yesterday, I couldn't answer as I was at work, so the limbo continues. Hopefully I will get a call today.

Tonight I finished Wars of the Roses: Stormbird, the first book in a new series. I'm going to think on it overnight and try to write my review tomorrow, hopefully I will have time as I am planning to take my children shopping so they can spend some of their pocket money.

Walk Like an Egyptian Historical Fiction
Unofficial AlphaCAT Letter I
Reading Through Time - 15th Century

Wars of the Roses: Stormbird by Conn Iggulden



Conn Iggulden has done a wonderful job of combining the real historical figures of this time period with some fictional ones to set up the beginning of his Wars of the Roses series. The narration features Margaret of Anjou who becomes Henry's Queen, Jack Cade who is the leader of the rebels and the fictional Thomas Woodchurch a former archer in English service, and fictional Derry Brewer as the King's spymaster. There are a huge number of other characters in the book, so many that there is a four and a half page list in the front of the book. If the story is to be told properly then I guess it is necessary to include all these people. There are also three family trees and a couple of maps at the beginning which were very helpful to me.

I really enjoyed this book. Iggulden's writing style is very readable. It beats me why I haven't read any of his books before now. I will definitely be reading the next instalment in this series. It went a long way towards giving me some understanding of the family links and problems that triggered this period of English history. I know it is historical fiction but the author's note at the end clearly states where he has manipulated the facts for the sake of the story.

I just finished Seven for a Secret. Another Great book by Lyndsay Faye. Review coming soon.

>145 Roro8: Ooh, sounds interesting! I'm in the middle of The Sunne in Splendour right now, which also deals with the War of the Roses -- but from a very Yorkist perspective, so Marguerite d'Anjou does NOT come off well. :)

>147 christina_reads: As Wars of the Roses: Stormbird is told from the Lancaster perspective mostly, York is the baddie in this version. I also have The Sunne in Splendour in my bookshelf so I will probably read it eventually.

Chain Reaction Next in series
Reading Through Time Quarterly Theme 19th century set in North America

Seven for a Secret by Lyndsay Faye



This is the second instalment in the Timothy Wilde series. Timothy Wilde is a member of the recently formed New York Police Department and due to his unique skills he has been given a special position of the person who finds things (he doesn't get called a detective, probably not historically accurate at that time). On Valentine's Day evening a negro woman comes to the department stating her family has been stolen and Mr Wilde needs to help her find them. Slave catchers were not against taking innocent free black people to sell at a profit for their own gain in the 1840's which is when this book is set.

I love the way the author has portrayed her characters. The time and setting is wonderful. The way the scenes are described with descriptions of small pox awareness postured plastered on the walls as the men step outside for a brawl, the sludge on the road that has frozen and thawed and refrozen with more soil in it. The poor Irish people that are escaping the famine in their own country that are starving and freezing and will do anything to feed their children. The horrible blackbirders that are stealing innocent black people and trafficking them for financial gain. The politics and corruption that keep the police force as a functioning unit.

The characters from the first book are included in this one too which is always a nice touch to find out what has happened with them.

Basically, I really enjoyed this book and I will be eagerly awaiting book three.

Ooohhh... a historical mystery/police procedural. Taking this book bullet, even if it does mean multiple hits. ;-)

>150 lkernagh: They are both really good Lori. I hope you like them as much as I did.

A Good Heart Books that I couldn't resist but don't fit my categories

Blue Monday by Nicci French
Book 1 in the Frieda Klein series



This book was an impulse buy for me. I just felt like reading a bit of a thriller and I saw Thursday's Children on the amazon webpage and thought that might be a good choice. Then I realised that it was book 4 in the series so I thought, oh well, I better get the first one then. As it turns out it was a good choice as I could not put Blue Monday down, and read the whole thing in just 2 days.

Frieda Klein is a psychoanalyst who works independently taking on both private and NHS patients in her London practice. She is in a newly formed relationship with a very nice man, has a sister-in-law and niece close by, a student whose practice she supports and a few friends. A new client begins to tell Frieda about his fantasy of having a child of his own. Then a child fitting Alan's description of his fantasy child is abducted from a nearby school. Frieda is concerned that Alan may have been involved in the crime and reports her concerns to DCI Klasson.

Klasson brushes her off until something she says triggers his interest. Something relating to another case of child abduction that occurred 22 years ago when a young girl was taken on her way home from school.

There are many twists and turns and I was totally sucked into this story. I am so glad I discovered this author (or authors actually as there are two of them). I will definitely read more in this series. I fear I am becoming a series addict!

>149 Roro8: Ro I'm glad you liked it! I thought it was even better than the first book. Can't wait to see what else she does with these characters.

>150 lkernagh: Lori I think this series is right up your alley.

>153 luvamystery65: The characters are great. Fancy a skinny baker?? I really like Bird so I'm glad there was a bit about here in this one. Piest is an interesting one too.

I am currently reading Daughters of the Nile by Stephanie Dray. It doesn't fit any group themes or reads but it is the final in a trilogy so it will mean I have finished a series read which is always a good thing considering I have just started a couple of new series.

There will be no reading in my house tonight. Some friends are coming to stay with their 4 children, so it will will be a lively night of conversation and laughter I think, and some ANZAC biscuits will be consumed so I had better go and make some right now.

Today is ANZAC day, a day when we remember fallen Australian and New Zealand soldiers and their families. Lest we forget.

Enjoy the time with friends Ro. I think it's wonderful to remember those who sacrificed for us.

We had a great time with our friends on ANZAC day. All my Anzac cookies got eaten too. My husband over indulged and felt very sorry for himself for the next couple of days. Apparently he doesn't want to see another beer for at least six months! Of course, I was far more sensible - somebody has to be.

I had to Google what an Anzac cookie is and when I read the ingredients, I was in cookie heaven! YUM! Sounds like your ANZAC day celebrations were a success... even if the hubby is feeling the effects. ;-)

Book of the month - April
The House Girl by Tara Conklin

> 159 Hi Lori, Anzac cookies are delicious. Usually half of them disappear while they are still warm from baking. Once they are cool they are nice and crunchy.

On the reading front, I am almost finished Daughters of the Nile which is, by my understanding, the final book in a trilogy. I am also about 65% through Kiss River, which is the second book in a trilogy.

I have a few reads planned for May:
The Girl You Left Behind by Jojo Moyes
Gillespie and I by Jane Harris
The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd
Tuesday's Gone by Nicci French

I also want to start a non-fiction but I'm not sure on what yet. I have a couple on my shelves but I find with non-fiction I have a better completion rate if it is an impulse decision on a book I read straight away.

I am not too good at reading books I have planned, I usually end up changing my mind. I will see how it goes.

Good luck with the reading plans! :) Also, how is it May already?!

>162 rabbitprincess: Time flies rabbitprincess. I have just bought The Girl You Left Behind and have it sitting on my bedside cupboard waiting for me to finish my current read, so I am off to a good start.

I am ready to write reviews for my two latest reads but I prefer to do that on the desktop computer as this silly laptop keeps crashing. So stay posted for a review of Daughters of the Nile by Stephanie Dray and Kiss River by Diane Chamberlain. As soon as Abby finishes playing minecraft on the other computer I will jump on there.

Walk Like an Egyptian Historical Fiction
May RandomCAT - Mothers and Daughters

Daughters of the Nile by Stephanie Dray - Book 3 in Cleopatra's Daughter



Daughters of the Nile is the third book in a trilogy about Cleopatra Selene, daughter of Cleopatra and Mark Antony. The trilogy starts with Lily of the Nile and then Song of the Nile. Selene is married to King Juba II and together they rule the Kingdom of Mauretania, a safe haven away from the conniving clutches of Augustus, Emperor of Rome. Augustus is obsessed with Selene, he is jealous of the life she leads with Juba and wants her to himself. This is not what Selene wants so the Emperor will extract a price for her lack of cooperation.

Selene must protect her family from the obsession and wrath of Augustus. She will use anything in her power to keep her family safe, including using the magic she inherited from her mother Cleopatra. The use of magic has a price, which Selene will eventually have to pay.

This was a great book to finish of the trilogy. All the key players were there, Livia and her sons, Julia and Agrippa and their sons, Selene's brothers. My favourite secondary character was Julia. I would really like to read more about her so I will be on the look out for Julia books in the future. Selene and her family travel between Mauretania and Rome. There were wonderful descriptions of the architecture of the time, the food, and the clothing. There was definitely a couple of "pass me the tissues" moments in this one.

Addicted to Love Romance

Kiss River by Diane Chamberlain - Book 2 in the Lighthouse trilogy



This novel picks up a few years on from where Keeper of the Light left off. Clay and Lacey are living in the old light keeper's house at the Kiss River lighthouse restoring it to its former glory. They are the children of Alec and Annie who were featured in the first book. Clay is recovering from the loss of his wife eight months ago in an accident and Lacey is becoming more and more like her late mother every day, taking on a lot of volunteer work and becoming a stained glass artist.

Gina arrives at the Kiss River lighthouse looking for answers. What she finds is half a light house as it was damaged in a bad storm about 10 years ago. She ends up befriending Clay and Lacey and rents a room from them in the keeper's house. Gina is searching for information that can only be revealed by retrieving the lantern of the lighthouse from its watery resting place. However she meets much resistance from Alec, who wants the past left be.

The story is further complicated by other issues in Gina's private life. She is also hiding information about a secret diary she has, written by a 15 year old girl during WWII, who was the light keepers daughter.

The story was a bit predictable but still enjoyable. I like the cover but it doesn't relate to the story at all. There is one more book in this trilogy which I will read at some point as I already have it on my kindle. It was a nice light read.

One of my pet peeves is covers that have no relationship to the story at all. When the author writes about his heroine as an icy blonde with green eyes and the cover shows a dark haired beauty with brown eyes, well, that drives me crazy!

>167 DeltaQueen50: - When that happens, I assume the art department/ book editor have either never opened the manuscript or only skimmed it.

>167 DeltaQueen50: Yes, it is annoying. I wonder if they do that to appeal to a certain market, even though it is not representative to the story. There was talk of a girl in the book, but she was a baby. Also, there was never any mention of a jetty. Very strange.

I can't help but think it may be a matter of budget. They use the artwork that they currently have on hand instead of paying to have new artwork done.

I think, as Roro pointed out, it's mostly a matter of marketing. The publishers go with images that they think will sell the most books, regardless of whether the image has anything to do with the story! This is related to the practice of whitewashing covers...unfortunately, the publishing industry seems to believe that a book won't sell as many copies if there's a person of color on the cover.

>171 christina_reads: So true about the whitewashed covers! I can't stand the U.S. cover of Rivers of London where they only silhouetted Peter Grant. Stinks!

>171 christina_reads: I just read the whitewashing article you linked. I don't really read YA fiction but my two teenage daughter do and I notice that almost all the covers have pretty white girls on them. My daughters have made comment in the past about how the cover girl looks nothing like the main character. I think the authors should get the final say on the cover image.

>172 luvamystery65: I haven't read any of that series yet, but you're right, the original US cover certainly does not give the impression that the protagonist is non-white!

>173 Roro8: I think it's a huge trend in YA especially, but I don't see a lot of people of color on the covers of adult books either.... And I agree, the author should have the final say over covers, or at least veto power! I just don't understand why a cover would ever feature a depiction of the main character that doesn't actually look like that character!

Another thing I notice is several books using the same image on the cover. There was one a while back with a woman wearing a hat on the cover of at least three books about WWII. I can't think of them all now. But more recently there is the silhouette image on these covers. I have read The House Girl, I plan on reading Frog Music, maybe I should read Girl Reading as well so it doesn't get left out.

Addicted to Love Romance
Reading Through Time Theme - Art

The Girl You Left Behind by Jojo Moyes



1916 France, Sophie and Edouard have been married just a few years when Edouard goes off to fight for his country. Edouard is an artist and Sophie treasures a painting he has done of her early on in their relationship. Unfortunately, the German Kommandant that is in charge of the small French town also enjoys the painting and develops an interest in Sophie. Sophie is desperate to see Edouard again and considers desperate measures to make this happen.

In more current times there is Liv, widowed in recent years. Liv was given the painting of Sophie by her husband, as a wedding gift. The descendants of Edouard are keen to retrieve all of his artworks that they believe were stolen during the war years. Liv must decide whether to fight to keep the painting, titled The Girl You Left Behind, or to hand it over as is required by the Geneva laws.

This is another great piece of writing by Jojo Moyes. Both timelines really drew me in to the story. The characters were absorbing and I found myself really admiring their determination.

There was a great discussion (last year, two years ago?) about books with similar, or the same book covers with a link to a blog that had captured a lot of those similar covers. If I can track it down, I will post the link. It happens an awful lot in the book world! ;-)

I always regard Nickelini as being an expert on covers. I'm pretty sure she took part in the discussion you are thinking about.

I have now moved on to thread 2. See you there.