Roro rocks 2014 - Part 2

Welcome to Part 2 of my 2014 thread. In keeping with my music from 1986 theme. Here is a photo of my favourite 80's band. Things are progressing really well with 27 of my target 63 books already completed.

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.
6 out of 7

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

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

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.
6 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.
7 out of 7 Category Complete

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.
6 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.
5 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.
6 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
6 out of 7

Reading my actual books on my bookshelf ticker




Reading my ebooks ticker

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 The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon
5 Afterwards by Rosamund Lupton
6 Saving Grace by Fiona McCallum
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 - The Outlaw Chronicles Book 5
6 Tripwire by Lee Child - Jack Reacher book 3
7 Tuesday's Gone by Nicci French

That's What Friends Are For



1 The Invisible Ones by Stef Penney, read for MysteryCAT
2 In the Kingdom of Men by Kim Barnes, read for RTT group
3 The House Girl by Tara Conklin, read for RTT group
4 Songs of Willow Frost by Jamie Ford, read for RandomCAT
5 The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd, read for RTT group
6 The Orphan Master's Son by Adam Johnson, read for Sept GeoCAT
7 Where'd you go, Bernadette by Maria Semple

A Matter of Trust



1 Footprints of Lion by Beverley Harper
2 Some Sunny Day by Annie Groves
3 Swan Gondola by Timothy Schaffert
4 The Golden Widows by Isolde Martyn
5 The House of Silk by Anthony Horowitz
6 Marley: A Dog Like No Other by John Grogan
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 The Circus of Ghosts by Barbara Ewing
6 Imperial Fire by Robert Lyndon
7 The Paris Winter by Imogen Robertson

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 Hannibal: Clouds of War by Ben Kane
5 The Iron Castle by Angus Donald
6 The Lie by Helen Dunmore
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 The Lost Duchess by Jenny Barden
5 The Lotus Eaters by Tatjana Soli
6
7

True Colours


1 The Norman Conquest by Marc Morris
2 Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup
3 Aprons and Silver Spoons by Mollie Moran
4 The Happiest Refugee: My Journey From Tragedy to Comedy by Anh Do
5 Four Queens by Nancy Goldstone
6 The Secret Rooms by Catherine Bailey
7 Being Mortal by Atul Gawande - currently reading

A Good Heart



1 The Gods of Gotham by Lindsay Faye
2 Blue Monday by Nicci French
3 Ten Things I Hate About Me by Randa Abdel-Fattah
4 Trail of Fire by Diana Gabaldon
5 We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler
6 Turning The Stones by Debra Daley
7 Nora Webster by Colm Toibin - currently reading

Best Books 2014

January
The Last Runaway by Tracy Chevalier

February
12 Years a Slave by Solomon Northup

March
The Gods of Gotham by Lyndsay Faye

April
The House Girl by Tara Conklin

Happy new thread. I really need to watch out for the Gods of Gotham, I keep reading good things about it.

Hope a nice new thread brings you nice new reads!

Happy new thread! :)

Love the new thread!

Happy new thread! I enjoyed going through all your favorite songs from way back when. Your are doing a great job of reading your categories fairly evenly, something I try to do as well so I don't have a lot of one type to catch up on at the year's end.

Thanks for the new thread wishes. This is the first time I have had to start a new thread so I was very happy.

That's What Friends Are For
RandomCAT - Motherhood

Songs of Willow Frost by Jamie Ford



Twelve year old William Eng has lived in Sacred Heart Orphanage in depression era Seattle for the last five years. On an excursion to celebrate the orphan's birthdays they go to a movie. William is convinced the woman he sees on the screen is his mother Lui Song using her stage name Willow. He is determined to find her and get his mother back.

Lui Song is the daughter of two theatre performers. She is orphaned as a teenager and is in the care of her horrid stepfather. Before long she is pregnant and desperate to get away from her current environment. She has her baby and does everything in her power to provide for him as he means everything to her. She uses her beautiful singing voice to earn money and dances in the evenings.

The story goes between these two, telling the tale of life for these Chinese Americans in such a difficult time period. This book really highlighted for me the difficulties of being from a Chinese background in those times. The big feature in this book though was motherhood, and the measures a mother will go to to ensure her child is safe and provided for.

Nice new thread Ro and The Songs of Willow Frost sounds good but also sad.

>21 luvamystery65: It was a sad story. I didn't have to go in search of the tissue box though.

I couldn't quite buy into his first book, At the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, but Songs of Willow Frost sounds really interesting and I will be on the lookout for a copy.

>23 DeltaQueen50: Hi Judy. I haven't read his first book either, but I read a good review for Songs of Willow Frost at the historical novel society website and they are generally pretty spot on, so I gave this one a go. Plus, my library had it so I got to read it for free.

And free is always good! My library has Songs of Willow Frost on it's shelves as well.

My most recent read is The Invention of Wings which I was hoping to review today. However I was very busy and then tonight I watched "The Voice" with the kids, we are all hopelessly addicted to it. So my review for the terrific book is coming soon.

That's What Friends Are For
Reading Through Time Quarterly Theme - 19th Century North America
RandomCAT Motherhood

The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd



This was a very good book. Set in 'the South' in the 19th century, it is the story of two women. Sarah Grimke, daughter of a successful plantation owner, and Handful, the slave girl gifted to her on her 11th birthday. The two grow up together in an unusual relationship, Sarah abhors the concept of slavery and finds it difficult coming to terms with the idea of owning somebody. The pair have an unusual relationship.

Handful's mum, Charlotte is also a main feature in this story. She displays an independence that is uncommon among the slaves on the plantation. She is always pushing the boundaries and is determined to see herself and Handful set free.

My favourite parts of the book were the chapters written from Handful's perspective. The relationship with her mother, what she thought when venturing out into the town, her interactions with both Sarah and other characters in the book were quite engrossing. Sarah's character was also really well done. Her conflict over her own beliefs and her family's way of life generated a constant turmoil.

What made this book all the better was the fact that Sarah Grimke actually existed and the things she did to stand up for her convictions made her a heroine of her time. There was a very clear authors note at the end of the book that made clear what was totally fictional and what was changed to help the story. I always appreciate a good author's note. I would not hesitate to recommend this book to others.

Chain Reaction Next in Series

Grail Knight by Angus Donald
Book 5 in The Outlaw Chronicles



The book begins with Alan Dale quite comfortable at home at Westbury enjoying the company of his lovely wife Goody, and expecting the birth of his first child. Robin Hood has been made an outlaw again by King John and is residing in Sherwood Forrest. Alan's peace is about to be disturbed when the Knights Templar come looking for him in order to arrest him for past deeds. This is where the action begins, and pretty much does not stop until almost the last page.

Goody becomes unwell with her pregnancy as she has been cursed by the evil witch (Alan's ex-girlfriend) Nur. Nur has cursed Goody to die a year and a day from her wedding day. Robin convinces Alan to join him on a quest to find the "Holy Grail". Drinking water from the grail will break the curse that has been placed on Goody so Alan commits himself to the quest.

All the usual characters are present from the previous volumes, plus a couple of new additions as well as some old enemies. This book is definitely action packed, and in my opinion, is better than some of the previous books in the series. Having read this I am currently up to date with this series, however a new instalment will be out later this year. Needless to say, I will definitely be reading it.

As May is over tomorrow, I am going to do my wrap up for the month. There is no way I am going to finish my current read by tomorrow night.

I managed to read 6 books this month.
The Girl You Left Behind by Jojo Moyes
Kiss River by Diane Chamberlain
Daughters of the Nile by Stephanie Dray
Songs of Willow Frost by Jamie Ford
The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd
Grail Knight by Angus Donald

Book of the month of May
The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd

My best reads for 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

APRIL - The House Girl by Tara Conklin

On the home front, we have had some excitement with three new additions to our household - these gorgeous chickens.

The Black ones are named Edith and Princess Laya, and the white one is Kerrie. The kids are loving picking them up and patting them and we are all eagerly anticipating our first egg.

I can almost hear them clucking! Great photo :)

Thanks rabbirprincess. They sound so cute. My husband has been talking to them in "chook language" which is very funny.

Fresh eggs are delicious!

Chickens! Love the coop you have made for them (what could see of it anyways). :-)

I have 2 Ameracaunas and 2 Lacewing Wyandottes. I don't name them except for the undersized Ameracauna. I call her Little One. The others pick on her but she stands her ground. I love the green eggs!

>33 lkernagh: We bought the coop from gumtree, which is like eBay. It is on wheels so we can move it around the yard. As we have had the chickens for a week now I got out there and cleaned out the pen and moved it onto another patch of grass.

>34 mamzel: The kids named these ones. They have been pet-deprived for years so these chickens are their pets as much as potential suppliers of eggs (not laying yet). I am going to google the two breeds you have to see what they look like. Green eggs! That makes me think of Dr Seuss.

>32 luvamystery65: Hi Roberta, we are eagerly awaiting our first eggs. We will either have to wait until we have enough for one for each of the kids, or I will make a cake, otherwise how will we decide who gets it.

A coop with wheels.... what a brilliant idea!

>34 mamzel: oh, the lacewings are beautiful with those lovely feathers. The green eggs look really good too. I floated the idea of looking for a couple of fancy crooks once we get the hang of looking after these ones. So we will see.

Happy new thread! Congrats on the new additions - they look great!

Thanks Eva :-)

I have finished two more books, so reviews to come very soon. Probably later today.

On the chook front, we got our first egg today!! Yay!

When the going gets tough the tough get going War
RandomCAT White Cloud
GeoCAT Island and bodies of water Set in Sicily

Hannibal: Clouds of War by Ben Kane
Book 3 in Hannibal series



This third volume of the Hannibal trilogy picks up almost straight from where book 2 leaves off. I was very quickly drawn into the trials and tribulations of the three main characters that I have grown fond of. Aurelia and Quintus/Crespo, the Roman brother and sister and Hanno, a Carthaginian soldier under the command of Hannibal.

The Roman soldiers who lost against Hannibal in an earlier battle have been sent to Sicily to lay siege on Syracuse, never permitted to return to Rome. Quintus is among this group. He is pleased to be in the company of his best mate and his favourite centurion though. His life in camp is made difficult when reinforcements arrive and trouble begins. He is sent out on all sorts of patrols, battles and intelligence missions.

Hanno has been sent to Syracuse by Hannibal in an effort to obtain information and to provide guidance for the Syracusan soldiers. He too is involved in all sorts of soldierly activities.

Aurelia is told of her husband being involved in a tragic accident. He is also in Sicily. Against advice and her own better judgement she heads off to try and see him before his likely death. The waters between Rome and Sicily are a dangerous place to be though and Aurelia finds herself up for sale at the slave market.

I enjoyed this book as much as the first two. Reading the author's note at the end of the book revealed what I suspected, there is another volume yet to come. Needless to say I will be keeping my eye out for it. Ben Kane does a great job with his characterisation and I look forward to reading about what happens with this trio next.

A Good Heart
AlphaKIT Letter A

Ten Things I Hate About Me by Randa Abdel-Fattah



Jamilla is 15 years old. She has an older brother who loves cars and is good at fixing them. She has and older sister who is a passionate humanitarian and is constantly involved in protests etc. Her mother died when she was nine. Her dad is a taxi driver. She is also a Muslim Lebanese Australian, but nobody at school knows this. At school she is Jamie, with bleached blonde hair and blue contact lenses. She will do whatever it takes to keep her true identity from her schoolmates. She doesn't want to be teased and tormented because she is different. She is finding it more and more difficult to keep up the front. She is happy when she is with her family, attending Arabic school, and playing the darabuka.

Jamilla is a confused girl who is having an identity crisis. This book was OK. The narration was really good. Not bad for a totally impulsive book selection.

>27 Roro8: Great review, it's going on the BB list.

And don't be surprised if the first egg is really small. They'll get bigger. It was quite the major deal when we got our first egg. With great pomp I scrambled and cooked the tiny thing and everyone got a taste.

>44 electrice: Thanks. I hope you like it too.

>45 mamzel: It was very exciting here on Monday as the first egg was laid. There was another on Tuesday and Thursday. They are all quite small as you suggested they would be. I decided that it was a bit difficult to make one little 43gram egg go between 7 people so we are going to have them on Sunday morning. Hopefully we will have one or two more by then. I love that you scrambled yours straight away. I bet it was the best egg you've ever tasted.

There has been very little reading going on in my place this week as one of my patients lent me The Game Of Thrones series 3 DVDs to watch. Of course, my husband insisted that we finish watching Vikings series 2 first. So for the last week there has been much sitting in front of the TV in the evening. GOT is excellent. I really should start reading the books.

Season 3 of Vikings is filming soon! I was in Dublin last month and saw an ad calling for extras. Unfortunately we were not in Dublin on the day of the open audition, otherwise I would have tried to go.

>47 rabbitprincess: It would certainly be an interesting experience being an extra on Vikings. We think the series is great and were just discussing a couple of days ago where it is filmed. We didn't know. But is certainly looks very cold most of the time.

>46 Roro8: I've just been downloading Season 1 & 2 of Vikings, as it seemed promising. Glad to know that it keeps its promises, looking forward to it :)

Matter of Trust Books chosen by my children
Reading Through Time quarterly theme 19th Century North America
RandomCAT - The Rose Swan Lake Rose

The Swan Gondola by Timothy Schaffert



My 16 year old daughter selected this book for me to read out of my latest haul of books from the library (I always borrow way more than I could ever read). She liked the mysterious and ghostly sound of the story after she read the blurb.

The book is really a love story. It is set in the 1898 World Fair in Omaha. Ferrit Skerrit is a ventriloquist who is planning on making a small fortune throughout the World Fair. He has an interesting group of friends, and Indian who sells miracle cures, a Pole who sells nudie pictures, an actress, to mention a few. Cecily is an actress, struggling to make a living at the Fair. She arrived with a troupe of actors and actresses that follow the work around the country. Ferrit sees Cecily and basically falls in love. The next third of the book is Ferrit getting Cecily to care for him.

Things are complicated further by William Wakefield, the money behind the Fair, taking an interest in Ferrit and Cecily. This gets them into events they would normally not be able to participate in. But what is WW after aside from Ferrit's dummy?

But evil is lurking and life gets complicated.

I was hoping this was going to be one of those books that just grabbed me and swept me away but it never really did. I found Ferrit a bit annoying at times and I never really fell for Cecily either. They were both quite complicated and very flawed characters. The setting was well done though and the descriptions of the characters way of fitting in their environment was pretty good too.

Addicted to Love Romance book
Reading Through Time - Elizabethan
GeoCAT Islands and bodies of water - Roanoke Island

The Lost Duchess by Jenny Barden
Sequel to Mistress of the Sea



Emme Fifield is one of Queen Elizabeth's ladies. She finds herself in a difficult situation with scandal about to be revealed when she sees an opportunity to disappear by joining the next venture to the New World, Virginia. The fact that she is attracted to Kit Doonan, a mariner on the voyage may also be affecting her decision making. Firstly Walsingham, and then the Queen, must be convinced that it is a good idea to send Emme on this voyage. They are persuaded and Emme takes on the identity of a serving woman to the Governor of Virginia's pregnant daughter. She joins the rest of the passengers which are largely farmers and families being sent over to settle in Virginia and continue building their families on free land.

Then we have the voyage, which only a small amount of the book is devoted to, before the landing in Virginia, where all is not as the Governor would have hoped. There are multiple obstacles to the success of this mission. Throughout it all Emme manages to get herself involved and develops her relationships with the other settlers, particularly Kit.

Kit is a wonderful leading man in this story. He is portrayed as handsome, strong and honourable. He has his own inner conflicts as well as the stress of the safety of the settlers.

I would describe this book as an historical, adventure romance. I quite enjoyed it. It is a sequel, however, it would not be necessary to read Mistress of the Sea first as the author recaps the background nicely in the body of the story. However Mistress of the Sea was equally as good as this novel.

A Good Heart

Trail of Fire Four Outlander Tales by Diana Gabaldon



I impulsively picked this book up when I was at the library last week. I don't normally read short stories, in fact, I can't remember the last time I did read one. I thought seeing as I really liked the first 4 books in the Outlander series I might like these. I also thought that reading them might inspire me to tackle the next book in the series that I am up to, which is The Fiery Cross, a huge 1400 pages! Well, I was right. I really enjoyed these stories and I am now more open to reading short story collections in the future. Not only that, I have picked up The Fiery Cross from my bookshelf and got out a bookmark ready to start it today.

The first story in the collection is about Roger MacKenzie's parents. I would have to say that this is my favourite in the book. The next two are Lord John stories. The final story involves characters from An Echo in the Bone (which I haven't read yet).

Overall I found the stories quite good. I don't know if people who haven't read any of the main books in the series would enjoy them as much. I also liked the author's introduction to each story, saying where and how the stories fit into the series. Another thing I really liked was a little bit at the end where the author talks about her books and stories, how they work in together, and the sequential order to read them.

I am also working my through the Outlander series, I am hoping to get to the third one in August. This will be reread for me, and I am planning on doing the audio version. When I originally read the series, I only got as far as The Drums of Autumn so I am looking forward to getting past that book and onto the new-to-me ones.

Hi Judy, I considered rereading the first few before moving on but they are so huge that I decided to keep going. Authors usually give a little refresher from time to time to jolt my memory. 82 pages read of The Fiery Cross last night, 1328 to go. There are a couple of important things I can't remember at the moment about the earlier books. I thought I might see if there was a thread somewhere on LT where I could ask.

I went rather crazy one summer 7 years ago and read the first three Outlander books back to back, and then I needed a break from the series. The short stories sounds like the perfect way to ramp back into the series.

>55 lkernagh: I read the first four almost one after the other. So when I go to The Fiery Cross I was a bit overdosed. I got to page 400 before I put it down - which is probably a fairly average book length. There was still 1000 pages to go!

I am up to p230 so far and I'm enjoyed spending time with these characters again. The short stories turned out to be the perfect way to get back into the series for me. I think it will probably take me another 2-3 weeks to get through the rest of it though. It is so long maybe I should be counting it for three books in my tally! (feels like cheating though)

I am still making progress with be enormous book. As I have mentioned earlier, I attempted this book once before and only got to about p400. A friend of mine read the whole thing. The book is the mass market smaller size and with only those two readings the pages are falling out all over the place. This is a bit disappointing, obviously too many pages squished in and not enough glue. I was persisting anyway, then my husband suggested I get the kindle version and then I wouldn't have to worry about the pages falling out any more. Smart man. Maybe the publisher is smart too, as now I have bought the book twice!

I am 44% of the way through The Fiery Cross. I was hoping to get to 50% by tonight but it is not looking likely at this stage. I think it will be another two weeks of reading before I finish this one. I won't be hanging out on the CAT pages very much.

Hi Ro! Hang in there with your huge book. I hope your weekend has been enjoyable.

>58 Roro8: Thanks Roberta. I had a great weekend. On Friday night I had a work dinner, my boss has resigned so it was a farewell. As a result of her leaving I am now doing her job temporarily while they find a permanent replacement so instead of my usual part time 3 days per week I am currently full time. Then on Saturday night I went to the local Medieval museum's annual banquet. My husband and I and a couple of friends got dressed up for the occasion and had a wonderful night out.

I know what you mean with the long-winded Diana Gabaldon. I have the audio of Voyager lined up and it is just under 44 hours. I was planning on getting to it in August, but I may just get a head start in July.

>61 DeltaQueen50: - I have the audio of Voyager lined up and it is just under 44 hours.

That beats my current audiobook of Anna Karenina by.... *goes and checks*..... roughly 10 and 1/2 hours. Good Grief! I remember reading Voyager but still, it boggles my mind just how long that one is.

Ro, I just checked and the audio version of the one you are currently reading, The Fiery Cross, is over 55 hours!

That makes me feel much better Judy. I reached the half way mark last night Hip Hooray! Apparently I have about 18.5 more hours of reading. I think that is likely 2 weeks of reading for me while I am working full time. The most important thing is that I am enjoying the book.

Just an update on my progress with my enormous book - I have reached 73% Yay! And I am still enjoying the story.

Almost there!!!

>66 LittleTaiko: Thanks for the encouragement.

Hooray! Hooray! I finished it today!

Review coming soon.

Woo hoo! :D

>68 Roro8:
Congrats!!!

Don't Leave Me This Way
AlphaKIT Letter C

The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon
Book 5 in the Outlander series



This is book 5 in the Outlander series, and if you didn't already know, it is HUGE, at over 1400 pages. The story follows the eventful lives of Jamie and Claire Fraser. This one is mostly set on Fraser's Ridge in 1771 where the couple and their family, and extended group of associates and followers have settled in the American wilderness.

So much happens in this book. The book opens with a gathering of all the Scottish clans that have settled in the area coming together for a gathering. There are many events that happen here. Claire does a lot of doctoring and Jamie is in demand for his leadership qualities. Their daughter Bree is preparing for her wedding with Roger, which is to me a double wedding as Bree's Aunt Jocasta is also getting married. All does not go to plan. The Governor takes this opportunity of the Scottish gathering to call up a militia to deal with the regulator uprising that is beginning.

There were multiple high points in this book, and much drama. I guess that is what kept me reading. The author does a wonderful job of describing what life in those times might have been like. As I am a nurse, I find the descriptions of Claire's doctoring and the methods of other healers and doctors she comes across particularly interesting.

I still enjoy this series. Reading a couple of the short stories was the perfect way to get myself motivated to tackle this whopper. I will definitely be reading the next instalment but probably not for at least 6 months. This one took me a whole month to read but it was definitely worth it.

Yaaaay! You finished!
I can see why you would want to wait a while between installments. 1400 pages! Yikes.

>72 rabbitprincess: thanks for the cheer rp.

Congrats on completing The Fiery Cross!

True Colours

The Happiest Refugee by Anh Do



This book has been very popular in Australia since it's release so when I was looking for a non-fiction to read and I saw that it is still in the best seller list I thought it must be time for me to read it. I have seen Anh Do on television many times and always enjoyed his performances. This book is the story of Anh's migration to Australia and the struggles his family faced growing up in Australia.

What really shines through in this book is the author's love for his family, his positive attitude and his humour.

>74 lkernagh: Thanks Lori.

Weehoo! A whole month to read! That's why I haven't tackled Gabaldon.

>77 cammykitty: I knew it was going to take me a while to read it. It didn't help that I was working full time doing my boss's job for that month either so I probably had less reading time than usual. She is an excellent writer though and I feel like I got great value for money, a month's worth of reading for the cost of one book!

When the Going Gets Tough
August GeoCAT

The Iron Castle by Angus Donald
Book 6 in the Robin Hood series



This book picks up shortly after the last one. Alan Dale is at home in Westbury trying to make a go the quiet life. He is grieving for the loss of his lovely wife and nothing on the farm is going right. He is still loyal to Robin Hood so when Robin pledges his allegiance to King John in return for reinstatement of all his lands and the removal of his outlaw status it means that Robin is off to Normandy to fight King John's battles. Of course, Alan eventually follows.

This book does not disappoint when it comes to action and battles. Robin and Alan find themselves in Chateau Gaillard, the fortress build by King Richard. The castellan has been instructed to hold the castle at any cost against the French army. Naturally, Alan has some disagreement with some people on his side. King John is also a nasty character that really doesn't inspire loyalty in anybody.

This book was a reasonable addition to the series, not my favourite though. It took me a while to get into it, maybe due to the general feeling of dislike for King John. Once the siege began there was more intrigue and King John featured less.

Book of the month of July
The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon

My best reads for 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

APRIL - The House Girl by Tara Conklin

MAY - The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd

JUNE - Hannibal: Clouds of War by Ben Kane

Yesterday was my birthday. I had a great day with my family. My husband cooked up a storm for my Italian night birthday dinner. We had lasagne and chicken and prosciutto cannelloni, followed by my favourite dessert - tiramisu. Accompanied by champagne cocktails of course. A fun evening was had by all. Among other gifts I got one book, The Golden Widows by Isolde Martyn. I also got a new pressure cooker, my previous one was older than me and I was a bit worried about how safe it is. I will be experimenting with my new kitchen toy tonight.

Happy belated birthday!!! Can't go wrong with Italian!

Thanks Eva. Italian food is definitely wonderful.

Belated Happy Birthday wishes! I love lasagne and tiramisu and of course, champagne cocktails..... well, I could just go on but I wont. Sounds like a heavenly birthday do me!

Belated Birthday wishes Ro, your Italian dinner sounds very yummy! I love tiramisu!

Hurray, happy birthday! That dinner sounds delicious.

Thanks Lori, Judy and rabbitprincess.

It is my daughter's birthday tomorrow, 10 years old, and she wants spaghetti bolognese followed by Mississippi mud pie. More indulgence coming up, minus the champagne cocktails.

Happy Belated Birthday! Sounds like you had a wonderful day - and a kitchen toy! I'm torn between your tiramisu and your daughter's Mississippi mud pie, I might have to have both!

>88 VivienneR: Lucky for me, I get both.

Don't Leave Me This Way
GeoCAT London
RandomCAT Back to School

Afterwards by Rosamund Lupton



It's sports day at the private school where Grace's son Adam is participating on his birthday, and her daughter Jennifer is working as the school nurse for the event. Things go badly when there is an arson attack on the school. All the kids are on the sports field but Jennifer is inside in the first aid room. Grace runs into the burning building to save her daughter with the result being that both of them are injured.

What follows in an unusual narration style to help us unravel the mystery of who started the fire. What is going on with Grace's best friend Maisie? And can Sarah, Grace's sister in law who is also a police officer, find the culprit?

This was an interesting look at family dynamics and relationships. The unusual narration was a little weird for me though. I had the baddie picked out pretty early on.

It's a rainy day today, which is great as we needed our water tanks topped up and it is perfect for staying indoors and reading. I may just pop into the video shop with the kids so they can pick up some DVDs to watch.

We have been needing rain in a big way so I don't grudge that this past week has been more like October than August for weather!

>92 lkernagh:. I totally agree. My dad was just here for three weeks and we had beautiful spring like weather in the middle of winter. The day he went home the rain came. He went back to cold New Zealand winter.

When the going gets tough, The tough get going
Reading Through Time - WWI

The Lie by Helen Dunmore



Daniel grew up in a small English coastal village. His mum worked for the wealthy families in the area doing housework. This is how Daniel comes to be friends with Frederick, who lives with his family in Albert House. The two boys grow up together and end up being called up for service to fight in France during WWI.

The book starts with Daniel returning home and everything we learn about his past is through his memories. He is not physically injured but he is definitely not the same person that went away to war. He is emotionally damaged by his experiences.

It is quite difficult to do this book justice in a review. The way the author sets the scenes and pours out the emotion, or lack of emotion on some occasions, is quite masterful. It's not that I particularly liked any of the characters but the author helped me understand them. This was a sensitive telling of Daniel's experience and would make a wonderful book club read for a group. I wish a friend would read it so I could talk about it to somebody without worrying about spoilers.


ETA: image

A Matter of Trust
GeoCAT

The Golden Widows By Isolde Martyn



This book was a birthday gift from my husband which I have read in record time. Normally books sit on the shelf for a little while before I read them. As this one fit the GeoCAT this month I got to it right away.

The book contains two stories really, those of Kate Neville and Elysabeth Woodville. Both women are left widows due to the wars of the roses. One of them is from a Yorkist family, and the other a Lancaster supporter. We see Edward become king and these two young widows must find their way in a much changed England. Both women are mothers and must consider their children in their actions. They are both under pressure to remarry - but who. The Nevilles are pushing for Kate to marry Hastings, but can she trust him?

This was a very readable tale of these two women at a vulnerable time in their lives. The author has done an entertaining job of imaging what may have transpired in-between the actual known facts. This was an enjoyable read but not a stand-out.

I have finished the quarterly bio read, Four Queens. Review coming soon.

Now I have two reviews to catch up on as I have just finished a wonderful book called The Circus of Ghosts.

True Colours
Quarterly Bio Read

Four Queens: The Provencal Sisters Who Ruled Europe by Nancy Goldstone



This is book is a narrative non-fiction account of the events and lives of the four daughters of the Count of Provence, Raymond Berenger in the 13th century. These four young women are brought up in the court of their parents to be perfect wives for important men. The politics of the time were quite complex, and alliances were made through marriages. The four daughters were all married off to important men, probably doing much better in their marriages than even they would have expected as each of them eventually become queens.

I was expecting the book to be a bit more about the women themselves. History tends to record the lives of men much more thoroughly than the lives of women so it makes sense that a lot of what is known about these women is through the records of their husband's lives. The author has given me a much better understanding of how politics at the time worked, who had power and how they went about getting more power.

I found this an informative read. The writing style made for relatively easy reading. It is a good starting point for the history of that time. I will probably look out for historical fiction featuring these women now.


Walk Like an Egyptian

The Circus of Ghosts by Barbara Ewing



I originally bought this book to read for one of the reading through time group's quarterly time periods. But, typically for me, planning to read something for a challenge or group often means that by the time I get to it I have lost my excitement for it which is why this book sat on my shelf for a little bit longer that I had originally planned. So it was that I was drawn to this book last weekend and read it though the week and thoroughly enjoyed it.

This book follows on from The Mesmerist finding Cordelia and her 'family' in New York in the 1840s, having fled England to escape tragedy and scandal. Cordelia and her daughter, Gwenlliam, are working as the headline act in Silas P Swift's Amazing Circus. Cordelia's husband is Detective Rivers working for the New York Police. There are also four other members of their unusual 'family'. The seven of them find themselves living in the attic floor of Madame Celine's restaurant. Madame Celine used to work in a circus herself in her younger years so she is drawn to these lively characters.

The circus business starts to drop of in New York resulting in Cordelia and Gwen touring the country doing one night shows all over the country. Then Silas comes up with a plan to make them all heaps of money, they will take the circus to the goldfields in California.

Meanwhile, some unfinished business in England is looking to catch up with Cordelia and Gwenlliam. The women are totally unaware of the dangers awaiting them. Life for Arthur Rivers as an honest policeman in New York is not particularly safe either.

This book is packed with adventure and drama. The loyalty of friends versus the power of the dollar to make people do evil things. The contrast between the proper English culture and the new American way was brilliant. As I said above, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I will definitely read more from this author in the future.

Book of the month of August
The Circus of Ghosts by Barbara Ewing

My best reads for 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

APRIL - The House Girl by Tara Conklin

MAY - The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd

JUNE - Hannibal: Clouds of War by Ben Kane

JULY - The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon

Chain Reaction Next in series

Tripwire by Lee Child, 592p
Book three in Jack Reacher series



He spends his days digging swimming pools by hand and his nights as the bouncer in the local strip club in the Florida Keys.
He doesn't want to be found.
But someone has sent a private detective to seek him out. Then Reacher finds the guy beaten to death with his fingertips sliced off. It's time to head north and work out who is trying to find him and why.

This is all the blurb on the amazon website has to say about this book. I guess it can't say too much without giving things away. Lets just say this is a typical Jack Reacher story. There he is minding his own business and trouble just seems to find him. And attractive women seem to find him too. These are good books to turn to when I need an action fix.

Today I have started The Orphan Master's Son which has had much critical acclaim and won prestigious awards. So it sounds very promising.

I'm trying to finalise my idea for October's randomCAT. Tricky.

That's What Friends Are For

The Orphan Master's Son by Adam Johnson - 592p



Pak Jun Do knows he is special. He knows he must be the son of the master of the orphanage, not some kid dumped by his parents - it was obvious from the way his father singled him out for beatings. He knows he is special when he is picked as a spy and kidnapper for his country, the glorious Democratic Republic of North Korea. He knows he must find his true love, Sun Moon, the greatest opera star who ever lived, before it's too late. He knows he's not like the other prisoners in the camp. He's going to get out soon. Definitely. (blurb from Amazon.com.au)

This is quite a complicated story that really kept me thinking. So much happens to Jun Do. The author doesn't shield the reader from the horrors that occur in North Korea. It also won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 2013. The writing is of a very high standard. This is definitely worth a read, especially if you like a well written, thought provoking book.

>103 Roro8:
It's on my "potentials" list for when I get to North Korea in my global reading - it's been getting consist praise, so I'm looking forward to getting to it.

>104 -Eva-: I'm pretty confident you'll find it a worthwhile read. Another good one for North Korea is Nothing to Envy, it's non-fiction.

I'm off to sewing club tonight. No reading.

>106 Roro8: Great, what are you sewing ? I'm thinking about learning to sew, I think that it will be gratifying and I'll get to have something that is exactly to my liking :)

>107 electrice: We just finished a quilt last month which is being raffled at the hospital where I work. Than means we got to start a new project this week. I'll see if I can upload a photo of the one we just finished.

I'm on the right. It's a bit blurry but you get the idea.

>109 Roro8: - What a fantastic sewing club project!

What a beautiful quilt! Congratulations on the finished product - and funds to a worthy cause!

Thanks Lori and Vivienne. We thought it looked bright and cheerful.

Lovely quilt. I admire you for knowing how to do that, I failed miserably at it.

Pretty! That's going to be one lucky winner!

>113 MissWatson: & >114 rabbitprincess: Thanks.

>111 VivienneR: We are not actually raising any money. The raffle is for patients only and they each get a free entry if they would like to win. I guess it is like a lucky door prize, for coming to hospital, a bit strange but the patients like it.

>108 Roro8: & >109 Roro8:
That's an excellent idea! Beautiful.

>115 Roro8: That's even better! What a lovely idea.

Chain Reaction

Tuesday's Gone by Nicci French
Book 2 Frieda Klein Mystery



Nicci French, the bestselling author of What to do When Someone Dies and Losing You, returns with the second book in the gripping new series that began with Top Ten Bestseller Blue Monday. Fans of Peter James' Roy Grace series and Peter Robinson's DCI Banks series will love central character psychotherapist Frieda Klein, who is consulted on a grisly and seemingly unsolvable crime.

For Frieda Klein the days get longer, the cases darker . . .

Psychotherapist Frieda Klein thought she was done with the police. But once more DCI Karlsson is knocking at her door.

A man's decomposed body has been found in the flat of Michelle Doyce, a woman trapped in a world of strange mental disorder. The police don't know who it is, how he got there or what happened - and Michelle can't tell them. But Karlsson hopes Frieda can get access to the truths buried beneath her confusion.

Painstakingly, Frieda uncovers a possible identity for the corpse: Robert Poole, a jack of all trades and master conman. But the deeper Frieda and Karlsson dig into Poole's past, the more of his victims they encounter - and the more motives they find for murder. Meanwhile, violent ghosts from Frieda's own past are returning to threaten her.

Unable to discover quite who is telling the truth and who is lying, they know they are getting closer to a killer. But whoever murdered Poole is determined to stay free - and anyone that gets too close will meet the same fate.

A gritty heroine, a gruesome crime and a terrifying hunt for a psychotic killer, Tuesday's Gone is not to be missed by fans of psychological thrillers.
(blurb from amazon.com.au)

I really like this series. The authors have done a great job of keeping the pace moving and also carrying over the important characters from the first book. Frieda is an interesting main character with a lot of internal conflicts. An excellent strong woman lead character. There is no doubt, I will definitely be reading the next book in this series.

Great project, it's a wonderful prize to win :)

I need to read Nicci French, the're often good reviews about her series in this group.

>119 electrice: thanks, it is proving to be a popular concept.

I have just completed a book chosen for me by my 16 yo daughter - The House of Silk. It is a new Sherlock Holmes novel written by Anthony Horowitz. I'll put a review up tomorrow after I have had a chance to think about it.

Matter of Trust
Chosen by my daughter

The House of Silk by Anthony Horowitz
A New Sherlock Holmes Novel



The game's afoot…..

It's November 1890 and London is gripped by a merciless winter. Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson are enjoying tea by the fire when an agitated gentleman arrives unannounced at 221B Baker street. He begs Holmes for help, telling the unnerving story of a scar-faced man with piercing eyes who has stalked him in recent weeks.

Intrigued by the man's tale, Holmes and Watson find themselves swiftly drawn into a series of puzzling and sinister events, stretching from the gas-lit streets of London to the teeming criminal underworld of Boston. As the pair delve deeper into the case, the stumble across a whispered phrase 'the House of Silk": a mysterious entity and foe more deadly than any Holmes has encountered, and a conspiracy that threatens to tear apart the very fabric of society itself… (blurb from the back of the book)

Having never read any Sherlock Holmes before (shock, horror), my only preconceptions before reading this were provided by the most recent Sherlock Holmes movies - which I really like. I found this to be quite a good read. The setting was described reasonably well. The mystery had twists and turns and was fairly complex. I probably wouldn't have read this book if my daughter hadn't chose it for me, however I was curious. I may even read an original one eventually.

I don't usually read books where a modern writer has taken over from the original (have you noticed it happens a lot nowadays?) but I think I'll take a book bullet on this one, it sounds like fun.

>122 VivienneR: and the October RandomCAT is the perfect excuse. I hope you like it. Have you read some of the originals? If so, it will add another point of interest to hear what you think.

The originals are such fun! I have The House of Silk on my list and am glad to hear that it was enjoyable.

If you are interested in trying the originals I recommend The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, which has a lot of the more famous stories.

I received a book with the complete Sherlock Holmes for Christmas way, way back in my university days and read every story in the book. Like >124 rabbitprincess:, I really enjoyed the original stories. I haven't dipped into any of the modern takes but House of Silk does look good!

>124 rabbitprincess: Thanks for the recommendation. I was hoping somebody would suggest a good one for me.

>125 lkernagh: Since I borrowed this one from the library I have noticed quite a few of the original collections around. They are presented really nicely too.

Walk like an Egyptian
Reading Through Time September - Series and Sequels

Imperial Fire by Robert Lyndon (512 pages)
Sequel to Hawk Quest



AD 1081: Vast empires struggle for dominance. From the Normans in the north to the Byzantines in the south, battles rage across Europe and around its fringes. But in the east, an empire still mightier stirs, wielding a weapon to rule the world: gunpowder. Seeking the destructive might of this 'fire drug', the mercenary Vallon is sent by the defeated Byzantine emperor on a near-impossible quest to the far-off land of Song Dynasty China. Leading a highly trained squadron, Vallon is accompanied by the physician Hero, Wayland the English hunter, and a young upstart named Lucas. All have their own reasons for going, all have secrets. It's a quest that leads them across treacherous seas and broiling deserts, and into the uncharted land of mountains and plains beyond the Silk Road. Many will die...but the rewards are unbelievable. (blurb from the back of the book).

This book picked up the story of Vallon several years on from where the first book left off. The key characters were all present even though they were separated by distance prior to this quest. The quest for gunpowder. Vallon is an excellent expedition leader but perhaps not so good at managing his owns feeling and emotions. There was a lot of action and interesting countryside described in the book (resulting in me google image searching many locations).

This was quite a good book. I enjoyed the first one more though so this one gets

I have Hawk Quest on my shelves, now I had better keep an eye out for Imperial Fire.

>128 DeltaQueen50: When I read Hawk Quest it didn't seem like it was the type of book that would have a sequel. Now, having read Imperial Fire, I would think that's the last one too. But seeing as I thought that the first time and was wrong, maybe there will be a third one.

I have started my book bullet read for October, something a bit lighter that was given a good wrap by Christina-reads, Where'd you go, Bernadette. I managed to get a copy from the library which is where I source a lot of my books. Our library puts stickers on the spine of the books to indicate it's genre. Most of mine have a castle sticker which indicates historical fiction. When my son noticed me reading Where'd you go, Bernadette he wanted to know what I was doing reading a book that had no castle sticker! I had to laugh.

Book of the month of September

The Orphan Master's Son by Adam Johnson

My best reads for 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

APRIL - The House Girl by Tara Conklin

MAY - The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd

JUNE - Hannibal: Clouds of War by Ben Kane

JULY - The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon

AUGUST - The Circus of Ghosts by Barbara Ewing

That's What Friends Are For
RandomCAT October - Book Bullet

Where'd you go, Bernadette by Maria Semple



This book had been catching my eye every now and then. After reading a review by christinareads I decided that I was definitely going to read it.

The narrator of the story is Bee, Bernadette's 15 year old daughter. Bernadette has disappeared. The book is basically about the events that occurred leading up to Bernadette's great disappearance. For such an intelligent woman, Bernadette has certainly gotten herself into a lot of trouble. Firstly there are the other mother's at Bee's school, known as "the gnats" in Bernadette's household. Then there is this crazy old house she lives in. Her husband is worshipped as a Microsoft God. But what is Bernadette doing?

As a reward for being a straight A student for 8th grade Bee wants the family to go on a trip to Antarctica. The planning of this holiday is certainly entertaining. Needless to say drama and mis-deeds occur. I found myself quite engrossed.

Thanks for the BB.

Matter of Trust

Marley: A dog like no other by John Grogan



I bought this book for my 10 year old daughter. She loved it and told me that I just had to read it. She said it was funny and sad. So today, feeling unwell with a cold, I curled up on the couch and read this book. My runny nose was a good camouflage for the tears that came at the end. There was definitely a kleenex moment.

I'd say most people are probably quite familiar with this story of a young couple who buy a puppy that turns out to be quite a handful. The mischief Marley gets into is ongoing and very funny to someone looking in from the sidelines. The growth in the family is also lovely. I haven't seen the movie and nor had my daughter prior to reading the book. I think we will be looking for it the next time we are at the shops.

This is a beautifully told story, well written for it's target audience (which is the 10yo, not her mother). My daughter loved it, and I thought it was pretty good too.

The movie was a lot of fun although i don't remember a weepy bit at the end. I usually go and get myself a cup of tea or something so that I don't bawl during sad parts. My husband would laugh at me if I did.

>133 VivienneR: My husband would laugh at me too. That's why Abby and I will watch the movie while he is at work one weekend. Then we can cry without the mocking. I reckon they only do that to stop themselves from crying too.

Two categories finished - 7 to go!

I reckon they only do that to stop themselves from crying too.

That's my theory too! I've had a couple of memorable events - at the movie theatre unfortunately :(((

>136 VivienneR: oh dear. I usually try and see teary movies with a girlfriend or one of my daughters, for that reason.

>131 Roro8: Phew, I'm glad you liked it! :)

>138 christina_reads:. Me too

>132 Roro8: Yep, I shed tears at the end of both the book and the movie!

Walk Like an Egyptian
Reading Through Time Quarterly Theme
Global Mysteries - MysteryCAT

The Paris Winter by Imogen Robertson



Maud is a young English woman who has travelled to Paris (1909) to study paining at Lafond's famous Academy. She is enjoying the freedom to pursue the art she loves but she is struggling with finances, and with winter coming she must do something to ensure she survives. Yvette is a worldly French woman who models for the ladies-only painting class. She can see Maud's struggle and enlists the help of Tanya, the rich Russian heiress, who is also a class member, to befriend Maud and guide her towards some help.

Tanya helps Maud find some employment through the winter. Maud is to be the live in companion for a very rich young women, Sylvie Morel. It all seems too good to be true. Things start to go awry and Maud feels compelled to get to the bottom of the secret that Sylvie and her brother are hiding. Yvette and Tanya are right there to help her even though they have events going on in their own lives.

It took the author a while to set up the story. Just as I was beginning to think 'where is this story going?' is anything ever going to happen?' the drama began (almost on cue). From that moment on I was really caught up in the story and wanted to know what was going to happen with these three interesting characters. This was a good story that was really well set in Paris 1909. The city was described in smooth detail, the streets, the interiors, the fashion, the people and the art.

I bought myself a couple of new books this week.


I don't know when I'll read them but they both sound pretty good.

A good read and new books.... my idea of a great week! ;-)

I just skimmed your review of The Paris Winter as I plan on reading it for the Reading Through Time Quarterly theme as well. I probably won't get to it until December, but it was nice to see you gave it 4 stars.

>144 DeltaQueen50: it could work for the November disaster theme due to the flooding of Paris in 1910.

>143 lkernagh:. I agree.

Addicted to Love
Reading Through Time - 1970's

The Lotus Eaters by Tatjana Soli



I don't think I ever would have read this book if it wasn't for the RTT theme for this month being the 1970's. I haven't read anything set in Vietnam during the Vietnam war before. I know this is a work of fiction but I still felt it was a real eye opener for me.

Helen Adams leaves college early to go to Vietnam as a freelance photographer. She has recently lost her brother in the Vietnam war and feels that she must be there out of some sort of loyalty to her brother. She manages to get herself on some missions with the American soldiers and takes some amazing pictures. She meets Sam Darrow, another photographer who is very experienced at war zone photography. The two begin a passionate affair. Danger lurks in every outing, and lives are lost. Helen is affected by the loss of life both among the locals and the soldiers she comes across. Then there is Linh, Darrow's assistant, who ends up working with Helen as well. He has inside connections and seems to have knowledge that keeps himself and Helen safe in the constant danger that surrounds them.

The tragedy of war was very present in this novel, and love in the face of war.

Having just finished reading a book with strong connections to Vietnam, I am in the mood for more books that focus on that area of the world. Adding The Lotus Eaters to my future reading list, with thanks!

>147 lkernagh: I hope you like it. Judy (deltaqueen50) had given it a good wrap too.

>148 Roro8: I loved The Lotus Eaters and it was interesting to read a book set during the Vietnam war from a woman's point of view.

Yesterday I went to see "Before I Go Yo Sleep" at the cinema. I read the book when it came out and thought it was excellent. The movie had a few small changes. It was very good.
I'm also planning on seeing "Gone Girl" on Sunday, read that one too.

I saw Gone Girl last night. Haven't read the book but the movie was excellent. The screenplay was done by the author. I think I'll have to read the book now.

>151 VivienneR: I think the movie would be more exciting if you haven't read the book as you don't know what is going to happen. The book was excellent though. My husband watched Before I Go To Sleep with me. He hadn't read the book so it was interesting to hear his thoughts as the movie played. And hard not to reveal what I knew from the book.

This morning I finished We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves, review coming soon. We are off to the beach today for my daughter's 17th birthday party. Fingers crossed the weather stays nice. I have to go and pack up the car with all the party supplies soon.

Hope you had a great beach-day! I'm off to the beach myself for a reunion BBQ - there are some Swedes (who used to live here) in town and they're hankering for some beach! :)

>154 -Eva-: I hope you had fun too. We had a nice day. The weather was perfect and it was good to catch up with the relatives.

A Good Heart
AlphaKIT letter K

We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler



This book was an impulse buy. It just sounded interesting so I thought I'd give it a go. It is a bit difficult to review without giving away the twist.

Rosemary is the main character in the book. The story starts in the middle and works backwards and forwards. It is really a story about family relationships and how a big change affects the different family members.

An interesting story, pretty well told. I wouldn't rave about it, but that's probably more related to my own interests with regard to the themes in this book, rather than the book itself.

Last night I started reading Turning the Stones by Debra Daley. I wasn't sure about this choice, but I'm 22 pages in and it has really grabbed me. It's almost a shame I'm going to sewing club tonight and I won't get any reading time. I guess that's the good thing about books, they just sit there waiting for you to be ready for them.

A Good Heart

Turning The Stones by Debra Daley



Mary Smith is a servant of the Waterland household in England in the 1750-60's. She has been with them for as long as she can remember, being told by Mrs Waterland that they took her from a foundling home. Initially Mary, known as Em, was a companion for the daughter of the house, Eliza. With Eliza coming of age Em's role is to change.

Times are tough for large landowners in these times and investments must be made to try and make ends meet. Em is worried about the financial stability of the family she serves, she is also wanting to know about her roots. When she asks Mrs Waterland about her past and her parentage Mrs Waterland is evasive and Em feels she is not being truthful.

In the quest to find a wealthy husband for Eliza, Em finds herself in a dangerous situation on more than one occasion. She doesn't know who she can trust anymore.

Then there is Kitty Conneely who lives in a coastal village in Ireland. She has cast a spell and laid a curse, affecting both Em and the Waterlands.

The beginning of this book got me interested right away. Then the pace eased off a bit while I started thinking where is the author going here and when is the pace going to pick up again? The writing is lovely, the words just flow. It is a good book, I liked it, but I would have liked to make more of a connection with Em.

I am starting Saving Grace by Fiona McCallum. This book will work for the Novemer geoCAT and alphaCAT. I am also hoping that it will have enough romance in it for me to comfortably put it in my "Addicted to Love" category. If not, it can go in the "Don't Leave Me This Way" category as it has been sitting on my shelf since last year.

I also picked up the new Colm Toibin book Nora Webster from the mobile library. I don't know what category I'll put that one in.

True Colours

The Secret Rooms by Catherine Bailey



I started this book ready for all the promised intrigue that was actually true. What I got was a book I had to force my way through. Very disappointed.

Book of the month of October

The Paris Winter by Imogen Robertson

My best reads for 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

APRIL - The House Girl by Tara Conklin

MAY - The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd

JUNE - Hannibal: Clouds of War by Ben Kane

JULY - The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon

AUGUST - The Circus of Ghosts by Barbara Ewing

SEPTEMBER - The Orphan Master's Son by Adam Johnson

I love your best read by month list!

>162 lkernagh: Thanks Lori. I was hoping it would make it easier for me to pick the number one book at the end of the year.

I love your list too and might steal the idea for next year. It's a great way to remember the books you loved throughout the year.

>164 LittleTaiko: it really is. Each month when I update the list I think of those good books I have read. This is helpful when somebody asks "Have you read any good books lately?".

Last week when I was out at the shops I noticed two series that I am reading have the next book out. Seeing as I have the other books on my shelf I had to buy them.


Today I plan on buying a copy of Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult. A friend of mine who lives in Geelong read it and thinks I will like it. She also highly recommended Burial Rites by Hannah Kent, a book I have borrowed from the library twice but not actually read yet. I guess I'll have to borrow it again.

Don't Leave Me This Way
GeoCAT - Oceania
AlphaCAT - letter G and S

Saving Grace by Fiona McCallum

Cover picture coming soon

Emily lives in a typical country town in South Australia. She is married to John Stratton, a man considered to be a really good catch as he is from one of the wealthiest farming families in the district. John is a horrible husband and Emily is very unhappy and she knows she needs to do something. She decided to buy a dog, Grace (yes the title relates to the dog). In the process of obtaining Grace she makes a new friend, Barbara. Barbara is very supportive of Emily, and helps Emily when she decides to take the big step to leave her husband.

I have never lived in a really small country town like the one described in this book but the author made it seem quite authentic in my opinion. The country town rumour mill and the responses of the locals to Emily's situation were priceless, especially that of her own mother. I found Emily a bit of a sad sack but I guess that is to be expected in her situation (it would be inappropriate to be anything else).

As I was nearing the end of this book I was beginning to wonder how the author was going to finish everything off. Well, it turns out that I will have to read the next two books if I want to know. I have unwittingly started another series! Lucky it was a quick read. I probably will read the next book, even though it seems a bit predictable, I wouldn't mind knowing what happens next.

3 stars

Ro it has been ages since I've been here! Sorry, RL has been rough for me the last few months. You've read lots of interesting books. I've added a few to my wishlist.

I have The Secret Rooms and it was given higher marks by a couple of LTers. We shall see.

I love your quilt and it's nice to put a face with the name.

>167 luvamystery65: thanks for popping in. Sorry things have been a bit rough for you lately. I hope you like The Secret Rooms more than I did. I think the blurb was really quite misleading and that was one of the main reasons I didn't like it and got a bit annoyed with it. Even so, I have managed to read some good ones lately, and my wish list is growing astronomically.

I have set up a third thread, but unfortunately I forgot to name it as part 3. Oops, so it is also part 2.