It’s Monday! What are You Reading?

It’s time once again for Kathryn’s weekly meme, “It’s Monday! What are You Reading?” at Book Date, where we share what we’re reading and have read over the past week.

What I Read Last Week

I read 6 books this past week, a varied list –3 contemporary romances, 1 non-fiction and 2 MG/YA books

Get a Life Chloe Brown by Tallia Hibbert. What a fun novel. So enjoyed this diverse novel. (Favourite of the week)

Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury. A must read for any writer, full of short pieces of advice.

Looking for Alaska by John Green. Another interesting novel by this YA author.

March Vol. 1 by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin and Nate Powell. This graphic novel is a must read to understand the Black Lives beginnings.

Rough Around the Edges Meets Refined by Rachael Anderson. A surprisingly good romance.

The Horseman’s Son by Delores Fosen. This was a very quick read, a light romance.

What I’m Reading Now – (still working on finishing the Nalini Singh series – right now reading – Archangel’s Shadows)

A Desperate Fortune by Susanna Kearsley. Half way through

The Switch by Beth O’Leary

Hello. Summer by Mary Kay Andrews

What’s Up Next

The Deadly Hours by Susanna Kearsley

Marley and Me by John Grogan

Weekend Writing Prompt – Heather

I’m participating in the Weekend Writing Prompt 177 hosted by Sammi Scribbles using exactly 27 words as a challenge with the word heather.

I just discovered this challenge – it was similar to one I participated in several years ago and still miss.

Remembering Heather

It’s been forty years, but I remember it well:

                                                        (source)

                                                          

A sea of purple

Splashed across rugged hills

Through Scotland’s moors and glens

Its bonny scent surrounding us.

Six Degrees of Separation – From The Turn of the Screw to A Farewell to Arms

This is the first Saturday of the month which means that it is time for Six Degrees of Separation, the book challenge, hosted by Kate at Kate from Books are My Favourite and Best.

The starting point for all of us is The Turn of the Screw by Henry James.

This is not a book I have read or know much about other than the title. As I investigated this classic, several themes emerged: governess, unruly children, horror.

1. My first thought was to focus on the governess and Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte fit the bill. She is hired as governess for Rochester’s ward. It is a classic as well, with a touch of horror.

From Goodreads: Orphaned as a child, Jane has felt an outcast her whole young life. Her courage is tested once again when she arrives at Thornfield Hall, where she has been hired by the brooding, proud Edward Rochester to care for his ward Adèle. Jane finds herself drawn to his troubled yet kind spirit. She falls in love. Hard

2. The next in the chain is Nine Coaches Waiting by Mary Stewart. It too is a classic that involves an English governess but with the French nobility.

From Goodreads: A governess in a French chateau encounters an apparent plot against her young charge’s life in this unforgettably haunting and beautifully written suspense novel.

3. Thinking of French nobility, had me thinking of Marie Antoinette, which led me to the novel Becoming Marie Antoinette by Juliet Gray,

From Goodreads: This enthralling confection of a novel, the first in a new trilogy, follows the transformation of a coddled Austrian archduchess into the reckless, powerful, beautiful queen Marie Antoinette.

Before she can journey from sunlit picnics with her sisters in Vienna to the glitter, glamour, and gossip of Versailles, Antonia must change everything about herself in order to be accepted as dauphine of France and the wife of the awkward teenage boy who will one day be Louis XVI. Yet nothing can prepare her for the ingenuity and influence it will take to become queen.

4. Marie Antoinette led to thoughts about the French Revolution which led to Madame Tussaud by Michelle Moran.

From Goodreads: The world knows Madame Tussaud as a wax artist extraordinaire… but who was this woman who became one of the most famous sculptresses of all time? In these pages, her tumultuous and amazing story comes to life … The year is 1788, and a revolution is about to begin.

Madame Tussaud brings us into the world of an incredible heroine whose talent for wax modeling saved her life and preserved the faces of a vanished kingdom

5. Art saved Madame Tussaud, just as it saved the lives of Claire and Luc in At the Edge of Summer by Jessica Brockmole, during the time of another war.

From Goodreads: extraordinary story of a friendship born of proximity but boundless in the face of separation and war.

Luc Crépet is accustomed to his mother’s bringing wounded creatures to their idyllic château in the French countryside, where healing comes naturally amid the lush wildflowers and crumbling stone walls. Yet his maman’s newest project is the most surprising: a fifteen-year-old Scottish girl grieving over her parents’ fate. A curious child with an artistic soul, Clare Ross finds solace in her connection to Luc, and she in turn inspires him in ways he never thought possible. Then, just as suddenly as Clare arrives, she is gone, whisked away by her grandfather to the farthest reaches of the globe. Devastated by her departure, Luc begins to write letters to Clare—and, even as she moves from Portugal to Africa and beyond, the memory of the summer they shared keeps her grounded.

6. A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway, is another classic, and as well, is a story of love during war, between 2 people of different nationalities, and taking place in different countries.

From Goodreads: A Farewell to Arms is the unforgettable story of an American ambulance driver on the Italian front and his passion for a beautiful English nurse. Set against the looming horrors of the battlefield – the weary, demoralized men marching in the rain during the German attack on Caporetto; the profound struggle between loyalty and desertion—this gripping, semiautobiographical work captures the harsh realities of war and the pain of lovers caught in its inexorable sweep. 

So, the chain has traveled through from a classic in A Turn of the Screw to end with another classic, A Farewell to Arms. 

This challenge is such fun and can lead in so many directions. So many different chains could be created – please join in the fun.

From Kate: “Next month (November 7, 2020) is a wild card – start with the book you’ve ended a previous chain with, and continue from there (for those playing for the first time, start with the last book you finished reading).”

Connect 5 Friday – Banned Books

It’s Friday once again and that means it’s time for Connect Five Friday, hosted at Book Date by Kathryn – the meme where we share five book/reading things that connect in some way.

This is Banned Book Week and we are all encouraged to read and support books that are banned. Why can’t we just let people read what they want, when they want?

I can remember when I was 13 or 14, reading a risqué book that my mother was ready to take from me, when my father stopped her. He felt I had to learn to discriminate, to be able to choose what was worth reading and was really was poor writing. I finished the book but I knew it was not well written.

Here are 5 of my favourite banned books that I’ve read and loved:

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Banned for offensive language, depiction of violence, racism

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. Banned for its religious viewpoint, anti=family. Unsuited for age group.

Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling. Banned for witchcraft, sorcery, occult, satanism

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie. Banned for offensive language, violence, sexuality.

Looking for Alaska by John Green. Banned for offensive language, sexual content, unsuited for age group.

5 Banned Books I plan to (need to) read:

The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

Forever by Judy Blume

The Color Purple by Alice Walker

Here are 5 articles about banned books to provide more information

1. Why We Should Be Reading Banned Books at Keeping Up With The Penguins

5 Reasons Books are Banned at Powells’ Books

3.Banned Books Week. Org

4. Frequently Challenged Books at ALA. org

5. Banned Book Week from CNN

September Reading Round-Up

Here it is, the end of September, and the beginning of fall, my hubby is still in hospital, although he has been in rehab for 2 weeks. The end is in sight – he should be home next week (yeah!), just in time for Thanksgiving (in Canada it is the 2^nd Monday of October).

Reading is my huge stress-reliever and I most often turn to fantasy or romance. Once again, there have been many excellent books this month to escape the stress.

It’s time to share what I have been reading this past month.
The total read for September was 28 books, with the following breakdown:
Fantasy /Paranormal – 7
Romance – 10
Women’s Fiction – 2
Non-fiction – 4
Pix books – 3

SciFi – 1

YA – 1

(Graphic – 1; Diverse – 7)

I continue to record in more detail where the books originated – from the library, on my TBR shelves (bought/gifted or won), an e-book, or a charity read (Bought from a charity store). Here’s the breakdown
Library reads –14

TBR/owned books –8
E-books – 5
Charity reads – 1

Here are the books read for my favourite challenges:

Popsugar Ultimate Reading Challenge (Through Goodreads)
I read 3 books for this challenge, so have now 7 more books to complete this challenge.

#23 -won award in 2019 – Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice

#25 -only words on the cover (no images) – The Art of Memoir by Mary Karr

#39 – Banned book to read during Banned Book Week – Looking for Alaska by John Green

52 Books in 52 Weeks
I read only 1 book for this challenge so have a bit of catching up to do (9 books)

#3 – by an Indigenous author – Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice

Beyond the Bookends
The theme this month was “women in politics. I hoped to finish Becoming by Michelle Obama but did not.

 Monthly Key Word Challenge
The key words I used this month were:

“star” – Love Comes for the Rock Star by Savannah Adams

“forever” – A Second Forever by Suze Robinson

–For Now, Forever by Nora Roberts

 

Monthly Motif
The theme this month was “Graphic” – March Vol. 1 by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, Nate Powell

 Blogger’s Bookshelf
The theme was “in a school” – Looking for Alaska by John Green

 

My Kitchen Year

I’ve decided to read and cook my way through Ruth Reichl’s cookbook “My Kitchen Year”. It begins in the fall and I thought it a fun way to add variety to my cooking.

It was her quote which follows, that really gave me the idea to take on this seasonal cooking challenge.

“My kitchen year started in a time of trouble, but it taught me a great deal. When I went back to cooking I rediscovered simple pleasures, and so I began to appreciate the world around me. I learned that the secret or life is finding joy in ordinary things.”

The first recipe I followed (and her first in the book) was ‘Shirred Eggs with Potato Puree”. I’ve never eaten or made these, so it was an experience. But a delicious one – even tho I did not use cream. I will be making them again!

 

I took part in 3 reading challenges over the summer months.
Here is the summary for these challenges:

 20 Books of Summer Reading Challenge 

I only read 2 (!) of these this summer. Too many other books I was drawn to. Some I have added to my fall reading list (you can check it here)

2020 Summer Reading Challenge (at The Messy Middle)
Completed!

2020 Popsugar Summer Reading Challenge 

I read 14 out of 20 books for the challenge. I’m pleased with that as it was a challenging summer – in many ways.

 Favourite Reads
Here are my top 10 reads:

Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert

On Ocean Boulevard by Mary Alice Monroe

The Summer Cottage by Viola Shipman

Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice

Wild Country by Anne Bishop (as well as all The Others books)

Firstlight by Sue Monk Kidd

Archangel’s Legion by Nalini Singh

Let the Elephants Run by David Usher

Looking for Alaska by John Green

March Vol. 1 by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, Nate Powell

 

Looking Ahead to October
I plan to continue reading through the 2 fantasy series by Nalini Singh, as well as to read more books from my TBR shelves!

 

I am linking with the following:

Monthly Wrap-up (At Feed Your Fiction Addiction)

Best of the Bunch  (at A Cocoon of Books)

 

Inspire Me Monday (at Create with Joy)

 

Grammy’s Grid

Top Ten Tuesday – Favourite Quotes

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly linkup of book bloggers hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.

This week, the topic is is “Favorite Book Quotes”. I collect quotes, and have several journals full of them. Yes, there are many book quotes, but as I got thinking about quotes, I realized that so many of the ones I collect and refer to are quotes written by authors about writing. They act as motivators toi my own writing.

Here are 10+ (couldn’t stop!)  quotes about writing from famous authors:

Write what should not be forgotten. Isabel Allende

All you have to do is write one true sentence. Write the truest sentence that you know. Ernest Hemingway

There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at the typewriter and bleed. Ernest Hemingway

We write to taste life in the moment and in retrospect. Anais Nin

Writing is its own reward. Henry Miller

Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart. William Wordsworth

Start writing, no matter what. The water does not flow until the faucet is turned on. Louis L’Amour

Exercise the writing muscle every day, even if it is only a letter, notes, a title list, a character sketch, a journal entry. Writers are like dancers, like athletes. Without that exercise, the muscles seize up. Jane Yolen

If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that. –Stephen King

If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it. –Toni Morrison

I can shake off everything as I write; my sorrows disappear, my courage is reborn.   –Anne Frank

Read, read, read. Read everything – trash, classics, good and bad, and see how they do it. Just like a carpenter who works as an apprentice and studies the master. Read! You’ll absorb it. Then write. If it’s good, you’ll find out. If it’s not, throw it out of the window.    –William Faulkner

It’s Monday! What are You Reading?

It’s time once again for Kathryn’s weekly meme “It’s Monday! What are You Reading?” at Book Date, where we share what we’re reading and have read over the past week.

What I Read Last Week

I read 7 books this past week, a varied list –2 women’s fiction, 2 contemporary romance2, 1 science fiction, 1 fantasy and 1 picture book.

Wild Country by Anne Bishop. At least I got another dip into The Others’ world. Loved it just as much as the first time I read it last year.

Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice. This dystopian novel was our community’s One Book One Community choice and it was a good one.

On Ocean Boulevard by Mary Alice Monroe. I have loved this series for a while and this latest was excellent.

The Summer Cottage by Viola Shipman. Another recent novel, this was so enjoyable.

 I read 2 short romances by Donna McDonald and was entertained by both. Both have older heroines which make them so interesting.

 

Never is a very Long Time Never Say Never

Grandmother School by Rina Singh, illustrated by Ellen Rooney. A story about a school for grandmothers who couldn’t read, set in India. Well done story.

What I’m Reading Now – (still working on finishing the Nalini Singh series)

A Desperate Fortune by Susanna Kearsley. Half way through

The Switch by Beth O’Leary

What’s Up Next

The Deadly Hours by Susanna Kearsley

The Summer That Made Us by Robyn Carr
What You Wish for by Katherine Center

Connect Five Friday – One Book One Community Books

It’s Friday once again and that means it’s time for Connect Five Friday, hosted at Book Date by Kathryn – the meme where we share five book/reading things that connect in some way.

Our 2020 One Book One Community book was Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice, a post-apocalyptic novel. I so enjoyed it. This week there were two events to wrap up this year’s OBOC. I watched both interviews and learned a lot.

As I looked at the list of other OBOC books, I realized I had only read 5 of the books. Here they are:

2015 Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel. Another apocalyptic novel that I enjoyed as well.

2013 Ragged Company by Richard Wagamese. This was my first read by this author and loved it. Have since read most of his books. He is gone to soon tho.

2011 Bury Your Dead (Bk. 6) by Louise Penny. This was her book that got me hooked on reading her series and I had to go back to the first to read them all. Always anticipate a new one of hers.

2006 Three Day Road by Joseph Boyden. This was a challenging read but enjoyed it.

2005 Hominids by Robert Sawyer. Another challenging, but excellent read

There are also 5 books on this list that I really must read:

2019 The Home for Unwanted Girls by Joanna Goodman

2014 The Massey Murder by Charlotte Gray.

2009 The Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill

2008 The 100 Mile Diet by Alisa Smith and J. B.  MacKenna

2002 The Stone Carvers by Jane Urquhart

Top Ten Tuesday – My Fall TBR List

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly linkup of book bloggers hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.

This week, the topic is “Books on My Fall 2020 TBR”

At the start of each season, I enjoy creating a must-read list of books for the coming season, as well as a vision board of what I hope to accomplish.

Spring’s (and then summer’s) list looked doable – yet with all the upheaval, first with covid and then with my husband’s health issues (and ultimate long stay in hospital), I turned more to fantasy and romance.

With this new list for fall, I chose a few books from the previous 2 lists but most reflect books I want to read because of the upheaval.

Books on My Fall 2020 TBR

A Desperate Fortune by Susanna Kearsley

The Deadly Hours -anthology including Susanna Kearsley

What You Wish For by Katherine Center

The Switch by Beth O’Leary

A Better Man by Louise Penny

Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice

A Man Called Ove by Frederik Backman

Wild Country by Anne Bishop

Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury

Embers by Richard Wagamese

It’s Monday! What are You Reading?

It’s time once again for Kathryn’s weekly meme “It’s Monday! What are You Reading?” at Book Date, where we share what we’re reading and have read over the past week.

GOOD NEWS finally – my husband is now in rehab and doing well. Hopefully within a couple of weeks he will be home to stay!

What I Read Last Week

I had a slower week, as I started a writing course and was reading a lot of short stories. But I did read 5 books this past week – 3 contemporary romances, 1 non-fiction and 1 fantasy.

Etched in Bone by Anne Bishop. Last in The Others’ series. Sad to see the end of this one. Such a fantastic series.

 

Chesapeake Blue by Nora Roberts. Last in her Chesapeake Bay series and did enjoy this one a lot.

The Art of Memoir by Mary Karr. Finally finished this book about writing memoir but found it very informative. Read as part of a book study.

For Now, Forever by Nora Roberts. Another romance from Roberts and an enjoyable one.

Million Dollar Date by Susan Hatler. So, enjoy Hatler’s romances and this was a good one.

 

What I’m Reading Now – (more Nalini Singh (still working on the next book in each of the 2 series)

Wild Country by Anne Bishop

A Desperate Fortune by Susanna Kearsley. A reread as a character in this novel is in her new anthology The Deadly Hours.

The Switch by Beth O’Leary

What’s Up Next

The Deadly Hours by Susanna Kearsley

The Summer That Made Us by Robyn Carr
What You Wish for by Katherine Center