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

Connect 5 Friday – Cookbooks

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.

I collect cookbooks and love reading the stories behind the recipes in these books. I have many old favourites:(Just a note – all those with a double star, are Canadian cookbook authors!)

The Betty Crocker Cookbook – my first

**More Food That Really Schmecks by Edna Staebler.

**I have a large number of the Company’s Coming series by Jean Pare

**And a number of the cookbooks by sisters Janet and Greta Podleski. Love their LooneySpoons and Crazy Plates especially.

There are some cookbooks that I have acquired more recently that I bought for their difference – they weren’t just recipes but had an added appeal. Here are 5 that caught my eye:

My Kitchen Year by Ruth Reichl. The idea of recipes that saved her life intrigues me and I have decided to follow her to try to reduce my stress. She begins with fall as will I next wee.

Still Life with Menu Cookbook by Mollie Katzen. Not only are there vegetarian recipes but she has included her own original art.

Jan Karon’s Mitford Cookbook and Kitchen Reader. I loved her Mitford series and these recipes delight, along with the stories.

**Yum and Yummer by Greta Podleski. I have tried so many recipes from this gorgeous book – the photos of the prepared food make the mouth water.

**Oh She Glows Every Day by Angela Liddon. This was recommended by my daughter who is vegan. Even tho I am not vegan, there are so many delicious recipes.

Do you have a favourite cookbook?

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.

My husband is still in hospital but now it is just waiting for a bed for rehab – soon I hope. (Sept 9 marked 3 months in hospital)What I Read Last Week

I read 9 books this past week – 2 contemporary romances, 1 non-fiction and 4 fantasies and 2 picture books.

I reread the next 3 books in Anne Bishop’s The Others series (and loved them just as much as the time before!) Fantasy still is a huge stress releaser.

 

Murder of Crows     Vision in Silver      Marked in Flesh

Archangel’s Legion by Nalini Singh Still loving this fantasy series and still a lot to read!

The next 2 books in Nora Roberts’ Chesapeake Bay series

 

Rising Tides             Inner Harbor

Firstlight by Sue Monk Kidd. Really enjoyed this book of her early inspirational writings.

PBs: Both diverse and both excellent reads.

The Train by Jodie Callaghan, illus. by Georgia Lesley. An important read about residential schools in Canada.

 Golden Threads by Suzanne Del Rizzo, illus. by Miko Sato

What I’m Reading Now – (of course more Nalini Singh (working on the next book in each of the 2 series)
Etched in Bone by Anne Bishop

Chesapeake Blue by Nora Roberts

What’s Up Next
The Summer That Made Us by Robyn Carr
What You Wish for by Katherine Center

Connect Five Friday – Books About 9/11

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.

It’s hard to believe it has been 19 years since 9/11 and the destruction of the towers and the loss of so many lives.

I still remember that day. I had been teaching and id not hear the news until I went for my break at recess. Parents were starting to come into the school for their children and I was truly shaken when I heard the news.

My daughter had been in a coffeehop across from her high school and she saw some of the first horrific images, which still haunt her to this day.

 

Here are some books I have read (the first 2) and some I plan to read about 9/11.

The Day the World Came to Town by Jim DeFede. 9/11 was a horrible disaster but it did bring out the best in so many, especially the people in Gander Nfld who housed, fed and cared for over 6,00 people from around the world who were stranded there when their planes were forced to land in Canada. Definitely a proud time to be Canadian.

This event inspired the musical “Come From Away”, a smash everywhere it has played.

 

We All Fall Down by Eric Walters.  A YA book, and a searing description of trying to escape the south tower after it was hit. Excellent YA book

 

Thunder Dog by Michael Hingson. From Goodreads:

“Thunder Dog allows you entry into the isolated, fume-filled chamber of stairwell B to experience survival through the eyes of a blind man and his beloved guide dog. Live each moment from the second a Boeing 767 hits the north tower, to the harrowing stairwell escape, to dodging death a second time as both towers fold into the earth.”

 

 

The Only Plane in the Sky by Garrett M. Graff. As Goodreads says:

“The first comprehensive oral history of September 11, 2001—a panoramic narrative woven from the voices of Americans on the front lines of an unprecedented national trauma.”

 

 

102 Minutes by Jim Dwyer. From Goodreads:

“The dramatic and moving account of the struggle for life inside the World Trade Center on the morning of September 11, when every minute counted.
At 8:46 am on September 11, 2001, 14,000 people were inside the twin towers-reading e-mails, making trades, eating croissants at Windows on the World. Over the next 102 minutes, each would become part of a drama for the ages, one witnessed only by the people who lived it-until now.”

 

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.

My husband is still in hospital but I am hopeful he will head back to rehab this week. (Sept 9 he will have been in hospital 3 months!)

What I Read Last Week
I read 5 books this past week – 2 contemporary romances, 2 non-fiction and 1 fantasy.

I desperately needed a comfort read this week so chose the first book in the Others world – a reread.

Written in Red by Anne Bishop. My favourite series of all!

Wishful Drinking by Carrie Fisher. I needed a book about addiction and I’ve had this on my shelf for a long time. It was just okay.

Let the Elephants Run by David Usher. A very interesting take on being creative, by a rock musician, writer, entrepeneur

Love Comes for the Rock Star by Savannah Adams. A sweet romance

A Second Forever by Suze Robinson. Second chance at love for a couple. Enjoyed it.

What I’m Reading Now – (of course more Nalini Singh (working on the next book in each of the 2 series)
Rising Tides by Nora Roberts (Book 2)

Two Summers by Aimee Friedman
On Writing by Stephen King

What’s Up Next
The Summer That Made Us by Robyn Carr
What You Wish for by Katherine Center