July Reading Round-Up

Once again, we are at the end of one month and beginning a new one. July has sped b, with lots of high temperatures, humidity and rain. It has once again been a stressful month, as we are gearing up for more surgery for my hubby on Aug.4 – a bowel resection. At least it hasn’t shown to be cancerous but he is at risk for complications. Reading has definitely helped at times.

It’s time to share what I have been reading this past month.

The total read for July was 31 books with the following breakdown:

Fantasy /Paranormal –2

Romance – 7

Women’s Fiction – 2

Historical romance – 6

Non-fiction – 2

Pix books – 6

Memoir – 1

Mystery – 1

MG novels – 2

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

Library reads – 20       TBR/owned books –1        E-books –10 

Favourite Reads

My overall favourite read of the month was When Stars Collide by Susan Elizabeth Phillips.

The rest of my top 10 reads:

Love Your Life by Sophie Kinsella

The Dating Plan by Sara Desai

Gunmetal Magic by Ilona Andrews

H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald

The Color of Light by Emilie Richards

An Unexpected Find by Hayleigh Sol

An Offer From a Gentleman by Julia Quinn

Darker Water by Lauren Stewart

Grace Burrowes – I read 4 books by her, so rather than take 4 spots which she could, I’m placing her here, as author:

A Rogue of Her Own

No Other Duke Will Do

The Bridegroom Wore Plaid

When a Duchess Says I Do   

I am participating in quite a few challenges (check here for my list) but I have a few that are my favourites and have done these for a few years. Here are the books read for these challenges:

 

POPSUGAR Ultimate Reading Challenge (Through Goodreads)

Hate to say it – but I did not read ANY for this challenge. I have 10 regular and 9 advanced books for this challenge still to read.

52 Books in 52 Weeks

I was read 2 books for this challenge:

#9 – Set in a Mediterranean country – Love Your Life by Sophie Kinsella

#44 –Set in a garden – The Well-Gardened Mind by Sue Stuart-Smith

Monthly Key Word Challenge

The key word I used this month: “Like” – Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon

Monthly Motif

The theme this month was “Novellas”. I read Bitten and Smitten by Michelle Rowan

Diversify Your Reading

The theme this month was “Contemporary Fiction”. I read several:

Love Your Life by Sophie Kinsella

The Dating Plan by Sara Desai

The Color of Light by Emilie Richards

An Unexpected Find by Hayleigh Sol

Debbie McComber’s Reading Challenge

The theme this month was “Non-Fiction”. I read three:

H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald

Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon

The Well-Gardened Mind by Sue Stuart-Smith

Emilie Richards’ Reading Challenge

The theme this month was “a book about books”. I read a novel that had a book inside the book:

An Unexpected Find by Hayleigh Sol

Looking Ahead to August

I need to keep working on the 20 Books for Summer Challenge as well as reading more books for The Popsugar and %2Books 52 Weeks Challenges.

I am linking with the following:

Monthly Wrap-Up (At Feed Your Fiction Addiction)

Best of the Bunch (at A Cocoon of Books)

Connect Five Friday – Books with Days of the Week in the Title

 

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

 

For one of the reading challenges in which I participate, a needed category is “days of the week in a challenge”. As I checked for books, I found there were many books for each of the weekdays.

Here are 5 books – from Monday to Friday. (I’ve only read Tuesdays with Morrie) Reviews by Goodreads.

Rewriting Monday by Jodi Thomas

“Reporter Pepper Malone moved to Bailey, Texas, after a news story nearly got her killed. Now she wants to be left alone to do her job in relative peace and quiet. But when the newspaper’s staff is targeted by a madman with a grudge against the media, Pepper is drawn back into the public eye—and into the arms of the paper’s handsome owner.”

 

Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom

“He rediscovered Morrie in the last months of the older man’s life. Knowing he was dying of ALS – or motor neurone disease – Mitch visited Morrie in his study every Tuesday, just as they used to back in college. Their rekindled relationship turned into one final ‘class’: lessons in how to live.”

The Wednesday Wars by Gary Schmidt

“The Wednesday Wars is a wonderfully witty and compelling story about a teenage boy’s mishaps and adventures over the course of the 1967–68 school year in Long Island, New York.”

 

Thursdaya at Eight by Debbie Macomber

“Claire, Elizabeth, Karen, and Julia meet every Thursday for breakfast to share the events that are happening in their lives, from a painful divorce to an unexpected pregnancy, and to offer each other undying support, love, and encouragement.”

 

Friday Night Lights by A.G. Bessinger

“every Friday night from September to December, when the Permian High School Panthers play football, this West Texas town becomes a place where dreams can come true. With frankness and compassion, Bissinger chronicles one of the Panthers’ dramatic seasons and shows how single-minded devotion to the team shapes the community and inspires-and sometimes shatters-the teenagers who wear the Panthers’ uniforms.”

It’s Monday! What are You Reading?

It’s time once again for Kathryn’s weekly meme, “It’s Monday! What are You Reading?” hosted 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 – two historical romances, a non-fiction, 2 chap books/MG novels and 2 pix books.

 

When a Duchess Says I Do by Grace Burrowes. Another wonderful historical romance, part of another enjoyable series.

 

An Offer From a Gentleman by Julia Quinn. The third book in the Bridgerton series which I am enjoying.

 

The Well-Gardened Mind by Sue Stuart-Smith . I have been reading this for my book club and finally finished it. A fascinating read, a strong case for the power of nature, of gardens.

 

A Day of Signs and Wonders by Kit Pearson. A fun imaginary tale of two young artists (Emily Carr and Kathleen Reilly) meeting and spending a day together.

 

Starla Jean by Elaine K. Arnold, illus by A.N. Kang. A cute story.

 

What Would You Do in a Book About You by Jean Reidy, illus. by Joey Chou. What would a book about you be like? Fun answers.

 

M is for Masterpiece by David Domeniconi, illus. by Will Bullas, A wonderful look at great art, with lots of info for parents and teachers to enhance the read.

 

What I’m Reading Now 

For Connect 5 Friday, I had a list of 5 books I started this week but just couldn’t get into. I hope to read at least a couple this week, although a couple need to be returned to the library.

 Wild at Heart by K.A. Tucker

Love Your Life by Sophie Kinsella

 

What’s Up Next

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

The Comfort Book by Matt Haig (Enjoying this a few entries at a time)

 

Connect Five Friday – Books I didn’t finish

 

It’s time once again 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 has been a really off week – I just couldn’t finish the many books I started until yesterday. The books are ones I’ve been wanting to read, but just could not make myself finish them. (Some had to be returned to the library unfinished. I hope to get them again at a later date.) What I did read was 2 mg novels and an historical romance.

Here are 5 books I started this week but didn’t finish.

 

Hamnet And Judith by Maggie O’Farrell

Five Little Indians by Michelle Good

 

Wild at Heart by K.A. Tucker

 

Love Your Life by Sophie Kinsella

 

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

 

Which book have your read and enjoyed? Which should I read next?

 

It’s Monday! What are You Reading?

 

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

What I Read Last Week

I read 5 books – 3 romances, a paranormal cozy mystery and an historical romance

When Stars Collide by Susan Elizabeth Phillips. Loved this romance between the opera diva and the quarterback – such an unlikely pairing, but so intriguing.

 

“An Unexpected Find” by Hayleigh Sol. This was a book within a book – and both were so enjoyable. 

“Darker Water” by Lauren Stewart. The author describes this novel as modern fairy tale based on “The Frog Prince”. An enjoyable read.

“Cupcakes, Trinkets and Other Deadly Magic” by Meghan Ciana Doidge. A paranormal cozy mystery that was just a fun read.

“The Bridegroom Wore Plaid” by Grace Burrowes. Another wonderful historical romance, the first in a new series.

 

What I’m Reading Now 

Sweet Nothings by Catherine Anderson

Harry’s Trees by Jon Cohen

What’s Up Next

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

The Comfort Book by Matt Haig

Connect Five Friday – Books Within Books

 

It’s time once again 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 just finished An Unexpected Find by Hayleigh Sol, a free ebook that has a book within a book. A hot read by a new author to me as well.

“A chance discovery of a handwritten love scene leads to friendship and undeniable attraction for two people who’ve sworn off love. They might be perfect for each other…but they haven’t actually met.”
.

I wondered about other books that have books within.

Here’s a definition on google:

“A story within a story, also referred to as an embedded narrative, is a literary device in which a character within a story becomes the narrator of a second story (within the first one). Multiple layers of stories within stories are sometimes called nested stories.”

 

Here are 5 such books: (with summaries from Goodreads)

2 I have read:

The Princess Bride by William Goldman. I had seen the movie so many times, it took me until last year to actually read the book – and I loved it.

“As a boy, William Goldman claims, he loved to hear his father read the S. Morgenstern classic, The Princess Bride. But as a grown-up he discovered that the boring parts were left out of good old Dad’s recitation, and only the “good parts” reached his ears.  
Now Goldman does Dad one better. He’s reconstructed the “Good Parts Version” to delight wise kids and wide-eyed grownups everywhere.”

 

Between the Lines by Jodi Picoult and her daughter Samantha van Leer (there’s a second – Off the Page.)

“Delilah is a bit of a loner who prefers spending her time in the school library with her head in a book—one book in particular. Between the Lines may be a fairy tale, but it feels real. Prince Oliver is brave, adventurous, and loving. He really speaks to Delilah.    And then one day Oliver actually speaks to her. Turns out, Oliver is more than a one-dimensional storybook prince.”

 

3 more:

People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks

“In 1996, Hanna Heath, an Australian rare-book expert, is offered the job of a lifetime: analysis and conservation of the famed Sarajevo Haggadah… She begins to unlock the book’s mysteries. The reader is ushered into an exquisitely detailed and atmospheric past, tracing the book’s journey from its salvation back to its creation.”

 

The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood

“Atwood introduces a novel-within-a-novel. Entitled The Blind Assassin, it is a science fiction story told by two unnamed lovers who meet in dingy backstreet rooms.”

 

The Thing About Alice by Jean-Luke Swanepoel

“For decades Alice Otto has known every squatter and dweller on Elizabeth Street, and on most days she remembers their names—every Bart, Lila, Gerty, Michael, and Steve. Bart has written a book, stories about all of them.”

It’s Monday! What are You Reading?

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

What I Read Last Week

I read 8 books -1 memoir, 1 women’s fiction, 2 romances, a paranormal and 3 picture books.

The Color of Light by Emilie Richards. Loved this novel – such complicated characters, with both Ana and Isaiah questioning their calling.

Beyond Words by Abby Brooks. Even though this was a free ebook, I so enjoyed this romance. Much of the book was written in emails between 2 people who never met, except through Cat’s journal.

H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald This memoir was read for a book club and I read the last 5 chapters this week. An incredible read – the language was so rich, the focus on grief so well done.

Love in Lockdown by Chloe James. I was intrigued by the title and I so enjoyed this romance.

Bitten and Smitten by Michelle Rowen. Another free ebook, this time a paranormal and a fun one.

My favourite picture book was:

The Phone Booth in Mr. Hirota’s Garden by Heather Smith and Rachel Wada. Based on a true story this was a touching read after the tsunami in Japan.

 What I’m Reading Now 

Sweet Nothings by Catherine Anderson

Harry’s Trees by Jon Cohen

 

What’s Up Next

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

The Comfort Book by Matt Haig

Connect Five Friday – Novels Like “The Color of Light”

It’s time once again 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 finished The Color of Light by Emilie Richards last night and loved it. A novel about ministers/priests questioning their faith and full of complicated relationships and characters was such an enjoyable read.

I went searching for others books like this one and checked Goodreads for a list. Their choices included many I had already read (2 by Susan Mallery: Sisters by Choice and The Vineyard at Painted Moon for example).

Here are 5 others I will be checking out (with reviews from GoodReads):

The Forever Girl by Jill Shalvis

“a heartfelt story of family, forgiveness, and secrets that have the power to change the course of more than one life.   When Maze returns to Wildstone for the wedding of her estranged bff and the sister of her heart, it’s also a reunion of a once ragtag team of teenagers who had only each other until a tragedy tore them apart and scattered them wide.  Now as adults together again in the lake house, there are secrets and resentments mixed up in all the amazing childhood memories.”

Meant to Be by Jude Deveraux

“Two headstrong sisters are bound by tradition but long to forge their own path.   
It’s 1972 and times are changing. In the small farming community of Mason, Kansas, Vera and Kelly Exton are known for their ambitions. Vera is an activist who wants to join her boyfriend in the Peace Corps. But she is doing her duty caring for her widowed mother and younger sister until Kelly is firmly established. Kelly is studying to become a veterinarian. She plans to marry her childhood sweetheart and eventually take over his father’s veterinary practice.
But it’s a tumultuous time and neither sister is entirely happy with the path that’s been laid out for her.”

Promises of the Heart by Nan Rossiter

“The first novel in a new series from  bestselling author Nan Rossiter tells the moving story of a couple struggling to start a family and the young foster girl with a heart condition who changes their lives forever.”

The Book Club by Mary Alice Monroe

“These middle aged moms are all in new phases of their lives. Everyone can relate to at least one woman and what she is going through – relationships, empty nesters, death, illness, infidelity, job loss but the thread that runs through this story is finding yourself again as a woman.”

Herons Landing by JoAnn Ross

“Working as a Las Vegas concierge, Brianna Mannion is an expert at making other people’s wishes come true. It’s satisfying work, but a visit home to scenic Honeymoon Harbor turns into a permanent stay when she’s reminded of everything she’s missing: the idyllic small-town charm; the old Victorian house she’d always coveted; and Seth Harper, her best friend’s widower and the neighborhood boy she once crushed on—hard. After years spent serving others, maybe Brianna’s finally ready to chase dreams of her own.”

IT’s Monday! What are You Reading?

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

Better news finally – the Ct scan showed no cancer or spread of anything out of the colon. It still means surgery but the prognosis looks better. Thanks for all your concern and prayers. They definitely helped.

What I Read Last Week

I read 5 novels– 2 women’s fiction and 3 historical romances.

I read 3 lovely historical romances by Grace Burrowes.

   

Lady Louisa’s                    No Other Duke Will Do     A Rogue of Her own

Christmas Knight 

What You Wish For by Katherine Center. Finally, finally finished this one. It has been on my TBR lists for awhile. So enjoyed it.

Love For Beginners by Jill Shalvis. Another enjoyable read from Shalvis, her latest.

What I’m Reading Now (Still!) 

Sweet Nothings by Catherine Anderson

H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald (for a book club read)

 

What’s Up Next

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

Six Degrees of Separation – From Truss to Jones

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 from “Books are My Favourite and Best “.

This is such a fascinating challenge and one I am always eager to begin and follow the search for connected books. The fun is in the search for connections and each chain that is created is always so different.

The starting point for us this round is to begin with Eats, Shoots and leaves by Lynne Truss. It is one of the best books on punctuation and  grammar, one I still have not finished although have started several times.

I haven’t read any of these books but a couple are now on my TBR list. (summaries are from Goodreads)

 1st Degree: Another book on grammar with an amusing title is The New Well-Tempered Sentence: A punctuation Handbook for the Innocent, the Eager and the Doomed by Karen Elizabeth Gordon.

“The New Well-Tempered Sentence is sure to entertain while teaching you everything you want to know about punctuation. Never before has punctuation been so much fun!”

2nd Degree: Another book by Gordon is Paris Out of Hand: A Wayward Guide by Gordon, Barbara Hodgson and Nick Bantock

“This seductively beautiful replica of a 19th-century travel book—replete with illustrations of sights you will never see and maps that may plummet you into a different era—guides readers through the Paris that is, that might be, and that never was. Amid the Parisian locales you know and love, unheard-of temptations abound. ”

3rd Degree: Another book with multiple authors and another guide is The Great Typo Hunt: Two Friends Changing the World One Correction at a Time by Jeff Deck and Benjamin D. Henson

 “The world needed a hero, but how would an editor with no off-switch answer the call? For Jeff Deck, the writing was literally on the wall: “NO TRESSPASSING.” In that moment, his greater purpose became clear.  Dark hordes of typos had descended upon civilization… and only he could wield the marker to defeat them.”

4th Degree: This led me to another book by Deck – Player Choice which is a fantasy involving games in 2040.

“It’s 2040. With neural implants, people can play games in an immersive virtual reality known as the aether space. Game designer Glen Cullather has a plan for the most ambitious aether game ever imagined: a fantasy epic that gives players the freedom to do anything.”

5th Degree: This led to Ready Player One by Ernest Cline – another fantasy with player in the title.

“IN THE YEAR 2044, reality is an ugly place. The only time teenage Wade Watts really feels alive is when he’s jacked into the virtual utopia known as the OASIS. Wade’s devoted his life to studying the puzzles hidden within this world’s digital confines, puzzles that are based on their creator’s obsession with the pop culture of decades past and that promise massive power and fortune to whoever can unlock them.”

 

6th Degree: This led to Patsy: The Life and Times of Patsy Cline by Margaret Jones – two people with the same last name.

“More than thirty-five years after her tragic death in a plane crash at age thirty, Patsy Cline (1932–1963) remains one of the greatest voices of this century. … In Patsy, Margaret Jones chronicles the life of Patsy Cline (nee Virginia Hensley) from her impoverished childhood and abuse by her father, through the struggle for her success and her exploitation by record producers to her phenomenal but short-lived recording career.”

I began with Lynne Truss and ended with Margaret Jones, two women writers, two non-fiction books.

Next month (August 7, 2021), we’ll start with a bestselling work of autobiographical fiction, Postcards From the Edge by Carrie Fisher.