Roro8's "Best of" for….. 2016, #2

For 2016 I based my categories on my
choices from 2015.

I have created 7 categories that encompass those 12 books.

Historical Fiction
Series Read
Mystery/Suspense
Family
Water
New to me Author
Australian

I will consider a category closed when I have read 7 books for that category. That makes 49 books, a total that I should be able to manage and still have a bit of time for reading some books that may not fit in any of my categories, THE MISFITS!! Each category now has a pic of one of my all time favourite books that relate to that topic.

I also want to keep track of where my books come from. Sometimes I borrow from the library and sometimes I read from my shelves – my real shelves or my e-shelves. I am trying to be more diligent about reading books I have bought. I have really started getting into audiobooks this year. I only listen to them when I am in the car by myself, so it takes me a while to get through one. So far I am on target for 2016.

Library books:11
Library ebooks:
Library audiobooks: 17

Books from my shelves: 16
Ebooks from my shelves: 15

Non-fiction book total: 5

Number of books read in 2016


Number of pages read in 2016
Total so far 24944
Target 24000

HISTORICAL FICTION

I love historical fiction. It is my favourite type of book.



1 - The Girl in the Blue Beret by Bobbie Ann Mason
2 - Dark Aemilia: A Novel of Shakespeare's Dark Lady by Sally O'Reilly
3 - The Beast's Garden by Kate Forsyth
4 - Heading Out to Wonderful by Robert Goolrick
5 - A Day of Fire: A Novel of Pompeii by multiple authors
6 - Eagles at War by Ben Kane
7 - The Paris Architect by Charles Belfoure
BONUS
8 - Orphan #8 by Kim van Alkemade
9 - The Chosen Queen by Joanna Courtney


Cheers to finishing the historical fiction category.

Series Reads

I have so many series in progress that this is an obvious choice for a category.



1 - The King's Assassin by Angus Donald
2 - After You by Jojo Moyes
3 - Flight of the Eagle by Peter Watt
4 - Ripples on a Pond by Joy Dettman
5 - The Winter King by Bernard Cornwell
6 - Waiting for Wednesday by Nicci French
7 - The Death of Robin Hood by Angus Donald
BONUS READS
8- A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon
9- When Gods Die by C S Harris

Target Reached!!

This is probably how much coffee is consumed whilst reading a series!

New to me author

I really enjoy trying out books by authors I haven't read before.



1 - Cleopatra's Shadows by Emily Holleman
2 - The Forgetting Time by Sharon Guskin
3 - Girl Runner by Carrie Snyder
4 - Black Rabbit Hall by Eve Chase
5 - Lost & Found by Brooke Davis
6 - Indian Summer by Marcia Willett
7 - Circling the Sun by Paula McLain
BONUS BOOKS
8 - Girl in the Dark by Anna Lyndsey
9 - Lean in 15 by Joe Wicks
10 - One Foot on the Podium by Don Elgin
11 - The Watchmaker of Filigree Street by Natasha Pulley


A glass of bubbly to celebrate the new discoveries

Mystery or Suspense

A good mystery or suspense novel never goes astray.



1- A Curious Beginning by Deanna Rayburn
2- Painkiller by N J Fountain
3- Still Life by Louise Penny
4- His Majesty's Hope by Susan Ella MacNeal
5- Dead Cold by Louise Penny
6- Die of Shame by Mark Billingham
7- The Prime Minister's Secret Agent by Susan Ella MacNeal



Category complete, cheers

Water

I like books which involve water. Maybe they are set on a boat, on the coast, or by a lake. Or maybe they just have a water related title.



1 - The Art of Waiting by Christopher Jory
2 - The Bungalow: A Novel by Sarah Jio
3 - The Ship of Brides by Jojo Moyes
4 - Shallows by Tim Winton
5 - The Fire Child by S K Tremayne
6 - The Midnight Watch by David Dyer
7 - Wilde Lake by Laura Lippman
BONUS BOOKS
8 - At the Water's Edge by Sara Gruen

Category Complete

Australian

It's good to support the locals. There are a lot of fantastic Australian authors. I want to read some of the Miles Franklin Award nominees in 2016. Books in this category will be either written by Australians or set in Australia.



1 - Educating Alice by Alice Greenup
2 - Golden Boys by Sonya Hartnett
3 - Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
4 - All the Birds, Singing by Evie Wyld
5 - Outback Midwife by Beth McRae
6 - The Shearers by Evan McHugh
7 - The Last Painting of Sara de Vos by Dominic Smith

COMPLETE, a toast to celebrate!

Some vegemite on toast, a true Aussie breakfast.

Family

Family relationships are such interesting things. No wonder so many books are written about them.



1 - The Seamstress by Frances de Pontes Peebles
2 - The Last Anniversary by Liane Moriarty
3 - The Vatican Princess by C W Gortner
4 - Carry Me Home by Sandra Kring
5 - Wife on the Run by Fiona Higgins
6 - What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty
7 - The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton
BONUS
8 - Saving Zoe by Alyson Noel
9 - At the Edge of the Orchard by Tracy Chevalier
10- The Beekeeper's Daughter by Santa Montefiore



Target reached - time for a cup of tea!

The MISFITS

I don't know what wouldn't fit in the above categories but I best be prepared. Anything that doesn't fit above can be put in here. So I guess I actually have eight categories.

January - A Curious Beginning by Deanna Rayburn. Book 1 - A Veronica Speedwell Mystery

February - Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

March - Painkiller by N J Fountain

April - The Vatican Princess by C W Gortner

May - Girl Runner by Carrie Snyder

June - The Ship of Brides by Jojo Moyes

34. Mystery/Suspense

Die of Shame by Mark Billingham



Every Monday evening, six people gather in a smart North London house to talk about addiction. There they share their deepest secrets: stories of lies, regret, and above all, shame.

Then one of them is killed - and it's clear one of the circle was responsible.

Detective Inspector Nicola Tanner quickly finds her investigation hampered by the strict confidentiality that binds these people and their therapist together. So what could be shameful enough to cost someone their life?

And how do you find the truth when denial and deception are second nature to all of your suspects?
book blurb from Booktopia website

This book was another one of my impulse buys. I felt like reading something different to my usual choices and this one definitely ended up fitting that bill. Drug addicts, group therapy, murder and lies.

Six addicts meet for group therapy every Monday night. Their group leader encourages them to continue to build their relationships outside the group. Needless to say they are six very different people from different backgrounds and with histories like theirs it is not smooth sailing. One of the group members is murdered and the key detective on the case suspects a member of the group.

I thought this book was good, I wouldn't rave about it though.

I am really close to finishing the audio of What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty - a new favourite author for me.

I have also picked up The Sudden Appearance of Hope by Claire North from the library. It sounds really interesting, but is not my normal type of book (tagged sci-fi!!), I hope I like it.

Happy new thread! It's good to be reminded of Gods of Gotham, I've got that on my wishlist.

Happy new thread! And now you have me wondering if I've read The Girl in the Blue Beret or if it's just on my list... Hmmmm... I'll be back.

Happy new thread! Have to get back to Mark Billingham sometime. I've been reading his Tom Thorne series (I think Die of Shame is a stand-alone, or features Thorne in only a cameo role).

Nice new thread! Happy July!

>15 rabbitprincess:, it is a stand alone. Now that you mention it, there was a very minor character whose name was Thorne.

>13 MissWatson:, The whole Gods of Gotham trilogy is great. I'm sure you'll like it.

Happy new thread, Ro. I am looking forward to your thoughts on What Alice Forgot as I strongly suspect it will end up on my wishlist.

>14 VictoriaPL:, >16 mamzel:, thanks for the new thread cheer.

>18 DeltaQueen50:, I think there is a vey high risk of that Judy. So far it is excellent.

(Edited to fix a typo)

Happy new thread!

>20 -Eva-:, thanks. I'm on target for my reading plans this year too.

I just popped into a nearby second hand book store. I picked up Ashenden, The Woman who Walked into the Sea and The Lake House

Happy new thread! On the previous one you asked what my favorite Liane Moriarty book was, which is a tough question since I have liked all that I read so far. If pressed, I would say Big, Little Lies. I liked how you sort of know the end and see how everyone got to that point.

>22 LittleTaiko:, Thanks for remembering. I've read three now and I would say that Big, Little Lies is my favourite too, closely followed by What Alice Forgot 9which I just finished this afternoon. The Last Anniversary would be third. I will definitely be reading the rest of her novels.

35. Family

AlphaKIT letter A

What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty
Audiobook read by Caroline Lee



When Alice Love surfaces from a beautiful dream to find she's been injured in a gym, she knows that something is very wrong - she hates exercise. Alice's first concern is her baby, she's pregnant with her first child, and she's desperate to see her husband, Nick, who she knows will be worried about her.

But Alice isn't pregnant. And Nick isn't worried. Alice is the mother of three children and her hostile husband is in the process of divorcing her. Alice has lost ten years of her life.

Alice's sister Elisabeth, who seems uncharacteristically cold, drives her home from the hospital. And home is totally unrecognisable, as is the rest of her life. Who is this Gina that everyone is carefully trying not to mention? Why does her mother look like she's wearing fancy dress? And what's all this talk about a giant lemon meringue pie?

In the days that follow, small bubbles of the past rise to the surface, and Alice is forced to confront uncomfortable truths. It turns out forgetting might be the most memorable thing that's ever happened to her.
book blurb from Amazon website

Let me start this by saying that Liane Moriarty is now officially one of my favourite Australian authors.

I love this concept. Alice is almost 40, she suffers a head injury at the gym and forgets the last 10 years of her life. She thinks she is pregnant with her first child! Imagine her shock when she discovers she has three children and she is in the middle of a messy divorce with her husband Nick. What has happened to her sister to make her so guarded. Why does it seem like this new Alice is maybe not such a nice person.

Alice struggles to work out how she has become this new Alice. She's making some interesting choices, and is wondering what it is that her family is keeping from her.

I really enjoyed hearing about Alice trying to come to terms with being an 'instant' mother. I love how she could look at her children so objectively and with such wonder. I love how she discovered things about herself and reacted with shock or surprise to them.

Another wonderful book. I definitely want more. And...... I just read that this book is being made into a movie!! I will be off to see that one when it comes out.

>24 Roro8: Sounds interesting!

What Alice Forgot is definitely going on my wishlist!

ETA: Ha! I went to add it to my wishlist and found that I actually already have the audio version - now I just have to get around to listening!

>25 VictoriaPL:, it was very interesting, I would definitely recommend it.

>26 DeltaQueen50:, I thought I had read on your thread that you had the audio. I'm sure you will like it when you get to it Judy.

>24 Roro8: Good review of What Alice Forgot - I don't think I realized the author was Australian. Taking a BB for that one.

>28 LisaMorr:, I hope you like it too. Liane Moriarty's sister is also an author. Her name is Jaclyn Moriarty (I haven't read any of her books though).

36. Water

Shallows by Tim Winton
Audiobook read by Tracey Callander



Whales have always been the life-force of Angelus, a small town on the south coast of Western Australia. Their annual passing defines the rhythms of a life where little changes, and the town depends on their carcasses. So when the battle begins on the beaches outside their town, and when Queenie Cookson, a local girl, joins the Greenies to make amends for the crimes of her whaling ancestors, it can only throw everything into chaos. book blurb from Amazon website

The story is set in a small fishing/whaling town on the West Australian coastline. Queenie Cookson has lived there her whole life. She feels a special connection to the whales. She also drives a local tourism bus. So when a heap of her tourists get off the bus and start protesting at the most recent whale slaughter and butchering she follows her instincts and joins them. Of course there are major repercussions for Queenie. The locals can't understand what she has against their livelihood, her husband just doesn't get it, and she is fired.

I'm sorry to say this book did not catch my attention very well at all. I found my mind wandering while I was listening to it. The narrator wasn't fabulous either. I really don't like writing bad reviews, it makes me feel guilty putting down somebody's hard work. So sorry about that, this was not the right book for me. Somebody else might love it though.

I am currently reading The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton, which I am enjoying a lot more than my last book.

37. Family

AlphaKIT, Letter K

The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton



1961: On a sweltering summer's day, while her family picnics by the stream on their Suffolk farm, sixteen-year-old Laurel hides out in her childhood tree house dreaming of a boy called Billy, a move to London, and the bright future she can't wait to seize. But before the idyllic afternoon is over, Laurel will have witnessed a shocking crime that changes everything. 2011: Now a much-loved actress, Laurel finds herself overwhelmed by shades of the past. Haunted by memories, and the mystery of what she saw that day, she returns to her family home and begins to piece together a secret history. A tale of three strangers from vastly different worlds - Dorothy, Vivien and Jimmy - who are brought together by chance in wartime London and whose lives become fiercely and fatefully entwined. Shifting between the 1930s, the 1960s and the present, The Secret Keeper is a spellbinding story of mysteries and secrets, theatre and thievery, murder and enduring love. book blurb from Booktopia website

As a child Laurel witnesses her mother commit a shocking act which remains with her for the rest of her life. As Laurel's mother is nearing the end of her own long life, Laurel and her brother begin to look into the events of their mother's life before she became a wife and mother, in order to work out what lead up to the event that haunts them.

Then we are taken back to Dorothy's (Laurel's mum) younger years. We learn of her romance with Jimmy and her friendship with Vivien and how events occurred to bring us to the mystery Laurel is trying to unravel.

This was a very good read. I have liked all of Kate Morton's books so far so I wasn't surprised that I enjoyed this one so much.

38. New to me author
Australian

Lost & Found by Brooke Davis



At seven years old, Millie Bird realises that everything is dying around her. She wasn't to know that after she had recorded twenty-seven assorted creatures in her Book of Dead Things her dad would be a Dead Thing, too.

Agatha Pantha is eighty-two and has not left her house since her husband died. She sits behind her front window, hidden by the curtains and ivy, and shouts at passers-by, roaring her anger at complete strangers. Until the day Agatha spies a young girl across the street.

Karl the Touch Typist is eighty-seven when his son kisses him on the cheek before leaving him at the nursing home. As he watches his son leave, Karl has a moment of clarity. He escapes the home and takes off in search of something different.

Three lost people needing to be found. But they don't know it yet. Millie, Agatha and Karl are about to break the rules and discover what living is all about.
book blurb from Booktopia website

This is a multi award winning Australian book and a debut novel at that.

Millie Bird is only 7, her dad has very recently died and her mum abandons her in a department store. Millie makes some unlikely friends who decide to help her on her quest to find her mum. What follows is at times touching, funny, and a little outrageous. To say much more is giving too much away.

A really good enjoyable read.

39. New to me author

Indian Summer by Marcia Willett
Audiobook



Some memories can be forgotten . . . Others won't ever go away. For renowned actor Sir Mungo, his quiet home village in Devon provides the perfect retreat. Close by are his brother and his wife, and the rural location makes his home the ideal getaway for his old friends in London. Among those is Kit, who comes to stay for the summer, bringing with her a letter from her first and only love, Jake, and a heart in turmoil. Years have passed since they last saw each other, and now he has written to Kit asking to meet again. As the summer unfolds, secrets are uncovered that will shatter the sleepy community, and even tear a family apart. But those involved soon realize that the only way to move forward might be to confront the past . . .
book blurb from Booktopia website

This story was set in the lovely English countryside. Mungo and his theatre friends bring life to the quiet family property run by Mungo's brother Archie and sister in law Camilla. There is a drama in their past that is just now coming to the fore.

Emma has moved to the country with her two young children waiting for her husband Rob to join them. Rob is away in Afghanistan working as a Dr in the defence forces. She is finding herself caught up in her won personal drama.

James is a very egocentric character renting a cottage on the farm while trying to research his next novel.

I was totally drawn into the beautiful setting in this novel. The story was interesting and enjoyable. A lovely light read.

>34 Roro8: I have never read Marcia Willet. A trilogy she wrote was passed on to me a year or so ago but I've not gotten to it. The person that gave them to me loved it. Got to get to it.

>35 clue:, that was my first book by Marcia Willet. I would read more if I came across them. I hope you enjoy your trilogy when you get to it.

Gosh, I am making very slow progress on The Winter King by Bernard Cornwell. I have been busy sewing and knitting and socialising with friends and family. I have reached the half way mark.

January - A Curious Beginning by Deanna Rayburn. Book 1 - A Veronica Speedwell Mystery

February - Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

March - Painkiller by N J Fountain

April - The Vatican Princess by C W Gortner

May - Girl Runner by Carrie Snyder

June - The Ship of Brides by Jojo Moyes

July - What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty

I have finally finished a book! It took me 16 days to read The Winter King, ages. Plus today (Aug 8) is my birthday, and nobody gave me a book for a gift - shock horror

>39 Roro8: Happy birthday! Too bad about the gifts though!

>39 Roro8: Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday Ro, I think you should buy yourself a birthday gift of some books. Enjoy your day.

Happy birthday! I agree with Judy -- go buy yourself some birthday books :)

Happy birthday! And definitely go splurge on some books!

Thanks for the birthday wishes. Maybe my loved ones think the bookcase full of "to be read" books is a sign that I probably don't need any more books right now!! However, I may just go and get a book or two for myself, like you suggest. I did buy myself some lovely boots for my birthday. The family got me some great stuff for the kitchen - where I spend heaps of time, plus some wine and chocolates. We had one of my favourite stir-fries for dinner - Chicken with Thai basil and cashews, followed by home made triple chocolate mud pie (absolutely delicious). I went shopping in the morning for my daughter's birthday (which is on the 11th) and went out for a light lunch and a delicious cocktail. So I had a pretty good day.

Here is a link to the recipe for the Triple Chocolate Mud Pie. It was absolutely delicious!

40. Historical Fiction

Reading Through Time Quarterly Time Period - Arthurian

The Winter King by Bernard Cornwell



In the dark ages, a legendary warrior struggles to unite Britain . . . Uther, the High King of Britain, has died, leaving the infant Mordred as his only heir. His uncle, the loyal and gifted warlord Arthur, now rules as caretaker for a country which has fallen into chaos - threats emerge from within the British kingdoms while vicious Saxon armies stand ready to invade. As he struggles to unite Britain and hold back the enemy at the gates, Arthur is embroiled in a doomed romance with beautiful Guinevere. Will the old-world magic of Merlin be enough to turn the tide of war in his favour? The first of Bernard Cornwell's Warlord Chronicles, The Winter King sheds new light on the Arthurian legend, combining myth with historical accuracy and the brutal action of the battlefield.
book blurb from Booktopia website

This is an interesting take on how Arthur comes to power after the death of King Uther. The story is told from the perspective of Derfel, an orphan that is raised by Merlin. This put me off a bit for the first half of the book as I was really expecting the book to be about Arthur. I can understand why we have Derfel as our leading man - he can look at things from an external perspective and it allows for some explanation of the possible politics at the time.

Eventually I became more interested in Derfel's activities, which increased my enjoyment of the book. As I have the next two books in the series on my shelf, I will read them both. I much prefer M K Hume's Merlin and Arthur books though.

>45 Roro8:
Happy belated birthday!! My family won't give me books - they feel any book they buy will just "disappear" amongst the others. :) Sounds like you made up for it though! :)

Happy Birthday Ro! Better to buy your own birthday books, that way you won't get duplicates.

That chocolate pie sounds fabulous!

>48 -Eva-: My family won't buy me books either. Why would I want any more when I have so many unread books already??

>49 VivienneR:

"Why would I want any more when I have so many unread books already??"

Hahaha!

>49 VivienneR:, thanks for the birthday wishes. It seems like many of us have family that think along the same lines.

Happy belated birthday! I find that people are afraid to buy me books because they think I may have read it already. The way you spent the day sounded lovely.

>52 LittleTaiko:, thanks for the birthday wishes. I think you are spot on with your suggestion of why people don't buy us books.

I just finished a fabulous book Carry Me Home by Sandra Kring. I'll write up my thoughts on it soon, it may even be my book of the month.

41. Family

AlphaKIT letter S

Carry Me Home by Sandra Kring



The love of family. The heartbreak of war. The triumph of coming home.

1940. Rural Wisconsin. Sixteen-year-old Earl "Earwig" Gunderman is not like other boys his age. Fiercely protected by his older brother, Earwig sees his town and the world around him through the prism of his own unique understanding. He sees his mother's sadness and his father's growing solitude. He sees his brother, Jimmy, falling in love with the most beautiful girl in town. And while Earwig is unable to make change for customers at his family's store, he is singularly well suited to understand what other people in his town cannot: that life as they know it is about to change; the coming war will touch them all.

For Jimmy will enlist in the military. And Earwig will watch his parents' marriage buckle under the strain of a family secret. And when Jimmy returns-a fractured shadow of his former self-it is Earwig's turn to care for him. His struggles to right the wrongs visited upon his revered older brother by war, women, and life are at once heartwarming and riotously funny. Their family and town irrevocably altered, Earwig and Jimmy fight to find their own places in a world changed forever.
book blurb from Booktopia website

I absolutely loved this book. At first I was a bit sceptical about a book narrated by a character with intellectual challenges, however Earwig's straight forward perspective and eavesdropping ability really made this story a winner. He has a uniquely fresh take on most situations that at times is laugh out loud funny and then eye watering-ly touching.

Earwig has a couple of priceless interactions with the town busy body, Mrs Pritchard. He matures throughout the story and maintains his love and loyalty for his family.

I would not hesitate to recommend this book. A definite 5 stars for this one!

>53 Roro8: - My parents proved me wrong this weekend. We were doing our family August birthday celebration and they ended up buying me quite a few books. My dad discovered their local paperback half price store and picked out a few things he thought I'd like. And I hadn't read any of them so he chose well.

>54 Roro8: - Definite book bullet on that one.

>55 LittleTaiko: A genuine surprise gift - the best kind!

>55 LittleTaiko: I'm adding it to my list too. Thought you might want to check the Touchstone, it's going to another book by that same title.

>55 LittleTaiko:, What a nice surprise for you. I bet he was pleased that you hadn't read any of them before.

>57 clue:, I'll go and fix the touchstone now. Thanks for the info.

I am currently reading Circling the Sun by Paula McLain, so far I think it is very good. I'm also listening to the audio of The Paris Architect, at first I didn't like the narrator, but once he started doing all the accents I began to think he was actually doing a great job of it.

I've finished both the above books, reviews coming when I get home. I'm currently in Sydney for an education program. Air travel is good for finishing books! And starting new ones.

42. New to me Author

AlphaKIT letter S
Reading Through Time - Journey

Circling the Sun by Paula McLain



As a young girl, Beryl Markham was brought to Kenya from Britain by parents dreaming of a new life. For her mother, the dream quickly turned sour, and she returned home; Beryl was brought up by her father, who switched between indulgence and heavy-handed authority, allowing her first to run wild on their farm, then incarcerating her in the classroom. The scourge of governesses and serial absconder from boarding school, by the age of sixteen Beryl had been catapulted into a disastrous marriage - but it was in facing up to this reality that she took charge of her own destiny.

Scandalizing high society with her errant behaviour, she left her husband and became the first woman ever to hold a professional racehorse trainer's licence. After falling in with the notoriously hedonistic and gin-soaked Happy Valley set, Beryl soon became embroiled in a complex love triangle with the writer Karen Blixen and big game-hunter Denys Finch Hatton (immortalized in Blixen's memoir Out of Africa). It was this unhappy affair which set tragedy in motion, while awakening Beryl to her truest self, and to her fate: to fly.
book blurb from Booktopia website

Gosh, It's lucky I didn't focus overly much on the above book blurb it pretty much sums up the whole story. I almost feel bad putting it up there.

Beryl is quite a character. Starting life in a standard type family, when she moves to Kenya thing quickly go pear shaped for her mother who leaves Beryl in the care of her father in Kenya. Beryl has a very interesting childhood, far from conventional but she is a happy and healthy (and adventurous) girl. The story follows the course of Beryl's life up to a certain point.

I was quickly drawn into Beryl's story. I found myself liking the independent/survivor streak in the young girl. She made some poor life choices but eventually works herself out. Life is messy, simple as that. The author has done a great job of putting forward a likeable character I was drawn to. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book.

43. Historical Fiction

The Paris Architect by Charles Belfoure
Audiobook read by Mark Bramhall



In 1942 Paris, gifted architect Lucien Bernard accepts a commission that will bring him a great deal of money - and maybe get him killed. But if he's clever enough, he'll avoid any trouble. All he has to do is design a secret hiding place for a wealthy Jewish man, a space so invisible that even the most determined German officer won't find it. He sorely needs the money, and outwitting the Nazis who have occupied his beloved city is a challenge he can't resist. But when one of his hiding spaces fails horribly, and the problem of where to hide a Jew becomes terribly personal, Lucien can no longer ignore what's at stake. The Paris Architect asks us to consider what we owe each other, and just how far we'll go to make things right. Written by an architect whose knowledge imbues every page, this story becomes more gripping with every soul hidden and every life saved
book blurb from Booktopia website

Lucien is an architect in German occupied France during WWII. Work is scarce. He agrees to help a wealthy man hide a Jew in a special hiding place that only an architect could think of. This leads to some profitable work for Lucien, however his motives are somewhat questionable.

Things happen in the story to cause Lucien to re-exaamine himself and his priorities. Interesting and challenging people come into his life. Choices have to be made.

I have to admit that at the start of the book I wasn't too keen on Lucien. I could understand why he was the was he was but I wasn't impressed. Throughout the course of the story Lucien encountered some challenging situations. I liked the way the author presented and resolved these. I liked the way Lucien's thought processes and feelings were shared with the reader. At the beginning of the book I wasn't overly keen on the narrator (Mark Bramhall) but the more he read, the more I liked him. His accents were fantastic (from the perspective of an Australian).

I haven't read a lot of books set in France during the occupation. I would have to say that this one was pretty good.

>61 Roro8: I liked Circling the Sun too. Have you read Beryl Markham's autobiography, West With the Night? I really enjoyed it.

>63 japaul22:, no I haven't, but I thought about looking for it after I read the author's note. Knowing that you enjoyed it is further encouragement.

>62 Roro8: Glad you enjoyed The Paris Architect. I can identify with your comments about your experience with the audiobook. The audiobook I'm listening to now, the narrator does great accents (at least to my ear) and he is slightly growing on me although I don't think he'll ever be a fav.

>24 Roro8: I just read this and LOVED it! I can't wait for the movie! I knew as I was reading it that it would probably be made into a movie. It seems like it would make a really good romantic comedy. At the end of the book, when it seemed likeAlice was going to stay with Dominick and not get back together with Nick, I was going to be like "Noooo!" I was about to get all upset. But I am SO glad the ending turned out the way it did. It's what I was rooting for all along.

>66 Tara1Reads:, I agree, that was definitely a movie style clever trick (the bit you mentioned in the spoiler). I am looking forward to the movie too. It should be pretty easy to find a friend to go along to that one. Have you read any of Liane Moriarty's other books? I've enjoyed a few of hers now.

44. Series Read

Waiting for Wednesday by Nicci French
Book 3 Frieda Klein



Ruth Lennox, beloved mother of three, is found by her daughter in a pool of her own blood. Who would want to murder an ordinary housewife? And why?
Psychotherapist Frieda Klein finds she has an unusually personal connection with DCI Karlsson's latest case. She is no longer working with him in an official capacity, but when her niece befriends Ruth Lennox's son, Ted, she finds herself in the awkward position of confidante to both Karlsson and Ted.
When it emerges that Ruth was leading a secret life, her family closes ranks and Karlsson finds he needs Frieda's help more than ever before.
But Frieda is distracted. Having survived an attack on her life, she is struggling to stay in control and when a patient's chance remark rings an alarm bell, she finds herself chasing down a path that seems to lead to a serial killer who has long escaped detection. Or is it merely a symptom of her own increasingly fragile mind?
Because, as Frieda knows, every step closer to a killer is one more step into a darkness from which there may be no return . . .
book blurb from Booktopia website

This is an interesting continuation in the Frieda Klein series. I would not recommend reading this one if you haven't read the first two. I really think you would get a bit lost.

Frieda is still recovering from the events of book 2, so she is not at full speed. Her services are no longer required by the police, partly due to financial adjustments. However, Frieda finds herself drawn into DCI Karlsson's current case via her niece's friendship with the son of the murdered woman.

Not only that, a sour grapes colleague is playing dirty, and Frieda finds herself involved in a controversy that causes her to dig deeper to find out what is behind the story. She digs deeper and deeper, causing her friends to worry about her. And Frieda even begins to worry about herself.

A worthy addition to the series, and quite a page turner.

There is no way I am going to finish another book in the next couple of days. So here is my book of the month summary.





January - A Curious Beginning by Deanna Rayburn. Book 1 - A Veronica Speedwell Mystery

February - Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

March - Painkiller by N J Fountain

April - The Vatican Princess by C W Gortner

May - Girl Runner by Carrie Snyder

June - The Ship of Brides by Jojo Moyes

July - What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty

August - Carry Me Home by Sandra Kring

I can't help but notice there is a bit of a colour theme going on here with the cover art in my book of the month selections.

Yes, the books of the month complement each other nicely! Lots of greens and blues. It looks like a tropical ocean. :)

>67 Roro8: I have a hardcover of The Husband's Secret and an e-book of Big Little Lies, but I haven't read them yet. I like to space out reads by the same authors. I want to read Moriarty's older works too to see how they compare to her newer, more popular works.

>71 Tara1Reads:, I generally like to space out books by the same author too. Sometimes authors can follow a bit of a pattern in their writing and this is more obvious if I read a few of their books in close succession. I haven't read The Husband's Secret yet either. It is on my wishlist though.

45. Water

AlphaKIT letter C

The Fire Child by S K Tremayne



When Rachel marries dark, handsome David, everything seems to fall into place. Swept from single life in London to the beautiful Carnhallow House in Cornwall, she gains wealth, love, and an affectionate stepson, Jamie. But then Jamie’s behaviour changes, and Rachel’s perfect life begins to unravel. He makes disturbing predictions, claiming to be haunted by the spectre of his late mother – David’s previous wife. Is this Jamie’s way of punishing Rachel, or is he far more traumatized than she thought?As Rachel starts digging into the past, she begins to grow suspicious of her husband.

Why is he so reluctant to discuss Jamie’s outbursts? And what exactly happened to cause his ex-wife’s untimely death, less than two years ago? As summer slips away and December looms, Rachel begins to fear there might be truth in Jamie’s words: "You will be dead by Christmas".
book blurb from Booktopia website

This book certainly kept me guessing for quite a while. A pretty good mystery with some interesting twists. I was quickly drawn into the story and took a while to figure out who the 'bad guy' was.

Something is going wrong here. I have written a bigger review above which I can see when I click to edit, but only the first two lines are visible when I post.

Does anybody have any idea what could be happening?

46. Family

Saving Zoe by Alyson Noel
Audiobook read by Katie Schorr



Meet 15-year-old Echo, a typical teen trying to survive high school without being totally traumatised by boy trouble, friend drama, and school issues. As if she didn't have enough on her plate, Echo is also still dealing with the murder of her sister Zoe. Although it's been over a year, Echo is still reeling from tragedy that changed everything. Beautiful and full of life, Zoe was the glue that held her family together, and although the two sisters were as different as night and day, they still had a bond that Echo can't let go of.

When Zoe's old boyfriend Marc shows up one day with Zoe's diary, Echo doesn't think there's anything in there she doesn't already know. But as she gives in to curiosity and starts reading, she learns that her sister led a secret life that no one could have guessed – not even Echo.
book blurb from Booktopia website

The above blurb pretty much sums it up, and as a mother of teenagers it's good to touch base with the issues teenagers face.

Echo is struggling with growing up in the shadow of her murdered sister and trying to cope with her parent's methods of dealing with their grief as well as managing her own. On top of that she has teenage friends with their struggles and potential boy issues. Getting her hands on Zoe's diary becomes Echo's lifeline to her sister, and a means of understanding herself and her grief.

>72 Roro8: Yeah I notice that too when I read works by the same authors close together. That's why I am forever confusing Dark Places and Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn because I read them only a month or so apart and they blend together for me. I want to try some Jojo Moyes too. I have Ship of Brides on my shelf. I am not sure if I will ever read Me Before You because I have heard terrible things and someone said something about the sequel After You that ruined the ending to the first book, so I feel like I have no reason to read those two now.

>76 Tara1Reads: I get those two Flynn novels mixed up too. I have to really think to sort them out.

>76 Tara1Reads:, I haven't read either of those two yet. I'll make sure I space them out though after reading your comment.

47. Australian

The Last Painting of Sara de Vos by Dominic Smith



A dazzling and mesmerising story that charts the collision course between a rare landscape by a female Dutch painter of the golden age, an inheritor of the work in 1950s Manhattan, and a celebrated art historian who painted a forgery of it in her youth. A literary novel of breathtaking scope, ambition and achievement.

This is what we long for: the profound pleasure of being swept into vivid new worlds, worlds peopled by characters so intriguing and real that we can't shake them, even long after the reading's done. In this extraordinary novel, The Last Painting of Sara de Vos, US-based Australian writer Dominic Smith brilliantly bridges the historical and the contemporary, tracking a collision course between a rare landscape by a female Dutch painter of the Golden Age, an inheritor of the work in 1950s Manhattan, and a celebrated Australian art historian who painted a forgery of it in her youth.

In 1631, Sara de Vos is admitted as a master painter to the Guild of St. Luke in Holland, the first woman to be so honoured. Three hundred years later, only one work attributed to de Vos is known to remain-a haunting winter scene, At the Edge of a Wood, which hangs over the Manhattan bed of a wealthy descendant of the original owner. An Australian grad student, Ellie Shipley, struggling to stay afloat in New York, agrees to paint a forgery of the landscape, a decision that will haunt her. Because now, half a century later, she's curating an exhibit of female Dutch painters, and both versions threaten to arrive. As the three threads intersect with increasing and exquisite suspense, The Last Painting of Sara de Vos mesmerises while it grapples with the demands of the artistic life, showing how the deceits of the past can forge the present.
book blurb from Booktopia website

I know, it's a huge blurb! This novel tackles a big story.

I really enjoyed reading this book. The art restoration info was really interesting, as was how Ellie goes about creating the forgery. The most intriguing part for me is how the owner of the original piece of art work deals with his situation - very original and unexpected.

I often find books featuring art themes a bit on the dry side, but this one has broken that model for me. A very good read.

I have now completed 4 categories! Hooray!!

>79 Roro8: I have this on hold at the library and I'm hoping to get it in the next month. Glad to see another positive review!

>80 Roro8: Woo! Excellent work :)

>73 Roro8:
Any extra symbols where you closed the italics-bracket?

>81 japaul22:, I hope you like it too. I was pretty keen to read it so when I saw how many people had reserves on it at the library, I just bought it on my kindle.

>82 rabbitprincess:, thanks :-)

>83 -Eva-:, I'll go up and check. ETA, I took away the italics and it still did the same thing. It's a bit strange.

>84 Roro8:
Hmm, odd. Your other posts seem just fine...

>85 -Eva-:, I know, it"s weird. Maybe I should remove all the fancy stuff and see what happens

ETA: I just went up to look at it again, and it is fine now. I didn't even do anything else to it this time. Thanks for trying to help though Eva.

Completed categories already!!! Congratulations! I like that you celebrated your Australian category with Vegemite on toast, my favourite breakfast. Hard to find around here so my Australian friend mailed a few jars, and then brought more when she visited. She comes back next spring so maybe the cupboard will be restocked then.

I love your Best of the Month posts. Great idea!

>73 Roro8: I didn't see anything that looked wrong in your post when I first read it shortly after you posted, and it looks the same today so I'm assuming it was somehow your view that displayed incorrectly.

>87 VivienneR:, thanks. I had Vegemite on toast for breakfast yesterday actually. As for that troublesome post, it does seem to have sorted itself out so maybe it was just my technology.

I have just finished another good book, The Midnight Watch: A Novel of the Titanic and the Californian. Hopefully I will get to post my thought on it tomorrow.

48. Water

AlphaKIT letter C and M
Reading Through Time monthly theme - Water everywhere

The Midnight Watch: A Novel of the Titanic and the Californian by David Dyer



Sometimes the smallest of human failings can lead to the greatest of disasters

On a wretchedly cold night in the North Atlantic, a steamer stopped in an icefield sees the glow of another ship on the horizon. Just after midnight the first of eight distress rockets is fired. Why did the Californian look on while the Titanic sank?

As soon as Boston American reporter John Steadman lays eyes on the man who stood the midnight watch on the Californian, he knows there's another story lurking behind the official one. Herbert Stone must have seen something, and yet his ship did nothing while the calamity took place. Now Stone, under his captain's orders, must carry his secret in silence, while Steadman is determined to find it out.

So begins a strange dance around the truth by these three men. Haunted by the fifteen hundred who went to their deaths in those icy waters, and by the loss of his own baby son years earlier, Steadman must either find redemption in the Titanic's tragedy or lose himself.

Based on true events, The Midnight Watch is at once a heart-stopping mystery and a deeply knowing novel – about the frailty of men, the strength of women, the capriciousness of fate and the price of loyalty.
book blurb from Booktopia website

I found this to be a very well written thoughtful book on the events that happened on the tragic night, and the events that followed.

Herbert Stone was on watch when the Titanic met its demise. He could see something happening, but his ship did nothing. Why?

John Steadman is a reporter that sets out to write the story of those that died in this disaster, but finds himself drawn into discovering why the Californian failed to act.

Captain Lord of the Californian is determined to remain tight lipped about the events of the evening. What is he really thinking?

I was really drawn into this novel very quickly. Even though I didn't really like any of the characters, except maybe the radio man, I felt compelled to keep going to get to the bottom of what really happened on that terrible night. A good read, with a different perspective.

>90 Roro8: This one is already on my wishlist so I was glad to see you give it 4 stars. :)

>90 Roro8: Sounds interesting! And congrats on finishing 4 categories!

>91 DeltaQueen50:, I read an excellent review for it in the Historical Novel Society mag and thought it sounded perfect for this month's RTT water theme. I'm sure you'll like it when you read it too.

>92 VictoriaPL:, thanks. I decided to make my challenge far more achievable this year after my over ambitious plan in 2015.

49. Family

AlphaKIT letter C

At the Edge of the Orchard by Tracy Chavalier



What happens when you can’t run any further from your past?

Ohio, 1838. James and Sadie Goodenough have settled in the Black Swamp, planting apple trees to claim the land as their own. Life is harsh in the swamp, and as fever picks off their children, husband and wife take solace in separate comforts. James patiently grows his sweet-tasting ‘eaters’ while Sadie gets drunk on applejack made fresh from ‘spitters’. Their fighting takes its toll on all of the Goodenoughs – a battle that will resonate over the years and across America.

Fifteen years later their youngest son, Robert, is drifting through Goldrush California. Haunted by the broken family he fled years earlier, memories stick to him where mud once did. When he finds steady work for a plant collector, peace seems finally to be within reach. But the past is never really past, and one day Robert is forced to confront the brutal reason he left behind everything he loved.In this rich, powerful story, Tracy Chevalier is at her imaginative best, bringing to life the urge to wrestle with our roots, however deep and tangled they may be.
book blurb from Booktopia website

I have definitely picked some good books this month. At the Edge of the Orchard is about the Goodenough family. They are forced to leave their home and find themselves settling in the Black Swamp when they just can't find the strength and motivation to go any further. It sounds like a pretty awful place to settle in my opinion. They are surrounded by swamp and mosquitoes and are quite isolated. James tries really hard to eek out a home and orchard for his family. Sadie is not very likeable, and I would have to say, a really terrible mother.

Robert is the youngest of the children and it is his story that we pick up fifteen years after he leaves the farm. He has led an interesting life while trying to get as far away from the Black Swamp as he possibly can. He meets some interesting characters and sees some amazing sights in the American countryside.

I love the way the ordinary people are portrayed in this novel. I was drawn into the story quite quickly and the characterisation was fantastic. The end of the novel was perfect too.

There is no way I am going to finish another book in the next couple of days. So here is my book of the month summary.





January - A Curious Beginning by Deanna Rayburn. Book 1 - A Veronica Speedwell Mystery

February - Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

March - Painkiller by N J Fountain

April - The Vatican Princess by C W Gortner

May - Girl Runner by Carrie Snyder

June - The Ship of Brides by Jojo Moyes

July - What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty

August - Carry Me Home by Sandra Kring

September - At the Edge of the Orchard by Tracy Chevalier

I am currently reading The Death of Robin Hood by Angus Donald. It is the most recent addition to the Outlaw Chronicles and so far it is pretty good. This book will complete my series category too, as well as being a good choice for the reading through time quarterly time period - medieval.

I have been listening to Orphan #8 but this is taking a while as I usually listen to it in the car on my way to and from work, however I have been car-pooling with a friend of mine so there is definitely the very nice alternative of chatting with my friend on those days.

I have just got myself a new job. I won't be giving chemo any more. My new job is with the Inflammatory Bowel Diseases Team, looking after people with crohn's and ulcerative colitis. So I will be doing some educational reading in the near future.

>96 Roro8: I look forward to hearing about your educational reading. The digestive system is my favorite bodily system!

>97 Tara1Reads:, I'm currently reading Gut: the inside story, just as a low tech refresher on the digestive system. I will have to progress to something with more of a health care professional focus after that one.

50. Series Read

Reading Through Time quarterly theme - Medieval

The Death of Robin Hood by Angus Donald
7th book in the Outlaw Chronicles



'I charge you, Sir Alan Dale, with administering my death. At the end of the game, I would rather die by your hand than any other'

England rebels

War rages across the land. In the wake of Magna Carta, King John's treachery is revealed and the barons have risen against him once more. Fighting with them is the Earl of Locksley - the former outlaw Robin Hood - and his right-hand man Sir Alan Dale.

France invades

When the French enter the fray, with the cruel White Count leading the charge, Robin and Alan must decide where their loyalties lie: with those who would destroy the king and seize his realm or with the beloved land of their birth.

A hero who will live for ever

Fate is inexorable and Death waits for us all. Or does it? Can Robin Hood pull off his greatest ever trick and cheat the Grim Reaper one last time just as England needs him most?
book blurb from Booktopia website

Angus Donald concludes his Robin Hood series with this final, very entertaining novel. It is jam packed with adventure, evil characters and heroes. There is a wonderful balance of betrayal and loyalty, and plenty of blurred lines in between.

Naturally some of my favourite characters have been lost along the way. Alan Dale continues to be the narrator, but few other original characters are left. Alan and Robin find themselves in some very difficult situations, as per usual. A very good conclusion to the series. I can't help but wonder who this author is going to write about next.



This book results in the completion of a 5th category, only 2 to go.

If the Outlaw Chronicles are finally complete, now is the time for me to start reading them!

>100 rabbitprincess:, I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.

51. Mystery and Suspense

Reading Through Time monthly theme - October mysteries

The Prime Minister's Secret Agent by Susan Ella MacNeal
4th book in the Maggie Hope mystery series



'World War II rages on across Europe, but Maggie Hope has finally found a moment of rest on the pastoral coast of western Scotland. Home from an undercover mission in Berlin, she settles down to teach at her old spy training camp, and to heal from scars on both her body and heart. Yet instead of enjoying the quieter pace of life, Maggie is quickly drawn into another web of danger and intrigue. When three ballerinas fall strangely ill in Glasgow-including one of Maggie's dearest friends-Maggie partners with MI-5 to uncover the truth behind their unusual symptoms. What she finds points to a series of poisonings that may expose shocking government secrets and put countless British lives at stake. But it's the fight brewing in the Pacific that will forever change the course of the war-and indelibly shape Maggie's fate.
book blurb from Booktopia website

This is the fourth book in the Maggie Hope series. Maggie's character is easy to sympathise with and understand. She is trying to mentally and physically deal with the ordeals from her mission in Berlin. While doing this she is working as a trainer at her old spy training campus in Scotland. She is isolating herself, and feels depressed.

She comes across a dead animal, under seemingly unusual circumstances. Leading her to investigate a bit when she goes into town. Then a couple of ballerina's in her friend's troupe become unwell and Maggie is suspicious. This is set against the backdrop of WWII when the Japanese are just about to launch action in that area.

As usual, this was a good read. I felt this one to be less focused on the mystery included in the story and more focused on moving the characters forward in the timeline to the next, more exciting adventure/mystery.



This book results in the completion of a 6th category, only 1 to go.

52. Historical Fiction

Orphan #8 by Kim van Alkemade



In 1919, Rachel Rabinowitz is a vivacious four-year-old living with her family in a crowded tenement on New York City"s Lower Eastside. When tragedy strikes, Rachel is separated from her brother Sam and sent to a Jewish orphanage where Dr. Mildred Solomon is conducting medical research. Subjected to X-ray treatments that leave her disfigured, Rachel suffers years of cruel harassment from the other orphans. But when she turns fifteen, she runs away to Colorado hoping to find the brother she lost and discovers a family she never knew she had.

Though Rachel believes she's shut out her painful childhood memories, years later she is confronted with her dark past when she becomes a nurse at Manhattan"s Old Hebrews Home and her patient is none other than the elderly, cancer-stricken Dr. Solomon. Rachel becomes obsessed with making Dr. Solomon acknowledge, and pay for, her wrongdoing. But each passing hour Rachel spends with the old doctor reveal to Rachel the complexities of her own nature. She realizes that a person"s fate-to be one who inflicts harm or one who heals-is not always set in stone.

Lush in historical detail, rich in atmosphere and based on true events, Orphan #8 is a powerful, affecting novel of the unexpected choices we are compelled to make that can shape our destinies.
book blurb from Booktopia website

Poor Rachel and her brother are put into care after a tragedy means they have nobody left to care for them. Unfortunately the children are separated. Rachel ends up in an infant home where the children are used as material for medical research projects.

Years later, Rachel is working as a nurse when she receives a new patient, none other than the Dr who used to care for Rachel in the infant home. This triggers Rachel to research what went on in the infant home and to confront some realities in her own life. She struggles with her feelings of betrayal and her desire for revenge.

However, we learn that Rachel is not perfect either. She has also done some things that she is ashamed of, what is she going to do about that?

This was an interesting concept. I did find that the story dragged a bit at times though.

53. Water

AlphaKIT letter W

Wilde Lake by Laura Lippman



Luisa 'Lu' Brant is the newly elected - and first female - state's attorney of Howard County, Maryland, a job in which her revered father famously served. Fiercely intelligent and ambitious, she sees an opportunity to make her name by trying a mentally disturbed drifter accused of beating a woman to death in her home. It's not the kind of case that makes headlines, but peaceful Howard County doesn't see many homicides.

As Lu prepares for the trial, the case dredges up painful memories, reminding her small but tight-knit family of the night when her brother, AJ, saved his best friend at the cost of another man's life. Only eighteen, AJ was cleared by a grand jury. Now, Lu wonders if the events of 1980 happened as she remembers them. What details might have been withheld from her when she was a child?

The more she learns about the case, the more questions arise. What does it mean to be a man or woman of one's times? Why do we ask our heroes of the past to conform to the present's standards? Is that fair? Is it right? Propelled into the past, she discovers that the legal system, the bedrock of her entire life, does not have all the answers. Lu realises that even if she could learn the whole truth, she probably wouldn't want to.
book blurb from Booktopia website

There is a dual story going on in this novel. The first part of the story is the murder that occurs in the current time, a 'homeless' man murders a woman in her own home. Why has he chosen this woman? And why so violent? This is what newly appointed state attorney Luisa Brant must consider.

The second story is closer to home, relating to a death that went to the grand jury when she was a little girl. Her brother was involved, and her own father was the state attorney at the time.

The two stories progress, taking turns. Showing us what life was like for Lu as a motherless daughter. She idolised her older brother and loved most of his friends. Now that she is older she can see things more objectively, not necessarily a good thing.

This was an interesting mystery, and a stand-alone novel.

Now that we are nearing the end of the year, I see that I really made myself a 3 part challenge this year. I didn't really think about that when I set it up.

PART 1) read 60 books

PART 2) read 24000 pages

PART 3) fill my seven categories

Today I can celebrate the completion of my seven categories. Seven categories, each with at least seven books - DONE!

>105 Roro8: Congrats!

>105 Roro8: Well done!

Woo hoo! Excellent work!

>105 Roro8: and with time to spare! Great!

Congratulations Ro! You can also celebrate the number of book bullets you sent out this year, you certainly got me a number of times!

>106 AHS-Wolfy:, >107 MissWatson:, >108 rabbitprincess: & >109 clue:, thanks for the support :-)

>110 DeltaQueen50:, I wonder how many that would be. I take a hit from you now and again too. I'm always happy to read a good review for a book that I have also liked when I'm catching up on your thread.

Congratulations! And yes, your BBs are shot quite sharply, >90 Roro8: The Midnight Watch has hit its target. :)

>112 Chrischi_HH:, The Midnight Watch was definitely a good one.

54. Historical Fiction

Reading Through Time quarterly time period - Medieval

The Chosen Queen by Joanna Courtney
Queens of Conquest book 1



The Queens of the Conquest trilogy 1066. Three Queens. One Crown. As a young woman in England's royal court, Edyth, granddaughter of Lady Godiva, dreams of marrying for love. But political matches are rife while King Edward is still without an heir and the future of England is uncertain. When Edyth's family are exiled to the wild Welsh court, she falls in love with the charismatic King of Wales - but their romance comes at a price and she is catapulted onto the opposing side of a bitter feud with England.

Edyth's only allies are Earl Harold Godwinson and his handfasted wife, Lady Svana. As the years pass, Edyth finds herself elevated to a position beyond even her greatest expectations. She enjoys both power and wealth but as her star rises the lines of love and duty become more blurred than she could ever have imagined.

As 1066 dawns, Edyth is asked to make an impossible choice. Her decision is one that has the power to change the future of England forever ...The Chosen Queen is the perfect blend of history, fast-paced plot and sweeping romance with a cast of strong female characters - an unforgettable read.
book blurb from Booktopia website

This it exactly the type of book that I used to read heaps of, but lately I have read less and less. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel, in fact I devoured it over the weekend (thanks to a wet and miserable Sunday).

The story begins with Edith as a young daughter of Earl Alfgar. She is just coming of age and getting involved in the court as circumstances require her family to go to Wales. In Wales she attracts the attention of the Welsh King, Griffin. We all know what happens in this type of book when an attractive young woman attracts the kings attention.

The reader gets an understanding of the politics of the time,

It is Edith's relationship with Svana that remains steadfast throughout all her turmoil and change. The two women are wonderful characters, both strong but in contrasting ways.

I will definitely be reading the next two books in the trilogy.

Here comes another Book Bullet! The Chosen Queen looks good.

Congratulations on reaching goal!!!

>115 DeltaQueen50:, oh dear Judy, I got you again.

>116 -Eva-:, thanks :-)

>114 Roro8: - Ooh, definite book bullet on this one for me too. Added to my wishlist.

>114 Roro8: Me too!

>118 LittleTaiko: and >119 clue:, Wow, I got another two people with that one. I hope you both like it. I have put the sequel The Constant Queen on my wishlist.

55. New to me Author

Girl in the Dark: A Memoir by Anna Lyndsey
Audiobook



'Oh, what can I not do, in my dreams. In my dreams I travel on trains and climb mountains, I play concerts and swim rivers, I carry important documents on vital missions, I attend meetings which become song-and-dance routines. My body lies boxed in darkness, but beneath my closed eyelids there is colour, sound and movement, in glorious contrast to the day; mad movies projected nightly in the private theatre of my skull.' Anna Lyndsey was living a normal life. She enjoyed her job; she was ambitious; she was falling in love. Then the unthinkable happened. It began with a burning sensation on her face when she was exposed to computer screens and fluorescent lighting. Then the burning spread and the problematic light sources proliferated. Now her extreme sensitivity to light in all forms means she must spend much of her life in total darkness. During the best times, she can venture cautiously outside at dusk and dawn, avoiding high-strength streetlamps. During the worst, she must spend months in a darkened room, listening to audiobooks, inventing word-games and fighting to keep despair at bay. Told with great beauty, humour and honesty, Girl in the Dark is the astonishing and uplifting account of Anna's descent into the depths of her extraordinary illness. It is the story of how, through her determination to make her impossible life possible and with the love of those around her, she has managed to find light in even the darkest of places.
book blurb from Booktopia website

This was an interesting memoir. I'll be honest, at first I thought to myself 'Is this woman for real?' But the more I listened to her story the more genuine I felt her to be. For like she says, who would chose to live like that when they had a much better more fulfilling life before.

I wouldn't say I found her story inspiring, but I did appreciate the perspective of somebody with an unusual chronic illness. I think a lot of the author's feelings and coping strategies could be applied to multiple conditions. She even discusses this in the book too.

Being a nurse myself, I could totally relate to her catch 22 situation of not being able to go to the hospital because her condition was too severe. It seems crazy to be unable to get the medical attention you need when you are at your worst.

I have started my mammoth read for the year, at 1400+ pages ............. A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon, book 6 in the series. Plus the second season of the TV show is at shop waiting for me to pick it up!!

January - A Curious Beginning by Deanna Rayburn. Book 1 - A Veronica Speedwell Mystery

February - Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

March - Painkiller by N J Fountain

April - The Vatican Princess by C W Gortner

May - Girl Runner by Carrie Snyder

June - The Ship of Brides by Jojo Moyes

July - What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty

August - Carry Me Home by Sandra Kring

September - At the Edge of the Orchard by Tracy Chevalier

October - The Chosen Queen by Joanna Courtney

I'm almost halfway through my mega sized book! I truly think Diana Gabaldon books should count for three books in the ticker!!!!

56. New to me Author

One Foot on the Podium by Don Elgin
Audiobook read by the author



Born without the lower half of his left leg, young Don Elgin never considered himself disabled until he was in high school - and even then, he had to be convinced. His story, of a boy from the bush who battled the odds and finally stepped onto the podium as a medallist at the Sydney Paralympics, is one of absolute inspiration. Driven by an inherited sense of grit, determination and pure guts, Don overcomes an abundance of obstacles to rise to the top of the sporting heap. His life's philosophy tells us that success is not a birthright - it's earned.

If you're likely to buy only one book this year, make sure it's a ripper. Make it one about a boy from the bush who's hell-bent on becoming an elite sportsman. Be sure it's a true story, with ups and downs and plenty of fun times you can relate to. An inspiring insight into triumph over adversity probably won't go astray either.

The one book you should buy this year tells the true story of a boy with a couple of missing body-parts and a very naughty streak that gets him in and out of trouble with his parents, school teachers and the police on his journey to the peak of Paralympic athletic competition. The one book you should definitely buy this year is One Foot On The Podium, by Don Elgin (with Kevin Moloney).

Don Elgin: One Foot On The Podium is not just the rags-to-riches story of a poor disabled boy who becomes an elite athlete. It's a tell-all tale laced with his natural humour and just enough larrikinism to make him loveable. The way Don tells his story is the reason he's one of the most entertaining and engaging speakers on the Australian circuit today.
book blurb from Booktopia website

I haven't read many books about sportspeople so I wasn't sure how much I would like this one. The book is read by the author who sounds like an Aussie country boy, which is what he is. I like the pragmatic way he recounts his life story so far. At times he is quite funny, on the odd occasion a bit emotional. I admire his determination to achieve his goal.

57. New to me Author

Lean in 15 by Joe Wicks



EAT MORE. EXERCISE LESS. LOSE FAT.

In his first book, Joe Wicks, aka The Body Coach, reveals how to shift your body fat by eating more and exercising less.

Lean in 15 features 100 recipes for nutritious, quick-to-prepare meals and guides you through Joe's signature HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) home workouts - revealing how to combine food and exercise to ignite intense fat-burning.

About the Author

Joe Wicks, aka The Body Coach, has helped tens of thousands people achieve new levels of fitness and fat loss with his 90 Day Shift, Shape and Sustain programme and his Instagram. Joe has a BSc (Hons) in Sports Science from St Mary's University, is a REPS (Register of Exercise Professionals) Level Three personal trainer and is an advanced boxing coach.
book blurb from Booktopia website

So I rarely buy this type of book however I have just started a new job that is far less active than all my previous employment. I am determined not to let the kilos pile on so thought I would give this a go. Within 24 hrs of it's arrival in the mail I did my first workout! It wasn't easy, but it wasn't too hard either. The recipes look great but are only for 1-4 people so I will have to modify if I want to make a family meal. I'm willing to give it a go.

His ideas are simple and straight forward. He seems to be honest and clear about who he is and what he can help with. I'm looking forward to trying some of the delicious looking meals.

58. Series Read

SFFkit - Time Travel

A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon
Book 6 in Outlander



The long fuse of rebellion has already been lit.

It's 1772, the Royal Colony of North Carolina, and the governor calls upon Jamie Fraser to unite the backcountry and preserve the colony for King and Crown.

One minor problem: Jamie Fraser's wife, Claire, is a time-traveller, as are his daughter and son-in-law. And Jamie knows that three years hence, the shot heard round the world will be fired, and the end of it all will be independence - with those loyal to the King either dead or in exile.

Beyond present danger, though, looms the threat of a tiny clipping from the Wilmington Gazette, dated 1776, which reports the destruction of the house on Fraser's Ridge and the death by fire of James Fraser and all his family. For once, Jamie Fraser hopes the time-travelers in his family are wrong about the future. But only time will tell.
book blurb from Booktopia website

I am a big Jamie and Claire fan so I will have to admit that this may cloud my judgement a bit. I have just spent the last month of my reading the getting through this whopper, at 1458 pages it is the biggest book I've read this year!

Once again we have a book filled with drama and adventure. It is peopled by my favourite and most disliked characters. I really got to like Brianna and Roger more in this novel. And their son Jemmy is such a little character. Jamie is just as appealing and able to save the day as always. Claire makes some progress with her medical procedures and equipment. There is murder and mayhem and political turmoil as the fight for American independence begins.

Another great book.

>127 Roro8: I am currently listening to the audio version of A Breath of Snow and Ashes and loving it. I too, am learning to like Brianna and Roger more than I have in the past. Of course I am still in the first third of the book and not sure whether I will finish it this year or next, but I do love the time I spend with Claire and Jamie!

>128 DeltaQueen50:, How does the narrator go with the accents?

59. New to me Author

The Watchmaker of Filigree Street by Natasha Pulley
Audiobook



In 1883, Thaniel Steepleton returns to his tiny flat to find a gold pocketwatch on his pillow. But he has worse fears than generous burglars; he is a telegraphist at the Home Office, which has just received a threat for what could be the largest-scale Fenian bombing in history.

When the watch saves Thaniel's life in a blast that destroys Scotland Yard, he goes in search of its maker, Keita Mori - a kind, lonely immigrant who sweeps him into a new world of clockwork and music. Although Mori seems harmless at first, a chain of unexpected slips soon proves that he must be hiding something.

Meanwhile, Grace Carrow is sneaking into an Oxford library dressed as a man. A theoretical physicist, she is desperate to prove the existence of the luminiferous ether before her mother can force her to marry.

As the lives of these three characters become entwined, events spiral out of control until Thaniel is torn between loyalties, futures and opposing geniuses.

Utterly beguiling, The Watchmaker of Filigree Street blends historical events with dazzling flights of fancy to plunge readers into a strange and magical past, where time, destiny, genius - and a clockwork octopus - collide.
book blurb from Booktopia website

This was an intriguing novel. The mysterious Mr Mori is an interesting character who has an interesting skill that is both a blessing and a curse.

Thaniel, the telegraph operator is about to undergo many changes and encounter many challenges. To my mind he has a steady and calm way of handling the interesting situations he finds himself in.

Grace, on the other hand, I found not to be particularly likeable. In fact, she seemed quite selfish to me. However she also adds a bit of an unpredictable element to the story.

It is hard to say much about the story line without giving things away, so I'm going to leave it at that. A good read

January - A Curious Beginning by Deanna Rayburn. Book 1 - A Veronica Speedwell Mystery

February - Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

March - Painkiller by N J Fountain

April - The Vatican Princess by C W Gortner

May - Girl Runner by Carrie Snyder

June - The Ship of Brides by Jojo Moyes

July - What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty

August - Carry Me Home by Sandra Kring

September - At the Edge of the Orchard by Tracy Chevalier

October - The Chosen Queen by Joanna Courtney

November - A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon

With only a couple of days left in the month I have selected my book of the month for November.

My challenge completion is getting closer with my book target almost reached, and my page target looking very achievable.

Slowly making me way back into visiting and happy to see The Pillars of the Earth is your favorite type of historical fiction, as I have that one sitting on the TBR pile. I love Kate Morton's stories. The Secret Keeper is one I haven't read yet so very happy to see the 4.5 star rating! Taking a potential BB for The Paris Architect. Congrats on completing your categories! Making note of your comments regarding The Watchmaker of Filigree Street but still taking a potential BB for that one.

Great batch of reading since I was last visiting!

... all caught up!

>133 lkernagh:, nice to see you stopping in. I know you've had a very busy time this year.

60. Series Read

Reading Through Time December Theme - Regency

When Gods Die C S Harris
Book 2 Sebastian St Cyr Mysteries



The young wife of an aging marquis is found murdered in the arms of the Prince Regent. Around her neck lies a necklace said to have been worn by Druid priestesses-that is, until it was lost at sea with its last owner, Sebastian St. Cyr's mother. Now Sebastian is lured into a dangerous investigation of the marchioness's death-and his mother's uncertain fate. As he edges closer to the truth-and one murder follows another-he confronts a conspiracy that imperils those nearest him and threatens to bring down the monarchy.
book blurb from Booktopia website

Sebastian is drawn into another mystery. He is asked to look into the murder of a young woman of the court. A young woman married to a much older man. She is found dead in the arms of the Prince Regent. Those close to the Prince want his name cleared, Sebastian just wants the truth. Behind the glitz and glamour there are plots and secrets which Sebastian must untangle.

His girlfriend Kat is again a good supporting character, as is the little pick-pocket boy (Tom) that he befriended in the first book. Tom and Sebastian both mange to get themselves into dangerous situations.

I enjoyed reading this historical mystery.

I know this is nothing unusual at this time of year but I have been insanely busy for the last couple of weeks. Thanks goodness I have a week off in January, I might be able to have some down time. I am off to my third Christmas party for the month tonight, have been to Carols by Candlelight at the local park, had multiple BBQs and have been trying to get the Christmas shopping done. I sure everybody else is juggling the same things.

I am currently reading The Beekeeper's Daughter which is a fairly light romance, and listening to At the Water's Edge. I wasn't too keen on At the Water's Edge at first as I didn't like any of the characters, but they are developing and growing and I am liking it more each day.

I have been very busy with Christmas preparations as well. I am reading a lot in my spare time, but not visiting LT quite as much. Tomorrow will be another day of shopping.

61. Family

The Beekeeper's Daughter by Santa Montefiore



A family rocked by tragedy, a love that lives through time, a story that will stay in your heart...

Dorset, 1932: Grace Hamblin is growing up on a beautiful rural estate. The only child of the beekeeper, she knows her place and her future - until her father dies unexpectedly and leaves her bereft and alone. Alone, that is, except for the man she loves, whom she knows she can never have. Massachusetts, 1973: Grace's beautiful, impetuous daughter Trixie Valentine is in love.

Jasper is wild and romantic, a singer in a band on the brink of stardom. Then tragedy strikes and he must return to his home in England, promising to come back to Trixie one day, if only she will wait for him...Weighed down by memories, unaware of the secrets that bind them, both mother and daughter are searching for lost love.

To find what they are longing for they must confront the past, and unravel the lies told long ago...
book blurb from Booktopia website

I found this book to be an easy to read light romance / family saga. The stories of the mother and daughter work pretty well. For me, the overall theme of the book focused on communication, or the lack of, and the resulting impact of this.

Time to celebrate!!
I have completed my categories, reached my book target and my page target for 2016.

Now to get some more series started before my year of the series in 2017.

Congratulations, I hope you enjoy your last weeks of the year "free" reading!

Woo hoo for free reading! :D

Congratulations! Hope you enjoy some free reading in the runup to Christmas!

Congrats. on completing your 2016 Challenge. I love how you are giving yourself more series options for 2017!

Taking the morning afternoon playing catch-up on all the threads in the group and have enjoyed getting caught up with all of your reading. The Sebastian St Cry mysteries series is on my radar for 2017 series reading. Looking forward to getting caught up with Sebastian!

Congratulations on completing your categories!

Congratulations!

Congrats on completing your challenge!

Thanks for the congrats everybody :-)

Have a wonderful Christmas, Ro!

Merry Christmas, Ro!

Thanks Judy and Vivienne!

I just popped in to wish everybody a MERRY Christmas. I hope you are all having a wonderful time with your friends and family.

We spent Christmas Eve afternoon at Noosa with my in-laws. We took the kayak and standup paddle board, plus a double inflatable ring that we tied a rope to and attached to a tree so it didn't float away, and we had a wonderful afternoon enjoying the sunshine and the water. This was followed by a delicious BBQ. Then today, for Christmas, my husband had to go off to work (he works in the emergency department), so the kids and I enjoyed the company of our friends and had a lovely Christmas feast at home.

I got a gift of one book, which thankfully is a series so will be good for my 2017 challenge.

Merry Christmas! Glad to hear that your book gift is perfect for the 2017 challenge!

I think it's time to decide on my book of the year. I'm going to sleep on it and announce my number one book for 2016 tomorrow.

62. Water

At the Water's Edge by Sara Gruen
Audiobook



1944: After a high-society New Year's Eve party, at which Madeline Hyde and her husband, Ellis, disgrace themselves, they are cut off financially by his father who already is ashamed of a son not in uniform. In a misguided effort to regain the Colonel's favour, Ellis and his best friend, Hank, convince Maddie to follow them across the Atlantic on a wild scheme, with little thought of the devastation of World War II raging in Europe.

The trio arrive amid tragedy and privation in a remote village in the Scottish Highlands, where the locals have nothing but contempt for the privileged interlopers. Maddie, left on her own for much of the time, gradually builds friendships with the villagers who show her a larger world than she knew existed. As she embraces a fuller sense of who she might be, Maddie becomes aware not only of the dark forces around her, but of the beauty and surprising possibilities of life.
book blurb from Booktopia website

It took me a while to get into this book. I didn't really like any of the characters at first, but the more I had, the more the characters developed and grew and I began to appreciate them more.

Maddie is married to Ellis. They are living the high-life of spoilt society socialites. They push the envelope too far on New Year's Eve and find themselves cut off from the family wealth. Ellis and his very close friend Hank, decide this is the perfect opportunity to go to Scotland to hunt for the Loch Ness Monster. So they cross the sea during the midst of WWII for this purpose, with Maddie in tow.

The hunt for the monster, and the 'basic' living conditions highlight the character flaws of the 3 of them. Maddie discovers some home truths and has to work out how to deal with them.

This was a good read. I think I may have enjoyed it more if I had read the paper copy, rather than listening to the audio. Even so it's getting 4 stars from me.

January - A Curious Beginning by Deanna Rayburn. Book 1 - A Veronica Speedwell Mystery

February - Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

March - Painkiller by N J Fountain

April - The Vatican Princess by C W Gortner

May - Girl Runner by Carrie Snyder

June - The Ship of Brides by Jojo Moyes

July - What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty

August - Carry Me Home by Sandra Kring

September - At the Edge of the Orchard by Tracy Chevalier

October - The Chosen Queen by Joanna Courtney

November - A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon

December - At the Water's Edge by Sara Gruen

My favourite read for the year 2016...........







Carry Me Home by Sandra Kring is definitely a surprise winner for me this year. This book had been sitting on my kindle shelf for quite some time waiting for me to read it. It was published in 2004, so it has been around for a while.
The things I loved about this book - it has an unusual narrator in the form of Earwig, an intellectually challenged young man. He sees things in an honest and unprejudiced way and says it how it is. He also gets into a bit of trouble now and again and can be very funny. The book tackles some very difficult issues that are not new but are portrayed here with honesty. The characters are relatable.

63. Historical Fiction

Reading Through Time - Medieval

The Summer Queen by Elizabeth Chadwick
Book 1 Eleanor of Aquitaine



Eleanor of Aquitaine's story is legendary. She is an icon who has fascinated readers for over eight hundred years. But the real Eleanor remains elusive - until now. Based on the most up-to-date research, bestselling novelist Elizabeth Chadwick brings Eleanor's magnificent story to life, as never before.

Young, vibrant, privileged, Eleanor's future is golden as the heiress to wealthy Aquitaine. But when her beloved father dies suddenly in the summer of 1137, her childhood ends abruptly. Forced to marry the young prince Louis of France, Eleanor is still struggling to adjust to her new role when Louis' father dies and they become King and Queen of France. Leaving everything behind, the vivacious Eleanor must face the complex and faction-riddled French court. She is only 13.

Overflowing with scandal, politics, sex, triumphs and tragedies, The Summer Queen is the first novel in a stunning new trilogy, from award-winning and much-loved author Elizabeth Chadwick
book blurb from Booktopia website

It took me a while to get into this book too. I think it was me though, not the book, just too much going on. By the time I got to 20% I was hooked.

I have read books about Queen Eleanor before. They usually start with her meeting Henry. This one starts with Eleanor as a young girl, 12 or 13 years old. We see the politics behind her marriage with Louis of France, and how that marriage progresses through the years.

Eleanor is an intelligent woman. She has ambition and motivation. She also has her own goals and desires. She is fabulous at maintaining focus and never gives up in this male dominated time in history.

This was a very good read. I will definitely be reading the next book in the series.

Elizabeth Chadwick is one of those authors I keep meaning to get to! I do love historical fiction.

>157 VivienneR:, Happy New Year to you too. I look at that lovely snowy picture and then I look outside at the 32 degree heat and think it is time for a swim. We are hosting a new year party tonight so the sunny weather is appreciated.

>158 rabbitprincess:, that is my first book by Elizabeth Chadwick.