Monday, 20 April 2020

Mailbox Monday - April 20th



Mailbox Monday is a meme started by Marcia of To Be Continued. Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came in their mailbox during the last week. It now has a permanent home at the Mailbox Monday blog. Head over and check out other books received during the last week. 


Happy Monday!


As Australia is continuing with it's isolation and social distancing extra measures have been in place over the last two weeks. Grandparents are no longer able to babysit grandchildren and even visiting is not allowed. I'm really struggling with this, the house is very quiet (too quiet) and tidy, but we are all abiding by the directive knowing it is for the good of everyone.
How are we getting by? We are still doing lots of cake baking, eating, watching T.V and walking. I've even resorted to tidying my bookshelves.

 


                                                            more cakes

Our Easter fare



On our walks






Books received over the last two weeks.

 From the publisher:

Just Desserts by Charlotte Rees

Doesn't this have the most gorgeous cover and I can't wait to start making some of these desserts.
An essential collection of 30 simple, no-fuss sweets served with an extra dollop of puns.




 Death in the Ladies Goddess Club by Julian Leatherdale

In the murky world of Kings Cross in 1932, aspiring crime writer Joan Linderman and her friend and flatmate Bernice Becker live the wild bohemian life, a carnival of parties and fancy-dress artists' balls.

One Saturday night, Joan is thrown headfirst into a real crime when she finds Ellie, her neighbour, murdered. To prove her worth as a crime writer and bring Ellie's killer to justice, Joan secretly investigates the case in the footsteps of Sergeant Lillian Armfield.


 The Hidden Beach by Karen Swan

Bell is working for Hannah and Max as nanny to their children, 9 year old Linus and 4 year old twins Elise and Tilde. 
Hannah's first husband fell into a coma 7 years earlier, following an accident. Now he is awake. And he wants his family back.

Caught in the middle bell tries to hold them all together, but she unwittingly becomes part of the problem and everything hangs in the balance - until a secret slowly emerges that will decide all their fates.


  
 My purchases:

Cloudburst by Wilbur Smith 
 
Jack Courtney has lived in London his whole life. But this summer his parents are travelling to the Democratic Republic of the Congo for a gorilla conference, and they've promised to take Jack and his friends with them.

When his parents go missing in the rainforest, abducted by mercenaries, nobody seems to have any answers. Jack is pretty sure that it's got something to do with the nearby tantalum mines, but he needs to prove it. Along with Amelia and Xander, Jack must brave the jungle to save his parents. Standing in his way is a member of his own family - Caleb Courtney.


 Call of the Raven by Wilbur Smith

The son of a wealthy plantation owner and a doting mother, Augustus Mungo St John is accustomed to the wealth and luxuries his privilege has afforded him. That is until he returns from university to discover his family ruined, his inheritance stolen and his childhood sweetheart, Camilla, taken by the conniving Chester Marion. Fuelled by anger, and love, Mungo swears vengeance and devotes his life to saving Camilla - and destroying Chester.

Camilla, trapped in New Orleans and powerless to her position as a kept slave and Chester's brutish behaviour, must learn to do whatever it takes to survive.

As Mungo battles his own fate and misfortune to achieve the revenge that drives him, and regain his power in the world, he must question what it takes for a man to survive when he has nothing, and what he is willing to do in order to get what he wants.


I would love to hear what you received in the mail lately! 


 

Friday, 17 April 2020

Book Review: The Long Road Home by Fiona McCallum

The Long Road Home
by
Fiona McCallum



Publisher: Harper Collins Australia 
Imprint: HQ Fiction
Publication date: 23rd March 2020
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Pages: 412
RRP: $32.99 AUD
Format read: Trade paperback
Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 Alice Hamilton is enjoying her new life in Ballarat with the freedom to explore her future now she's stepped away from the constraints of her upbringing. She's learnt the hard way that knowledge is power, and is looking forward to her legal studies, then making a difference as a lawyer with heart.

But whilst Alice's life is looking up, back in Hope Springs the world of her former husband Rick Peterson is unravelling. After a chance meeting a few months earlier, Rick and Alice have reconnected. And it's fortunate they have, because Rick is about to need Alice's friendship like he's never needed it before.

Rick has always felt a bit lost - as a farmer, he could never admit he didn't feel the deep connection to the land that the only son and third generation farmer should. And now he's suddenly being forced to come to terms with just why his heart isn't in it and what's behind his fractured relationships. Has his whole life been a lie - and if so, where did that lie begin?


The Long Road Home follows on from A Life of Her Own and whereas this story stands alone you will want to read the previous story about Alice’s struggle to achieve a life away from her emotionally abusive family.

I know in the first book I found it hard to connect with Alice as a lot of the story was centred around her negative thoughts.

At the end of the day, Alice, we’re responsible for our own happiness and wellbeing. Once you realise that, life becomes a lot easier to manage.”

Now Alice has moved away from her family and started to do more of what pleases her she has become more aware of how negative she was and has striven to turn this around. I applaud Alice for this as it must have been hard. But you can see the difference it made when she smiled more, laughed more.

This story is not only about Alice’s road to self discovery. When her ex-husband Rick needs a shoulder to lean on after a death in the family Alice is there for him. Rick’s story is heart-felt. As explosive secrets are uncovered he finds he has no-one to turn to in his hometown of Hope Springs and is heartily welcomed into Alice’s new circle of friends in Ballarat.

I loved the mystery surrounding Rick and how Alice and Rick slowly uncovered the details. It was shock after shock and I was eagerly invested in finding out the final outcome.

The Long Road Home is an emotional story of self discovery, long held secrets and finding your true calling from one of Australia’s much loved novelists.



My rating  4/5   ⭐⭐⭐⭐


Fiona McCallum was raised on a cereal and wool farm near Cleve on South Australia's Eyre Peninsula and remained in the area until her mid-twenties, during which time she married and separated. She then moved to Melbourne and on to Sydney a few years later.
An avid reader and writer, Fiona returned to full-time study as a mature-age student and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in professional writing and editing and a second major in history in 2000. She then began a consultancy providing writing and editing services to the corporate sector. While studying, and then working, Fiona found herself drawn to writing fiction where her keen observation of people and their everyday lives could be combined with her love of storytelling.
Now a full-time novelist, Fiona writes heart-warming stories that draw on her rich and contrasting life experiences, love of animals and fascination with human nature. Her first novel, Paycheque, was published in 2011 and became a bestseller. In the nine years since, Fiona has written another ten bestselling novels: Nowhere Else, Wattle Creek, Saving Grace, Time Will Tell, Meant To Be, Leap of Faith, Standing Strong, Finding Hannah, Making Peace and A Life of Her Own. The Long Road Home is Fiona's twelfth novel.
Fiona currently resides in suburban Adelaide.


Click on the book cover to read my review:
https://theburgeoningbookshelf.blogspot.com/2019/05/book-review-life-of-her-own.html


This review is part of the Book Lover Book Review Aussie Author Challenge  and the Australian Women Writers challenge
 
 


Wednesday, 15 April 2020

Book Review: The Year That Changed Everything by Cathy Kelly

The Year That Changed Everything
by
Cathy Kelly



Publisher: Hachette Australia 
Publication date: 27th February 2018
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Pages: 320
RRP: $29.99AUD
Format read: Trade paperback
Source: Own read

Three women celebrate their birthdays . . . 30. 40. 50. But their milestone birthdays marks the start of a year that will change everything . . .

Ginger isn't spending her 30th the way she would have planned. Tonight might be the first night of the rest of her life - or a total disaster.

Sam is finally pregnant after years of trying. When her waters break on the morning of her 40th birthday, she panics: forget labour, how is she going to be a mother?

Callie is celebrating her 50th at a big party in her Dublin home. Then a knock at the door mid-party turns her perfect life upside down . . .




 



It’s Callie’s 50th Birthday. The day her whole life will implode and she, and her rebellious 14 year old daughter, will need to completely reassess their lives.

It is also Sam’s 40th Birthday. A day that will see all Sam’s dreams come true but will also open up every insecurity she has ever felt.

Ginger should be celebrating her 30th Birthday but instead she is attending best friend Liza’s wedding. She really doesn’t mind, her birthday can wait and there is a cute guy that has been very attentive. A chance overheard conversation has Ginger’s whole idea of friendship, and her own self image, shattered.

Told in alternating point of view of Callie, Sam and Ginger. Three complete strangers all sharing the same birthday and all found their lives changed forever in The Year That Changed Everything.

This is not only a story of how these three women fell apart and slowly rebuilt their lives and their confidence but also about family and finding true friendship where you least expect it. Each of the women, in their time of need, were supported by loving family.

I really enjoyed each woman’s journey and the anticipation of how they were going to meet but it is hard not to connect more with one character than another and Ginger was definitely my favourite.
We see, through Ginger, that body image is a real threat to someone’s self esteem and viscous comments by people posing as friends can reinforce this but when she has supportive people around her Ginger’s confidence soared.

There were also many wonderful supporting characters that were there to provide comfort, humour and even a love interest throughout the book.

The Year That Changed Everything is a feel good story of self discovery.



My rating  4/5    ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Photo credit; Goodreads

Cathy Kelly is published around the world, with millions of books in print. Cathy is the bestselling author of THE HONEY QUEEN, ONCE IN A LIFETIME, BETWEEN SISTERS and THE YEAR THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING, and is a No.1 bestseller in the UK, Ireland and Australia. Her trademark is warm and witty Irish storytelling about modern life, always with an uplifting message, a sense of community and strong female characters at the heart.
She lives with her family and their three dogs in County Wicklow, Ireland. She is also an Ambassador for UNICEF Ireland, raising funds and awareness for children orphaned by or living with HIV/AIDS.



 
 

Sunday, 12 April 2020

Book Bingo - Round 4: A Prize Winning Book #BookBingo2020

How it Feels to Float by Helena Fox

This week I have chosen the category 'A prize Winning Book'.


The book I have chosen for this category is 'How it Feels to Float'.
 
WINNER OF THE VICTORIAN PREMIER'S AWARD PRIZE FOR WRITING FOR YOUNG ADULTS 2020
 
How it Feels to Float has also been longlisted and shortlisted for other notable awards.
 
SHORTLISTED FOR THE GRIFFITH UNIVERSITY YOUNG ADULT BOOK AWARD 2019
SHORTLISTED FOR THE NSW PREMIER'S LITERARY AWARDS ETHEL TURNER PRIZE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE'S LITERATURE 2020
SHOTLISTED FOR THE CBCA BOOK OF THE YEAR FOR OLDER READERS 2020
LONGLISTED FOR ABIA BOOK OF THE YEAR FOR OLDER CHILDREN 2020
LONGLISTED FOR THE INDIE BOOK AWARD FOR YOUNG ADULT FICTION 2020  
 
You can read my review here 
 
__________________________________________
 
 Book Bingo is a reading challenge hosted by Theresa Smith Writes , Mrs B’s Book Reviews and The Book Muse. The second Saturday of each month book bingo participants reveal which bingo category they have read and what book they chose.   


#BookBingo2020