Monday, 28 September 2020

Mailbox Monday & Life This Week - September 28th


 

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.

Life This Week is a meme created by Denyse Whelan Blogs where bloggers share snaps of what is currently happening in their lives.

Happy Monday!

School holidays started today and I'm looking forward to spending some time with the grandchildren over the next two weeks.

Our hot water system was on its way out so we had it replaced last week and as you would expect once you replace one appliance the others seem to go out in sympathy and we needed to replace our fridge only a few days later. We struggled to find a fridge the same size that would fit into the spot so we had to buy a smaller one which I am sure we will get used to over time. Now I'm just waiting for the washing machine to break down.

We celebrated our eldest daughter's birthday during the last week. When I'm not reading I'm knitting squares to make a picture throw for my granddaughter.



I found these fantastic patterns at https://daisyandstorm.com/ 
I will be using 30 squares for the throw.  
 
Books received over the last two weeks:
 

From the publisher:
Soldiers by Tom Remiger

Breen sometimes thought sourly that Tiger Jackson would have made a good fascist. He told unreliable stories, he liked power and admiration, and he had all three military virtues- self-belief, luck, and an eye for the main chance. Despite all this, Breen liked him. Somehow it was impossible not to.

After the death of Corporal Daniel Cousins in what is apparently a training accident, a young officer, Lieutenant Breen, becomes obsessed by the case. Was Cousins murdered by one of his own?
Breen's investigation, as well as his unanticipated love affair with a superior officer, threatens the unity of his comrades as they wait for the suffering to come in the Battle of Crete-one of the defining encounters of World War II.
 
 
Lucky's by Andrew Pippos
Lucky's is a story of family. It is also about a man called Lucky.
His restaurant chain.
A fire that changed everything. 
The mystery of a missing father.
An impostor who got the girl.
An unthinkable tragedy.
A roll of the dice. 
And love: lost, sought and won again, at last.
Trust by Chris Hammer

He violated her past and haunts her present.
Now he's threatening their future.
She breathes deeply, trying to quell the rising sense of panic. A detective came to her home, drugged her and kidnapped her. She tries to make sense of it, to imagine alternatives, but only one conclusion is possible: it's her past come to claim her.
Martin Scarsden's new life seems perfect, right up until the moment it's shattered by a voicemail: a single scream, abruptly cut off, from his partner Mandaly Blonde.
Racing home, he finds an unconcious man sprawled on the floor and Mandy gone. Someone has abducted her. But who, and why?
So starts a twisting tale of intrigue and danger, as Martin probes the past of the woman he loves, a woman who has buried her former life so deep she has never mentioned it.
And for the first time, Mandy finds denial impossible, now the body of a mystery man has been discovered, a man whose name she doesn't know, a man she was engaged to marry when he died. It's time to face her demons once and for all; it's time she learned how to trust.
 
How to Make a Life by Florence Reiss Kraut

When Ida and her daughter Bessie flee a catastrophic pogrom in Ukraine for America in 1905, they believe their emigration will ensure that their children and grandchildren will be safe from harm. But choices and decisions made by one generation have ripple effects on those who come later—and in the decades that follow, family secrets, betrayals, and mistakes made in the name of love threaten the survival of the family: Bessie and Abe Weissman’s children struggle with the shattering effects of daughter Ruby’s mental illness, of Jenny’s love affair with her brother-in-law, of the disappearance of Ruby’s daughter as she flees her mother’s legacy, and of the accidental deaths of Irene’s husband and granddaughter.
 
Books I've won:
 
I won this gorgeous edition of Tashi plus a little mini version of the book both signed by the author.
 
Tashi by Anna Fienberg

"Well, it was like this. Come and I'll tell you about the time I tricked the last dragon of all." So says the daring hero, Tashi, in his first book of adventures. Tashi comes from a place very far away. He escaped from a war lord and flew to this country on a swan. He's as brave as he's clever, and he tells the best stories. Tashi books are ideal for young readers, or for reading aloud, and they're loved all over the world. 
 
 
 I would love to hear what books you received in the mail recently! 
 
 

Tuesday, 22 September 2020

Book Review: Feathers by Karen Hendriks

Feathers
by
Karen Hendriks
illustrated by Kim Fleming 
 

 
 
Publisher: Empowering Resources 
Publication date: 1st September 2020
Genre: Children's / Picture Book
Pages: 36
RRP: $17.00AUD
Format read: Softcover
Source: Courtesy of the publisher
 
Back cover
 
'Dad, it's my wish feather.'
I gently place my dream treasure under my pillow,
Mum promised to always be with me....
 
My review
 

Feathers is a beautiful, gentle book about a young boy remembering his mother. The story starts with the boy running in the garden trying to catch some floating feathers. He tells his dad that mum said feathers help you capture good dreams. His father now joins in.

The delightful watercolour pictures are joyful as the boy and his father run around with smiles on their faces, catching feathers. With the feather under his pillow dad puts him to bed that night and he has lovely, happy dreams of his mother.

Picture books are a relatable way of learning how to talk about and explore difficult emotions in an engaging and meaningful way. 

Feathers gently explores the theme of loss. Death is never mentioned only that mum's star is shining in the sky. The young boy and his father are remembering his mother in a happy way. I loved that the inside cover has delightful watercolour illustrations of different feathers labelled with the relevant birds.

Symbolising loss has a beneficial effect on healing and I know people who have used sightings of rainbows, birds and cloud formations to remember loved ones. Karen Hendriks use of feathers as a symbol is soft, gentle and calming.

I think this would be a valuable resource for any family that has lost a loved one be it mother, father or grandparent. It would also be valuable for general classroom discussion.

ages 3 - 7 years

5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

About the author



Karen was a primary school teacher and has always loved using picture books to brighten children’s lives.

Karen lives on the south coast of New South Wales with her family and little dog Elmo.  Being by the sea, with sandy toes and close to nature is what makes Karen happy. She rides her pushbike with Elmo in the basket along the beaches.

Karen loves to travel anywhere, whenever she can.  She keeps on dreaming and planning of things to see and do. But to Karen the simple things in life are just as important, like writing and laughing and having fun. 

Karen can be found writing in local coffee shops or even on scraps of paper or typing some random idea into her phone.  She believes kindness is catching just like hugs from picture books.

With the lightness of a feather in the breeze Karen hopes her stories reach and find you.


 

About the illustrator

Kim can vividly remember being amazed at the age of 4 when she mixed red and white together and got pink. It was magic!

Her mastery of pink led Kim to many other colours, and a love of art began. 

A move to Melbourne, led Kim to discover the glorious world of children’s book illustration... and she often declares that she has ‘the best job in the world’.

She loves using layers of collage and watercolour washes, and creating sweet, heartwarming characters. She also sometimes uses ink, acrylics and hand-carved stamps

Challenges entered: Aussie author challenge  #AussieAuthor20
                                 Australian Women Writers Challenge #AWW2020



 
 

Monday, 21 September 2020

Book Review: The Bro Code by Elizabeth. A. Seibert

The Bro Code
by
Elizabeth A. Seibert 




Publisher: Wattpad Books
Publication date: 22nd September 2020
Genre: Young Adult
Pages: 320
Format read: eBook
Source: Courtesy of Smith Publicity

About the book

As a certified stand-up bro, Nick Maguire knows that some things in life are sacred: Do not skip ab workouts. Never back down from spicy foods. And always accept the outcome of Rock, Paper, Scissors. For these are the revered doctrines of The Bro Code, rules of conduct that have been passed down through the ages from bro to bro.

Heading into his senior year, Cassidy High’s star soccer player has his priorities straight and intends to spend his time playing sports, hanging out, and living by the code. But when his best bro Carter’s sister Eliza returns from studying overseas, the awkward, academic girl Nick remembers is different.

Carter might be Nick’s bro, but Eliza becomes his whole world—and he has to make a choice between them. Is being with the girl of your dreams worth breaking the most important rule: never date your best friend’s sister? Somehow, Nick never expected that following The Bro Code may have even bigger consequences than breaking it

My Review


Elizabeth Seibert has delivered a humorous and satirical look at a group of boys, the jocks of their high school, as they navigate the path from boys to men.

The boys were all about ‘the code’ and, as most teens are, all about themselves and the rules that they decided they should live by. These were a group of privileged white boys and I think they realised that. However, with no responsibilities they also seemed to lack respect.

One rule; ‘you don’t hit on a bro’s sister’ starts to cause division in the group as one of the boys starts to fall for his best-friend's sister.
As the story evolves and the boys mature they start to come to the realisation that their attitude towards girls has not been respectful.

There is plenty of humour as the boys hang out doing silly boy stuff, playing video games and eating pizza. However the book also explores many situations relevant to teens including the important topics of consent, respect and toxic masculinity although I feel these topics could have been explored further and I didn’t like that there were never any consequences for their actions.
The boys look back on events in the past and see with a more mature mind that things they did were not okay.

Sixteen year old Eliza, the sister of one of the boys, provides a good perspective of the female point of view and the harm that can be done by these disrespectful boys. I liked that Eliza was outspoken and called the boys out over their behaviour.

There is a really sweet romance running through the story and I love how Eliza chooses the course and pace of the romance.

The Bro Code is a light read that gets the message across in a subtle way. This is a story I hope will make young males see toxic masculinity as outdated and young girls to be strong and outspoken. 

3.5 / 5   ⭐⭐⭐.5

Ages: 14 – 17 years.

About the author

Photo: Goodreads
Elizabeth A. Seibert has been an author, sunscreen-obsessed lifeguard, barbecue-loving waitress, finance reporter, nine-to-five marketer, and aspiring superhero. Her stories on Wattpad have amassed over thirty million reads, and she’s been featured in Imagines: Celebrity Encounters Starring You (Simon & Schuster).

Elizabeth attended the University of Massachusetts Amerst and currently lives in Massachusetts, USA, where she attends Harvard University. Elizabeth loves to cook and play board games and ultimate frisbee. The Bro Code is her debut novel. 

 
 


 






Wednesday, 16 September 2020

Spotlight: Always a Princess by Clyve Rose

Always a Princess
by
Clyve Rose
 

Publisher: Boroughs Publishing Group
Publication date: 8th September 2020
Genre: Historical Fiction
Pages: 350
Format available: Paperback, eBook
RRP: $12.99, $3.99
 
About the book
 
For fans of regency romance, that leaves less to the imagination than your typical costume drama, and readers who love a confident heroine, comes a story of two hearts from different worlds who find a way to love one another. 
 
Anyone obsessed with the royal-marries-a-commoner storyline playing out in the monarchy of the United Kingdom will love this very British tale that illuminates the lives of the Romany people. Once called gypsies, the Romany were an integral but oft-overlooked part of regency society. 
 
Lyrical, textured and flush with romance, Always a Princess reveals how love is an act of great personal courage.  
 
About the author
 
Photo: Goodreads

Clyve Rose has been writing historical romance fiction for the best part of two decades. She works in the historical romance, fantasy, and speculative fiction genres. She also creates literary novels under an alternative pen name. In between her devotion to fiction writing, Clyve researches various mythologies and historical periods, often basing her characters on actual historical personalities.

One of her novels was longlisted for a 2010 Hachette Development Award for Fiction while her paranormal short story, The One Below, is a Finalist in the Sexy Scribbles contest organized by Passionate Ink, the erotica division of Romance Writers of America.