Winners of my Summer 2024 Giveaway announced!!

 

 A huge thank you to everyone who entered my latest giveaway.  The giveaway closed on the 8th January 2024 and all names were entered into a randomized generator using Random org and the winners are:

Pack 1

Janet R

Pack 2

Janelle

 

The winners have been notified and have seven days to provide a mailing address. I hope you enjoy your books.

 

 

Please check under the Giveaway tab for more great giveaways! 

My 2024 Reading Challenges

 

 

 

I enjoyed the three reading challenges I did last year so I am going to continue with the same three challenges for 2024. 

 

I'm signing up again for the Non Fiction Readers Challenge hosted by Shellyrae @ Bookdout. I wouldn't normally pick up a Non Fiction book (unless it's a knitting book) so this is a good challenge to push me to read more Non Fiction.

 

Follow the link to read all about the challenge https://bookdout.wordpress.com/2024-nonfiction-reader-challenge-host/ #readnonficchal

 

 There are 4 levels and I will be joining nonfiction grazer. It's sort of a commitment without a commitment. 🤣 I hope to read 6 Non Fiction in 2024.

Nonfiction Nipper: Read & review 3 books, from any 3 listed categories

Nonfiction Nibbler: Read & review 6 books, from any 6 listed categories

Nonfiction Nosher: Read & review 12 books, one for each category

Nonfiction Grazer: Read & review any nonfiction book. Set your own goal

Categories:

History
Memoir/Biography
True Crime
Science
Health
Food
Culture
Transportation
The Future
Pets
Architecture
Published in 2024

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Mount TBR Reading Challenge hosted by

My Reader's Block

 

I will again be joining the Mount TBR Challlenge

 There are 8 challenge levels and I will be joining Pikes Peak

Reading books that have been on my shelf since 2021 or earlier

Pike's Peak: Read 12 books from your TBR pile/s
Mount Blanc: Read 24 books from your TBR pile/s
Mt. Vancounver: Read 36 books from your TBR pile/s
Mt. Ararat: Read 48 books from your TBR pile/s
Mt. Kilimanjaro: Read 60 books from your TBR pile/s
El Toro*: Read 75 books from your TBR pile/s (*aka Cerro El Toro in South America)
Mt. Everest: Read 100 books from your TBR pile/s
Mount Olympus (Mars): Read 150+ books from your TBR pile/s

 

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My third challenge is just one for myself. I read 52 books by Australian Female authors in 2023 and only 16 books by Australian Male authors. In 2024 I want to increase my Aussie male author reading to at least 20 books. 

 

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You can follow along with my challenge progress under the 2024 challenge tab. This can be found in the drop down menu if reading on your phone.

Wrap-up of my 2023 Reading Challenges

 It's that time of year when we look back over our challenge pledges and see how we went. 

First up I joined the Dymocks reading challenge. The 2023 challenge was a little different to previous years. It was divided into seasons with prompt cards available from your local Dymocks or downloaded from their website. Each card had 8 prompts with 3 months to finish them. When the card was returned to Dymocks you were given a badge. I managed to complete the whole year and I found it much easier that the year was split into four challenges.

 

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Next up is the Non Fiction readers challenge hosted by shellyrae@bookdout

I picked the grazer level which meant I could read as much or as little as I like.

I was hoping to read 6 books and I managed to end the year with 10 Non Fiction books read.

 

You can see my full list of books HERE 

 

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Next was the Mount TBR challenge hosted by My Readers Block  

I committed to reading 12 books that had been on my shelves 2020 or earlier.

 

I completed this challenge by reading 21 books. It's a great feeling to get some of those old books off the shelf.

 

You can see my full list of books HERE

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My final challenge was the Male Aussie Author Challenge.

I was hoping to increase my books by Aussie males from 14 in 2022 to 20.

I failed this challenge but I didn't do too bad reading 16 books by Male Aussie authors.

 

You can see my full list of books HERE 

 

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Well that's a wrap for 2023. I was happy to complete most of my challenges. I think this is the first year I've actually completed a challenge. 🎉

Book Review: The Milliner of Bendigo by Darry Fraser

 The Milliner of Bendigo

by

Darry Fraser

Trouble with the law. A missing sister. Evie Emerson has a dangerous adventure ahead of her ...

 

Publisher: Harlequin Australia

Publication date: 29th November 2023

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 432

RRP: $32.99AU (paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

Review: The Milliner of Bendigo

Right from the start I was invested in the characters in this story and having characters from a previous book pop into the story gave an added level of connection.

 

Evie is a fabulous character, headstrong and intelligent. She finds herself unduly coerced by her current date who is pushing her to marry him. When Evie says no he sues her for breach of contract and proceeds to sully her reputation.

 

The Milliner of Bendigo is chock full of wonderful characters and one or two not so wonderful. My favourites were; the strong and determined Evie who works for Lucille Downing in her milliner shop, The affable David Kingsley who has his eye on the widow Downing, Fitz the roving reporter who is always after the next big story, and the shy and gallant Raff. 

 

The Milliner of Bendigo is fast paced and rich in mystery and drama. Told through multiple points of view I was totally invested in all the characters' stories and raced through the book.

 

Darry Fraser keenly evokes the atmosphere of the old gold mining towns of country Victoria and her vivid descriptions of the drought conditions left me well imagining the heat and dust. 

 

Set on the verge of federation, themes of water rights, corruption, cover ups and murder make The Milliner of Bendigo a must-read for historical fiction fans.

 

This is my second book by Darry Fraser and I am now keen to read her backlist.

 

my rating 5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

 

Book Review: Christmas by Candlelight by Karen Swan

 Christmas by Candlelight

by

Karen Swan

Snowed in for the holidays ....

Publisher: Pan Macmillan

Publication date: 17th October 2023

Genre:Contemporary Fiction

Pages: 416

Source: Own purchase

 

Review: Christmas by Candlelight  

I'm a great fan of Karen Swan and I especially look forward to her Christmas themed book each year.

Christmas by Candlelight is a dual timeline narration, alternating between 2014 and 2023.

 

2014 - features a group of six, 21 year-old, house-share uni students. There is lots of drinking, partying and hooking up. There is unrequited love within the group and a tragic event for one of the girls. The main character Libby is not so much a party girl. She is more into studying and takes her degree seriously.

 

2023 - Libby finally agrees to a Christmas dinner party with the group after avoiding them for the previous nine years and old frictions within the group resurface.

 

I found it very hard to connect with the characters for the first half of the book. They all felt a bit bland and the story was very slow going. By the second half I had more of a feel for the dynamics and the tension ramped up as the group were snowed in, cut off from the outside world, with no power.

 

There were a couple of twists toward the end that I didn't see coming but overall this was just an okay read for me. I found the story was geared toward a younger 'than me' age group with influencers, drunken parties and hook-ups. Even though I was a little disappointed I am still eagerly looking forward to Karen Swan's next Christmas novel.

 

my rating 3 / 5  ⭐⭐⭐ 

 

Other Karen Swan Christmas novels I've reviewed:

The Christmas Party 

The Christmas Lights

The Christmas Postcards 

 

 

Book Review: The Diemen Alexander by Marie Heitz

 The Diemen Alexander

by

Marie Heitz

Publisher: Clan Destine Press

Publication date: 16th October 2023

Genre: Science Fiction

Pages: 316

RRP: $32.95AU (paperback)

Source: Courtesy of the publisher

 

Review: The Diemen Alexander

The Diemen Alexander is a science fiction / fantasy genre mash-up.

 

After a fire rips through Kunanyi (Mount Wellington) Luke is gripped with guilt as it was exactly what he had wished for as his final school photography 'ecological nightmare' project.  

Taking a trip up the ravaged mountain Luke finds a small lizard amongst the devastation. Not wanting to leave it there to die he takes it home to feed and water it. The lizard now named Alexander, eats everything Luke offers. He is surprised he can eat so much and seems to be growing just as fast.

After lots of research Luke suspects that Alexander may be a modern-day Tasmaniosaurus Triassicus. Now he must find out more and also protect Alexander from ruthless profiteers.

 

I loved the concept of the story. Alexander was so little and cute it was easy to fall in love with him and I could see why Luke would do anything to protect him. As Alexander grew the story became darker - themes of dominance, anorexia, murder and child abuse emerge.

Heitz raises moral questions about who gets to judge whether people are fit to live and whether humans are protecting animals or dominating them.

 

I read a few reviews that stated they found the book humorous. Maybe it's just my sense of humour but I didn't see any humour. I actually found the story quite dark. I would classify it as a science fiction thriller with moral undertones.

 

Science fiction fans will enjoy!

 

my rating 3.5 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐½

Book Giveaway: Summer 2024 giveaway

 I have two fabulous book packs to giveaway. The books are all Advance Reader Copies that I haven't had the time to read. Some have been on my shelf for years.

 

The books are listed below. Enter for the pack that interests you or both packs if you wish.

 

Entry is via the form below.

 

Pack 1:

Mussolini's Island by Sarah Day

 Francesco has a memory of his father from early childhood, a night when life for his family changed: their name, their story, their living place. From that night, he has vowed to protect his mother and to follow the words of his father: Non mollare. Never give up.

When Francesco is rounded up with a group of young men and herded into a camp on the island of San Domino, he realises that someone has handed a list of names to the fascist police; everyone is suspicious of one another. His former lover Emilio is constantly agitating for revolution. His old friend Gio jealously watches their relationship rekindle. Locked in spartan dormitories, resentment and bitterness between the men grows each day.

Elena, a young and illiterate island girl on the cusp of womanhood, is drawn to the handsome Francesco yet fails to understand why her family try to keep her away from him. By day, she makes and floats her paper birds, willing them to fly from the island, just as she wants to herself. Sometimes, she is given a message to pass on. She's not sure who they are from; she knows simply that Francesco is hiding something. When Elena discovers the truth about the group of prisoners, the fine line between love and hate pulls her towards an act that can only have terrible consequences for all.

 

The Good Children by Roopa Farooki

 Leaving home is one thing. Surviving is another.

1940s Lahore, the Punjab. Two brothers and their two younger sisters are brought up to be 'good children', who do what they're told. Beaten and browbeaten by their manipulative mother, to study, honour and obey. Sully, damaged and brilliant, Jakie, irreverent and passionate. Cynical Mae and soft-hearted Lana, outshone and too easily dismissed.

The boys escape their repressive home to study medicine abroad, abandoning their sisters to their mother and marriages. Sully falls in love with an unsuitable Indian girl in the States; Jakie with an unsuitable white man in London. Their sisters in Pakistan refuse to remain trophy wives, and disgrace the family while they strike out to build their own lives.

As they raise their own families, and return to bury the dead, Sully and Jakie, Mae and Lana, face the consequences of their decisions, and learn that leaving home doesn't mean it will ever leave them.

 

The Flower Arrangement by Ella Griffin

 Golden peonies bowing their heads beneath blue delphinium bells. Delicate pink anemones threaded between freckled green orchids. Soft apricot roses woven together with velvety purple irises. Every bouquet tells a story. And every story begins at Blossom & Grow, a tiny jewel-like flower shop in the heart of Dublin. Here, among the buckets of fragrant blooms, beneath the flickering candles and lanterns, Lara works her magic. Translating feelings into flower arrangements that change hearts and lives. But what about her own heart? Has she really healed since she lost her chance to be a mother? What will happen when her own story takes a sudden turn? Can the flowers that heal the customers work their magic on the florist? Drawing together a delightful cast of characters, Ella Griffin brings her warmth, wit and wisdom to a captivating tale woven around a Dublin florist.

 

Arctic Zoo by Robert Muchamore

 From London . . .
Georgia gets straight As at school, writes essays for fun, has been placed first in twenty-six drone races and has a serious addiction to buying Japanese stationery. She plans to follow her older sister Sophie and become a doctor, but her worldview is shattered when Sophie commits suicide.

To Lagos . . .
Julius lives in Ondo, a Nigerian state where half the population lives on less than a dollar a day. But he isn't one of them. His uncle has been governor of Ondo for more than a decade and his mother is the power behind that throne. He finds refuge in a derelict zoo with best friend Duke, but as the two of them grow close, the world outside becomes more and more hostile.

 

Jane in Love by Rachel Givney

At age twenty-eight, Jane Austen should be seeking a suitable husband, but all she wants to do is write. She is forced to take extreme measures in her quest to find true love - which lands her in the most extraordinary of circumstances.

Magically, she finds herself in modern-day England, where horseless steel carriages line the streets and people wear very little clothing. She forms a new best friend in fading film star Sofia Wentworth, and a genuine love interest in Sofia's brother Fred, who has the audacity to be handsome, clever and kind-hearted.

She is also delighted to discover that she is now a famous writer, a published author of six novels and beloved around the globe. But as Jane's romance with Fred blossoms, her presence in the literary world starts to waver. She must find a way to stop herself disappearing from history before it's too late.

A modern-day reimagining of the life of one of the world's most celebrated writers, this wonderfully witty romantic comedy offers a new side to Jane's story, which sees her having to choose between true love in the present and her career as a writer in the past.

 

Inappropriation by Lexi Freiman

A search for belonging in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs turns into a riotous satire of identity politics in this wildly irreverent coming-of-age story.

Starting at a prestigious private Australian girls' school, fifteen-year-old Ziggy Klein is confronted with an alienating social hierarchy that hurls her into the arms of her grade's most radical feminists. Tormented by a burgeoning collection of dark, sexual fantasies, and a biological essentialist mother, Ziggy sets off on a journey of self-discovery that moves from the Sydney drag scene to the extremist underbelly of the Internet.

As PC culture collides with her friends' morphing ideology and her parents' kinky sex life, Ziggy's understanding of gender, race, and class begins to warp. Ostracized at school, she seeks refuge in Donna Haraway's seminal feminist text, A Cyborg Manifesto, and discovers an indisputable alternative identity. Or so she thinks. A controversial Indian guru, a transgender drag queen, and her own Holocaust-surviving grandmother propel Ziggy through a series of misidentifications, culminating in a date-rape revenge plot so confused, it just might work.

 Pack 2:

The Bass Rock by Evie Wyld

Surging out of the sea, the Bass Rock has for centuries watched over the lives that pass under its shadow on the Scottish mainland. And across the centuries the fates of three women are linked: to this place, to each other.

In the early 1700s, Sarah, accused of being a witch, flees for her life.

In the aftermath of the Second World War, Ruth navigates a new house, a new husband and the strange waters of the local community.

Six decades later, the house stands empty. Viv, mourning the death of her father, catalogues Ruth’s belongings and discovers her place in the past – and perhaps a way forward.

Each woman’s choices are circumscribed, in ways big and small, by the men in their lives. But in sisterhood there is the hope of survival and new life. Intricately crafted and compulsively readable, The Bass Rock burns bright with anger and love.

 

Vendetta by Sarah Barrie

 Ace hacker, former sex worker and vigilante Lexi Winter is now a cop and not keen to revisit her criminal past. But when old friends invoke the wrath of a local motorcycle club - the same club Lexi herself used to work for - she races to help them the only way she undercover.

If Lexi is to save a child's life, she is going to have to go back - back to a life she thought she had outrun. Back to the person she used to be. But her timing isn't great. Former club president Arthur Cronin has finished his long prison sentence and is out for revenge for the death of his wife and child. As he launches a series of bomb attacks on the club members who set him up and the cops who took him down, Lexi is caught in the middle.

Torn between old loyalties and new responsibilities, she must decide once and for all which side she's on, but even if she does decide to break free, are her old criminal friends ready to let her go?

 

The Bone Labyrinth by James Rollins

 A war is coming, a battle that will stretch from the prehistoric forests of the ancient past to the cutting-edge research labs of today, all to reveal a true mystery buried deep within our DNA, a mystery that will leave readers changed forever . . .

In this groundbreaking masterpiece of ingenuity and intrigue that spans 50,000 years in human history, New York Times bestselling author James Rollins takes us to mankind’s next great leap.

But will it mark a new chapter in our development . . . or our extinction?

 

Watch Over Me by Claire Corbett

The foggy northern city of Port Angelsund, gateway to an immense energy reserve under the Arctic Sea, has been subdued and is occupied by soldiers of Garrison.

 

Sylvie, a young woman just trying to survive, is working in a dockside cafe with her mother and little brother. Unknown to them, she has been contacted by her older brother, whose planned act of terrorism will throw the city in chaos.

 

When Sylvie is singled out for punishment at a checpoint, she is rescued from torture by a Garrison Lieutenant. She begins to fall in love.

Watched by Garrison's vast machinery of surveillance, Sylvie discovers she is also now under the protective and suspicious gaze of her lover. 

 

Stay With Me by Maureen McCarthy

 Tess is in trouble. Stuck on a farm outside Byron Bay, cut off from family and friends, Tess knows she must find a way to escape her violent partner to save her life and the life of her child ...

A chance meeting offers a way out - but can she ever trust again? Tess embarks on a desperate road trip back to the heart of her past. But what will be waiting for her at home? Will her family forgive her - and can she forgive them?

 

 
This giveaway is now closed and the winners were announced here: 

 https://theburgeoningbookshelf.blogspot.com/2024/01/winners-of-my-summer-2024-giveaway.html