Title: Camp Austen: My Life as an Accidental Jane Austen
Superfan
Author: Ted Scheinman
Narrated by: Ted Scheinman
Publisher: Macmillan
Audio
Length:
Approximately 3 hours and 43 minutes
Source: Purchased
from Audible.com. Thank-you!
Author Ted Scheinman was a fun narrator and I really enjoyed listening to his story.
Overall, this was a fun look into the world of Jane Austen fandom.
Thank you, Partner @bibliolifestyle @williammorrowbooks for the review copy of The Thing in the Snow by Sean Adams and for allowing me to be on this tour.
I'm currently reading this thriller and I am liking is strange and unique premise. I'll be posting my review in the near future.
This book is new and was just published on January 3rd.
SYNOPSIS:
From the critically acclaimed author of The Heap, a thought-provoking and wryly funny novel—equal parts satire and psychological thriller—that holds a funhouse mirror to the isolated workplace and an age of endless distraction.
At the far reaches of the world, the Northern Institute sits in a vast expanse of ice and snow. Once a thriving research facility, its operations were abruptly shut down after an unspecified incident, and its research teams promptly evacuated. Now it’s home to a team of three caretakers—Gibbs, Cline, and their supervisor, Hart—and a single remaining researcher named Gilroy, who is feverishly studying the sensation of coldness.
Their objective is simple: occupy the space, complete their weekly tasks, and keep the building in working order in case research ever resumes. (Also: never touch the thermostat. Also: never, ever go outside.) The work isn’t thrilling—test every door for excessive creaking, sit on every chair to ensure its structural integrity—but for Hart, it’s the opportunity of a lifetime, a chance to hone his leadership skills and become the beacon of efficiency he always knew he could be.
There’s just one obstacle standing in his way: a mysterious object that has appeared out in the snow. Gibbs and Cline are mesmerized. They can’t discern its exact shape and color, nor if it’s moving or fixed in place. But it is there. Isn’t it?
Whatever it might be, Hart thinks the thing in the snow is an unwelcome distraction, and probably a huge waste of time. Though, come to think of it, time itself has been a bit wonky lately. Weekends pass in a blur, and he can hardly tell day from night. Gravity seems less-than-reliable. The lights have been flickering weirdly, and he feels an odd thrumming sensation in his beard. Gibbs might be plotting to unseat him as supervisor, and Gilroy—well, what is he really doing anyway?
Perplexed and isolated—but most certainly not alone—Hart wrestles for control of his own psyche as the thing in the snow beguiles his team, upends their work, and challenges their every notion of what is normal.
Flying Solo was the
January Pick for the Page-turners Book Club at the Kewaunee Public
Library. We had a good discussion of
this book at our meeting.
Laurie Sassalyn was the
only girl growing up with five brothers.
Her Great-Aunt Dot’s house was always a welcome retreat to visit. Now years later, Laurie has recently
cancelled her wedding and is about to turn forty. Her Great-Aunt has passed away and she has
returned home to go settle Aunt Dot’s estate.
Amongst Aunt Dot’s possessions, she finds a mysterious wooden duck. Why did her Great Aunt Dot have it hidden in
a trunk? As Laurie reconnects with her
first love, she works to solve the mystery of the duck.
I enjoyed this novel’s
theme of a strong successful woman being okay with living on her own be it Great-Aunt
Dot or Laurie. They aren’t defined by
marriage or kids, but find happiness with their friends, family, travels and
jobs. I was mostly roped in by the mystery
of the duck and loved seeing how that story played out. The romance was good, but my book club agreed
that the ending was too ambiguous on that end.
I was intrigued to find
out the author of this novel, Linda Holmes is one of the hosts of the podcast
Pop Culture Happy Hour. I had just
started to listen to and enjoy this podcast about a month ago. Do you have any favorite podcasts?
Favorite Quote:
“You don’t have to be
single to be independent. And you don’t
have to be married to be loved.”
Cake and Courtship is the
first book in the Mr. Bennet’s Memoirs series.
Cake and Courtship is the January pick for the JASNA Northwoods Book
Club. We’ll be discussing this book this
weekend.
Mr. Bennet is the
unhappily married father of five daughters in Regency England. He served in the army in the conflict in
America and the son of his best friend that he served with, John Barton, has
returned to England after a long stay in Vienna. Unfortunately, John’s father is not
responsible with his money and John is trying to tidy up affairs. When he is in Bath, he comes across a woman
that he falls immediately in love with.
Without family or friends in England, how can he pursue her? He turns to the one person he does know and
trust, Mr. Bennet. Mr. Bennet feels like
he is the last man to give advice on love, but he wants to help out the young
man. He turns to his friends at the
Meryton Natural History Society to help him advice.
I loved this novel. It was a fun Pride and Prejudice variation
with a unique point of view. I’ve never
read anything from Mr. Bennet’s point of view, and it left me excited to read
the second book in the series. I’ve
always thought Mr. Bennet has a funny wit throughout the original novel. Author Mark Brownlow perfectly captures Mr.
Bennet’s voice and keeps the ironic humor in tack. I also loved finding out about Mr. Bennet’s
own lost love and his youth. I also liked
that Mr. Bennet wasn’t too hard on Mrs. Bennet.
The story of Pride and Prejudice seemed to be happening in the
background of Mr. Bennet’s story and I thought it was fun. I laughed out loud more than once reading
this novel.
Favorite Quotes:
“Books are the one luxury
I deem a necessity. If my purchases lead us into poverty, then at least we will
be well-read paupers.”
“I passed the evening
with a glass of port and the rare self-satisfaction of a husband in possession
of precious gossip before his wife.”
“Toke’s sermons were the
Russian winters of ecclesiastical discourse—rather unpleasant, far too long,
and likely to darken the spirits of all who survived them.”
“He was a man of
indefatigable charm and wit, and thus worthy of immediate suspicion.”
“Within minutes of his
arrival, Mr. Collins described himself as a tool of God. I could well believe
it. The good Lord had clearly sent him to test our fortitude.”
Book Source: Purchased
this copy from Amazon.com. Opinions
expressed in this review are completely my own.
Thank you, Partner
@bibliolifestyle @officialagathachristie for a review copy of Towards Zero by
Agatha Christie. I have participated in
the Read Christie Challenge the past two years and enjoyed it. I am excited to start 2023 with this novel to
start the 2023 Read Christie Challenge.
About the Read Christie
Challenge:
Read Christie 2023 is the
official reading challenge from Agatha Christie Ltd (ACL), which explores 12
stories and themes throughout the year. The 2023 theme is Methods and Motives in
Agatha Christie's stories. Each month,
alongside the official choice, there are alternative titles for readers to
choose from that fit the categories. January's
theme is Jealousy. The official ACL pick
is Sad Cypress. The official
alternatives are: The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side or Towards Zero. To
join in, download the Read Christie 2023 challenge postcard from
agathachristie.com. The postcard will be
included in your welcome email. To join
in on Instagram, tag your post with #ReadChristie2023.
Review:
I received a copy of the alternative
pick for January, Towards Zero. I had
never read this book before, and I greatly enjoyed it.
Towards Zero is working
from the premise that “A murder is the culmination of a lot of different circumstances,
all converging at a given moment at a given point. People are brought into it from different
parts of the globe and for unforeseen reasons.”
The story starts with various seemingly unconnected people and gives
their background as the pieces all come together. Many of the characters eventually converge at
a house party at a seaside home of an old widow. When a shocking murder happens, Superintendent
Battle interrupts his vacation to solve the crime. How do all of these pieces fit together? Who would murder this poor old woman and why?
I loved the concept and
liked seeing how all of the characters and their experiences came together to
solve this mystery. Once again, I thought
I had this figured out, but Christie got me with a red herring. I also enjoyed
Superintendent Battle thinking about how his old friend Hercule Poirot would
solve such a crime. This is the first
Christie novel I’ve read with Superintendent Battle, but I see he is featured
in four more novels before this one and this is his last adventure. I loved the atmosphere; it seemed like a
powder keg with all of the various personalities together and something bad was
bound to happen.
Favorite Quote:
“A little malice, adds a
certain savour to life.”
Overall, Towards Zero is
an excellent Agatha Christie mystery.
The Key to My Heart by
Lia Louis was a wonderful and unique story about one woman’s journey from grief
to hope. This was very different from
most books I’ve read, and I loved the characters and the journey.
Natalie Fincher lost her husband
due to an accident. It’s been two and a
half years since he died, but she can’t move on. Her friends and family all think she needs to
move on, but she still feels lost. She
has lost her spark for life. She doesn’t
really love the cottage she lives in anymore but can’t leave because it was her
and her husband’s project. She was a musician
but doesn’t work in music anymore. She
has started to play music on a piano at the train station and mysteriously has
been finding music left in the piano bench that had significance to her and her
husband. Who is leaving the music and
why? As she starts to get out there and
try to heal, she meets two interesting men.
Is she ready to move on with love?
The Key to My Heart was an
honest look at grief and going through the grief process. It was a good look at can you find “the one”
after you have lost “the one?” How do
you move on? When will people stop
looking at you like you are broken? It was a good book about friends that stick
with you and friends that aren’t sure how to act when something like this
happens. I like how Natalie was able to
find support and make new connections. I
connected with Natalie even though I haven’t been through this experience. It was a very heartfelt book with great
characters. I will definitely be reading
more by this author.
Thank you @BookClubFavorites
#BookClubFavorites for the free book. I
received a complimentary copy of this book from Simon & Schuster and
Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Do you have a favorite
job or place your worked? One of my
favorite jobs was working for the local dime store in my hometown as a teenager. It was a great place to work with a great boss,
the late Mr. Soncrant. Mr. Soncrant and
the dime store were immortalized in the children’s book Something About Hensley’s
by Patricia Polacco. It’s neat to have a
past job immortalized.
I was very excited to read
a collection of four Christmas novellas set in in a five and dime store called
Five and Dime Christmas. All four stories
were set in 1881 in a Woolworth’s store in Scranton Pennsylvania. Each story is about a different young woman
that works at the store and her finding a true love. Different characters also find the true
meaning of Christmas as well. I’m not going to break down a summary of each
story, but I will say I loved each and every one of these four stories. I loved the historic setting, the characters,
and the plot. There is just something
about historic Christmas stories that I enjoy.
They were clean, Christian romances.
I would highly recommend this collection.
This is my last Christmas
book for this year . . . although depending on the weather, I may yet read
another one this winter.
Review Copy from Netgalley.
Thank-you! I received a complimentary
copy of this book. Opinions expressed in
this review are completely my own.
Title: Christmas at the Amish Market
Author: Shelley Shepard Gray
Narrated by: Suzie Althens
Publisher: Hallmark
Publishing
Length:
Approximately 7 hours and 53 minutes
Source: Review
Copy from NetGalley. Thank-you!
Christmas at the Amish market is my last Christmas audiobook of the season. Wesley is running his family’s Amish market during the busy Christmas season as his father is having health problems. This does not leave him with enough time to get to visit with his girlfriend, Liesl. Liesl enlists her Aunt Jenny to help Wesley out at the Market. Much to Wesley’s surprise, Aunt Jenny is his age. As they start to work together, sparks start to fly. But how can they think about romance with Liesl in the picture? Liesl has also been helping out a widower with his young daughter and has been feeling sparks of her own. Will everyone find their happily ever after at Christmas?
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What is your favorite
time period to read about? I love reading
about all periods of time. I love a good
World War II story, but I do love historical fiction that focuses on other periods
of time. I have always loved reading English and
Scottish history and in particular about the Jacobite Rebellion. I love Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Battle
of Culloden. The Rose and the Thistle
takes place during the Jacobite Rising of 1715, which I haven’t read as much
about as the events of the 1730s.
Lady Blythe Hedley is a
wealthy heiress and daughter of the Duke of Northumberland. She is an educated woman and comes from a
Catholic family. Her father supports the
Stuarts cause, and the novel starts with Blythe in France with the Stuart
family. Before she returns, her father asks
Lord Wedderburn to care for his daughter.
Lord Wedderburn is on his death bed but was once the godfather of Blythe
when he was still Catholic. He lives
just across the border in Scotland. He
agrees. When their priest is killed and
estate is overrun, Blythe and her maid make a hurried escape north to Wedderburn
Castle. They arrive just as Lord Wedderburn
has passed away and Everard Hume has become the new laird. Will Blythe and Everard be able to navigate
these dangerous time?
The Rose and the Thistle
is my favorite kind of historical fiction.
It is well researched, and it makes you feel like you are in Scotland
during 1715. The characters are interesting,
and I couldn’t stop reading about them.
I loved the independent Lady Blythe and also loved Everard. He had a sometimes crusty exterior but is a
good person beneath it all. Together they had a slow burn romance that was
wonderful to read. There was plenty of excitement
to wrap up this book that I don’t want spoil for others. I do feel like I would love to continue to
read about Blythe and Everard and I hope there is a second novel. I do know that I need to read more books by
Laura Frantz.
I especially loved the
Author’s Note at the end. This novel is
based on the author’s ancestors, the Hume family. She visited the castle and the area and made
me realize why the descriptions were so wonderful in the novel. I thought the
personal history was fascinating.
It is always amazing to
me reading through history how much tension there was on whether you where
Catholic or Protestant in England and Scotland for hundreds of years. Your religion could get you killed.
This is a clean read and
Christian. I loved it and thought it was
not only a great historical fiction novel, but a great romance.
Review Copy from Revell a
division of Baker Publishing Thank-you!
I received a complimentary copy of this book as part of the Austenprose PR Book
Tour. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
·
Title: The Rose and the Thistle: A Novel
·
Author: Laura
Frantz
·
Genre: Historical Romance, Historical Fiction,
Inspirational Fiction
·
Publisher: Fleming H. Revell Co
(January 3, 2023)
·
Length: (416) pages
· Format: Hardcover,
Trade paperback, & eBook
· ISBN: 978-0800742669
·
Tour Dates: January 2 – 16, 2023
BOOK DESCRIPTION
In 1715,
Lady Blythe Hedley's father is declared an enemy of the British crown because
of his Jacobite sympathies, forcing her to flee her home in northern England.
Secreted to the tower of Wedderburn Castle in Scotland, Lady Blythe awaits who
will ultimately be crowned king. But in a house with seven sons and numerous
servants, her presence soon becomes known.
No
sooner has Everard Hume lost his father, Lord Wedderburn, than Lady Hedley
arrives with the clothes on her back and her mistress in tow. He has his own
problems--a volatile brother with dangerous political leanings, an estate to
manage, and a very young brother in need of comfort and direction in the wake
of losing his father. It would be best for everyone if he could send this
misfit heiress on her way as soon as possible.
Drawn
into a whirlwind of intrigue, shifting alliances, and ambitions, Lady Blythe
must be careful whom she trusts. Her fortune, her future, and her very life are
at stake. Those who appear to be adversaries may turn out to be allies--and
those who pretend friendship may be enemies.
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR LAURA FRANTZ
ADVANCE PRAISE
PURCHASE LINKS
AMAZON | BARNES
& NOBLE | BOOK
DEPOSITORY | BOOKSHOP | GOODREADS
AUTHOR BIO
Christy Award-winning author, Laura Frantz, is
passionate about all things historical, particularly the 18th-century, and
writes her manuscripts in longhand first. Her stories often incorporate
Scottish themes that reflect her family heritage. She is a direct descendant of
George Hume, Wedderburn Castle, Berwickshire, Scotland, who was exiled to the
American colonies for his role in the Jacobite Rebellion of 1715, settled in
Virginia, and is credited with teaching George Washington surveying in the
years 1748-1750. Proud of her heritage, she is also a Daughter of the American
Revolution. When not at home in Kentucky, she and her husband live in
Washington State.
WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | GOODREADS
Do you like to read about
big cities or small towns? I enjoy both.
O Little Town is a
collection of three novellas set in the fictional town of Mapleview, Michigan during
the Christmas season. “Hopes and Fears”
by Amanda Wen is set in 1912 and is the story of a young school teacher, Emma, and
her plans to bring a new Christmas pageant to her school. Her plans may be derailed when a new
principal, Frederick, arrives who doesn’t think a new pageant is required and
is also Emma’s crush from her childhood.
I loved their relationship which went from enemies to lovers. This story
was delightful.
“While Mortals Sleep” by
Janyre Tromp is set in 1944. Lennie has
returned to her small hometown in Michigan after her sister’s death. She is the guardian of her six year old niece
and she is using her investigative skills to figure out what exactly happened
in her sister’s mysterious death. Sparks also fly with Gideon, a friend from
her past that also cares for her niece.
I liked the intrigue of this story and how it was set during World War
II. I thought it was fascinating to
learn about balloon bombs that were sent by the Japanese military against the United
States that did make it all of the way to Michigan. I had never heard of this before. The mystery, history, and suspense were
great, but the best part of this story was the relationship between Gideon,
Lennie, and six-year old Enid.
“The Wondrous Gift” by
Deborah Raney is set in present day. Music teacher Rachel is shocked to learn
that the school she teaches at will be closing in ten days. High school football coach Caleb and Rachel
bond over losing their jobs. How will
they move forward and make a living?
This story reminded me of a present day O. Henry story. It was a good story.
I loved this collection. All three stories were unique and interesting
with great characters. I loved that they
were clean, Christian romance stories and perfect for the Christmas and winter
season.
Review Copy from Kregel
Publications. Thank-you! I received a
complimentary copy of this book as part of the O Little Town Book Tour (I
posted about the book when it first came out.) Opinions expressed in this
review are completely my own.
Do you have a favorite
piece of jewelry? I love my pearls that
my husband got me for a gift as well as my wedding ring. I also have a favorite costume gold necklace that
was my Great Grandma Kile’s that I love to wear.
Queen of Thieves is a
thrilling new historical suspense novel that exposes the underbelly of London
in the 1940s. Nell lives in the slums of
London and works a thankless job at a fur factory. Her boyfriend Jimmy has disappeared after she
told him she was expecting. She joins up
with the infamous Alice Diamond and her gang of Forty Thieves. Alice runs her gang with rules and methods
that have been being used since Queen Victoria’s time. The hoisters steal from fancy shops with the
thought that everyone deserves a bit of luxury, not just the rich. When Alice Diamond realizes that there is a
mole reporting on her gang’s happenings, she uses Nell as a spy to report on
the rival Billy Sullivan’s gang. Will
Nell be able to navigate between the two gangs?
Has she been underestimated by both sides?
I thought Queen of
Thieves was a riveting new novel and I read through it quickly. I love historical fiction and I really liked
this different setting and topic. I didn’t
know anything about these gangs of thieves in London. In the PS section at the end of the book,
author Beezy Marsh has a great discussion on the background of the Forty Thieves
gang as well as her interviews with former gang members and their
descendants. I thought it was
fascinating.
I loved Nell’s character
and her growth through the novel to become a stronger person that can take care
of herself. I liked the duel narrative
between Nell and Alice to learn the background of both characters and how they
got to their places in the world. I
enjoyed the thrilling ending and how it was set up with a hint that there could
be a second novel. I hope that we do get
a second novel and more adventures of Nell and Alice.
I didn’t agree with the thieves
though that theft is a victimless crime and that it’s just part of the standard
losses of the stores. While it was thrilling
to read about the theft, I was annoyed as I know that the thefts drive up the
prices for regular consumers.
I liked the post WWII
setting and it’s look into continued rationing and hardship for the people of
London. It’s easy to think the war ended
and everything went back to normal, but it wasn’t so quick.
Review Copy from William
Morrow Books. Thank-you! I received a
complimentary copy of this book as part of the Bibliolifestyle Book Tour.
Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Title: The Hummingbird Christmas
Author: Davis Bunn
Narrated by: Graham Winton
Publisher:
Recorded Books
Length:
Approximately 5 hours and 24 minutes
Source: Review Copy from NetGalley. Thank-you!
Do you like rescue animals? Do you have anyplace locally that helps out rescue animals? We have a very nice wildlife sanctuary in Green Bay that helps wounded wildlife. On the domestic front, my dog Spot and cats are rescue animals.
In The Hummingbird Christmas, a wildfire is raging across the west coast and small town of Miramar Bay. Ethan Lange loses his home, but is rescued by Ryan Eames, a policewoman and single mother. Ethan becomes deputized to help with the fires and to help with theft that seems to be linked with the fires. As Ethan and Ryan work together, a spark grows between them. Ryan is afraid to trust again, but when Ethan meets her young, gifted son, Liam, she sees that the two have a special bond. Both are artists and Ethan understands Liam in a way that Ryan does not. Liam doesn’t talk much to people, but when Ethan brings Liam a young hummingbird to rescue, Liam is intrigued. Liam is so intrigued that he gets their small town on board with putting out feeders for all of the birds that are smoked out by the fire. Will Ethan and Ryan end up together and will the mystery of the thefts be solved?
I really liked the characters in this novel. I really liked the relationship between Ethan and Liam and how Liam was able to find his purpose and open up. I like that Ryan was able to move forward thinking about having a second chance at love. Their relationship moved forward slowly and seemed real to me. The hummingbird rescue was great and a unique story.
This book takes place at Christmas, but didn’t have much to do at Christmas. It was a unique story for me about the California fires and bird rescue.
I did not realize that this was part of a series while I was listening to it. It is book seven of the Miramar Bay series. It worked well as a standalone novel, but now I do want to go back and read more of this series.
Graham Winton was
a good narrator.
Title: Once Upon a Royal Christmas
Author: Teri Wilson
Narrated by: Brittany Pressley
Publisher: Dreamscape
Media
Length:
Approximately 7 hours and 20 minutes
Source: Review Copy from NetGalley. Thank-you!
Do you enjoy holiday movies that are set in small made-up European countries? If so, this is the book for you! This story would make the perfect Hallmark movie and has everything you expect in a Christmas romance.
Gracie Clark runs a party business where she acts the part of a party princess, Princess Snowflake. She can’t get a loan to expand her business, but wins a contest put together by the small European country of San Glacera. She has to travel to the country and help with tourism leading up to Christmas to earn her $30,000 prize. Gracie meets her perfect prince charming but is horrified to discover it is Prince Nikolas, the real prince of San Glacera and not an actor. The two have misunderstandings, but as they get to know each other, will an American party princess and a real European prince be able to get together?
Once Upon a Royal Christmas reminded me a lot of the Netflix A Christmas Prince series and the Princess Switch series. My daughter and I love both of them. I thought Once Upon a Royal Christmas was an enjoyable, charming, and light Christmas audiobook. It’s a good clean read. I also love that Gracie was able to get her spirit to sing back as well.
Brittany Pressley
was a good narrator for this audiobook.
My first read was Cinderella
and the Duke by Lydia Drake. I read this
delightful book in a day. This story has
everything I love in a romance; witty and sexy main characters, a marriage of
convenience that develops into true love, and hints of a fairy tale romance.
Julia Beaumont has one
ball to try to find a husband. Her evil
stepmother has not allowed her to attend balls during the season for ten
years. She is firmly on the shelf now,
but her sick stepmother has allowed her to chaperone her young stepsister to
the Weatherford Ball. While at the ball,
she meets the notorious rake, Gregory Carter, the Duke of Ashworth. She helps him out of a tricky situation, but
they have one stolen kiss. Julia leave
her slipper behind at the ball. Gregory
returns the slipper the next day and before they know it, they have decided on
a marriage of convenience. Julia will
not have to spend her life as a nursemaid to her stepmother and Gregory will no
longer have bored married ladies chasing after him. Will this marriage of convenience turn to true
love?
I would highly recommend
this book to fans of the Bridgerton series.
I would say this book is medium to high level of steam. I loved the chemistry between Julia and
Gregory and how it was a slow build to their romance. I also enjoyed that they both had an inner
depth and past hurts that the other had to discover to learn more about their
character. There was also a lot of humor in this book that had me laughing out
loud. This was a very fast light read and an enjoyable story.
“But Gregory had other
craftier ideas. He was 80 percent crafty
ideas, 15 percent smug virality, and 5 percent effortless smoulder.”
Review Copy from Entangled
Publishing. Thank-you! I received a
complimentary copy of this book as part of the TLC Book Tour. Opinions
expressed in this review are completely my own.