40 in 2018: June

"I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading! How much sooner one tires of any thing than of a book! -- When I have a house of my own, I shall be miserable if I have not an excellent library."

Miss Bingley, Pride and Prejudice

Books I read in May

A Classic:
The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers Vol 2 by J.R.R. Tolkien
This book is not going to defeat me... I am about halfway through the book and enjoying it, but it does require me to be awake and alert to be able to follow the storyline! Next month this will be on my completed list!!

Bookish Mamas Book Club:
**Book of the month** The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
What a book! I read this in two evenings as I couldn't put it down! The story starts slow and gradually builds, until the last 3-4 chapters which go at top speed, and leave you gasping for breath
The Great Alone follows the Allbright family, Ernt, Cora and Leni, as they relocate to Alaska following Ernt's release from a POW camp and try to survive in the bleak landscape. The author deals with PTSD (from Vietnam War), domestic abuse, brain damage, teen pregnancy and isolation, yet leaves the reader with with hope. Hannah's characters are all so relatable and you grow to love (or hate) them.
All of the book club loved the book too and all of us recommend it!

Unfinished business:
Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chavalier
I remember downloading this on to my Kindle App last year after a holiday on the Jurassic Coast where we found loads of fossils, but I then had to delete the app due to size issues, and I've only just got it back.
Remarkable Creatures is the fictionalised story of two real women: Mary Anning and Elizabeth Philpot. It is set in the early 1800’s in the coastal town of Lyme Regis, England. Poor, uneducated Mary Anning and middle-class, London-bred Elizabeth Philpot form what is considered an unconventional friendship, due to their differing social classes, based on their love of fossils and fossil hunting. The story follows the ups and downs of the friendship, alongside the discovery of some fossils of 'new' creatures which throw the religious and educated worlds into turmoil. The discoveries of these women were not recorded at the time as women were not acknowledged, but this book has gone a small way to bringing their names into the public domain.

Others:
The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton
Oops, I forgot to give a review for this great book!
Last month I had read a Kate Morton book and loved it, so looked out another one from the library this month. The book tells the stories of Nell (grandmother who was sent to Australia from the UK on a boat at the age of 3) and Cassandra (grand-daughter who is trying to unravel the history of Nell); it jumps from time period to time period, country to country, character to character in a flawless manner. It is a really enjoyable read with no big surprises or shocks, but keeps you hanging on to the end.

Taken by Dee Henderson (Audiobook)
I've recently downloaded the Audible App which now means I can listen to books whilst I am walking, driving or falling asleep! I enjoy books which I have previously read most as it means I  don't lose the thread of the story if I get distracted for a minute.
Taken is a book that I have in hard copy too, and so was perfect for listening to. It follows Shannon as she escapes her kidnappers after 11 years and re-enters society and seeks justice. The story of her kidnapped years are shared through diaries read by Matthew Dane, an ex-cop who she has turned to.

The Worst Case Scenario Cookery Club by Chrissie Manby
Sometimes I go and hang out at the library when I have some time between activities, and this was one of the books that I picked up to read at one of these times. It just appealed as an easy read and really didn't disappoint...

James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl (Audiobook)
We love audiobooks as a family and frequently listen to a couple on long jouneys; Roald Dahl is one of our favourite authors as both Zoë and Caleb enjoy listening to him, as he's ok for us parents too!
Now onto the book... What can you say about a story about a boy whose parents are killed by a rhino, lives with two abusive aunts, and ends up going on a journey in a giant peach with some giant insects!?! It is surreal, it is magical and adventurous and we love it!

The Enormous Crocodile by Roald Dahl (Audiobook)
Another audiobook which was listened to on a long journey to Wales in half-term... This one is about a crocodile who is hungry and fancies eating a child! He has numerous attempts but is foiled every time and in the end gets his comeuppance. A great imaginative child's fairytale!

Books I hope to read in June

A Classic:
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
I'm going to take a break from LOTR and move onto the second book on the BBC The Big Read list. This will be a re-read as I have read it a couple of times before and contains one of my favourite literary quotes:

"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in 

possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife."

Bookish Mama Book Club:
Close to Home by Cara Hunter

Unfinished Business:
I am determined to finish LOTR 2 and Fingers in the Sparkle Jar this month...


Library Luckydip

Our library has recently wrapped some books up and given a short explanation. There were four books for me to choose from; a penguin classic, a sci-fi, a classic and a Sunday Times No. 1 bestselling author. I chose the Sunday Times best seller as I had a pretty good guess that the classic was Kite Runner which I read not long ago! I wonder what it will be?


Others:
Murder on a Summer's Day by Frances Brody
Cure by Robin Cook
The Seven Sisters by Lucinda Riley

Total list of books read in 2018

* Book of the month*

7 books in May

41. The Enormous Crocodile by Roald Dahl (Audiobook)

40. James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl (Audiobook)

39. The Worst Case Scenario Cookery Club by Chrissie Manby

38. Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier

*37. The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah*

36. Taken by Dee Henderson (Audiobook)

35. The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton

8 books in April

34. Gypsy Princess by Violet Cannon
33. The Lake House by Kate Morton
32. Julie and Julia by Julie Powell
31. The Potluck Club: Takes The Cake by Linda Evans Shepherd & Eva Marie Everson
30. The Potluck Club: Trouble's Brewing by Linda Evans Shepherd & Eva Marie Everson

29. The Potluck Club by Linda Evans Shepherd & Eva Marie Everson

*28. The Pearl Sister by Lucinda Riley*

27. The Wrong Side Of Goodbye by Michael Connelly

8 books in March

26. Win, Lose or Die by John Gardner
25. Underwater Adventure by Willard Price
24. How To Stop Time by Matt Haig
23. Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
22. Undercover Princess by Connie Glynn
*21. Hands Free Mama by Rachel Macy Stafford*
20. Belgravia by Julian Fellowes
19. Remember by Karen Kingsbury, with Gary Smalley

7 books in February

*18. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Vol 1 by J.R.R. Tolkien*
17. Five Give Up The Booze by Bruno Vincent
16. The Whistler by John Grisham
15. Grand Depart by Susan Perry
14. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
13. The Secret of Nightingale Wood by Lucy Strange

12. Redemption by Karen Kingsbury, with Gary Smalley

11 books in January

*11. Walking the Nile by Levison Wood*
10. Valley of the Shadow (Cornish Mystery 3) by Carola Dunn
9. The Black Ship (Daisy Dalrymple 18) by Carola Dunn
8. Handle With Care by Jodi Picoult
7. The Power by Naomi Alderman
6. Without Warning (Elite Guardians 2) by Lynette Eason
5. Always Watching (Elite Guardians 1) by Lynette Eason
4. The Bloody Tower (Daisy Dalrymple 16) by Carola Dunn
3. Requiem for a Mezzo (Daisy Dalrymple 3) by Carola Dunn
2. Death of a Policeman (Hamish Macbeth) by M.C.Beaton
1. Black Raven (Shetland Book 1) by Ann Cleeves