Sunday Summary - March 24th - 30th, 2019

Welcome to my Sunday Summary.  A look back on my bookish adventures for the past week.

This week was spring break for school age children in the area. I was lucky enough to have some leftover vacation time to stay home and just "hang out" with my 7 year old son. With very little uninterrupted time, I did not get a whole lot of reading done. I also did not have an audiobook going during the week as I knew I just wouldn't have the alone time (commuting, errands, etc) to make it engaging enough to be worthwhile. 

We did have some fun together though, and that is what matters. He is growing up so quickly! On Tuesday we attended a program at the local public library called "Reading With Raptors". They read a book about an owl (i couldn't tell you much about the story - the parents were in the adjoining room during the reading), and then they had a live barn owl and a small garter snake present from the local wildlife rehabilitation centre. The owl was gorgeous.

On Thursday we attended another library program at our other local branch (we live almost smack-dab between the two) which was an interactive puppet show based on the children's book Looking For A Moose, by Phyllis Root and Randy Cecil. I would love to show you the totally adorbs little moose puppet my son made, but unfortunately it was lost between the tow-truck, the mechanics garage, and our "rescue ride" home 😕. 

On Friday we spent the afternoon at the local children's museum where everything is hands on and interactive. They have a real decommissioned train engine and passenger car, a miniature working model backhoe (encased in clear Plexiglas for safety) that the children can operate, and so much more. Always a fun visit.                        

 

So while there isn't much to report in this week's summary, here it is.

Books Reviewed:

Smoke & Summons, by Charlie N. Holmberg. This is book one in Holmberg's latest Fantasy series. You can read my review HERE.

Find You In The Dark, by Nathan Ripley. You can read my review of this original Thriller in THIS POST.

Ramblings and Miscellany:

This week saw the Canada Reads 2019 completion take place. The theme "one book to move you". The competition was fierce and engaging with all of the books sounding very worthy. The panelists were all very passionate about the books they were defending and it made for good viewing or listening. Ultimately it was won by the book By Chance Alone, by Max Eisen and championed by Ziya Tong. A big congrats to the Author and his champion!

Also like to take this opportunity to say that HCC's March Madness is getting close to wrapping up for another year. It is currently down to the final four! I, for one cannot choose a single title I want to win! I have read and loved three out of the four books remaining. 

Advance Reading Copy (ARC) Books Previously Reviewed and Released this Week:

No ARCs previously reviewed by me were released this week.

Currently Reading and Notable Titles on Deck:

I am currently reading Little Darlings by Melanie Golding, and I have just started listening to The Book Of Essie, by Meghan MacLean Weir

As always I have pending ARC requests out, but titles you can expect to see reviewed soon are Romanov, by Nadine Brandes, The Night Before by Wendy Walker, and more. 

Wishing you a wonderful spring filled with books to make your heart and mind bloom!

Happy Reading, 

Christine

Review: Find You In The Dark, by Nathan Ripley

Find You In The Dark, by Nathan Ripley

Simon&Schuster - 2018
Thriller
Audiobook
Narrated by Corey Brill

10 hours, 25 Minutes

My Rating (out of 5)

⭐⭐⭐1/2

Martin Reese has made a hobby out of murder. He secretly searches for, and finds the lost bodies of women who have fallen prey to serial killers. Leaving no evidence of his own he takes photos for his scrapbook, and calls in anonymous tips to the police.

Convinced that there is more to the anonymous caller than what appears on the surface, Detective Sandra Whittal is closing in on Reese, but she is not the only one.

His actions have drawn the interest of someone familiar with the burial sites of one the killers. While out locating a victim Martin discovers a second very recent body. In that instant he knows that somebody knows his secrets and the game he's been playing just got deadly serious.

One of the things I liked most about this book is that the protagonist is no squeaky clean hero. He has some very serious character flaws - and yet the reader is rooting for him. It is a refreshing change from the near perfect underdog hero's that saturate the literary world.

Narration was performed by Corey Brill. Very good range of character with good tone and cadence, Brill is proving to be a solid and dependable fixture is the world of audiobooks.

Happy Reading,

Christine

Reveiw - Smoke & Summons, by Charlie N. Holmberg

Smoke & Summons, by Charlie N. Holmberg

47North
Fantasy
Numina series -- Book 1
E-book

329 Pages

This e-book provided by 47North via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

My Rating (out of 5)

⭐⭐⭐⭐

This is a very different feel than Holmberg's earlier works.  Dark and ominous, this is not a re-run of The Paper Magician series (which I loved by the way), or her stand-alones (i have read all but one and loved them too!).

Sandis is a human vessel. Sold by slavers into a life where she lives to serve as a host for the evil spirits her master Kazen wishes to summon. Not all vessels are equal though, and Sandis is able to host more powerful spiritis than most others- which makes her very valuable to Kazen.  Kazen is ambitious as he is evil though, and Sandis learns of his plans to summon one of the most powerful spirits yet. Success would bring Kazen great power, and failure might cost Sandis her life. In a desperate bid for survival Sandis runs. Kazen will not let Sandis get away easily - she is far too valuable.

While on the run, Sandis meets Rone, a professional thief with a magical artifact that grants him immortality for one minute every day.  They have both made some very powerful enemies. 

I love Holmberg's imagination! Her ability to create a world and bring the reader into it is a gift to the reader. Yet the human interactions in her stories - no matter how fantastical, always seem to ring true. 

Book two of the Numina series - Myths & Mortals will be available April 16, 2019. 

Happy Reading,

Christine

Sunday Summary- March 17 -23, 2019

Welcome to my Sunday Summary.  A look back on my bookish adventures for the past week.

This past week Marked a full year since my return to blogging! Things have changed so much in the years I was away from it, but the one constant is the pleasure taken from having other book lovers to interact with. When I am thrilled, stunned, flabbergasted, or even disappointed, I can turn to Twitter and Instagram and discuss/share  -  Thank you all!

Books Reviewed:

The Binding, by Bridget Collins. My review if this fantasy-Love story can be found HERE.

Let Me Lie, by Clare MacKintosh - Everything a thriller should be! Read my full review in THIS POST.

In An Absent Dream, by Seanan McGuire. The fourth and most recent installment of The Wayward Children series.  Click HERE for my review.

Ramblings and Miscellany:

March 20th marked the first day of Spring! Yay!

March 21st was world Poetry Day.

Advance Reading Copy (ARC) Books Previously Reviewed and Released this Week:

Nothing this week.

Currently Reading and Notable Titles on Deck:

I have reviews pending for Find You In The Dark, by Nathan Ripley

I am just starting Little Darlings, by Melanie Golding. 

On a brief hiatus from audio as both my son and I are off for a week of spring break! 

Happy Reading, 

Christine

Review: In An Absent Dream, by Seanan McGuire

In An Absent Dream, by Seanan McGuire

Book 4 of The Wayward Children Series
MacMillan Audio - 2019
Fantasy
Audiobook
Narrated by Cynthia Hopkins

4 Hours, 57 Minutes

My Rating (out of 5)

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I think this was my favorite book of the series. 

We met Lundy in the first book Every Heart A Doorway, as a teacher at Eleanor West's School for Wayward Children. In this novella, book four of the series, we learn all about Lundy and her back story.

As a very studious dreamer, Katherine Lundy never really felt like she fit in.  The daughter of the school principal, she was often the target of child-bullies. When a doorway appears in a tree one day, she goes through it.  She ends up in a strange and different world, that somehow seems to make sense to her. She makes friends and learns the rules of the Goblin Market, and finds a measure of happiness there that she cannot find in the world she comes from. She passes through the doorway more than once; but rules are rules and Lundy is ultimately banished when she breaks one of them. 

Lundy was one of the more intriguing characters met in the first book. for myself, I was just itching to know what her story was - and now I know it. 

The Wayward Children Series is a collection of novellas, so they are all fairly short, which is really their only downfall. I am always left wanting for more!.  I am hoping that McGuire bestows us with another addition or two to this series! 

Narration was expertly performed by Cynthia Hopkins. Her range of character is without reproach and her performance is always emotionally in tune with the story. She is quickly becoming a favorite narrator of mine. 

For my reviews on the other books in the series, click on the cover pictures below. 

Happy Reading,

Christine

Review: Let Me Lie, by Clare MacKintosh

Let Me Lie, by Clare MacKintosh

Penguin Audio - 2018
Thriller
Audiobook
Narrated by Gemma Whelen

11 Hours, 57 Minutes

My Rating (out of 5)

⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2

This book is all the things a thriller should be - dark, twisty and full of unexpected shifts.. 

Suicide? Think Again.

Anna Johnson lost both her parents mere months apart. After her father's plunge from the cliffs of nearby Beachy Head, it is only months before her mother is also reported to have gone over the chalky cliff's edge in an apparent "copy-cat suicide". 

Anna does not believe her parents committed suicide, and with the one year anniversary of her mother's death upon her, trying to navigate the early days of motherhood without her own mother makes her feel the loss more keenly. Anna decides she must know what really happened to her parents. But when Anna starts to push for answers, someone is pushing hard for her to stop looking.

This story is tight! The reader is constantly turning the story over in their mind, adding new clues and trying to make it all fit.  It does fit, and by the end, it fits so well, the reader can barely see the seams.

Narration for this audiobook was performed by Gemma Whelan. Clear with great tone and cadence, able to deliver a range of characters and emotions, I cannot imagine a better fit for this book.

MacIntosh was a "new to me" author going into this book, but while this was the first of her books for me, I know it won't be the last.

Happy Reading,

Christine

Review: The Binding, by Bridget Collins

The Binding, by Bridget Collins

HarperCollins - Available April 16, 2019
Fantasy
E-book

Thank you to HarperCollins Canada for this Digital Review Copy in exchange for an honest opinion.

My Rating (out of 5)

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Collins has created a beautiful tale in this book of Romance, books, and magic.   

In this book, bookbinders do not create the types of books we have come to know and love. 

Haven't we all at one point uttered the phrase "I wish I could forget..."? In The Binding each book is a person's memories. Anyone who wants to forget and see a bookbinder who can take their memories and bind them into a book. The more ethical bookbinders store them in a vault for safekeeping, but the less ethical ones may sell them for profit, or twist the whole process to suit their darker intentions. 

Emmet is the son of a farmer. After a long illness he struggles to perform his duties on the family farm.  It is clear that he cannot do the physical work demanded on a farm the way he did prior to his illness. When a letter arrives summoning him to take on the position of a book binder's apprentice, it seems clear that this is what Emmet needs to do. 

His teacher is a wise old woman named Seredith who teaches him bit by bit, step by step, how to create a quality book to bind the memories of others. It is clear that each book that Seredith creates is done so with great reverence. Emmet knows that this is what he is meant to do, but he doesn't know that there is already a book with his name on it. What is inside that book could challenge everything Emmet has come to believe about himself, who he was, and what he wants. Can a heart remember even if the mind forgets?

Collins writes beautifully.  Whether writing an uplifting scene, or an ominous one, her descriptions are wonderfully vivid and the scenes come alive in your mind. When combined with her original storyline concept, you end up with a pretty darn good book.

Despite the good writing and being a good book, I was a little bit disappointed in how the original synopsis stacked up against the book I read. Kind of an "I was expecting oranges and got apples" kind of thing. I thought this would be a rich fantasy with a bit of a romantic sub-plot (I mean really, I cannot remember the last time I read any book, especially fantasy, that didn't have at least a bit of romantic sub-plot!), what I read was more like a rich romance with a sprinkling of magic. I personally don't choose to read books where romance figures quite so prominently (before anyone gets offended, no I am not a hater, or a genre-snob, or whatever else you might think - read what makes you happy, but for myself, no thanks to romance). 

I am happy to say that at least some of the promotional material I have seen more lately does reference the importance of romance to the story. 

In conclusion, while I may not have chosen this book had I understood how much focus was on the romantic aspect, it is still a well written book and sure to please many a reader.

Happy Reading,

Christine

Sunday Summary - March 3 to 16, 2019

Welcome to my Sunday Summary.  A look back on my bookish adventures for the past week.

Last week I posted regrets and did not post a summary on Sunday.  The previous was not a good week at my home.  My dear son woke up Tuesday a bit snuffly - no big deal, nothing worth keeping him home from school for. That day around the end of lunch time,  at work my cell phone rings and my call display tells me it is the school. My sweet but not so graceful boy literally fell on his face! His poor sweet face was  a mess. I took him to our children's hospital to ensure that if his nose was broken it would heal correctly. Luckily it was swollen and bloody, but apparently not broken - so thankful for that! On Thursday I had him in for an urgent visit to the dentist to determine if his teeth required any attention as a result of this. His two top front teeth took the hit, and while intact, they were starting to color.  Luckily those were still "baby teeth" - my main concern was whether any damage was done to the permanent teeth which were on the verge of pushing those baby teeth out anyways. Thankful yet again for good news - his permanent teeth were not damaged. The snuffles he started out with, turned into a nasty head cold which he shared with us for good measure - my husband getting his for his birthday on Wednesday.  My mother's birthday was Saturday and we hosted a double birthday celebration/dinner despite being sick.  By Sunday, I just did not have it in me to post my weekly summary.  I just wanted to veg on the couch - and so I did.

Thankfully, this past week was a little better. How's your March going?

Books Reviewed:

I feel like I will never be fully caught up in my reviews! I think I am only one behind now...but I will be finishing another audiobook tomorrow and that might just put me back to being two behind....sigh.

The Silent Patient, by Alex Michaelides - A great debut thriller, see my review HERE.

The Care And Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls, by Anissa Gray - Touching and poignant. Read my review in THIS POST.

Beneath The Sugar Sky, by Seanan McGuire. Book three in The Wayward Children series of novellas. My thoughts on this book can be found HERE.

Before and Again, by Barbara Delinsky. This tale of forgiveness and loyalty is reviewed in THIS POST.

Ramblings and Miscellany:

Nothing really to report here.  I can't even seem to keep up with reviews lately! Hoping to get back on track soon. 

We did celebrate International Women's day on social media, as well as marking what would have been Douglas Adams birthday. Is it possible to mourn the loss of books he might have written?

Advance Reading Copy (ARC) Books Previously Reviewed and Released this Week:

The Baggage Handler, by David Rawlings celebrated its Pub Day on March 5th. My review can be found HERE.

House On Fire, by Bonnie Kistler was released on March 12th. Click HERE for my review. 

Currently Reading and Notable Titles on Deck:

I have finished reading an digital ARC of The Binding, by Bridget Collins, - my review is pending. 

I am currently reading Smoke & Summons, by Charlie N. Holmberg, and listening to Let Me Lie, by Claire MacKintosh

On Deck to read is Little Darlings, by Melanie Golding and Romanov, by Nadine Brandes.  

The days are getting longer and the sun is getting warmer , Spring is definitely in the air!  Soon it will be warm enough to enjoy sitting outside with a good book! I love summer reading! I am anxious to see what books are going to be in everyone"s weekend bag/beach bag this summer!

Happy Reading, 

Christine

Review: Before And Again, by Barbara Delinsky

Before And Again, by Barbara Delinsky

MacMillan Audio - 2018
General Ficton
Audiobook
Narrated by Mary Stuart Masterson

14 Hours, 41 Minutes

My Rating (out of 5)

⭐⭐⭐1/2

The basic story line of this book held great promise, but suffered somewhat, burdened by the sheer length of it. 

MacKenzie Cooper had it all. She has a successful career as an artist, a model husband and a beautiful little girl. But MacKenzie made a fatal mistake and lost everything. 

While driving her daughter to a play date on an unfamiliar road, she takes her eyes off the road for just a moment to check her GPS for direction. In that moment, she goes through a stop sign and is involved with a collision that kills her daughter. 

In the ensuing aftermath of that fatal mistake, she is held up to the world as an example of the dangers of distracted driving in a highly publicized trial. Along with the crushing loss of her daughter, her marriage fails, her father dies and she becomes estranged from her mother. 

MacKenzie changes her name and becomes Maggie as she moves to the type of town where people can easily start over without prying or judgment. She recreates herself, working as a make-up artist in the local posh spa and inn - helping people hide the imperfections that life inflicts. She keeps to herself mostly, just trying to quietly ride out her probation - but she does make a few good friends in this new town too.

When her best friend's son is fingered in a hacking scandal, MacKenzie has to decide whether to walk away and protect herself from unwanted attention, or risk everything she worked for to stand at her friend's side. 

The concept is very good. These days who hasn't found themselves lost and at the mercy of a GPS unit or app? We have all seen scapegoats take the heat for the latest (albeit good) cause, and where does one draw the line between self preservation and friendship? 

This story did have some well developed themes surrounding forgiveness of self and others, family, friends, loyalty and the need to keep pushing forward even during our darkest times.

I just found it all seemed to drag on a little longer than it needed to. I don't mind a long book/audiobook if it keeps me eagerly engaged for what will happen next, but I often felt my mind wandering during this one.

Narration was performed by the very talented Mary Stuart Masterson who has an impressive list of acting and voicework credits to her name. She can always be counted on to breathe life into any audiobook she narrates - this one is no exception. 

A little longer than necessary, this was a good book, but for me it lacked anything to make it a particularly memorable one.

Happy Reading,

Christine