Sunday Summary - February 3 - 9, 2019

Sunday Monday Summary

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

A late edition this week. 

We have spent a lot of time this week working with a local rescue to adopt a dog! I am so far behind in reading and reviews, but we have a very sweet dog in our family now. The requires some extra attention as despite her age (1 1/2 years) she is not yet housebroken, but we are all working on it. We spend a lot of time at the pet store as we realize what we want/need to make this a happy home for her, and family has been coming by to meet her. I also seem to be spending a lot of time reading articles on the Internet about house training an adult dog, what books to read on dog training and care, local vets and groomers (she is a Shih Tzu mix) etc.  A little time consuming at the moment, but I am sure that we will find our groove soon enough. She is such a darling 💓 Isn't she sweet?!

Books Reviewed:

She Rides Shotgun, by Jordan Harper. I really enjoyed this story. Part Thriller, part General fiction. I am always happy when a thriller gets me in the feels. Or general fiction keeps me on the edge of my seat. My review can be found HERE

Summer Hours at the Robbers Library, by Sue Halpern. A sort of love letter to the institution of libraries. My review can be found in THIS POST

I have finished a few other audiobooks, and reviews are pending. Actual reading is going slow, and my face is bruised from the Kindle falling on it while I try to read in bed at the end of the day. 

Ramblings and Miscellany:

Nothing This Week.

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

The Antidote,  by Shelley Sacker was published February 5th. I reviewed this YA Fantasy novel in a post HERE. I cannot get over how stunning the cover is on this one!

Don't Wake Up, by Liz Lawler  was also published on February 5th. - a disturbing thriller. My review can be found in THIS POST.

Currently Reading and Notable Titles on Deck:

I am still reading House on Fire, by Bonnie Kistler. 

I have reviews to compose for The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen 38 1/4 Years Old, and Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire

Happy Reading, 

Christine

Review: Summer Hours at the Robbers Library, by Sue Halpern

Summer Hours at the Robbers Library, by Sue Halpern

HarperAudio - 2018
General Fiction
Audiobook
Narrated by Josh Bloomberg and Dara Rosenberg

10 Hours, 15 Minutes

My Rating (out of 5)

⭐⭐⭐ 1/2

A library can be the heart of a community.  This book is like a love letter to that all important institution.

The story primarily follows three characters in the library of a small town called Riverton.  

First there is Kit the librarian, who has suffered personal trauma and chose to escape the big city,  now living in the small town of Riverton trying to shut out her past, and the world with it.  Then there is Rusty, who has lost his career in finance and its accompanying big spender lifestyle, and finds himself in Riverton flat broke and desperate, following a potential inheritance in hopes of restarting his career. Finally we have Sunny. Sunny is being raised by parents who live "off the grid" and believe in "no-schooling", which leaves Sunny feeling isolated and desperate for human contact beyond her parents. Sunny gets caught shoplifting a dictionary of all things and is sentenced by the judge to perform community service at the library. Sunny doesn't see it as punishment though. She is happy to have a chance to interact with people. 

The library is the heart of Riverton, but the building is just bricks and mortar.  What makes the library so special is the people. 

This is one of those stories that warms the heart. Where the characters learn about the power of human contact, and compassion.. While feel good stories may not be for everyone, I myself enjoy one once in  a while. 

Narration was provided by  Josh Bloomberg and Dara Rosenberg.  It was clear and with a pleasant tone and cadence, and had a good range of character and emotion.  

A pleasant feel-good story for anyone who loves a library. 

Happy Reading,

Christine

Review: She Rides Shotgun, by Jordan Harper

She Rides Shotgun, by Jordan Harper

HarperAudio - 2017
General Fiction/Thriller
Audiobook

6 Hours, 14 minutes
Narrated by David Marantz

My Rating (out of 5)

⭐⭐⭐⭐ 1/2

I love a thriller that can hit you in the feels.  This book does that by combining all the edge-of-your-seat tension of a thriller, with the heart wrenching emotions of General Fiction. 

Nate is not pillar of society. He is a convicted felon who has found trouble with some people far more nasty and violent than himself.  When you make enemy of one of the most powerful gangs around, it is not only you who will pay.  A kill order has been issued for Nate, his ex-wife, and his daughter Polly. Too late to save his ex-wife, he grabs Polly and takes her "on the run".  

Now being sought by the gang that wants to execute both of them, and the police for kidnapping, Nate knows if he goes back to prison that Polly will never be safe.  Nate is trying to teach Polly how to fight and survive,  and she is teaching him about true loyalty and love. Nate is doing everything he can to ensure Polly's safety, but with with people hunting them from both sides, he might only be able to hope to to survive long enough to keep her safe. 

I love the characters created in this book. Of course you like Polly and want to protect her - she is a child who just lost her mother. But in Nate, Harper has created a protagonist that while seeming to be a "low life criminal", you end up really liking despite yourself. His characters were complex and perfectly imperfect.

Narration was provided by David Marantz who did a fine job, providing a very good range of character and emotion, with good tone and cadence. He was a good match for this title.

This bittersweet story is told not in black and white, but in many wonderful shades of grey.

Happy Reading,

Christine

Sunday Summary: January 27 to Februrary 2, 2019

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

While the days may be getting longer, we just survived the coldest week this winter here (at times -52°C with the wind factored in!) I really wish I could have stayed home and read, but life goes on and we still needed to go to work and school and run errands.  Happy to see the days getting a little longer again.  Maybe that extra sun will bring us some heat! According to the small furry beast, an early spring is on the way. I don't, however, put a lot of stock in that.

Apparently spring is on it's way, but... pic.twitter.com/H9qWecyAEP

— The Last Page Turned (@Page_Turned) February 3, 2019

Books Reviewed:

Despite the cold weather making me want to stay home and read, as I said - life goes on. I am behind in my reviews. I only posted two this week and still need to post two to be caught up. As for the two, they are;

The Baggage Handler by David Rawlings. Part Fantasy, part General Fiction, you can read my review in THIS POST

The Grimoire of Kensington Market, by Lauren B. Davis was my first 5-star review of 2019. I loved this book! You can read more about it in my review posted HERE. 

Ramblings and Miscellany:

I didn't create a blog entry, but I did take to social media to whoop and holler as I obtained some special books this week. My husband - not being a book person, does not buy me books per se, but he did end up paying for one I wanted as a Christmas present. I recently found the perfect copy and ordered it. It arrived this week and I could not be happier! A first print/first edition of the international version of Neverwhere, by Neil Gaiman - and it is in mint condition.  I also bought myself a lovely leather bound, gilt edged, combined edition of American Gods and Anansi Boys, also by Neil Gaiman.  I cannot begin to describe how good a leather bound book smells!!!

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

None this past week, but we are starting to see more books arriving on bookshop shelves now that the holidays are over, so watch for them!

Currently Reading and Notable Titles on Deck:

As I said, I need to complete a few reviews to get caught up.  She Rides Shotgun by Jordan Harper, and Summer Hours at the Robbers Library, by Sue Halpern. Watch for those reviews to be posted soon. 

I am currently still reading House on Fire, by Bonnie Kistler. I am currently listening to The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen 83 1/4 Years old.  

I  look forward to starting to starting my most anticipated read of 2019 soon - The Binding, by Bridget Collins. So Excited!

Hope you have some exciting books as well!

Happy Reading, 

Christine

Review: The Grimoire of Kensington Market, by Lauren B. Davis

The Grimoire of Kensington Market, by Lauren B. Davis

Recorded Books - 2019

Audiobook - 11 Hours, 3 Minutes
Narrated by Linda Jones

My Rating (out of 5)

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Davis has created a stunning modern day fairy tale based on the classic story The Snow Queen, updated and relevant to today's society. Delicately nuanced and moving, it is a must read for those who love fairy tale retellings.

The Grimoire holds the worlds stories - all the stories. New stories arrive in a twinkle of light, and when the last person to remember a story dies, the book fades away by flame.  Maggie is the proprietor of this magical bookshop and caretaker of the world's tales.

"People didn't wander into The Grimoire, it wasn't that sort of bookshop. People found it by some force even Maggie the proprietor didn't understand. If one was meant to find the shop one did, otherwise it was unnoticeable."

Toronto is in the grips of an drug epidemic. Elysium a drug created by the silver world's Queen Srebrenka is highly addictive, and Srebrenka uses it to lure people into her silver world. While Maggie managed to recover from her addiction and escape Srebrenka's grasp, her brother Kyle has not. Srebrenka tries to lure Maggie back, but Maggie always resists and prevails. But when she receives messages from her brother asking for her help, she is overwhelmed by love and a sense of duty to her brother, and so she sets off into the magical silver world to rescue him. 

I cannot say enough about this wonderful story. A fairy tale for adults - yes, but so much more than that too. It is filled with scenes and quotes to warm a bibliophile's heart 💓. It is fantastical, magical tale of love and survival that parallels the dark horrors of drug addiction in real life - a subject near and dear to the author's heart as she lost her brother to addiction/suicide.  I can't imagine a more beautiful tribute than this exquisite and moving story. 

Narration was provided by Linda Jones who did a wonderful job. She has a lovely warm speaking voice that  was well suited to this story. Good cadence and tone, with very good range of emotion and character.

Happy Reading,

Christine

Review: The Baggage Handler, by David Rawlings

The Baggage Handler, by David Rawlings

Thomas Nelson - Available March 5, 2019

Page count: 240

Thank you to Thomas Nelson for providing this digital review copy in exchange of an honest review. Opinions are my own.

My Rating (out of 5)

⭐⭐⭐1/2

Short and sweet.

This book was a quick read. At only 240 pages, it didn't take a lot of time to finish. Even though it was short, it successfully completes its mission of reminding the reader to take a personal inventory of any forgotten items packed in our personal "baggage". You know what I'm  talking about. We all have personal baggage we carry around.

I found this book to rest on the border between "spiritual" and "religious". I am not a religious person, but i do consider myself to be spiritual.  "When I do good I feel good, when I do bad, I feel bad. that is my religion" - a quote attributed Abraham Lincoln, which pretty much sums up my view in that respect. The way the book was written allows for the reader to decide whether to interpret it from a religious angle, or a more generic, spiritual one. 

I also found that the book hovers between magical realism and self help.  The themes and messages contained within were not at all disguised. There are no big surprises here. The book was predictable, but as the reader, I didn't mind.  It had a feel-good quality to it, and the themes were ones that I think we often become complacent towards, so the reminders wrapped up in this brief little book were still welcome. 

This book was a short but pleasant read.

Happy Reading,

Christine

Sunday Summary - January 20 - 26, 2019

Happy Family Literacy Day! 

Yesterday I took my son on our regular trip to the library.  While I was there, I remembered a time when you could not take out library books if you owed late fines.  Those days are gone now (at least here), and I am glad for that, for some families might have problems paying those fines, even though they are usually small. I never mind paying my fines, I always feel that it goes to a good cause, and it is never very much. The thing is, now that they don't deny privileges for people who owe fines, I honestly don't know half the time how much - if any I owe.  But yesterday, my library was donating any fines paid to literacy programs in honor of Family Literacy Day today.  I made a point of asking if I owed, and paying my fine in person instead of online (where I might forget).  It felt even better to pay my library fines than it normally does 😊

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


Despite the weather being its coldest all winter, we are starting to see the promise of spring.  The sun is rising a little earlier in the morning, and staying a little later in the evening. My poor frozen heart is leaping for joy at these tiny signs of warmer days ahead. Until then, I will take joy whenever time allows me, to cozy up on the couch with a blanket, a hot cup of tea, and a good book!

Books Reviewed:

I posted reviews for three books this week. 

Dont' Wake Up, by Liz Lawler.- This is a psychological thriller with a sinister plot.  You can read my review HERE.

The Au Pair, by Emma Rous - My review of this Thriller with a base of family dram can be found in THIS POST. 

i deviated from my more usual genres (which happens once in a while)  and reviewed this non-fiction expose of for-profit prisons  HERE.

Ramblings and Miscellany:

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

Nothing this week, but there are many books coming up soon! 
 

Currently Reading and Notable Titles on Deck:

I have finished reading The Baggage Handler, by David Rawlings.  Review to be posted soon

I am currently reading House on Fire, by Bonnie Kistler, and I am currently listening to The Grimoire of Kensington Market, by Lauren Davis.

Next on deck....I am so excited.....

I can't even....

My most anticipated read (so far at least) of 2019...

The Binding by Bridget Collins!!!!  My husband and son may have to fend for themselves once I start that one!


I hope you have a book you are excited about.

Happy Reading,
Christine