April Wrap Up…

Welcome to my April Wrap Up. I had a great reading month, finishing 7 books (6 books off my TBR). I also received 4 ARC’s this month, and I continued my new goal of reading 1 Shakespeare play, as well as 10 Brother’s Grimm fairy-tales.

I have reviews up or coming up for these books so as usual this is just going to be a brief run down on each book I read.

Without further ado, let’s get into my April Wrap Up..

The Price Of Paradise by Iain Overton: This book was amazing. It was an un-biased look at the suicide bomber and how these attacks have changed the world we live it. With insights from journalists, politicians, survivors and suicide bombers, this book is a must read for everyone.

Natives by Akala: This book was fascinating. I didn’t know what to expect going into it, but I really enjoyed it. It was emotional and powerful while still being educational. I learnt a lot whilst reading this book and I know that it is going to stay with me for a long time. A must read book.

Wonder by R.J. Palacio: This book was wonderful. I had been putting it off think it would be too sad but boy was I wrong. This book was the perfect combination of heartbreaking and heart-warming and left me with the warm and fuzzies. I am so glad I finally read this book.

The Crossroads by Pamela Cook: I loved this book. The characters were fantastic and the way their stories wove together made for a heart-warming reading experience. I found myself completely absorbed in this story and I was sad that it had to end. I will definitely be reading more or Pamela Cook’s works.

The Bad Mother’s Book Club by Keris Stainton: This was a quick, easy read. There was a character for everyone and a situation that could easily be related to. I had some genuine laugh out loud moments whilst reading this book. If you are looking for a light, easy book then this is the book for you.

Devour by L.A. Larkin: This was an interesting read. I loved the idea of this book; the virus is actually pretty frightening when you think about it. I had some trouble with the different storylines taking place at the same time; it made it hard to care about any of them long enough to build a connection.

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah: This book was equal parts heart-warming and heartbreaking. I am a massive fan of Historical Fictions so I am not surprised by how much I loved this book. The setting was wonderful, the writing emotional and the characters believable. I will be re-reading this book many times in the future.

Shakespeare: I read 1 Shakespeare play in April. I read the following Shakespeare Play This Month:

The First Part Of King Henry The Fourth

Brother’s Grimm: I am happy to say that I completed my goals of reading 10 Brother Grimm Fairy Tales in April. I read the following Tales this month:

The Three Green Twigs

Bearskin

The Devil’s Sooty Brother

Frau Trude

Sleeping Beauty

The Godfather

Death’s Messengers

Godfather Death

Lean Lisa

The Seven Swanbians

The Wise Servant

The Thief And His Master

Domestic Servants

The Water Life

The Ditmarsch Tale If Wonders

The Story Of Schlauraffen Land

That’s it for my April Wrap Up. I hope you all had a great reading month. Let me know what you guys read this month in the comments section.

Until my May Wrap Up…

Happy Reading…

❤ Gem

The Twins At St Clare’s by Enid Blyton

‘It’s twins Pat and Isabel’s first term at St Clare’s, and they are determined to give everyone at their new school a few surprises. What plans and tricks are they concocting? There’s never a dull moment at St. Clare’s!

When Pat and Isabel first go to St. Clare’s they are determined not to enjoy themselves, but by the end of term they have had to admit that school can be surprisingly good fun.’

I didn’t love this book.

I have been working my way through Enid Blyton’s classics over the last few months. I am excited to be re visiting these books as an adult. I have really enjoyed the books that I have read so far. Whilst I did enjoy this book, I didn’t love it.

I found this story really slow at the beginning. I was bored and I couldn’t warm to the twins. This unfortunately put me off side and I didn’t really warm to them throughout the entire story.

I find it really hard to enjoy a book if I don’t care about the character and that is what happened with this book. I didn’t care about the main characters and I didn’t really care about any of the supporting characters either.

I felt like I was just going through the motions whilst reading this book. Nothing really bothered me but on the flip side of that, nothing really excited me.

I can understand why people love this book but for me it just wasnt one of my favourites.

The Twins At St Clare’s is the first book in the St Clare’s series by Enid Blyton.

ANZAC Day!

For those of you that haven’t heard of the word ANZAC it is an acronym for Australian and New Zealand Arm Corps. ANZAC Day; the 25^th April is a day where we pay respect to the man and women of the armed forces past and present.

On the 25^th April 1915, the ANZAC’s under British instruction arrived at Gallipoli under a hail of bullets. Now on the 25^th of April every year Australian’s and New Zealanders commemorate the Gallipoli landing and honour the ANZAC’s.

ANZAC Day is commemorated in many different ways across Australia, New Zealand, Turkey and France. The cove at which the ANZAC arrive over a century ago is now known as ANZAC Cove, and every year at dawn a service is held there.

After the Dawn service at ANZAC Cove visitors go on a walk over some of the battle grounds of Gallipoli to the war memorial and cemetery.

An important battle for the ANZAC’s also to place in France during World War 1, so each year a dawn service is also held there to commemorate that battle.

These services are attended by Government officials from Australia, New Zealand, Turkey and France, as well as everyday people who want to pay their respects.

As well as the overseas services, there are dawn services held all over Australia. Dawn was the time of the Gallipoli landing, so people go to dawn services around the country in very large numbers.

My family and I attend the dawn service at our local RSL club. It is something that you can’t really explain to someone. The feeling that these services give to you is something that you have to experience for yourself.

There are other things that are used to commemorate ANZAC Day across the country. Most major Cities and some none major cities have ANZAC Day marches. The official ANZAC Day march is televised every year, and has representatives from all conflicts or peace keeping missions the ANZAC’s have been involved in.

The other main things Australian’s do to commemorate ANZAC Day is eating, drinking and gambling.

As ANZAC Day is a public holiday, many people have BBQ’s. A staple of most ANZAC Day BBQ’s in ANZAC cookies and Damper. These two things were eaten by or at least at the time of the Gallipoli landing and have become an ANZAC Day tradition.

The drinking and gambling aspect of ANZAC Day come about through Two-Up. Two-Up is a coin based gambling game that was played by soldiers during World War 1 and is played only on ANZAC Day at pub and clubs across the country. And if you know anything about Australian’s then you know that gambling in pubs and clubs usually leads to lots of drinking.

I don’t drink and I haven’t been to a Two-Up game in years but I go to the dawn service and watch the march on TV. The history of the day is something that I really love. Getting to see the stories that come out around this day really moves me. As sad as it is to watch the march and see the numbers of the older generations getting smaller each year, the numbers of younger generation Australian’s that are participating in and learning about ANZAC really warms my heart.

I thought I would end this post a little differently.  I am going to leave you with Laurence Binyon’s Ode of Remembrance, which is used at service across the world to commemorate ANZAC Day.

They shall not grow old

As we that are left grow old

Age shall not weary them

Nor the years condemn

At the going down of the sun

And in the morning

We will remember them

Lest We Forget.

~>GEM<~

Devour by L.A. Larkin

‘Their greatest fear was contaminating an ancient Antarctic lake, buried beneath the ice for millions of years. They little knew the catastrophe they were about to unleash.Welcome to the high-octane world of Olivia Wolfe.

As an investigative journalist, Wolfe lives her life in constant peril. Hunted by numerous enemies who are seldom what the first seem, she must unravel a complex web of lies to uncover an even more terrifying truth.

From the poppy palaces of Afghanistan and Antarctica’s forbidding wind-swept ice sheets, to a top-secret military base in the Nevada desert, Wolfe’s journey will ultimately lead her to a man who would obliterate civilisation. She must make an impossible choice: save a life – or prevent the death of millions.’

This was an interesting read.

While I ended up enjoying this book, I went into it expecting something totally different to what I ended up getting.

This book was slow at first and I become irritated when we jumped between locations at the beginning of the book. Once all of the action started taking place in the same area and the pacing picked up and the story became more intense and interesting.

Once I got over my initial disappointment over getting a different story then the one I had expected, I ended up really getting into the story. I found the situations and the questions being raised both entertaining and terrifying.

I understand  that this s the first book in a series so there were elements of this book that were building the series but I found the inclusion of these storylines actually took away from the story being told. The stalker storyline being the main one. I found it frustrating and annoying that we kept circling back to a completely irrelevant storyline.

Overall this book ended up being a pretty enjoyable read.

Devour by L.A. Larkin is out now.

The Crossroads by Pamela Cook

‘Rosie O’Shea dreams of seeing the world. But right now, the outback hotel she inherited from her husband is falling down around her ears, her bank account is empty and family duty means she’s staying put.

The only thing keeping Stephanie Bailey sane are the rides she takes on their sprawling property, even if the earth is red and barren as far as her eye can see. Drought has forced the sale of almost all their cattle and her husband is getting more and more distant. The last thing she needs is the complications her brother-in-law brings.

Sydney girl Faith Montgomery is single, out of work and at the age of 31 has just discovered she is adopted. Furious at being lied to for her entire life, she lands a job at the Crossroads Hotel so she can track down her biological mother without revealing who she is. When Cameron Bailey walks into the bar his curious blend of country charm and city savvy has her falling hard.

One family. Three women. Will the lies they tell and the secrets they hide lead to more heartache or will fate bring them together before it’s too late?’

I loved this book.

This book had a fantastic feel about it. The characters and storyline were real and relatable and it gave this book an authentic and warm feeling.

I am not usually a fan of having a story told from multiple point of view but it really worked for this story.

I loved the characters in this book. Three strong women with different outlooks and experiences made for some really interesting character developments. I loved getting to see how each of these women handled the various situations that were thrown at them.

Pamela Cook writing in this book is absolutely stunning. Her sweeping descriptions have a cinematic quality to them, and her characters emotions radiate off the page. I found myself so absorbed in this wonderful story that I forgot I wasnt actually living these experiences with the characters.

I am so glad I read this book and I will be re reading it many times in the future.

The Crossroads by Pamela Cook will take you on a sweeping, emotional journey and leave you completely and utterly satisfied.

Why I’m a Reader Tag

Welcome one and all to another Wacky Wednesday post. Today I am partaking in the Why I’m A Reader Tag. I hope you all enjoy this quick little tag.

So without further ado, lets jump straight in:

Choose one word to describe yourself as a reader.

Moody

What is the first book that made you fall in love with reading?

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rowling

Hardback or Paperback?

Paperback

How has reading shaped your identity?

It has led me to blogging and reviewing and to finding my passion.

What book do you read when you want to be comforted?

Any children’s picture book or Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowing

Who influenced you or taught you to be a reader?

No one really. I picked up Harry Potter and that was it. My family aren’t big readers.

Describe your dream reading lounge.

Bookshelves lining every wall, a window nook to sit and read it, a comfy chair and lots of natural light.

What book changed the way you saw the world?

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

 

Well that’s it for me. I hope you guys enjoyed this tag. As usual, hit me up with your answers in the comment section.

Until next time…

Happy Reading…

❤ Gem

The Bad Mother’s Book Club by Keris Stainton

‘Since moving to the Liverpudlian seaside after her husband’s career change, Emma Chance’s life consists of the following: long walks on the beach (with the dog), early nights (with the kids) and Netflix (no chill).

Bored and lonely, when Emma is cordially invited to the exclusive cool school-mums’ book club, hosted by Head of PTA and footballer’s wife, Jools Jackson, she thinks her luck may finally be about to change. She soon realises she may have made a grave mistake when she realises it’s all about books, and less about wine and gossip – but it’s always better to stick things out, isn’t it?

Or not.

After a few months and a few awkward moments involving a red wine on white carpet accident and a swear-word incident involving Jools’s daughter, Emma is ungraciously kicked out of the book club. Exhausted and exiled, she decides it’s about time she fights back against the shame and humiliation. Enlisting the help of some similar-thinking mums, Emma sets up her own book club – no cleaners, polite conversation or reading required: this is the BAD MOTHER’S BOOK CLUB.’

This was a fun read.

I really enjoyed this book. The story was totally original but it was a quick read that I really did get engrossed in as the story unfolded.

I loved getting to see the different personalities of each of the women and how they reacted to each other and their families. This made for an interesting dynamic to explore with each chapter.

There was definitely a character for everyone on this book. It was fun watching each of these characters grow and solidify as the story unfolded and as they found their feet in each new situation.

While Keris Stainton touch on some really deep and interesting topics throughout this story; homosexuality, bi-sexuality, infidelity and cancer just to name a few, these topics weren’t really delved into which disappointed me. I would have loved to explored these topics with these great characters instead of just touching on them.

Overall this was a quick and ultimatly fun read that had some genuine laugh out loud moments and left me while a smile on my face.

The Bad Mother’s Book Club by Keris Stainton is a fun, easy read.

My Family Easter!

Happy Easter!

Given that it is Easter, I thought today would be the perfect time to talk about how my family and I celebrate Easter.

My family aren’t religious, so we don’t attend mass of the holiday, but we do have some traditions that we partake in every year.

Easter Weekend with my family contains a lot of seafood. We don’t eat meat on Good Friday and we usually have an abundance of prawns over the long weekend.

My mum decorates the interior of the house with Easter decoration, and there are baskets and platters of sweets and chocolates on the table the entire weekend.

With no little kids in our immediate family, we don’t have Easter Egg hunts or early morning wake up. We do however still get Easter presents. Lots of chocolates and usually something extra thanks to mum.

On Easter Sunday we have a family BBQ, where our extended family come over and we all eat and drink until we are ready to burst. It is always a day full or laughter and love.

As Easter Monday is a public holiday, there is usually a lot of alcohol consumed on Easter Sunday. The young adults of the family, usually kick on to a pub or club after the family BBQ and the other adults drink at home until the party breaks up.

The Easter Sunday drinking means that Easter Monday is a relaxing day, where most of the family are feeling a little under the weather. So its greasy food and watching TV and movies for our family on Easter Monday.

If the young ones didn’t have a big Sunday Night, they usually go out with friends on Easter Monday, meaning I usually have a very relaxing day at home. Nice quiet time to myself.

I really love the Easter long weekend. I know Easter means different things to different people, but to me it means time with my family, having fun and making memories.

I hope you all have a wonderful Easter.

~>GEM<~

 

 

 

Wonder by R.J. Palacio

‘I won’t describe what I look like. Whatever you’re thinking, it’s probably worse.

August Pullman was born with a facial difference that, up until now, has prevented him from going to a mainstream school. Starting 5th grade at Beecher Prep, he wants nothing more than to be treated as an ordinary kid—but his new classmates can’t get past Auggie’s extraordinary face. WONDER begins from Auggie’s point of view, but soon switches to include his classmates, his sister, her boyfriend, and others. These perspectives converge in a portrait of one community’s struggle with empathy, compassion, and acceptance.’

This book was wonderful.

I have been putting this book off for so long because I thought it was going to sad for me, but boy was I wrong. Parts of it were definitely sad but it also had a lot of heartwarming moments and left me with the warm and fuzzies.

I am not usually a fan of multiple points of view, but it really worked in this book. I actually loved seeing the different characters and their experiences and how they related to Auggie.

Having Auggie as a child made for a really beautiful story. Seeing him navigate school and life and seeing how his friends, family and classmates dealt with changes in their lives was a really beautiful thing to witness.

R.J. Palacio did a fantastic job with this book. The story was equal parts heartwarming and heartbreaking and the characters were so real and relatable. The characters emotions radiated off the pages from start to finish.

This is one of the most beautiful books I have ever read. I so happy that I have finally read it. I will definitely be reading this book again in the future.

Wonder by R.J. Palacio is a truly beautiful book that will stay with you long after the final page.

Easter Reads…

Welcome one and all to another Wacky Wednesday post. As it is Easter time I have decided to make Today’s post about Easter Reads. As I was trying to compile this list I realized that I actually don’t own many books about Easter. So this list is mainly books about Rabbits. This was actually a fun list for me to create, so I hope you guys enjoy it.

So without further ado, let’s jump into my Easter Reads:

Aussie Easter Hat Parade by Colin Buchanan: I absolutly love this book. This beautiful book highlight both the amazing flora and fauna of Australia while taking the reader on a trip down memory. I can still remember the excitement of making my Easter Hat and then Parade day at school. This beautiful book is a must have for every Australian household.

The Tale Of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter: Easter – Rabbits – Rabbits – Peter. Really this was an easy one. Who doesnt associate Peter Rabbit to Easter. I loved reading Peter Rabbit as a child. As a sometimes naughty child, I absolutly adored Peter and his adventures. Reading Peter Rabbit as an adult brings back so many happy memories and I can wait to read it again this Easter break.

The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams: I absolutly love this story. I remember reading this book every Easter as a child and I still do as an adult. This book is just so heartfelt and beautiful, and it’s about a rabbit, so I just had to include it on this list. If you havent read the Velveteen Rabbit, now is the perfect time. Trust me you wont regret reading this book.

Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland by Lewis Carroll: To be honest the only reason this book is on the list is because of the White Rabbit. This was the first book that came to mind when I decided to write this list. When I think about Easter I think about chocolate and rabbits and when I think about rabbits the White Rabbit is the first to hop into my mind. This book is a great book to read this Easter weekend if you want to read something Eastery yet fun and whimsical.

Katie’s Questions About God by Deborah Owen: I felt odd about doing an Easter Reads list without including something about God. This beautiful little book is about a young girl asking her Mother questions about God. With beautiful illustrations this book is perfect for parents to read to children over the Easter period if they want to talk about religion in a way that would be suitable and fun for kids.

Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling: I know this may seem like a strange book to add to an Easter Reads list, but just hear me out. The basis of Easter is Jesus sacrificing himself on the cross so that we could all live. Well in this book Harry sacrifices himself so that everyone in his world can live. While thinking about Easter and sacrifice this book automatically jumped to mind, so I of course included it. And really it does sort of fit the theme of Easter Reads. Doesnt it?

Well that’s it from me. I hope you guys enjoyed todays post. As usual, if you have read any of these book or you have a recommendation for me, hit me up in the comment section.

Until next time…

Happy Reading…

❤ Gem