April Wrap Up…

Welcome to my April Wrap Up. I have had a pretty good reading month, finishing 6 books (5 books off my TBR). I also received 3 ARC’s this month, and I continued my new goal of reading 1 Shakespeare play, as well as The Voyage Of The Beagle and The Origin Of Species by Charles Darwin.

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:

18 Tiny Deaths by Bruce Goldfarb: This book was amazing. I was thoroughly captivated by Frances Gleesner Lee’s story. I don’t have a bad word to say about this book. Everyone should read and learn from this wonderful story. I will be re-reading this one many times in the future.

The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski: I loved this book. This isn’t the first book in the series but the stories do come first chronologically. I really liked that this was a collection of short stories. It got me use to the writing and familiar with the characters and now I am excited to drive into the series proper.

The Dark Lady by Akala: I didn’t love this book. I was excited to dive into this book but it just didn’t work for me. I found it hard to read and I feel like it was suffering from an identity crisis. I have previously like what I have read by Akala, unfortunately this one just wasn’t for me.

Liberation by Imogen Kealey: I loved this book. I am a massive fan of historical fiction and knowing that this story was based on a real person just added to my enjoyment of this book. I can’t believe that I had never heard of Nancy Wake, but now that I have I am excited to learn more about her. This book is a must read for everybody.

Night Lessons In Little Jerusalem by Rick Held: this book was wonderful. I loved the writing in this book it was emotional and had a real sense of urgency to it. I have read a lot of books set during World War 2 so I have high standards when it comes to books set during that time. I am happy to say that this book lived up to my standards. This book is well worth a read for everyone.

Sword Of Destiny by Andrzej Sapkowski: I loved this book. This is the second collection of short stories in The Witcher series and I loved every story. As I am reading this series in chronological order I have really enjoyed getting a feel for it an the characters before jumping into the actual novels. Given how much I enjoyed this book as well as its predecessor, I a, well and truthly ready to sink my teeth into the next book.

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

As You Like It

The Origin Of Species by Charles Darwin: I read the following chapters this month:

Chapter 8: Hybridism

Chapter 9: On The Imperfection Of The Geological Record

Chapter 10: On The Geological Succession Of Organic Beings

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

Choose The Year Book Tag…

Welcome one and all to another Wacky Wednesday post. Today I am partaking in the Choose The Year Book Tag. I hope you all enjoy this quick little tag.

The tag prompts:

1. Choose a year and say why.
2. Choose 10 books published in that year.
3. How many have you read, or if none, heard of.
4. Are there any books on that list that sound interesting and would you read them now?
5. Most obscure sounding book?

So without further ado, lets jump straight in:

1. I have chosen 1988 because it was the year I was born.
2. My 10 books.
   1. Matilda by Roald Dahl
   2. The Silence of The Lambs by Thomas Harris
   3. A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawkins
   4. Wall and Peace by Banksy
   5. Message In A Bottle by Nicolas Sparks
   6. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
   7. Batman: The Killing Joke by Alan Moore
   8. Dead Poets Society by N.H. Klieinbaum
   9. Capote by Gerald Clarke
   10. Battle Cry of Freedom by James M. McPherson
3. I have read 4 of these 10 books
4. Yes. I would like to read A Brief History of Time, Message In A Bottle and Dead Poets Society.
5. Wall and Peace by Banksy

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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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Night Lessons In Little Jerusalem by Rick Held

‘The hero of this book was not a saint, nor even a tzadik – the nearest Jewish equivalent – but he was a hero. Someone who risked his own life to make a difference to the life of another. Were his motives selfless? No. He was after all flesh and blood. A man. And a very young one. But life is not black and white. Heroes are not without their flaws. This is his story.
Tholdi is a romantic. A musical prodigy whose brilliant future is extinguished when the horror unfolding across Europe arrives at his door. One day he’s captivated by the beautiful, mysterious Lyuba who he meets on his sixteenth birthday; the next he wakes to the terrors of war as the Nazi-allied Romanians attack his town of Czernowitz.

A ghetto is built to imprison the town’s Jews before herding them onto trains bound for the concentration camps of Transnistria. With each passing day, Tholdi and his parents await their turn. And then Fate intervenes, giving them all a reprieve.

At the weaving mill Tholdi secures work that spares him. He is elated. Until he discovers the two brothers who run the mill are Nazi collaborators hiding a terrible secret: the threat of transportation remains. When Tholdi sees one of the brothers with Lyuba, he glimpses a way to save himself and his family. But the stakes of his gamble are high. Will Lyuba be the key to their survival, or will Tholdi’s infatuation with her become a dangerous obsession that guarantees their death?’

I enjoyed this book.

I am a huge fan of Historical Fiction; especially when it takes place during World War 2, so I was excited to see what this book had to offer.

I really enjoyed the fact that I had not read a story like this before. I loved seeing where the characters drew the lines for what they old and wouldn’t do. I also loved seeing how the character changed and adapted as their circumstances changed.

I found a couple of the characters annoying and I wasn’t sure what their purpose was in regards to the plot. Most of these issues resolved themselves at the end of the story though.

Rick Held has done a fantastic job with the book. The writing was superb; emotional and at times  completely gut wrenching. The pacing was wonderful, and the characters were real and flawed.

There is something about this book that touches your heart and stays with you long after the final page.

Night Lessons In Little Jerusalem by Rick Held is a must read for everyone.



Uni Update 6!

It’s that time again…

Uni Update!

I have now completed my second assessment for this semester. I was a little concerned going into this assessment and I am even more concerned waiting to receive my results. I submitted it right before the Easter Long Weekend so I feel like I have waiting for the results forever. With each day that passes, the more stressed I become, wondering if I had received at least a passing grade or if I had totally fail the assignment.

The only thing I can do is get back to work and try to stop thinking about it.

I am now on the home stretch for this semester. Having only one essay left, I am feeling pretty good. Of course my final essay is worth 50% of my total grade, and its another nice long essay. I am not looking forward to it, yet I am also not dreading it.

I am a little concerned as I lost all of my course material when the computer shit itself last week. I have had to download everything again and I am now trying to organize it. This has set me back a little but as I was ahead of schedule anyway I am trying not to get too stressed about the lost time.

While I am finding it easy to cope with the work load this semester I am not as interested in the subject matter. Some of the units have been interesting but overall last semesters course appealed to me more. This is something I am going to try to keep in mind when I am deciding what units to take next semester.

Overall Uni has been a strange adventure over the last few weeks. I am just hoping that the next few weeks are calmer and hopefully successful.

That’s it from me.

I will be back next month for another Uni Update.

~>GEM<~

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

‘”People never like me and I never like people,” Mary thought.

When Mary Lennox is sent to Misselthwaite Manor to live with her uncle, everybody says she is the most disagreeable-looking child ever seen. It is true, too. Mary is pale, spoilt and quite contrary. But she is also horribly lonely. Then one day she hears about a garden in the grounds of the Manor that has been kept locked and hidden for years. And when a friendly robin helps Mary find the key, she discovers the most magical place anyone could imagine…’

I adored this book.

I honestly cant remember how many times I have read this book. I feel like each time I drive into this story I am transported back to my childhood. Reading this book for me is like a nice warm hug.

This was one of my all time favourite childhood books and it is still one of my favourites today. It never gets old, and I feel like I learn something new from it each and every time I read it.

I feel like this is one of those rare books that give you just what you need when you need it. No matter what is happening if you life, by reading this book you will take from it exactly what you need and sometimes you take from it something you didn’t know you needed.

I love the way this book makes me feel. Not only is it the nostalgia that this story invokes in me, its the fact that every time I read this book it is a truly beautiful reading experience.

If you have yet read The Secret Garden I suggest you add it to your wish-list, as this is definitely one book that everyone should read at least once in their lifetime.

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett is the epitome of a children’s classic.

The Pokemon Go Book Tag…

Welcome one and all to another Wacky Wednesday post. Today I am partaking in The Pokemon Go Book Tag. I hope you all enjoy this quick little tag.

So without further ado, lets jump straight in:

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

Persuasion by Jane Austen.

The Vampire Diaries series by L.J. Smith.

London Bound by C.J. Duggan.

Emma by Jane Austen.

Where Is Daniel? by Bruce and Denise Morcombe.

Dimitri and Rose. The Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead.

There’s Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins.

The Creekwood series by Becky Albertalli.

The Stalking Jack The Ripper series by Kerri Maniscalco.

The Strange the Dreamer series by Laini Taylor. 

A first edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rowling or A first edition of A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett.

Fiona Palmer.

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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

 

Liberation by Imogen Kealey

‘The must-read thriller inspired by the true story of Nancy Wake, the most decorated servicewoman of the Second World War, soon to be a major blockbuster film.

To the Allies she was a fearless freedom fighter, special operations super spy, a woman ahead of her time. To the Gestapo she was a ghost, a shadow, the most wanted person in the world with a five-million Franc bounty on her head.

Her name was Nancy Wake.

Now, for the first time, the roots of her legend are told in a thriller about one woman’s incredible quest to save the man she loves, turn the tide of the war, and take brutal revenge on those who have wronged her.’

I loved this book.

I am a massive fan of Historical Fiction; especially World War 2 Historical Fiction, so I went into this book with high hopes. Luckily for me not only did this book live up to my expectations, it well and truly surpassed them.

I was surprised and more than a little shocked that I had never heard anything about Nancy Wake before picking up this book. Now that I know a little about her and her truly amazing story, I am very excited to learn more.

The way this book was written was absolutely perfect. It was well paced, emotional and at times heartbreakingly real. Saying that reading this book was an emotional roller coaster ride is an understatement.

I found myself really connecting with this rag tag group of characters and I easily understood where each of them were coming from in their thoughts and behaviours.

I was genuinely surprised to find out that this book was written by two authors. It was so well written that it was impossible to tell that this wasn’t the work of one writer. The collaboration between Imogen Robertson and Darby Kealey was absolutely superb.

I honestly don’t have a bad word to say about this book. I am so glad that I read it and I looking forward  to seeing what ‘Imogen Kealey’ comes out with next.

Liberation by Imogen Kealey is a must read for everyone.

To Do List!

Social Distancing Day 27!

As we approach week four of Social Distancing I though I would share with you the To Do List that I made to help me pass the time.

I have started on most of these things and I have even finished a few. Since I already work and study from home I had to take that into account and not overwhelm myself.

I am also working on the theory that this To Do List is just a guide and I don’t actually have to complete anything on it. Knowing this has really helped me stay calm and not stress over something that I created to help me.

So without further ado, here is my Social Distancing To Do List:

Daily Tasks:

• Do University Stuff
• Do Blog and Review Stuff
• Read
• Journal
• Watch all Daily Television Shows
• Watch all Daily YouTube or BookTube Subscription videos

Weekly Tasks:

• Save and Email Book Reviews
• Update Goodreads
• Back Up Ipad
• Fill In Weekly To Do Lists, Planners and Calanders

Other:

• Clean/Organise Bookshelves
• Unhaul Books
• Unhaul DVD’s/Box Sets
• Make a List of Movies I want to see
• Stream/Download available movies on Foxtel or Netflix
• Watch Movies
• Catch up on old Television series that I stopped watching due to lack of time
• Make a List of 100 Movies to see before you die and 100 Books to read before you die.
• Watch/Read as many 100 books as possible

Well that’s it. That my To Do List, well I guess To Do Lists. So far they have been working for me. Please let me know in the comments what you have been doing to keep yourself same in these crazy times.

I may do a post or two on the 100 Movies and 100 Books and which if any of them I have watched/read, and how I rate them. I guess we will see what happens.

I hope you all enjoyed today’s post.

Wishing you and your families all the best.

Stay Safe.

~>GEM<~

Seven Little Australians by Ethel Turner

‘‘Without doubt Judy was the worst of the seven, probably because she was the cleverest.’Her father, Captain Woolcot, found his vivacious, cheeky daughter impossible – but seven children were really too much for him and most of the time they ran wild at their rambling riverside home, Misrule.Step inside and meet them all – dreamy Meg, and Pip, daring Judy, naughty Bunty, Nell, Baby and the youngest, ‘the General’. Come and share in their lives, their laughter and their tears.’

I loved this book.

There is a history with this book and my family. When we were kids my Nan got a photograph professionally taken of her seven grandchildren. It was framed and on display with the inscription ‘Seven Little Australian’s’. Over the years as more grad kids were born their photos were wedged into the frame and it became a running joke in the family.

When I found out that this book existed, and that ‘Seven Little Australian’s’ wasn’t just a saying; I was so excited. And luckily for me this book didn’t disappoint.

I will admit that it takes a few pages to get used to the old fashion language used in this book, but once your familiar with it the story just captivates you and keeps you turning the page.

This is one of those books that I return to time and time again. There is something soothing and nostalgic about this book. There are few novels that you can read at any age and still enjoy them no matter how many times you have read them. This is one of those novels.

While I loved this story as child, I feel like I love it more, or at least appreciate it more as an adult. I honestly feel that I take something new from this book each time I read it.

If you haven’t read this book, you should definitely add it to you wish-list.

Seven Little Australian’s by Ethel Turner is a classic for a reason.

The Cliche Book Tag…

Welcome one and all to another Wacky Wednesday post. Today I am partaking in The Cliche Book Tag. I hope you all enjoy this quick little tag.

So without further ado, lets jump straight in:

ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS

A Book That Wasn’t or Couldn’t Be Better Than The Movie

 

Harry Potter, obviously.

THE GRASS IS ALWAYS GREENER ON THE OTHER SIDE

A Rags to Riches or Riches to Rags Story

 

The Selection series by Kiera Cass.

THE APPLE DOES NOT FALL FAR FROM THE TREE

A Parent/Child Relationship That You Love

Simon and his parents in Simon vs The Homosapian Agenda.

 

YOU CAN’T JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER

A Good Book That Needs a Better Cover

Before I Let You Go by Kelly Rimmer.

YOU CAN’T PLEASE EVERYONE

A Book You Hate That Everyone loves

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle.

WHAT DOESN’T KILL YOU MAKES YOU STRONGER

What’s a Book That Made You a Better Person For Having Read It

Nobody’s Victim: Fighting Psychos, Stalkers, Pervs, and Trolls by Carrie Goldberg.

IGNORANCE IS BLISS

A Book That Is Bad But You Just Don’t Want to Admit It

Trails in the Dust by Joy Dettman.

THERE IS NO TIME LIKE THE PRESENT

What is Your Favourite Contemporary Book?

Cross My Heart by Pamela Cook.

BETTER SAFE THAN SORRY

A Book You Don’t Want to Read in Case It’s Bad

Our Own Private Universe by Robin Talley.

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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