January Warp Up…

Welcome to my January Wrap Up. I didn’t have a great reading month in January, finishing 2 books (1 book off my TBR). I also received 1 ARC this month. I have reviews up or coming up for these books so as usual this is just going to be a brief rundown on each book I read. Without further ado, let’s get into my January Wrap Up: Dear Lover by Samuel Johnson: After reading Dear Santa, I was excited to get my hands on this book, and I am happy to say it was everything I hoped it would be. It was sweet, kind, romantic, and fun. I am so glad that I now have this book on my bookshelf as I know I will be re-reading it many times in the future. Black Summer by Michael Rolland: This book was fantastic. I loved that this book had stories from all around Australia rather than focusing on just one of the Bushfire affected areas. I also really appreciate that we got to re visit some of the people featured in this book a few months after the fires to see how they were coping.  This is one of those books that made me proud to be an Australian and I know that the stories in this book will stay with me for a very long time.

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That’s it for my January 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 February Wrap Up… Happy Reading… ~>GEM<~

Dear Lover by Samuel Johnson

“From the bestselling, cancer-vanquishing Love Your Sister team, and edited by the indefatigable Samuel Johnson, comes Dear Lover, a funny, revealing and soul-stirring collection of letters written by notable Australians like Turia Pitt, Samuel Johnson, Susie Youssef, Hilde Hinton, Stuart Coupe, Jacqui Lambie, Larry Emdur, John Paul Young, Mandy Beaumont, Rhett Davis, Adam Harvey, Mark Brandi and Kate Mildenhall, to name a few, just in time for Valentine’s Day.

What would someone say to their childhood sweetheart, their life partner, their latest crush or their cherished soul mate? ‘Thanks for everything?’ ‘Unravel your sports socks before you put them in the washing basket?’ Anything goes in this collection of letters. If you could tell your lover anything, what would it be?”

This book was lovely.

After reading Dear Santa I was excited to get my hands on this book. I am happy to say that it was everything I had hoped it would be.

I loved the variety of people that contributed to this book as well as the fact that not all of them wrote to their current lovers. I also loved that this collection included letters from couples and that they were placed back to back in the book; I found this surprising and really sweet.

Even though I read this book from start to finish it is one of the books that can be picked up and read from any page when you need a little lift in you day.

Samuel Johnson has done a wonderful job in putting this book together. The letters he gathered were tender and emotional while still be fun, funny, and fabulous. And the fact that so many people contributed to this project without getting anything in return makes me proud to be an Australian.

I will definitely be re-reading this book many times in the future.

Dear Lover by Samuel Johnson is a must have for all Aussie bookshelves.

Australian Facts!

As I am really enjoying compiling Pointless Facts each month, I have decided to put together a list of Facts about Australia. I hope you all enjoy these Australian Facts.

Let’s jump in, shall we?

Australia is also the biggest producer of wine with 1.3 billion liters of wine produced every year.

There are 19 world heritage sites in Australia.

Australia recently had 5 prime ministers for five years.

Due to a trademark clash, Burger King in Australia is known as Hungry Jacks.

If you visit one beach a day in Australia it will take you 27 years to see all of them!

Voting is mandatory in Australia and those who don’t vote are penalized.

There are approximately 44 million kangaroos in Australia.

Another interesting fact about Australia is that it has more newspaper readers than any other country in the world.

 Australia is popularly known as the Island Continent because it is the only continent that is also a country.

Australia has approximately 516 national parks.

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I hope you all enjoyed today’s Christmas Facts. Let me know in the comments if these facts were new to you or if you had already come across them.

~>GEM<~

The Magic Misfits: The Fourth Suit by Neil Patrick Harris

‘Ridley Larsen is everything you want in a friend. She’s tough as nails, she’s fiercely loyal, and she’s smart as a whip. But she can be a harsh critic, which has put her position with the Magic Misfits on the rocks, even as the threat of the group’s longtime enemy Kalagan looms large. Ever since his recent appearance in Mineral Wells, the kids know that a showdown with the vicious magician is imminent.

They must first deal with a series of odd instances and random attacks, though, all of which they use to bring themselves closer to discovering where Kalagan may be hiding, and the nature of his true identity. But can Ridley finally master her temper and put her essential magical skills to good use? She’ll do anything to protect her friends, and when the time comes, she’ll find that the Magic Misfits are strongest when they all work together.

Join the Magic Misfits as they discover adventure, friendship, and more than a few hidden secrets in this finale of the unique and always surprising series. Whether you’re a long-time expert at illusion or simply a new fan of stage magic, hold on to your top hat!’

This book was magical.

I have loved the previous books in this series so I was excited to get my hands on this one. I am happy to say this book not only lived up to my high expectations it well and truly surpassed them.

Getting to visit Mineral Wells again and catch up with The Misfits and friends was like receiving a warm hug. I loved that this book was told from Ridley’s perspective as she has been one of my favourite characters throughout the series.

Even though I am sad that this is the final book in this series I was completely satisfied with how this story ended. I loved that we got answers to all the questions that had been raised over the four books, as well as getting to find out what happened to characters from the previous books.

Neil Patrick Harris has done a fabulous job with this book and the series as a whole. The stories were engaging and fun, the characters were diverse and relatable, and the writing was compelling and perfectly paced.

I honestly don’t have a bad word to say about this book and this series as a whole. If you have a Middle Grade reader in your life get them this series now.

The Magic Misfits: The Fourth Suit by Neil Patrick Harris is the perfect conclusion to a wonderful series.

Summer Vibes Book Tag…

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

So without further ado, let’s jump straight in:

The Beach

A book set somewhere tropical

The Bay by Allie Reynolds

Music Festival

A book with a focus on music

Time of My Life by Myf Warhurst

Watermelon

A book with a juicy secret

The Wrong Sister by Fiona Palmer 

Water Park

A book set near or on the water

All We Dream by Pamela Cook 

Ice Cream

A book that is a guilty pleasure

The World’s Worst Pets by David Walliams

Picnic With Friends

A book about friendship

All That’s Left in the World by Erik J. Brown

Road Trip

A book that takes you on an adventure

The Last Woman in the World by Inga Simpson

Sunburn

A book that you regret reading

Talking With Psychopaths and Savages: Beyond Evil by Christopher Berry-Dee

Summer Dress

A book that is light and cute

Wishyouwas by Alexandra Page

Mosquito

A book with an annoying character

The Paris Bookseller by Kerri Maher 

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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<~

Pointless Facts 33!

As I am really enjoying compiling Pointless Facts, I am going to stick with my plan of posting a new list every month; at least until it stops being fun for me. So I hope you all enjoy this month’s installment of Pointless Facts.

Let’s jump in, shall we?

Seahorses mate for life and can often be seen holding each other’s tales.

One-quarter of all our bones are in our feet.

Most newborns lose all the hair they were born with by the time they’re six months old.

According to the Guinness World Records, the largest book in the world weighs over 3,000 lb and measures 16.40 ft x 26.44 ft.

Reading for just 6 minutes each day can help reduce stress by up to 68%.

Babies are born with more bones than adults. (Babies have 300 bones while adults only have 206.)

A camel can drink up to 40 gallons of water in one go.

Squeamish? Don’t go to any cheese shops in Sardinia, lest you find yourself face to face with Casu Marzu, a cheese that gets its taste from live maggots.

India is the country that reads the most, with an average Indian reading 10.7 hours every week.

Fifty Shades of Grey started out as Twilight fan-fiction.

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I hope you all enjoyed today’s pointless facts. Let me know in the comments if these pointless facts were new to you or if you had already come across them.

~>GEM<~

Dreamer by Dami Im

‘From her very first appearance auditioning for The X Factor in 2013, Dami Im showed the power of her unforgettable voice. As she made her way through the rounds, we learned more about this Brisbane music student with impressive talent and an electric stage presence. When she was announced the winner, her fans, the Dami Army, were right behind her. Three years later at Eurovision, Dami topped the judges’ vote and narrowly came in second overall, taking Australia to its highest-ever placing and gaining fans all over the world.

How this shy Korean-born Australian girl, who started school with very little English and kept her dream of becoming an entertainer to herself, became a global sensation is a story of sacrifice, determination, and talent.
Behind the scenes, however, some in the music industry had tried to change her, pressuring her to do as she was told and sweeping aside her creative input. Dami didn’t give in – she refused to compromise her values and stood up for herself and her vision. Now, she has emerged as the artist she was always destined to be.’

This book was great.

I can remember seeing Dami on The X-Factor and then again at Eurovision so I was excited to get my hands on this book but I didn’t realise just how much I was going to love it.

Getting to see Dami’s journey before The X-Factor was really interesting as it gave more of an insight into who she is and where her passion for music comes from.

As interesting as it was learning about Dami’s journey to The X-Factor, reading about her struggles after winning The X-Factor was absolutely fascinating.

Giving that most people; myself included, have very little in any understanding of how a recording contract or record label works I was gobsmacked by some of the things that I learned while reading this book.

Reading about Dami’s issues with her label and how it affected her self-worth and creativity was utterly heartbreaking. I hadn’t expected this book to be the emotional roller coaster ride that it was, but this book made me laugh, cry, hope, and cheer.

Dami I’m has done a wonderful job with this book. She told her truth with poise and dignity without shying away from the difficulties yet leaving the reader hopeful.

Dreamer by Dami Im is a surprisingly emotional book that you won’t regret reading.

Lunar New Year Book Tag…

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

So without further ado, let’s jump straight in:

DRAGON

Authority, Dignity, and Luck

A book with Royalty in it

Mirror, Mirror by Jen Calonita 

SNAKE

Wise, Cunning, and Sly

A book with a manipulative character

The Bay by Allie Reynolds

HORSE

Enthusiastic, Independent, and Zealous

A standalone book

Forever Home by Graham Norton

SHEEP

Tender, sensitive to art and beauty

Favourite book cover

Wombat Underground: A Wildfire Survival Story by Sarah L. Thomson

MONKEY

Clever, lively, and quick-witted

Favourite comic relief character

Hero – The Library of the Unwritten by A.J. Hackwith

ROOSTER

Honest, ambitious, and punctual

Most anticipated book of 2023

Silverborn: The Mystery of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend

DOG

Independent, sincere, and loyal

A comfort book you always go back to

A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett

PIG

A symbol of affluence and wealth

A book you spent too much money on

The Complete Novels of Jane Austen by Jane Austen

RAT

Delicate, witty, and flexible

A book or author that has flown under the radar

The German Wife by Kelly Rimmer 

OX

Diligent, persistent, and honest

A character who has strong morals

Madame Weatherberry – A Tale of Magic… by Chris Colfer

TIGER

Powerful, confident, and brave

A book that boldly addresses an issue

L Platers by Madonna King

RABBIT

Tender, graceful, and sensitive

A book with a sweet romance

The Little Wartime Library by Kate Thompson

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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<~

Spaceboy by David Walliams

‘America. The 1960s.

Stuck on a remote farm with her awful aunt, twelve-year-old orphan Ruth spends every night gazing at the stars, dreaming of adventure.

One night she spots a flying saucer blazing across the sky… before crash-landing in a field. When the spaceship opens and reveals a mysterious alien, all of Ruth’s dreams come true.

But does this visitor from another planet have a giant secret?’

I loved this book.

I am a massive fan of David Walliams’ books so I went into this book with high hopes. Thankfully it not only lived up to my high expectations it well and truly surpassed them.

One thing that surprised me with this book was its setting both in time and place. Most of David Walliams’ books are set in present time and in England whereas this book was set in 1960’s USA. I loved getting to read about the space race and have a different kind of supporting cast such as the sheriff and the President of the United States.

The story itself was both fun and wacky as well as being educational as it was based on real events. I loved that even though this story was different from David Walliams’ other novels; both in place and time, it didn’t lose any of its Walliams’ magic.

Adding to David Walliams’ wonderful story were captivating illustrations by Adam Stower. Not only did Adam Stower’s illustrations perfectly complimented the story they helped to elevate this book to a whole new level.

I honestly don’t have a bad word to say about this book. I loved the writing, the story, the characters, and the illustrations and that is why I can easily see this book becoming a fast favourite with young readers.

Spaceboy by David Walliams is a must have for all Middle Grade readers.

Missing Posts!

Welcome back to another Sunday Session Post!

This is just a quick post to let you know that there are going to be limited posts throughout January and early February.

You may have already noticed that no post went up last Sunday and there have been no Photographs on Instagram since my January TBR.

I have a busy month in the lead-up to Christmas/Bookmas and then after spending the Holiday with my family I, unfortunately, got sick. This led to me making the decision to concentrate on getting well before I go on my Summer Holiday, so only the posts that were written before I got sick will be going up over the next six weeks.

When this post goes up I will already be on Holiday so hopefully, I will be able to get a lot of reading done and have plenty of awesome books to review in the very near future.

I look forward to hearing from you all when I am back at it in Mid-February.

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Until Next Time…

Happy Reading…

~>GEM<~