April Wrap Up…

Welcome to my April Wrap Up. I had a great reading month in April, finishing 6 books (2 books 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 April Wrap Up:

The Tale Of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter: This book was lovely. I can’t remember if I have read this book before so I was excited to read it now. Even though it’s a children’s book I really enjoyed it. It was sweet and fun and the illustrations were stunningly beautiful. I am so glad to have read this book; maybe for the first time, and I am looking forward to reading again many times in the future.

The Tale Of Benjamin Bunny by Beatrix Potter: After reading The Tale Of Peter Rabbit I was excited to read this book. I don’t know if it was because of my high expectations or not, but I didn’t love this one as much as I loved Peter Rabbit. I was glad that Peter was in this book and it was sweet and warm but it just didn’t excite me as much as I had hoped it would. I will say that the illustrations were once again stunning.

The Tale Of The Flopsy Bunnies by Beatrix Potter: Okay maybe The Tale Of Peter Rabbit was just magic because I liked this book as much as The Tale Of Benjamin Bunny but it once again didn’t live up to Peter Rabbit. I liked that we got to catch up with characters from previous books and as usual I have nothing but wonderful things to say about the illustrations in this book but unfortunately it didn’t live up to my expectations.

Dark Mode by Ashley Kalagian Blunt: This book was terrifying. Even though it was a work of fiction it is inspired by real events and could easily happen in real life which is such a scary thing to think about. The plot is enhanced by the relatable reactions and emotions f the characters, as well as the story’s expert pacing. This is one of those books that made me think about how I live my life and that I know will stay with me for a long time.

The Last Train by Peter Bradley: This book was deeply moving and absolutely fascinating. I have read many books about the Holocaust but this is the first one that traces Jewish ancestry back through history going into detail about the suffering that Jewish people endured long before Hitler and the Nazis. I am so glad that I read this book and I think everyone should read it at least once in their life.

Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett: This was an interesting and quirky read. I loved that it was told through the medium of journal entries; this made it really easy to connect to Emily very quickly. I also like that this book included scientific ‘facts’ and ‘statistics’; this added an extra layer to the story being told. This is one of those books that I didn’t know a lot about before picking it up, but am very glad that I decided to read it.

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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.

GEM

Under The Dome by Stephen King

‘Under the Dome is the story of the small town of Chester’s Mill, Maine which is inexplicably and suddenly sealed off from the rest of the world by an invisible force field. No one can get in and no one can get out.

When food, electricity, and water run short, the normal rules of society are changed. A new and more sinister social order develops, Dale Barbara, a young Iraq veteran, teams up with a handful of intrepid citizens to fight against the corruption that is sweeping through the town and to try to discover the source of the Dome before it is too late…’

This book was awesome.

As a fan of Stephen King, I was excited to read this book; even though I was slightly daunted by its size. I have yet to read a Stephen King novel that I haven’t liked, and I am very happy to say that Under The Dome is up there as one of my favourites.

I loved that even though the situation that the characters in this book were put in was Sci-Fi in nature, the reactions, relationships, and decisions the characters made were all grounded in reality. As much as it seems weird to say, I can easily see how people turned feral in such a short period of time given the circumstances.

I also really enjoyed that the characters were all distinct from each other and as the story unfolded we got to learn more about each character which allowed us to see why they were making the choices they were making in such an extreme situation.

Stephen King knocked it out of the park with the writing in this book. It was emotional yet creepy and the pacing kept me on edge and compelled to keep turning the pages. This is one of those stories that captivates you from the very first page and keeps you hooked until the very end.

Under The Dome by Stephen King is everything you want it to be and so much more.

Fall Bucket List Book Tag…

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

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

LIGHT A SCENTED CANDLE

A BOOK THAT IS LIGHTHEARTED

Mim and the Baffling Bully by Katrina Nannestad

DRINK PUMPKIN SPICE LATTES

A BOOK THAT HAS A LOT OF HYPE

No F*cks Given by Sarah Knight

GO APPLE PICKING

A BOOK THAT HAS A FUN FRIENDSHIP

Saving Hamlet by Molly Horton Booth

WEAR A COZY SWEATER

A BOOK THAT WARMS YOUR HEART

Wombat Underground by Sarah L. Thomson

BAKE CINNAMON ROLLS

A CHARACTER WHO IS A CHEF

The Magic Misfits: The Fourth Suit by Neil Patrick Harris

JUMP INTO A PILE OF LEAVES

A BOOK THAT MADE YOU JUMP WITH JOY

Wishyouwas by Alexandra Page

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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<~

The Last Train by Peter Bradley

‘The story of one Jewish family’s fate in the Holocaust, following the thread from Germany to Latvia and to Britain.

It was only by accident that Peter as a child discovered that his father, Fred Bradley, was in fact born Fritz Brandes. And it was only after his father’s death in 2004 that Peter was able to begin to piece together the family’s story and set out on the journey – literally and figuratively – that forms the basis of his book.

Peter’s family were German Jews. In 1938, his father was imprisoned in Buchenwald in the aftermath of Kristallnacht. He was released the following spring when he was granted a visa to settle temporarily in the UK. He arrived in London in May 1939, aged 24, penniless and alone. But when the Nazis invaded France and the Low Countries in May 1940, he was arrested by the British as an ‘enemy alien’ and shipped to an internment camp in Canada. His parents’ fate was to be very different: they were deported by train from their home in Bavaria to Latvia, to the Riga ghetto and nearby camps, where they were murdered.

Peter felt a growing need not only to find out what had happened but also to try to understand why his grandparents’ fellow citizens had come to put them on that train. Of course, antisemitism was at the root. But where did it come from? And why did it continue virtually unabated after WW2 despite such graphic evidence of the horrors it had caused? Why is it resurgent today?

Such questions led Peter to the forests of Latvia where his grandparents died and to dig deeply into the ancient roots of this prejudice. This book tells the story of what he learned.’

This book was deeply moving.

I have a real interest in the Holocaust so as soon as I saw this book I knew I had to read it and thankfully it didn’t disappoint.

As I have read many books about the Holocaust I wasn’t expecting to be surprised by this book but I was. I am not used to having an author trace their family ancestry back so many generations in a story about the Holocaust. This history of Jewish persecution and suffering was something I hadn’t ever studied in depth; even though I knew it had happened, the detail that was included in this book was fantastic.

Reading about the aspects of political pressure and government policies; both in Nazi Germany and abroad was also something that I found really interesting. Getting a more in-depth look at all of the obstacles that were put in place globally to stop Jewish immigration from Germany was really heartbreaking. This is the sort of information that needs to be more known and spoken about.

Peter Bradley has done an amazing job with this book. It was equal parts heartwarming and heartbreaking which made for a truly compelling reading experience. The writing was easy to follow and it radiated emotion from the pages. The detail he included in this book was perfectly woven into the deeply personal story of his family’s journey and suffering. And the inclusion of photographs gave faces, histories, and lives to the people and places that are the core of this story.

I honestly don’t have a bad word to say about this book.

The Last Train by Peter Bradley is a must-read for everyone.

Uni Update 33!

It’s that time again…

Uni Update!

I am happy to say that I have not only passed the first modules for this Trimester but I have already completed and submitted my first Assessment for the year.

So far I am really enjoying the subject matter and the communication I am having with both my lecturers and other students. I am also finding the workload and study hours manageable; which was something I was worried about before starting this course.

I am loving that I get to research and apply the course material to a topic/person that I am already interested in. This is making it so much more fun than I had predicted it would be. I am really excited to see what the next month brings and see how I can use it as part of my ever-growing research material.

I don’t really have anything else to add to today’s update. Hopefully, the next month of Uni will be as good as this previous month has been.

That is all from me today. I will catch you all in my next Uni Update.

GEM

Dark Mode by Ashley Kalagian Blunt

‘Once you’re online, there’s nowhere to hide

Is it paranoia – or is someone watching?

For years, Reagan Carsen has kept her life offline. No socials. No internet presence. No photos. Safe.

Until the day she stumbles on a shocking murder in a Sydney laneway. The victim looks just like her.

Coincidence?

As more murders shake the city and she’s increasingly drawn out from hiding, Reagan is forced to confront her greatest fear.

She’s been found.‘

This book was terrifying.

Even though this is a work of fiction the plot is based on true stories and could easily happen in real life which makes for a truly frightening reading experience.

The plot of this book was so well-researched and written that it had me thinking about how I live my life and view the world around me. I also found the various twists and turns and the way that details were drip fed to the reader left me on the edge of my seat until the very end of the book.

I loved the way the characters were written in this book. They were flawed and relatable and each one had their own distinct voice and reason for their various behaviours. The way in which the characters reacted with each other was believable and familiar which only heightened how terrifying the whole plot of this book was.

Ashley Kalagian Blunt has done a fantastic job with this book. On top of the relatable characters and the horrifying plot, the writing was absolutely perfect. The emotions radiated off the pages compelling you to care about these characters and the pacing was superb for this kind of story, captivating the reader from beginning to end.

I honestly don’t have a bad word to say about this book and I know for a fact that I am not going to forget it anytime soon.

Dark Mode by Ashley Kalagain Blunt is a must-read for everyone.

Pixar Book Tag…

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

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

TOY STORY

A BOOK WHERE YOU WANTED THE CHARACTERS TO COME TO LIFE.

The Paris Bookseller by Kerri Maher

A BUG’S LIFE

BIG BEAUTIFUL BUTTERFLY. NAME A CHARACTER THAT GOES THROUGH A WONDERFUL TRANSFORMATION OR DEVELOPMENT ARC.

Arlo Goodman – The Book of Wondrous Possibilities by Deborah Abela

MONSTER’S INC.

NAME A BOOK WHERE A STRONG OR SCARY CHARACTER DEVELOPS A SOFT SPOT FOR SOMEONE ELSE.

The Bay by Allie Reynolds

FINDING NEMO

P. SHERMAN 42 WALLABY WAY, SYDNEY. NAME A BOOK THAT HAS AN ADDRESS OR OTHER QUOTE WITHIN THAT’S BEEN BURNED INTO YOUR MEMORY FOREVER.

Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rowling

THE INCREDIBLES

NAME THE COOLEST BOOK FAMILY.

The Cohen Family – The Tavelling Bookshop by Katrina Nannestad

CARS

1, 2, AND NOW 3. NAME A BOOK THAT KEEPS GETTING SEQUELS THAT YOU FEEL ARE NOT NEEDED.

The Peculiar Children series by Ransom Riggs

RATATOUILLE

NAME A BOOK WHOSE MAIN CHARACTER IS NOT A HUMAN NOR A HUMANOID FIGURE.

Wishyouwas by Alexandra Page

WALL-E

NAME A BOOK THAT MADE YOU FEEL LONELY.

Time of My Life by Myf Warhurst

UP

NAME A BOOK WHOSE CHARACTERS YOU BECAME VERY QUICKLY EMOTIONALLY INVESTED IN.

The Wrong Sister by Fiona Palmer

BRAVE

NAME A BOOK WITH A STRONG MOTHER/DAUGHTER RELATIONSHIP

Forever Home by Graham Norton

INSIDE OUT

NAME A BOOK THAT YOU WOULD SAY COULD BE ONE OF YOUR CORE MEMORIES.

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

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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<~

The Tale Of The Flopsy Bunnies by Beatrix Potter

‘Peter Rabbit and Benjamin Bunny are brought together once more in this exciting tale of danger and friendship.

When the cupboard is bare at the Flopsy Bunny’s burrow, the family all have to go in search of food. They soon find some old lettuces on Mr. McGregor’s rubbish heap, but who can imagine the horrors that await them as they enjoy a nap after lunch!’

This book was cute.

After reading The Tale Of Peter Rabbit and The Tale Of Benjamin Bunny, this was the next book on my Beatrix Potter list. Unfortunately, this was my least favourite of the three Beatrix Potter books I have read. While I definitely enjoyed reading it, I just wasn’t blown away by it. I think the reason this book felt different for me was that it takes place quite a long time after The Tale Of Peter Rabbit so a lot had changed for the characters and I felt a little behind in their stories.

One of the things I did really enjoy about this book was getting to catch up with both Peter Rabbit and Benjamin Bunny and see how they had grown and where their lives had taken them. I love when characters from the same world appear in each other’s stories so I was really happy to see that occur in this book.

As with both The Tale Of Peter Rabbit and The Tale Of Benjamin Bunny; my favourite part of this book was the illustrations. There is something so beautiful and warm about the stunning watercolour illustrations in this book that for some reason touch my heart and completely elevate this and all of the Beatrix Potter books I have now read.

I can easily see this book becoming a fast favourite for young readers and their families.

The Tale Of The Flopsy Bunnies by Beatrix Potter is a must-have for all Peter Rabbit and Beatrix Potter fans.

Pointless Facts 36!

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.

A female mouse is known as a doe and a male mouse is a buck.

The world’s largest fine for an overdue library book stands at $345.14, the amount owed at two cents a day.

Unlike other continents, Australia does not have an active volcano.

Giraffe’s tongues are between 18 and 20 inches long.

Portuguese bookshop Bertrand Chiado is officially the oldest operating bookshop in the world, founded in 1732.

Australia has a larger population of camels than Egypt.

Not only are groups of crows called murders, but the birds actually hold funerals for their dead.

Portuguese Library Biblioteca Joanina is home to a swarm of bats that feed on book-eating insects every night.

The first photos of the moon landing in 1969 were shared with the rest of the world through a tracking station near Canberra in Australia.

The world’s fastest ant runs faster than Usain Bolt

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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.

The Tale Of Benjamin Bunny by Beatrix Potter

‘Meet Benjamin Bunny, Peter Rabbit’s cousin!

Peter Rabbit’s cousin, Benjamin Bunny, has been a very popular character since this book’s first publication in 1904. In this tale, we hear all about his and Peter’s adventures in Mr. McGregor’s vegetable garden, and what happens to them when they meet a cat! And perhaps even more frightening, what happens to the two cheeky bunnies when Old Mr. Benjamin Bunny finds out what they have been up to!’

This book was lovely.

After reading The Tale Of Peter Rabbit I was excited to dive into this book. I will be honest, I didn’t love it as much as Peter Rabbit; that may have been because of my very high expectations, but I still had a nice reading experience with this book.

This book was set not long after the event of The Tale Of Peter Rabbit, so I enjoyed getting to catch up with Peter Rabbit a little and getting to see how he and the other rabbits had evolved from the first book I read.

I also really enjoyed Benjamin Rabbit as a character. He was a little naughty; just like Peter, but he was more confident and worldly than Peter which made for a more faced paced, exciting, and at times scary story.

Just like The Tale Of Peter Rabbit, my favourite element of this book was the illustrations. They were beautiful and captivating; in fact, after I finished reading this book I went back to the start and went through it a second time just to study the illustrations.

I am happy that I read and now own this book and I am excited to read more of Beatrix Potter’s books in the very near future.

The Tale Of Benjamin Bunny by Beatrix Potter is a sweet story that young readers will love.