More holidays in April and May. I Loved our trip to Bald Rock. We had a fun day at Brooms Head and went back to Barney Creek Vineyard Cottages. I was able to read some fantastic books. I really loved Once Upon a Wardrobe by Patti Calahan, other favorites were Been Searching For You by Nicole Evelina and The Last Goodbye by Fiona Lucas
The Last Goodbye by Fiona Lucas
Feelings, Grief, Romance
Anna is suffering from grief. Her husband died three years ago. In desperation on New Year's Eve she rings her husband's phone to hear his voice, but someone else answers to say "I beg your pardon" and Anna takes that to be a sign because her husband said "I beg your pardon" the first time they met.
I loved this story.
Girl in the Wall by A.J. Gnuse
Feelings - Grief, Thriller, Buildings
A young girl is left an orphan and runs away to the house her family used to live in and hides in the walls and attic.
Two boys living in the house try to set traps to catch her.
Make Yourself At Home by Ciara Geraghty
Lifestyle - Homeless, Buildings, Feelings, Relationships
Marianne finds herself homeless and without a job. With no where else to go Marianne returns to Ancaire her family home and learns to get along with her mother.
Other People's Houses by Kelli Hawkins
Feelings, Grief, Stalking, Thriller
The Forgotten Gift by Kathleen McGurl
History, Mystery, Secrets
Cassie is searching her family history and discovers that her father's ancestor George had been in prison for a short time before being pardoned. During the search she finds out more than she expected about her family.
Once Upon a Wardrobe by Patti Callahan
Authors/Books, Mathematics, Relationships, Families, Feelings
Set mostly in Worcestershire, England in the 1950’s.
It is about a young boy George Devonshire who is eight years old. George is
sick and spends most of his time reading. His favourite book is The Lion,
the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis.
George wants to know how C.S. Lewis got his ideas to
write the book and he wants his sister Megs to find the answers. Megs is
studying mathematics at University in Oxford.
George insists that Megs finds a way to meet C.S.
Lewis. Megs love for her brother helps her overcome barriers and obstacles to
find the answers George needs.
Megs follows C.S. Lewis from the University through
the back streets of Oxford to find out where he lives. She then spends time
hiding near his home waiting for the chance to accidentally strike up a
conversation.
I loved this story. I loved the characters and how
they interacted. I also loved the stories were told within stories. It had all
my favourite themes, literature, mathematics, stalking and storytelling.
This was about families, family relationships,
literature and storytelling. I loved it. I am looking forward to reading more
books by Patti Callahan.
The Riviera House by Natasha Lester
Set in France during the Second World War and in 2015.
The story switches between
Eliane Dufort during WW2 and Remy Lang in 2015 both
connected to a long lost painting.
Eliane Dufort works in the Louvre and studies art
during the day and helps in her family’s brasserie at night. Any extra money
she can earn she spends on her four younger sisters to provide food and
comfort.
As the war progresses her father and brother join the
army and her mother and sisters leave Paris to find a safer place to live.
Eliane stays in Paris and helps pack up precious artwork ready to be moved to a
safe destination. Eventually Eliane starts working in a different museum
helping Madame Valland identify art for the Germans. Secretly Madame Valland
and Eliane worked on a secret inventory coding the artwork and identifying
where the artwork was to be relocated.
In 2015 Remy Lang has moved to her house on the
Mediterranean Coast of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat in France. Remy is overwhelmed
with grief and trying to get over the tragedy of the death of her husband and
young child. She has started working again on a new book photographing vintage
clothing.
Adam is a photographer staying with his family next
door when Remy’s photographer cancels, Adam helps Remy by taking photographs of
Remy modelling the vintage clothes.
I loved the way Adam and Remy find a connection to a
lost painting from Paris during WW2.
This was about families, grief, art, fashion,
photography and France during WW2.
Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan
This was a short quick read 128 pages.
Set mostly in Ireland in a town called New Ross in
1985.
Bill Thurlong is a coal merchant and during winter is
very busy delivering coal. Bill never forgot his past. His mother died when he
was young and he was cared for by the woman who had employed his mother. Bill
never knew who his father was.
Bill has a wife and five daughters. Every day Bill is
reminded how lucky he and his family are and often helps others who were not so
lucky.
One day when delivering coal to the local convent he
meets a young girl polishing the floor and she asks him to help her by taking
her away.
Bill gets thinking about his life and family and the
fate of the young girls working in the laundry at the convent.
This was about families and family relationships.
This was a quick read and described life in a small
town through the eyes of a hard-working coal merchant. I loved the way, Bill
thought about his life and how he interacted with his family and the people he
met.
Been Searching For You by Nicole Evelina
Romance, Humour, Arts - Books
The Dream Weavers by Barbara Erskine
Simon Armstrong is writing a book about Offa's Dyke and staying in a small cottage near the border between Wales and England. He keeps hearing a woman calling out and fears the cottage is haunted. Beatrice Dalloway tries to help and soon becomes enthralled by the history of the place and the people who used to live there.
A story about haunted lost princess from the past searching for her lost lover. Beatrice gets caught up and dreams about the past.
Full of twists and turns between the present day and in the time of AD 700 - Ad 800.
Hauntings, History, Arts - Writers - XXXXX
The Hidden Melanie Golding
Leonie is left abandoned on the street in a small
seaside town. Her mother Constance had disappeared. Ruby is late arriving to
collect Leonie.
The police and Social Services arrive before Ruby.
Ruby manages to convince Diane from Social Services that she is Constance and
Leonie’s mother. Diane has had a busy weekend and is not feeling well so she
lets Ruby and Leonie leave.
Meanwhile in a town nearby a man called Gregor is
found close to death in a bathtub. He has a head injury. CCTV images show a
woman carrying Leonie leaving the building where Gregor was found.
The plot gets more complicated when CCTV images reveal
Ruby and Leonie catching a train.
The Detective Sergeant in charge of investigating the
crime against Gregor knows who Ruby is and she tries to find Ruby before the
police.
This was full of twists and turns, stalking, stolen
identities, folktales and family relationships. I loved the description of
characters and the way they interacted. Especially descriptions of Ruby’s life.
Ruby was lonely and separated from her family. She loved music and shared her
love of music with her friend Sam.
The Forever House by Sue Watson
This is a psychological thriller. Set in Cornwell.
Carly and Mark Anderson appear to have everything they want. After 25 years of
marriage, they have a beautiful house looking over the ocean, 2 grownup
children and a successful TV presence. Suddenly all their hopes and dreams
crumble. Carly finds herself in a position of not knowing who she can trust and
fearful of losing her beloved family home.
This was about best friends, family relationships and
TV personalities. It is full of twists and turns and leaves you wondering what
will happen next.
A Gingerbread House by Catriona McPherson
Tash Dodd works in her family business and lives in
her family home in a town called Grangemouth between Edinburgh and Glasgow.
Tash was a worker happy driving a van, a forklift and all aspects of the family
business. One day when her father was sick and most of the staff were off work
sick, Tash was in the office looking for some important paperwork when she
accidentally intercepted a phone call on a secret phone meant for her parents.
Tash discovers her family are involved in dealings
that could bring down the family business so Tash sets to work gathering
evidence and finding a way to hide it until she can use the evidence against
her family to gain control of the business before her family ruins the
business.
Meanwhile not far away there is an evil creepy crime
in progress and Tash is close to discovering what is really going on in the
quaint little house next door.
This was an evil creepy thriller about missing people, families and lonely people.
Love Objects by Emily Maguire
Lifestyle, Hoarding, Feelings, Relationships/Families
Romance, Identity, Dementia, History
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