365 Questions - No.3: What are you reading right now?

I always have a book or two on the go, and at the moment I am reading Life of Pi, 

which is all about the habits of animals. It is so beautifully written and thought-provoking.
Now I really want to see the movie, but I think I'll finish the book first.

On my iphone, I am reading Peaches for Monsieur le Cure by Joanne Harris,

which is also an exquisitely written book.
It is the third part in the series after Chocolat and The Lollipop Shoes,
and I am loving revisiting the familiar characters of Vianne, Roux, Anouk, and Father Reynaud.
They feel like old friends.

What are you reading right now, and are you loving it?

Let me know in the comments,
or join in with your own post and link it to the 365 Question Challenge.

 Love to you!

xxx

It's Monday, What Are You Reading?

Hello, my readerly friends!

I read another great Cecelia Ahern book this week, called The Gift. 

This is the story of Lou Suffern, a man who lives his life racing against the clock, always on time for appointments for his work, but never quite making the time to be with his family. His ambition absolutely consumes him, and he gives all he has, with the aim of achieving an upcoming promotion. 

Enter, Gabe, a homeless man, who speaks to Lou outside his building one day, actually slowing Lou down for a moment to consider the world around him. Gabe has seen things, and knows things, that could benefit Lou, so Lou gets him a job in the mailroom of the office building. 

Gabe is a fast mover, and impresses everyone with the way he can seemingly be in two places at once. 

Lou wants what Gabe has, but what happens when he gets it?

This, like many of Cecelia Ahern's other books, takes an unlikable protagonist, gives his values a good shake-up, and leaves us with an unpredictable ending. Magical, engaging and thought-provoking, this is a book that needs to be read by those who reach for the top, but leave everyone else behind them on the way. There are lessons to be learned here!

In other news, I'm still reading through my two big books, Foxmask and The Woman in White, but Foxmask has taken my interest more at the moment. I haven't had a chance to start Casual Vacancy yet, but it is on my bedside waiting patiently!

Hope you find some good reads this week! I'm coming to check out what you're up to at Book Journey:

xx

Photo A Day October - Days #3 and #4 -

Yesterday, the theme for Photo A Day October was This Happened Today:

I had a haircut to get rid of all those nasty, nasty split ends! And, because the greys keep creeping in and making me look washed out, I had a colour too. Amazing how much better you can feel after having your hair coloured, washed, massaged and cut - bliss! (p.s. I am aware I have crazy eyes in this pic, it was very windy and I was trying to see past that stray hair.)

Today, the theme is What You Read. Apart from translating the pictures in an Ikea instruction booklet to make shelves for my wardrobe (squeeee!) I have been reading this book:

There are some great hints and tips throughout this book, mainly about clothes and how best to wear them, which is fitting, as I am in the middle of a wardrobe overhaul, but also tips about buying presents for people,  first aid tips, travelling tips, and lots, lots more. A great book of knowledge to return back to time and again.

Take a look at Fatmumslim's blog to find more Photo a Day info and photos!

xx

It's Monday, What Are You Reading?

Hello, my readerly friends!

I've been MIA for awhile, but now, it's school holidays so I will have more time to visit you this week. 

I'm just about to start the new J.K Rowling book,

and I have a feeling I'm going to be disappointed, after the phenomenon that was Harry Potter.

Besides, how awful is this cover??

However, I'd like to know for myself how her first book for adults pans out.

With all my work commitments, I've barely had a moment to read, but I have been grabbing a few minutes here and there to read this book:

All I really know so far, is that it is about a woman who has escaped from a mental asylum. A huge book, and pretty slow going right now, but I'm enjoying the writing style.

I'm also about a fifth of the way through this one, which is also slow moving, but is still quite interesting:

And I just opened this book, which looks more like the kind of story that gets me hooked:

Now it's time to visit Book Journey, to catch up with my favourite readers!

Hope you find some great reads this week!

xx

It's Monday, What Are You Reading?

Hello, my dear friends of books!

Hope you have had a wonderful reading week!

I only managed to read one book this week as I have been VERY busy!! 

I have had a ridiculous amount of things going on at work lately; it is just crazy!

Anyways, The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey is a sad story about a couple living in a small cabin in Alaska, in the early 1900s, who have always wanted a child. One day they make a figure out of snow that they fashion to look like a girl. After it melts, they keep having glimpses of a child near their home who has the coat and scarf they put on the snow child.  Throughout the book the question is whether the creation of the snow child and the appearance of the real child were a coincidence, or was there magic at work, and did the snow child actually came to life? 

The novel takes us to the snowy woods, hunting for moose and wolves, farming potatoes, and skating on frozen lakes, while the girl child visits the couple sporadically, bringing them gifts, sharing their food and slowly becoming part of their family, but then vanishing at times with no explanation, leaving the couple feeling deprived of her love again and again.

This is a beautifully written book with a poetic tone, that explores the importance of family and friendships, however, always with a bittersweet undertone.  The mood felt quite depressing at times, as the feelings of loss and disappointment endured by the characters were prevalent throughout. 

I was in love with the setting though, the snow, the wild animals, the mysterious girl and her red fox running through the forest, and the thought of their warm strawberry pies! 

Unforgettable!

This week I am reading Foxmask, and delving into another setting I adore, the medieval age, aboard a ship!

I intend to read all of Marillier's books one day!

I'm off to Book Journey now, to see what else is happening in the cyber world of books!

See you there!

xx 

It's Monday, What Are You Reading?

Hello, world!

I had a win with two awesome books this week, both recommended from friends found at a Book Journey. Thanks Sheila for this awesome meme!

I read both these books on my iphone, swapping between the two all week. They went well together!

After reading the brilliant A Place Called Here by Cecelia Ahern last week, Thanks for the Memories, was not quite as amazing, but still had an intriguing story line. A woman who falls down the stairs, losing her unborn baby, has a blood transfusion, and, magically begins to take on some of the knowledge, thoughts, characteristics and memories of the man whose blood was given to her.  A cat and mouse game throughout London and Ireland ensues, in which they try to find each other, amidst much confusion. The relationship between the main female character and her dad is highlighted, along with the devastation of her baby's death and subsequent marriage break-up. There is quite a clash between the heavy content and the humour, which was a little too much I thought, making the characters less believable. 

But, made for a fun, rather than dark read.

The Homecoming of Samuel Lake was a darker story, with child, domestic and animal abuse playing a large part in the story. However the delightful children, especially Swan (yes, Swan Lake!), made this an endearing book. The writing is beautifully poetic and the characters were quirky yet realistically portrayed. Brilliant writing, reminding me somewhat of Little Women, due to the lessons taught through the story,
and To Kill a Mockingbird, given the creepy neighbour, and the strong willed young girl.

A must-read!

This week I'm going to begin 

about a little girl made of snow in Alaska, and 

 the follow-up to the brilliant Wolfskin which I read last year some time. 

Looking forward to really getting into this!

Dropping in to see my bookish friends at Book Journey:

Have a great reading week everyone!

xx

It's Monday, What Are You Reading?

Hello my blogging friends!

I have a new Favourite Read of the Year! While I still think 11/22/63, by Stephen King, and Jessica by Bryce Courtenay are still absolutely brilliant books, this book

is my new number one! 

Why? 

Because it made me cry and cry, and I haven't cried like that over a book since reading the final book in the Narnia Chronicles when I was about 14! 

The premise is fanciful: a girl who is always losing things, starts a missing persons agency, and while looking for a missing person, stumbles into a portal which leads her to the place where all missing things go. But, oh, the heartbreaking moments when she finds things and people that have been lost to her for a long time!

You have to read it to find out who and what she is missing, and who is missing her. 

There are references to The Wizard of Oz (one of my all-time faves!) and the desire to want to go home, and it is edge-of-your-seat stuff to find out if she even can get home.

I cried about people missing from my life. 

I cried about my bestfriend from high school who died last year from a brain aneuyrism.

I just cried and cried until I felt as though she knew I missed her.

It is so important to realise that not everyone recovers quickly from losing people.

And this book, in its simple way, made me think about that, and cherish those people who are gone 

and mourn them. For a book to be able to do that, without making you depressed, and actually bringing you peace, is genius.

I also read a spooky horror book, which was a bit too much for me, with all the swearing and sex scenes, but it was still a page-turner and had a satisfyingly creepy ending! And to think, it is based, somewhat on a true story and a real ghost! 

Also I read The Turn of the Screw, and while it was also a creepy ghost story, it was not so much of a page-turner because of the antiquated language. I wasn't particularly satisfied by the ending either. It finished abruptly and many questions were left unanswered.

Not sure what I'll be reading this week. Maybe I'll pick up some of the books I've already started and try to get into them!

In other news, this is the second week this term that I have had laryngitis, so I've been feeling a bit sorry for myself and not been visiting my readerly blogging friends as much. Hopefully, I'll get around to more of you this week.:)

Dropping into Book Journey now, to see what you're all up to.

xx

It's Monday, What Are You Reading?

Hello, dear readers!

This week, my main read was this book:

set in the 1950s. Oh, what a tragic tale!  The writing was exquisitely poetic, but the characters were so tortured by the cards they'd been dealt; mother's death, detached father, abusive father, alcoholic mother and stepmother, the list goes on, that it was difficult to read about them! There was a feeling of dread all the way through, because you never knew when the main character was going to fly off the handle, mainly in the form of self-harm with a razor. Depressing reading!

So after that, I raced to my TBR pile and picked the brightest, shiniest, happiest looking chick lit book I could find, with the hope that it would be a tad more fun to read! I chose this one:

and I am so glad! This is a great story, about missing persons and where they actually go. Cecelia Ahern is always a bit quirky and magical and I love her solution to this question. The perfect pick-me-up after a dark, realistic story.

I've also started to read this classic book, 

because it was referred to in the wonderful book I read last week - The Thirteenth Tale. Not that far in to it yet, but it seems promising. Spooky, Victorian setting, old houses, twins, hauntings - it's gotta be good!

Now I'm heading over to Sheila's blog to find out what page-turners are out there this week!

xx

It's Monday, What Are You Reading?

Hello my wonderful, bookish friends!

This week I read a BRILLIANT book called The Thirteenth Tale.  I gotta tell you, I really like books about twins. Especially because the twins are usually a bit kooky!

If you like kooky stories, twins, big houses, bookshops, authors, and author interviews, you are going to get into this book. I loved every word and was completely satisfied by the ending. I give it 5 stars!

It is now my second favourite read of the year, equal with The Secret Garden (which actually has some similar elements.) 

My first favourite book of the year is still 11/22/63 by Stephen King, because time travel stories are always top of my list! 

Not sure what I'm going to read next.

My Mum gave me a stack of books on Saturday, and, of course I have HEAPS more, on my TBR shelves.

Mum said The Outcast is a fantastic book, and thought I should start there.

Are there any here that you have read and given 5 stars??

I'm joining up with Sheila at Book Journey, where we always have a lovely time talking books!

xx

It's Monday What Are You Reading?

Hello my readerly friends!

Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh

I haven't read much this week, it has been such a busy time! All I had the chance to do was finish reading Oddfellow's Orphanage which is truly adorable!  There are so many lovely, quirky adventures in this book, including stories of sea monsters, rabbits with antlers, circuses, picnics, and boys with onion heads.

It is reminiscent of Enid Blyton's writing, with her funny little characters and quaint situations, 

and is a book that begs to be read aloud to young children. 

My collection of half-read books is piling up on my ibooks shelves right now, but I keep finding new books to try!  I just found Mervyn Peake's Gormanghast Trilogy, which I have been looking for for about 20 years! I'm so excited to read the first book, Titus Groan, again, with it's poetic, operatic prose, 

and it's gothic, castle setting.

 It is a wonderful, fanciful book, with marvellous characters, and unusual happenings. 

I cannot wait to read the next two books in the series!

My Mum gave me a pile of books to read, as she does, and this one drew me in the most:

Googling the cover, I remember now I have seen this book before with a different cover:

And thought it would be a good read.

It is SUCH a good read! It's all about a book shop, and an author who wishes to tell her 'real' life story. 

And that's all I know so far. But the wonderful descriptions so make me want to have my own bookshop!

Well that's it for this week! 

Hope you're having some exciting reading adventures!

Check out what everyone else is reading over at Sheila's blog:

xx

A Glimpse of Daylesford

On our adventure around Victoria we stopped in at Daylesford. There was a spooky mist surrounding the buildings there, which was so magical, that I practically begged to stay overnight! I wish I had got a photo of the mist. In the main street was a fantastic bookshop, Paradise Bookstore, with a black cat mascot. The bookstore was two storeys high and had 14 rooms of books -  it was very cool!

                                                         Someone has a sense of humour!

There were spooky churches

And a tower to climb 

It was sooo dark in the stairwell, wooooo!

And we stayed at a spooky hotel!

Apparently they have great weekend markets in Daylesford, which we missed because it was a Wednesday. 

Oh well, next time!

xx