“He said that's when everything looks the most beautiful, just before the sun sets. This luminous air turning everything to gold. He said it made him want to paint the whole world. And then it's gone, just like that.”
#Sunset 🌅
#LuckyinLove
🌅💛
“He said that's when everything looks the most beautiful, just before the sun sets. This luminous air turning everything to gold. He said it made him want to paint the whole world. And then it's gone, just like that.”
#Sunset 🌅
#LuckyinLove
🌅💛
This picture didn‘t go as planned lol 😂 so maybe I took the easy way out but I chose Glass Ocean which is Beatriz William‘s 10th book published and The Golden Hour which was her 12th 🤷🏻♀️💛 Her book covers are my favorite ❤️
#Idiominsight
#Dimeadozen
Miss Priss 😽 #Catsoflitsy
For #readingtheamericas2023 I picked this one to represent The Bahamas. This author always delivers a solid read. A little romance, history, a mystery and a cast of characters you‘ll want to take a journey with. She totally brought this island to life for me. #bookspin @BarbaraBB @Librarybelle @TheAromaofBooks
The Golden Hour is the time at sunset when the light is perfect. This story had that hazy feeling of reminiscence. A nice blend of mystery, history, and romance even as the story maintained a bit of distance.
Littens! Life has been BUSY & I've been lurking a bit but not posting, because I haven't been reading much. 😔 I've missed you, as I always do when life hits hard.
Here's to finishing the year strong! 💪
Finishing the month with another BOTM that was on my shelf too long…
This is just the kind of historical fiction I like, with dual timelines, multiple POV characters, drama, really good romance, and mystery. This one has just enough real history (the scandalous Windsors in WWII) to be super intriguing, but I adored the fictional main characters. Beatriz Williams can be hit or miss for me, and that was an enthusiastic hit.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
It‘s impossible to recap all that happens with the two MCs in the two timelines of this story because it was full of personal drama, but I liked how it all came together. I also thought it was fascinating to place one timeline in 1940s Nassau Panama where the Duke of Windsor was basically exiled. …The unsolved murder of IRL Harry Oakes was fascinating and led to lots of googling for me!
#Pantone2022 Popcorn
As much as I hate to admit it because I love her, I couldn‘t finish this one!!! Maybe it was bad timing 🤷♀️
#ADNF
#FallTreasures
Sigh, found this one kind of boring. It just seemed like everything was happening off page. The characters were basically either having sex or longing for each other. I liked Lulu, she was a pretty great character. But it was more of her telling the story and editing than seeing what I would have liked happen.
#Booked2021 - color in title
#JoysofJune - Book 2 read
In case you didn‘t know my dog is spoiled, he is 🤣.
Currently sharing my lounge chair with him because he doesn‘t like to lay on the ground 🤷🏻♀️
Happy Saturday!
#JoysofJune
Here are the books I‘m hoping to focus on for #JoysofJune
I probably won‘t be able to start participating until Sunday, but we‘ll see!
I‘ve been struggling reading a bit. So I‘m hoping this readathon hopes me focus and get a bunch done!
I‘m a huge BW fan. I gobble up 🦃 all of her books. For some reason, I‘ve tried to read and audio this one but I just can‘t get into it. Should I give it another go? At what point does it get good?
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone celebrating alone today, it‘s a tough one.
#Bookreport. I liked all 4 of the books I finished last week, although Lost Roses and The Golden Hour felt a little long even listening at an increased speed. Golden Hour was my #Doublespin book 3 1/2🌟 Know My Name is an important book and I appreciate Chanel‘s willingness to share her unvarnished story and her efforts to bring attention to society‘s failings in how rape cases are handled. We must do better to stop victim blaming/shaming and ⬇️
This is my second Beatriz Williams book. She‘s becoming a favorite 🧡💛
3.75⭐️ While there were times I wanted to DNF the book, I did enjoy a good portion of the book, but I did feel that the Lulu sections were a little too drawn out in comparison to the Elfriede sections. #2020 #historicalfiction #bookstagram #bookreview #ebook #wwii
“I thought I‘d traveled into another universe. I thought I‘d stepped into another Earth entirely, a paradise lit by an eternal sun, a release from everything old, everything dreary. Then I touched land and discovered that freedom was not so straightforward, that you could move to a different universe but you couldn‘t escape the prison of your own skin.”
― Beatriz Williams, The Golden Hour
Started this 1 while I was out sustainably shopping yesterday. Because of social distancing, everyone is putting what they don‘t want, as they clean up their houses, out the front for people to kerb burgle. I‘ll post some of my book scores tomorrow. I think it‘s a great way to safely? entertain myself & be environmentally conscious at the same time. The kids ❤️ being creative with all the craft supplies & it helps people who are struggling too.
#BOTMBUDDYREAD
From the bottom of my heart and Misty‘s we thank you for participating with us on reads. For me personally getting the questions researched and ready helped me focus and escape the world . I hope today‘s discussion gives that to you as well.
We look forward to starting our new book and hope to see you next Sunday or for another month. Thanks all. And no this book didn‘t do it for me however there are parts I just absolutely loved.
#BOTMBUDDYREAD
Final Thoughts
The book starts with “To women and men everywhere who live with depression, You are loved you are needed,the night will pass..”
It did pass for Elfriede but what an enormous tragic fallout ...
How do you think she feels about the darkness?
Wilfred is within her..
Is it enough ?
Did you like this read ???
#BOTMBUDDYREAD
Discuss The Epilogue
Rosenberg Trial from our last book!
The Golden Scene of the family
The Windsor‘s skeletal description
Happily ever after ? If so at what price?
#BOTMBUDDYREAD #17
The reunion of all the kids and Elfriede and the cloth...
Trite or good writing ?
#BOTMBUDDYREAD #16
What do you make of Ursula? She never forgot Elfriede .. her visions premonitions? AND what a strong woman. Helga-again..ugh. All the women in this book making horrible injustices for Elfriede. Has it always been like this? Will we ever overcome it?
#BOTMBUDDYREAD #15
Lulu accuses Wallis of betraying Thorpe and gives her earrings back ... then demands a plane telling her she has copies of information. Smart move? How evil was Wallis?
#BOTMBUDDYREAD #14
Wilfred had found them ?! The children Elfriede so missed.
Was this shocking to you? The timing ? Fate? Heartbreaking?
#BOTMBUDDYREAD #13
Annie never buried Wilfreds things!? And kept all these secrets ?! How could she?
#BOTMBUDDYREAD #12
They sensed her darkness”, regarding Elfriede do you think people do? Why was Wilfred the only one to be able to be with her in the darkness? She paid an extremely high price for something she couldn‘t control, does this still happen today ? Unless you experience it do you think people really understand, or do they just judge?
#BOTMBUDDYREAD #11
Margaret‘s memories so distinct and so insightful. I have this too. Do you think tragedy in childhood makes you have the ability to remember more clearly ?
#BOTMBUDDYREAD #10
ELFRIEDE NOOOOOOOOO
drowned herself ?
Postpartum? Grief? Both?
Then to find out the truth? Utterly shameful or necessary?
Was this just how fate needed to be for the story?
#BOTMBUDDYREAD #9
What was up with Veryl the maid to Lulu what do you think she knew???
#BOTMBUDDYREAD #8
What did you think of Wallis analogy of marriage using skiing? You‘re so beautifully in love with him so it‘s different you lucky thing she says! Then telling Lulu never marry a man thinking you‘ll change him...
what did you make of her little speech ?
#BOTMBUDDYREAD #7
Wilfred saying “You can‘t mean to say that we didn‘t have our joys just because there was grief too? “
Elfriede unsure but wants it back ... then Wilfred explains how he is HERS he united with her soul. Was that it ? What she needed? That he was JUST hers?
And then he DIES?! Seriously ? We‘re you expecting this? Are all amazing love stories tragic?
#BOTMBUDDYREAD #6
Does Elfriede have a premonition of her death?
Can one?
A cloth of tears. Interesting?
How beautiful the story of how Wilfred handles her postpartum after Margaret.
Do you think she has fear or knows it‘s coming and just doesn‘t know when she‘s going to die from it? Or if she can make it through? Is it dread? Is she unable to cope without Wilfred ? Can one person get you through it?
#BOTMBUDDYREAD #5
What do you think of the changes in Elfriede and Wilfred ? The lady telling Elfriede of his supposed cheating on her and Elfriede wondering if his sobbing in her arms was affection or remorse ...
Her speech to him and the words I trusted your love?!
Why is this different than Gerard?
Then Wilfred tells her about his love, their love. Wasn‘t that beautiful?
Is this more real than the beginning of their relationship? More true?
#BOTMBUDDYREAD #4
Elfriede we meet her again and her son Johann is her husband‘s enemy in the war ?! Then Johann appears in Lulu‘s bungalow ?! Then we find out he took care of Elfriede after finding out the truth? Was that all just mind boggling? What a woven tale.. would you like to know more about him?
#BOTMBUDDYREAD #3
What did you think of Lulu getting the dress and then the ring? Her proposal? The ceremony? Are they really madly in love? Does it feel real in the writing or forced? Do you enjoy this love story?
#BOTMBUDDYREAD #2
Harry Oakes
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Oakes
What did you think of adding this to such a degree in this story? Necessary or too much? His dislike of his son in law who was accused of his murder and his daughter so young marrying him? Lulu defending them. Why did we need this? The Wallis and Edward connection to him?
#BOTMBUDDYREAD #1
So we start reading our section and
Lulus pregnant and Thorpe‘s mom Elfriede is dead?!
Thorpe comes and goes?
Where is he going?
Jack the bartender WHO IS HE?! What happened to him ? Was he the murder? Were you just swirling ? Like GOODGRIEF?!
Here we go final discussion..
EEEEEEKKKK !!!
Sunday FINAL discussion
Oh boy!!!
#BOTMBUDDYREAD
Everyone welcome!
If you‘ve read this recently and want to join in our final talk on the last part of the book feel free to join in !!
Questions posted her
2 PM EST Discussion ❤️
#BOTMBUDDYREAD FINAL THOUGHTS
This section was jammed packed with information
Anything you want to discuss? Anything we missed ? Are you anxious to read on? Do you like the book?
#BOTMBUDDYREAD #16
Wilfred and Elfriede finally wed. Phew. What do you think is in store for them ??