Starting this one today that my husband got me for Christmas. He says he chose it for me because it has things that I like in it. Italy, history and a mystery. The fact he put some thought into what I like to read about makes it a special book already 😊

Wow! What a great book! The last of the Aaron Falk series (but you really don‘t need to read them in order). Set in a fictional South Australian wine region, this is a mystery that will keep you enthralled. There is one death and one unexplained disappearance within a group of friends that have been friends since their teenage years. All their histories combine and will keep you guessing til the end. Great read!

I‘ve read Anne Tyler years ago and I think I liked her books back then. This book just sort of meandered along at a slow and easy pace. A bit like it‘s main character. Maybe that was the point.

This was another great book by Isabel Allende. It follows the story of Eliza Summers who as a baby is left on a doorstep of a wealthy family in Valparaiso, Chile. The story also recounts the beginnings of the gold rush in California. A really interesting read.

The content of this one was a bit ‘Eww‘. Can‘t go into details without spoilers. I can‘t say I liked this book but I still finished it. Ironically, I can‘t remember how this book ended up on my bookshelves. I‘ve questioned everyone who normally shares their books with me and they all deny giving it to me. Maybe it ‘invited‘ itself in 😂

It‘s the last day of the year! And I was one book short of reaching my Goodreads Reading Challenge for the year. So, I shamelessly chose the shortest book on my bookshelf that I‘d never read before! 😂 Turns out it was my son‘s copy of this book. It was ok. Whilst I appreciate the HP phenomenon and the good it‘s done in getting more people to read books….it‘s not really my thing.

Short, sharp and to the point. ✔️

I absolutely love Billy Connolly! He always makes me laugh and smile. Whenever I‘m feeling flat or low, a good dose of Billy always cheers me up. This book is wonderful. A really great snapshot of his early life and career in Glasgow. Well worth reading. He doesn‘t mention ‘The old lady on a bus‘ but it is still one the funniest stories I‘ve ever heard in my life. I cry with laughter EVERY time I hear it.

I found this one really hard to get into. I liked the humour and the premise. Parts of it were really clever. But I found my self having to re read passages, which isn‘t a good sign. I will, however, carry on reading the series as they were a birthday gift!

I really disliked this book. There were times I wanted to throw it across the room. But I didn‘t. Nor did I stop reading it. I guess it was supposed to shock and make the reader uncomfortable but I just thought it was disappointing drivel.

I didn‘t enjoy this one as much as I usually enjoy her books. It was ok but not as good as her usual Temperance Brennan books.

This book is so rich and densely captivating. I love this author. She has a uniquely perceptive way of voicing things that are usually left unsaid. Almost every page has a moment that makes you think more deeply about everyday interactions. In particular, her observations about ‘choicelessness‘ really struck me.

Easy, entertaining read. Some dark topics covered in this one. Overall a good read. If you like Marian Keyes, Jane Green and Sheila O‘Flanagan, you‘ll enjoy this one.

What a GREAT read! This is the second book I‘ve read by this author. She is fantastic. Great characters and plot. She‘s good at building a creepy atmosphere too. I couldn‘t put this one down. Lots of secrets and twists that keep you guessing. Highly recommend any book by this author.

Wow! This one was really disturbing. Creepy, scary and strange.

Yay!! I‘m so happy! 👏👏I‘ve found another mystery/thriller/crime writer that is really good! I know this author has written a lot of books but I‘ve completely missed him until now! Well written, engaging, no plot holes or eye roll moments. Kept me guessing until the end. Just what you want in a mystery! I will definitely be reading more John Sandford.

This was another ‘impulse borrow‘ from the library 😊 I recognised the author‘s name as I‘ve read something by her before. It‘s was a simple and quaint story about 2 people meeting at an airport in their 70s and then the relationship that develops between them. It wasn‘t an exciting read but it was ok

I picked this up on a whim during a quick dash to the Library. I didn‘t realise it was the 2nd in a series but it didn‘t matter. Kept me enthralled and I kept wanting to get back to it. Then at around page 300 there was a plot development that was central to everything and was really weak and completely implausible. Left me really disappointed. I also find her books quite brutal and violent. Lots of callous characters. But I keep reading them!

Another great book by one of my favourite authors. It is written as a letter by Violeta at the end of her life. She recounts her life and the historical events that she has witnessed. It covers her loves and family tragedies along side the political upheavals during her lifetime. I couldn‘t put it down.

A friend recommended this book. I‘m glad they did! Reading it made me realise that this war has been raging for decades! Discusses phonics based vs whole word reading strategies and how these have been dragged onto the political stage with conservatives vs liberal arguments. I think most educators on the ground agree that it should be a combination of both. Fascinating read. Only negative, it‘s published in 2008. An updated edition would be great

This was a great read! Great characters, good plot. I couldn‘t put it down!

This is the last in the series. It‘s was ok but I felt that the ending was really disappointing. It read like the author wasn‘t sure how to end the series

Finished my book and my wine! Both were great! 😊 I really enjoyed this book and all of its twists and turns. Will definitely read more by this author

I would have thought I would love any book that imagines that the Great Library of Alexandria survived . Sadly no. It‘s a good idea for a book where new recruits are educated and trained to serve the Library. But the plot and storyline jumped about too much for me and parts just didn‘t make sense to me. Harry Potter fans might enjoy it though

Great read! Loved it.

Wow! I did not see the ending of this one coming. Nicely done even if it was a bit gruesome. Good read. I‘ll definitely have to find the last book in the series now.

This is a great author I have recently discovered. I really enjoyed her book ‘The Chase‘ and I decided to find her first novel, which is this one, at the Library. It was good but there were a few points that seemed a bit too far fetched for me, hence the so so rating. I‘ll still read more, in fact, the next in the series is my next read. As I also borrowed that one from the Library, I need to get cracking before it‘s return date arrives! 😊

A couple of teenagers I know convinced me that I really should read this book. I liked the humour and found the story fun. I can see why kids love it. But I felt the writing could have been better.

This is the second book I‘ve read by this author. I really loved this one. Beautifully written story

I‘m not sure why this hasn‘t got many good reviews. I thought it was really good. It was gritty and disturbing and also compulsive reading. The plot was interesting and the characters were well written and believable. I thought Laura‘s erratic behaviour was particularly well done. Hawkins is great at portraying characters who have difficulties with mainstream life. I thought she did this well in Girl on a Train too.

This is my first Ruth Ware. And it won‘t be my last. It was great. I read it in one day! A creepy yet compulsive read

I‘ve been on the hunt for a new and good mystery/ crime thriller author for a while now and I‘ve found one! This was a great read. A real page turner that had me sucked in from the start. I had watched an Australian tv series called Troppo. I really loved the plot and thought it was cleverly done. The credits said the show was based on a novel called Crimson Lake by Candice Fox. Which lead me here. I will definitely be reading more of her books!

This is a great read! Really well written and engaging. I am fascinated as to how people are drawn into cults. This book focuses on the use of language and covers not only cults but everything from fitness movements to Qanon to Amway. Really interesting reading

This is one of my favourite authors. Another great read. This will have you laughing and crying and sometimes both at the same time.

I ended up really enjoying this one. It took me a while to get into it but I loved it in the end. This is the third Colson Whitehead book I‘ve read. All three have been set in different eras of American history. This one is set in Harlem in the late 50s- mid 60s. I got totally absorbed in the setting and his characters, as always, were brilliantly written. He has definitely become one of my ‘go to‘ authors.

Well, thank you again Marian Keyes for another great read! It was great revisiting Rachel‘s story. Highly recommend this one

It took me a while to warm to this one. But I‘m glad I persisted

There is a lot of history in this pretty city. Great stories behind the laneways of this town. Melbourne has an atmosphere of no other city I know. This book makes me want to explore more.

I‘m not sure how I feel about this one….it was trying to make some really important points about domestic violence but I felt it didn‘t quite get there

What did I learn whilst reading ‘How We Learn‘? That I learn more when I‘m interested in the topic. Hence, I paid attention to probably half of this book and skimmed the rest! 😊I did find his conclusions interesting. They made sense to me. I like the fact he showed some evidence that unguided ‘discovery learning‘ is rubbish and ineffective. Kids need guidance and encouragement to learn. And adults too, judging by my reading of this book! 😂

Not my favourite Wallander book so far. Too many nonsensical decisions by Wallander this time around for me. But an ok read nonetheless.

I‘ve never been to see a psychic and I haven‘t read my horoscope in years but I am fascinated by people‘s experiences with mediums and why they go to see them. This is an interesting book but I wish the author had written more about confirmation bias and cognitive dissonance. He points out that people who are grieving can find comfort from mediums but he also points out the dangers too. Some Interesting discussions with believers snd sceptics.

This book is brilliant! I loved it! It had me laughing out loud in parts and then my eyes filled with tears in other parts. The writing, plot, characters, and everything about this book was wonderful.I really enjoyed the loud and proud indigenous author‘s voice shining through this novel and the fact she was not afraid to shy away from some really tough subjects. I loved the use of indigenous phrases and language. A great book well worth reading.

I really enjoyed this. It‘s set in a possible near future where all birds and wild animals are almost extinct. It is cleverly written with a main character whose own life and sometimes self destructive behaviour kind of parallels the impending climate disaster the world faces.

It‘s been a long time since I have read anything ‘academic‘. I feel like my brain has had a work out! I loved it! Aileen Moreton-Robinson lays bare the issue of white race privilege and the subject position of white middle class woman in the Australian feminist movement and it‘s negative impact on Indigenous women. Fascinating reading! This book has ruffled a few feathers since it was published 20 years ago. And it is still relevant.

I chose this book because I‘d seen some good reviews and wanted to find a new ‘detective‘ series. I didn‘t really enjoy this one. I found the writing clunky and I wasn‘t drawn into the mystery. I‘ll have to keep hunting 😊

I‘m making this a ‘Pick‘ even though I felt it was more ‘so-so‘. It is my own fault. My expectations of this book were too high. I‘ve been looking forward to reading it since I heard it was due to be published. Her book ‘Burial Rites‘ is one of my all time favourites. I usually don‘t mind a bit of magical realism but just didn‘t enjoy it in this book. Overall, It was well written and interesting but just not the brilliant book I was hoping for

Having been to see his band play a number of times, I am not surprised that I found this book as entertaining and as enjoyable as his live performances. Dave Grohl is a very funny man whose exuberance and boundless energy shines through in his writing. Plus I always admire people who love and respect their mothers as much as he does and aren‘t afraid to tell everyone. Highly recommend this book but I am a bit biased as I‘ve always loved Dave 😊

This was a tough read. I started it months ago but had to put it aside as I found the content difficult and a bit distressing. Not the type of book to read during lockdown. So 5 months later, I‘ve managed to finish it. Kind of ironic considering one of the major themes of the book is not acknowledging and seeing what‘s in front of us. I still love Richard Flanagan‘s writing and will read more of his work. This one just wasn‘t for me.

I don‘t know how to review this book….I love Sally Rooney‘s writing but I can‘t explain what this book is about. Saying it is about relationships between four people sounds simplistic. But that‘s really it. And her writing is simple and. sublime at the same. I liked her descriptions of authors literary lives. Being praised for writing about normal everyday lives but no longer living in that world at all. Interesting.