Showing posts with label 52 in 52. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 52 in 52. Show all posts

Saturday 20 March 2021

The Talent Series by Anne McCaffrey (Books 6-11 /52 books in 52 Weeks)

 It always amazes me how quickly time dissappears!  It's been six weeks since I last posted and added to my read 52 books in 52 weeks challenge.  I got a little behind and then had a minor surgery which required two weeks of bed rest.  This in turn was a blessing in disguise as what is a better way of spending bed rest than reading one of your favourite authors or genres!  

I decided to reaqaint myself with Anne McCaffrey better known as the Mother of Science Fiction.  I ended up reading two serries: Talents and Tower and Hive. Damia made the New York Best Selling list. All of these books are in the top 150,000 book best sellers on Book Depository and are all still in print.

Talents Series

  1. To Ride Pegasus  (1973)
  2. Pegasus in Flight (1990)
  3. Pegaus in Space (2000)

To Ride Pegasus

  • Format Paperback | 288 pages 
  • Dimensions 110 x 178 x 17mm | 156g 
  • Publisher Transworld Publishers Ltd 
  • Language English 
  • ISBN10 0552162809 
  • ISBN13 9780552162807  

From Book Depository: "They were people whose gifts were unique. For years - centuries - they had not even understood just what they could do with their minds. They had sometimes become astrologers, clairvoyants, or healers, but their Talents were undeveloped and untrained. Henry Darrow was the first to explore the huge wealth of psychic gifts hidden amongst mankind, and it was he who formed the first Parapsychic Centre where Talents could train and be used to revolutionise the world. But their powers set them apart, made them feared, then threatened by the un-Talented. And when dangerous freak 'wild' Talents began to wreak havoc in the outside world, it took all their combined Talented efforts to save themselves."

My Thoughts: I really enjoyed reading this prequel to the Talent Series which I had read years and years ago.   

Pegasus in Flight

  • Format Paperback | 416 pages 
  • Dimensions 106 x 178 x 24mm | 213g 
  • Publisher Transworld Publishers Ltd 
  • Language English 
  •  ISBN10 0552163767 
  • ISBN13 9780552163767  

From Book Depository "Earth was at bursting point, in spite of the birth restrictions of only one child to each couple. Extra children existed in a sub-cultured world or were rounded up into slavery. The only hope was the space platform -- the jumping-off point for the colonization of other worlds. But more Talents were needed to build and operate those platforms.

Rhyssa Owen was the one responsible, both for finding Talents and training them. And when she felt the first encroachment of a mind reaching out to her, she knew it was exceptional -- a fourteen-year-old boy with incredibly powerful kinetic ability. And in the seamy underworld of near-criminal children was another brilliant mind in danger from a ruthless group of child kidnappers.

Rhyssa knew she had to find the two children and train them for the survival of earth."

I need to find this book to read.  

 

Pegasus in Space

  • Format Paperback | 448 pages 
  • Dimensions 107 x 177 x 31mm | 227g 
  • Publisher Random House USA Inc 
  •  Language English Edition 
  • ISBN10 0345434676
  •  ISBN13 9780345434678

From Penguin "Peter Reidinger was the most brilliant and powerful telepath and telekinetic yet discovered on earth.He was also barely fifteen years old and a paraplegic who ‘moved’ his body through kinesis.When the telepaths of earth suspected a plot to take over Padrugoi, the newly manned space station, they realised they needed his unique gifts to foil the insane plans of Barchenka, the space construction manager, but even they didn’t realise how strong were his abilities to ‘read’ the minds of those about him and move heavy loads over vast distances.

As his career progressed, so his talents increased beyond the dreams of those trying to reach out into space.Peter Reidinger was going to be the salvation of man’s exploration of the stars.

And even as he became the most important man on earth, so his friendship with the tiny orphan girl found in the floods of Bangladesh grew and flourished.For Amariyah too had psychic gifts which no-one, at first, could define.But these ‘special’ people were constantly at risk – hated and feared by the avaricious, the evil and the ignorant, whose constant ambition was to destroy Peter Reidinger and those like him."

My thoughts: From it's opening page to the last page I could not put this book down.  I read it in one day.  I especially enjoyed understanding where the talent Primes came from as well as the faction that so heatedly resisted them.   

Tower and Hive Series

  1. The Rowan (1990)
  2. Damia (1991)
  3. Damia's Children (1993)
  4. Lyon's Pride  (1994)
  5. The Tower and The Hive (1999)

The Rowan

  • Format Paperback | 328 pages 
  • Dimensions 114 x 178 x 23.11mm | 159g 
  • Publisher Penguin Putnam Inc 
  • Language English Edition 
  • ISBN10 0441735762 
  • ISBN13 9780441735761

 From Penguin: "The Talents were the elite of the Nine Star League. Their gifts were many and varied, ranging from the gently telepathic, to the rare and extremely valued Primes. On the Primes rested the entire economic wealth and communications systems of the civilised worlds. But Primes were scarce - only very rarely was a new one born. And now, on the planet Altair, in a small mining colony on the western mountain range, a new Prime existed, a three-year-old girl - trapped in a giant mud slide that had wiped out the rest of the Rowan mining community. Every Altarian who was even mildly talented could 'hear' the child crying for help, but no one knew where she was buried. Every resource on the planet was centred into finding 'The Rowan' - the new Prime, the first ever to be born on Altair, an exceptionally unique Prime, more talented, more powerful, more agoraphobic, more lonely, than any other Prime yet known in the Nine Star league."

From Book Depository: "The Rowan was destined to become the greatest Prime Talent in human history, facing a lonely existence of servitude. Until she receives a telepathic plea from across the stars from a Prime named Jeff Raven-and falls in love with him." 

My Thoughts - Oh my this is the book that started my love affair with science fiction books.  It was so good to re-read and become reqqainted with old friends.  Anne McCaffrey has such a fabulous way of drawing you into the Talent universe and helping you to experience the depth of the characters and the bredth of the story.

Damia

  • Format Paperback | 341 pages 
  •  Dimensions 114 x 166 x 24mm | 172g 
  • Publication date 28 Feb 2012 
  • Publisher Penguin Putnam Inc 
  • Language English Edition 
  •  ISBN10 0441135560 
  • ISBN13 9780441135561 

From Book Depository - "Damia is the daughter of Prime Talents The Rowan and Jeff Raven. Her own telepathic and telekinetic abilities manifested at an early age, unimaginable powers even greater than her parents', challenging to wield much less control. As willful as her mother ever was, Damia defies her family's attempts to tame and train her--only to bond with Afra Lyon, a Talent who serves The Rowan, and who becomes the object of her affection. When she comes of age, Damia learns that a Prime of her capabilities and temperament has no time for love. Assigned to serve the farthest human colonized world from Earth, Damia leads a lonely existence until she telepathically connects with an alien presence in another galaxy--a potential threat not only to Damia, but to the love Afra wants to share with her..."

 From Penguin - "Of all the Rowan's children, Damia was the most brilliant, the most difficult, the loneliest, and the one who had inherited the greatest Talent. It was obvious from childhood that she was going to be a Prime, with all the honours, burdens and strains of that elite class. Her one friend was Afra -- older, wiser, Talented in his own way, but 'belonging' almost exclusively to the Rowan and the workings of Callisto Station.

As Damia grew up, her Talent became almost too strong to control, and the solution was separation -- from her parents, from Callisto, from her beloved Afra. Sent to the distant planet of Deneb, to her strange and gifted grandmother, Damia began the training necessary to turn her into a Prime of extraordinary gifts -- a Prime who could contact the minds of approaching aliens through space, some of whom threatened to totally destroy the worlds of the Nine Star League."

My Thoughts - This book had me sitting on the end of my chair in anticipation.  It was as good to read the second time as it had been the first time I read it nearly three decades ago.    

Damia's Children

  • Format Paperback | 325 pages 
  • Dimensions 107 x 173 x 29mm | 159g 
  • Publication date 29 May 2012 
  • Publisher Penguin Putnam Inc 
  • Language English Edition S
  •  ISBN10 044100007X 
  • ISBN13 9780441000074

 From Book Depository - "They inherited their mother's legendary powers of telepathy. But Damia's children will need more than psionic Talent to face the enemy's children--an alien race more insect than human..."

From Penguin - "A classic story from one of the masters of the genre

Damia and Afra-Raven-Lyon had reared their children in a brilliant and unorthodox way. All their young had been 'paired' when six months old with the furry, one-eyed Mrdinis, the only other sentient beings in the Alliance, who could communicate with humans by their 'dream messages'. Together, Man and Mrdini worked to create prosperous worlds and guard against the terrible threat of the annihilating Hivers.

And now, in the deeps of Space, Mrdini scouts had crossed the path of three Hive ships -- ships that were giant hulks of cell units, bearing the queens and workers out into space, to breed and multiply and destroy wherever they found a viable planet.

It was the four elder children of Damia -- Laria, Thian, Rojer and Zara -- all uniquely talented in their various ways, who were to play their part, helped by their life-long Dini friends, in the conquering and investigation of the Alien threat of the Hivers."

My Thoughts - I enjoyed seeing the love story of Damia and Afra grow and see how the Mrdini influence the track of the story of the Hive invaders.  Each of the characters are powerful in their own right. They challenge themselves and those around them to go deeper and stretch beyond comfort zones.  

Lyon's Pride 

  • Format Paperback | 352 pages 
  • Dimensions 110 x 178 x 22mm | 189g 
  • Publication date 01 May 2012 
  • Publisher Transworld Publishers Ltd 
  • Language English 
  • ISBN10 0552167312 
  • ISBN13 9780552167314  

From Book Depository- "The survival technique of the Hivers was terrifying -- and brilliant. Their huge Sphere ships, controlled by the Many Mind of ten to sixteen queens, surged out into space. When an appropriate planet was found, the Hivers destroyed any and every variety of indigenous life, the queens propagated, and when the new world was full, more ships were sent out. the colonization was repeated until no planet, no species, least of all Man and Mrdini, was safe.

The furry and courageous Mrdini had fought the Hivers for centuries, many dying bravely in an attempt to save their own worlds. Now Mrdini and Man combined to form the Alliance -- and Humankind had their own weapons to offer -- the power and might of the Talents who could not only communicate silently with each other, but could project cargoes, ships and themselves across the deeps of space.

The four children of Damia -- Laria, Thian, Rojer and Zara -- were Primes amongst the Talents, and all their skills were desperately needed, for the Hivers' terrible Sphere ships were still thrusting through space, unfathomable, impenetrable, and carrying death in their labyrinthine depths."

My Thoughts - This one had me hooked from the start. I enjoyed the journeys of Damia and Afra's children and the expansion of the story.

The Tower and the Hive

  • Format Paperback | 315 pages 

    Dimensions 83 x 171 x 23.11mm | 159g 

    Publication date 25 May 2000 

    Publisher Penguin Putnam Inc 

    Language English 

    ISBN10 0441007201 

    ISBN13 9780441007202

From Penguin - Concluding her magnificent five-book sequence begun in The Rowan. In this, the fifth book in the Tower and the Hive series, the children of Damia and Afra Lyon take up new and demanding responsibilities - trying to discover the whereabouts of all the Hiver-occupied worlds. For the Hivers are still a terrible threat and can bring total annihilation to both humans and their furry allies the Mrdini unless the remaining Hiver Queens can be prevented from further colonization. And a startling additional problem has arisen with the Mrdini. No longer dying as drastically as they once had in their ceaseless struggle against the Hivers, they face a serious population explosion and need the help of the Medical Prime Zara Lyon.  

Whew if you made it to the end of that list I'm impressed.  Thank you for your patience in letting me share my binge read recently.  I'm quite happy now that I've caught up and can continue my 52 Books in 52 Weeks Challenge.

What's on your reading pile ?



 



Saturday 6 February 2021

False Impression by Jeffrey Archer (5/52 Books in 52 Weeks)

 Week 5 of 52 Books in 52 Weeks. I almost missed the deadline to share my latest read with you.  Jeffrey Archer is one of those authors not to miss.  The very first book I read from this author was Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less.  A brilliant tale.

This week I have chosen to revist another favourite from his pen: False Impression.  I had forgotten just how much every little detail is important when reading his stories.


False Impression

  • Format Paperback | 538 pages 
  • Dimensions 104 x 191 x 36mm | 295g 
  • Publisher St Martin's Press 
  • Language English 
  • ISBN10 0312939779 
  • ISBN13 9780312939779 

From Book Depository: "Why was an elegant lady BRUTALLY MURDERED the night before 9/11? Why was a successful New York banker not surprised to receive A WOMAN'S LEFT EAR in the mail? Why did a young woman with a brilliant career steal an IMPRESSIONIST PAINTING? Why was an honors graduate working as a temporary secretary after INHERITING A FORTUNE? Why was a SENIOR FBI AGENT trying to work out the connection between these four apparently innocent individuals? A breathtaking journey of twists and turns from New York to London, from Bucharest and on to Tokyo ends up in a sleepy English village where the mystery surrounding Van Gogh's last painting will finally be resolved."

This book is a sit on the edge of your seat masterpiece.  A fully engrossing tale of the missing masterpiece Van Gogh's Self Portrait with a Bandaged Ear.  Each twist and turn is full of heart stopping close calls and threads of complexity to rival the best. False Impressin will have you dashing accross the world from New York to London, Hong Kong to Bucharest and back again. Join FBI agent Jack as he tries to unravel the mystery before him.

 

Tuesday 26 January 2021

The Girl from the Train by Irma Joubert (4/52 Books in 52 Weeks)

It's week four of 52 Books in 52 Weeks. This weeks reading adventure took me back to the land of my birth South Africa although the story begins in Europe.  I spent a delightful few days immersed in World War II in Germany, Poland and South Africa reading The Girl From the Train (not to be confused with the popular mainstream novel The Girl on the Train)

The Girl From the Train

  • Format Paperback | 384 pages 
  • Dimensions 138 x 214 x 22mm | 362g 
  • Publisher Thomas Nelson Publishers 
  • Language English 
  • ISBN10: 0529102374 
  • ISBN13: 9780529102379 
  • Available as a paperback and audio book.

The Girl From the Train was originally published in Afrikaans under the title Tussen Stasies (I really wish they had kept the direct translation for the title - Between Stations.) 

Irma takes us on a journey of discovery, illustrating the effects of the war in the lives of children. The story is a beutiful illustration of how unconditional love can impact and redeem the sadest of experiences and change lives for the better.

The story opens near the end of World War II in southern Poland in April 1944 with a family desperate to save their children from the horrors of Aushwitz.  We meet Gretl Schmidt on a train bound for Aushwitz..., and Jakob Kowalski who is fighting witht the Polish resistance and is planting a bomb on the tracks.

Gretl escapes the train and by a series of events meets Jakob who takes her to his family farm to be cared for and thius begins the journey of two lives that become entertwined, spanning 15 years and two continents.  

Gretl is adopted by a family in South Africa where she lives with her secrets and grows up with a family who loves her deeply as thought she were born into their arms.  

Jakob stays in Poland.  Through the years they each are followed by the echo of the other clinging to the momories until due to circumstances the improbable happens. 

From Book Depositiory: "Six-year-old Gretl Schmidt is on a train bound for Aushwitz. Jakob Kowalski is planting a bomb on the tracks.

As World War II draws to a close, Jakob fights with the Polish resistance against the crushing forces of Germany and Russia. They intend to destroy a German troop transport, but Gretl's unscheduled train reaches the bomb first.

Gretl is the only survivor. Though spared from the concentration camp, the orphaned German Jew finds herself lost in a country hostile to her people. When Jakob discovers her, guilt and fatherly compassion prompt him to take her in. For three years, the young man and little girl form a bond over the secrets they must hide from his Catholic family.

But she can't stay with him forever. Jakob sends Gretl to South Africa, where German war orphans are promised bright futures with adoptive Protestant families-so long as Gretl's Jewish roots, Catholic education, and connections to communist Poland are never discovered.

Separated by continents, politics, religion, language, and years, Jakob and Gretl will likely never see each other again. But the events they have both survived and their belief that the human spirit can triumph over the ravages of war have formed a bond of love that no circumstances can overcome. "


 The Author - Irma Jouber

  •  International bestselling author
  • She was a history teacher for 35 years before she began her writing career.
  • Writes in her native language of Afrikaans.
  • The Girl from the Train is her first novel to be translated into english.
  • She won the 2010 ATKV Prize for Romance Novels.
  • Connect with her on Facebook here.

I discovered that  The Girl From the Train is book two in the first trilogy from this author.  I am keen to read the other two books. It seems I may need to brush up on my Afrikaans reading in order to read them.

Books by this author

  • 1. Veilige hawe
  • 2. Tuiskoms (a collection of short stories)
  • 3. Verbode Drif (a historical novel, spanning 1903–1910)

First trilogy:

  • 4. Ver wink die Suiderkruis (set in 1932–1933)
  • 5. Tussen stasies (The Girl From the Train )(spanning World War II to 1958)
  • 6. Tolbos (set in 1976–1989)

Second trilogy:

  • 7. Anderkant Pontenilo (historical novel spanning 1938 - 1945)
  • 8. Pérsomi, kind van die brakrant  (Child of the River) (1938–1968)
  • 9. Kronkelpad (The Crooked Path) (1938–1983)

Third trilogy (in progress):

  • 10. Immer wes (a historical novel spanning 1905–1947)
  • 11. Mentje - Kind van die Pas-Opkamp (a historical novel)

Who are some of your favourite historical authors?



Tuesday 19 January 2021

The Good Master by Kate Seredy (3/52 Books in 52 Weeks)

 One of the reasons I enjoy home educating using Sonlight is their selection of twaddle free books.  This year Nathaniel has 12 weeks left of World History Year 2 of 2. I had a lot of good intentions to read with Nathaniel during 2020 but alas life happened and I did not keep up.  I decided the best way to catch up was to add some of his books to my 52 Books in 52 Weeks challenge for 2021. This week I chose to read The Good Master by Kate Seredy.  

The Good Master

  • Format Paperback | 192 pages 
  • Dimensions 130 x 198 x 14mm | 162g 
  • Publisher Penguin Books Australia 
  • Language English Edition 
  • ISBN10 - 014030133X 
  • ISBN13 - 9780140301335 
  • Puffin Newberry Library

From Book Depositiory: "No child should miss out on the adventures of headstrong Kate, a girl from Budapest who spends summers with her cousin Jancsi on his father's ranch in Hungary. Horseback races across the plains, country fairs and festivals, a dangerous run-in with gypsies, and the chores and the joys -- and the colorful cultural trappings -- of daily life in pre-war Europe create a vivid, unforgettable world."

I was surprised by how much I really enjoyed this historical novel.  Headstrong Kate (Seredy herself) is not at all what Jancsi or his family expected. She is sent to live with her cousin Jancsi and Uncle Nagy on their family farm on the Hungarian plains. Uncle Nagy is known by all as "The Good Master" for his wise and gentle ways.  Kate is soon caught up in the daily life of the farm and soon opens the eyes of those around her to the wonders all around them that they take for granted. She soon calms down and develops a sounder set of values.

This books captures you with is vividly detailed scenes and beautiful illustrations by the author.   You will read about the history and stories of the people of Hungary through the people who touch their lives.

The sequel is The Singing Tree which takes Kate and the family through World War I, when Jancsi's father must join the army and he is left in charge of the ranch, which becomes a refuge for family, neightbors and war orphans.

 Author - Kate Seredy

  • 10 November 1899 to 7 March 1975
  • Born in Budapest Hungry
  • Immigrated to the USA 1922
  • Study at Academy of Art in Budapest for six years.
  • Earned a living illustrating lampshades, greeting cards and sheet music.
  • Illustrated for other authors including Caddie Woodlawn 
  • Illustrated her own books.
  • The Good Master is her first and most popular book.
  • She wrote several books which are still in print and available for purchase on Book Depository.

Do you have any historical novels you enjoy?

Linking with BW3 on Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks.

Wednesday 13 January 2021

Joseph Dreamer of Dreams by E. Traylor (2/52 Books in 52 Weeks)

Welcome to week two of 52 Books in 52 Weeks. This week I chose a biblical novel to enjoy.  I first encountered the author when I was in high school.  I read Samson which opened my eyes and heart to the reality of scripture and I began to realise just how real each of the people in the bible stories really were.  Years later I found a fabulous christian bookshop in Christchurch (Christian Value Books) and encountered books by Ellen Gunderson Traylor and began collecting her novels. 

Joseph Dreamer of Dreams

  • Format Paperback | 247 pages 
  • Publisher Harvest House Publishers 
  • Language English 
  • ISBN10 0890816999 
  • ISBN13 9780890816998  

I really enjoyed reading this book again. JOSEPH is a story of politics, passion and a peculiar example of GOD at work in the lives of men and women.

The Author


 Who are some of your favourite biblical story tellers?  I have three or four more on my shelf I am aiming to read later this year.

Thursday 7 January 2021

The Reading Life by C.S. Lewis (1/52 Books in 52 Weeks)

Welcome to week one of 52 Books in 52 Weeks. To launch my year of reading I chose The Reading Life by C.S. Lewis. I spent many years avoiding CS Lewis books and a few years back as a family we listened to and read aloud the Narnia series by Mr Lewis and really enjoyed his writing.  I received this book for Christmas and the title really called to me when deciding which book to commence the challenge with and I am so pleased that I did read it.

 No Book is really worth reading at the age of ten which is not equally (and often far more) worth reading at the age of fifty. ... The only imaginative works we ought to grow out of are those which it would have been better not to have read at all - C.S. Lewis The Reading Life.

The Reading Life

Details

  • Format Paperback  
  • 192 pages 
  • Dimensions 129 x 198 x 15mm | 170g 
  • Publication date 15 Oct 2020 
  • Publisher HarperCollins Publishers 
  • Imprint William Collins 
  • Publication City/Country London, United Kingdom 
  • Language English 
  • ISBN10 0008307121 
  • ISBN13 9780008307127 

Every age has its own outlook. It is specially good at seeing certian truths and specially liable to make certain mistakes. We all, therefore, need the books that will correct the characteristic mistakes of our own period. And that means the old books.  - C.S. Lewis The Reading Life.

Available to purchase

From Book Depository

  •  "The revered teacher and bestselling author reflects on the power, importance, and joy of a life dedicated to reading books in this delightful collection drawn from his wide body of writings."
  • "Cultivated from his many essays, articles, and letters, as well as his classic works, The Reading Life provides guidance and reflections on the love and enjoyment of books. Engaging and enlightening, this well-rounded collection includes Lewis' reflections on science fiction, why children's literature is for readers of all ages, and why we should read two old books for every new one."

 The book is divided into two parts: On the Art and Joy of Reading (15 chapters) and Short Readings on Reading (37 chapters). The appendix contains Journal Exercises for Reflecting on Your Reading Life.

[A child] does not despise real woods because he has read of enchanted woods: the reading makes all reall woods a little enchanted - C.S. Lewis The Reading Life.

The Author

The greatest cause of verbicide is the fact that most people are obviously far more anxious to express their approval and disapproval of things than to describe them. - C.S. Lewis The Reading Life.

I'm so pleased I chose this book to commence my year of reading. It is a beautifully compiled book with thought provoking moments.  I loved the quotes which are enlarged throughout the book.  

I had two favourite chapters: Why Children's Stories are not Just for Children and How to Murder Words.  

I really enjoyed what C.S. Lewis had to say about Tolkien in  The Achievements of J.R.R. Tolkien.

This is a fabulous book and deserves a spot on any bookshelf.

What are you reading?

Tuesday 5 January 2021

2021 Reading Goals {52 Books in 52 Weeks}

This past weekend the Homeschool Review Crew asked the question What are your reading goals for 2021? This is something I had been pondering since I fractured my humerus last year and realised that it's been a long time since I read for the pleasure of doing so. I have been blessed with so many beautiful books and have decided this is the year I want to embark on reading the books I've been wanting to read or re-read.

 Back in 2012 I signed up to Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks and wondered if it was still being hosted online.  Much to my delight I descovered that it is still alive and well. I've signed up for the 2021 challenge and would like to invite you to join me.


 

To help me keep my lists handy and keep me accountable I have decided to build two lists below. I will be updating this list upon completing my challenge for each week and if I find a book I would like to add.

My Completed Reading list for 2021

  1. The Reading Life by C.S. Lewis
  2. Joseph Dreamer of Dreams by E. Traylor
  3. The Good Master by Kate Seredy
  4. The Girl from the Train by Irma Joubert 
  5. False Impression by Jeffrey Archer
  6. To Ride Pegasus by Anne McCaffrey
  7. Pegasus in Space by Anne McCaffrey
  8. The Rowan by Anne McCaffrey
  9. Damia by Anne McCaffrey
  10. Damia's Children by Anne McCaffrey
  11. Lyon's Pride & The Tower and the Hive  by Anne McCaffrey
  12. Seizure by Robin Cook 
  13. Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary

Books I would like to read this year

  1. The Reading Life : The Joy of Seeing New Worlds Through Others' Eyes by C.S. Lewis COMPLETED - Week 1
  2. Silver Boxes by Florence Littauer 
  3. What's so Amazing About Grace by Philip Yancey
  4. Moses The Deliverer by Ellen Gunderson Traylor
  5. Joshua - God's Warrior by Ellen Gunderson Traylor
  6. Disappointment with God - Philip Yancey
  7. Prayer of Jabez -
  8. Ten Fingers for God - the life and work of Dr Paul Brand
  9. False Impression by Jeffrey Archer COMPLETED - Week 5
  10. Teaching From Rest - 
  11. Sherlock Holmes
  12. An Agatha Christie Book - which do you recommend?
  13. Pegasus in Flight by Anne McCaffrey

52 Books in 52 Weeks

The guidelines/rules

  1. The challenge will run from January 1, 2021 through December 31, 2021.
  2.  Book weeks begin on Sunday
  3. Week one begins on Friday, January 1st and runs through January 9th.
  4.  Participants may join at any time
  5.  All books are acceptable except children books **
  6.  All forms of books are acceptable including e-books, audio books, etc
  7.  Re-reads are acceptable as long as they are read after January 1, 2021
  8.  Books may overlap other challenges
  9.  Create an entry post linking to 52 books in 52 weeks
  10.  Sign up with Mr. Linky in the "I'm participating in 2021 post" .
  11. You don't have a blog or social media account to participate.  Post your weekly book in the comments section of each weekly post.   
  12. The link widget will be added to the bottom of the weekly post for you to link to reviews of your most current reads, and will close at the end of each book week

**in reference to children books. If it is a child whose reading it and involved in the challenge, then that's okay.  If an adult is doing read aloud with kids, the book should be geared for the 9 - 12 age group and above and over 100 pages. If adult reading for own enjoyment, then a good rule of thumb to go by "is there some complexity to the story or is it too simple?"  If it's too simple, then it doesn't count.

 


Mini Challenges within 52 Books in 52 Weeks

Should you want something a little extra to participate in here are a variety of weekly, monthly and perpetual challenges including: 

 

Out on the Internet

 

Monday 20 August 2012

A Trail of Ink {52 in 52}

This week in 52 in 52...
The third chronicle 
of Hugh de Singleton, surgeon.
  • Format: Paperback
  • Number of Pages: 256
  • Publisher:  Monarch Books
  • Publication Date: 2009
  • ISBN: 978-1-85424-954-8
  • Author Melvin R.Starr
Last week I shared about one of the best books I have read in a while. This weekend I have completed the sequel as well as the third chronicle in the series.

I enjoyed becoming better acquainted with Hugh in this third  chronicle detailing his duties as bailiff.  As with book one and two this chronicle has been written in the first person. Hugh takes us with him as he attempts to unravel the mystery of Master John Wyclif's missing books.

Melvin has once again done a stirling job of taking the reader into 1300's. I enjoyed the two assignments bestowed on him by his employer to find a comely lass and discover the whereabouts of Master Wyclif's books. As always his use of out of the ordinary language is inspiring and entertaining. I enjoyed this book immensely and recommend it to you and your family.

Melvin Starr is an avid student of medieval English and surgery and has written a page turning novel featuring Hugh de Singleton.  Melvin's website hosts a great set of resources and you are able to read the first chapter to whet your appetite for the book.
  1. The Unquiet Bones
  2. A Corpse at St Andrew's Chapel
  3. The Trail of Ink
  4. Unhallowed Ground
  5. The Tainted Coin

No sense in reinventing the wheel.  Here is a snippet of what others are saying about this book:

In the words of Stephanie
"A Trail of Ink is a fascinating description of fourteenth century life as Hugh searches for lost books. While that doesn't seem like much today, twenty-two books would have been a fortune for a monk during this time period. While the plot took a long time to pick up speed, once it did, it hooked me completely and I was fascinated and enthralled. With a less than satisfying ending, it did leave off with a tantalizing hook for the next book in the series, Unhallowed Ground, which I am really looking forward to reading. What Mel Starr does so well, however, is make you feel as if you're standing in fourteenth century England, with vivid descriptions and beautiful attention to detail. All in all it was a satisfying read.."

From Mel Starr Publisher's Description-
"So begins another delightful and intriguing tale from the life of Hugh de Singleton, surgeon in the medieval village of Bampton, near Oxford, and bailiff of Bampton Castle at the behest of Lord Gilbert Talbot. Hugh sets his cap at the delightful Kate, who proves equally resourceful in the search for the missing books. Some very determined adversaries are out to stop him, permanently if necessary – but are they motivated by greed, or more personal animosity? Then the corpse of a poor scholar, who had tried to sell one of the books, is found in the river: but he had not simply drowned ...."

Book Reviews on the www:

Buy the book: Amazon, Book Depository, Kindle, Fishpond, Koorong, Christian Book, eBook.

Blessings





This post is linking to Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks.

Sunday 19 August 2012

A Corpse at St Andrews Chapel {52 in 52}

This week in 52 in 52...
A Corpse at St Andrew's Chapel
  • Format: Paperback
  • Number of Pages: 256
  • Publisher:  Monarch Books
  • Publication Date: 2009
  • ISBN: 978-1-85424-954-8
  • Author Melvin R.Starr
Last week I shared about one of the best books I have read in a while.This week I have completed the sequel and am onto the third book in the chronicle in the series.

I enjoyed becoming better acquainted with Hugh in this second chronicle detailing his duties as bailiff.  As with book one this chronicle has been written in the first person and Hugh takes us with him as he attempts to unravel the double mystery before him. Melvin has done a stirling job of taking the reader into 1300's for it's way and wit.  His descriptions of medical procedures are an interesting look into medieval ways. As always his use of out of the ordinary language is inspiring and entertaining. I enjoyed this book immensely and recommend it to you and your family.

Melvin Starr is an avid student of medieval English and surgery and has written a page turning novel featuring Hugh de Singleton.  Melvin's website hosts a great set of resources and you are able to read the first chapter to whet your appetite for the book.
  1. The Unquiet Bones
  2. A Corpse at St Andrew's Chapel
  3. The Trail of Ink
  4. Unhallowed Ground
  5. The Tainted Coin

No sense in reinventing the wheel.  Here is a snippet of what others are saying about this book:

In the words of Rebecca
"Wow, what a great book! Mel Starr, the author, has a really great writing style and I enjoyed the book immensely. I liked that the book was written in the first person and I also liked that it’s medieval history. Starr did a phenomenal job with the time period, the language, the religious aspects and the characters while winding multiple mysteries throughout the tale."

From Mel Starr Publisher's Description-
"Alan, the beadle of the medieval manor of Bampton, had gone out at dusk to seek those who might violate curfew. When, the following morning, he had not returned home, his young wife Matilda sought out Master Hugh de Singleton, surgeon and bailiff of the manor. Two days later Alan’s corpse was discovered in the hedge, at the side of the track to St Andrew’s Chapel. His throat had been torn out – his head was half severed from his body – and his face, hands and forearms were lacerated with deep scratches. Master Hugh, meeting Hubert the coroner at the scene, listened carefully to the coroner’s surmise that a wolf had caused the great wound. And yet ... if so, why was there so little blood?."

Book Reviews on the www:

Buy the book: Amazon, Book Depository, Kindle, Fishpond, eBook, Koorong, Christian Book.

Blessings





This post is linking to Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks.

Tuesday 14 August 2012

TT - The Unquiet Bones

 Welcome to Tuesdays Treasures.  I started these posts as a way of sharing great books in honour of my friend in New Zealand who would arrive with the treasures she had unearthed at her weekly trip to the library!

There are so many wonderful books out there hiding on shelves so I invite you to blog about a book on your shelf, one you're reading or one you found at the library and add your post to Learning All the Time Favourite Resource Link Up



This week ...

  • Format: Paperback
  • Number of Pages: 256
  • Publisher:  Monarch Books
  • Publication Date: 2008
  • ISBN: 1854248855
  • Author Melvin R.Starr
One of the best books I have read in a while.  I finished this one at midnight last night and couldn't wait to borrow the sequel.

I do confess however when I first started reading it I wondered whether I needed to go and get my dictionary.  I had not realised just how narrow my field of vocabulary had become with some of the genre's of books I have been reading. It probably would have helped had I not skipped the glossary pages in the front!  Upon my travels in cyberspace I discovered that Mel Starr has a full Glossary / Dictationary in the resources part of his site.  Think I might just use this with my new tablet while reading the sequel.

If the cover is anything to go by I would never have taken this book off the shelf.  A friend of mine had it on her shelf and highly recommended it to me.  I am so pleased that I took her up on the offer.

Melvin Starr is an avid student of medieval English and surgery and has written a page turning novel featuring Hugh de Singleton. I was rather surprised to learn that he had his manuscript rejected 60 times before someone took a serious look at it.  I am so pleased he persisted.  The fifth novel is due for release later this year.
  1. The Unquiet Bones
  2. A Corpse at St Andrew's Chapel
  3. The Trail of Ink
  4. Unhallowed Ground
  5. The Tainted Coin
If you have avid readers in your midst I highly recommend this series of books.  They are set in the 1300's and are historical novels of crime fiction.

No sense in reinventing the wheel.  Here is a snippet of what others are saying about this book:

In the words of Susan Gillmor "Hugh de Singleton is a young surgeon fresh from Oxford University in The Unquiet Bones, a debut historical mystery by Mel Starr. The English countryside is still recovering from the Black Plague in 1363 when Hugh hangs out his shingle in Oxford. Then the discovery of bones in a cesspit at nearby Bampton Castle prompts Lord Gilbert to "search out the assassin." He appoints Hugh to a new and daunting role as his resident surgeon and bailiff."

From Mel Starr - "Hugh of Singleton, fourth son of a minor knight in Wyclif’s England, has been educated as a clerk, usually a prelude to taking holy orders. However, feeling no certain calling despite a lively faith, he turns to the profession of surgeon, training in Paris and then hanging out his sign in Oxford. He was staring from his Oxford window, hoping for clients, when Lord Gilbert was kicked by his groom’s horse. Hugh’s successful treatment of the suffering lord led to an invitation to set up his practice in the village Bampton – and, before long, the request to track the killer of a young woman whose bones have been found in the castle cesspit. She is identified as the impetuous missing daughter of a local blacksmith, and her young man, whom she had provoked very publicly, is in due course arrested and sentenced at the Oxford assizes. From there the tale unfolds, with graphic medical procedures, droll medieval wit, misdirection, ambition, romantic distractions and a consistent underlying Christian compassion."

Else where on the www: The Unquiet Bones:ReviewThe Unquiet Bones (Historical Novels),  Author Spotlight: Mel Starr,

Buy the book: Amazon, Book Depository, Kindle, Fishpond, eBook, Koorong.

Blessings





This post is linking to Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks.

Saturday 9 June 2012

52 in 52 - A Stolen Life

I am playing catch up on my 52 Books in 52 Weeks challenge
 
This is book five for the year

My Mom in law belongs to a book club in Hoedspruit and while I was there they had their monthly meeting.  It was so much fun catching up with the ladies of this group I used to belong to 15 years ago.  One of the great things was having access to so many great books.

A Stolen Life
Jaycee Dugard



Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster (July 12, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 145166494X
ISBN-13: 978-1451664942
Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces




From the back cover: "In the summer of 1991 I was a normal kid. I did normal things. I had friends and a mother who loved me. I was just like you.
Until the day my life was stolen.


For eighteen years I was a prisoner. I was an object for someone to use and abuse.
For eighteen years I was not allowed to speak my own name. I became a mother and was forced to be a sister. For eighteen years I survived an impossible situation.


On August 26, 2009, I took my name back. My name is Jaycee Lee Dugard. I don’t think of myself as a victim. I survived.
A Stolen Life is my story—in my own words, in my own way, exactly as I remember it." - jaycee dugard.

That's just how the book is written.  It has not been written by a ghost writer.  It is frank and honest and at best compelling.  I couldn't put this book down.  I was shocked and surprised at her frank honesty and the excellent quality of her writing considering she was abducted at the age of 11 and had no more formal education.  She must be an incredible young woman to already have written this account.  She shares extracts from her journal written in captivity.  If you are looking for a feel good book then this is NOT the book for you as it is frank and honest about the invasion perpetrated on this young woman for 18 very long years.

Jaycee has started a foundation called the JAYC Foundation. (Just Ask Yourself to Care) Our mission is to be of service to families that have suffered a familial or nonfamilial abduction or other trauma and to spread the word of compassion and awareness through educational programs. We connect families to support and services they need in order to recover from the abduction or other traumatic events, such as returning from military deployment or a major natural disaster.

I rate this book: *****
Sexual content: yes
Linked to: BW24: RIP Ray Bradbury

52 in 52 - Five Chimneys


I am playing catch up on my 52 Books in 52 Weeks challenge
 
This is book four for the year

Recently while on holiday in South Africa I found this book on the mantle that called out to me to be read.

Five Chimneys

Olga Lengyel




  • Format: Paperback
  • Number of Pages: 221
  • Publishers: Academy Chicago Publishers; 2nd edition (October 1, 1995)
  • Publication Date: 1994
  • ISBN:  0897333764
  • Author Olga Lengyel
This book is an account of one of the woman who survived Auschwitz. It was first published two years after World War II ended so I was a little surprised to see that it is still in print and available for purchase from Fishpond and Amazon.  

This book is written in the first person and is a personal account of the author's experience in Auschwitz.  It was the sort of book that held my attention and let my heart witness the heart ache of Auschwitz.  Olga is a trained surgeon who looses her whole family (parents, two sons and her husband) in World War II. In her homeland she dismisses the stories of war as a figment of someones wild imagination and not true until her and her family are shipped off to Auschwitz.

Her descriptions of the processes and environ are stated as matter of fact and without emotion. As you read you follow Olga's downward emotional spiral due to the depraved circumstances and living under the 'Blond Angel" (Irma Grese), until she is recruited in the prisoner resistance underground movement and handed a motive to fight for survival.  She was assigned the role of information gather to speak for those who would loose their lives to the war.

She fulfills her assignment through writing this memoir of World War II.  I found her descriptions rather heart wrenching especially that to do with pregnancy and birth in camp.

This is an excellent book allowing the reader a 'safe' glimpse into life in Auschwitz.  It is not recommend for immature or young audiences due to it's graphic content.

For a thorough breakdown of the book you can head over to Wikipedia.

After the war Olga migrated to America where she started the Olga founded the Memorial Library and Art Collection of Second World War, chartered by the University of the State of New York.  She died in 2001.

"You have done a real service by letting the ones who are now silent and most forgotten speak." - Albert Einstein  


Rate: *****
This post does not contain affiliate links.
Linked to: BW24: RIP Ray Bradbury