It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

The Its Monday! What Are You Reading meme is hosted at Book Journey.

Life…

Though the time away was nice over the Australia day long weekend, it started raining on Saturday afternoon and didn’t stop for the entire time. Packing up in the downpour wasn’t much fun and our tent is still in the backyard waiting for good weather to dry it out before we can put it away. I took the picture below just before the rain started of my sons and their uncle building the campfire.

It’s the first Monday of the month  so time to share the first challenge update of the new year!

The Eclectic Reader Challenge 2/12

Australian Women Writer’s Challenge 14/50

Aussie Author Challenge 1/12

Monthly Keyword Challenge 2/12

What I Read Last Week

Losing February by Susana Freymark

Paper Chains by Nicola Moriarty

Dance of Shadows by Yelena Black

Web of Deceit by Katherine Howell

Beneath Outback Skies by Alissa Callen

What the Raven Saw by Samantha-Ellen Bound

Posts this week

(click the titles to read my reviews)

Review: For the Love of a Goblin Warrior by Shona Husk ★★★

AWW Feature & Giveaway: Shona Husk and her Top Ten Heroes

AWW Feature: Q & A with Kathryn Ledson

Review: Rough Diamond by Kathryn Ledson ★★★★

Review: Two Evils by PJ Tracy ★★1/2

Review: Paper Chains by Nicola Moriarty ★★★★1/2

Review: Losing It by Cora Cormack ★★1/2

Stuff on Sundays: TV tells stories too… – what are your favourite programs?

What I Am Reading Today

It was always expected that Lachie Sinclair and his brothers would one day take over the family property, Kamilaroi. But when tragedy strikes, Lachlan blames his father and angrily renounces any future for him at Kamilaroi. Moving to the city, Lachie joins the police force and quickly rises through the ranks. But after being injured in a gunfight he decides to go out on his own as a private investigator. When a wealthy society woman asks Lachie to lead the search for her missing daughter, he reluctantly agrees. Early indications are that the woman’s captors are hiding her in the Pilliga region, meaning Lachie must return to his roots in order to try and save her life … This rollicking new bush yarn from the bestselling author of Valley of the White Gold and Silver in the Sun will keep Tony Parsons’ fans turning the pages well into the night

What I Plan To Read This Week

(click the covers to view at Goodreads)

We all have secret lives. And we are all pretty good at keeping them secret. With simplicity and great beauty, Currawalli Street reveals the echoes between past and present through the story of one ordinary street and its families, from the pre-war innocence of early 1914 to the painful and grim consequences of the Vietnam War. In 1914, Thomas, the young rector, questions his faith and falls in love; his sister Janet, a dutiful spinster, hides a surprising secret; and their neighbour, Rose, is burdened with visions of the coming hell. In 1972, Jim, a soldier fresh from Vietnam, returns home to Currawalli Street to find that death has a way of seeping in everywhere; Patrick, looked after by his elderly wife, Mary, can’t relinquish his former identity; and always there is the boy up in the tree, watching them all and keeping note. In only three short generations, working horses and wagons are lost to cars, wood-fired ovens are replaced with electric stoves, and the lessons learned at such cost in the Great War seem forgotten. But despite all the changes, the essential human things remain: there will always be families and friends reaching out for connection; people will always have secrets to keep hidden from view; and desire and love are as inevitable as war and violence.

Five years ago, Tia fell into obsessive love with a man she could never have. Married, and the father of two boys, Nathan was unavailable in every way. When she became pregnant, he disappeared, and she gave up her baby for adoption. Five years ago, Caroline, a dedicated pathologist, reluctantly adopted a baby to please her husband. She prayed her misgivings would disappear; instead, she’s questioning whether she’s cut out for the role of wife and mother. Five years ago, Juliette considered her life ideal: she had a solid marriage, two beautiful young sons, and a thriving business. Then she discovered Nathan’s affair. He promised he’d never stray again, and she trusted him. But when Juliette intercepts a letter to her husband from Tia that contains pictures of a child with a deep resemblance to her husband, her world crumbles once more. How could Nathan deny his daughter? And if he’s kept this a secret from her, what else is he hiding? Desperate for the truth, Juliette goes in search of the little girl. And before long, the three women and Nathan are on a collision course with consequences that none of them could have predicted.

Against all odds, 17-year-old Gene has survived in a world where humans have been eaten to near extinction by the general population. The only remaining humans, or hepers as they are known, are housed in domes on the savannah and studied at the nearby Heper Institute. Every decade there is a government sponsored hunt. When Gene is selected to be one of the combatants he must learn the art of the hunt but also elude his fellow competitors whose suspicions about his true nature are growing.

For Gene and the remaining humans—or hepers—death is just a heartbeat away. On the run and hunted by society, they must find a way to survive in The Vast… and avoid the hungry predators tracking them in the dark. But they’re not the only things following Gene. He’s haunted by the girl he left behind and his burgeoning feelings for Sissy, the human girl at his side. When they discover a refuge of exiled humans living high in the mountains, Gene and his friends think they’re finally safe. Led by a group of intensely secretive elders, the civilisation begins to raise more questions than answers. A strict code of behaviour is the rule, harsh punishments are meted out, young men are nowhere to be found—and Gene begins to wonder if the world they’ve entered is just as evil as the one they left behind. As life at the refuge grows more perilous, he and Sissy only grow closer. In an increasingly violent world, all they have is each other… if they can only stay alive.

While you are here…

ENTER TO WIN For the Love of a Goblin Warrior by Shona Husk  – open worldwide

Congratulate:

Belinda Harrison who has won a Personal-Planner!

&

Rebecca Brown (Australia) & Kristia Miltiadou (International) who have won a book of their choice from the Australia Day Book Giveaway Hop! There were over 200 entries – thank you to all those that celebrated along with me!

(Winners drawn using random.org and notified via email)

Thanks for stopping by, I’ll be along to visit you shortly!

 

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