It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

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

Life…

I just have one piece of advice to share today:

It’s all that is keeping me sane right now after another busy week which hasn’t given me much of an opportunity to catch up.

What I Read Last Week

Chocolate Cake For Breakfast by Danielle Hawkins

Poppy’s Dilemma by Karly Lane

A Slight Change of Plan by Dee Ernst

Through the Farm Gate: Life on the Land by Angela Goode

Left by Tamar Ossowski

New Posts

(click the titles to read my reviews)

Review: The Good House by Ann Leary  ★★★★

Review: Chocolate Cake For Breakfast by Danielle Hawkins ★★★★

Review: Happy Eva After by Chris Harrison ★★★★

Review: The All-Girl Filling Station’s Last Reunion by Fannie Flagg ★★★★

Review: The Trap by Andrew Fukada ★★★1/2

Review; Guest Post and Giveaway: Dee Ernst and A Slight Change of Plan ★★★★

Stuff On Sundays: Sign up for The Eclectic Reader Challenge 2014

What I Am Reading Today

This novel is the story of a lie. But it is also a story of laughter and tears, of life itself. When her chronically unemployed husband runs off to start a crocodile farm in Kenya with his mistress, Josephine Cortes is left in an unhappy state of affairs. The mother of two is forced to make ends meet on her meagre salary as a medieval history scholar. Meanwhile, Josephine’s charismatic sister Iris seems to have it all – a wealthy husband, gorgeous looks, and a tres chic Paris address-but secretly she dreams of bringing meaning back into her life. And then a dinner party changes the sisters’ destinies. Iris is seated next to a famous book publisher to whom she spins a tale of the 12th century romance she’s writing. When Iris charms him into offering her a lucrative deal for her book, she offers her sister a deal of her own: Josephine will write the novel and pocket all the proceeds, but the book will be published under Iris’s name. All is well – until the book becomes the literary sensation of the season…

What I Plan To Read This Week

(click the covers to view at Goodreads)

A humble soldier, known only as ‘Jones’, wakes in hospital with no recollection of his past. The few fleeting fragments of memory he glimpses are horrifying moments from the battlefield at Ypres. His very identity becomes a puzzle he must solve. Then Eden Valentine comes gliding into his world, a stunning tailoress who has a dream of her own business in high fashion but whose duty to her family may never permit her to fulfil. Her fiancé resents the intrusion of the disarming Jones who is in desperate need of her help to unravel his past.  Surrounding the mystery is Alex Wynter, the influential heir to an industrial empire and country manor Larksfell Hall. With his aristocratic family still reeling from a recent tragedy, he brings news that will further rock the foundations of their privileged lives. When their three very different worlds collide, the pieces of the past finally fall into place and lead them into wildly unexpected futures. What they discover will bring shattering consequences that threaten to tear apart far more than just the heart of the tailor’s girl. From the bustling streets of post-Great War London to the idyllic 1920s Sussex countryside, this is a breathtaking story of passion and persistence from a phenomenal Australian storyteller about how true love can overcome incredible odds, even in the most extraordinary circumstances.

How do you thaw the coldest of hearts? Find out in the sexiest romance to hit the shelves this year. When Aidan Flynn walks into Cluny’s Restaurant, he can’t take his eyes off his new flame-haired boss, Annabel Frost. With his heart set on seducing her, Aidan can think of nothing but getting beneath her cold exterior. Known as one of the toughest women in the business, Annabel is impervious to Aidan’s many charms, and his grey-eyed gaze and lilting Irish accent do anything but captivate her. But Aidan knows there’s more to Annabel than meets the eye. And he’s not going to stop until he reveals all…

What dark gastronomic slip does Annabel Crabb have to confess to an unsuspecting guest? How did Mary Anderson change the life of Frank Woodley – despite the fact the two of them have never met? How did a plate of steak teach Missy Higgins a firm lesson about not being too hard on herself? The act of letter writing allows us to slow down and truly connect, with a person, a subject, an idea. At their hugely popular Women of Letters events, Marieke Hardy and Michaela McGuire encourage and allow our best and brightest to lay bare their sins and secrets, loves and loathings, memories and plans. Collected here for the first time, these dispatches from Australia’s favourite people are warm, wonderful and astoundingly honest.

With sales of over 200 million albums, AC/DC is not just the biggest rock band in the world. It’s a family business built by three brothers: George, Malcolm and Angus Young.  And, as with any business, some people prospered while others got hurt along the way.  The Youngs: The Brothers Who Built AC/DC is unlike any AC/DC book you’ve read before. Less a biography, more a critical appreciation, it tells the story of the trio through 11 classic songs and reveals some of the personal and creative secrets that went into their making.  Important figures from AC/DC’s long way to the top open up for the very first time, while unsung heroes behind the band’s success are given the credit they are due.  Accepted accounts of events are challenged while sensational details emerge to cast a whole new light on the band’s history – especially their early years with Atlantic Records.  Former AC/DC members and musicians from bands such as Guns N’ Roses, Dropkick Murphys, Airbourne and Rose Tattoo also give their perspectives on the Youngs’ brand of magic.  Their music has never pulled its punches. Neither does The Youngs.  After 40 years, AC/DC might just have got the serious book it deserves.

Nineteen years after a devastating crime almost killed her, Erica Lawrence has returned home. In the small mountain town of Olinda, her story is legend. And now everyone knows she’s back, including top cop and childhood best friend, Jordan Hill, the first and only person to ever touch her guarded heart. When a woman goes missing and her body is found brutally murdered, fear swallows the town. And suspicion soon turns on Olinda’s newest resident: Erica. As the cop in charge of the murder investigation, Jordan has to face the awful truth that the prime suspect is the woman he always swore to protect. While Jordan and Erica struggle with their feelings for one another, the murders mount up and the tension grows. Not only that, but Erica has a dark secret that she’ll do anything to stop Jordan from finding out… Small Town Storm is a gripping read that captures the intensity and passion of first love and the terror of a town where trust has broken down. This is the unforgettable story of a lifelong romance, and of an innocent childhood tainted by evil that won’t let go.

While you are here…

Enter to WIN A Slight Change of Plan by Dee Ernst (Open Worldwide)

Sign Up for the Eclectic Reader Challenge 2014

Congratulate the winner of  Escape Publishing Australian Romance Bundle giveaway Jennifer SR

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