The It’s Monday! What Are You Reading meme is hosted at BookDate
I’m also linking to The Sunday Post @ Caffeinated Reviewer
And the Sunday Salon @ ReaderBuzz
Life…
Other than attending parent/ teacher night, my week was uneventful. Aleah is in her last year of school and is doing superbly so far (currently placed first in all her classes except one, in which she is second). She hopes to be accepted to study a Bachelor of Science (Forensic Science) at University next year so we are starting to investigate things like scholarships and grants.
I’m thankful we essentially escaped any flooding here, though plenty across the east coast did not. My husband’s family, who all live in north west Sydney, were cut off for a day or two but my niece still made it to hospital and gave birth to a girl she named Skylar, a little sister for Tyson.
(Speaking of feeling old…) The Breakfast Club was released thirty five years ago yesterday. It was my favourite movie through my teen years, and I still think it’s terrific. I watched it again yesterday in celebration (after watching To All the Boys I Loved Before: PS I Still love You).
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What I’ve Read Since I last Posted…
Riptides by Kirsten Alexander
The Light After the War by Anita Abriel
The Great Pretender by Susannah Cahalan
The Lucky One by Lori Radar-Day
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New Posts…
Review: The Last Smile in Sunder City (The Fetch Phillip Archives #1) by Luke Arnold
Review: Riptides by Kirsten Alexander
Review: The Light After the War by Anita Abriel
Review: The Great Pretender by Susannah Cahalan
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What I’m Reading This Week…
The Darkest Shore by Karen Brooks
The independent women of Scotland stand up to a witch hunt, male fury and the power of the Church in a battle for survival in this compelling historical novel based on true events in early eighteenth century Scotland.
1703: The wild east coast of Scotland.
Returning to her home town of Pittenweem, fishwife and widow Sorcha McIntyre knows she faces both censure and mistrust. After all, this is a country where myth and legend are woven into the fabric of the everyday, a time when those who defy custom like Sorcha has are called to account.
It is dangerous to be a clever woman who ‘doesn’t know her place’ in Pittenweem – a town rife with superstition. So, when a young local falls victim to witchcraft, the Reverend Cowper and the townsfolk know who to blame. What follows for Sorcha and her friends is a terrifying battle, not only for their souls, but for their lives, as they are pitted against the villagers’ fear, a malevolent man and the might of the church.
Based on the shocking true story of the witch hunt of Pittenweem, this multi-layered novel is a beautifully written historical tale of the strength of women united against a common foe, by one of Australia’s finest writers.
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The Good Turn by Dervla McTiernan
The unputdownable new novel from the bestselling author of The Ruin and The Scholar. Police corruption, an investigation that ends in tragedy and the mystery of a little girl’s silence – three unconnected events that will prove to be linked by one small town.
While Detective Cormac Reilly faces enemies at work and trouble in his personal life, Garda Peter Fisher is relocated out of Galway with the threat of prosecution hanging over his head. But even that is not as terrible as having to work for his overbearing father, the local copper for the pretty seaside town of Roundstone.
For some, like Anna and her young daughter Tilly, Roundstone is a refuge from trauma. But even this village on the edge of the sea isn’t far enough to escape from the shadows of evil men.
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Truths I Never Told You by Kelly Rimmer
From the bestselling author of The Things We Cannot Say comes a poignant novel about the fault in memories and the lies that can bond a family together—or tear it apart.
With her father recently moved to a care facility for his worsening dementia, Beth Walsh volunteers to clear out the family home and is surprised to discover the door to her childhood playroom padlocked. She’s even more shocked at what’s behind it—a hoarder’s mess of her father’s paintings, mounds of discarded papers and miscellaneous junk in the otherwise fastidiously tidy house.
As she picks through the clutter, she finds a loose journal entry in what appears to be her late mother’s handwriting. Beth and her siblings grew up believing their mother died in a car accident when they were little more than toddlers, but this note suggests something much darker. Beth soon pieces together a disturbing portrait of a woman suffering from postpartum depression and a husband who bears little resemblance to the loving father Beth and her siblings know. With a newborn of her own and struggling with motherhood, Beth finds there may be more tying her and her mother together than she ever suspected.
Exploring the expectations society places on women of every generation, Kelly Rimmer explores the profound struggles two women unwittingly share across the decades set within an engrossing family mystery that may unravel everything they believed to be true
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Two sisters on trial for murder. Both accuse each other.
Who do YOU believe?
Alexandra Avellino has just found her father’s mutilated body, and needs the police right away. She believes her sister killed him, and that she is still in the house with a knife.
Sofia Avellino has just found her father’s mutilated body and needs the police right away. She believes her sister, Alexandra did it, and that she is still in the house, locked in the bathroom.
Both women are to go on trial at the same time. A joint trial in front of one jury.
But one of these women is lying. One of them is a murderer. Sitting in a jail cell, about to go on trial with her sister for murder, you might think that this is the last place she expected to be.
You’d be wrong.
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I’m terribly glad that your family escaped the flooding. Your country has been hit hard this year with all the terrible things. Maybe all of this will not be over for you. You’ve certainly had more than your share of weather troubles.
Congratulations to your daughter for all her hard work.
I am fascinated with the way people evolve and the ways that people present themselves to others over time, and it sounds like Truths I Never Told You deals with some of these ideas. I like the sound of it.
Have a great week!
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So glad you hear that you and yours escaped the flooding – Australia has endured more than its fair share over the past months. And congratulations to Aleah on her shining academic record, you must be so proud. Have a lovely reading week, Shelleyrae:)
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Glad you escaped the flooding! You all in Australia need a break for sure. I’m super excited for Fifty Fifty. I love Steve Cavanagh!
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Wow it’s hard to believe The Breakfast Club was that long ago! It’s always been a favorite of mine. 🙂
Congratulations to your niece and her new baby!!
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Truths I Never Told You looks good…and I am reminded that I still have The Things We Cannot Say, still unread.
I also love The Breakfast Club. Time to watch it again!
Enjoy your week.
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As usual, you’ve got good books lines up for the week. How great that your daughter is doing well; the search for the “right” university is so fun and fraught with tension as well. I hope she has fun searching and looking forward to her future studies.
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So glad to hear you escaped the flooding. I remember The Breakfast Club. I can’t believe how long it’s been since it first came out. I hope you have a great week!
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The Darkest Shore would be good I would think. Although I hate the idea of witch hunts etc. Such a terrible thing. Good you escaped flooding, so bad for so many. I don’t know how they cope really.
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Forensic science sounds like an exciting major. Hope scholarships come through!
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It sounds like your daughter is one smart cookie! Congratulations to her!
I was married when The Breakfast Club came out. I remember renting it (on VHS) and loving it. I don’t think I’ve seen it since then.
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That’s wonderful about your daughter. I hoe everything works out well for her. I love to read about forensic science, but I don’t know if I would want to do it. Not sure, I might. I seem to be interested in everything.
Oh! I want that new Dervla McTiernan but I think it is not yet in the US yet, releasing Intl first. I’ve been listening to the series on audio and I LOVE it. I already asked the audio publisher when it is coming.
Have a wonderful week and enjoy those new reads!
Anne – Books of My Heart Here is my Sunday Post
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The Breakfast Club is one of my all-time faves. I need to see To All the Boys sequel. I just saw that it was released.
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Bad weather is getting harder and harder to avoid. We had flooding and mudslides where I live in the PNW last week (we were fine).
I LOVED The Breakfast Club!! and I think it stands the test of time.
Karen @ For What It’s worth
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I’m glad you escaped the flooding. Australia doesn’t need any more problems. Congratulations to your daughter and niece. I considered studying forensic science, but I’m really bad at math, and they would have made me take math classes. Have a great week!
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Me too 🙂
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The Breakfast Club is one of my favorites! I watched it the other day and my son asked if they were dressed to go trick-or-treating, haha. I had no idea it recently celebrated it’s 35th anniversary! Crazy. Makes me feel old. 😉
Lindsi @ Do You Dog-ear? 💬
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We’re waiting to hear on university acceptances for my son. We should hear in March. Good luck to your daughter! My weekly update
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Hallo, Hallo Shelleyrae,
You were so dearly kind to visit with me tonight, I wanted to return the favour and see what you’ve been up to yourself this past week! I realise mine was more of a recapture of ending 2019 and beginning 2020 – however, moving forward with #TheSundayPost I am going to be breaking it into weekly cycles of what is going on in my life and the life of my blog. So much so, I had to hold back a bit so I could share more news next Sunday! lol
Ooh I spy a book we share in common “The Light After the War” – I haven’t had my copy too long and I am looking forward to reading it. I’ll have to remember to swing back after I do to read your own review! How lovely we both mutually enjoy reading war dramas! Historical Fiction is definitely my jam and I love finding humanistic stories within the war years which aren’t necessary about the battles of war but rather what is going on outside the battlefield itself. Or taking place just before or just after it too.
Now I’m off to see your posts!!
Speaking of things – how are things over there!? I felt overwhelmed when the first reports were ebbing over here about the bushfires – have they lessoned at all? I hadn’t realised you were an Aussie book blogger and that is why I wanted to ask – glad the weather wasn’t causing too many hassles for you this week. Here? I’d love to say I have ideal weather patterns but mine are quite chaotic and unpredictable – some days its lovely and crisp; others you think I was living near a volcano! 😦
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Where I live, we experienced the first wave of bushfires in November/ December. My home was never directly threatened but they came very close. Thanks to torrential rain and flooding which began almost two weeks ago, the fires are finally out, though they are warning once the waters recede, the vegetation will grow back and we will at be risk again since Summer isn’t over.
I do enjoy historical fiction, I’ll be interested to see what you think of The Light After the War.
Thank you for returning the visit.
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Best NEWS I could receive tonight is the update on the fires even though it comes bearing a forewarning for the rest of your Summer.
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Congratulations on the arrival of Skylar!
Several books that you mentioned are on my radar!
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Oh my gosh, a new member of your family in amongst the flooding?! She’s a lucky one, I think! I am currently reading Dervla Mc’s novel. it’s interesting, i got a shock to see Cormac mentioned, even though the focus is Peter.
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Congratulations to Aleah. I’m sure you will be glad to see all her years of hard work rewarded. We did have an enormous amount of rain in Sydney but all seems to have settled now. I’ve had Thruths I Never Told You on my shelf for so long, i’m Looking forward to your review.
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Glad to hear Aleah is doing so well and that you guys escaped any flooding I can’t believe I still haven’t read or watched To All the Boys I Loved Before!
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Congrats on your newest family member!! And wow The Breakfast Club is 35! I love that movie – I watched all the Molly Ringwald movies, even though I was probably more Ally Sheedy in this one. Lol. 🙂
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Australia has had it bad this year with natural disasters. I’m glad you escaped both the fires and floods, but it does all point to the realities of global worming and shifting weather patterns.
Have a great reading week.
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The Breakfast Club’s been out for 35 years!?! Noooooooo! Now I feel old too, Shelleyrae. 😉 I love that film too.
x
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Glad you didn’t get the flooding.
I loved the Breakfast Club back when, but I’m not sure if I’d still enjoy it now.
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Wow, I can’t imagine how stressful it must have been to give birth in such a situation. I hope your family is doing ok!
I love The Breakfast Club! It’s almost 10 years older than I am but to me it’s a must watch teen classic.
Have a wonderful week!
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That’s great that your daughter is doing so well in her classes. Forensic science has always fascinated me so I love that she wants to go into that field.
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Forensic Science sounds like a good study choice to me. I’m glad you didn’t have flooding.
I really like the cover of The Darkest Shore and it sounds good too.
I hope you had a good week and enjoyed your reading!
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I am glad that you didn´t have to cope with the flooding. During the last few days, I always had a bad feeling when I turned on the news. First, your country was on fire now the severe flooding. When will this end? Stay safe and congrats to the new baby in your family.
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There’s floods there now? Argh. Yeah the Breakfast Club — a teen classic, funny. 35 years? … now I do feel old. Enjoy your books!
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