My personal “Book of the Month,” this novel by blogger friend, Teagan, is set in Atonement, Tennessee, a “quaint” town full of interesting characters. When Esmerelda Lawton, “Ralda” to her friends, suffers from “big city blues,” she finds an old foreclosed-upon mansion in Atonement at a price too good to be true. And when something is too good to be true…well, you know the rest of the saying. She buys the house sight-unseen, and only when she arrives in town does she discover the old mansion comes complete with an ancient cemetery.
Gwydion, the local florist from Fae’s Flowers, and conveniently a handyman, is the first to visit. Cael, the foreign-accented, dark, and very handsome neighbor, who hangs around the cemetery, rounds out the love interests in this tiny town .
The story is a mix of urban fantasy and Celtic mythology, emanating a “feeling” of mystery and paranormal romance. The book ends with a cliffhanger that definitely requires a sequel, for which I can hardly wait.
Ok, so I cheated a bit and bought this for my Kindle. It was soooo much cheaper, and I intend to buy a real paperback later today, but I wanted to get the day off to a good start.
I didn’t read a whole book today, I finished one. I chose this book from the Alvin library because Carla of Carla Loves to Read put me on to this great, new-to-me author, thus finishing the challenge of 20 in 20–books recommended by blogging friends. It also fits in with my “Celebrating Color” challenge as my yellow book.
This 2017 novel by Katherine Reay is for all Austin fans and anyone who loves a good, clean love story. Mary Davis, the main character, an engineer at a company she helped start, is contacted by Isobel an estranged childhood friend. Isobel offers a free two week stay in a gorgeous manor house in England. Mary, at the urging of her father, agrees although she doesn’t know why because Isobel and she have little in common any more. While in England, Isobel has an episode where she believes she is actually in Austin’s England, not just dressing in costume and pretending to live in the time. The “costume-clad guests” at the manor house are appreciative of her knowledge of Austin, and she entertains them with specifics as the Lit major that she is. During this time, “hard truths about the women’s pasts” come out, and Nathan, “the man who stands between them” joins them in England, as this fantasy themed vacation takes on a series of misunderstandings that almost wreak havoc in the women’s already troubled friendship.
This is a great story and a great read. I finished it today on National Read a Book Day, September 6, 2020.
Home remedy…
If you’ve eaten a bad goat, a good long drink of seawater should fix your problems.
Castellan the Black, mighty dragon warrior, features in my short story Picky Eaters, written to provide a humorous escape from all the stuff that isn’t happening on Wyvern Peak… All proceeds for the duration of its publishing life are donated to mental health charities.
Today’s recommendations are books I have read recently. One I read as a Cybil’s first round reader, but had checked it out from the library, both I found at the Clearance section of Half Price Books.
All Shook Up comes with the premise of, What would you do if when sent for a long-term visit to your Dad in another state, you found he’d been earning a living as an Elvis Impersonator? That’s the exact situation Josh finds himself in, and what’s worse, his dad is taking a “gig” at Josh’s new school! Such events call for extreme measures, and Josh takes them. The secondary characters, besides Josh and his Dad are as delightful as typical teen Josh and his befuddled and befuddling dad. It will have you laughing out loud as you experience Josh’s teenage angst and his dad’s clumsy attempts to reconnect with his son.
The Year of the Book explores the year and the world of Anna, an Asian-American fourth-grader, who finds it easier to make friends with books than girls her own age. A surprise ending is the final treat in a multi-dimensional novel dealing with friendship, finding oneself, and learning to appreciate family and others.
September is Library Card Sign Up Month, Be Kind to Editors and Writers Month, Literacy Month, Read a New Book Month and probably some-things- month I do not know of.
September 6th is Read a Book Day
September 7th is BUY a Book Day, bad planning here, probably should be reversed. LOL
September 8th is International Literacy Day.
And, September 21-27 is Science Literacy Week in Canada.
September 22 iis Hobbit Day.
September 22 is Dear Diary Day
September 25 is National Comic Book Day
September 27-October 2 is Banned Book Week
There are plenty of reasons and bookish causes to celebrate this month. Please tell me which days/weeks you will be celebrating and how you intend to do it.
Back in January, I challenged myself to read twenty books recommended by blogger friends by the end of 2020. Here we are at 8/4/2020, and I have achieved my goal!
Here are the twenty books I’ve read:
Recommended by Deb Nance of Readerbuzz: The Church of Small Things by Melanie Shankle (This also allowed me to read non-fiction, something formerly not read by me, but something I’m trying to read more of. Debbie was the one who introduced me to the joy of reading non-fiction through our book club.)/Song of the Jade Lily by Kirsty Manning (She gave me a copy)/and Bookworm, a memoir she also gave me.
Recommended by my grandson, Dr. Andrew Joseph Pegoda:
Dr. Andrew’s blog, Without Ritual, Autonomous Negotiations qualifies his recommendations for this challenge. He recommended: Trauma Stewardship: Self Care by Van Dermot and Burke, again non-fiction/The Sweetest Fruits by Truong, a novel based on fact/and Americanah by Aldichie/Small Teaching Online, which has been the best source for learning to do just that.
Ritu Bhathal of But I Smile Anyway recommended I read her book, Marriage Unarranged.
Carla of Carla Reads reads many, many books and tends to like those I like also. Here are the ones I read after reading her comments or reviews on them: City of Girls by Gilbert/Good Luck with That by Kristan Higgins, a new author to me/ several books by the new-to-me author, Kathleen Reay including Dear Mr. Knightly and The Austin Escape.
From long-time blogging friend, Sarah Higbee of Brainfluff, I read her book, Picky Eaters (I had read her Sunblind series earlier and love her books.) as well as a book she edited for Sally Wagle, Miracle in Slow Motion.
I bought, read and continue to use Bridget Whelan’s Back to Creative Writing School
I also “steal” and reblog many of Whelan’s outstanding quotes.
Tegan Riordain Geneviene’s book,Atonement Tennessee was one I read about on her blog and then purchased.
Katia of Bookish Fame helped with my desire to read more poetry. She recommended Jasmin Kaur’s When You Ask Me Where I’m Going, which I read and passed on to a young poet as an example of what was possible to do with her own poems.
From blogs I’ve lost track of I read City of Dark Magic by the pen-named Magnus Flyte and liked it so much I bought the sequel. I also read Jan Sikes’ Brazos Wind which my husband read and liked as well.
There you have it–at least twenty books–challenge accomplished!
powerfulwomenreaders 