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Showing posts from 2017

Friday Meets 15 December 2017

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How many Fridays do we have left? Before Christmas? After Christmas? I am seriously suffering from a bit of Scrooge syndrome the past couple of weeks. In more ways than one. Some good, some bad. But I do believe it is Friday and that means we can talk books. I can still do that.  Meet me on Friday @  Friday 56  for a bit of  Book Blogger Hop   to kick-start the weekend with  Book Beginnings . 

Top Ten Favorite Books for 2017

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The year is just about at an end and not to sound like Scrooge, but b ah humbug to that. Not that I am ungrateful, in fact I am extremely grateful to join  The Broke and the Bookish once again for Top Ten Tuesday and that I managed to read more than 10 books this year so that I can at least make a selection of my Ten Favorite Books for 2017.  As with most books, my selection is strictly based on personal experiences. None of my favorites for 2017 are actually published in 2017. In fact I have two books on my list that were published in the previous century! But that is the wonder of books and the magic of reading. It is always in the present tense the moment you open the book.  I don't really have an ascending order from most favorite to least favorite list for this year. Each of the books listed meant something to me through a really tough year. Let's have a quick look at the books that made my list: 

Queen of Spades by Michael Shou-Yung Shum

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Title: Queen of Spades Author: Michael Shou-Yung Shum Published by:  Forest Avenue Press Publication date:  10 October 2017  Genre:  General Fiction, Suspense ISBN:  19424363319 Mareli's rating:  3.5 stars Recommend to:  If you have a gambling problem - stay clear. This book reveals the 'magic' of a casino and the luck of the card.  Description:  Queen of Spades  revamps the classic Pushkin fable of the same name, transplanted to a mysterious Seattle-area casino populated by a pit boss with six months to live, a dealer obsessing over the mysterious methods of an elderly customer known as the Countess, and a recovering gambler who finds herself trapped in a cultish twelve-step program. With a breathtaking climax that rivals the best Hong Kong gambling movies, Michael Shou-Yung Shum’s debut novel delivers the thrilling highs and lows that come when we cede control of our futures to the roll of the dice and the turn of a card.  Forest Avenue Press "We can never know a

The Girl in the Ice by Robert Bryndza

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Title: The Girl in the Ice Author:  Robert Bryndza Published by: Bookouture Publication date: February 2016 Read:  August 24 - 27, 2017 Genre: Mystery; Thriller Pages:  396 (kindle edition) Series: Detective Erika Foster #1 Mareli's rating:  2.5  stars Recommend to: Readers of fast paced thrillers. Or if you watch crime series with female detectives, you might like this one as well. Description:  When a young boy discovers the body of a woman beneath a thick sheet of ice in a South London park, Detective Erika Foster is called in to lead the murder investigation.   The victim, a beautiful young socialite, appeared to have the perfect life. Yet when Erika begins to dig deeper, she starts to connect the dots between the murder and the killings of three prostitutes, all found strangled, hands bound and dumped in water around London.   What dark secrets is the girl in the ice hiding?   As Erika inches closer to uncovering the truth, the killer is closing in on Erika.   The last investi

Where the sweet bird sings by Ella Joy Olsen

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Title: Where the sweet bird sings Author:  Ella Joy Olsen Published by: Kensington Books Publication date: 29 August 2017  Genre: General Fiction ISBN:   9781496705648 Mareli's rating: 3 stars Recommend to: Lovers of adult fiction that deals with loss and grief Description:  People respond to tragedy in different ways. Some try to move on. Some don’t move at all. A year after her young son’s death due to a rare genetic disease, Emma Hazelton is still frozen by grief, unable and unwilling to consider her husband Noah’s suggestion that they try to have another child. As the future Emma once imagined crumbles, her family’s past comes into sharp relief. Searching for the roots of her son’s disease, Emma tries to fit together the pieces in her genealogical puzzle. Hidden within an old wedding photograph of her great-grandparents is an unusual truth Emma never guessed at—a window into all the ways that love can be surprising, generous, and fiercely brave . . . and a discovery th

The Memory of Water by J.T. Lawrence

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Title: The Memory of Water Author:  J.T. Lawrence Format: Audiobook (Audible) Read/listened:  August 4 - 9, 2017 Genre:  Thriller; Black Humor (is that a genre, or just preferred reading?) Mareli's rating: 3.5  Stars (loved the story, didn't care for the narration much) Recommend to:  If you find Jay Gatsby an intriguing character, you will have a field-day with Slade Harris Description:  Slade Harris will do anything for a story, including murdering the woman he loves.   Slade doesn’t think twice about jumping out of a plane or conducting disastrous love affairs to gather material for his work, but his self-indulgent life is catching up with him. Stumbling through his late thirties hopeless and a little drunk, Slade has a dazzling, dangerous idea which will change his life forever. It’s going to be Slade’s ultimate story ... and all he’s hoping for is to survive it.   Goodreads

Thursday Quotables #7 - A Monster Calls

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An opening line like that has the same effect on me as: " You had me at hello".....   A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness  is one of those Russian-doll books.  A gift within a gift that leads to yet another gift. So I just have to share it on  Thursday Quotables  hosted by  Bookshelf Fantasies . This weekly feature is the place to highlight a great quote, line, or passage during your past reading week. Whether it's something funny, startling, gut-wrenching or just  really  written beautifully - this is where you must share! Just remember to link back to  bookshelffantasies.com  

Monday Shout Out - I don't need therapy, I need books

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It's the second week of August already. My goodness.... How did we get here without therapy? Actually, I didn't. But it doesn't help all that much. Or at least not as much as a good book does.  This past week I've had two books that were better for my soul and state of mind than any therapist could possibly be. I might go as far as saying it was better than chocolate. At least one was better than chocolate.  So is life any better? No. But at least books don't fail me anymore. Yes, the sun does shine a bit brighter on my book pages this morning. So let's get reading for this week!

Friday Meets 4 August 2017

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Greetings from a rather dreary Jeffreysbay and an even drearier me. Thank heavens for a couple of good books awaiting my utmost attention. Kindle, audio, physical and coloring books.  Meet me on Friday @  Friday 56  for a bit of  Book Blogger Hop   to kick-start the weekend with  Book Beginnings .

Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult

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Title: Leaving Time Author: Jodi Picoult Published: November 2014 Read: 02 August 2017 My Rating: 5 Stars and listed as a favorite Goodreads Blurb:  Number One bestselling author Jodi Picoult returns with her compulsive new novel - about the lengths we go to for those who have left us behind; about the staying power of love; and about how three broken souls might have just the right pieces to mend each other. Jenna Metcalf was with her mother the night she disappeared in tragic and mysterious circumstances, but she remembers nothing. Over ten years have passed, and still Jenna reads and rereads her mother's journals, hoping to find some clue hidden there, in the meticulous recording of her scientific research with elephants. Desperate for answers, Jenna uses all her savings to recruit the aid of a private detective - and a psychic. Jenna knows her mother loved her. She knows she would not leave her. And she will not rest until she finds out what happened that night. In her mo

Into the Water by Paula Hawkins

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Into the Water by Paula Hawkins My rating: 3 of 5 stars A single mother turns up dead at the bottom of the river that runs through town. Earlier in the summer, a vulnerable teenage girl met the same fate. They are not the first women lost to these dark waters, but their deaths disturb the river and its history, dredging up secrets long submerged. Left behind is a lonely fifteen-year-old girl. Parentless and friendless, she now finds herself in the care of her mother's sister, a fearful stranger who has been dragged back to the place she deliberately ran from—a place to which she vowed she'd never return. With the same propulsive writing and acute understanding of human instincts that captivated millions of readers around the world in her explosive debut thriller, The Girl on the Train, Paula Hawkins delivers an urgent, twisting, deeply satisfying read that hinges on the deceptiveness of emotion and memory, as well as the devastating ways that the past can reach a long arm int

The intended "It's Monday! What are you reading? #9

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And so the last of my friends visiting over the winter holidays packed up and left yesterday. It's just me and the books once again. Or that is the intention. But we all know about good intentions, don't we?

It's Monday! What are you reading? #8

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  Greetings! It's winter holidays in South Africa and I've had the two most marvelous weeks with two of my bestest friends in all the world. Sorry for the absence from the blogosphere, but my presence was on the beach spending time with near and dear ones and feeding my soul.  I did manage to get a bit of reading done and hope that I will be able to spend the next couple of days with my nose stuck in a book. The weather sure doesn't permit one to do much else. Bit cold here you know..... 

Library Card July 2017

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Greetings! No, there is no need to double check. Yes, it is July and not June and I did not fill in my library card for June. And yes, the world is still turning. * Wipe brow* I've actually managed to read quite a few books lately. Even without my faithful Library Card. Recently Finished: *Book covers link to my own sensible or senseless thoughts*     Note: "Misverstand" is an Afrikaans title and my review is also in Afrikaans. Should you wish to read the book or find out more about it, it is available in English -  You Lost Me

My Cousin Rachel by Daphne du Maurier

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Title: My Cousin Rachel Author:  Daphne du Maurier Published by: Victor Gollancz Ltd Publication date: 1951  Read:  June 24 - June 28 2017 Genre: Mystery Thriller; Classic Pages:  351 Mareli's rating: 5 stars Recommend to: If you can read, you have to read Daphne du Maurier's books. They don't come like this anymore. Description:  Orphaned at an early age, Philip Ashley is raised by his benevolent older cousin, Ambrose. Resolutely single, Ambrose delights in Philip as his heir, a man who will love his grand home as much as he does himself. But the cosy world the two construct is shattered when Ambrose sets off on a trip to Florence. There he falls in love and marries - and there he dies suddenly.  Jealous of his marriage, racked by suspicion at the hints in Ambrose's letters, and grief-stricken by his death, Philip prepares to meet his cousin's widow with hatred in his heart.Despite himself, Philip is drawn to this beautiful, sophisticated, mysterious R

Plaasmoord deur Karin Brynard

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Titel: Plaasmoord Skrywer: Karin Brynard Uitgewer:  Human & Rousseau Eerste druk: 2009 Bladsye: 510 (sagteband) My gradering: 4 Sterre Genre: Moord en doodslag, geskiedenis, speur Aanbeveel aan: Afrikaanse misdaad en speurverhaal liefhebbers ( soos Deon Meyer? Ja!) Kort opsomming:  Plaasmoorde het nooit juis vastrapplek gekry in die ylbevolkte Noord-Kaap nie - maar dan word die drie en dertigjarige opkomende skilder Freddie Swarts en haar aangenome dogter aaklig vermoor Speurder-inspekteur Albertus Beeslaar moet die moord oplos., maar kort voor lank word hy en die vermoorde se suster, Saar ingetrek by bisarre gebeure soos die moord op 'n bobbelaan, 'n veediefstal-sindikaat en 'n groep omgekrapte boere wat sake in hul eie hande wil neem.  Goodreads

Friday Meets - 23 June 2017

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Greetings! While most of my fellow bloggers are enjoying the summer and sunshine, some of us here in the Southern hemisphere are freezing. No, we do not go to the gym. We read. The brain needs exercise too. 

Top Ten Tuesday - Serious Series I need to read Seriously

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It's Tuesday and time to get serious about reading series' with Top Ten Tuesday. Seriously, you need to start reading that series you've been putting off ever since Eskom first introduced load shedding.  Personally, I don't read that many series. The problem with a series is you need to read them ALL, for if you take one out, none of the other bulbs will light up and you will be sitting in the dark.  But I still have the following series' on my TBR list and I haven't started with any of these. Not one book or even book one from anyone. 

It's Monday! What are you reading? #7

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The problem with Mondays.... Endless. I was actually looking forward to Monday, but then BAM - it just smacks you in the face with all its demands and oh-here's-another-problem at 08:00 on a Monday morning. But I don't hate Monday. I honestly don't. At least not the part where we can talk about books.  We took a mini-break last week and I spend it reading. The whole time. Came to the conclusion that reading really does solve everything and it's the best therapy. Monday should try reading. We as readers and bloggers should unite and force the world to spend Mondays reading. It will solve an endless amount of world problems. So nice to still believe in unicorns and the tooth fairy. Don't you think?

The Serial Killer's Daughter by Lesley Welsh

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Title:  The Serial Killer's Daughter Author: Lesley Welsh Published by:  Bookouture Publication date:  14 June 2017  Read:  June 5 - June 10 2017 Genre:  Thriller Pages:  343 ISBN:   9781786811929 Mareli's rating:  4 stars Recommend to:  PSYCHO (Some new killing tips and how to lie about it here) Description:  Suzanne’s life changes forever the day she receives a visit from Rose Anderson, the woman who has been living with her estranged father, Don.  Don is dead, but Rose wants Suzanne to have his possessions – including a series of intimate diaries and a mysterious collection of photographs of women.  To Suzanne’s shock, one of the photos is of her friend Sophie, whose death ten years before in an unexplained and devastating fire broke Suzanne’s heart.  But Don only met Sophie once, on an unsettling visit he paid Suzanne just days before Sophie’s death… So why did he have a picture of her?  Unable to let Sophie’s memory alone, Suzanne begins to dig into her father’s

Big Little Lies on BTT and Thursday Quotables

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Greetings! Iv'e been a bit lazy with the weekly features the past couple of weeks. But  at least I can honestly say I've spend that time reading. Mostly. Okay, about half of that time. Let's make it a third and call it quits.  Seeing that it's a freebie day on  Book Traveling Thursdays , I can wallow in my laziness and just combine this week's BTT with Thursday Quotables hosted by  Bookshelf Fantasies .

How We Found You by J.T. Lawrence

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Title: How We Found You Author:  J.T. Lawrence Series: When tomorrow calls (Book 2) Publication date: 18 May 2017 (Today!!! Launch day is TODAY!!) Read:  May 11 - 18, 2015 Genre:  Thriller; Science Fiction (Futuristic) Mareli's rating:  4 Stars Recommend to: Have you read Why you were taken?  Description:  There’s something different about Kate’s four-year-old son. He wasn’t created the old fashioned way. Now a violent cult wants him dead and Kate will do anything to protect him – until they take her daughter. In tomorrow’s world, Kate is haunted by a brutal past. Struggling to navigate a life that seems like an experiment in virtual reality, her paranoia threatens to consume her. But when someone tries to kidnap Mally, she realizes she was absolutely right to be afraid. With only hours to go before the cult's prophecy is to be fulfilled, Kate and Seth face more danger than they’ve ever imagined, desperate to keep him safe. However, the charismatic leader of the cult has oth

TTT: "Bring me her heart!" said every Stepmom in history

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Ever since The Evil Queen uttered those damning words, we have all been terrified of Stepmoms. I for one, was much more afraid of The Evil Queen than I was of the Devil in the Children's Bible. No jokes.  I didn't get to celebrate Mother's Day on Sunday. But I do have a number of wonderful friends who all got to spend the day with their children. Some of those friends are stepmoms or a stepmom-to-be real soon. When I saw today's theme for  Top Ten Tuesday  (Mother's Day Related), I immediately thought of my dearest stepmom friends. Are they  all evil? I honestly don't think so.  But yes, I do believe their only request is: "Bring me her/his heart!" . Maybe just not literally all the time. Sometimes they really just want to capture their stepchildren's hearts.Thankfully Literature, the wisest of all, agrees with me. Let's have a look at a few notable Stepmoms in literature:

Friday Meets - 12 May 2017

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My goodness - it's Friday again.  Time sure flies lately, but are we having fun? As long as there's a book lying on your bedside table and a kindle in your bag, of course we are! Meet me on Friday @  Friday 56  for a bit of  Book Blogger Hop   to kick-start the weekend with  Book Beginnings .

Misverstand deur Marita van der Vyver

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Titel: Misverstand Skrywer:  Marita van der Vyver Uitgewer: Penguin Random House SA Publikasie datum:  Maart 2017 Bladsye:  270 (sagteband) My gradering:  2 Sterre Beveel aan vir lesers van: Marita van der Vyver (dis nie 'n genre  nie, ek weet, maar dit is 'n onmisbare stem).  As jy worstel met die vraag,  Wroeg jy met jou middelmatigheid?  Kort opsomming:  Willem Prins bewandel die strate van Parys. Eens was hy op koers om ’n gerekende skrywer in Suid-Afrika te word, maar na jare se probeer wink die koue water van die Seine – miskien sal sy verdrinking sy boekverkope bietjie opstoot, dink ’n swartgallige Willem. Tot sy skaamte is dit die erotika wat hy onder ’n skuilnaam skryf wat hom na Frankryk gebring het. Terug na die stad waar een van sy drie eksvroue saam met sy oudste seun woon, ’n jong man wat sy pa skaars ken. Vir Willem is Parys nie juis die stad van liefde nie, maar dit is hier waar hy vir Jackie ontmoet, ’n jong Suid-Afrikaner wat as au pair werk. Dit is ook sy wa

Why you were taken by J.T. Lawrence

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Title:  Why You Were Taken Author: J.T. Lawrence Published by:  Pulp Books Publication date:  29 March 2015 Read:  April 25 - April 30, 2015 Genre:  Thriller; Science Fiction (Futuristic) Pages:  358 ISBN:   9780620655583 Mareli's rating: 3.5 stars Recommend to:  Sci-fi junkies who love the thrill of something "different". J.T. Lawrence's fan-club (this woman can write!) Description:  In tomorrow's world prowls a creative and ruthlessly efficient assassin who won't stop until Kirsten is killed. A troubled woman approaches Kirsten with a warning and a key and is later found dead. Was the woman just another victim of the Suicide Contagion or is there something more sinister at play? The key leads Kirsten to the Doomsday Vault and a hit list of seven people - and her barcode is on it. Edgy and original, Why You Were Taken is a dark cinematic thriller that will keep you guessing till the last page. Goodreads   Nah, that blurb just doesn't do enough

Library Card May 2017

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Greetings! Another month has passed and it's been a rather hectic time at the new house. Renovations and alterations and gardening and all those housy thingies that keep you from reading and blogging. So when the looong weekend in SA finally arrived on Thursday, I was all excited to just relax and take it easy.  I actually had a number of posts planned and all the books from  April's Library Card  lined up for completion. Alas.... Maybe this house is haunted. It keeps beckoning to me. It keeps pulling me away from the books.....   Nah. Or at least I don't think so. I love my new house. Nothing weird here. Or scary.  I'm just making excuses for not completing my Library List. But let's have a quick look at what I did finish in April:

Question Marks and Full Stops with Kim Dinan

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Greetings! A couple of weeks ago, I've shared some inky feelings on the  Yellow Envelope by Kim Dinan . This was one of those I-wish-I-had-genie books. " I wish, I wish I could travel to far-off places, to the great, big out-there". Imagine if you also have a yellow envelope in your pocket with just 3 rules:  Rule #1: Don’t over think it Rule # 2: Share your experiences Rule # 3: Don’t feel pressured to give it all away Now wouldn't that make for a great travel memoir? Throw in some great writing, a few humorous situations and some food-for-thought ( quotes from the Yellow Envelope ) and it's a done deal.  Needless to say, when Sourcebooks  gave me the opportunity to do a Q&A with Kim Dinan, I immediately had a few things I wanted to ask Kim. But I had to think about it. What do I really want to know? Not that much interested in the weather or the food, but the experiences  she will carry with her forever and a day:

Friday Meets - 21 April 2017

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Greetings! It is a beautiful day in my hometown. The sun is shining and it's just a bright bright sunshiny day! So let's talk books for the weekend. Meet me on Friday @  Friday 56  for a bit of  Book Blogger Hop   to kick-start the weekend with  Book Beginnings .

Don't Tell Anyone by Eleanor Gray

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Title: Don't Tell Anyone Author:  Eleanor Gray Published by: Midnight Ink Publication date: 08 December 2016  Read: April 16 - April 18 2017 Genre: Mystery; General Fiction; Family Drama Pages:  384 ISBN:   9780738750224 Mareli's rating:  4 stars Recommend to: Lovers of Whodunnit  Description:  Nearly lost in a fog of grief over the fatal stabbing of her daughter, art historian Grace Neville feels only sorrow as Jordan Dukes is found guilty of murder. Days after the sentencing, Grace receives a visit from Jordan’s father, who claims that his son is innocent and a grave miscarriage of justice has taken place. Jordan’s history of gang-related violence and the fact that he doesn’t have an alibi make his father’s plea hard to believe. But then why does somebody break into Grace’s home and go through her daughter’s belongings?  In  Don’t Tell Anyone , Eleanor Gray explores the relationship between a mother and a daughter, and the secrets that drive Grace to seek the truth

The Sunday Headlines #4

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Greetings! It's Easter Sunday and time for another edition of  The Sunday Headlines  where we bring you an update of the past week and give you a forecast of the upcoming week. As always, this post links up with  The Sunday Post  hosted by  Caffeinated Book Reviewer  and  It's Monday! What are you reading?  hosted by  Book Date . Remember to give these lovely ladies a visit and add your linky! It's been dreadfully cold and raining (hallelujah!) over the weekend, so yes - I would much rather spend my afternoon curled up with a book. But I've already skipped Friday Meets and my strict Dutch Reformed background will not permit my conscience to skip another weekly feature. So let's see how short and sweet this can be!

Book Travelling Thursdays #4 - The saga of Smelly Cat Part 2

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Greetings! Welcome to another edition of Book Travelling Thursdays, hosted by the    Goodreads   group. Should you wish to participate, just follow the instructions at the end of this post.  Earlier this week, I told you about the newest edition to my household. My very own Smelly Cat!  Cover Characteristics - Perfume . Seeing that today's theme for Book Travelling Thursdays is your favorite pet, I've decided to honor my little kitten by featuring  Jennie by Paul Gallico . 

Jane Steele - Reader, I didn't care for it much

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Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye My rating: 2 of 5 stars This book is a very good example of a bad habit. The habit of assumption. One assumes that a book is going to be great for oh so many reasons: 1.Everyone is raving mad about it (Sometimes Everyone is just raving mad) 2. That blurb. I mean really. Of course Everyone is going to go raving mad about it. What's NOT to like about - "A Gothic retelling of Jane Eyre. Like the heroine of the novel she adores, Jane Steele suffers cruelly at the hands of her aunt and schoolmaster. And like Jane Eyre, they call her wicked - but in her case, she fears the accusation is true. When she flees, she leaves behind the corpses of her tormentors. A fugitive navigating London's underbelly, Jane rights wrongs on behalf of the have-nots whilst avoiding the noose. Until an advertisement catches her eye. Her aunt has died and the new master at Highgate House, Mr Thornfield, seeks a governess. Anxious to know if she is Highgate's true heir,

Top Ten most Unique Characters

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Welcome to another edition of Top Ten Tuesday! Today's topic is Top Ten most unique books we've read . Browsing through my reading lists, I've realized that apparently  I have quite a fondness for unique books. (Most probably because I am such a unique creature myself) And then it hit me! Instead of making a list of the most unique books I've read, what about a list of the most unique characters I've encountered in literature? You know, those characters without an equal, the one of a kind. Those characters who just can't be copied. Yes, there are 100's of them floating out there, but these were my Top Ten Favorites:

Cover Characteristics - Perfume

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Cover Characteristics is a weekly meme hosted by  Sugar and Snark . Every week they give us these gorgeous themes and then you have to pick 5   covers featuring that theme. If you want to participate:  Pick your covers  Post it to your blog Share your post's URL in the linky provided by Sugar and Snark Go and check out the other guys who also posted!  Greetings! We've picked up a tiny, tiny, tiny little kitten in the neighbor's garden a couple of weeks ago. I took him to the vet this morning and she doesn't think he is much older than 6 weeks (I know - aaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh ). My husband calls him "Stinkie". That roughly translates to Smelly Cat. Yea! I've got my own Smelly Cat. So today's Cover Characteristics will be dedicated to my brand new Smelly Cat. We'll get you some Perfume my boy. 

The Sunday Headlines #3

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Greetings! Welcome to another edition of The Sunday Headlines where we bring you an update of the past week and give you a forecast of the upcoming week. As always, this post links up with The Sunday Post hosted by  Caffeinated Book Reviewer  and It's Monday! What are you reading? hosted by  Book Date . Remember to give these lovely ladies a visit and add your linky! Thalked about this week

Friday Meets - 07 April 2017

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Greetings! No, I'm not here to talk politics today. I'm just here for the books and free coffee and cake. But I simply had to share this joke. Should you by any chance be interested, you are welcome to read more about the Friday March against Zuma @  News24 . Let's talk books!  Meet me on Friday @  Friday 56  for a bit of  Book Blogger Hop   to kick-start the weekend with  Book Beginnings .

Thursday Quotables #6 - The Signature of All Things

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Since its release date in 2013,  The Signature of all things by Elizabeth Gilbert  has been on my TBR list. I remember the day I bought it at a book sale last year. I. was. just. soooo. happy!!!!!!! But I didn't immediately start reading it. I first had to pack it up and unpack it again and a whole lot of other things happened as well. And somewhere along the line, the excitement was left behind. Finally started reading it yesterday afternoon and  hooray! - it all came floating back. I just love it!  I can already relate with so many aspects in this story. Especially Alma's mother and her very strict Dutch and Dutch Reformed Church background. I come from a very similar background and find the following roll-on-the-floor-hysterically funny. Just DON'T let anybody see you..... 

How to dismally fail at Book Blogging

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Exactly one year ago, I've decided to follow my husband's advice and start my own book blog. I guess that means I should  have had at least 300 or so posts on my blog. Right? Uhhhhmmmm, nope. My blog is like my marriage - absence makes the heart grow fonder. If I see my husband for 7 consecutive days, it's normally a holiday. You also don't very often see me posting for 7 consecutive days. It's not quite the same? Oh, okay. Will really try my best to do better in the next year. But it truly is a good recipe for my marriage....  After a year of sailing around the Blogosphere, I've learned a number of things. Mostly I've learned that you really, really need to be ridiculously bad at blogging to fail Book Blogging 101. So instead of a anniversary post, I've decided to share all the knowledge I've gathered during the past year on How to dismally fail at Book Blogging.  

Library Card - April 2017

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My very first post on this blog was my  April 2016 Library Card . Yes, exactly one year ago. Nope, this is not a celebration post. It's just a reflection of what can happen in a year's time. It's not always good. There isn't always growth. Sometimes you get stuck, or even worse - deteriorate. That's when you need to re-trace your steps.