So Many Books, So Little Time

The Tides Between by Elizabeth Jane Corbett Publication Date: October 20, 2017 Odyssey Books Paperback; 300 Pages Genre: Fiction/Young Adult/Historical She fancied herself part of a timeless chain without beginning or end, linked only by the silver strong words of its tellers. In the year 1841, on the eve of her departure from London, Bride's mother demands she forget her dead father and prepare for a sensible, adult life in Port Phillip. Desperate to save her childhood, fifteen-year-old Bridie is determined to smuggle a notebook filled with her father's fairytales to the far side of the world. When Rhys Bevan, a soft-voiced young storyteller and fellow traveller realises Bridie is hiding something, a magical friendship is born. But Rhys has his own secrets and the words written in Bridie’s notebook carry a dark double meaning. As they inch towards their destination, Rhys's past returns to haunt him. Bridie grapples with the implications of her dad’s final message. The pa

A Sea of Sorrow: A Novel of Odysseus by David Blixt, Amalia Carosella, Libbie Hawker, Scott Oden, Vicky Alvear Shecter, and Russell Whitfield Publication Date: October 17, 2017 Knight Media, LLC eBook & Paperback; 524 Pages Genre: Historical Fiction Odysseus, infamous trickster of Troy, vaunted hero of the Greeks, left behind a wake of chaos and despair during his decade long journey home to Ithaca. Lovers and enemies, witches and monsters--no one who tangled with Odysseus emerged unscathed. Some prayed for his return, others, for his destruction. These are their stories… A beleaguered queen’s gambit for maintaining power unravels as a son plots vengeance. A tormented siren battles a goddess’s curse and the forces of nature to survive. An exiled sorceress defies a lustful captain and his greedy crew. A blinded shepherd swears revenge on the pirate-king who mutilated him. A beautiful empress binds a shipwrecked sailor to servitude, only to wonder who is servi

Synopsis: The Murderer’s Maid interweaves the stories of two women: one, the servant of infamous Lizzie Borden, and the other a modern-day barista fleeing from an attempt on her life. Trapped by servitude and afraid for her own safety, Irish maid Bridget finds herself an unwilling witness to the tensions in the volatile Borden household. As Lizzie seethes with resentment, Bridget tries to perform her duties and keep her mouth shut. Unknowingly connected to the legendary crime of a century ago, Brooke, the illegitimate daughter of an immigrant maid, struggles to conceal her identity and stay a jump ahead of the men who want to kill her. When she unexpectedly falls in love with Anthony, a local attorney, she has to decide whether to stop running and begin her life anew. With historical detail and taut, modern storytelling, Erika Mailman writes a captivating novel about identity, choices, freedom, and murder. She offers readers a fresh perspective on the notorio

It's Monday again and I'm linking up with Mailbox Monday today. It's a very busy Monday for me as it's time for university students to start enrolling.  My job is to help them pick the right classes so things will be hectic for the next few weeks. My reading is slow.  I'm slogging through a review book right and I'm hoping I can just get it done this week and move on.  I hate not finishing books so I'm trying to put in the effort to get through it. I got a few fun books from the library this week.  I can't wait to dive in. Saving Sophie by Ronald Balson This is the only book of his I haven't read yet and I'm really looking forward to it. The Christmas Shoes by Donna VanLiere This song irritates me so much but I really enjoy this author's books so I thought I would check this one out. Merry and Bright by Debbie Macomber Her Christmas books are the best! Christmas on Candy Cane Lane by Sheil

I know I'm late to the party with my September wrap up but I wanted to post it anyway.   September was a better reading month for me and we took a bookish family trip!  My family and I met my mom in Mansfield, Missouri and went to the Laura Ingalls Wilder museum and Wilder Days event.  It was so neat!   We got to tour the farm house at Rocky Ridge farm, the Rock House that Laura's daughter Rose had built and the museum.  There was a lot to see and I was so glad we went.  I wouldn't mind going back when it's less busy so I can get a better look at some things.  I absolutely loved the Rock House!  It's about a mile and half from the farm house and museum and the view is spectacular.  It was so peaceful and beautiful; I would have happily lived there. I read more books than I have in the past couple months.  I got through seven books!  I know that's not much but I have barely been able to get six books read in a month lately.  I am really behi

The Unwomanly Face of War by Svetlana Alexievich This is one of my favorite books of the year.  Pevear and Volokhonsky (the best Russian translators!) have created a wonderful translation of Ms. Alexievich's amazing oral history.  The author interviewed Soviet women who fought in World War II and recorded their stories.  These stories were beautiful and heart-breaking and such an eye-opening look at the Soviet experience in World War II.  The translators did such a good job and making it seem as thought the book was written in English; it wasn't choppy or weird, it flowed exactly as it should.  I would highly encourage anyone interested in this part of history to read this book.  I will definitely be buying a copy for my home library.  5 stars. The Last Tudor by Philippa Gregory I have such a love/hate relationship with this author but I can't turn down a book on the Grey sisters.  I find them to be so fascinating!  That being said, the whole section

 Happy Sunday everybody!  September is over and I can hardly believe it.  It seems as though the month has flown by.  Now I'm excited for fall and all of the upcoming holidays.  October is the start of my favorite time of year and I'm hoping there will be plenty of room for reading in between all of the upcoming events. I requested some new holiday books from the library and had no idea all of my holds would come in at once so I need to get moving on these.  I'm really excited to dig into some sweet, fluffy reads and these will do just the trick. From the Library: A Snow Country Christmas by Linda Lael Miller This is the fourth book in a series that I really enjoyed so I'm eager to get started on it. Holly and Ivy by Fern Michaels The Christmas Room by Catherine Anderson I was so intrigued by the cover on this one that I had to pick it up. For Review (from NetGalley): I Was Anastasia by Ariel Lawhon     I really need to st