What’s on your Bookshelf #2

Welcome!

It’s lovely to have you back for another month of the What’s On Your Bookshelf Challenge, #whatsonyourbookshelfchallenge, hosted by Sue, Donna, Jo and yours truly.

We were all thrilled with our first month and loved having so many of you join in – many thanks for all the great posts and reading suggestions! I have to say my TBR (to be read) pile is growing astronomically as a result of all the great suggestions.

The simple purpose of this challenge is to share our love of reading.

Listening to a book as opposed to reading a book

I want to know what you think about listening to audiobooks. Apparently some people don’t count books they listen to as books they’ve read! What the?

I definitely count books I listen to as books I’ve read – just so you know where I stand on the issue.

My main problem with audiobooks is the amount of time they take. I look at books I want to ‘read’ on Audible, and the amount of time they say it will take, usually in excess of 13 hours, immediately puts me off. Now I understand that I would probably take that same amount of time if I read the book myself, but seeing it in print puts me off and it’s a completely different scenario in my head!

I will admit that I have trouble listening to books as opposed to sitting and reading. I am fine listening to books if I am walking, riding my bike, driving or doing something like cleaning or ironing but I can’t just sit and listen. I tend to fall asleep or go off into a daze and I miss some important aspects of the story and then have to re-listen which takes even more time. Is it just me?

So it tends to take me ages to get through a book on Audible, whereas I can read a book really fast and have it over and done with. I love nothing more than sitting in the warm sunshine in spring and autumn or rugged up cosy in my sunroom during the cold winter months. But listening to a book is a completely different experience. I do it but it’s not my preferred style.

Some people have the same problem with real books and ebooks. My mother for instance, likes to read in bed and some books weigh too much for her to hold up, so she prefers reading ebooks on her kindle. She is always looking at my recommendations to see what to read net! They’re also more portable on a smaller device aren’t they?.

What are your thoughts on audiobooks and ebooks?

So what’s on my bookshelf

I’ve had a fabulous time reading soo many books in a variety of genres – I don’t know where to start. Last month I wrote about the ‘Most…’ books so far this year and enjoyed sharing my thoughts and breaking down my favourite reads so far this year.

So this month I thought I’d focus on my recent 5 star rating reads.

• The Little Cafe by the Lake by our very own Joanne Tracey (our spectacular co-host). Now this book isn’t out until November (but you can pre-order it here with Amazon) and no we’re not on a commission for telling you how good Jo’s books are! We were lucky to be given a copy to check over and we have all thoroughly enjoyed it. Set in New Zealand it’s a family drama that was well written and I couldn’t put it down. I actually got a bit emotional in some places I was so immersed in the story.

I wrote a review on Goodreads if you want to check it out. Jo is a stellar author and in my mind deserves much more recognition than she gets. If you’ve not read any of Jo’s books before then I suggest you head here to check out what she’s written and how you can get a copy. Jo’s Books are all easy books to get lost in, with believable and real characters, great story lines, recipes and incredible locations and scenery. In the genre of chick lit but not in the too much basket, and usually with a happy ending (as Jo says herself, she loves happy endings).

• The Huntress by Kate Quinn – after devouring The Rose Code I knew I had to read The Huntress and I wasn’t disappointed. Set in the time following WW2, it tells the story of hunting for war criminals, in particular a woman known as The Huntress. It was really good and had me hooked from the start. In this immersive, heart-wrenching story, Kate Quinn illuminates the consequences of war on individual lives, and the price we pay to seek justice and truth. 

• The funniest and most surprising 5 star read was The Nancys by RWR McDonald. My review on Goodreads:

For the first few chapters I wondered exactly what I was reading but then I got into it and loved it! I keep changing from 4 to 5 stars but have decided it’s definitely a 5star read because of the quirkiness of it! It is hard to describe but the Nancy Drew connection got me into it in the first place, then the characters and their personalities captured my imagination and I ended up sitting near the fire all afternoon, (it was raining outside) until I finished it. It’s a story written from an 11 year old’s perspective with a mystery, family issues and so much more. I really really enjoyed it!!

The Nancys is gripping and glorious, a heart-warming novel for anyone who’s ever felt they were on the outside looking in. At its heart it is about the family we make and how we must summon the courage to face the truth, no matter what the cost may be. (Goodreads blurb)

This was a hoot of a read but a word of warning, it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. It has adult themes, language, and over the top quirky characters. But if you’re open to that and you liked Nancy Drew books when you were a kid, then you just might enjoy this one. I’m now ready to read the second in the series Nancy Business.

Some other almost 5 star contenders were:

• Danger Music by Eddie Ayres – a heartfelt and thoroughly interesting memoir of his time teaching music in Afghanistan when he was Emma Ayres
• The Last Garden of England by Julia Kelly, which I listened to (and enjoyed) on Audible
• The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte – oh my what a story it was for back in those days. I’m glad I read it but it was very intense!

What am I currently reading?

I have far too many books marked as ‘currently reading’ at the moment and desperately need to finish some before allowing myself to pick up a new one to start. Do you do that too?

• One Hundred Years of Dirt by Rick Morton – my local bookclub read this month
• Villette by Charlotte Bronte – with my online bookclub, I’m reading an ebook version
• Beautiful Death by Fiona McIntosh – a book from the local library
• A Summer Wedding for the Cornish Midwife by Jo Bartlett – a free ebook via Kindle Unlimited
• The Chase by Candice Fox – a free audiobook via the BorrowBox library app
• The Comfort Book by Matt Haig – via Audible ( given what I wrote above about listening to books I am enjoying this as Matt himself is reading it to me. I will buy a copy of it when I can as it’s one of those books I just need to have for future reference).

I told you I was reading a lot and they are all so different too!

Up until recently, I was in the habit of writing a Friday Fiction post towards the end of each month, but from now on, I’ll be joining my friends to share What’s on your Bookshelf instead – on the third Friday of each month. Reading, like life, is always more fun with friends. I hope you enjoy our offerings!

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Guidelines for WOYBS:

What: What’s On Your Bookshelf #whatsonyourbookshelfchallenge
When: Third Thursday PM (Northern Hemisphere)/ Third Friday AM (Southern Hemisphere).
Why: Share a love of reading.
Where: Blog, Blog Comments, Instagram or other Social Media.
Who: This linkup is open to everyone.
How: You can share in the comments, with a blog post, or on other social media of your choice. Include the special hashtag #Whatsonyourbookshelfchallenge so that we can find you and include your link in our posts.

But Wait, There’s (Even) More!

To show our appreciation to all participants, contributors are welcome to display a badge on their blog, website or social media. Let me know if you’d like to display the badge.

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Now it’s over to you, will you join us?

Sue, Donna, Jo and I hope that you will join us in this new series! If you have any questions just ask us. You can also link to any, or all of our posts, with a pingback, that way we get to see your posts quicker!

Don’t forget to tell me about the book(s) you’re reading at the moment!

You can read more from my co-hosts here: Jo , Sue and Donna

Some other posts for #whatsonyourbookshelfchallenge can be found here:

• Carol from Reading Ladies
• Thistles and Kiwis
• Natalie the Explorer
• Joanne from My Slices of Life
• Jennifer from Next Phase in Fitness &Life
• Alison from Travels with Ali
• Lydia from Where the Wild Things Were
• Michele from Beach Girl Chronicles

We’re all in this together 🙂

Deb xx

Note: I’m sharing this for Natalie’s #weekendcoffeeshare

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