I have the sixth installment of The Snow Queen here for your listening pleasure. The runtime is about 6 and 1/2 minutes.
Happy Listening!
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Month: October 2017
“The Muse” by Jessie Burton
Narrated by Bahni Turpin and Maria Elena Infantino
Alinefromabook’s rating: 
4.5 stars!!
Another excellent read from Jessie Burton! I so enjoyed “The Miniaturist” that I was really looking forward to this one. I actually listened to the audiobook version of this. This is the story of two young women, living at different times. Olive is living in Spain with her family in 1936 as political tensions are beginning to rise. She longs to be a painter but her father will not let her attend art school so she paints in secret in the attic. A local girl helps out in the house and the two become best friends. When Olive’s mother hires a local painter to paint their portrait, events begin to spiral out of control.
In 1967, Odelle is a young woman who has emigrated from the Caribbean. She is hired to work as a secretary for the Skelton Institute of Art. At her best friend’s wedding she meets a young man who has inherited an unusual painting after the recent death of his mother. He brings the painting to the Skelton to find out if it has any value. The search for what happened to the painter will bring the two storylines together but watch out for all the twists and turns before you get to the end.
I really enjoyed this story. It’s complex, keeps you guessing, and the way that the author takes you back and forth from one storyline to the other keeps you fully engaged. I did have a little trouble getting into the story at the beginning but I think that had more to do with the narration than the story itself. Both narrators have accents, one Spanish and one Caribbean, which makes the characters come to life but it took me a couple of hours of listening to really feel comfortable with the narrators. Don’t let that discourage you from picking up this book though. The story is inspired and a real treat. I highly recommend.
Happy Reading!
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“The Modoc War” by Robert Aquinas McNalley
A Story of Genocide at the Dawn of America’s Gilded Age
Alinefromabook’s rating: 
This is the story of the war that the United States waged against the Modoc Indians in the Lava Beds of southern Oregon in the late 19th century. The author has done a great job of bringing to life the main players of the story, both Americans and Indians, and discussing their motivations. The Americans were determined to destroy the Modocs largely for the purposes of profit but also because of the mindset at the time that saw the Indians as little better than animals. I appreciated the author’s dip into the history of how this attitude came about in the culture of the time. I found this story to be riveting and thoroughly researched. It still surprises me that as a culture we know so much about the atrocities committed against blacks, but almost nothing about what was committed against the Indians. This is an excellent book in its category and I highly recommend it.
Happy Reading!
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Weekly Round-Up 10/15/2017
Hello everybody! Time for another check-in. It’s been a slow week for reading, but I have a 4 day weekend coming up next week, so I’m hoping to do a little catching up then. Last night my teenage son made dinner for the first time, hamburgers and french fries, and my kitchen was such a wreck afterwards. I’m still finding grease spots everywhere this morning. But his really enjoying the Cultures and Cuisine class that he’s taking. Next up I think is blueberry muffins. He’s also learned how to make a pretty mean omelet and discovered that he likes lots of pepper with his eggs. OK, here we go:
TBR – I did finish one book this week. Sorry I didn’t get the review up yet but hopefully for tomorrow. I did not add any books, so the total today is 270. I know I promised last week to finish listening to “The Muse” but I’m not quite done. I have 2 hours left, maybe I can finish today or tomorrow.
NetGalley – No change here, still at 86%.
Goodreads challenge – Okay, I’m falling behind. I’m now at 3 books behind schedule.
Coming Up – Review of “The Modoc War” by Robert Aquinas McNalley will go up tomorrow.
Review of “The Muse” by Jessie Burton should go up later this week.
I’ve just started reading “Victoria and Abdul” by Shranani Basu. I’m moving pretty quickly so you might also see that review this coming week. 
So that’s it for today. I hope you all have a great week and read lots of books!
Happy Reading!
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“Nail’s Crossing” by Kris Lackey
Indian country, Oklahoma. It’s hot and dry, and on this day, it’s deadly. Bill Maytubby is a tribal Lighthorse policeman and Hannah Bond is a deputy for the county. When Hannah discovers the body of Majesty Tate, a drifter, she has no idea what kind of a hornet’s nest the investigation will turn into. Finding answers will take Maytubby across three states and put his life and the life of his fiancé in danger. The question is who will be left standing when the final dust clears.
I think this is a great debut mystery/thriller. I certainly hope it is the start of a series with these characters because I really liked them. The dynamic between Maytubby and Bond is really unique. They are not exactly partners because they work for different agencies but they seem to end up working together when the jurisdictions overlap and I really enjoyed their banter and the way they are able to sense what is needed in any given situation. This story does have a lot of secondary characters that are vital to the story but you will need to be paying attention to keep up with it all. The plot line has a lot of interesting twists and turns and the finale had me on the edge of my seat. Overall, I’m really impressed with this one and will be keeping my eyes open for more from this author.
Alinefromabook’s rating: 
4 stars!!
Happy Reading!
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The Snow Queen Fifth Story – Journeys Through Bookland
Finally, I have the fifth segment ready for you! Runtime is about 9 minutes.
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Weekly Round-Up 10/8/2017
Another Sunday, another Round-Up. A pretty ordinary week has passed, though I did get a new dryer this week. It’s always nice when the dryer actually drys the clothes. So let’s take a look at my library and see what’s been happening there.
TBR – So, I added 3 books this week and I finished 2, giving me a new total of 270.
Goodreads Challenge – I’m still 1 book behind schedule.
NetGalley Score – still at 86%
Coming Up – I’m still working my way through the audiobook version of “The Muse“. I’m about halfway through so I’m going to try to finish it this week.
I’m also reading “The Modoc War” by Robert Aquinas McNalley and hope to finish it this week also.
So that’s it for today guys. I hope you all have a great week!
Happy Reading!
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“Carnegie’s Maid” by Marie Benedict
Clara Kelley has been sent to America by her family in impoverished Ireland. Their hope is that she will find work and be able to send money home to support the family, as they have recently lost their land source of income. When she arrives she finds herself being mistaken for a different Clara Kelley who already has a job waiting for her. Clara decides to become this other Clara Kelley and finds herself in Pittsburgh working on a trial basis as lady’s maid to Andrew Carnegie’s mother. Mrs. Carnegie is known to be a harsh mistress but Clara is determined to win her over. In the process she meets Andrew and the two instantly hit it off as friends. The story follows Clara through her years working in the Carnegie household and the influence she had on Andrew and his charitable work.
I loved this story. I have previously read another book by this author and was really excited about this one. It did not disappoint. The author masterfully created her characters with rich detail and her descriptions of the city of Pittsburgh in the time period are perfect. I was easily drawn into the both the affluent world of the Carnegies and the impoverished world of Clara’s cousins. This is another fabulous story from Marie Benedict and I highly recommend it.
Alinefromabook’s rating: 5 stars!!
Happy Reading!
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“London Curiosities” by John Wade
The Capital’s Odd & Obscure, Weird & Wonderful Places
If you are planning a visit to London, then you should definitely take a look at this book. It is packed full of unique pieces of London’s history. These are the places that you won’t find in the typical tour guide. The book is organized into categories including Surprising Building, the Pineapple Trail, Tunnels Under London and many more. The text was an easy and enjoyable read and there are pictures of everything mentioned. If you’ve been following me, you know I like the odd and quirky and this book totally nailed it for me. I will definitely have it in my bag if I find myself in London again. Top marks to the author for putting this together.
Alinefromabook’s rating: 5 stars!!!
Happy Reading!
On Amazon US | On Amazon UK | On Goodreads
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Weekly Round-Up 10/1/2017
Do you ever pick up a book and enjoy it so much that you just want to take it slow and savor it? Well, I’m working on a couple of books right now that fit that description, which is why I only managed to finish 1 book this week. On a more personal note, I just need to have a little bragging moment. My son, a high school senior, is taking a Philosophy class at one of the local colleges this semester, and so far he is getting straight A’s in the class. This is no small achievement for him and I’m am thoroughly enjoying this proud Mom moment (now if I can just get him to pick up his dirty laundry…). We also had a near panic this week when the dryer went on the fritz after 20+ years of faithful service. But thanks to a sale at Best Buy, the crisis has been averted.
Moving on to more bookish stuff, let’s check the numbers:
TBR – Somehow I managed to go a whole week without adding any books. The total today stands at 269.
NetGalley score – I’m still at 86% here.
Goodreads challenge – Still 1 book behind schedule.
Coming Up – I don’t usually pay much attention to travel books, but Pen & Sword sent me a copy of “London Curiosities” by John Wade and I’m really having fun with it. The subtitle is “The capital’s odd & obscure, weird & wonderful places”. This book is full of interesting things to see in London and I think you could put together a really fun tour of city using this book. 
I expect to finish this one this week. I’m also hoping to finish “Carnegie’s Maid” by Marie Benedict this week. 
I think that’s it for this week. I hope you all have a great one. See you next Sunday with another round-up.
Happy Reading!
