I just twigged listening to a sample of the Horowitz book you mentioned, that he crafted Foyle's War (such a good WWII dvd series). Yay. I've used a credit and downloaded the audiobook for this. ** Just completed Spring Magic ~ D. E. Stevenson, narrated by Lesley Mackie (4) (London, Hertfordshire/ Scotland/ WWII). This definitely ranks as comfort listening for me. Vintage, clean romance. Extra: Quite a few scenarios of children being emotionally adandoned/neglected, some physcially due to the wars. The least likeable soldier is a womaniser who is cheating on his wife. Not fussed on the outcome Stevenson gifted to the wife.

@Æthelthryth the Texan If I read that Alison Weir book, I'll definitely post about it here. Thanks for the heads-up of the key pad trick you use to help created @ you ( I just copied and pasted the one you created upthread.) I can generate æ, Æ ( press down together) CTRL+SHIFT+&, (then by itself) a or A perfectly on a Microsoft keypad into a document, but not here on this forum: love documents conundrums like this (nerdy interest). Wonder if anyone else on the forums knows how..... I'm glad you had a try to navigate around it too @Kareni (Thank you for all the rabbit trail links you share, fun way to while away afternoon tea breaks). @Pen I'm with @Matryoshka (laughed at your nerd comment, waving hi on that score too), Æthelthryth, and @mumto2 : Goodreads is where I now track all my reading. I use a word doc too. Agreeing that a well narrated audiobook can make a book fly, and a poorly narrated one makes it crash. I think @Kareni shared this weekly summertime freebie, audiobooks for teens last yea, repeat sharing it for anyone that missed it: https://www.audiobooksync.com/?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2019-syncwk9&utm_content=ctatxt I've got my eye on three audiobooks a few weeks ahead. @JunieI really appreciate you sharing your personal story with the review of Wonder. (Those that bullied you really missed out on getting to know a wonderful person.)

Æthelthryth, (interestingly, no matter how I type or copy n paste your name in the @ notifier doesn't work 😉) good to see you back. Nice reading list too!! My Ds really wants me to read the Elon Musk book, and seeing your rating here is encouraging me to pull it forward as one of this years reads. I have Alison Weir's The Lost Tudor Princess (n/f) on stand by but the reviews on goodreads aren't enticing me to start it, do you have that Weir book lined up in your reading sights? ** I started this in April, just finished yesterday: The Mystery of Three Quarters: A Hercule Poirot Mystery Bk3 ~ Sophie Hannah narrated by Julian Rhind-Tutt (2-3) Cosy-mystery. Late night listening which was well narrated. So long as I reminded myself that this is a book featuring Hercule Poirot, and was written by another author, the storyline and I managed to rub along okay. Not brilliantly though as the telling of the mystery is a bit longwinded and would really annoy me in a daytime listen/read. I found the murderer pretty easy to identify, though not all the intricate reasoning behind the case/s. This is a one-off listen for me, and not one I want for my keeping library.

Well done!!! & repeating my goodreads comment here 😉 seeing your 5* review, I might have to get this as a print version at some stage, the narrator absolutely ruined my first go through it.

Tossing up my books read, and, reading now... Completed: KJV Habakkuk Surfeit of Lampreys ~ Ngaio Marsh, narrated by Philip Franks (4) NZ Repeat listen. I had forgotten how gruesome the murder and the witchcraft "spell' in this book were (a skewer through an eye, and, then a hand being sawn off) .... still, an interesting read; and, as it counts towards my reading challenge I didn't want to drop it and start something else. 30/05 - 17/06 Spies of No Country: Secret Lives at the Birth of Israel ~ Matti Friedman, narrated by Simon Vance (3++) ( 6hrs 2mins) A rather sobering read about post WWII Hebrew spies who tried to navigate through extreme hardship – they were required to live in abject poverty, physical danger - many were killed, and debilitating loneliness without training or any real support. Kim by Rudyard Kipling is mentioned quite a bit, I want to dust off that book and endeavour to read it to the end this time. I had just finished reading Habakkuk in the bible and one of the young men in this book is also named Habakkuk: the author notes that both Habakkuk’s displayed a similar passion and mindset towards their ‘country’ – they did. Though the topics in this book are challenging, the author doesn’t present it with gratuitous violence. I can’t remember any swearing, though one of the spies keeps lambasting others in Russian, so I’m not quite sure what he was saying 😉 Currently reading/listening to: The Mystery of Three Quarters: A Hercule Poirot Mystery Bk3 ~ Sophie Hannah narrated by Julian Rhind-Tutt (cosy-mystery, late night listening. I’ve been sip listening to this since April) After last week’s BaW thread I now have a few brand new to me reads I want to get to; well, once I’ve finished this month’s bookology spelling challenge 🙂 . The next two books are the ones I’m working on to complete that: The Little Grey Men ~ ‘BB’ ( @Lori D. is exactly right, it’s a bit twee for the first three chapters, but the tale thereafter is worth it.) Thank you to the BaW who mentioned this a while back, it’s a very encouraging read Anxious for Nothing: Finding Calm in a Chaotic World ~ Max Lucado, narrated by Ben Holland (cc) The first chapter had some really interesting facts in it that I want to check out. I then skipped through some of Max’s personal stories and over the ‘plan of salvation’ portion in part one of the audio, and am now away again in chapter 4 (part 2 on audio).

Sounds interesting. Hoping you can procure the next book to read and review .... @Teaching3bears I'm a non-completer with both the books you mentioned. Love this group, such a diversity of reading tastes! Thank you @Kareni for those links, looking forward to rabbit trailing later, like others here it's now prep for tea time....

My DD loved the books (audio) we could get in this series. Fun! Sounds like a book Dd and I would both enjoy! @Negin the photos are gorgeous. Thanks for sharing 😍 (Off to hunt up your 5* book. Great review) My Brunetti was a non-favourite title for many; I enjoyed it. Your title got @Pen's vote too, so I'm adding it to my wish list.

It all counts!! (I'm still in the thought stages....😜) I came back to sign out and saw your list of favourites. I like so many of the NF books you suggested to me last )?) year ... I'll archive and check out your current 5-star reads. I'm a Moby Dick fan, via audiobook. Appreciate the follow up 'read-it' vote below, especially since I just purchased that book 🙂 .

I've added some new to me titles to my wishlist, thanks BaW 😍, and happily, now have two new reads lined up @mumto2 The Man Who Died is at my local library (I was amazed they had it!). Loved all the links @Kareni - and am off to rabbit trail through them next. I've seen you keep recommending The Goblin Emperor for a while now and couldn't loan it through Overdrive, nor procure it via Amazon kindle - Kobo sold it to me on special for about $2.80 USD (other than credits gifted to me, I'm back on my annual low to no spend for books until Nov). ( The version kiwis can purchase https://www.kobo.com/nz/en/ebook/the-goblin-emperor-1 ) Wow, you are reading eclectically @Robin M -The Weaver Takes a Wife is on my kindle, thanks for the reminder, must read it! So good to read that the kittens, & Mom, are heading towards potential forever homes. Your senior cats can remain oblivious to the kitten bullet that just whizzed passed them. @Junie keep posting your reading in French journey - it's encouraging! @Pen Good reminder! I've only read/listened to two of Gilman's other, non-Mrs Pollifax, books and liked them Thales Folly, and, A Nun in the Closet Have a good weekend everyone!

@mumto2 Coming back to link hop tomorrow (thank you ❤️). Love Mrs. Pollifax, so sad there are not more of them. I've read one of Charlotte MacLeods, which wasn't a good fit - Christmas themed read at Christmas time, I usually skip those challenges - and will watch to see if you find one that you really like. Spelling challenges are forcing encouraging me to read authors I would never have tried, so that's a good thing. (31 new to me authors so far this year. ) Wondering if you've tried this book? ( I've downloaded it as an audio ) A Shameful Murder ~ Cora Harrison

That's a good range of favourite books, @Junie (Off to hunt up As You Wish.) I really enjoy Emma too! Must read Frankenstein.... sometime. (The Song of Roland wasn't as good for, I didn't know about the rap slant 😉 ) I'm fishing for a few suggestions to try reading .... currently in reading slump and I don't want to keep reverting back to favourites, well, not too much 😉 Sharing my favourites so far this year: One Corpse Too Many(Chronicles of Brother Cadfael, #2) (Mystery/ Historical) Grief Observed (NF/ Memoir/ CC) Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell (Fantasy/ Historical) Winter and Rough Weather(Drumberley, #3) (Gentle/ Vintage) Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster (Juvenile Fiction) One Child: The Story of China's Most Radical Experiment (NF/ China) Irena's Children: The Extraordinary Story of the Woman Who Saved 2,500 Children from the Warsaw Ghetto (NF/ WWII)

Anyone care to share their favourite book/s so far this year, any genre?

Good to read that you and your families are okay after the wind storm @brehon and @Violet Crown (Thanks Bishop, indeed 😋. Congratulations on a happy day for your daughter!) @Kareni adding your recommendation to my wishlist. It sounds good, and the sample reads well (and for others in Aust or NZ, Amazon will "allow" us to purchase the kindle edition). I'm with mumto2 and trying to work on my whodunit spelling challenge. I'm spelling Donna Leon, and am in a ho-hum mood over some of the titles I selected as possibilities. ( I'm rereading Gaudy Night ~ Dorothy Sayers, and, a Ngaio Marsh title which will get me over a temporary can't- be- bothered- with- my- reading- challenge hump - and knock off a few letter 'n's.) ** I've completed my first ever Donna Leon (Thanks for including her in the whodunit Booklogy challenge Robin, otherwise I wouldn't have spent time with her Brunetti.) Earthly Remains: Commissario Guido Brunetti Bk26 ~ Donna Leon, narrated by David Rintoul (4) .... as I have no other books in the series to compare it with I enjoyed the environmental focus and a take away thought of “Bees are the canary in the mine”. This is a mystery surrounding an oil company’s illegal dumping of toxic waste. For those that like a mystery with the case-completely-solved and all loose ends tied up, this is not one of those: still, I found it to be a satisfying end to an interesting story. I really appreciate it that the Brunetti family is a loving and functional one and will be trying another of Leon's books at some stage. (my full review is here https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2844030892 )

I got seriously distracted with all the links. Fun. Thank you (added Mothersweets Monica Dickens audio to my wishlist, and one of Kareni's Board books, love Mem Fox, to want to own list). I'm with Pen, and quietly sidestepping the "before you die' link ..... and the scare yourself spitless book recommendation 😜 Looking forward to you continuing to share your (amazing) trip pictures Negin. And Robin ......... the kittens from last week??😍 I'm still reading Donna Leon's book about bees https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33129809-earthly-remains and enjoying it. Hoping to complete some other books this week that I've been in start and stop mode with.

I really enjoyed that is 2013 gave it 4-*, in 2018 I gifted it a measly 2.5* and I can't remember why 😋 @Kareni appreciate the free kindle links, I now own have HG Wells book 🙂 *** Just completed an Audible production, Zero G ~ Dan Wells (3) Typical juvenile level space fiction, and one I think my son may have enjoyed having played/read aloud to him at age 6-7. (Though he never did enjoy stories where a group of adults are idiots and easily hoodwinked by kids.) Audible studios have crafted a rather fun listen. Extra: I wish the author hadn't felt the need to ensure the siblings had a nasty, bullying edge to their sib rivalry. Spoiler beneath.... The Other Woman ~ Daniel Silva has been added to my iPod and I'm enjoying it so far.

Appreciate your encouragement, I'm not enjoying the thought of that awful woman becoming the step-mama. (Must read the book first, and then I'm definitely going looking for those delight-filled visuals. Thank you. Love the costuming and hair link ) I adore Don Quixote! Would I, perhaps, like this? Or is it too 'strange' ? me too ❤️ As mumto2 mentioned some of us pick less than 10 categories to read 10 books in. I halved that number for some, and doubled it for others: Scotland (read a min of 10 books) New Zealand/Australia (country or Authors) (10 books) Christian Content (15 books) twenty books are too many for this category, as I prefer Christian N/F but not, most, Christian fiction. Chunkster (500+ pages) (5 books) Classics (10 books) Non-fiction (20 books) WWII (20 books)

Thanks Pen. Do you have a favourite book in this series? (I'm a series rebel, and have no problem reading out of order)

My reading update. Completed a sip read I started in April, The Luminaries ~ Eleanor Catton (4-) (NZ) Chunkster (848pgs). I absolutely loved the first three-quarters of the book, then like the waning moon, my love for this book just seemed to diminish to “mostly liked”. If anyone wanted to read my longer-winded review I post that here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2792497023 Still reading/listening to: The Wilhelm Conspiracy: Sherlock Holmes and Lucy James Bk2 ~ Charles Veley and Anna Elliott narrated by Edward Petherbridge The narrator on this is rather ponderous: I don’t have time for him to pause and reflect so I tried to speed the audio pace up, but haven’t been able to get it read much faster, as he starts to sounds like Chip or Dale. Spies of No Country: Secret Lives at the Birth of Israel ~ Matti Friedman, narrated by Simon Vance (NF) Update on sip reads: The Life Application: KJV Bible Esther (with Dd), Zephaniah (I’ve been reading all the books starting with H or Z of late ….. just because ( 😋 ) started 2018 A Year With C.S. Lewis: 365 Daily Readings From His Classic Works ~ C.S. Lewis, edited by Patricia Klein (pub 2003 397pgs) I have not done doing too well at keeping up with reading this daily. Started Jan 2019 A Child’s Anthology of Poetry ~ Edited by Elizabeth Hauge Sword Dd and I are sharing the reading aloud of this together, we’re coming up to half of the way through. Started in Feb How the Heather Looks ~ Joan Bodger Still chipping away at this. Started 2018 Wives and Daughters ~ Elizabeth Gaskell I wanted to have read three of Gaskell’s books, 2018-2019, this is my third one. Started this at the beginning of May. The Brothers Karamazov ~ Fyodor Dostoyevsky, narrated by Constantine Gregory 37.05 Hrs. – Unabridged (Penguin Classics, 1013pgs) My second, and last, Dostoyevsky for this year. Buddy reading this with DS. (Started end of Feb)

Good to see your post yesterday @Negin Welcome home!! @mumto2 , thanks for the “summer” reading list, I’ve added The Unquiet Bones to my wishlist. @Robin M Appreciate the links you provide each week to help whet our appetites for the reading challenges; and, I keep wondering about the titles of those books in the boot (trunk?) of your car 😉 @Kareni thanks, in advance, for the links ...coming back to enjoy them later. Q: This months reading challenge: for those who have read either or both of these books, which would you recommend - I can get just two titles through my libraries overdrive, and only have time, this month, to read one - The Girl of His Dreams: Bk17, or, Earthly Remains: Bk26 ~ narrated by David Rintoul ? What is your favourite book in this series so far?

Thanks for the review: I should really like this book then (fingers crossed).

@mumto2 Gnomes feature big in our family's lives - my darling M.I.L is a huge garden gnome collecting fan. (Such a fun yard to stroll around - they're hidden everywhere). Your quilt would be a smashing hit for her - you have seriously clever hands! I've brutally resorted my reading line up for this month, spelling Donna Leon, so I can fit TLGM in, here's the Leon part, still haven't settled on 'o' yet: L= The Little Grey Men ~ ‘BB’ E= 20/04 - The Luminaries ~ Eleanor Catton, narrated by Mark Meadows (audible/epukapuka) (NZ) Chunkster (848pgs) O= The Other Woman ~ Daniel Silva , narrated by George Guidall (Budapest, Hungary) The Picture of Dorian Gray ~ Oscar Wilde Classic Out of the Easy ~ Ruta Sepetys, narrated by Lauren Fortgang (Y/A) A Thousand Beginnings and Endings ~ Ellen Oh & Elsie Chapman The Glass Ocean: A Novel ~ Beatriz Williams, narrated by Lauren Willig N= Spies of No Country: Secret Lives at the Birth of Israel ~ Matti Friedman I'll be keeping an eye out for your, eventual, thoughts on The Veiled Lady: Charles Armstrong was the narrator on the version I listened to 🤔 👎 @Junie my dc wish they could hear a demo of you doing The Song of Roland to a rap tempo 🙂 @Matryoshka Well done on the 52 bookmark! Hope your heart is managing with your dd that far away. opps, run out of time - thanks to each one of you for idea sharing, and book chatting - have a good weekend.

Thinking of you!!

@mumto2 'z' is a challenging letter to read, and that was a title I already had. Have you read The Veiled Lady ~ Agatha Christie? I listened to it and the narrator ruined it for me. (Thanks mumto2 and @Penguin for the birthday wishes 😘) @Mothersweets Giving a happy sigh that Jonathan Strange is a winning listen for you too. Really enjoying seeing what you're all reading/finished. ** I'm missing seeing @Negin book cover photos here so will add a random one of my own: I found this vintage read off a rabbit trail either @Kareni or @Violet Crown generated 😉 and will be counting it towards the spelling challenge somehow. The Little Grey Men by 'BB' The last four gnomes in Britain live by a Warwickshire brook. But when one of them decides to go and explore and doesn't return, it's up to the remaining three to build a boat and set out to find him. This is the story of the gnomes' epic journey in search of Cloudberry and is set against the background of the English countryside, beginning in spring, continuing through summer, and concluding in autumn, when the first frosts are starting to arrive. First published in 1942, this book is still fondly remembered and well-loved by readers everywhere.This edition includes the original black and white illustrations by the author

My family gifted me with a Kindle Paperwhite, and, fifty audiobook credits (to collect over 4 years) for my 50th birthday. I am feeling seriously blessed. The only downside for an Amazon Kindle in NZ is that it cannot be used for our library downloads, so I’ll stick with my phone for those. Completed: 16/05 – 28/05 Brother Francis: The Barefoot Saint of Assisi ~ Augustine Institute , Dr. Tim Gray, Paul McCusker (Audible Drama) Christian Content (3+) I found the high drama music became wearying after a while, and the story was a bit choppy in places. (My IRL Catholic faith friends would really appreciate this retelling of Brother Francis’ lifestory, if the music didn’t bug them too 😉 ) 70: Six Weeks of Blenheim Summer: One Pilot’s Extraordinary Account of the Battle of France ~ Alastair Dyson Panton (4+) Scotland/England/France/Belgium . This was actually a very good read! I’ll definitely be recommending it to some WWII/aeroplane buffs I know. There is some language content - Grandpa generation swearing – especially in the one sentence from the Aussie pilot where every second word was bleeding :P: no F-bombs. May’s spelling challenge: P= The Bone is Pointed: Inspector Bonaparte Bk 6 ~ Arthur Upfield (library CD) (3-) E= Silas Marner ~ George Eliot T= Code Name: Lise The True Story of the Spy Who Became WWII's Most Highly Decorated Woman ~ Larry Loftis E= The Prisoner in the Castle: Maggie Hope Bk8 ~ Susan Elia MacNeal (1) R= Sick Heart River: Sir Edward Leithin Bk5 ~ John Buchan Peter Z= Towards Zero: Superintendent Battle Bk5 ~ Agatha Christie A= Lady Susan ~ Jane Austen (3-) K= Louisiana's Way Home ~ Kate DiCamillo (3+) Juvenile fiction Still reading/listening to: The Wilhelm Conspiracy: Sherlock Holmes and Lucy James Bk2 ~ Charles Veley and Anna Elliott narrated by Edward Petherbridge (recommended to me by my Dd) Started 20/04 The Luminaries ~ Eleanor Catton (NZ author) Chunkster (sip read)

An example of a book I wanted, sensitive content, out and handy to read. I just covered it in brown packaging paper. (One associate saves sensitive content reads as "restroom" only books). Hope you find what will work for you @SKL. Love!! your ideas @Kareni ETA: Pulled it out of the shelf for a better view, it sits flush in amongst the other books. (and no longer in this spot 😉 )