It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

This weekly meme is hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date.

I had a very quiet week. The Butterfly Summer by Harriet Evans was the only book I finished. I loved it. So engrossed was I in the story of the Parr family and their ancestral home in Cornwall that none of the other books I am currently reading were touched.

My plans have not changed much from last week. I'm still determined to finish the books I'm currently reading:  Mary Anerley: A Yorkshire Tale, The Virgin of the Wind Rose: A Christopher Columbus Mystery Thriller and All That I Am, followed by the four ebooks I need to read by the middle of April.

Until all these are read, I'm going to ignore the books in my TBR pile and the new releases I'm collecting from the library tomorrow no matter how tempting they will be.

What I Read Last Week

The Butterfly Summer by Harriet Evans

What magic is this?

You follow the hidden creek towards a long-forgotten house.
They call it Keepsake, a place full of wonder ... and danger. Locked inside the crumbling elegance of its walls lies the story of the Butterfly Summer, a story you've been waiting all your life to hear.
This house is Nina Parr's birthright. It holds the truth about her family - and a chance to put everything right at last.

What I'm Reading Today

Mary Anerley: A Yorkshire Tale by R.D. Blackmore

An early 19th century romance set in Yorkshire. Mary Anerley falls in love with smuggler Robin Lyth, but the relationship is discouraged by Mary's family due to Robin's obscure beginnings and his occupation as a smuggler.







The Virgin of the Wind Rose by Glen Craney

While investigating the murder of an American missionary in Ethiopia, rookie State Department lawyer Jaqueline Quartermane becomes obsessed with a magical word square found inside an underground church guarding the tomb of the biblical Adam. Drawn into a web of esoteric intrigue, she and a roguish antiquities thief named Elymas must race an elusive and taunting mastermind to find the one relic needed to resurrect Solomon's Temple. A trail of cabalistic clues leads them to the catacombs of Rome, the crypt below Chartres Cathedral, a Masonic shaft in Nova Scotia, a Portuguese shipwreck off Sumatra, and the caverns under the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.
Intertwined with this modern mystery-thriller, a parallel duel is waged:
The year is 1452. One of the most secretive societies in history, Portugal's Order of Christ, is led by a reclusive visionary, Prince Henry the Navigator. He and his medieval version of NASA merged with the CIA scheme to foil their archenemies, the Inquisitor Torquemada and Queen Isabella of Castile, who plan to bring back Christ for the Last Judgment by ridding the world of Jews, heretics, and unbelievers.
Separated by half a millennium, two conspiracies to usher in the Tribulations promised by the Book of Revelation dovetail in this fast-paced thriller to expose the world's most explosive secret: The true identity of Christopher Columbus and the explorer's connection to those now trying to spark the End of Days.

All That I Am by Anna Funder

All That I Am is a masterful and exhilarating exploration of bravery and betrayal, of the risks and sacrifices some people make for their beliefs, and of heroism hidden in the most unexpected places.When eighteen-year-old Ruth Becker visits her cousin Dora in Munich in 1923, she meets the love of her life, the dashing young journalist Hans Wesemann, and eagerly joins in the heady activities of the militant political Left in Germany. Ten years later, Ruth and Hans are married and living in Weimar Berlin when Hitler is elected chancellor of Germany. Together with Dora and her lover, Ernst Toller, the celebrated poet and self-doubting revolutionary, the four become hunted outlaws overnight and are forced to flee to London. Inspired by the fearless Dora to breathtaking acts of courage, the friends risk betrayal and deceit as they dedicate themselves to a dangerous mission: to inform the British government of the very real Nazi threat to which it remains willfully blind. All That I Am is the heartbreaking story of these extraordinary people, who discover that Hitler's reach extends much further than they had thought.Gripping, compassionate, and inspiring, this remarkable debut novel reveals an uncommon depth of humanity and wisdom. Anna Funder has given us a searing and intimate portrait of courage and its price, of desire and ambition, and of the devastating consequences when they are thwarted.

What I Hope to Read Next

The Code of Love by Cheryl Sawyer

July, 1810. The Peninsular war is in full swing. Delphine Dalgleish is a Paris-bred Bonapartist who cares as deeply for the honour of France as she does for her island home on tropical Mauritius. Sir Gideon Landor is a naval prisoner of war, who has every reason to consider her the enemy, especially when he commandeers her family’s yacht to escape back to England.
They expect never to meet again, but Gideon’s secret mission to decipher Napoleon’s military Grand Code forces them into a shock encounter on a Paris street. In the seductively peaceful English countryside, they must recognise that they are both spies – on opposing sides of the war that Napoleon has unleashed on Europe. As Sir Arthur Wellesley’s forces pursue the French across the Peninsula, Delphine and Gideon are trapped in a personal feud as complex and dangerous as a military campaign. It will take them in the end to war-torn Portugal and Spain, menacing not only their lives but the armies of two nations.
Cheryl Sawyer pens a sweeping saga, beginning on the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius, a far-flung Bonapartist stronghold buffeted by the winds of war...

Fletcher's Fortune by John Drake

Young Jacob Fletcher, whilst unsure of his parentage, did know that as an apprentice he couldn't legally be seized by the press gang. But this particular gang couldn't actually read the rules. And didn't care anyway. Which was how he found himself risking life, limb and sea sickness on board His Majesty's frigate Phiandra, about to do battle with what looked like half the French fleet. Meanwhile at Coignwood Hall, the late Sir Henry lay face-down in his soup as his beautiful but evil widow, Lady Sarah, along with their two loathsome sons, ransacked his papers for the will that would disclose to their horror that the entire family fortune has been left to a previously unknown illegitimate son. Who would now have to be tracked down and disposed of as a matter of some urgency...
What will become of Fletcher's Fortune?
Fletcher's Fortune is the first in a rollicking series of memoirs that bring the 18th Century back to life in its tawdry glory.

Endless Love by James MacManus

After being attacked outside her home Rose Loxton decides enough is enough - she needs to get out of London. She falls in love with an old converted Stable Lodge in the Cotswolds and decides to rent it. But it soon becomes clear that her husband isn’t going to move with her. Part of Rose feels relieved – she knows their marriage hasn’t been right for a long time, so this is a chance for her to start over. At the age of forty, she finally feels like she can do exactly what she wants, and revisits her dreams of becoming a famous scientist. But then strange things start happening in her new home - pages turning of their own accord, sudden drops in temperature, and the sound of music seemingly coming from her empty garden. Rose decides to delve in the history of the house, and finds out that in 1908 a young servant hung himself from the Stable beams. But was it really a suicide? As Rose uncovers more she finds out that the young man, Will had been in love with Emily, the daughter of the land-owner. They broke all the conventions of the time by embarking on an affair that crossed the class barrier. It is clear they were deeply in love. So why would Will have killed himself? Was his death, in fact, the result of something more sinister? Can Rose find out the real story behind their Endless Love?

Shadow on the Highway by Deborah Swift

May 1651. England has been in the midst of a civil war for nearly ten years. The country has been torn in two, and the King is getting ready to make his last stand against Cromwell’s New Model Army. Abigail Chaplin, a young mute girl, has lost her father to the parliamentarian cause. But with her family now in reduced circumstances, she is forced to work as a servant at a royalist household - the estate of Lady Katherine Fanshawe. Abi is soon caught up in a web of sinister secrets which surround the Fanshawe estate. The most curious of which is the disappearance of Lady Katherine late at night. Why are her husband’s clothes worn and muddy even though he hasn’t been home for weeks? How is she stealing out of the house late at night when her room is being guarded? And what is her involvement with the robberies being committed by the mysterious Shadow on the Highway?
‘Shadow On The Highway’ is based on the life and legend of Lady Katherine Fanshawe, the highwaywoman, sometimes known as ‘The Wicked Lady’. It is the first book in ‘The Highway Trilogy’.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

This weekly meme is hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date.

Monday was a public holiday in my part of the world which meant a long week-end. My reading was set aside for a few days while I caught up with family. However I did finish a couple of books last week, ones that I hadn't planned on reading - it just happened!

Both books were quick reads. The Winter Sea  by Susanna Kearsley is only the second book by this author that I've read though The Firebird has been sitting on my tablet for a while without me knowing that it was the sequel to The Winter Sea. I enjoyed this dual time frame novel. Usually I enjoy the historical part more than the present day one, but in this book I loved both time frames.

The other book I read was the fourth and final novel in Deborah Challinor's series about convict girls, A Tattooed Heart. All the story lines are resolved in this final volume and there is a surprise that makes the ending more memorable. I cannot elaborate further as it would spoil the ending for those yet to read the book.

This week I'm determined to finish at least one of the books I started a while ago, Mary Anerley: A Yorkshire Tale or The Virgin of the Wind Rose: A Christopher Columbus Mystery Thriller. Both of these are ebooks and were set aside until the replacement charger for my tablet arrived. All is good now and I'm back on track. I also have two print books started All That I Am by Anna Funder and The Butterfly Summer by Harriet Evans. Both are good so far.

As to what's up next, I have four ebooks to read by the middle of April as a participant in Endeavour Press's Virtual Historical Festival. These are not lengthy books, so I should be able to make the deadline.

What I Read Last Week

The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley

In the spring of 1708, an invading Jacobite fleet of French and Scottish soldiers nearly succeeded in landing the exiled James Stewart in Scotland to reclaim his crown.
Now, Carrie McClelland hopes to turn that story into her next bestselling novel. Settling herself in the shadow of Slains Castle, she creates a heroine named for one of her own ancestors and starts to write.
But when she discovers her novel is more fact than fiction, Carrie wonders if she might be dealing with ancestral memory, making her the only living person who knows the truth—the ultimate betrayal—that happened all those years ago, and that knowledge comes very close to destroying her.…

A Tattooed Heart by Deborah Challinor

1832: Convict girls Friday Woolfe, Sarah Morgan and Harriet Clarke have been serving their sentences in Sydney Town for three years. For much of that time they have lived in fear of sinister and formidable Bella Jackson, who continues to blackmail them for a terrible crime. Each of them has begun to make a life for herself, but when Harrie's adopted child Charlotte is abducted and taken to Newcastle, the girls must risk their very freedom to save her.
But is Friday up to the task? Will her desperate battle with her own vices drive her to fail not only herself, but those she loves and all who love her?
In this final volume of a saga about four convict girls transported halfway around the world, friends and family reunite but cherished loved ones are lost, and an utterly shocking secret is revealed.

What I'm Reading Today

Mary Anerley: A Yorkshire Tale by R.D. Blackmore

An early 19th century romance set in Yorkshire. Mary Anerley falls in love with smuggler Robin Lyth, but the relationship is discouraged by Mary's family due to Robin's obscure beginnings and his occupation as a smuggler.







The Virgin of the Wind Rose by Glen Craney

While investigating the murder of an American missionary in Ethiopia, rookie State Department lawyer Jaqueline Quartermane becomes obsessed with a magical word square found inside an underground church guarding the tomb of the biblical Adam. Drawn into a web of esoteric intrigue, she and a roguish antiquities thief named Elymas must race an elusive and taunting mastermind to find the one relic needed to resurrect Solomon's Temple. A trail of cabalistic clues leads them to the catacombs of Rome, the crypt below Chartres Cathedral, a Masonic shaft in Nova Scotia, a Portuguese shipwreck off Sumatra, and the caverns under the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.
Intertwined with this modern mystery-thriller, a parallel duel is waged:
The year is 1452. One of the most secretive societies in history, Portugal's Order of Christ, is led by a reclusive visionary, Prince Henry the Navigator. He and his medieval version of NASA merged with the CIA scheme to foil their archenemies, the Inquisitor Torquemada and Queen Isabella of Castile, who plan to bring back Christ for the Last Judgment by ridding the world of Jews, heretics, and unbelievers.
Separated by half a millennium, two conspiracies to usher in the Tribulations promised by the Book of Revelation dovetail in this fast-paced thriller to expose the world's most explosive secret: The true identity of Christopher Columbus and the explorer's connection to those now trying to spark the End of Days.

All That I Am by Anna Funder

All That I Am is a masterful and exhilarating exploration of bravery and betrayal, of the risks and sacrifices some people make for their beliefs, and of heroism hidden in the most unexpected places.When eighteen-year-old Ruth Becker visits her cousin Dora in Munich in 1923, she meets the love of her life, the dashing young journalist Hans Wesemann, and eagerly joins in the heady activities of the militant political Left in Germany. Ten years later, Ruth and Hans are married and living in Weimar Berlin when Hitler is elected chancellor of Germany. Together with Dora and her lover, Ernst Toller, the celebrated poet and self-doubting revolutionary, the four become hunted outlaws overnight and are forced to flee to London. Inspired by the fearless Dora to breathtaking acts of courage, the friends risk betrayal and deceit as they dedicate themselves to a dangerous mission: to inform the British government of the very real Nazi threat to which it remains willfully blind. All That I Am is the heartbreaking story of these extraordinary people, who discover that Hitler's reach extends much further than they had thought.Gripping, compassionate, and inspiring, this remarkable debut novel reveals an uncommon depth of humanity and wisdom. Anna Funder has given us a searing and intimate portrait of courage and its price, of desire and ambition, and of the devastating consequences when they are thwarted.

The Butterfly Summer by Harriet Evans

What magic is this?

You follow the hidden creek towards a long-forgotten house.
They call it Keepsake, a place full of wonder ... and danger. Locked inside the crumbling elegance of its walls lies the story of the Butterfly Summer, a story you've been waiting all your life to hear.
This house is Nina Parr's birthright. It holds the truth about her family - and a chance to put everything right at last.

What I Hope to Read Next

The Code of Love by Cheryl Sawyer

July, 1810. The Peninsular war is in full swing. Delphine Dalgleish is a Paris-bred Bonapartist who cares as deeply for the honour of France as she does for her island home on tropical Mauritius. Sir Gideon Landor is a naval prisoner of war, who has every reason to consider her the enemy, especially when he commandeers her family’s yacht to escape back to England.
They expect never to meet again, but Gideon’s secret mission to decipher Napoleon’s military Grand Code forces them into a shock encounter on a Paris street. In the seductively peaceful English countryside, they must recognise that they are both spies – on opposing sides of the war that Napoleon has unleashed on Europe. As Sir Arthur Wellesley’s forces pursue the French across the Peninsula, Delphine and Gideon are trapped in a personal feud as complex and dangerous as a military campaign. It will take them in the end to war-torn Portugal and Spain, menacing not only their lives but the armies of two nations.
Cheryl Sawyer pens a sweeping saga, beginning on the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius, a far-flung Bonapartist stronghold buffeted by the winds of war...

Fletcher's Fortune by John Drake

Young Jacob Fletcher, whilst unsure of his parentage, did know that as an apprentice he couldn't legally be seized by the press gang. But this particular gang couldn't actually read the rules. And didn't care anyway. Which was how he found himself risking life, limb and sea sickness on board His Majesty's frigate Phiandra, about to do battle with what looked like half the French fleet. Meanwhile at Coignwood Hall, the late Sir Henry lay face-down in his soup as his beautiful but evil widow, Lady Sarah, along with their two loathsome sons, ransacked his papers for the will that would disclose to their horror that the entire family fortune has been left to a previously unknown illegitimate son. Who would now have to be tracked down and disposed of as a matter of some urgency...
What will become of Fletcher's Fortune?
Fletcher's Fortune is the first in a rollicking series of memoirs that bring the 18th Century back to life in its tawdry glory.

Endless Love by James MacManus

After being attacked outside her home Rose Loxton decides enough is enough - she needs to get out of London. She falls in love with an old converted Stable Lodge in the Cotswolds and decides to rent it. But it soon becomes clear that her husband isn’t going to move with her. Part of Rose feels relieved – she knows their marriage hasn’t been right for a long time, so this is a chance for her to start over. At the age of forty, she finally feels like she can do exactly what she wants, and revisits her dreams of becoming a famous scientist. But then strange things start happening in her new home - pages turning of their own accord, sudden drops in temperature, and the sound of music seemingly coming from her empty garden. Rose decides to delve in the history of the house, and finds out that in 1908 a young servant hung himself from the Stable beams. But was it really a suicide? As Rose uncovers more she finds out that the young man, Will had been in love with Emily, the daughter of the land-owner. They broke all the conventions of the time by embarking on an affair that crossed the class barrier. It is clear they were deeply in love. So why would Will have killed himself? Was his death, in fact, the result of something more sinister? Can Rose find out the real story behind their Endless Love?

Shadow on the Highway by Deborah Swift

May 1651. England has been in the midst of a civil war for nearly ten years. The country has been torn in two, and the King is getting ready to make his last stand against Cromwell’s New Model Army. Abigail Chaplin, a young mute girl, has lost her father to the parliamentarian cause. But with her family now in reduced circumstances, she is forced to work as a servant at a royalist household - the estate of Lady Katherine Fanshawe. Abi is soon caught up in a web of sinister secrets which surround the Fanshawe estate. The most curious of which is the disappearance of Lady Katherine late at night. Why are her husband’s clothes worn and muddy even though he hasn’t been home for weeks? How is she stealing out of the house late at night when her room is being guarded? And what is her involvement with the robberies being committed by the mysterious Shadow on the Highway?
‘Shadow On The Highway’ is based on the life and legend of Lady Katherine Fanshawe, the highwaywoman, sometimes known as ‘The Wicked Lady’. It is the first book in ‘The Highway Trilogy’.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

This weekly meme is hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date.

The heat and humidity continues ... despite it I finished two very different mysteries last week. One was a Regency mystery, the other was set during Victorian times. I enjoyed both books from two authors I had not read before.

To Love, Honour and Obey is Valerie Holmes' first full length historical novel. A gripping start is followed by lots of twists and turns before the leader of the smuggling and spy ring is unmasked.

Oliver Twist Investigates by G.M. Best is the other book I finished. As a sequel to Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist it is a very believable and intriguing tale. This book is much darker than Dickens' novel and the ending is totally unexpected.

This week I'm still reading Mary Anerley: A Yorkshire Tale by R.D. Blackmore and The Virgin of the Wind Rose by Glenn Craney. I have also started All That I Am by Anna Funder.

I'm not sure what will be up next. I have a few new releases to tempt me, one of which is The Butterfly Summer by Harriet Evans. I also added two classics to my TBR pile, Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy, and War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy. I love the cover of War and Peace which ties in with the latest BBC drama.

What I Read Last Week

To Love, Honour and Obey by Valerie Holmes

The year is 1805. Six years ago, Willoughby Rossington’s father was murdered while searching for the kingpin of a smuggling and spy ring. Taken under the wing of his uncle, who is running a counter-intelligence operation against Napoleon’s spies, Willoughby is assigned to take up his father’s last mission—and, hopefully, in the process find who killed his father and bring them to justice. He encounters a young woman, Beth, who works at the local inn. Her spark and resilience against her master’s attempts to break her will strike a chord in him and he, albeit reluctantly, takes her with him when he leaves town. As they begin to talk, he finds out that her master is more involved in the ring that could have been thought. She overheard things and knows things about the seedy side of villages that could be helpful to him and his mission. Though Beth hasn’t had the opportunity for education, she’s smart and quite cunning while still maintaining a child-like wonder. Even as Willoughby makes plans to set her up with a family in order to protect her from the perils of his mission, he finds himself a bit melancholy at the thought of losing her company. Beth is having none of it. She knows she can be of help to Willoughby and isn’t going to be left behind now that she’s found someone nice. Part on purpose, part because of fate, their two lives become intertwined as they race against the villains that plot to destroy them both. Will they uncover the truth behind the smuggling ring and find who is responsible for the death of Willoughby’s father? Can they stay safe as they continue to work their way deeper into the ring?
‘To Love, Honour and Obey’ is a thrilling historical read, perfect for adventurers and historians alike.

Oliver Twist Investigates by G.M. Best

Who killed Nancy? Did Charles Dickens frame Bill Sykes and if so, why? As an adult, Oliver Twist receives deeply unsettling information written years earlier by Fagin while he was awaiting execution. It convinces Oliver that Dickens did not tell the entire truth about the events leading to Nancy's death. Now Oliver must embark on a complex investigation that takes him into the worst slums of London as he seeks out the whereabouts of some of the most memorable figures from his past—Betsy, Noah Claypole, Mr Bumble, and Charley Bates—not forgetting, of course, the Artful Dodger. Oliver's life is set to change dramatically as he uncovers not only what happened to Nancy, but also the astonishing truth about his own identity.

What I'm Reading Today

Mary Anerley: A Yorkshire Tale by R.D. Blackmore

An early 19th century romance set in Yorkshire. Mary Anerley falls in love with smuggler Robin Lyth, but the relationship is discouraged by Mary's family due to Robin's obscure beginnings and his occupation as a smuggler.







The Virgin of the Wind Rose by Glen Craney

While investigating the murder of an American missionary in Ethiopia, rookie State Department lawyer Jaqueline Quartermane becomes obsessed with a magical word square found inside an underground church guarding the tomb of the biblical Adam. Drawn into a web of esoteric intrigue, she and a roguish antiquities thief named Elymas must race an elusive and taunting mastermind to find the one relic needed to resurrect Solomon's Temple. A trail of cabalistic clues leads them to the catacombs of Rome, the crypt below Chartres Cathedral, a Masonic shaft in Nova Scotia, a Portuguese shipwreck off Sumatra, and the caverns under the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.
Intertwined with this modern mystery-thriller, a parallel duel is waged:
The year is 1452. One of the most secretive societies in history, Portugal's Order of Christ, is led by a reclusive visionary, Prince Henry the Navigator. He and his medieval version of NASA merged with the CIA scheme to foil their archenemies, the Inquisitor Torquemada and Queen Isabella of Castile, who plan to bring back Christ for the Last Judgment by ridding the world of Jews, heretics, and unbelievers.
Separated by half a millennium, two conspiracies to usher in the Tribulations promised by the Book of Revelation dovetail in this fast-paced thriller to expose the world's most explosive secret: The true identity of Christopher Columbus and the explorer's connection to those now trying to spark the End of Days.

All That I am by Anna Funder

All That I Am is a masterful and exhilarating exploration of bravery and betrayal, of the risks and sacrifices some people make for their beliefs, and of heroism hidden in the most unexpected places.When eighteen-year-old Ruth Becker visits her cousin Dora in Munich in 1923, she meets the love of her life, the dashing young journalist Hans Wesemann, and eagerly joins in the heady activities of the militant political Left in Germany. Ten years later, Ruth and Hans are married and living in Weimar Berlin when Hitler is elected chancellor of Germany. Together with Dora and her lover, Ernst Toller, the celebrated poet and self-doubting revolutionary, the four become hunted outlaws overnight and are forced to flee to London. Inspired by the fearless Dora to breathtaking acts of courage, the friends risk betrayal and deceit as they dedicate themselves to a dangerous mission: to inform the British government of the very real Nazi threat to which it remains willfully blind. All That I Am is the heartbreaking story of these extraordinary people, who discover that Hitler's reach extends much further than they had thought.Gripping, compassionate, and inspiring, this remarkable debut novel reveals an uncommon depth of humanity and wisdom. Anna Funder has given us a searing and intimate portrait of courage and its price, of desire and ambition, and of the devastating consequences when they are thwarted.

What I Hope to Read Next

The Butterfly Summer by Harriet Evans

What magic is this?

You follow the hidden creek towards a long-forgotten house.
They call it Keepsake, a place full of wonder ... and danger. Locked inside the crumbling elegance of its walls lies the story of the Butterfly Summer, a story you've been waiting all your life to hear.
This house is Nina Parr's birthright. It holds the truth about her family - and a chance to put everything right at last.

War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

Tolstoy's beguiling masterpiece entwines love, death and determinism with Russia's war with Napoleon and its effects on those swept up by the terror it brings. The lives of Pierre, Prince Andrei and Natasha are changed forever as conflict rages throughout the early nineteenth century. Following the rise and fall of some of society's most influential families, this truthful and poignant epic is as relevant today as ever.




Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy

'I shouldn't mind being a bride at a wedding if I could be one without having a husband'
Independent, beautiful and headstrong Bathsheba Everdene finds herself attracting three very different suitors: Gabriel Oak, a humble sheep farmer; Frank Troy, a handsome and reckless sergeant; and William Boldwood, a prosperous and mature bachelor.
Each of them, in their own way, unsettles her decisions and complicates her life.
The story of Bathsheba's choices and passions explores the nature of love – and how the human spirit can overcome hardship and adversity.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

This weekly meme is hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date.

Since my last posting for this meme over two weeks ago not much has been happening on the reading front. The weather turned cool and so outside jobs abandoned due to the heat took precedence over reading. Just when I believed summer had finally lost its sting, a spate of hot, humid days confined me indoors once again. Unfortunately instead of taking advantage of this time to read lethargy set in and made it difficult to focus on any activity for long.

The Orphan Gunner by Sara Knox was the only book I finished. While not a page turner it is a compelling read. The ending was not what I expected and left me feeling sad.

I'm still reading Oliver Twist Investigates by G.M. Best and Mary Anerley: A Yorkshire Tale by R.D. Blackmore and have started two others, The Virgin of the Wind Rose by Glenn Craney and To Love, Honour and Obey by Valerie Holmes. Looking at what I'm currently reading I'm amazed that I have three ebooks and only one print book on the go. Usually, it is the other way around.

I'm still hoping to read Anna Funder's novel, All That I Am, next

What I Read Last Week

The Orphan Gunner by Sara Knox

The Orphan Gunner is an unconventional romance set in bomber command in Lincolnshire during the Second World War. Evelyn and Olive grew up together in the Canabolas Valley near Orange. They are in England at the outbreak of war: Evelyn as a pilot in the Air Transport Auxiliary, Olive in the Women's Auxiliary Air Force. They're joined by Evelyn's brother Duncan, a novice gunner in Lancaster L-Love, flying bombing raids over Germany. The raids take their toll on the crew, and the two women are drawn into a plot involving disguise and mistaken identity, to get the exhausted Duncan out of service. The Orphan Gunner explores the seductions of passing, the licence granted by risk, and the selflessness - and selfishness - of sacrifice. The relationship between the two women is portrayed with subtlety and warmth, and an extraordinary sense of historical detail which brings its wartime setting vividly to life.

What I'm Reading Today

Mary Anerley: A Yorkshire Tale by R.D. Blackmore

An early 19th century romance set in Yorkshire. Mary Anerley falls in love with smuggler Robin Lyth, but the relationship is discouraged by Mary's family due to Robin's obscure beginnings and his occupation as a smuggler.







Oliver Twist Investigates by G.M. Best

Who killed Nancy? Did Charles Dickens frame Bill Sykes and if so, why? As an adult, Oliver Twist receives deeply unsettling information written years earlier by Fagin while he was awaiting execution. It convinces Oliver that Dickens did not tell the entire truth about the events leading to Nancy's death. Now Oliver must embark on a complex investigation that takes him into the worst slums of London as he seeks out the whereabouts of some of the most memorable figures from his past—Betsy, Noah Claypole, Mr Bumble, and Charley Bates—not forgetting, of course, the Artful Dodger. Oliver's life is set to change dramatically as he uncovers not only what happened to Nancy, but also the astonishing truth about his own identity.

To Love, Honour and Obey by Valerie Holmes

The year is 1805. Six years ago, Willoughby Rossington’s father was murdered while searching for the kingpin of a smuggling and spy ring. Taken under the wing of his uncle, who is running a counter-intelligence operation against Napoleon’s spies, Willoughby is assigned to take up his father’s last mission—and, hopefully, in the process find who killed his father and bring them to justice. He encounters a young woman, Beth, who works at the local inn. Her spark and resilience against her master’s attempts to break her will strike a chord in him and he, albeit reluctantly, takes her with him when he leaves town. As they begin to talk, he finds out that her master is more involved in the ring that could have been thought. She overheard things and knows things about the seedy side of villages that could be helpful to him and his mission. Though Beth hasn’t had the opportunity for education, she’s smart and quite cunning while still maintaining a child-like wonder. Even as Willoughby makes plans to set her up with a family in order to protect her from the perils of his mission, he finds himself a bit melancholy at the thought of losing her company. Beth is having none of it. She knows she can be of help to Willoughby and isn’t going to be left behind now that she’s found someone nice. Part on purpose, part because of fate, their two lives become intertwined as they race against the villains that plot to destroy them both. Will they uncover the truth behind the smuggling ring and find who is responsible for the death of Willoughby’s father? Can they stay safe as they continue to work their way deeper into the ring?
‘To Love, Honour and Obey’ is a thrilling historical read, perfect for adventurers and historians alike.

The Virgin of the Wind Rose by Glen Craney

While investigating the murder of an American missionary in Ethiopia, rookie State Department lawyer Jaqueline Quartermane becomes obsessed with a magical word square found inside an underground church guarding the tomb of the biblical Adam. Drawn into a web of esoteric intrigue, she and a roguish antiquities thief named Elymas must race an elusive and taunting mastermind to find the one relic needed to resurrect Solomon's Temple. A trail of cabalistic clues leads them to the catacombs of Rome, the crypt below Chartres Cathedral, a Masonic shaft in Nova Scotia, a Portuguese shipwreck off Sumatra, and the caverns under the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.
Intertwined with this modern mystery-thriller, a parallel duel is waged:
The year is 1452. One of the most secretive societies in history, Portugal's Order of Christ, is led by a reclusive visionary, Prince Henry the Navigator. He and his medieval version of NASA merged with the CIA scheme to foil their archenemies, the Inquisitor Torquemada and Queen Isabella of Castile, who plan to bring back Christ for the Last Judgment by ridding the world of Jews, heretics, and unbelievers.
Separated by half a millennium, two conspiracies to usher in the Tribulations promised by the Book of Revelation dovetail in this fast-paced thriller to expose the world's most explosive secret: The true identity of Christopher Columbus and the explorer's connection to those now trying to spark the End of Days.

What I Hope to Read Next

All That I am by Anna Funder

All That I Am is a masterful and exhilarating exploration of bravery and betrayal, of the risks and sacrifices some people make for their beliefs, and of heroism hidden in the most unexpected places.When eighteen-year-old Ruth Becker visits her cousin Dora in Munich in 1923, she meets the love of her life, the dashing young journalist Hans Wesemann, and eagerly joins in the heady activities of the militant political Left in Germany. Ten years later, Ruth and Hans are married and living in Weimar Berlin when Hitler is elected chancellor of Germany. Together with Dora and her lover, Ernst Toller, the celebrated poet and self-doubting revolutionary, the four become hunted outlaws overnight and are forced to flee to London. Inspired by the fearless Dora to breathtaking acts of courage, the friends risk betrayal and deceit as they dedicate themselves to a dangerous mission: to inform the British government of the very real Nazi threat to which it remains willfully blind. All That I Am is the heartbreaking story of these extraordinary people, who discover that Hitler's reach extends much further than they had thought.Gripping, compassionate, and inspiring, this remarkable debut novel reveals an uncommon depth of humanity and wisdom. Anna Funder has given us a searing and intimate portrait of courage and its price, of desire and ambition, and of the devastating consequences when they are thwarted.

Book Review: Amy Snow by Tracy Rees

Lonely eight year old Aurelia Vennaway finds an abandoned baby girl in the snow and takes her home to Hatville Court. She aptly names the baby Amy Snow and dissuades her parents from sending the baby to an orphanage.

Amy's life is not easy in the Vennaway household.  She is brought up by the servants, treated cruelly by Aurelia's mother and with indifference by Aurelia's father. Her only champion and protector is Aurelia, who contrary to her parents' wishes, nurtures Amy and later changes Amy's role in the household from servant to companion.

When Aurelia dies young, 17 year old Amy is no longer welcome at Hatville Court. The day after Aurelia's funeral, grieving and uncertain about her future, Amy departs the only home she has ever known, but she has not been totally abandoned for Aurelia has left Amy a series of letters. These letters contain instructions and puzzles to be solved, hinting at a discovery of a secret should Amy complete this unusual quest

The story, set in the middle of the 19th century, is told from Amy's perspective and weaves memories of her life with Aurelia with her present situation. Deciphering the clues in Aurelia's letters takes Amy on a journey around England where she experiences many aspects of life for the first time including what it would be like to be part of a warm and loving family.  At times self-doubt threatens to derail the quest, but such is Amy's trust in Aurelia that she carries on, gaining confidence, finding self-worth and eventually happiness.

Amy and Aurelia are two wonderful characters. I warmed to them both immediately. Aurelia, despite her cold and aristocratic parents, has a loving nature. This, combined with a strong will and the fact that she is independently wealthy, allows her to mentor Amy and provide the love and companionship that would otherwise be missing from her life. Amy in turn adores Aurelia and both are drawn closer by the secrets they share.

I loved this debut novel from Tracy Rees. I was hooked from the very first page. It is a treasure hunt with a difference and even though I guessed the outcome of Amy's quest, this did not diminish my enjoyment in any way. Amy Snow is 551 pages of absolute delight. A very quick read given its length and a story that will leave you uplifted and wanting more from this author. I am looking forward to Tracy Rees' next novel, Florence Grace, due out in June, 2016.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

 

This weekly meme is hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date.

My reading last week was slow and steady. After finishing Heart of the Country by Tricia Stringer, the first in her new historical Australian saga, I continued on with The Orphan Gunner by Sara Knox. Last week, after only having read the first chapter, I said it was too early to form an opinion of it and I'm finding that even now when I'm half way through my feelings are mixed. The relationship between the two friends is a strange one, but I'm liking the story enough to keep reading.

The other book I began last week was the classic Mary Anerley: A Yorkshire Tale by R.D. Blackmore. I was reading this on my tablet when disaster struck. My charger decided it had had enough and until the replacement charger arrives Mary Anerley must wait. I could continue reading it on my lap top, but as my preferred reading positions are to curl up comfortably on the sofa or in bed I'll just wait for the charger.

Oliver Twist Investigates by G.M. Best was the other book I picked up last week. I've only read the preface so far, but that in itself is intriguing. The author explains how the book is an old manuscript found in a trunk full of Victorian documents he purchased at an auction "on the off-chance that they might contain something of interest". He divided the manuscript into chapters and amended the spelling and punctuation. Of interest also was a letter attached to the manuscript which "purports to have been written by Fagin".

Waiting for me at the library is Anna Funder's debut fictional novel, All That I Am. This novel won various awards in 2012, including the Miles Franklin Literary Award. Anna Funder is another Australian author I have recently discovered. My plan is to read this book next.

What I Read Last Week

Heart of the Country by Tricia Stringer

1846. Newly arrived from England, Thomas Baker is young, penniless and alone. Eager to make his mark on this strange new place called South Australia, he accepts work as an overseer on a distant sheep property, believing this will be the opportunity he seeks. But when Thomas’s path crosses that of ex-convict, Septimus Wiltshire — a grasping con man hell bent on making a new life for himself and his family at any price — trouble is on the horizon.
But Thomas is made of stern stuff and his fortunes take a turn for the better when he meets spirited farmer’s daughter Lizzie Smith, and soon he envisages their future together.
But this land is like no other he has encountered: both harsh and lovely, it breaks all but the strongest. When his nemesis intervenes once more and drought comes, Thomas finds himself tested almost beyond endurance with the risk of losing everything he and Lizzie have worked for… even their lives.

What I'm Reading Today

The Orphan Gunner by Sara Knox

The Orphan Gunner is an unconventional romance set in bomber command in Lincolnshire during the Second World War. Evelyn and Olive grew up together in the Canabolas Valley near Orange. They are in England at the outbreak of war: Evelyn as a pilot in the Air Transport Auxiliary, Olive in the Women's Auxiliary Air Force. They're joined by Evelyn's brother Duncan, a novice gunner in Lancaster L-Love, flying bombing raids over Germany. The raids take their toll on the crew, and the two women are drawn into a plot involving disguise and mistaken identity, to get the exhausted Duncan out of service. The Orphan Gunner explores the seductions of passing, the licence granted by risk, and the selflessness - and selfishness - of sacrifice. The relationship between the two women is portrayed with subtlety and warmth, and an extraordinary sense of historical detail which brings its wartime setting vividly to life.

Mary Anerley: A Yorkshire Tale by R.D. Blackmore

An early 19th century romance set in Yorkshire. Mary Anerley falls in love with smuggler Robin Lyth, but the relationship is discouraged by Mary's family due to Robin's obscure beginnings and his occupation as  a smuggler.







Oliver Twist Investigates by G.M. Best

Who killed Nancy? Did Charles Dickens frame Bill Sykes and if so, why? As an adult, Oliver Twist receives deeply unsettling information written years earlier by Fagin while he was awaiting execution. It convinces Oliver that Dickens did not tell the entire truth about the events leading to Nancy's death. Now Oliver must embark on a complex investigation that takes him into the worst slums of London as he seeks out the whereabouts of some of the most memorable figures from his past—Betsy, Noah Claypole, Mr Bumble, and Charley Bates—not forgetting, of course, the Artful Dodger. Oliver's life is set to change dramatically as he uncovers not only what happened to Nancy, but also the astonishing truth about his own identity.

What I Hope to Read Next

All That I am by Anna Funder

All That I Am is a masterful and exhilarating exploration of bravery and betrayal, of the risks and sacrifices some people make for their beliefs, and of heroism hidden in the most unexpected places.When eighteen-year-old Ruth Becker visits her cousin Dora in Munich in 1923, she meets the love of her life, the dashing young journalist Hans Wesemann, and eagerly joins in the heady activities of the militant political Left in Germany. Ten years later, Ruth and Hans are married and living in Weimar Berlin when Hitler is elected chancellor of Germany. Together with Dora and her lover, Ernst Toller, the celebrated poet and self-doubting revolutionary, the four become hunted outlaws overnight and are forced to flee to London. Inspired by the fearless Dora to breathtaking acts of courage, the friends risk betrayal and deceit as they dedicate themselves to a dangerous mission: to inform the British government of the very real Nazi threat to which it remains willfully blind. All That I Am is the heartbreaking story of these extraordinary people, who discover that Hitler's reach extends much further than they had thought.Gripping, compassionate, and inspiring, this remarkable debut novel reveals an uncommon depth of humanity and wisdom. Anna Funder has given us a searing and intimate portrait of courage and its price, of desire and ambition, and of the devastating consequences when they are thwarted.

Book Review: Highwayman Ironside by Michael Arnold

This is not the first Michael Arnold novel I've read. His English Civil War Chronicles following the exploits of the Royalist soldier Stryker have turned up in my reading pile from time to time. Highwayman Ironside is much lighter in tone than these novels, but just as good.

The setting is 1655 during the Protectorate, a time after the Civil War when Oliver Cromwell was installed as Lord Protector and a period in history I know very little about other than it was a time of relative peace and Royalists were still paying the price of defeat.

Major Samson Lyle, a Parliamentarian deserter, has taken to the highway as an act of revenge against the New Parliament. He is assisted by his young ward, Bella; an ex-smuggler, Eustace Grumm, and a horse that suffers from what can only be described as equine traumatic stress disorder, making it more of a liability than an asset.

Among papers found in a strongbox taken from their latest victim is a letter concerning the movement of a Royalist prisoner from one prison to another. Setting this prisoner free is an opportunity to strike at the New Protectorate, but the only way to find out when the transfer will take place is for Lyle to attend a masquerade ball given by a prominent Parliamentarian and question one of the guests. A simple but daring plan that could put an end to Lyle's career as a highwayman should he be recognised.

This novella is an exceptional piece of writing and so much fun to read. An exciting and humourous start grabbed my attention immediately and the story held me captive through all of its three parts.

Highwayman Ironside is a classic adventure story, with the hint of a romance, close shaves, sword fights, chases and a hero bent on outwitting those who want to see him captured and punished.

I enjoyed this introduction to Major Samson Lyle and can't wait for the next installment. Michael Arnold states at the end of his historical note that "The Ironside Highwayman will ride again". Whether it is another novella or a full length novel remains to be seen.

I received this ebook for free from Endeavour Press as a participant in their first ever Virtual Historical Fiction Festival to be held in April, 2016.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

 

This weekly meme is hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date.

As I predicted last Monday most of my reading time for the rest of the week was devoted to  Now Face to Face.  While I enjoyed the continuing story of Barbara, Lady Devane, I was a little disappointed with the ending. The fates of the important characters were made known in the epilogue, but it seemed a little rushed. I'm hoping that there will be another book in this series. After all Barbara is still a young woman and the Jacobite cause is still very much alive. At least I still have the prequel to Through A Glass Darkly, the first book in the series, to read.

The other book I was reading last week, and is still my main read for this, is Heart of the Country by Tricia Stringer. I am enjoying this Australian saga very much. I also managed to read the first chapter of The Orphan Gunner by Sara Knox, but it is still too early to form an opinion of it. Another book I started this week is Mary Anerley: A Yorkshire Tale by R.D. Blackmore. I nominated this book as part of the Reading England/Reading Yorkshire Challenge. Once again I have not read enough to form an opinion but the little I have read has me intrigued as it involves wills, deeds and inheritances. Mary Anerley is yet to make an entrance.

The book I hope to read next is Oliver Twist Investigates by G.M. Best, which uses the premise that  Oliver Twist was a real boy and not just a fictional character created by Charles Dickens.

What I Read Last Week

Now Face to face by Karleen Koen

The beloved heroine from Koen's bestselling Through a Glass Darkly returns in a passionate, unforgettable, romantic tapestry. A widow at age 20, emotionally devastated and financially ruined by the death of her husband in scandalous circumstances, Barbara Devane leaves colonial Virginia for London to confront her enemies and to pursue a deeply satisfying yet dangerous clandestine love.





What I'm Reading Today

Heart of the Country by Tricia Stringer

1846. Newly arrived from England, Thomas Baker is young, penniless and alone. Eager to make his mark on this strange new place called South Australia, he accepts work as an overseer on a distant sheep property, believing this will be the opportunity he seeks. But when Thomas’s path crosses that of ex-convict, Septimus Wiltshire — a grasping con man hell bent on making a new life for himself and his family at any price — trouble is on the horizon.
But Thomas is made of stern stuff and his fortunes take a turn for the better when he meets spirited farmer’s daughter Lizzie Smith, and soon he envisages their future together.
But this land is like no other he has encountered: both harsh and lovely, it breaks all but the strongest. When his nemesis intervenes once more and drought comes, Thomas finds himself tested almost beyond endurance with the risk of losing everything he and Lizzie have worked for… even their lives.

The Orphan Gunner by Sara Knox

The Orphan Gunner is an unconventional romance set in bomber command in Lincolnshire during the Second World War. Evelyn and Olive grew up together in the Canabolas Valley near Orange. They are in England at the outbreak of war: Evelyn as a pilot in the Air Transport Auxiliary, Olive in the Women's Auxiliary Air Force. They're joined by Evelyn's brother Duncan, a novice gunner in Lancaster L-Love, flying bombing raids over Germany. The raids take their toll on the crew, and the two women are drawn into a plot involving disguise and mistaken identity, to get the exhausted Duncan out of service. The Orphan Gunner explores the seductions of passing, the licence granted by risk, and the selflessness - and selfishness - of sacrifice. The relationship between the two women is portrayed with subtlety and warmth, and an extraordinary sense of historical detail which brings its wartime setting vividly to life.

Mary Anerley: A Yorkshire Tale by R.D. Blackmore

An early 19th century romance set in Yorkshire. Mary Anerley falls in love with smuggler Robin Lyth, but the relationship is discouraged by Mary's family due to Robin's obscure beginnings and his occupation as  a smuggler.







What I Hope to Read Next

Oliver Twist Investigates by G.M. Best

Who killed Nancy? Did Charles Dickens frame Bill Sykes and if so, why? As an adult, Oliver Twist receives deeply unsettling information written years earlier by Fagin while he was awaiting execution. It convinces Oliver that Dickens did not tell the entire truth about the events leading to Nancy's death. Now Oliver must embark on a complex investigation that takes him into the worst slums of London as he seeks out the whereabouts of some of the most memorable figures from his past—Betsy, Noah Claypole, Mr Bumble, and Charley Bates—not forgetting, of course, the Artful Dodger. Oliver's life is set to change dramatically as he uncovers not only what happened to Nancy, but also the astonishing truth about his own identity.