Book Review: The Good Pilot Peter Woodhouse by Alexander McCall Smith

To start off my 2018 reading year, I chose this novel based on its World War II setting and its quirky title.

Alexander McCall Smith is a prolific writer of adult and children's fiction, and non-fiction. He is the author of a number of mystery series, his most successful being The No.1 Ladies Detective Agency. He has also written several standalone novels, of which The Good Pilot Peter Woodhouse is his latest.

Synopsis - From the Back Cover

World War II. England is under threat, and everybody has a part to play, no matter how small. Val works on a farm as a Land Girl, supplying produce to the local air

Historical Fiction Challenge 2018 - My Sign Up Post

Hosted by: Passages to the Past.
Challenge period: 1st January to 31st December, 2018
Sign up: anytime during the year

All the details are available on the sign-up page.

There are six different reading levels: 20th Century Reader (2 books), Victorian Reader (5 books), Renaissance Reader (10 books), Medieval (15 books), Ancient History (25 books) and Prehistoric (50+ books).

Back to the Classics Challenge 2018 - My Sign Up Post

Hosted by: Karen at Books and Chocolates.
Challenge period: 1st January to 31st December, 2018
Sign up: by 1st March, 2018
Aim: To encourage bloggers (and others) to read more classics.

More information and how to sign up can be found here.

The challenge is to read and review at least 6 books from 12 categories. As usual I had fun searching out the titles, most of

Australian Women Writers Challenge 2018 - My Sign Up Post

Hosted by: Australian Women Writers.
Challenge period: 1st January to 31st December, 2018.
Sign Up: Throughout the year until 30th November, 2018.

Aim: To help overcome gender bias in the reviewing of books by Australian women.

Further information about the challenge and how to join can be found here.

Aussie Author Challenge 2018 - My Sign Up Post

Hosted by: Jo at Book Lover Reviews
Challenge period: 1st January to 31st December, 2018
Sign Up: Anytime during the year
Aim: To showcase the quality and diversity of the books being produced by Australian authors.

All the information and how to join is here on the sign-up page.

I've yet to successfully complete this challenge though I read many novels by Australian authors. This year I'm participating at the Kangaroo level:

2017 Reading Challenges - My Wrap Up Post

Here is my wrap-up post for the various challenges I participated in during 2017. Not a very satisfactory result overall due to reviews not being posted though I will catch up on some of them over the coming months. While 2017 was not a good year for my reviews, I'm happy to

Book Review: Remember, Remember the 6th of November by Tony Morgan

Tony Morgan's debut novel retells the events that took place 412 years ago, at the beginning of November 1605, when English Catholics, Robert Catesby, Guy Fawkes and their co-conspirators planned to blow up England's Houses of Parliament along with the King, James I, who was also James VI of Scotland.

History records that their plans were thwarted and James I reigned for another 20 years, but what if there had been a different outcome?

I don't read novels with alternate endings to what actually happened in history, but I was intrigued by the title of this one. Why remember the 6th of

Blog Tour and Book Review: Illusion by Stephanie Elmas

I'm pleased to welcome you to today's stop on the blog tour for Stephanie Elmas' wonderful book, Illusion, published by Endeavour Press and available for purchase from Amazon.

Synopsis

London, 1873. Returning home from his travels with a stowaway named Kayan, Walter Balanchine is noted for the charms, potions and locket hanging from his neck. Finding his friend Tom Winter’s mother unwell, he gives her a potion he learned to brew in the Far East. Lucid and free from pain, the old woman remembers something about Walter’s mother. Walter is intrigued, for he has never known his family or even his own name – he christened himself upon leaving the workhouse.

Living in a cemetery with his pet panther Sinbad to keep the body snatchers away, word soon spreads of

Book Review: Parthena's Promise by Valerie Holmes

In 1815, after five years fighting the French, London barrister and gentleman, Jerome Fender, returns to England intent on starting a new life, far from London and not in the profession for which he is trained.

Outside an inn while taking a quiet moment to reflect on his future and his family's reaction to his decision, he is approached by Parthena Munro in distress. She misconstrues his offer of help and rejects it, but steals his money instead before disappearing into the night.

Angry, yet intrigued by the identity of the thief, Jerome is determined to recover his money and sets off across the Yorkshire Moors in pursuit. After learning the reason behind the theft and unable to deny his

Stacking the Shelves #12

Stacking The Shelves is hosted by Tynga of Tynga's Reviews and, as of May 2017, co-hosted by Marlene of Reading Reality. This meme is about sharing the books you are adding to your physical or virtual shelves. This means you can include books you buy in a physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and, of

Book Review: Perseverance: Book Two of the Garth Trilogy by L.F.McDermott

Perseverance continues the story of two convict families, the Garths and their friends, the Belletts, which began in Of Angels and Eagles. It spans the years 1809-1864 and focuses on the next generation, primarily James Garth and Mary Belletts.

When the Government decides to close the penal settlement of Norfolk Island, the two families are forced to leave and resettle in Van Diemen's Land.

Perseverance opens with the Belletts arriving in Hobart Town to take up their land grants and to be reunited with the Garths.

Stacking the Shelves #11

Stacking The Shelves is hosted by Tynga of Tynga's Reviews and, as of May 2017, co-hosted by Marlene of Reading Reality. This meme is about sharing the books you are adding to your physical or virtual shelves. This means you can include books you buy in a physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and, of