Acquired Books of September 2021

Hello!

Now I know I was very well behaved in August and did not buy one book but in September I made up for it. Here are all the wonderful books I acquired in September.

The search for the legendary ring of King Solomon has begun, and Penelope must sift through its long and convoluted history of lost emperors, crusaders, and other famous historical figures—including one with whom the magicians share their own complicated past— if she hopes to find it in time.

As Penelope’s magic continues to grow stronger with the coming high tide, she and Alexis will have to depend upon each other more than ever to keep everyone they care about safe from the continuing attacks by Thevetat’s priests.

When the magical high tide finally peaks, the long-awaited battle against Thevetat will begin, and Penelope, Alexis, and the magicians will have to rely on both powers of old and new if they hope to defeat their enemy once and for all.

A new Downton Abbey movie is slated for Christmas 2021. Highclere Castle, having achieved fame as the setting for Downton Abbey, is the epitome of the perfect English country house. The seasons govern life at the estate, and Lady Fiona Carnarvon, the current chatelaine, invites readers inside Highclere, past and present, as she describes the annual rhythms of English country life.

The Countess is a consummate hostess and a compelling authority on the castle, its history, and day-to-day life. With gorgeous full-color photography specially commissioned for this book, here she discusses entertaining for different seasonal feasts and holidays through the year and explores changing tastes and menus, plants and produce grown in the Highclere gardens, the charming menagerie of resident animals, and the traditions of living in the English countryside. Each season brings its own special activities and chores, many ancient, their names often a reference to the traditions and superstitions of country lore. Full of charming ideas and seasonal advice, this book will inspire readers seeking to brighten their approach to living with traditional English country style.

Dr Ruth Galloway returns to the moody and beautiful landscape of North Norfolk to confront another killer. A devastating new case for our favourite forensic archaeologist in this acclaimed and bestselling crime series.

The Night Hawks, a group of metal detectorists, are searching for buried treasure when they find a body on the beach in North Norfolk. At first Nelson thinks that the dead man might be an asylum seeker but he turns out to be a local boy, Jem Taylor, recently released from prison. Ruth is more interested in the treasure, a hoard of Bronze Age weapons. Nelson at first thinks that Taylor’s death is accidental drowning, but a second death suggests murder.

Nelson is called to an apparent murder-suicide of a couple at the isolated Black Dog Farm. Local legend talks of the Black Shuck, a spectral hound that appears to people before they die. Nelson ignores this, even when the owner’s suicide note includes the line, ‘He’s buried in the garden.’ Ruth excavates and finds the body of a giant dog.

All roads lead back to this farm in the middle of nowhere, but the place spells serious danger for anyone who goes near. Ruth doesn’t scare easily. Not until she finds herself at Black Dog Farm.

Starfleet was everything for Cristóbal Rios—until one horrible, inexplicable day when it all went wrong. Aimless and adrift, he grasps at a chance for a future as an independent freighter captain in an area betrayed by the Federation, the border region with the former Romulan Empire. His greatest desire: to be left alone.

But solitude isn’t in the cards for the captain of La Sirena, who falls into debt to a roving gang of hoodlums from a planet whose society is based on Prohibition-era Earth. Teamed against his will with Ledger, his conniving overseer, Rios begins an odyssey that brings him into conflict with outlaws and fortune seekers, with power brokers and relic hunters across the stars.

Exotic loves and locales await—as well as dangers galore—and Rios learns the hard way that good crewmembers are hard to find, even when you can create your own. And while his meeting with Jean-Luc Picard is years away, Rios finds himself drawing on the Starfleet legend’s experiences when he discovers a mystery that began on one of the galaxy’s most important days…

The peaceful English village of King’s Abbot is stunned. The widow Ferrars dies from an overdose of veronal. Not twenty-four hours later, Roger Ackroyd—the man she had planned to marry—is murdered. It is a baffling case involving blackmail and death, that taxes Hercule Poirot’s “grey cells” before he reaches one of the most startling conclusions of his career.

The follow-up to the international bestseller Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey, this book moves the story into the 1920s, and focuses on the remarkable American heiress who came to reign at Highclere Castle.

I can’t wait to get reading!

Please drop me a comment if you want to talk about any of the books

Happy Reading

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Reading My Height in Books #9

Hello!

It is time for another instalment of Reading My Height in Books. Another 4 books have been added to the stack.

The height of the stack is now 41.5 inches. That just means I have 25.5 inches left to go and I think I will be able to manage this, all being well. The dissertation is finished now and that means I have been enjoying a little bit more reading time.

Here are the pictures from the previous months. Look at that book stack grow!

Happy Reading

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The Weekly Brief

Hello!

I hope everyone is having a good weekend so far. I played for a wedding and a pet service yesterday and I must be honest I was in my element at the pet service. There were so many cute dogs for me to make a fuss of.

Posts this Week

Currently Reading

Just started The Yellow Dog and so much has already happened and I’ve only read 13 pages!

Books Acquired

So many wonderful books to start reading. The Maigret books will help me complete my challenge.

Happy Reading

If you enjoy reading my blog and would like to make a donation I would be very grateful. Thank you

September 2021 Wrap Up

Hello!

Another month has been and gone and I must admit September was probably my busiest month so far this year. I’ve started back at school, and taken on another church playing job so I have been quite busy. However, I have got my reading mojo back so I have been doing lots of reading as well and ignoring the housework when I can.

Statistics

Books

Pages: 511

Format Read: Kindle

Dragon Rating: 🐲🐲🐲🐲

Review

Pages: 224

Format Read: Hardback

Dragon Rating: 🐲🐲🐲🐲🐲

Review

Pages: 480

Format Read: Hardback

Dragon Rating: 🐲🐲🐲

Review

Pages: 344

Format Read: Hardback

Dragon Rating: 🐲🐲🐲🐲🐲

Review

Pages: 154

Format Read: Paperback

Dragon Rating: 🐲🐲🐲🐲

Review to follow

47/70 Goodreads Challenge

Still behind on the Goodreads challenge but I am slowly catching up.

Please drop me a comment if you want to chat about any of the books.

Happy Reading

If you enjoy reading my blog and would like to make a donation I would be very grateful. Thank you

Friday Poetry: D. H. Lawrence

Happy Friday!

I hope everyone has had a good week so far and I hope that everyone has some good weekend plans ahead.

My chosen poem this week is by David Herbert Lawrence (1885-1930) who was an English writer and poet.

Autumn Rain

The plane leaves
fall black and wet
on the lawn;

the cloud sheaves
in heaven's fields set
droop and are drawn

in falling seeds of rain;
the seed of heaven
on my face

falling - I hear again
like echoes even
that softly pace

heaven's muffled floor,
the winds that tread
out all the grain

of tears, the store
harvested
in the sheaves of pain

caught up aloft:
the sheaves of dead
men that are slain

now winnowed soft
on the floor of heaven;
manna invisible

of all the pain
here to us given;
finely divisible
falling as rain. 

D. H. Lawrence

Happy Reading

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Mid Week Quote: Nelson Mandela

Hello!

This is my day late Mid Week Quote. I sadly forgot yesterday, I must get better at planning my posts.

My chosen quote this week is by Nelson Mandela (1918-2013) who was the South African President from 1994-1999. He was the country’s first black head of state and the first elected in a fully representative democratic election.

“The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”

Nelson Mandela

Happy Reading

If you enjoy reading my blog and would like to make a donation I would be very grateful. Thank you

WWW Wednesday: 29/09/2021

WWW Wednesday is a meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words.

The rules are answer the questions below and share a link to your blog in the comments section of Sam’s blog.

  • What are you currently reading?
  • What did you recently finish reading?
  • What do you think you will read next?

Hello!

The dissertation is finished and submitted. This has resulted in more reading, yay! On Sunday I finished a book, read a whole book in one sitting and started another and it was bliss.

What I am Currently Reading

I’m about a quarter of the way through The Night Hawks and so far so good. I do enjoy reading a story about Dr Galloway.

What I have Recently Finished Reading

Two excellent books. The Carter of La Providence is the book I finished in one sitting.

What I Think I will Read Next

So many books, I’m not sure what I will choose next. I’m so happy to have more time to read but I also know I have a lot of jobs that I need to do now the dissertation is finished. Mainly housework and decorating.

Please drop me a comment with your WWW Wednesday link and I will head over for a visit.

Happy Reading

If you enjoy reading my blog and would like to make a donation I would be very grateful. Thank you

The King’s Seal by Amy Kuivalainen (Review)

The King’s Seal by Amy Kuivalainen

Blurb

The search for the legendary ring of King Solomon has begun, and Penelope must sift through its long and convoluted history of lost emperors, crusaders, and other famous historical figures—including one with whom the magicians share their own complicated past— if she hopes to find it in time.

As Penelope’s magic continues to grow stronger with the coming high tide, she and Alexis will have to depend upon each other more than ever to keep everyone they care about safe from the continuing attacks by Thevetat’s priests.

When the magical high tide finally peaks, the long-awaited battle against Thevetat will begin, and Penelope, Alexis, and the magicians will have to rely on both powers of old and new if they hope to defeat their enemy once and for all.

Review

My first thought when I got this book was sadness because I did not want this to be the last book of the series. Thankfully, this book was just as good as the previous two books and I could not put it down. 

I will be honest I felt rushed with this book but that might be because I wanted a longer book. I just felt like all the answers the magicians needed suddenly arrived in quick succession. However, this might be because the magicians had the added help of Elazar and Constantine. 

Penelope and the magicians are on the trail of King Solomon’s ring and with their investigations they get some help from Constantine. Constantine is a brilliant character and really made me laugh but he is also a very thoughtful and deep thinking character. Constantine is a big help to the magicians and not because he is a good shoulder to cry on for Zo. 

Obviously the main characters are Penelope and Alexis but the secondary characters are just as strong. Zo is my favourite magician and I must admit I would have liked to see more of him in this book but at least he had a bigger part than Galenos who was barely in it. All the magicians have such fascinating pasts and are brilliant characters. I would love to have more stories about them.

The final battle came and went within a blink of an eye and I must admit was the rushed part for me and it did seem over simplified as I was expecting something big and spectacular but it was still good. I loved the book and couldn’t put it down. I give this book 5 out of 5 Dragons. 

🐲🐲🐲🐲🐲

Product Links

Book Depository | Foyles | Waterstones | Wordery

(All purchases made using one of the above affiliate links gives a small percentage of money to myself with no extra cost to yourself. All proceeds go towards the upkeep of this blog. Thank you ever so much, your support is gratefully received.)

About the author

Amy Kuivalainen is a Finnish-Australian writer that is obsessed with magical wardrobes, doors, auroras and burial mounds that might offer her a way into another realm. Until then, she will write about fairy tales, monsters, magic and mythology because that’s the next best thing. She is the author of The Firebird Fairytales Trilogy and The Blood Lake Chronicles series that mash up traditional tales and mythology in new and interesting ways.

Reviews of books in the series

The Immortal City

The Sea of the Dead

Maigret Challenge

Happy Monday!

I have decided on another reading challenge. Yes, I know another one. I currently have the Agatha Christie and the Shakespeare challenges ongoing but I thought I would add the Maigret books by Georges Simenon in as well. There are a few reasons for this, firstly, I am collecting the rather lovely Penguin editions of the Maigret books, my husband is collecting the Folio Society editions. Secondly, I can easily read them in one sitting, so they don’t take a great deal of time to read and they do make me laugh. I find they are a rather useful distraction when the husband is watching the Grand Prix.

In total there are 75 books in the Penguin series and I have been reading them in the order Penguin gives. I have read three out of order because I read the Folio editions and those were the ones which got me hooked.

Anyway, here is the list. The ones ticked off are also linked to the reviews

  1. Pietr the Latvian
  2. The Late Monsieur Gallet
  3. The Hanged Man of Saint-Pholien
  4. The Carter of La Providence
  5. The Yellow Dog
  6. Night at the Crossroads
  7. A Crime in Holland
  8. The Grand Banks Cafe
  9. A Man’s Head
  10. The Dancer at Gai-Moulin
  11. The Two-Penny Bar
  12. The Shadow Puppet
  13. The Saint-Fiacre Affair
  14. The Flemish House
  15. The Madman of Bergerac
  16. The Misty Harbour
  17. Liberty Bar
  18. Lock No.1
  19. Maigret
  20. Cecile is Dead
  21. The Cellars of the Majestic
  22. The Judge’s House
  23. Signed, Picpus
  24. Inspector Cadaver
  25. Felicie
  26. Maigret gets Angry
  27. Maigret in New York
  28. Maigret’s Holiday
  29. Maigret’s Dead Man
  30. Maigret’s First Case
  31. My Friend Maigret
  32. Maigret at the Coroner’s
  33. Maigret and the Old Lady
  34. Madame Maigret’s Friend
  35. Maigret’s Memoirs
  36. Maigret’s at Picratt’s
  37. Maigret Takes a Room
  38. Maigret and the Tall Woman
  39. Maigret, Lognon and the Gangsters
  40. Maigret’s Revolver
  41. Maigret and the Man on the Bench
  42. Maigret is Afraid
  43. Maigret’s Mistake
  44. Maigret Goes to School
  45. Maigret and the Dead Girl
  46. Maigret and the Minister/ Maigret and the Calame Report
  47. Maigret and the Headless Corpse
  48. Maigret Sets a Trap
  49. Maigret’s Failure
  50. Maigret Enjoys Himself
  51. Maigret Travels
  52. Maigret’s Doubts
  53. Maigret and the Reluctant Witnesses
  54. Maigret’s Secret
  55. Maigret in Court
  56. Maigret and the Old People
  57. Maigret and the Lazy Burglar
  58. Maigret and the Good People of Montparnasse
  59. Maigret and the Saturday Caller
  60. Maigret and the Tramp
  61. Maigret’s Anger
  62. Maigret and the Ghost
  63. Maigret Defends Himself
  64. Maigret’s Patience
  65. Maigret and the Nahour Case
  66. Maigret’s Pickpocket
  67. Maigret Hesitates
  68. Maigret in Vichy
  69. Maigret’s Childhood Friend
  70. Maigret and the Killer
  71. Maigret and the Wine Merchant
  72. Maigret’s Madwoman
  73. Maigret and the Loner
  74. Maigret and the Informer
  75. Maigret and Monsieur Charles

Please drop me a message if you have read any of the Maigret books.

Happy Reading

If you enjoy reading my blog and would like to make a donation I would be very grateful. Thank you

The Weekly Brief

Hello!

I can’t believe we are now in Autumn! Christmas is fast approaching and I am way behind on my reading challenge. Hopefully, I will be able to catch up.

Anyway here is what has been happening on the blog this week.

Posts this Week

Currently Reading

I’m flying through this as I’m enjoying it so much.

No books bought this week.

The dissertation gets handed in today so my reading will be increasing now I hope.

Happy Reading

If you enjoy reading my blog and would like to make a donation I would be very grateful. Thank you