Month: August 2022

Wondrous Words Wednesday – Brouhaha

Wondrous Words Wednesday – Brouhaha

Greetings you Guys! Welcome back to Wondrous Words Wednesday! No, we didn’t abandon this fun meme, we’ve just decided to make it monthly meme instead of a biweekly one. If this is your first time visiting – yay! Here’s what it’s all about: All you need to do, is share any new (or new to you) words you came across this past month and share them with us. You are also welcome to share words you simply want to show off to us. No rules apply here, just share any or all the lovely or new words you’ve encountered over the last month. Tips and ideas: Don’t go pull the Dictionary down from the shelf. Use words you came across in a book, a TV show, pamphlet, social media, doctor’s room, classroom – the possibilities are endless If you want to share a story around your chosen word, you are welcome If you want to link your chosen word up with a book or books, please do so You are welcome to share photos or pictures that will describe your word just a bit better (who doesn’t love Pictionary) Let’s stick to words that are recognized in the English Dictionary. […]

Posted August 31, 2022
20 Comments
Ten Books You Probably Shouldn’t Read at School

Ten Books You Probably Shouldn’t Read at School

Greetings you guys! It’s Tuesday and time for Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl. Today’s prompt is a School Freebie and apparently you can  do whatever you want with this prompt. As long as it’s related to school in some or other way. How sneaky a reader were you at school? In other words, what books did you read you probably shouldn’t have for what ever reason? For today, we will present you with a list of books you probably shouldn’t read at school. This list is totally biased of course. But please feel free to add as you see fit! The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty – Georgetown, Washington D.C. Actress and divorced mother Chris MacNeil starts to experience ‘difficulties’ with her usually sweet-natured eleven-year-old daughter Regan. The child becomes afflicted by spasms, convulsions and unsettling amnesiac episodes; these abruptly worsen into violent fits of appalling foul-mouthed curses, accompanied by physical mutation. Medical science is baffled by Regan’s plight and, in her increasing despair, Chris turns to troubled priest and psychiatrist Damien Karras, who immediately recognises something profoundly malevolent in Regan’s distorted fetures and speech. On Karras’s recommendation, the Church summons Father Merrin, a specialist […]

Posted August 30, 2022
37 Comments
Fire & Ice by B.T. Polcari

Fire & Ice by B.T. Polcari

Fire & Ice by B.T. Polcari Series: Mauzzy & Me #2 on August 15th, 2022 Genres: Cozy Mystery Pages: 352 Format: ARC Source: Netgalley Buy on Amazon Goodreads After encountering a brief power outage at work, college student Sara Donovan might be allowing her imagination to run wild. The main vault in the Carlton Museum holds the Fire and Ice Exhibit, a collection of rare gems, including the Star of Midnight, a 175-carat diamond. Although all the stones are accounted for, Sara suspects the Star of Midnight was stolen and replaced with a fake. While conducting her own investigation, what Sara uncovers is beyond even her wildest imagination: a coded message, papers with strange characters, and a mysterious set of numbers carved into an office wall. Despite dismissive historians and other experts, she is certain these clues point to a mysterious centuries-old legend. Unfortunately, her colorful history of usually being right, but always being wrong, means she must solve the mystery to prove her theory. What a fun read this was! Truly a gem (no pun intended). I have never heard of the Mauzzy & Me Mystery series and frankly, I’m not a fan of dachshunds, but I am a […]

Posted August 29, 2022
4 Comments
The Sunday Post #81

The Sunday Post #81

Greetings you guys, how are you? We didn’t have the best of weeks and my Mommy is actually sick with the flue or something so got from the dog in bed while we are typing here. And that’s not even the worst of our week. Let’s not get into it in too much detail and just say that people really can sometimes do the stupidest things. Oh and there’s a reason why the president of School Governing Bodies are always depicted as assholes in movies and TV shows – they usually are. Mommy says that every now and then, she can get so disappointed in her own race and the empires and dogmas humans so love to belong to. Luckily she has all of us to comfort her in sickness and disappointments. Oh and trees, trees are another thing that makes her happy at the moment. Have you read this gem? A rich, magical new book on belonging and identity, love and trauma, nature and renewal, from the Booker shortlisted author of 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World. Two teenagers, a Greek Cypriot and a Turkish Cypriot, meet at a taverna on the island they both call home. […]

Posted August 28, 2022
35 Comments
Little Women: Mermaid Edition by Megan Lois Whitehill

Little Women: Mermaid Edition by Megan Lois Whitehill

Little Women: Mermaid Edition by Megan Lois Whitehill on August 24, 2022 Genres: Fantasy Source: Lola’s Blog Tours Buy on Amazon Goodreads A timeless classic heads under the sea… A retelling of Louisa May Alcott’s classic, Little Women: Mermaid Edition takes the story of Jo, Meg, Beth and Amy, and spins it into a fantastical story of merfolk under the sea. Follow the young mergirls as they grow up in a world of talking walruses, seahorse rides, and the mysterious merboy next door. Will the four mermaid sisters find everything they aspire to in the Deep Ocean? Or will poverty and shabby shell corsets keep them from their dreams? True to the beloved classic, the Mermaid Edition tackles complex themes of growing up, social pressure, falling in love for the first time, and embracing sisterly love. Complete with original illustrations, this retelling is perfect for longtime lovers of Little Women and new readers alike. It’s a thoughtful gift idea for mermaid enthusiasts and Louisa May Alcott fans ages 11 and up. I am utterly in love with my UBB Plug-in that pulls all the book info through so nicely. But for this book, I am going to add the cover […]

Posted August 27, 2022
6 Comments
How to Train your Dragon by Cressida Cowell

How to Train your Dragon by Cressida Cowell

How to Train your Dragon by Cressida Cowell Series: How to Train your Dragon #1 on February 4th, 2010 Genres: Childrens Pages: 240 Format: Paperback Source: VCS Buy on Amazon Goodreads Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, the quiet and thoughtful son of the Chief of the Hairy Hooligans, tries to pass the important initiation test of his Viking clan by catching and training a dragon. Can Hiccup do it without being torn limb from limb? Join his adventures and misadventures as he finds a new way to train dragons–and becomes a hero. This action-packed, hilarious, and perfectly illustrated novel is a modern classic beloved by millions across the globe. One of our favorite series’ in the library, is The How to Train your Dragon series by Cressida Cowell. Of course all the kids have seen the highly successful movie adaptations of these books, but they will also be the first ones to say that it’s not quite the same as the books. I’m not sure if this is a case of the book-is-better-than-the movie or the movie-is-better-than-the-book, as the kids split 50/50 here. But let me quite meowing about the series and let’s see what Enrique (Ricky) Jordaan in Gr4 has […]

Posted August 26, 2022
6 Comments
The Secrets of Sainte Madeleine by Tilly Bagshawe

The Secrets of Sainte Madeleine by Tilly Bagshawe

The Secrets of Sainte Madeleine by Tilly Bagshawe Published by Harper Collins on February 17th, 2022 Genres: Historical Fiction Pages: 506 Format: eBook Source: The Pigeonhole Buy on Amazon Goodreads Sweeping through the 1920s to WWII and beyond, this is the story of the Salignac family – the loves that bind them, the secrets that threaten to divide them, and the chateau that will always call them home. Deep in the French countryside, inside the walls of a family chateau, a remarkable legacy awaits . . . From the international bestselling author comes an escapist, glamorous tale spanning generations & sweeping from Burgundy to Greece and beyond . . . ONE FAMILY – THREE GENERATIONS SOME SECRETS NEVER DIE . . . Elise would do anything to inherit Sainte Madeleine, the vineyard that’s been home to the Salignacs for generations. Only Laurent Senard, a distant cousin, is a rival for her heart – yet when a family rift sends her on a new and dangerous path, she risks losing them both . . . Alexandre, Elise’s brother, can’t bear to see their capricious father put the vineyard – and Alex’s birthright – in jeopardy. He leaves to carve out his […]

Posted August 24, 2022
7 Comments
Blog Tour & Excerpt: Big Swamp by Kelly Dean Jolley

Blog Tour & Excerpt: Big Swamp by Kelly Dean Jolley

Big Swamp by Kelly Den Jolley on August 2nd, 2022 Genres: Detective Noir, Romance Pages: 298 Source: Meryton Press Buy on Amazon Goodreads Ford Merrick is a softhearted detective in a sleepy southern town, Opelika, Alabama—a “one-eyed, blinking sort of place.” A provoking visit from beautiful Rachel Gunner complicates his work and his life. This stunning woman asks Ford to tail her uncle and discover what he is up to. Taking the case, Ford quickly finds himself swamped in mysteries: Who is Rachel’s uncle, and what is his secret business? Then there’s the mystery of an earlier death at Noble Hall where Rachel and her uncle now live. But the greatest mystery may be Rachel Gunner herself. Mired, Ford struggles to find his way, unearths tragedies old and new, and exposes his heart to a hard test. Greetings you guys! Welcome to our stop on the Blog Tour for Meryton Press’ latest edition. For those of you familiar with Meryton Press, do not expect the usual Austenesque (I had to look that up as well, don’t worry) novel. Oh no, they’ve decided to branch out into a new genre. For their first non-Austenesque book, they went with a Romance/Detective Noir […]

Posted August 22, 2022
25 Comments
The Sunday Post #80

The Sunday Post #80

Greetings you guys! It’s the third weekend in a row with dreadfully cold weather. Wind and rain also seem to take up weekend residence in our little town. We don’t mind the rain, we desperately need it. But the wind and cold is too much for my sensitive constitution. We are all well and the little mutt still appears to be growing like one of Jack’s magic beans. She is very inquisitive and playful. She does keep the humans on their toes and the rest of the household’s tails in a knot. I am worried that she is trying to hack a space on my beautiful blog. I have my spies out you know and here she was caught red-handed by Lea trying to hack our post. Can you believe that? And then Mommy turns around and says that maybe we should give her some blogging time. Daddy cam up with Agent Anna Snout Investigates and suggests we let her do all the mystery books Mommy loves so much. I need to think about this. Long and hard. Nothing much else is new in our world, school is busy and finally at a good rhythm after the past 2+ years. Mommy is […]

Posted August 21, 2022
34 Comments
Throwback Thursday #13 – Salt to the Sea

Throwback Thursday #13 – Salt to the Sea

Greetings you guys! It’s a rainy Thursday afternoon here in South Africa and all we want to do, is get into bed and snuggle with a great book. But we hear the call of duty as well and we first want to do a Throwback Thursday Post. That fun meme we only get to every now and then. The Chocolate Lady’s #Throwback Thursday takes place on the Thursday before the first Saturday of every month. Yes, there is a linky and it will remain open until she uploads the new one. Thank Goodness. My first and last sometimes gets very confused. Your post must highlight one of your previously published book reviews and Davida encourages other participants to do the same. Add the link to your post and remember to link back to The Chocolate Lady’s Book Blog And do not forget to #ThrowbackThursday! The review that we are looking back to today, is for a book that my Mommy loved so much. She says she can’t believe that she’s still only read this one by the very talented author, Ruta Sepetys: Paperback  390 pages Read 09 August 2016 Published February 2016 Goodreads Blurb: Winter, 1945. Four teenagers. Four secrets. Each one born of […]

Posted August 18, 2022
15 Comments