Greetings you guys! It’s May – It’s May – the crazy month of May! All over the world, the weather doesn’t know what it wants to do in May. It’s just MAYbe weather. Maybe it will rain, maybe it will sunny, maybe, it will windy. Alas, no use in worrying about the weather.
So let’s see – who watched the Coronation of King Charles III? We did and I have to say, it was lovely seeing the old folks playing dress-up. No use in growing old if you can’t do it with a sense of humor. Everything else was magical and regal. Fit for a king.
How’s life been treating all of you? We are well! Mommy is still working her ass off (am I allowed to say it like that on here?), but that’s okay, she is enjoying it and as with most things in life, I know the new business will start settling down and we will fall back into a comfortable rhythm. I guess we can blog a bit more, but the bits of free time she has at the moment, is spend on us and on reading. We still read up quite a storm and we’ve read a few great books lately!
Recently Read
- The Last Thing he told me by Laura Dave – This was a quick and captivating read and I can understand all the hype. But it still wasn’t a 5 star read for me. We’ve started with the mini-series and I feel very much the same about that as well.
- We are all completely beside ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler – This book has been on my Mommy’s TBR for ages. She picked it up in a secondhand bookstore last weekend and immediately devoured it. Oh my gosh. What a book! How did we miss it for so long?? There are mixed reviews surrounding this book and I completely understand it. The writing style sure is different, the story is intriguing, but emotionally draining. So is the main character. But that is EXACTLY what made this books such a stunner for me. I loved loved loved loved it. Please let me know if you’ve read it and TALK TO ME PLEASE!!!
- Vlug deur Wilna Adriaanse – this is an Afrikaans book and there isn’t an English edition available. Yet. Oh I hope I can say yet! What a beautiful, beautiful book. My Mommy stayed up late on Tuesday night (yes! A School night!) to finish this. It’s about a South African vet who works in the Congo at a chimpanzee sanctuary. She fled SA after her husband and young son were killed in a car-jacking right in front of their house (sadly, a daily occurrence in South Africa). When the rebel groups in the Congo start attacking small settlements and even the UN is forced to withdraw their aids, Mila (the vet) and Graham (a Doctors without Borders doctor) flee the country with three baby chimpanzees. Such a beautiful book that kept us turning the page until there weren’t any more to turn. Damn. I will keep you guys posted if there is an English Edition.
- Oppad na Moormansgat deur Chris Karsten – Another Afrikaans book that I know will never be translated into English. Or I don’t believe it will. It’s an epic starting with the Boer War and ending in the mid 1940’s. It primarily deals with one of the Boer Generals and his untimely and accidental death after he was hit by a stray bullet mend for a gang of thugs that cause havoc in SA during the early 1910’s. We loved it and a large part of the book takes place where my Mommy grew up. I will add a link for those of who you who might be interested in reading about the back story! Koos de la Rey
Currently Reading
In 1941, during humanity’s darkest hour, three unforgettable young women must act with courage and love to survive, from the New York Times bestselling author of The Dovekeepers and The Marriage of Opposites Alice Hoffman.
In Berlin, at the time when the world changed, Hanni Kohn knows she must send her twelve-year-old daughter away to save her from the Nazi regime. She finds her way to a renowned rabbi, but it’s his daughter, Ettie, who offers hope of salvation when she creates a mystical Jewish creature, a rare and unusual golem, who is sworn to protect Lea. Once Ava is brought to life, she and Lea and Ettie become eternally entwined, their paths fated to cross, their fortunes linked.
Lea and Ava travel from Paris, where Lea meets her soulmate, to a convent in western France known for its silver roses; from a school in a mountaintop village where three thousand Jews were saved. Meanwhile, Ettie is in hiding, waiting to become the fighter she’s destined to be.
What does it mean to lose your mother? How much can one person sacrifice for love? In a world where evil can be found at every turn, we meet remarkable characters that take us on a stunning journey of loss and resistance, the fantastical and the mortal, in a place where all roads lead past the Angel of Death and love is never ending.
Alice Hoffman just never disappoints. Gosh, I love her writing style.
My Mommy’s Kindle is reaching the end of its days… A charge only lasts a couple of days – that’s if we can get it to charge at all! It is about 10 years old already, so I guess it really isn’t that bad. We are trying to sort through our Kindle and read all the books that are still from Netgalley or any other books we’ve received not from Amazon. If we don’t read it before we have to buy a new Kindle, it will be lost to us forever….
I can’t think of anything else to tell you today. Oh yes – can you believe the mut is almost a year old?? It will be her birthday on the 26th of May! No, I still don’t like her.
But we do still like and miss you guys all a lot!! Have a wonderful week ahead!
Lots of love,
PS: Remember to add your links to our beautiful hosts!! Thank you to Debbie @ Readerbuzz and to Kimberly @ Caffeinated Reviewer for diligently hosting our Sunday link-up posts!
I need to give Laura Dave another try. I read one book for her and disliked the main character but enjoyed the writing style. I’m glad you’re getting some reading time with your crazy schedule but the real question is Elza getting enough lap time? Have a great week!
I have read the Laura Dave book and now you have me wanting to read the Katren Fowler book! The pup is a year old already?! Doesn’t seem like that much time has passed. You have been BUSY!
Oh, I do hope there is an English version of the book about the vet. That sounds right up my alley.
Jill
http://www.allthebooksihaventread.com/
You are right about the weather. Who knows what it will be from one day to the next. It may rain or it may be sunny. I am glad you were able to enjoy the coronation. I confess I forgot it was even happening so didn’t tune in. And when I did catch a snippet of news about it, it was only bits of negative royal gossip so I tuned out. It would have been neat though to see the pomp and circumstance and the formal wear.
It sounds like you have been busy and I am glad work is going well for you!
I really want to read We are all completely beside ourselves after reading your thoughts on it. It sounds like a must read! I really like Alice Hoffman’s writing too and hope you enjoy The World That We Knew.
Have a great week!
My sister got up early and watched the coronation but I passed on it. Sounds like it’s time for a new Kindle! Won’t all your books carry over to the new one? I hope so!
I have not read We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves, and your rave review makes me—despite the fact that I am already currently trying to read six books!—want to go out and buy it and read it today. I’m so glad that you enjoyed it so much.
It must be frustrating to read books that aren’t likely to be translated. Maybe you should offer yourself as a consultant to the publishing companies for that purpose. You’d be great at it, Mareli.
And, c’mon, Elza, get over it and pal up to your new dog friend. She’s not going away.
Dearest Debbie!
I think you will definitely enjoy We Are All completely beside ourselves.
I’m trying to get through all my review books and then I really want to start with the 1001 Children’s books. That is something I really want to try! The kids are enjoying it so far, but it takes us some time to gather all the books. But we will get there!
Oh gosh, I don’t know about consulting. The Afrikaans literature gurus are a bunch of difficult old folks…. But I do try to spread my love for Afrikaans books far and wide and I believe that way we can get more translated…
Oh Elza and Anna are never going to see eye-to-eye. I have more hopes for the little spaniel, but he is being influenced by Anna in the most terrible ways!!! LOL!!
Enjoy your week and we’ll hopefully chat again soon!
May-be weather is the perfect description!
Your kindle Netgalley books should remain accessible in your Amazon library account to re download, even if your Kindle dies.
Wishing you a happy reading week
Hi ShelleyRae!
So lovely to hear from you. Yes, this MAY-be weather sure does work on my nerves. I actually need to get up now to go and put on something a bit warmer.
I have a few Netgally books that are archived already… Luckily only about three, but let me rather just read them and make sure I’ve done it!
Have a great week ahead!
I didn’t catch the Coronation but I see it’s on Hulu so maybe on my days off I’ll check it out. I picked up The Last Thing He Told Me last month but I’m not in any hurry to get to it, which tells me something already. Then again I’m not in a big reading mood this week, I’d rather binge a few shows right now
The Last Thing he told me wasn’t the best book ever, but it was still a rather decent read. The show might actually be better, so perhaps give that a go!
Enjoy all your shows and there’s nothing wrong with being in a bit of a reading slump.
Have a good week!
Our weather has been crazy too. All over the place, but it’s been so green and we’ve been getting lovely spring flowers. Hope work settles down. I want to read The Last Thing He Told Me soon. They’ve made a series on it?
We still desperately need rain. We are entering our rainy season now (Winter rainfall ), so I hope we will blessed this year.
I’ve enjoyed The Last Thing He Told me and yes, there is a mini-series on it now and I quite enjoy it so far!
Thanks for the visit, have a great week ahead!
I watched some of the highlights of the coronation but to watch it live it started at 2 AM Vancouver time. Enjoy the book and the week ahead!
Hi Jodie!
Oh gosh no, I wouldn’t have gotten up that early to watch a bunch of old folks playing dress-up. It still was a lovely event and I think tie public enjoyed it!
Thanks for the visit, I hope you will have a good week!
I enjoyed The Last Thing He Told Me, but not so much as to watch the series…well maybe in the sewing studio. 😉
I just checked out We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves on goodreads and it sounds so intriguing! What could cause a child to stop talking? I’ve got to read it! Thank you for sharing!
Hi there Patricia!
We’ve only watched one episode so far, but it is quite good.
We are all completely beside ourselves is a STUNNING book. Not an easy read and might not be for everyone, but I loved it. Let me know if you get to read it and what your thoughts are on it.
Thanks for the visit and I hope you are well!
I missed the coronation sadly. I kinda like all that pomp so would have liked to see it.
Wait, there’s a series for The LAst thing He Told me??? Okay I just looked it up and yes there is! Seems like I heard about it, now that I remember, but I… forgot. I need to watch!
Hi Greg!
I also love all the pomp for sure! Yes! There is a series on The Last Thing he Told me! Hope you get to enjoy it.
Have a good week!
I never read anything by Alice Hoffman, but that book sounds good. Good luck with catching up on your NetGalley ARCs. Hope you have a great week!
Hi Yvonne!
I love Alice Hoffman! She is a very diverse author, but I especially like her books on Jewish culture, history and myths. And of course her Practical Magic series is the BEST!
Your observation on the Coronation equals my thoughts, exactly — old people playing dress-up.
Have a great week!
best, mae at maefood.blogspot.com
LOL!! It was still a lovely event….
Thanks Mae – hope you will have a good week too.
Glad you are still finding time to read and that you have read some lovely books recently! I hope things slow down for you soon. Have a wonderful week!
Hi Cindy!
Good to hear from you. Oh things don’t need to slow down, I just need to find a better rhythm, then all will be good again! I am going to try my best this week for sure.
Have a good one!
Hi there, Elza! Tell Mom that I also absolutely LOVED We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves and it’s one that has always stood out in my memory. And I wept over it… There have been some wrenching things done in the name of science and that is one of them. Best of luck with getting through allll the Netgalley arcs before the Kindle turns up its toes!! And I hope you all have a lovely week.
Hi Sarah!
So glad to hear that you’ve also enjoyed We are all completely beside ourselves. Gosh, that book is going to stick with me for a long time to come.
Luckily I don’t have too many outstanding Netgalley reviews and will hopefully get through them soon.
Hope you will have a lovely week too – take care of yourself!