Hobbies and Crafts

I have now started the 4th book of the 7 sisters.

The Pearl Sister is the fourth book in the number one international bestselling Seven Sisters series by Lucinda Riley.

CeCe D’Aplièse has never felt she fitted in anywhere. Following the death of her father, the elusive billionaire Pa Salt – so-called by the six daughters he adopted from around the globe and named after the Seven Sisters star cluster – she finds herself at breaking point. Dropping out of art college, CeCe watches as Star, her beloved sister, distances herself to follow her new love, leaving her completely alone.

In desperation, she decides to flee England and discover her past; the only clues she has are a black-and-white photograph and the name of a woman pioneer who lived in Australia over one hundred years ago. En-route to Sydney, CeCe heads to the one place she has ever felt close to being herself: the stunning beaches of Krabi, Thailand. There amongst the backpackers, she meets the mysterious Ace, a man as lonely as she is and whom she subsequently realizes has a secret to hide . . .

A hundred years earlier, Kitty McBride, daughter of an Edinburgh clergyman, is given the opportunity to travel to Australia as the companion of the wealthy Mrs McCrombie. In Adelaide, her fate becomes entwined with Mrs McCrombie’s family, including the identical, yet very different, twin brothers: impetuous Drummond, and ambitious Andrew, the heir to a pearling fortune.

When CeCe finally reaches the searing heat and dusty plains of the Red Centre of Australia, she begins the search for her past. As something deep within her responds to the energy of the area and the ancient culture of the Aboriginal people, her creativity reawakens once more. With help from those she meets on her journey, CeCe begins to believe that this wild, vast continent could offer her something she never thought possible: a sense of belonging, and a home .

I have just finished The Swallow and the Hummingbird by Santa Montefiore.
"The war has ended and Rita Fairweather is waiting for George Bolton, her childhood sweetheart, to return home to Devon. She wants their future to be a continuing reassurance of their past. But George comes back as a man changed by the horrors he has experienced.

Unable to settle back into a small-town life, George decides to travel to Argentina. And Rita promises to wait. But George faces irresistible temptation and an agonising choice. As the years pass, Rita keeps her word... but how long should she wait for the love of her life?"


I wasn't sure when I started this one but I do always like her books so persevered and I am pleased that I did as it was a real saga involving their families and their lives at home and in Argentina, a really good read.

Finished the first of the trilogy on Eleanor of Acquitaine,
The Summer Queen by Elizabeth Chadwick.

Enjoyed reading about her and found her to be a very powerful
wealthy woman of her time. She was Queen of France till she
divorced Louis V11, she was then vulnerable as a single woman
so she married again and he became Henry11 of England.

Have started The Winter Crown and looking forward to finding
out about her next journey.

'How Mumbo-Jumbo Conquered The World' - (by Francis Wheen - recommended especially for me by Rollo the Red).

Jeremy Paxman commented: 'Francis Wheen is the intelligent sceptic's intelligent sceptic'. :-D

Thank you Vera and Ann, look forward to reading her.

Yes I like Elizabeth Chadwick too don’t think I have read those though.

I have read The Winter Crown and The Autumn Throne but never got to read the first one in the series. I’ve also read a couple of other Elizabeth Chadwick historical novels. I’ve always enjoyed her books.

Looking back to books I have downloaded to
my kindle, wondered if anyone would be interested
in this trilogy of books.

Book 1 The Summer Queen by Elizabeth Chadwick, about Eleanor of Aquitaine

Book 2 The Winter Crown.

Book 3 The Autumn Throne.


Edit......Have not read them yet.

I had never heard of the Libby App until you mentioned it a while ago. I meant to look into it and forgot all about it so thanks for the reminder.

EDIT: Libby now downloaded

As you’ve got an iPad, download or use the Libby Ap & link with your county library. It’s possible that some of the books on your list can be borrowed in an eformat.

Thank you DetEcTive. I’ll add that book to my list. If I hear of a book I want to read I note it on my iPad which I take with me to the library. The trouble is the list is getting longer and longer :-D

SuffolkVera.

Our local branch library did the same years ago. They said it was partly to encourage borrowers to try other genre. No idea if they’ve reverted or if it’s still the same.

Is this it?
A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th Century by Barbara Tuchman

A Distant Mirror sounds my sort of book. I'll look for it in the library. Who is the author please?

Our library changed its system quite a while ago now. It used to order books by genre e.g. romance, history, fantasy etc. Within each genre authors were in alphabetical order. Now everything is just in alphabetical author order so all the different types of books are mixed up and if you don't know the author you want you can't find anything.

Apparently it was done by popular request and for our "convenience". I've spoken to a lot of people about it and haven't found one yet who likes the system but, hey, it's for our convenience :-S

I'm reading 'A distant Mirror': The calamitous 14th century! A very long book, but absolutely fascinating!!

Recently finished In Gods Name by David Yallop about the death of Pope Paul after only 33 days. Linked to financial scandal and impending changes.

Merchants in the temple by Gianluigi Nuzzi
Concerning the massive financial within the Vatican.

Am finding it difficult to get into The Life of Lord Cardigan
at the moment.
He was an arrogant man who appears to have looked down his nose at his peers.
He was brought up in a household of women and always treated them better.

Attended University's but never sat an exam, apparently this was the norm
then.
He was regarded as a fool and I feel he loved the limelight and notorious character
he received from others.

Will persevere :-)

Jack & Jill by James Patterson.

Someone is killing young children in (African-American) Detective Alex Cross' Washington DC downtown neighborhood.

Across town, a Senator is assassinated. Cross is pulled off the childrens murders to give his expertise. A poem is left at this & subsequent assassinations signed by 'Jack & Jill'. It soon becomes clear that the ultimate target is the President.

The plot switches between the search for Jack & Jill, and the child-murder. Just when you think you've worked out who they are, Patterson throws a spanner in the works.

If you enjoy murder mysteries, ask Father Christmas or add your name to the library waiting list.

At the moment am now reading The Homicidal Earl...
The Life of Lord Cardigan by Saul David