Libby: Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murders, Jesse Sutanto

What an absolutely wonderful find!

Loved this book. Vera owns a tea house, one morning she finds a dead body in her tea house! She is disappointed that the police aren't more like the CSI shows she watches on television. She is convinced that it was murder. She will put the puzzle pieces together. 

She meets Julia the dead guys wife, Emma their child, Oliver, dead guys brother, Riki and Sana. The story unfolds. 

She also has great advice for businesses; put up your prices after every three projects, because you would have improved each time. So charge more for your value. 

5/5

Audiobook: I Am Watching You, Teresa Driscoll

The book started off really intriguing. A lady is on a train and sees two young friends on their way to London. They are joined by two older guys. She overhears their conversation. It's the girls' first visit to London, they are going to go and watch Les Miserables. The guys, are newly released convicts. Her spider senses go into overdrive. Does she try and contact their parents, but she decides not to be a busy body. 

Next morning when she puts on the news, one of the girls is missing!

It's fairly interesting. But, there are a lot of story lines, and a lot of focus on her flower arrangements. I think the book could have been quite a bit shorter, as it did drag a bit. I think there were too many things the author tried to cram in. 

3 1/2 out of 5.   

Audiobook: A Life on our Planet, David Attenborough

This has been my least favourite David Attenborough book. What is marvellous is that he narrates it. But, he is considerably more negative / despondent than in any of his other books, which, I get because our planet is in a massive predicament. (Actually insert massive expletive!)

There is a bit of hope, but will take time to fix. 

3/5 

Libby: Scythe, Neal Shusterman

Not in a million years would I ever have thought that I would read a young adult, science fiction~type book. This is more the type of book and genre that Mark enjoys. But, I saw '@Stephreadsalot' on TikTok rave about the book, so decided, you know what... why not...?

Borrowed if off Libby (which is an amazing app that links up to your library, and gives you access to ebooks and audiobooks that might not be available at the physical library). 

Firstly, I really battled to actually pronounce the word correctly! 

Pronunciation = Sithe

Secondly, I familiarlised myself with the meaning of 'Young Adult (YA)' books. Young Adult literature is generally described as books written for an audience of 12-20 year olds.

I must admit that I am very grateful for the ebook function to help with terms and words that I am not familiar with. I found many of the words and concepts quite complex. 

The premise of the book is set in a utopian ideology in the future. There is no concept of illness or pain. If you do hurt yourself, then your body has nanites that help you to heal and manage the pain, if you do hurt yourself. You are also able to 'turn the coroner' in age, if you get too old, then you can turn the corner to an earlier age. If you e.g. break your neck, then you get carried off by an ambu~drone to the nearest revival centre and they fix you up there (and you get delicious ice cream!)

There is also no such thing as natural death anymore. There are however scythes who have been trained to do the important job of gleaning people when their time has come to an end. 

We meet Scythe Faraday, who takes on two apprentices to teach them how to become scythes. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! So very different to anything that I have every read, and quite a few twists along the way! I can just imagine that it would make a really good series or movie. And, by the looks of it, Steven Spielberg has shown an interest in getting involved!

5/5

Here is a list of all the words I highlighted that I needed to double check the meaning for:

• Incendiary ~ (of a device or attack) designed to cause fires
• Visceral ~ instinct
• Bokator ~ is considered to be the oldest martial art currently being practiced in the Kingdom of Cambodia, dating back to the 1st century.
• Faraday ~ an English scientist who contributed to the study of electromagnetism and electrochemistry
• Running the gauntlet ~ To run the gauntlet means to take part in a form of corporal punishment in which the party judged guilty is forced to run between two rows of soldiers, who strike out and attack them with sticks or other weapons. Metaphorically, this expression is also used to convey a public trial that one must overcome
• Sycophantic ~ a person who tries to please someone in order to gain a personal advantage.
• Mellifluous ~ (of a sound) pleasingly smooth and musical to hear.
• Bacchanal ~ a wild and drunken celebration.
• Vernal ~ something that occurs in springtime or is related to springtime
• Capybara ~ a giant cavy rodent native to South America.  Inhabits savannas and dense forests, and lives near bodies of water. It is a highly social species and can be found in groups as large as 100
• Pariah ~ an outcast

Quotes I highlightes:

Is it worse to be despised or to be ignored?

Guilt is the idiot cousin of remorse

Kindle: The Courage To Be Disliked, Kishimi, Ichiro; Koga, Fumitake

Based on the philosophy of Alfred Adler. 

It is written as a dialogue between a youth and a philosopher. 

The crux of it:

The issues start with interpersonal relationships; we want to please others and in the process lose ourselves. 

You can only live your life, no one else can live it for you. 

If I change, the world will change. No one else will change the world for me …

It's about the here and now; life is a journey and contributing to others. 

Do not look at the past, and do not look at the future. One lives each complete moment like a dance. There is no need to compete with anyone, and one has no use for destinations.

‘One must not be afraid of being disliked. Freedom is being disliked by other people.’‘It isn’t that you lack competence. You just lack “courage”.’‘Neither the past nor the future exist. There is only “here and now”.’

3 1/2 /5

Audiobook: A Quiet Retreat, Kiersten Modglin

Listened to this audiobook in a day. It was OK.

Five famous authors are invited to a retreat, an old refurbished house, where there is wi-fi, a full pantry, hot tub, quiet etc etc. for them to write and work on their next novel. No charge, all in exchange for a social media post to help promote the place. 

Weird things start happening,  notes and phones get stolen, then we find out that the house is where a murder took place years ago. 

We also go back in time and meet a very rich young lady who falls in love and marries someone who is not in her league and her family do not accept their relationship. He is a miserable character.

Throughout the book there is what feels like a forced air of mystey.

Of course it was a stormy night when everything falls onto place.

As mentioned, it's ok. 

3 / 5

Kindle Audiobook: The Other Wife, Claire McGowan

I was a bit hesitant to read another Claire McGowan book, because I really didn't enjoy 'What You Did'. But, it was highly recommended that I give this one a try.

This book was sooo much better. The audiobook was great (really didn't enjoy the What You Did audiobook). 

Initially I had thought I had figured it all out quite soon, which was a bit disappointing but the twists & turns were great.

Norah, who is a widow, has moved to the country. Her next door neighbour, Suzy who is married to Nick is pregnant. But is it Nick's because she had an affair with a 'Dr' Patrick?

4/5