2017 Thankfully Reading Weekend

I am going to do this again, since I have most of the weekend off (have bookclub on Saturday and a shift at my job on Sunday).

I am going to work a few books, but mainly Venetian Blood by Christine Evelyn Volker and Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese.  I will also read Outlander.  

I will read a combination of print and ebook, but mainly print.

Hope you all have a great weekend of reading.

Wanderers No More - Michelle Saftich

Title: Wanderers No More (Port of No Return Book 2)
Author: Michelle Saftich
Pages: 303
Published: 2017
Genre: Historical Fiction
Edition: E-Book
Source: I chose to read this book after receiving a free copy. All opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased.

Description:  The war may be over, but the fight to belong is just beginning.

Left homeless, starving, and almost killed by the Second World War, the Saforo family are refugees fleeing Italy for a better life. The shores of Australia are calling to them and they head off, packing dreams of jobs, a home and … soccer.

But from the moment they get off the boat, adapting to the Australian way of life is harder than it seems. Their family doesn’t speak right, eat right or even look right. As they struggle to build a simple life against the backdrop of 1950s racism, they start to wonder if they will be outsiders forever.

A true family affair, Wanderers No More will make you laugh, remind you of your family, and warm your heart.

Thoughts:  When I saw that there was a book for the sequel to Port of No Return, I knew I had to return to the loving Saforo family, who we last saw leaving for Australia at the end of World War II.

This book spans about a 30 year time span and shows the children of the Saforo family grow up and make their own way in the world.  It also shows the struggles of the family as they slowly rebuild their lives after the ravages of World War II and migrating to a new country, which has a different culture and language.

I liked that it was a heartwarming story of struggle and sacrifice of a family landing in a country in which the language and culture was different from their own.  It reminded me of my own family coming from Soviet Russia to Canada in 1926, as they struggled and sacrificed to make a new life in a new country.

While the family struggles to adjust to a new life in Australia, there are also tender and touching moments that make the story that much more human, especially when Nonna takes over the kitchen at one of the migrant camps.

Bottom line: I really liked how the author brought the story full circle in concluding the story of the Saforo family.  Highly recommended.

Rating: 3.75/5

Meet the Author:

Michelle Saftich resides in Brisbane, Australia. She holds a Bachelor of Business/Communications Degree, majoring in journalism, from the Queensland University of Technology.

For the past 20 years, she has worked in communications, including print journalism, sub-editing, communications management and media relations.
Born and raised in Brisbane, she spent 10 years living in Sydney; and two years in Osaka, Japan, where she taught English.

Her historical fiction novel, Port of No Return, was inspired by a true family story. It was published by Australian independent publishing house, Odyssey Books in 2015. Its sequel, Wanderers No More was released in August 2017. Michelle is married with two children.

Connect with the author: Website  ~  Twitter  ~  Facebook

 

24 Hour Readathon Opening Meme #readathon

Good morning readathoners

Hope everyone has their coffee/tea beside them and is ready to go.

1) I am reading from Abbotsford, BC
2) I don't know which book I am looking forward to the most to reading, but probably What Happened later tonight.
3) Probably the golden arches that I will get later tonight or the homemade soup I made yesterday.
4) Spent 2 years living in Brazil as a child
5) I'll be working later this morning for a few hours and then volunteering at my church afterwards, which will hopefully give a little more jump later on this evening.

Path of Lucas - Susanne Bellefeuille

Title: Path of Lucas: The Journey He Endured
Author: Susanne Bellefeuille
Pages: 350
Published: 2015
Genre: Fiction
Edition: Paperback
Source: I chose to read this book after receiving a free copy. All opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased.

Description:  
 Lucas Clarkson is a simple man, a family man, and a hard working farmer's son. From a small town in Eastern Ontario, the author, Susanne Bellefeuille, brings us on Lucas's journey through the trials and tribulations of his life. Lucas's path is not as simple as the man he's portrayed to be. From the days spent working on his dad's farm to becoming a successful mechanic, with a genuine heart and his incredible strength, Lucas faces many difficult decisions. The choices he makes may be the difference between realizing his dreams and keeping his family together. (via Goodreads)

 Thoughts: 
When I received The Path of Lucas, I didn’t know what to expect.  What I did find was a heartwarming story between Lucas and Isabelle, characters based on the author’s parents. 

Starting with Lucas and Isabelle’s courtship, the book navigates through the numerous choices that Lucas has to make between his own personal dreams versus the responsibility for his family.

While there is heartache, struggle and sadness, there is also happiness, love, and the devotion that one finds in Lucas and Isabelle’s life journey.   Life isn’t perfect, but the fact that they have each other seems to be all Lucas and Isabelle need.  By the end of the book I found myself crying a little bit.

Even though I enjoyed the book, there were a few criticisms that I had with the book.  The first one being that the author needed a better editor.  The reason for this was that the dialogue seemed to be silted, as did the transitions. The language seemed too simplistic and if there had been a decent editor, I believe that the grammar would have been much better than it was.  Another criticism I have was that there was no indication as to what time period the story was in and took me a bit to clue in. 

Bottom line:

Overall it was a good book, despite my reservations about the book. 

Rating: 2.5/5

Bout of Books 20

It's almost that time of year again. Time to get on with Bout of Books and a week of reading bliss. 

If you have forgotten what Bout of Books is, here is a little reminder:

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda Shofner and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, August 21st and runs through Sunday, August 27th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 20 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team


Here are my reading goals for the week:

• The Fellowship of the Ring
• Winter (Luner Chronicles #4)
• By Gaslight
• Outlander

I will likely expand my reading goals as the week progresses.

I hope you are able to join me.

High Summer Readathon 2017

I realize that this is really late, but I am doing this nonetheless. 

Here are the book I hope to read during the readathon:

• Victoria by Julia Baird
• The Sun is also a Star by Nicola Yoon
• The Essex Serpent
• The German Girl by Armando Lucas Correa
• Brooklyn by Colm toibin
• Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen
• The Lost City of Z by David Grann
• Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

• Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella

I don't know how much I will get done out of the books, but I hope most will be read.

20 Books of Summer 2017

Welcome to the 20 Books of Summer reading event, hosted by Cathy of 746 Books. This event involves reading 20 books over the course of the summer. It runs from June 1st to September 3rd. Learn more about the event here.

I realize I am a few days late on starting this challenge, but I suppose that better be a little late is better than discovering this on September 4.

I have more than enough books to get me through the summer.

Here is my list:
1. All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
2. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
3. Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon
4. Voyager by Diana Gabldon
5. The German Girl by Armando Lucas Correa
6. Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders
7. Brooklyn by Colm Toibin
8. Testament of Youth by Vera Brittain
9. Do Not Say We Have Nothing by Madeline Thein
10. Victoria by Daisy Goodwin
11. The Color Purple by Alice Walker
12. Alexander Hamilton  by Ron Chernow
13. Neurotribes  by Steve Silberman
14. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
15.  Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen
16. Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella
17. Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly
18. The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
19. An Uncomplicated Kindness by Miriam Toews
20. The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry

Of course there will be other books that I will read during the summer, but these are the main books that I want to tackle.  Happy reading.