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gadgetgirl71 · 5 years ago

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Amazon First Reads for June 2020

I know I say this every single month, but I can’t get over how quickly the last month has gone. Meaning that for Amazon Prime Members we get to choose which Amazon First Read were going to download for free. Again this month as most months there are eight books to choose from.

This months choices are:

Suspense

The Bone Jar by S W Kane, Pages: 328, Publication Date: 1 July 2020

Synopsis: Two murders. An abandoned asylum. Will a mysterious former patient help untangle the dark truth?

The body of an elderly woman has been found in the bowels of a derelict asylum on the banks of the Thames. As Detective Lew Kirby and his partner begin their investigation, another body is discovered in the river nearby. How are the two murders connected?

Before long, the secrets of Blackwater Asylum begin to reveal themselves. There are rumours about underground bunkers and secret rooms, unspeakable psychological experimentation, and a dark force that haunts the ruins, trying to pull back in all those who attempt to escape. Urban explorer Connie Darke, whose sister died in a freak accident at the asylum, is determined to help Lew expose its grisly past. Meanwhile Lew discovers a devastating family secret that threatens to turn his life upside down.

As his world crumbles around him, Lew must put the pieces of the puzzle together to keep the killer from striking again. Only an eccentric former patient really knows the truth—but will he reveal it to Lew before it’s too late?

Contemporary Fiction

Someone Else’s Secret by Julia Spiro, Pages: 363, Publication Date: 1 July 2020

Synopsis: Here’s the thing about secrets: they change shape over time, become blurry with memory, until the truth is nearly lost.

2009. Lindsey and Georgie have high hopes for their summer on Martha’s Vineyard. In the wake of the recession, ambitious college graduate Lindsey accepts a job as a nanny for an influential family who may help her land a position in Boston’s exclusive art world. Georgie, the eldest child in that family, is nearly fifteen and eager to find herself, dreaming of independence and yearning for first love.

Over the course of that formative summer, the two young women develop a close bond. Then, one night by the lighthouse, a shocking act occurs that ensnares them both in the throes of a terrible secret. Their budding friendship is shattered, and neither one can speak of what happened that night for ten long years.

Until now. Lindsey and Georgie must confront the past after all this time. Their quest for justice will require costly sacrifices, but it also might give them the closure they need to move on. All they know for sure is that when the truth is revealed, their lives will be forever changed once again.

From a fresh voice in fiction, this poignant and timely novel explores the strength and nuance of female friendship, the cost of ambition, and the courage it takes to speak the truth.

Mystery

Never Look Back by Mary Burton, Pages: 332, Publication Date: 1 July 2020

Synopsis: Expect the unexpected in this gritty, tense, and page-turning mystery from New York Times bestselling author Mary Burton.

After multiple women go missing, Agent Melina Shepard of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation makes the impulsive decision to go undercover as a prostitute. While working the street, she narrowly avoids becoming a serial killer’s latest victim; as much as it pains her to admit, she needs backup.

Enter lone wolf FBI agent Jerrod Ramsey. Stonewalled by a lack of leads, he and Melina investigate a scene where a little girl has been found abandoned in a crashed vehicle. They open the trunk to reveal a horror show and quickly realise they’re dealing with two serial killers with very different MOs. The whole situation brings back memories for Melina—why does this particular case feel so connected to her painful past?

Before time runs out, Melina must catch not one but two serial killers, both ready to claim another victim—and both with their sights set on her.

Thriller

Find Me by Anne Frasier, Pages: 286, Publication Date: 1 July 2020

Synopsis: A bone-chilling family history is unearthed in a heart-stopping thriller by New York Times bestselling author Anne Frasier.

Convicted serial killer Benjamin Fisher has finally offered to lead San Bernardino detective Daniel Ellis to the isolated graves of his victims. One catch: he’ll only do it if FBI profiler Reni Fisher, his estranged daughter, accompanies them. As hard as it is to exhume her traumatic childhood, Reni can’t say no. She still feels complicit in her father’s crimes.

Perfect to play a lost little girl, Reni was the bait to lure unsuspecting women to their deaths. It’s time for closure. For her. For the families. And for Daniel. He shares Reni’s obsession with the past. Ever since he was a boy, he’s been convinced that his mother was one of Fisher’s victims.

Thirty years of bad memories are flooding back. A master manipulator has gained their trust. For Reni and Daniel, this isn’t the end of a nightmare. It’s only the beginning.

Book Club Fiction

The Lending Library by Aliza Fogelson, Pages: 295, Publication Date: 1 July 2020

Synopsis: For fans of Jane Green and Loretta Nyhan, a heartwarming debut novel about a daydreamer who gives her town, and herself, an amazing gift: a lending library in her sun-room.

When the Chatsworth library closes indefinitely, Dodie Fairisle loses her sanctuary. How is a small-town art teacher supposed to cope without the never-ending life advice and enjoyment that books give her? Well, when she’s as resourceful and generous as Dodie, she turns her sun-room into her very own little lending library.

At first just a hobby, this lit lovers’ haven opens up her world in incredible ways. She knows books are powerful, and soon enough they help her forge friendships between her zany neighbours—and attract an exciting new romance.

But when the chance to adopt an orphaned child brings Dodie’s secret dream of motherhood within reach, everything else suddenly seems less important. Finding herself at a crossroads, Dodie must figure out what it means to live a full, happy life. If only there were a book that could tell her what to do…

Historical Fiction

Opium and Absinthe by Lydia Kang, Pages: 379, Publication Date: 1 July 2020

Synopsis: From the bestselling author of A Beautiful Poison comes another spellbinding historical novel full of intrigue, occult mystery, and unexpected twists.

New York City, 1899. Tillie Pembroke’s sister lies dead, her body drained of blood and with two puncture wounds on her neck. Bram Stoker’s new novel, Dracula, has just been published, and Tillie’s imagination leaps to the impossible: the murderer is a vampire. But it can’t be—can it?

A ravenous reader and researcher, Tillie has something of an addiction to truth, and she won’t rest until she unravels the mystery of her sister’s death. Unfortunately, Tillie’s addicted to more than just truth; to ease the pain from a recent injury, she’s taking more and more laudanum…and some in her immediate circle are happy to keep her well supplied.

Tillie can’t bring herself to believe vampires exist. But with the hysteria surrounding her sister’s death, the continued vampiric slayings, and the opium swirling through her body, it’s becoming increasingly difficult for a girl who relies on facts and figures to know what’s real—or whether she can trust those closest to her.

Epic Fantasy

Scarlet Odyssey by C T Rwizi, Pages: 534, Publication Date: 1 July 2020

Synopsis: Magic is women’s work; war is men’s. But in the coming battle, none of that will matter.

Men do not become mystics. They become warriors. But eighteen-year-old Salo has never been good at conforming to his tribe’s expectations. For as long as he can remember, he has loved books and magic in a culture where such things are considered unmanly. Despite it being sacrilege, Salo has worked on a magical device in secret that will awaken his latent magical powers. And when his village is attacked by a cruel enchantress, Salo knows that it is time to take action.

Salo’s queen is surprisingly accepting of his desire to be a mystic, but she will not allow him to stay in the tribe. Instead, she sends Salo on a quest. The quest will take him thousands of miles north to the Jungle City, the political heart of the continent. There he must gather information on a growing threat to his tribe.

On the way to the city, he is joined by three fellow outcasts: a shunned female warrior, a mysterious nomad, and a deadly assassin. But they’re being hunted by the same enchantress who attacked Salo’s village. She may hold the key to Salo’s awakening—and his redemption.

Children’s Picture Book

Kat and Juju by Kataneh Vahdani, Pages: 40, Publication Date: 1 July 2020

Synopsis: An unlikely duo star in a charming story about being different, finding courage, and the importance of friendship in the first book in a new series from an award-winning animation director.

Kat likes doing things her very own way, but sometimes she doubts herself. So when a bird named Juju arrives, Kat hopes he’ll be the best friend she’s always wanted. He’s outgoing and silly and doesn’t worry about what others think—the opposite of who she is. Bit by bit, with Juju’s help, Kat discovers her strength, and how to have a friend and be one—while still being true to herself.

*** Which book will you choose? I chose “Opium and Absinthe” as soon as I saw the cover I knew that was this book I had to choose. Let me know which book you choose. ***

#amazonfirstreads #amazonkindle #amazonprimemembers #bookclubfiction #books #childrenspicturebooks #contemporary fiction #epicfantasy #goodreads #HistoricalFiction #Kindle #Kindlebooks #mystery #suspense #thriller

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iamvickiroberts · 7 years ago

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A bit of shameless self-promotion! #instaauthors #novels #bookclubfiction #upmarketfiction #route66 #oldsters

#oldsters #bookclubfiction #route66 #instaauthors #upmarketfiction #novels

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splashes-of-joy · 2 years ago

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MY THOUGHTS ON THIS BOOK #iReadBookTours Call My Name: A Novel by Jenni Ogden is one of the most heartwrenching books I have ever read. Emotions are all over the place as I read about thirteen-year-old Olivia and how she is left alone because of her mother’s drug overdose. Olivia is rescued by her mom’s friend, Cathie Tulloch. Cathie’s daughter Cassandra and Olivia become best friends. But as the years go buy Olivia moves to pursue her career, and this is where she meets Ben. Call My Name is a story that spans over several decades, from the ’60’s to around the ’90’s. Its when Olivia gets a call from Cassandra to come home to Australia that her life changes forever. She finds the truth about her mom’s stay in the Japanese POW camp, which was really difficult for me to read, with the horrible emotions Olivia goes through I found myself crying myself, as I did much of this book. I enjoyed following Olivia and Ben and Cassandra and Sebastian. Though life was hard for them, they were two couples in love. And these four characters found their way into my heart and stayed there. Much of this book was so difficult to read. I cried throughout the book, but there were happier moments that had me laughing at times. I’m giving Call My Name Five Stars. This is a book that will stay with me for a long time. It is my first book reading by this author but it definitely won’t be my last. This one is Five Stars for me. A special thanks to the author/publisher for a copy of this book. I am not required to write a positive review, the opinions here are mine alone. I am disclosing this with my review in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255. #womensfiction #bookstagram #authorsofinstagram #bookish #literaryfiction #goodreads #bookworm #literature #amreading #audiobook #audible #booklover #readersofinstagram #fiction #kindle #writersofinstagram #bibliophile #books #writerslife #bookclub #literary #novel #amwriting #booknerd #author #booklovers #writingcommunity #literarynovel #bookclubfiction https://www.instagram.com/p/Cl_Js4uLdRf/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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gadgetgirl71 · 5 years ago

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Amazon First Reads for May 2020

It’s that time yet again, to choose one of eight books that Amazon First Reads lets Amazon Prime Members download for free. I always look forward to the beginning of each month to see what is on offer.

This months books are:

Contemporary Fiction

If You Must Know by Jamie Beck Pages: 362, Publication Date: 1 June 2020

Synopsis: Life turns upside down for two sisters in Wall Street Journal bestselling author Jamie Beck’s emotional novel about how secrets and differences can break—or bind—a family.

Sisters Amanda Foster and Erin Turner have little in common except the childhood bedroom they once shared and the certainty each feels that her way of life is best. Amanda follows the rules—at the school where she works; in her community; and as a picture-perfect daughter, wife, and mother-to-be. Erin follows her heart—in love and otherwise—living a bohemian lifestyle on a shoestring budget and honouring her late father’s memory with a passion for music and her fledgling bath-products business.

The sisters are content leading separate but happy lives in their hometown of Potomac Point until everything is upended by lies that force them to confront unsettling truths about their family, themselves, and each other. For sisters as different as these two, building trust doesn’t come easily—especially with one secret still between them—but it may be the only way to save their family.

Thriller

Don’t Make a Sound by T R Ragan, Pages: 285, Publication Date: 1 June 2020

Synopsis: Her own past could be a reporter’s biggest story in this twisting thriller about murder and family secrets by the New York Times bestselling author T.R. Ragan.

Plagued by traumatic childhood memories, crime reporter Sawyer Brooks still struggles to gain control of her rage, her paranoia, and her life. Now, after finally getting promoted at work, she is forced to return home and face her past.

River Rock is where she’d been abandoned by her two older sisters to suffer alone, and in silence, the unspeakable abuses of her family. It’s also where Sawyer’s best friend disappeared and two teenage girls were murdered. Three cold cases dead and buried with the rest of the town’s secrets.

When another girl is slain in a familiar grisly fashion, Sawyer is determined to put an end to the crimes. Pulled back into the horrors of her family history, Sawyer must reconcile with her estranged sisters, who both have shattering memories of their own. As Sawyer’s investigation leads to River Rock’s darkest corners, what will prove more dangerous—what she knows of the past or what she has yet to discover?

Biography

Gender Rebels by Anneka Harry, Pages: 277, Publication Date: 1 June 2020

Synopsis: Meet the unsung sheroes of history: the diverse, defiant and daring (wo)men who changed the rules, and their identities, to get sh*t done.

You’ll encounter Kit Cavanagh, the swaggering Irish dragoon who was the first woman to be buried in London with full military honours; marauding eighteenth-century pirates Mary Read and Anne Bonny, who collided on the high seas after swapping their petticoats for pantaloons; Ellen Craft, an escaped slave who masqueraded as a white master to spirit her husband-to-be to freedom; and Billy Tipton, the swinging jazz musician, who led a double life as an adult, taking five wives along the way. Then there are the women who still have to dress like men to live their best lives, like the inspirational football-lovers in Iran, who risk everything to take their place in the stands.

A call to action for the modern world, this book celebrates the #GenderRebels who paved the way for women everywhere to be soldiers and spies; kings and queens; firefighters, doctors, pilots; and a Swiss Army knife’s-worth more. These superbly spirited (wo)men all had one thing in common: they defied the rules to progress in a man’s world.

Book Club Fiction

Sorry I Missed You by Suzy Krause, Pages: 315, Publication Date: 1 June 2020

Synopsis: A poignant and heartwarming novel about friendship, ghosting, and searching for answers to life’s mysteries.

When Mackenzie, Sunna, and Maude move into a converted rental house, they are strangers with only one thing in common—important people in their lives have “ghosted” them. Mackenzie’s sister, Sunna’s best friend, and Maude’s fiancé—all gone with no explanation.

So when a mangled, near-indecipherable letter arrives in their shared mailbox—hinting at long-awaited answers—each tenant assumes it’s for her. The mismatched trio decides to stake out the coffee shop named in the letter—the only clue they have—and in the process, a bizarre kinship forms. But the more they learn about each other, the more questions (and suspicions) they begin to have. All the while, creepy sounds and strange happenings around the property suggest that the ghosts from their pasts might not be all that’s haunting them…

Will any of the housemates find the closure they are looking for? Or are some doors meant to remain closed?

Quirky, humorous, and utterly original, Sorry I Missed You is the perfect read for anyone who has ever felt haunted by their past (or by anything else).

Historical Fiction

Golden Poppies by Laila Ibrahim, Pages: 297, Publication Date: 1 June 2020

Synopsis: From the bestselling author of Yellow Crocus and Mustard Seed comes the empowering novel of two generations of American women connected by the past and fighting for a brighter future.

It’s 1894. Jordan Wallace and Sadie Wagner appear to have little in common. Jordan, a middle-aged black teacher, lives in segregated Chicago. Two thousand miles away, Sadie, the white wife of an ambitious German businessman, lives in more tolerant Oakland, California. But years ago, their families intertwined on a plantation in Virginia. There, Jordan’s and Sadie’s mothers developed a bond stronger than blood, despite the fact that one was enslaved and the other was the privileged daughter of the plantation’s owner.

With Jordan’s mother on her deathbed, Sadie leaves her disapproving husband to make the arduous train journey with her mother to Chicago. But the reunion between two families is soon fraught with personal and political challenges.

As the harsh realities of racial divides and the injustices of the Gilded Age conspire to hold them back, the women find they need each other more than ever. Their courage, their loyalty, and the ties that bind their families will be tested. Amid the tumult of a quickly changing nation, their destiny depends on what they’re willing to risk for liberation.

Legal Thriller

Legacy of Lies by Robert Bailey, Pages: 329, Publication Date: 1 June 2020

Synopsis: A small-town attorney takes on prejudice and corruption in this powerful legal thriller.

Small-town lawyer Bocephus Haynes comes home late one night to find District Attorney General Helen Lewis waiting for him. Her ex-husband has just been killed. She’s about to be arrested for his murder. And she wants Bo to represent her.

There’s a lot working against them. Just before his death, Helen’s ex-husband threatened to reveal a dark secret from her past. Bo has been in a tailspin since his wife’s death. What’s more, his whole life has been defined by a crime committed against his family, and he continues to face prejudice as the only African American litigator in Pulaski, Tennessee.

Bo’s back is against the wall, and Helen resigns herself to a dismal fate—but a stunning discovery throws everything into chaos. There’s a chance for justice, but to achieve it, the cost might be too much for Bo to bear.

Family Saga

A Decent Family by Rosa Ventrella, Pages: 251, Publication Date: 1 June 2020

Synopsis: For fans of Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan series comes a captivating family saga focused on a willful young woman’s struggles against her oppressive small town by acclaimed Italian author Rosa Ventrella.

In old Bari, everyone knows Maria De Santis as “Malacarne,” the bad seed. Nicknamed for her dark features, volcanic temperament, and resistance to rules, the headstrong girl can only imagine the possibilities that lie outside her poverty-stricken neighborhood.

Growing up with her mother, two brothers, and a tyrannical father, Maria must abide. She does—amid the squalid life to which she was born, the cruelties of her small-minded neighbors, and violence in a constant threat of eruption. As she reconciles her need for escape with the allegiance she feels toward her family, Maria has her salvations: her secret friend, Michele, son of a rival family and every bit the outsider she is, and her passion for books, which may someday take her far, far away.

In this exquisitely rendered and sensory-rich novel, Rosa Ventrella explores the limits of loyalty, the redeeming power of friendship and love, and the fire in the soul of one woman who was born to break free.

Literary Fiction

A Man by Keiichiro Hirano, Pages: 295, Publication Date: 1 June 2020

Synopsis: A man follows another man’s trail of lies in a compelling psychological story about the search for identity, by Japan’s award-winning literary sensation Keiichiro Hirano in his first novel to be translated into English.

Akira Kido is a divorce attorney whose own marriage is in danger of being destroyed by emotional disconnect. With a midlife crisis looming, Kido’s life is upended by the reemergence of a former client, Rié Takemoto. She wants Kido to investigate a dead man—her recently deceased husband, Daisuké. Upon his death she discovered that he’d been living a lie. His name, his past, his entire identity belonged to someone else, a total stranger. The investigation draws Kido into two intriguing mysteries: finding out who Rié’s husband really was and discovering more about the man he pretended to be. Soon, with each new revelation, Kido will come to share the obsession with—and the lure of—erasing one life to create a new one.

In A Man, winner of Japan’s prestigious Yomiuri Prize for Literature, Keiichiro Hirano explores the search for identity, the ambiguity of memory, the legacies with which we live and die, and the reconciliation of who you hoped to be with who you’ve actually become.

***Which book will you choose? I can’t make up my mind between: “If You Must Know and Sorry I Missed You”. Let me know which book you think I should choose.***

#amazonfirstreads #amazonkindle #amazonprimemembers #literary fiction #familysaga #legal thriller #HistoricalFiction #bookclubfiction #biography #thriller #contemporary fiction

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gadgetgirl71 · 3 years ago

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Amazon First Reads July 2021

Amazon First Reads July 2021 #Amazon, #AmazonFirstReads, #Amazonkindle, #AmazonPrimeMembers, #BookClubFiction, #Books, #ChildrensPictureBook, #ContemporaryFiction, #ContemporaryRomance, #Kindle, #KindleBooks, #Memoir, #PsychologicalThriller

This months choices are: Contemporary Fiction The Love We Left Behind by Katherine Slee, Pages: 332, Publication Date: 1 August 2021 The Love We Left Behind Synopsis: A heart breaking, heart warming story of two best friends—and the choices that could tear them apart. London, 2012. With her adoring fiancé, financial independence and a close-knit group of friends, Erika should have life all…

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#Amazon #AmazonFirstReads #Amazonkindle #AmazonPrimeMembers #BookClubFiction #Books #ChildrensPictureBook #ContemporaryFiction #ContemporaryRomance #Kindle #KindleBooks #Memoir #PsychologicalThriller #ReadingChallenge #Suspense #Thriller #YoungAdult

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gadgetgirl71 · 3 years ago

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Amazon First Reads June 2021 Update

Well I have finally chose my Amazon First Read for this month and had a nice surprise that I was able to choose yet another book. So what books did I choose?

My Amazon Prime Members Choices

Book Club Fiction

The Seven Day Switch by Kelly Harris, Pages: 314, Publication Date: 1 July 2021

Synopsis: Two moms as opposite as a Happy Meal and a quinoa bowl. What a difference a week makes in a heartfelt, laugh-out-loud novel by the Washington Post bestselling author of The Overdue Life of Amy Byler.

Celeste Mason is the Pinterest stay-at-home supermom of other mothers’ nightmares. Despite her all-organic, Sun Butter-loving, free-range kids, her immaculate home, and her volunteering awards, she still has time to relax with a nice glass of pinot at the end of the day. The only thing that ruins it all is her workaholic, career-obsessed neighbour, who makes no secret of what she thinks of Celeste’s life choices every chance she gets.

Wendy Charles is a celebrated productivity consultant, columnist, and speaker. On a minute-by-minute schedule, she makes the working-mom hustle look easy. She even spends at least one waking hour a day with her kids. She’s not apologizing for a thing. Especially to Celeste, who plays her superior parenting against Wendy whenever she can.

Who do Celeste and Wendy think they are? They’re about to find out thanks to one freaky week. After a neighbourhood potluck and too much sangria, they wake up—um, what?—in each other’s bodies. Everything Celeste and Wendy thought they knew about the “other kind of mom” is flipped upside down—along with their messy, complicated, maybe not so different lives.

Contemporary Fiction

Have We Met? by Camille Baker, Pages: 264, Publication Date: 1 July 2021

Synopsis: What if you already met the soul mate you were destined to be with? And you didn’t even know it?

After losing her best friend to cancer, Corinne’s life is in flux. She has moved back to Chicago, is considering her next career move (or temp job), and has absolutely no time to look for love—until a mysterious dating app called Met suddenly appears on her phone, and with it, an invitation for Corinne to reconnect with four missed connections from her past. One of them, Met says, is her soul mate…

Corinne doesn’t believe the app for a second, but when she very quickly finds herself with back-to-back blasts from the past, she’ll have to consider if maybe she’s wrong about it. The thing is, Corinne’s also been introduced to a really great guy outside the app’s influence. As their feelings for each other grow, Corinne has to wonder: With her apparent true love still out there, should she tap yes to the next match?

With help from a new group of friends, her loving if annoying family, and maybe a touch of fate, can Corinne come to terms with the loss she’s still reeling from, take control of her career, and find love along the way?

*** So have you made your choice yet on which Amazon First Read book to go with? What do you think of the book I’ve chosen? ***

#Amazon #amazonkindle #amazonfirstreads #amazon prime members #Kindle #Kindlebooks #ContemporaryRomance #bookclubfiction

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gadgetgirl71 · 4 years ago

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Amazon First Reads March 2021

Amazon First Reads March 2021 #Amazon, #AmazonFirstReads, #Amazonkindle, #AmazonPrimeMembers, #BookClubFiction, #ChildrensPictureBook, #ContemporaryFiction, #DomesticSuspense, #HistoricalFiction, #Kindle, #KindleBooks, #Memoir, #Suspense, #Thriller

As you know I love to find out what Amazon First Reads has in store for its Prime Members and this month is no different! This months choices are: Thriller A Deadly Influence by Mike Omer, Pages: 443, Publication Date: 1 April 2021 A Deadly Influence Synopsis: From bestselling author Mike Omer comes the first in a new series full of the psychological twists and police procedural turns that…

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#Amazon #AmazonFirstReads #Amazonkindle #AmazonPrimeMembers #BookClubFiction #ChildrensPictureBook #ContemporaryFiction #DomesticSuspense #HistoricalFiction #Kindle #KindleBooks #Memoir #Suspense #Thriller

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gadgetgirl71 · 4 years ago

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Amazon First Reads December 2020

Well its only 23 days till Christmas Day where has the year gone? What frightening is that this months Amazon First Reads are due for release on 1 January 2021. For me and other Amazon Prime Members it’s time to take our pick of this months Amazon First Reads. So if your an Amazon Prime member don’t forget to get your free First Reads Book.

This months choices are:

Domestic Suspense

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#AmazonFirstReads #Amazonkindle #AmazonPrimeMembers #BiographicalFiction #BookClubFiction #ChildrensPictureBook #DomesticSuspense #HistoricalFiction #Kindle #KindleBooks #RomanticComedy #Suspense #Thriller

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gadgetgirl71 · 4 years ago

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Book Review: The Day She Came Back by By Amanda Prowse

I’m not sure how I feel about this book, as I did and didn’t enjoy it. There are a few funny moments tinged with a lot of sadness and anger. I can understand the main character being angry at the death of her grandmother. Who brought her up. Along with the anger of finding out that throughout her 18 years of life, what she was told and lead to believe about her family was a lie.

The character was finding it hard to comprehend what she had been told and what actually turned out to be the truth. In real life anyone would go through a huge mixture of feelings and the author portrayed this very well. For me however the part I enjoyed the most in the book was the epilogue, when we found ourselves ten years down the line.

Victoria is 18 years old, she lives with her elderly grandmother Prim. Who is the only family that she has. Her mother passed away when she was a baby, due to her being a drug addict. Prim and even her grandfather kept to this story until he passed away when Victoria was 9.

One day Victoria goes out with her best friend Daksha and as they are leaving Prim asks her to bring a balaclava when she meant a baklava. When Victoria gets home she finds Prim in her favourite chair in the garden room, she is slouched with blank looking eyes. Victoria realised that her grandmother has passed away. She contacts Daksha and she and her parents turn up to help her. Daksha’s father is actually Prim’s GP.

Daksha and her family do all they can to help and support Victoria and when she finally goes back home Daksha stays with her. On the day of Prim’s funeral Victoria is still in shock and is basically just going through the motions. After the funeral they all go back to Victoria’s for the wake. When she spots a woman out by the lake. She goes out to see if she can help her. The woman somehow looks a little bit familiar but she can’t understand why. The woman is called Sarah and she drops a huge bombshell that sets Victoria spiralling a bit out of control. She says that she’s Victoria’s mother!

She asks the woman to prove who she says she is. With all of this Victoria doesn’t know what to do, her mind is constantly going over everything she grew up knowing and what Sarah has told her. She meets up with a boy she went to school with and they hook up with each other. Flynn isn’t the right guy for Victoria, but she can’t see that until he persuades her to have a party at her house.

Daksha isn’t impressed about the party, plus she can’t go anyway as her mother is taking her to see family. Besides Daksha and Victoria have had a bit of a falling out due to the way Victoria is treating Daksha along with doing things she wouldn’t normally do.

The party ends up being a disaster. Victoria gets drunk, people are abusing the house. She ends up hiding in the larder being sick in to a boot. When she realises she needs to find Flynn. However when she does find him, he’s in Prim’s bed having sex with another girl. She wishes that Daksha was there to help her get rid of everyone, but she wasn’t there. So she called on the only other person that said she could count on him day or night, Prim’s companion Gerald.

Gerald turns up and starts to get everyone out, except Flynn as he starts mouthing off at Gerald. So Gerald pulls out his father’s pistol from WWII and threatens them all if they don’t leave now. Unbeknown to everyone the pistol was decommissioned after the war.

The next day everyone rallies around Victoria and they get the house back to how it should be. All of them in their own way tell Victoria that she can’t carry on acting like this, and what would Prim think of her? They all agree that she needs to sit down with Sarah and discuss the reasons and why Prim told her that her mother was dead.

Victoria goes over to Norway to see Sarah as she’s been living there for many years now. Hoping she’ll get all of the answers she’s looking for. Her time in Oslo is tiring, upsetting and very emotional. She doesn’t know how she feels one minute to the next it’s like she’s on a rollercoaster. Sarah says that she hopes one day they will be able to meet half way and build up a strong relationship.

We eventually jump 10 years into the future where life for Victoria has changed so much. I can’t tell you anymore about her future as I don’t want to spoil it for you. As this was my favourite part of the book.

Pages: 320, Publication Date: 7 July 2020. My Rating: 3 Stars

#adult fiction #amandaprowse #arc #bookblogger #bookclubfiction #BookLove #bookreview #books #contemporary fiction #edelweiss #NetGalley #netgalleyUK #NGEW2020 #reading challenge #thedayshecameback

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gadgetgirl71 · 4 years ago

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Amazon First Reads July 2020 Update

Again this month I couldn’t make up my mind on which books to choose. I thought I’d probably go for the Last of the Moon Girls. The cover got my attention first and then when I read the synopsis I knew I just had to choose this book.

Then it was a choice between Stealing the Crown and Across the Winding River. So I decided after reading the synopsis’ a few times I knew that I had to have both of them. So I chose Across the Winding River as my second choice and I have pre-ordered Stealing the Crown.

I think this months Amazon First Reads have been the best so far for choice this year. It has been for me how have you found this months books?

My Amazon Prime Members Free Book Choices

Book One

The Last of the Moon Girls by Barbara Davis, Pages: 397, Publication Date: 1 August 2020

Synopsis: A novel of secrets, memory, family, and forgiveness by the bestselling author of When Never Comes.

Lizzy Moon never wanted Moon Girl Farm. Eight years ago, she left the land that nine generations of gifted healers had tended, determined to distance herself from the whispers about her family’s strange legacy. But when her beloved grandmother Althea dies, Lizzy must return and face the tragedy still hanging over the farm’s withered lavender fields: the unsolved murders of two young girls, and the cruel accusations that followed Althea to her grave.

Lizzy wants nothing more than to sell the farm and return to her life in New York, until she discovers a journal Althea left for her—a Book of Remembrances meant to help Lizzy embrace her own special gifts. When she reconnects with Andrew Greyson, one of the few in town who believed in Althea’s innocence, she resolves to clear her grandmother’s name.

But to do so, she’ll have to decide if she can accept her legacy and whether to follow in the footsteps of all the Moon women who came before her.

Book Two

Across the Winding River by Aimie K Runyan, Pages: 301, Publication Date: 1 August 2020

Synopsis: A woman unlocks the mystery of her father’s wartime past in a moving novel about secrets, sacrifice, and the power of love by the bestselling author of Daughters of the Night Sky.

Beth Cohen wants to make the most of the months she has left with her elderly father, Max. His only request of his daughter is to go through the long-forgotten box of memorabilia from his days as a medic on the western front. Then, among his wartime souvenirs, Beth finds a photograph of her father with an adoring and beautiful stranger—a photograph worth a thousand questions.

It was 1944 when Max was drawn into the underground resistance by the fearless German wife of a Nazi officer. Together, she and Max were willing to risk everything for what they believed was right. Ahead of them lay a dangerous romance, a dream of escape, and a destiny over which neither had control.

But Max isn’t alone in his haunting remembrances of war. In a nearby private care home is a fragile German-born woman with her own past to share. Only when the two women meet does Beth realize how much more to her father there is to know, all the ways in which his heart still breaks, and the closure he needs to heal it.

My Amazon First Reads Pre-Order

Stealing the Crown by T P Fielden, Pages: 320, Publication Date: 1 August 2020

Synopsis: Britain is at war—but the greatest threat to the Crown might be within the Palace walls.

London, 1941: Major Edgar Brampton is found shot dead in his office in Buckingham Palace. All signs point towards a self-inflicted tragedy, but when Palace authorities hurry his body away and order staff to stay silent, fellow courtier Guy Harford’s suspicions are raised.

While the outside world faces the onslaught of war, within the Palace walls a curious mystery unfolds. Rumours swirl about Brampton’s relationship with the Queen, and there’s talk of other plots involving those closest to the King.

To get to the bottom of what really happened, Guy joins forces with some unlikely allies—Rodie Carr, a beautiful East End burglar, and Rupert Hardacre, a postman with a past—but time may be running out…for him, for the King, and for Britain. Someone has their eye on the crown, and they’ll do anything to get it.

Can Guy solve the case before more blood is spilled on the royal carpets? Or will he be the next victim?

*** So what do you think of the books I’ve chosen? ***

#amazonfirstreads #amazon prime members #bookclubfiction #HistoricalFiction #historical mystery #Kindle #Kindlebooks

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gadgetgirl71 · 4 years ago

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Amazon First Reads for July 2020

I’m so excited about this months Amazon First Reads as Prime Members are able to pick not just one book but TWO books this month. Also this month there are Nine books to choose from not the usual Eight. I really an excited about this. It’s always the small things that I enjoy. So what books will you choose?

This months books are:

Historical Mystery

Stealing the Crown by T P Fielden, Pages: 320, Publication Date: 1 August 2020

Synopsis: Britain is at war—but the greatest threat to the Crown might be within the Palace walls.

Can Guy solve the case before more blood is spilled on the royal carpets? Or will he be the next victim?

Contemporary Fiction

Rival Sisters by Louise Guy, Pages: 413, Publication Date: 1 August 2020

Synopsis: Tragedy pushed them apart. Can troubled times bring them back together?

Hannah and Nat were teenagers when their mum died in a terrible accident. The pain of it tore them apart, creating a rift that they’ve never been able to bridge. Neither is able to understand or appreciate her sister’s perspective, each quick to be riled by the other.

Both women have been indelibly shaped by the tragedy. Hannah is controlling, desperate to protect her loved ones in a way she failed to do with her mum. Meanwhile, Nat is forever running from the ‘selfish daughter’ label that she was marked with after the accident.

Now secrets in both women’s lives threaten to bring them down. Help may be close at hand, but neither can see it. But with life falling apart and the truth in short supply, can they finally see past their differences to the bond that could bring them together?

Thriller

Her Final Words by Brianna Labuskes, Pages: 343, Publication Date: 1 August 2020

Synopsis: A shocking thriller by the bestselling author of Girls of Glass.

It seems like an open-and-shut case for FBI special agent Lucy Thorne when Eliza Cook walks into the field office. The teenage girl confesses to murdering a young boy. Disturbingly composed, she reveals chilling details only the killer could know. Beyond that Eliza doesn’t say another word, leaving a vital question met with dead silence: Why did she do it?

To find the answer, Lucy goes to the scene of the crime in the small Idaho town of Knox Hollow. But Lucy’s questions are only mounting. Especially when she’s drawn deeper into the life of the victim. Then a combing of the woods yields unsettling evidence that Eliza isn’t the only one in this close-knit rural community with secrets.

Getting to the truth is becoming Lucy’s obsession. And it’s a dangerous one. Because for the good folks of Knox Hollow, hiding that truth will take more than silence.

Suspense

Trust No One by Debra Webb, Pages: Publication Date: 1 August 2020

Synopsis: A double homicide and a missing woman lead a detective to unearth disturbing secrets in this gripping thriller from USA Today bestselling author Debra Webb.

It’s the worst possible time for Detective Kerri Devlin to be involved in an all-consuming double-homicide case. She’s locked in a bitter struggle with her ex-husband and teenage daughter, and her reckless new partner is anything but trustworthy.

Still, she has a job to do: there’s a killer at large, and a pregnant woman has gone missing. Once Devlin and her partner get to work, they quickly unearth secrets involving Birmingham’s most esteemed citizens. Each new layer of the investigation brings Devlin closer to the killer and the missing woman, who starts looking more like a suspect than a victim.

But just as answers come into view, the case twists, expands, and slithers into Devlin’s personal life. There’s a much more sinister game at work, one she doesn’t even know she’s playing—and she must unravel the truth once and for all to stop the killer before she loses everything.

Book Club Fiction

The Last of the Moon Girls by Barbara Davis, Pages: 397, Publication Date: 1 August 2020

Synopsis: A novel of secrets, memory, family, and forgiveness by the bestselling author of When Never Comes.

But to do so, she’ll have to decide if she can accept her legacy and whether to follow in the footsteps of all the Moon women who came before her.

Crime Thriller

White Out by Danielle Girard, Pages: 361, Publication Date: 1 August 2020

Synopsis: From the bestselling author of the Annabelle Schwartzman series comes a chilling story of a woman with a forgotten past and a town with dark secrets.

After surviving a car accident on an icy road in Hagen, North Dakota, Lily Baker regains consciousness with no idea where or who she is. Scattered Bible verses and the image of a man lying in a pool of blood haunt her memory.

The same night of the accident, a young woman is murdered and tossed in a dumpster. Kylie Milliard, Hagen’s only detective, doesn’t immediately recognize the victim, but Kylie soon discovers that Lily and the dead woman share a dark past…if only Lily could remember what it was.

Lily and Kylie both want answers. But Kylie has to play by the book. Lily has to play it safe. And the more Lily learns about her identity, the more she fears the truth.

Historical Fiction

Across the Winding River by Aimie K Runyan, Pages: 301, Publication Date: 1 August 2020

Synopsis: A woman unlocks the mystery of her father’s wartime past in a moving novel about secrets, sacrifice, and the power of love by the bestselling author of Daughters of the Night Sky.

Memoir

The Son and Heir by Alexander Munninghoff, Translation: Kristen Gehrmn, Pages: 279, Publication Date: 1 August 2020

Synopsis: A prize-winning Dutch journalist’s unsparing memoir of growing up amid the excesses, triumphs, and devastation of post–World War II Europe.

What can a son say upon discovering that his father wore a Nazi uniform? Reporter Alexander Münninghoff was only four when he found this mortifying relic from his father’s recent past in his attic. This shameful memento came to symbolize not only his father’s tragically misguided allegiance but also a shattered marriage and ultimately the unconscionable separation of a mother and son.

In this revelatory memoir, the author confronts his parents’ complex past as he reconstructs the fortunes and disillusions of an entire family upheaved during the changes of twentieth-century Europe. The Münninghoffs were driven by greed, rebellion, and rage. An embattled dynasty, they were torn between the right and the wrong side of history. Their saga haunted Alexander’s life for the next seventy years.

Only in reconciling with them can this man find the courage to move forward as son and heir to the startling legacy of a flawed yet grand tradition.

Children’s Picture Book

Clover Kitty Goes to Kittygarten by Laura Purdie Salas, Illustrator: Hire Nakata, Pages: 41, Publication Date: 1 August 2020

Synopsis: Clover Kitty does NOT want to go to kittygarten! Although she might like a friend to play with, kittygarten feels overwhelming for a sensory-sensitive kitty like Clover. And when she arrives, it is exactly as she fears: her classroom is too loud, the lights are too bright, and everyone comes too close. So Clover throws a fit…and decides to quit kittygarten. But when a classmate comes to check on her, she begins to reconsider. Maybe it’s time for Clover to give kittygarten another chance.…

*** Which books will you choose? I think I know one of the books that I’m going to choose but I can’t make my mind up about the second book. What do you think? ***

#amazonfirstreads #amazonkindle #amazonprimemembers #bookclubfiction #childrenspicturebooks #contemporary fiction #crime thriller #HistoricalFiction #historical mystery #memoir #suspense #thriller

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