2017 Third Quarter Reading Update

2017 is now officially three-quarters over with, can you believe it?? 

I've read a total of 140 reads this year so far. This seems unfathomable to me as I've never read this much before in previous years to my knowledge.

Some of my best reads this past quarter have included the following:

1. The Second Mrs. Hockaday by Susan Rivers
2. Winter Men by Jesper Bugge Kold
3. Black Mark's Resistance by Ebony Olson
4. The Mephisto Club by Tess Gerritsen
5. The Vegetarian by Han Kang
6. Journal of a Novel: The East of Eden Letters by John Steinbeck
7. Luca's Mate (Dirk's Pack Book 1) by Kristina King
8. Caleb's Crossing by Geraldine Brooks

So, which books topped your list this past quarter?

Alana Dakos --- Knitter, Knit Designer, Author, Business Owner, Knitting Instructor, & More!

Alana Dakos (left) + Me at A Yarn Less Raveled in Danville, California

I first became aware of Alana Dakos from her knitting podcast called Never Not Knitting along with her knitting blog of the same name last year or the year before.

I've since learned that Alana Dakos is a knitwear designer and has published five books about knitting. She has even ventured into the publishing arena and created her own publishing company, NNK Press.

Alana Dakos also has her very own yarn store named, Never Not Knitting, in Atascadero, California. 

Alana Dakos is also a knitting instructor and teaches classes at other yarn stores. In fact, she is teaching a few knitting classes at a local yarn store in Danville, California called A Yarn Less Raveled on Saturday, September 30, 2017 and Sunday, October 1, 2017.

I had the wonderful opportunity of meeting Alana Dakos in person at A Yarn Less Raveled (which is a lovely indie yarn store). Ms. Dakos was super friendly and sweet to meet in person. I enjoyed speaking with her. I also had Alana sign a copy of her knitting books, Botanical Knits: 12 Designs Inspired by Trees and Foliage and Annie and the Swiss Cheese Scarf. 

I look forward to making a few of her patterns when I become a better knitter!

The Jewel of Dantenos by Brian D. Anderson

Unabridged Audible Edition

Yesterday, I listened to the unabridged audio version of The Jewel of Dantenos by Brian D. Anderson and narrated by Derek Perkins.

Listening time for The Jewel of Dantenos by Brian D. Anderson is 1 hour, 52 minutes.

The Jewel of Dantenos by Brian D. Anderson is a short story that falls into the fantasy genre.

I was able to download The Jewel of Dantenos by Brian D. Anderson to my Kindle for FREE from Audible. Below is my honest, unbiased review of The Jewel of Dantenos by Brian D. Anderson.

The Jewel of Dantenos by Brian D. Anderson has a 4 out of 5 star rating on Audible, so I was expecting it to be more stellar than it was. I liked the story, plot, and characters well enough for The Jewel of Dantenos, but I wasn't overly wowed but it. Brian D. Anderson's writing is solid and Derek Perkins's narrating of The Jewel of Dantenos was good. But I wasn't captivated enough by The Jewel of Dantenos to want to listen to or read any of the other books in Brian D. Anderson's Godling Chronicles.

Below is a summary of of The Jewel of Dantenos by Brian D. Anderson from Audible:

From the world of The Godling Chronicles.

Filled with confidence and no small measure of arrogance, young Lee Starfinder, along with Millet Gristall, set off on their very first adventure. Lee quickly discovers that life beyond Hazrah can be far deadlier than he could have ever imagined. And soon he must learn that muscle and steel cannot replace loyalty, bravery, and friendship.

I am giving The Jewel of Dantenos by Brian D. Anderson a rating of 3 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!

Caleb's Crossing by Geraldine Brooks

Audiobook Edition

I've read three other novels written by Geraldine Brooks ~ March, People of the Book, and Year of Wonders, and have enjoyed reading each of these novels. Although, People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks is my favorite of all the novels I've read by her.

I love the way in which Geraldine Brooks writes and her exquisite way with words. She is a rich and thorough storyteller for sure. 

It has been a number of years since I've read another book written by Geraldine Brooks, so I decided to read her historical novel, Caleb's Crossing. 

I decided to listen to the unabridged audio edition of Caleb's Crossing Geraldine Brooks, which is narrated by Jennifer Ehle. Listening time for Caleb's Crossing by Geraldine Brooks is 12 hours, 10 minutes.

I am once again floored by how beautiful Geraldine Brooks writes her novels! Additionally, Jennifer Ehle does a magnificent job narrating Caleb's Crossing and I look forward to listening to other books she narrates.

My favorite character in Caleb's Crossing by Geraldine Brooks is Bethia, the leading character of this novel. Bethia makes for a fabulous protagonist. She's smart, learned, and wise beyond her years. I also like the characters of Caleb, Joel, and Samuel as well.

I am saddened by Caleb's transformation and his untimely demise. It's unfortunate what the Europeans did to the Native Americans upon coming arriving in the USA for many centuries that followed.

Below is the plot summary for Caleb's Crossing by Geraldine Brooks from Audible:

A richly imagined new novel from the author of the New York Times best seller People of the Book. Once again, Geraldine Brooks takes a remarkable shard of history and brings it to vivid life.

In 1665, a young man from Martha's Vineyard became the first Native American to graduate from Harvard College. Upon this slender factual scaffold, Brooks has created a luminous tale of love and faith, magic and adventure. The narrator of Caleb's Crossing is Bethia Mayfield, growing up in the tiny settlement of Great Harbor amid a small band of pioneers and Puritans. Restless and curious, she yearns after an education that is closed to her by her sex. As often as she can, she slips away to explore the island's glistening beaches and observe its native Wampanoag inhabitants. At 12, she encounters Caleb, the young son of a chieftain, and the two forge a tentative secret friendship that draws each into the alien world of the other. Bethia's minister father tries to convert the Wampanoag, awakening the wrath of the tribe's shaman, against whose magic he must test his own beliefs. One of his projects becomes the education of Caleb, and a year later, Caleb is in Cambridge, studying Latin and Greek among the colonial elite. There, Bethia finds herself reluctantly indentured as a housekeeper and can closely observe Caleb's crossing of cultures.

Like Brooks' beloved narrator Anna in Year of Wonders, Bethia proves an emotionally irresistible guide to the wilds of Martha's Vineyard and the intimate spaces of the human heart. Evocative and utterly absorbing, Caleb's Crossing further establishes Brooks's place as one of our most acclaimed novelists.

I also discovered the following book trailer about Caleb's Crossing by Geraldine Brooks on YouTube as follows:

I am giving Caleb's Crossing by Geraldine Brooks a rating of 5 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

Book Club Meeting

There is a monthly book club that meets up at our local public library on the second Tuesday of the month in the evenings. I attended my first book club meeting there earlier this month.

The funny part is that I was told the wrong novel to read for this book club by one of the librarians!! I read the The Second Mrs. Hockaday by Susan Rivers, which was an excellent novel mind you, but wasn't the novel read and discussed by the book group during the book club meet up I attended earlier this month... They'd read another novel of short stories by a Korean writer... I've already forgotten the name of the novel and the author, so I am unable to share it in this post. 

Of course, I wish I'd been given the name of the correct book to read for that evening's book club meet up, so that I could have participated in the evening's discussion. But at least the novel I did read was a really good one.

I decided to stay for the entire book club meet up as I wanted to see how the members interacted with each other and what they had to say about the book they read. Seven of us were in attendance that evening. All of the members who attended the book club meet up seemed really nice and friendly. 

I also learned which books they will be reading and discussing at their upcoming book club meetings through the month of December. 

However, I won't be able to attend next month's book club meet up due to another obligation and next month's book club selection, The Orphan's Tale by Pam Jenoff, sounds really good! I guess I'll have to read it on my own at some point. The books selected to read and discuss for the last two months of 2017 are less appealing to me. So, I do not plan to read them or attend the book club meetings during those months either. 

At this point in time, I'm unsure if I'll attend any of the book club meetings in 2018 or beyond as I do not know which books will be chosen in the coming months ahead. 

Maybe I'll join a different book club in the new year.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

Howl: A Graphic Novel by Allen Ginsberg

To the best of my recollection, I've never read anything written by Allen Ginsberg before. I chose to read Howl: A Graphic Novel by Allen Ginsberg this year in honor of Banned Books Week.

One of the reasons I chose to read Howl: A Graphic Novel by Allen Ginsberg was because poetry is something one rarely thinks of as being banned or challenged. 

I also read Howl: A Graphic Novel by Allen Ginsberg because he was part of the Beat Generation. I haven't read anything from this group of writers before, so this was another reason I read Howl: A Graphic Novel by Allen Ginsberg. 

Howl was written in 1954 and "contains many references to illicit drugs and sexual practices" (Wikipedia). This eventually led to the 1957 Obscenity Trial, where California Superior Court Judge Clayton Horn found that Howl had "redeeming social importance" (Wikipedia). Thank goodness for judges seeing the redeeming value of free speech and the written word.

As far as Howl: A Graphic Novel by Allen Ginsberg goes, I am glad that I read the graphic novel edition of Howl, as Erick Drooker's artistry adds another dimension/layer to this iconic poem. 

Howl makes for interesting reading, but I didn't quite grasp the meaning of the poem in its entirety and all of its nuances... Which meant looking up the meaning of various parts of this poem online.

I am giving Howl: A Graphic Novel by Allen Ginsberg a rating of 3 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!

Reading Quote of the Day!!

Celebrate Banned Books Week!!

Today is the first day of Banned Books Week 2017 ~ September 24th through September 30th. 

This week, I will be reading a banned book in order to celebrate the freedom to read any book I want. I don't believe in censorship! 

I will be reading Howl: A Graphic Novel by Allen Ginsberg this week. I chose to read Howl because I've never read anything by Allen Ginsberg that I can recall and also because poetry is something one rarely thinks of as being banned or challenged. Howl was written in 1954 and "contains many references to illicit drugs and sexual practices" (Wikipedia). This eventually led to a 1957 Obscenity Trial, where California Superior Court Judge Clayton Horn found that Howl had "redeeming social importance" (Wikipedia).

Need more reasons to celebrate Banned Books Week? Check out the following article I discovered online titled, 12 Easy Ways to Celebrate Banned Books Week. 

Will you be reading a banned or challenged book this week during Banned Books Week? If so, which book will you be reading? Let me know in the comment section below.

Until my next post, happy reading!

50/50 Friday - Author You'd Most/Least Like to Meet

50/50 Friday is a meme hosted by Carrie @ The Butterfly Reads and Laura @ Blue Eye Books. This fun themed meme focuses on the opposite sides of books (best/worst, differing opinions, etc). Every week a new topic will give bloggers the chance to showcase their answers.

This week's topic is the Author You'd Most/Least Like to Meet!

This week's topic is tough to answer as there are so many authors that I'd love to meet in person!

The Author I'd Most Love to Meet

If I only had to pick ONE author, then
it would have to be Diana Gabaldon.
Followed by Geraldine Brooks and Margaret Atwood.

The Author I'd Least Like to Meet

This is a tough question to answer as well,

because I am usually very excited to meet most authors.

I'm going to randomly choose author,

Andre Dubus III as the author I'd least like

to meet. I read his novel,

The House of Sand & Fog and disliked it a lot!

Which author would you most/least like to meet?

Books For Night Owls

I admit it! I'm a night owl. Although I'd rather not be a night owl quite frankly. I've had insomnia longer than I care to admit and some nights my lack of sleep is worse than others. 

Since I am an avid reader, I was curious to learn which books made the list in an article on BookRiot titled, 10 Best Books For Night Owls by Jesse Doogan. 

I've already read one of the books in the article (The Life-Changing Art of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo), which actually has nothing to do with sleep, but was an excellent read none the less.

Until my next post, happy reading!

Little Tips & Tricks to Encourage Your Child to Read More!!

I've been an avid reader my entire life. My love for reading began as a youngster when my mom read to me as a toddler. 

I use to receive books as gifts when I was younger and that also helped me become a book lover. 

I am grateful that my love for reading books was encouraged as a youngster as I feel it has helped me become a much more rounded person.

Are you looking for ways to help encourage your child to become an avid reader? Try the following tips I discovered in an article I discovered on BuzzFeed titled, 19 Little Tricks Guaranteed To Get Your Kids To Read by Jarry Lee. Maybe they will help your child read more.

Until my next post, happy reading!

Top Ten Tuesday -- Top Fifteen Books On My Fall TBR List

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created here at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Each week we will post a new Top Ten list that one of our bloggers here at The Broke and the Bookish will answer. Everyone is welcome to join. All we ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so that everyone can check out other bloggers lists! If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Have fun with it! It's a fun way to get to know your fellow bloggers.

I have so many books I want to read this fall, that it is REALLY, REALLY, Difficult for me to narrow down which ones I want to read most this fall.... But here goes nothing! 

I went kind of ambitious for my reading list this fall and chose 15 books to read... The most difficult part for me will be sticking to my reading list as I'm very prone to changing my mind on what I want to read! 

So here is are the Top Fifteen Books I'd like to read this fall in no order of importance:

1. Orchid Fever: A Horticultural Tale of Love, Lust, and Lunacy by Eric Hansen

2. The Dressmaker's Dowry by Meredith Jaeger

3. The High Mountains of Portugal by Yann Martel

4. The Sherlockian by Graham Moore

5. Black Run: A Rocco Schiavone Mystery by Antonio Manzini

6. In Farleigh Field by Rhys Bowen

7. Love In A Nutshell by Janet Evanovich & Dorien Kelly

8. The Crossing by Michael Connelly
9. Tolstoy and the Purple Chair: My Year of Magical Reading by Nina Sankovitch
10. Pack of Two: The Intricate Bond Between People and Dogs by Caroline Knapp
11. Caleb's Crossing by Geraldine Brooks 5 Out of 5 Stars!
12. Tulip Fever by Deborah Moggach
13. Twelve Red Herrings by Jeffery Archer
14. The Devil, The Lovers and Me: My Life in Tarot by Kimberlee Auerbach
15. Julia Vanishes by Catherine Egan

So, which books are on your fall reading list?

7 Little Free Library Tips To Ensure A Successful Little Free Library

I would have a Little Free Library of my own in a heartbeat, but alas, I live in a condominium and cannot place one outside my unit!

However, for those of you who would like to set up your own Little Free Library, I discovered an article on Bustle's website titled, These 7 Little Free Library Tips Will Ensure You Have The Best Book-Swapping Station On The Block by E. Ce Miller that is a must read for those that want to run a successful Little Free Library.

Click on the above link to learn the seven ways you can make your Little Free Library the best one in your neighborhood!

Reading Quote of the Day!!

September is National Library Card Sign-Up Month!!

In all my years of reading and blogging, I never knew that September is National Library Card Sign Up Month!!

I do have a library card to my public library, but I do not use it as often as I should. I need to change that though.

If you do not have a library card to your local public library, I encourage you to sign up for one this month. Libraries offer amazing resources in their communities.

Until my next post, happy reading!

Rhys Bowen --- Author Presentation and Book Signing

I've come across Rhys Bowen's name over the past few years and am familiar with the fact that she writes three different popular mystery series. Rhys Bowen has also written a stand-alone historical novel titled, In Farleigh Field, which is set in England during World War II. 

I have yet to read any of her novels, but that will soon be remedied in the near future as I discovered in August 2017 that Rhys Bowen would be coming to a branch of our public library. 

Last night, I attended Rhys Bowen's author presentation at our local public library. I am so thrilled that I attended this event as Rhys Bowen is a delightful speaker with a lovely English accent. Rhys Bowen gave a lively talk about her novels, her writing, and various characters she has created throughout the years. Rhys Bowen was also humorous. I felt like she was one of the more entertaining and engaging author speakers I've heard speak before an audience. 

Quite a nice sized group of readers attended the Rhys Bowen author presentation and book signing. Many of them asked a lot of interesting questions during the Q & A segment. 

This was the first time I've attended an author event and signing at a public library, which made for a fun time. I came away with two signed books by Rhys Bowen - Murphy's Law: The First Molly Murphy Mystery and In Farleigh Field.

Until my next post, happy reading!

Dear Fahrenheit 451: Love And Heartbreak In the Stacks by Annie Spence

Advance Reader Copy in Paperback Format

I may never have discovered Dear Fahrenheit 451: Love And Heartbreak In the Stacks by Annie Spence if I did not have an account with Goodreads!

I actually received an Advance Reader Copy in paperback of Dear Fahrenheit 451: Love And Heartbreak In the Stacks by Annie Spence for FREE through Goodreads Giveaways. 

Dear Fahrenheit 451: Love And Heartbreak In the Stacks by Annie Spence will be released on Tuesday, September 26, 2017.

Below is my honest, unbiased review of Dear Fahrenheit 451: Love And Heartbreak In the Stacks by Annie Spence.

Dear Fahrenheit 451: Love And Heartbreak In the Stacks by Annie Spence is written in two parts. Part 1 includes all of Annie Spence's charming notes/letters about various books. Part 2 includes various book related topics and book recommendations made to readers by the author.

I love the humor Annie Spence infuses in her book, Dear Fahrenheit 451: Love And Heartbreak In the Stacks as it makes for a fun, fast reading! I also love how short each letter and/or section is in this book as this makes it easy to carry this book along with you and read when you don't have a lot of time to devote to reading... i.e. doctor's waiting rooms, commutes on public transportation, and so on.

The following is a summary for Dear Fahrenheit 451: Love And Heartbreak In the Stacks by Annie Spence from Amazon:

A librarian's laugh-out-loud funny, deeply moving collection of love letters and breakup notes to the books in her life.

If you love to read, and presumably you do since you’ve picked up this book (!), you know that some books affect you so profoundly they forever change the way you think about the world. Some books, on the other hand, disappoint you so much you want to throw them against the wall. Either way, it’s clear that a book can be your new soul mate or the bad relationship you need to end.

In Dear Fahrenheit 451, librarian Annie Spence has crafted love letters and breakup notes to the iconic and eclectic books she has encountered over the years. From breaking up with The Giving Tree (a dysfunctional relationship book if ever there was one), to her love letter to The Time Traveler’s Wife (a novel less about time travel and more about the life of a marriage, with all of its ups and downs), Spence will make you think of old favorites in a new way. Filled with suggested reading lists, Spence’s take on classic and contemporary books is very much like the best of literature―sometimes laugh-out-loud funny, sometimes surprisingly poignant, and filled with universal truths.

A celebration of reading, Dear Fahrenheit 451 is for anyone who loves nothing more than curling up with a good book…and another, and another, and another!

I am giving Dear Fahrenheit 451: Love And Heartbreak In the Stacks by Annie Spence a rating of 4 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

Top Ten Tuesday --- Ten Books I Loved During The First Year I Started My Blog

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created here at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Each week we will post a new Top Ten list that one of our bloggers here at The Broke and the Bookish will answer. Everyone is welcome to join. All we ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so that everyone can check out other bloggers lists! If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Have fun with it! It's a fun way to get to know your fellow bloggers.

Here are my top ten favorite books I loved reading during the first year I started blogging (2012). They are listed in no order of importance.

1. Grayson by Lynne Cox
2. Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay
3. Wicked Bugs by Amy Stewart
4. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
5. Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot
6. The Giver by Lois Lowry
7. The Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
8. Paris, My Sweet: A Year in the City of Light (and Dark Chocolate) by Amy Thomas
9. The Forty Fathom Bank by Les Galloway
10. Love, Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

So, which books were your favorite reads during your 1st year of blogging?

Bookish Quote of the Day!!

Little Free Library in Castro Valley, California!

Me with my book selections!

This afternoon, I visited a Little Free Library in Castro Valley, California with my hubby.

This was a new to us Little Free Library and it is a really cute one at that!

I try to visit as many Little Free Libraries as I can (especially new to me Little Free Libraries) to leave and/or exchange books I've read.

I think the Little Free Library I visited today marks the 17th Little Free Library I've visited this year alone... And I am looking forward to visiting many more before the year is up.

I left the following two novels; Annie Freeman's Fabulous Traveling Funeral by Kris Radish and Watch Me Go by Mark Wisniewski. And I took the two novels as follows; Invisible by James Patterson & David Ellis and Saving The World and Other Extreme Sports by James Patterson. 

Until my next post, happy reading!

The Exile: An Outlander Graphic Novel by Diana Gabaldon

Hardback Edition

I became a fan of Diana Gabaldon's 'Outlander' series back in the 1990s. I was actually introduced to Diana Gabaldon's novels by my maternal grandmother of all people. My grandmother has always been an avid reader, like myself. I do not recall how my grandmother first heard about the 'Outlander' series. All I do remember is that my grandmother shared with me the details of Outlander (the first novel in the series) by Diana Gabaldon. She said Outlander was a wonderful, must read novel. 

So, I read Outlander by Diana Gabaldon, along with several other novels in the 'Outlander' series, and have enjoyed reading these novels very much. I am a bit behind in the 'Outlander' series at the moment though and will need to play catch up at some point.

I became aware of The Exile: An Outlander Graphic Novel by Diana Gabaldon in the past year or so... Yet this graphic novel was published back in 2010. How'd I miss that bit of information I'd like to know!?!? Generally, I do not read a lot of graphic novels or manga for that matter... But being a fan of the 'Outlander' series, I'm surprised I wasn't aware of this graphic novel sooner. 

Needless to say, I decided to read The Exile: An Outlander Graphic Novel by Diana Gabaldon. After reading, The Exile: An Outlander Graphic Novel, I have mixed thoughts about it.

The artwork rendered by illustrator, Huang Nguyen, is beautifully done. However, both Claire and Jamie are not how I had envisioned they would look... Claire ends up looking too busty and Jamie looks kind of scrawny to me. However, the biggest issue I have with the illustration work done by Huang Nguyen, was that many of the male characters in this graphic novel looked too similar, making it difficult to keep each of the male characters identities straight throughout the novel.

As far as the storyline goes for The Exile: An Outlander Graphic Novel... It was decent enough to be entertaining and interesting as a spinoff of the 'Outlander' series, but it didn't W-O-W me like I thought/hoped it would. If I'd never read Outlander by Diana Gabaldon prior to reading The Exile: An Outlander Graphic Novel, I'd have been completely turned off from ever reading Outlander or the rest of the 'Outlander' series.

Also, there were quite a bit of Gaelic words and phrases used in The Exile: An Outlander Graphic Novel, which I didn't mind... But after the initial translations of what the Gaelic words/phrases meant, the definitions weren't mentioned again when the word or phrase was used later on. This was frustrating as I didn't want to have to search back through this graphic novel looking for the meaning of the Gaelic word or phrase.

Claire also seemed to have more of a potty mouth than I recalled from the 'Outlander' series. Sure, Claire's feisty and confident, but she's not one who'd have a potty mouth. So, this was a bit of a turn off for me.

The best parts of The Exile: An Outlander Graphic Novel for me, were the sections written by Diana Gabaldon about how The Exile: An Outlander Graphic Novel came to be and the actual making of the book itself. I learned that Diana Gabaldon at one time wrote comic book scripts for Disney! 

Below is a book trailer about The Exile: An Outlander Graphic Novel by Diana Gabaldon, which I found on YouTube:

I am giving The Exile: An Outlander Graphic Novel by Diana Gabaldon a rating of 3 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!

Netflix to Release a New Documentary About Joan Didion in October 2017!

A few days ago I discovered that on October 27, 2017, a new documentary about American writer, Joan Didion will be available to watch through Netflix. 

The documentary about Joan Didion will be directed by her nephew, Griffin Dunne.

Watch the following video about the upcoming Joan Didion documentary.

The Second Mrs. Hockaday by Susan Rivers

Hardback Edition

I discovered The Second Mrs. Hockaday by Susan Rivers purely by chance!! I'd never heard of this novel or its author until I decided to join a local book club that selected The Second Mrs. Hockaday by Susan Rivers as its book club pick for September 2017.

I am truly ecstatic at how fabulously wonderful and well written The Second Mrs. Hockaday by Susan Rivers is!! I'm actually quite blown away at out how much I loved this novel as I wasn't sure what to expect from a new to me author that I'd never heard about before. 

The Second Mrs. Hockaday by Susan Rivers is beautifully written. It a historical novel set for the most part in the deep South during the US Civil War during the years 1863 to 1865. The novel does leap forward to the year 1892 towards the end... But not to worry, the jump in time is in keeping with the plot development and storyline.

The Second Mrs. Hockaday is written as a series of letters and journal entries, which makes for fascinating reading. I also think that writing a novel in a series of letters and journal entries lends itself well to the time period portrayed in the novel. 

I also enjoyed the plot development, the pace of the novel, and the characters of The Second Mrs. Hockaday very much... Even if one of the characters was particularly unsavory. 

Best of all is the mystery and suspense that surrounds the life of the leading female character, Placidia Hockaday, during the years of 1863 to 1865, while her husband is off fighting in the war. What happens to Placidia during this time frame is one of the hooks that grabs the reader's attention right from the novel's start. 

I look forward to discussing The Second Mrs. Hockaday by Susan Rivers at the book club meet-up later this month.

The following is a plot summary for The Second Mrs. Hockaday by Susan Rivers from Amazon:

When Major Gryffth Hockaday is called to the front lines of the Civil War, his new bride is left to care for her husband’s three-hundred-acre farm and infant son. Placidia, a mere teenager herself living far from her family and completely unprepared to run a farm or raise a child, must endure the darkest days of the war on her own. By the time Major Hockaday returns two years later, Placidia is bound for jail, accused of having borne a child in his absence and murdering it. What really transpired in the two years he was away?

Inspired by a true incident, this saga conjures the era with uncanny immediacy. Amid the desperation of wartime, Placidia sees the social order of her Southern homeland unravel as her views on race and family are transformed. A love story, a story of racial divide, and a story of the South as it fell in the war, The Second Mrs. Hockaday reveals how that generation--and the next--began to see their world anew.

I am giving The Second Mrs. Hockaday by Susan Rivers a rating of 5 stars out of 5 stars!

As a side note, The Second Mrs. Hockaday is the first novel written by Susan Rivers. I look forward to seeing what she has to offer readers in the future.

Until my next post, happy reading!

Top Ten Tuesday - Ten Books That Were A Chore To Get Through This Year

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created here at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Each week we will post a new Top Ten list that one of our bloggers here at The Broke and the Bookish will answer. Everyone is welcome to join. All we ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so that everyone can check out other bloggers lists! If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Have fun with it! It's a fun way to get to know your fellow bloggers.

Everblue (Mer Tales #1) by Brenda Pandos

I almost didn't finish this novel.

It's cheesy ya read.

It also has a cliffhanger ending and

I don't like cliffhanger endings!!

Shadow of the Crimson Queen by Eric A. Radulski

This audible was plain difficult to listen to!
Bad narration, weird music, and I
disliked the storyline.

Darkness Blooms by Christopher Bloodworth

This short story was a complete time suck!!
It's a weird story with crazy characters.

Dominated By His Ghostly Touch by Alexx Andria

Not my style of erotica.

The Mercenary by Jone Brown

Bad erotica short story.
It just didn't seem plausible

The Belmont Hotel, Room Service by Pauline Allan

I like erotica, but this short story wasn't for me.
I am not into male on male erotica.
Plus, the book was all about sex with not much
substance beyond that in my opinion.

Heartbeats by Lucia Jordon

I hate short stories with cliffhanger endings!!

The actions and thoughts of the main characters seemed so fake and unbelievable throughout this entire short story.

Murder at the Manor by C. T. Mitchell

Normally, I love cozy mystery novels and
short stories, but this one was painfully poor.

Snowed In With Death by Ruby Loren

It took me forever to finish reading this short cozy mystery!

The formatting for this ebook sucked and it disrupted the flow of the entire flow of the entire novella... Additionally, this novella needs some editing work as well. 

Most of the characters were so vain and narcissistic, that it was difficult to tolerate reading about them... And the plot was bad!!

Codename: Ace of Spades (Blake, the Good Guy) by J. Tanner

The first few paragraphs of this short story were promising,

but things quickly went south from there.

Cheesy, pointless, juvenile story.

Which books have been difficult for you to get through?

Roxane Gay -- Author Spotlight!

I was able to hear Roxane Gay speak at the 2017 Bay Area Book Festival in June... What an amazing speaker Roxane Gay is!!

I came across an online interview with Roxane Gay titled, Roxane Gay: By the Book from the New York Times, which I enjoyed reading very much. 

It's fun learning which books authors have enjoyed reading and other interesting facts... In the above mentioned article, Roxane Gay was asked 'Whom would you want to write your life story?'... The short answer was 'Zadie Smith'.

Which Stephen King Novel Are You? (Quiz)

I have only read two Stephen King novels

that I can recall.

So, I wouldn't call myself a die hard 

Stephen King fan by any means.

However, I thought it was kind of fun to take the

'Which Stephen King Novel Are You?' Quiz

I got: Misery

Nothing makes you happier than to have a captive audience. You like being in control of things, and you really don't like it when others try to subvert your plans. You've been disappointed by people you admire, and you had no choice but to amputate them from your life.

Bookish Quote of the Day!!!

50/50 Friday - Best/Worst Book Read in August

50/50 Friday is a meme hosted by Carrie @ The Butterfly Reads and Laura @ Blue Eye Books. This fun themed meme focuses on the opposite sides of books (best/worst, differing opinions, etc). Every week a new topic will give bloggers the chance to showcase their answers.

This week's topic is the Best/Worst Book Read in August 2017!

This will be difficult as I finished off 22 books or short stories last month!! And 18 of the 22 reads, were audio versions!!

My Least Favorite Read in August 2017

Shadow of the Crimson Queen by Eric A. Radulski

(click on above link to read my review)

My Favorite Read in August 2017

Winter Men by Jesper Bugge Kold

(click on above link to read my review)

Which books are your favorite/least reads in

August 2017?