Tuesday Reviews Day - Books & a quick update

Not long after my last post — yep, almost a month ago — I came down with a terrible chest infection followed straight after with the flu. I was bed-ridden and in a lot of chest and back pain from all the deep coughing which totally exhausted me.  About all I could manage during my sickness was to read my Kindle and watch Netflix. Anything else was too draining. It took three doctor's visits and 2 courses of different antibiotics to get on top of the cough. I'm still recovering but, on a positive note, yesterday was the first day I've felt half-human again despite still coughing, blowing my nose constantly, and some lingering muscle pain. I hadn't been sick like that in quite a few years.

On with the reviews —

First up is Down Under by Bill Bryson
This book is titled - In a Sunburned Country - in the USA

Bill Bryson is a travel writer and this book caught my attention because he was writing about his travels in Australia. Bryson first visited Australia in 1992 and, from what information I can find, this book was first published in 2000. Naturally, a lot has changed in Australia in almost two decades but, for the most part, it was at a time I remember and can identify with. I liked how he portrayed the Aussie sense of humour and how laid back we can be, especially when it comes to all the dangerous creatures we share this country with. He also expresses clearly how vast Australia actually is and how much of it is uninhabitable.

I thought this book would mostly focus on his personal experiences and travels in this country which it did, however, Mr Bryson also goes into A LOT of Australia's history even pre-Captain Cook times. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the history lessons too — I loved history at school — but the history aspect could get a tad boring at times. Of course, bear in mind, I was quite sick when I read it so may not have always been in the mood for some history lessons. Taking all that into account, I gave it a 5 star rating.

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Next up - The Thing About Clare by Imogen Clark

This book spans back and forth over 4/5 decades and focuses around the lives of Dorothy Bliss and their four children - Miriam, Clare, Anna, and Sebastian.  Dorothy's husband, Frank, is on the scene but not a focal point in the book. In her later years, Dorothy dies, supposedly without a will. However, not long before she passes, Dorothy entrusts Anna to find her Will, plus a letter to Clare, with instructions to burn them both. Why? Does Anna follow her mother's instructions? What is it about Clare?

I loved Dorothy's Irish way of speaking in the book. I enjoyed the book but not really sure the story-line was very effective overall. It hints early on in the book that Clare's parentage may be in question and the possible reason she was always different to her siblings — the tear-away of the family and very rebellious. Each sibling wrestled with their own issues at different stages of their lives so I'm not sure Clare really had a valid excuse for her behaviour. Guess you'd have to read it to understand what I mean.  I was tossing between 3 and 4 stars and the 3 stars won out.

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Lastly, my Amazon First Reads choice for August - The Secrets of Lost Stones by Melissa Payne

Jess, a grieving mother, finds herself in Pine Lake after her car runs out of fuel, among other issues. As luck would have it, she lands a job as a caregiver to elderly Lucy who is rumoured to be the witch of the mountain town. Lucy seems eccentric, has a keen interest in crossword puzzles, and seems to know things before they happen. Star, a teenage runaway, is invited to Lucy's home. Like Jess, Star suffered a tragedy, and unbeknown to them, their paths have crossed for a reason. Jess lost her 8 year old son while Star watched her best friend die. Lucy seems to be guiding them in a certain direction. Has a call from beyond the grave brought them together?

I read this book, on and off, over a period of 36 hours. I found it so hard to put down. LOVED it!  There are mysterious happenings afoot right from the start and it keeps you wanting to turn the pages to seek answers. It does not disappoint while it builds to a climatic ending. I gave it 5 stars!

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And that wraps up the reviews for this week.