1/22/2023

Weekly Book Wrap-Up #243 – Snow And A Primrose

With the Weekly Book Wrap-Up, I give you a bit of an insight into all the new books that have arrived at my place. No matter if I won a giveaway, got approved for a reviewer´s copy, an ARC, or just bought one myself. Everything that I add to my shelves, in what way ever and read during the past week or am still reading, I will write about it. And maybe I tell you a bit about the upcoming things on Inkvotary, that is if I don´t forget it and have something to share with you *smile*

I am linking up with Caffeinated Reviewer and Reading Reality and hope you´ll have fun reading it and maybe get the one or the other book inspiration.

Stacking The Shelves #243

Thanks to the DHL strike no new books.

Sunday Post #200

Well, the past seven days have been a mix of sun, cold temperatures, and some snow. And some challenges. The zipper on my winter coat decided to break on Monday while I was at the supermarket. As a result, I have now to wear my blue Norwegian Fleece Jacket, which is not as warm as the winter coat. And of course, the temperatures had to significantly drop this past week. How fitting.

I tried to get some of the fine oat flakes which are on sale this week. No luck so far. The supermarket either doesn´t get them at all or only has two boxes which last only for a few hours. On Friday I had to sort the bicycle storage for a second time within two weeks, to be able to get to my bike. WTF?! After that, I saw the note, that a tiles company needs access to all the apartments. To check something. I called my landlady to get some more information. It is an insurance thing. Her insurance, not mine. Well.

Yesterday, Saturday, I slept long (the weather is stressing me out), and tried again, to buy some oats. No chance. I bought another one with some berries in it. It is frustrating. Back home, I tried to read a few more chapters. No luck here either. I wonder if it is the story itself or just me.

During the night from Saturday to Sunday, it started to snow. The weather forecast had told me that it would snow all day long on Sunday. Well, so far, no snowflake in sight. I haven´t done anything on my blog. Feels like I am still not in 2023. Is anybody feeling the same way?

How was your week? Stay safe and healthy



Happy reading

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1/15/2023

Weekly Book Wrap-Up #242 – Lenten Rose In Purple And White

With the Weekly Book Wrap-Up, I give you a bit of an insight into all the new books that have arrived at my place. No matter if I won a giveaway, got approved for a reviewer´s copy, an ARC, or just bought one myself. Everything that I add to my shelves, in what way ever and read during the past week or am still reading, I will write about it. And maybe I tell you a bit about the upcoming things on Inkvotary, that is if I don´t forget it and have something to share with you *smile*

I am linking up with Caffeinated Reviewer and Reading Reality and hope you´ll have fun reading it and maybe get the one or the other book inspiration.

Stacking The Shelves #242

Thanks to Fischer TB I had some book mail this week.

Review Copy

      

         

Sunday Post #199

Temperature wise the last week has felt more like spring than winter. I used part of my free time to continue with the garden remodeling. 
      

I used the branches from the bush that I saw off to edge the beds in the front garden and around the lilac bush in the back garden. Looks a bit rustic, but I like it.

And found out, that some of my Lenten Roses, the lilac and the white ones, are about to bloom. Didn´t expect that because the past few weeks they´ve looked so poorly. But I guess, I will replant them in the summer anyway.

The rest of the week I was busy reading and finishing a book from the library and starting a new one. A few days later, I noticed while being at the supermarket, that some prices have changed again. Some products went down with the price while others went up. On Saturday, I had a crazy day. I went into town early and took care of some bank stuff. Back home I took my bags for a shopping trip at the local supermarket and bought some fresh fruits and vegetables. At home, I put everything into my kitchen cabinets before I took my wallet and walked a second time that day to the supermarket. This time, to buy a bag of bark mulch. And without a car, I used the shopping venture from the supermarket, to get that heavy bag home and into the washroom. And went back to the supermarket for a third time, to bring the shopping venture back. Yes, keep laughing. But I didn't want to ask my neighbors for help with this again. It took me all morning to get enough material for the garden. It was exhausting, and I was tired for the rest of the day.

Today, Sunday, I was up early again. And start to hate it. Sundays are supposed to be days where you can stay in bed as long as you want. What happened to that? I watched some Biathlon and other winter sports on TV, read a bit, enjoyed a late espresso, and hope that I won´t be staying awake too late. The weather forecast predicts that we will get some freezing temperatures the night from Sunday to Monday and with that some snow. Let´s hope not.

How was your week? Stay safe and healthy



Happy reading

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1/12/2023

Listen To Me by Tess Gerritsen

After quite a bit of time without a new Rizzoli & Isles book, this was the perfect read for some rainy days. Jane is as sarcastic and devoted to her job as ever, Maura is as secretive as always, and a mother who doesn´t know when it is enough. And precisely that leads to some situations where you, the reader, will laugh out loud or have a broad grin. The thriller was sometimes hilarious, bloody, and sometimes filled with tension. And everything combined during some chapters. If you know and love the Rizzoli & Isles series, go grab and read it. It is absolutely worth your time.

Listen To Me

by Tess Gerritsen
Rizzoli & Isles Series #13
Publisher Ballantine Books on July 5, 2022
Genre Thriller
Pages 307
Format Hardcover
Source Library
Goodreads
✶✶✶✶

A mother would do anything for a daughter. Really everything?

The brutal murder of a Boston nurse has Detective Jane Rizzoli and Coroner Maura Isles on edge. The woman's skull was smashed in when she returned home while she was still in her work clothes. Did she surprise a thief, or was someone waiting for her? What Jane doesn't need in this situation is a mother who keeps calling her about a neighbor's daughter who she thinks has been kidnapped - one who has run away several times. Plus, there are those rude newbies on the street who just moved in. Something about them isn't kosher, Angela Rizzoli believes. Jane brushes aside her mother's warnings. But Angela's gut feeling is not deceptive and puts her in great danger...

Story

Jane is called to a scene. A nurse has been killed after she got home and there is no obvious reason why. At least no reason Jane could think of. She starts doing her job with the feeling that she is missing something. Something important but she can´t get her finger on it. And when her mother Angela steps in and does what she knows best, Jane gets help from someone she never thought would be helpful.

Style

Tess Gerritsen's writing and wording style is spot on here. The perfect combination of humor, sarcasm, and curiosity. In contrast to other authors of this genre, Tess Gerritsen almost has a lively tone. And that is exactly what forms a wonderful contrast to the action and the tension in the plot. This makes the reading speed nice and fast, and the conversation is wonderfully underlined. From the psychological effect to the family tragedy - everything is perfectly coordinated, and the tension grows accordingly. The mixture of bloody murder scenes, funny Scrabble rounds and the private lives of Jane and Maura is wonderfully designed and is a real pleasure to read. And the way the author lets the individual characters interact with one another is fantastic. And that moment when Jane finally got the penny and got back to work was priceless. I couldn't stop grinning at that.

Characters

I just like Jane Rizzoli's style. Her sarcasm, her irony is just wonderful to read. And the way Maura Isles keeps offering her observations on the mother-daughter duo Rizzoli - delicious! Tess Gerritsen has presented the behavior of mothers and their daughters in an entertaining way. Not just that of the Rizzoli family. And thus landed an absolute hit. Rarely have I experienced characters so alive, visible, and sometimes invisible as here. Amy alone is an ingeniously created character in that regard.

Conclusion

It was a wonderfully entertaining thriller with many delicious scenes and some really funny dialogue. The author has brilliantly managed to keep surprising her readers in this thriller without losing her high level of reading. If you like suspense, humor, murder, and irony mixed with a touch of mystery, this is the place for you.

Happy reading

Tess Gerritsen

New York Times bestselling author Tess Gerritsen earned international acclaim for her first novel of suspense, Harvest. She introduced Detective Jane Rizzoli in The Surgeon (2001) and Dr. Maura Isles in The Apprentice (2002) and has gone on to write numerous other titles in the celebrated Rizzoli & Isles series. A physician, Tess Gerritsen lives in Maine.

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1/10/2023

Library Love Challenge Sign Up 2023

This will be my fifth year with the Library Love Challenge. And this year I hope that I will be able to reactivate my former love for the library. That I will go more often, read more books from the library and that I will be able again to actually enjoy my stay there while looking for new books or some I have not read yet. The challenge is hosted by Angel´s Guilty Pleasure and Books of My Heart. The library has become a sad place for me. And with that feeling looking around there for books I don´t know, isn´t a good thing anymore. On the other hand, I want to read. And I want to discover new releases. And unfortunately, my book budget has become almost nonexistent. So, yes, the library is a good place to find books I want to read but can´t afford to buy. Maybe I am extending my goal during the upcoming year and end up with a totally different level or I will barely reach my original goal. Who knows …?

My Goal

Dewey Decimal with at least 12 read books.

Details

• Runs: January 1, 2023 – December 31, 2023. You can join anytime. The sign-up will remain open until December 31st, 2023.

• The goal is to find your love of your local library and to read at least twelve (12) books from the library,
  but you can read more. While twelve is the minimum; there is no maximum limit. See the different levels below and pick the one that works best for you.
  
• Any format will work for this challenge (prints, ebooks, or audio); as long as you checked it out from the library, it counts.
  
• Books can be any genre (fiction, nonfiction, romance, fantasy, mystery, thriller, horror, etc.).
  
• Crossovers from other reading challenges are allowed, including re-reads. The goal is to support your local library and save money.
  
• You do not have to be a book blogger to participate; you can track your progress on Goodreads, Facebook, LibraryThing, etc.
  
• If you’re a blogger grab the button and do a quick post about the challenge to help spread the word. If you’re not a blogger you can help by posting on Instagram, Facebook, or Tweet about the challenge. Please link back to both hosts: Angel’s Guilty Pleasures & Books of My Heart.
  
• As an added bonus: We’re offering up a GIVEAWAY with this Challenge. Winner will be picked at the end of the year!! There are a few freebie entries just for signing up to join the challenge and then the main entries throughout the year will be the direct links to your book reviews. You will have until Jan. 4th, 2024 to enter your reviews in the Linky/Rafflecopter over at Anne at Books Of My Heart or Angela over at Angel´s Guilty Pleasures.
  
• (Optional) Added Challenge(s) & Giveaway(s): This year we will be doing a few fun challenges throughout the year. We will have an Audiobook Challenge (May-June), the Library BINGO (July-Aug.), & lastly an End Of Year Check-In (Dec. 15th). Each added challenge will have a fun giveaway plus the MAIN giveaway.
  
• (Optional) Reviews: Write a review to enter the giveaway – 2 sentences or an essay, whatever works for you, but there is a minimum of 2 sentences. Not sure what to write? How about something like; “The plot was a delight, but the characters didn’t capture me.” “I enjoyed the story and really liked the characters.”
  
• Please use #LibraryLoveChallenge when sharing your reviews, library pictures, etc…

Challenge Levels

• Dewey Decimal: Read 12 books
  
• Thrifty Reader: Read 24 books
• Overdrive Junkie: Read 36 books
• Library Addict: Read 48 books
• Library Card on Fire: Read 60+ books

More information about this challenge you can find here.



Happy reading & good luck

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1/08/2023

Weekly Book Wrap-Up #241 – First Week Of 2023 Is Over

With the Weekly Book Wrap-Up, I give you a bit of an insight into all the new books that have arrived at my place. No matter if I won a giveaway, got approved for a reviewer´s copy, an ARC, or just bought one myself. Everything that I add to my shelves, in what way ever and read during the past week or am still reading, I will write about it. And maybe I tell you a bit about the upcoming things on Inkvotary, that is if I don´t forget it and have something to share with you *smile*

I am linking up with Caffeinated Reviewer and Reading Reality and hope you´ll have fun reading it and maybe get the one or the other book inspiration.

Stacking The Shelves #241

No new book this week.

Sunday Post #198

The first week of 2023 was a weird one. I was waiting for my template designer to answer my eMail and while waiting literally hanging in the air. I didn´t dare to do anything on my blog. Instead, I tried to get updated on all the new things that came into effect on January first, 2023. New laws, new tax rules, new stuff in almost every area. Ugh.

On Tuesday I learned that Google apparently has changed something concerning the server space every blog page has when you post something on your blog. WTF! Well, in the end, I had to change one post to get the design back to the old look. Ok. Lesson learned. Will use the trick she told me, to post in the future.

The rest of the week went by in a blink. Wednesday afternoon I noticed that I didn´t feel well. No Covid, but it was enough to knock me off my feet for the rest of the week. Nonetheless, I went into town Thursday. I needed to do some bank account stuff, and a new table calendar, and after that, I went to the drugstore and later to the library. A new book reservation was waiting for me. Back home, I went straight into bed and stayed there Friday, Saturday, and most of today, sleeping.

How was your week? Stay safe and healthy



Happy reading

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1/05/2023

Thrifty Thursday Challenge 2023 Sign-Up

Thrifty Thursday is a new challenge. Created and hosted by Anne over at Books Of My Heart. The purpose of this challenge is to read a book, that has been free at some point. And with I don´t know how many unread freebies, I hope that I will have the chance to slim down that list a bit. Okay, I am not going high with my goal, because every time I do so, the opposite happens and that is something I would like to avoid this time. I guess, together, with the two other challenges happening later in 2023, my chances are pretty good that I will make some progress here *smile* Let´s see where the Thrifty Thursday is taking me. 

Wish me luck with this challenge and that some reading fun will be along the way.

Set goal:
3 read freebies in 2023


Definition of Freebies for the challenge:
• Kindle or other platform freebies where you purchase it for €/$0
• Freebies through author newsletters that anyone can sign up and get for free
• Giveaways won or gifts received

These do NOT include Kindle Unlimited, Prime Free Reading, Prime First Reads, or library books.



Happy reading

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1/04/2023

Waiting On Wednesday #203 – Gallant by V.E. Schwab

is a weekly event that was originally hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. This meme is a place that spotlights upcoming releases that we´re eagerly anticipating with pure joy. There are a lot of new books coming out each year and some of them catch my attention and will get a spotlight in my Waiting on Wednesday post. While some of them will finally end up here at my place, others won´t. I am joining Tressa at Wishful Endings and her meme Can´t-Wait Wednesday.

At first, I wasn´t very intrigued by the cover, to be honest. But it is a V.E. Schwab book, and usually, she writes wonderful stories. Not all can thrill me, but most of them do. Hopefully, this one will be a “could-thrill-me” novel. If not, well… don´t think about it *lol*

Gallant-Im Garten Der Schatten

Author V.E. Schwab
Publishing Date March 29, 2023
Publisher Fischer Tor
Format Hardcover
Goodreads

Olivia Prior grew up in an orphanage. She never met her father and has long forgotten her mother's voice. All she has left is her mother's diary. It's full of riddles and strange drawings that she hopes to unravel one day. Her life in the home is anything but easy because she cannot speak and communicates with the help of an old slate. She also sees the spirits of the dead, silently observing the goings-on of the living. She's not afraid of them, if only because Olivia feels like she's buried alive. But everything changes when a letter from her uncle arrives at the school, inviting her to come to her family's ancestral home. For Olivia, it's a unique chance to learn more about her parents' fate. But she suspects that the price she has to pay will be high...

And what are you waiting for? Let me know your thoughts about this one or leave me the link to your WoW and I check it out.

Happy reading & waiting on

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1/01/2023

Weekly Book Wrap-Up #240 – Hello 2023!

With the Weekly Book Wrap-Up, I give you a bit of an insight into all the new books that have arrived at my place. No matter if I won a giveaway, got approved for a reviewer´s copy, an ARC, or just bought one myself. Everything that I add to my shelves, in what way ever and read during the past week or am still reading, I will write about it. And maybe I tell you a bit about the upcoming things on Inkvotary, that is if I don´t forget it and have something to share with you *smile*

I am linking up with Caffeinated Reviewer and Reading Reality and hope you´ll have fun reading it and maybe get the one or the other book inspiration.

Stacking The Shelves #240

I had a book journal in the mail. It was part of the advent calendar giveaway a German publisher was doing on Instagram. Don´t ask me which door of the calendar it had been *smile*. Thank you, Fischer TB for the nice surprise.

Advents Giveaway

    

      

Sunday Post #197

The last week of 2022 was almost like every year. I got all the food and drink for New Year´s Eve and the next days. Planted some more flower bulbs around the house and wrote my last few posts for 2022. And discovered that Blogger doesn´t like it when you post more than two posts in one day *sigh* My template got screwed because of that and so my last afternoon in 2022 became a bit clouded. Had a bad feeling …

I had a wonderful surprise in my mail (see pictures above) and was a couple of times on the phone with the customer service of my TV company. Got some answers and know now that I will need to show some patience. I hope they come up with a solution that works, fast. I am annoyed…

The entire week we´ve had very warm weather. It felt almost like spring, and it was a bit of a gamble to wear the right clothes. I organized the last financial things for this year and the next one, took care of my household, and finally started preparing blog content for 2023.

My week ended with long and colorful fireworks. You could tell that we weren´t allowed to fire up one during 2020 and 2021. It looked as if some had to make up for that in 2022 *lol* It was loud, and the night was one bright show of blooming firecrackers. Beautiful to watch, yes, but the money that literally went up in flames… Burned money. Or is it only me?

There are three people, I would like to mention here. All three died in 2022 and it feels sad, that they are no longer with us.

One of the last three pictures of her Majesty The Queen was taken at Balmoral Castle. This one is my favorite. She looks fragile, yes, but happy and is literally beaming.

Wolfgang Petersen. One of the most famous and best film directors that Germany and the world have ever had. Director of the movie The Neverending Story.

Christiane Hörbiger. The Grande Dame of the German-speaking Theatre and TV world. She was a member of the Austrian family dynasty Hörbiger.

Today, Sunday, I woke up mid-day after an evening and night with many delicious things. Apparently, the last peach and champagne drink had been one too many. Felt a bit groggy. I enjoyed my first espresso of the new year and a piece of freshly baked apple cake. Yummy. Not sure if it is because of the new year but the atmosphere is very quiet and peaceful.

And with that, I wish you all, a happy, successful, and healthy 2023. Stay positive and open-minded.

Happy New Year

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12/31/2022

Best Books Of 2022

This year I am presenting my list of the top ten books with the new year only a few hours away. My list shows books that have touched me in one way or the other. And even when I wrote some critical points in my reviews about one or the other best book of 2022, they fascinated me in some way. I didn´t read as many five-star books as I did in previous years but nonetheless, I had fun reading novels, thrillers, or romances in print as well as listening to an audiobook in 2022. My list shows books that were either new releases on the German book market or the English market or both.

I show them in random order because each of them is unique and entertains its readers, or me in that case, way beyond anything a book is usually capable of doing so.

Best Books Of 2022

Of all the books I read in 2022, I particularly enjoyed the above. In some of my reviews, I placed some criticism although I rated them as reading pleasure or made it a five-star book.

Happy reading

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