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To Dream of Shadows
To Dream of Shadows
Steve N Less | 2023 | History & Politics
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Oh my word ... what a story!! I don't think there are adequate words that capture adequately how I felt about this book and how good it was ... it was absolutely gripping and I was rivetted from the very first to the very last word ... and it's inspired by a true story.

To Dream of Shadows is a powerful story of survival, loss, resilience, hope and the power of friendship and love; it is a difficult book to read in parts but I was absolutely gripped and devoured it in quick time and have no problem recommending this to those of you who love getting totally immersed in a wonderful book that will have your emotions in tatters and your eyes glued to the words.

Many thanks must go to the author, Steve N Lee, for enabling me to read and share my thoughts of To Dream of Shadows.
  
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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2456 KP) rated Gone for Gouda in Books

Jan 9, 2023 (Updated Jan 9, 2023)  
Gone for Gouda
Gone for Gouda
Korina Moss | 2022 | Mystery
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Murder Preempts Author Event
Willa Bauer is thrilled to be hosting a stop for Phoebe Winston on her tour promoting her new cookbook. The celebrity chef is sure to bring in lots of people to Willa’s new cheese shop. However, when Willa meets Phoebe, she discovers the author is a bit of a diva, with demands that make the event a much harder prospect than Willa bargained for. Then Phoebe is murdered in the house she was renting in the area, with Willa’s employee Archie the last person on the property’s security system. Can Willa figure out what happened?

I enjoyed the first book in the series, but this was even stronger. We meet Phoebe long enough to know what a pain she is before she dies, but then we learn even more, opening up the suspect pool. The climax becomes a race to figure things out, and I was along for the twists that kept coming at that point. I was thrilled that the supporting players got a bigger role this time around. They are fantastic, and I enjoyed spending time with all of them. I grew up in Sonoma County, so I have a special connection with the setting even if I did have to move my mental map of the fictional town where most of the action takes place. This book will leave you hungry for cheese, so the three recipes at the end will be welcome. I’m already anxious to see what happens to Willa and the others in the next in the series.
  
A Soldier's Sketchbook: The Illustrated First World War Diary of R.H. Rabjohn by John Wilson is a fascinating glimpse into the actual sketchbook/diary of a soldier who served in World War I. It follows Russell Rabjohn from 1916 to 1919 during his time in World War I. Russell was a trained artist, so his superiors directed him to make technical drawings and maps. Constantly having pen and paper available enabled Russell to freely sketch his experiences on the frontlines. The drawings are a unique peek into the past.

The selected diary entries are interspersed with clearly marked context. The black-and-white pencil drawings are impressive and the sketches that show the horrors of war are respectfully rendered. What impacted me most in the beginning was the innocence of the young man from Toronto going out into the world for the first time.

I appreciated this chance to get to know a little more about World War I from the life of a Canadian soldier. It was a pleasure to get to know Private Rabjohn. I am grateful to him for his commitment to documentation. Historian and author John Wilson did a great job providing context and compiling the information into an engaging and beautifully formatted book. This book can be appreciated by older children and adults.

I received an advanced readers copy from Penguin Random House Canada and Tundra Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
  
My beloved agents are back, Zaiba is leading another investigation, where her dad and little brother Ali are potential suspects! We have some new characters added this time, that are quite sneaky and have their secret agendas.

The plot of this book is quite interesting and has some really surprising twists and turns. I really liked the parent-child relationships analysed in this book. How parents influence their children without even realising it, I think it is quite an interesting topic. The investigation has its intriguing nuances, but this time the author could not hide the culprit, it was very obvious who it was.

The whole book was set in the school fete, with a very cheery atmosphere, that I thoroughly enjoyed. 🙂 The writing style of this novel is entertaining and easy to read, like in the previous book. The chapters have medium length, but the great illustrations make this book a quite entertaining read. The ending, as I mentioned before was quite predictable. Like in the first book, this book also has great material for young agents, that I think will be useful and fun. 🙂

So, to conclude, it is a great novel with beloved and new characters as well as a plot that has some surprises, and life lessons to teach. This book can be read as stand-alone, but if you read the first part and missed the crew, do give this part a go, it is a very enjoyable read indeed.