Topic

2025

A collection of 39 issues

'25 October - theme: Agatha Christie

The Boomerange Clue (or "Why didn't they ask Evans?" by Agatha Christie Ahhh, after last month's epic, this is just what I needed. One of a few standalone mysteries by the queen of mystery, this is a cracking little book. This is definately one

'25 September - theme: '10 things I hate about you' related

The Golden Notebook by Dorris Lessing First off, I believe some clarification is in order for my readers. Every year on my birthday (in September) I watch my favourite film - '10 things I hate about you' - a modern (1990s) retelling of 'The Taming of the

'25 August - theme: Short Stories

Mavericks: Life stories and lessons of history's most extraordinary misfits by Jenny Draper While only tentatively fitting the theme of short stories, since all the stories are of real people and there is a considerable number of sources cited at the back of the book, this was a

Additional Review I - No more fish in the sea?

Back-slide by Nora Dahlia Thank you Goodreads and Gallery Books for the ARC of Back-slide. I am in the prime millennial demographic for this book, and I enjoyed the scenes from the dim and distant past (the 90's). In fact the flashbacks and the teenage romance sections were

Reading with Ella - Book 7

Dolphin School (#4) - Flip's Surprise Talent by Catherine Hapka We're back with the dolphin friends again. I didn't think Ella especially liked the last book but she was up for trying another one. This was extremely similar to the last. Same dolphin kids,

Reading with Ella - Book 6

Zoey and Sassafras - Dragons and Marshmallows by Asia Citro So it is possible to find new children's books that are as good as the classics. It's not all Billie B Brown and weird dolphin stories. This was fantastic. Pro-science, pro-feminist, and pro-magic! Zoey loves science

Additional Review H - Do we still like vampires in 2025?

Dead as a Doornail (Sookie Stackhouse #5) by Charlaine Harris For some reason I never got to the Sookie Stackhouse series back in the 00's when they came out. I'm not sure why as I was full into other vampire series' (yes I read Twilight)

Reading with Ella - Book 5

The Magic Finger by Roald Dahl I was beginning to wonder if my dissatisfaction with the kids books we have read recently was due to me being, well, not a kid. I am happy to report that is not the case. We picked up a favourite from my childhood, and

Reading with Ella - Book 4

Billie B. Brown - The CopyCat Kid by Sally Rippin Another short one, and better than the last one in this series. There was a moral to the story, I'm never sure if I should mark up or down for that. We like stories with action (especially magic)

Reading with Ella - Book 3

Billie B. Brown - The Deep End by Sally Rippin Better than those dolphins, and at least it is very short. Billie can't swim and feels embarrassed. Finds out at the swimming lessons that another girl cannot swim either. They bond. The end. At least it was short.