Top Ten Tuesday: Winter books

 

Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week the theme is Books or Covers that Feel/Look Like Summer (You can interpret this in a number of ways. Maybe the covers or titles are obviously summer themed, but maybe the feeling the book gives you is all warm and summery. Maybe the book cover colors look summery or the story itself takes place in the summertime. Or maybe the titles you select are favorites that you re-read every summer when you were on break from school.) Now because we are in the Southern Hemisphere I am twisting this to be about winter.  One of the other reasons for twisting it is because winter is the theme for my read on a theme bookclub this month so this exercise might help me to decide what book I am going to read for bookclub!

So here are just some of the winter books I have on my Kindle so far:

Five Winters by Kitty Johnson - Doesn't this cover scream winter!

The Winter Dress by Lauren Chater - This is probably the book that I was leaning towards reading, but I am just not sure if I can fit it in!

Winter Beginnings by Elise K Ackers - This is the third book in the Return to Me series. I haven't read the others so this is not likely to be my choice this time.

Winter Men by Jesper Bugge Kold - I think I probably picked this one up as part of the world book promotions that Amazon has most years.

A Winter Ballad by Barbara Samuel - I really enjoy reading Barbara O'Neal's books so I fully expect to enjoy this book as well, although it does look very retro!

Now onto the options that I don't already own:

Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah - I have only read one Kristin Hannah book which I enjoyed. I really should read more.

Blackberry Winter by Sarah Jio - See that sentence above about Kristin Hannah. Substitute the name of Sarah Jio and you will see my thoughts on this book.

Winter in Paradise by Erin Hildebrand - I know that Erin Hildebrand is a book club favourite, but I haven't read her yet. Yes, I know that I should have!

The Winter Queen by Boris Akunin - Ihad this book on my shelf for years, but I don't think it survived the last cull. It would have been perfect for this theme.

Mrs de Winter by Susan Hill - Last night I dreamt of Manderley  - Yes, this book is about that Mrs de Winter who we originally met in Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier and it might make for interesting conversation.

I am not sure if this has helped me choose a book or made it more difficult. 

Unforgettable by Elise K Ackers

Connor and Emma have a history, first as friends and then as lovers, but when he awakens from a coma following an accident he has lost 3 years of memory, and he has no clue who the two women waiting by his bedside are. One is his girlfriend, Asha, and the other is Emma. Emma knows that no one knows Connor as well as she does, especially not his high maintenance 'girlfriend'.

Emma is determined to help Connor with his return to normal life, including back to work, as soon as possible, partially because of her strong connection to him but also from a sense of guilt.

While Connor doesn't remember Emma, he does know that he is instantly drawn to her and that he intrinsically trusts her. He also knows that she was important to him in the past, because otherwise how come she would have have a key to his house or she would know so much about him.

Emma agrees to help Connor as much as she can, but she is also aware that one of the issues that they faced previously is that they worked closely together. While all the co-workers on the building site they work on knew that Emma and Connor were really good friends, no one knew that they were romantically involved and it needs to stay that way, mainly to keep their professional reputations intact.

While he has been off work due to the injuries he suffered in his car accident, he has been temporarily replaced and while everyone loves Connor thanks to his abilities in the workplace and his friendly manner, his replacement Mark is someone who gets on Connor's nerves, and everyone else's as well. Mark, Emma and Connor need to work closely together to bring Connor up to speed on the project as soon as possible.

The more time that Emma and Connor spend together, the more he realises that while he may not remember why they weren't together anymore, he does value Emma for more than just her friendship. He is falling in love again. For Emma though, there are two things that are stopping her from taking her second chance at love. The first thing is that she knows that he can't remember why they broke up the first time and the second is that she was there the night of the accident, and she knows exactly what happened. As Connor starts to remember more and more of his forgotten years, it is only a matter of time before he remembers more and Emma has a fairly strong idea of how he will react when he does.

While I really enjoyed the setting and somewhat surprisingly the premise (I am not usually a huge fan of the whole amnesia thing) there was element to the plot that I didn't think was particularly strong, and that is the big secret that Emma is hiding. It really felt like the need for the secret to be so secret was a bit odd, and then Connor's reaction to said secret seemed to be quite over the top.

One of the pleasures of the new digital romances that are currently being published in Australia (in this case for Escape Publishing) are that we get to read romances that feature Australian characters in Australian settings and this is no exception. The building site that Emma and Connor are working at is the refurbishment of Hamer Hall, one of Melbourne's premier concert venues. This is a refurbishment that was recently completed, with new interiors being installed and a whole heap of new spaces opened up along the riverside, which now house restaurants and cafes. It was very interesting to read about this because I can walk past the Hall on an given day. In fact I did that just a couple of days ago, just to take a couple of photos.

With the exception of the conflict which wasn't as strong as it could have been, I did enjoy this quite a bit. I look forward to reading more from this author in future.

Rating 4/5

In hospital following a near-fatal accident, Connor has temporary retrograde amnesia, and there's a blank slate where the last three years of his life should be. It's a woman with haunted eyes and secrets who offers to help him rediscover his past.

Colleague, friend and ex-lover, Emma warns Connor they must be discreet. No one knows about their past relationship, and for the sake of their jobs, no one can. She reintroduces him to his life and the fascinating redevelopment project they are working on, and the more time Connor spends with her, the more he wants a future with her in it.

But Emma blames herself for Connor's accident and she won't confess to what broke their relationship in the past. Now Connor is fighting for love, for his job, and for another chance.

A story about second chances, a second look, and the futility of fighting fate, Unforgettable explores the concept of walking a path already travelled and learning from your mistakes.

I read this book for the following challenges:

Guest Post: Elise K Ackers

Today I am pleased to welcome Elis K Ackers to my blog. When we talked about what theme the guest post should be on, the fact that we both started out living in other parts of Australia and ended up living here in Melbourne seemed a good place to start! I will be back later with my review of Elise's book, Forgotten.

Welcome Elise!

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Elise K. Ackers was born in Sydney. She has lived north of Brisbane, near Perth, on the New South Wales Central Coast and in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney, but it's Melbourne that has stolen her heart. Elise's first book, Small Town Storm, is set in the picturesque Olinda, in the Dandenong Ranges east of Melbourne; her second book, The Man Plan, is set near Port Phillip Bay, and her latest title, Unforgettable, is set on the construction site of Melbourne's cultural icon, Hamer Hall. Today she writes about where she finds her inspiration.

Anyone who's read my books or blurbs knows that my first three titles are set in Melbourne, Australia; and I don't think anyone who's visited or lived here could blame me for that. Voted as one of the world's most livable cities and known for its culture, lifestyle and eccentricities, I'm a big fan of the place I've called home for the last four years.

View of the new Hamer Hall across the river

I have a day job in the city, and whilst I may grumble about the commute some days, it's worth it. Because I get to stroll down intimate laneways featuring public artwork, discover hidden bars and restaurants, and sit in any of the hundreds of public places, and just be.

It's a city which constantly delights, and often takes me by surprise.

Last year there was a 13-metre high Gladioli bouquet installed near Arts Centre Melbourne to welcome back the fabulously renovated Hamer Hall. A few weeks ago I had the joy of walking through an incredible 'building' on my way to the train station: a structure made of more than ten tonnes of willow tree saplings and sticks. I look out my window and I see an evolving skyline, brave architecture and stunning heritage facades. It feels like there's something new every week, and it's a city where change and daring are embraced.

All of this combines to make for a stirring, creative environment. Being an author who is inspired by place, I love this city. And not just for setting. There are some fantastic places to write.

The Reading Room

The State Library La Trobe Reading Room is certainly in my top five places, with its 35-metre high, spectacular dome ceiling. However, for the writer who's easily distracted, I'd probably advise against it. It's become quite the tourist destination. The Moat under the Wheeler Centre building on Little Londsdale Street is a bit of a winner, and the laneway cafes are great for corner booths and tiny laptops.

I'm discovering new places to write every day, and I'm having a great time doing it. Which makes me wonder: where are your favourite places to write or read when away from home?


**Photos of Hamer Hall and State Library were taken by me.