This year, for the second time, I have been participating in the 52 Bookclub Challenge. The Challenge is to read one book each week to a particular prompt. The thing I most enjoy about this challenge, apart from reading the books, is matching books to the prompts. Its a fun thing to do, and I often end up choosing a book that I may not have otherwise read. That is always a positive.

Until now, I have been posting about these books, and other books that I’ve been reading, on my other blog Next Phase In Fitness. Now that this blog has been revived, I will be posting here about the books that I’m reading, along with the challenge books.

At the bottom of this post, I have included links to the challenge books that I’ve read so far in 2023. I have decided not to read the challenge books in order of 1-52. I am reading whatever seems right at the time, depending on my mood and also on the books that I have available to me.

I also have been linking my monthly challenge book posts to the #whatsonyourbookshelf linkup, and will continue to do so.

Challenge books

Prompt 30: Author With the Same Name as Yours
Daughter of the Home Front by Jennie Jones

I didn’t expect to find a book who’s author has the same name as me, so was quite surprised when I stumbled across Daughter of the Home Front on Borrowbox, the library platform, where I access my audio books. I was also surprised to find that it was historical fiction, which always draws me.

Set in Townsville in 1942, during WW2, Emma arrives at Townsville as a 16 year old keen to join the war effort, and escape the life of poverty she had been living with her family in their beachside village.

In Townsville, Emma finds a busy bustling city, with American soldiers and glamorous women. Emma’s life is about to change and she is forced to make very courageous decisions which will alter her life in ways she would never have dreamed about.

Emma was left to look after herself and after making one mistake, was forced to decide which way her life would go, with no family support. I felt a very strong connection to Emma who was a very strong and inspirational woman.

I enjoyed reading about life in Australia at this time, with all it’s prejudices and complications. I would recommend Daughter of the Home Front as a book that will stay with you after you have finished reading it. I felt anger and sadness, but also laughed many times with Emma and her friends.

Published October 2022

Prompt 18: Set During a War Other Than WW1 or 2
Zambezi by Tony Park

I was looking for a book for the letter Z, when I came across Zambesi. A trip to an African animal safari is on my bucket list, so this book looked like the perfect choice. I reviewed Zambesi for the Blogging April A to Z challenge and gave it 5 stars. Following is a link to my review if you are interested to read more about this book.
Zambesi by Tony Park #bookreview

Published January 2005

Prompt 52: Published in 2023
Immortality,. A Love Story

After reading Anatomy A Love Story and giving it 5 stars, I was looking forward to the next book in the series, Immortality: A Love Story. After reading it, I gave it 4 stars. This was another book that I reviewed for the Blogging April A to Z Challenge. Following is a link to my review if you are interested to read more about this wonderful book.
Immortality: A Love Story #bookreview

Published February 2023

Prompt: A Fashionable Character
Becoming Mrs. Mulberry by Jackie French

Jackie French has become one of my favourite authors, over recent years. I’ve read many of her books and there hasn’t been one that I haven’t enjoyed, so when I saw her latest book on Amazon, I couldn’t resist purchasing it and downloading it right away.

Summary

The once impoverished medical student Agnes Glock is now the fabulously wealthy Mrs Mulberry. Her estate in the mountains is magnificent, a haven for those too ravaged by the Great War to cope with the society that first condemned them to battle and which now shuns them.

The War has, however, stolen Agnes’s chance to graduate as a doctor, as well as the fiance she adored. Her husband, Douglas Mulberry, remains shellshocked and unable to speak. Their scandalous marriage is a farce, an act of kindness to keep Douglas’s fortune from his uncle’s grasp.

A chance visit to a circus brings about a mystery in the form of a fairylike child whose guardians claim was brought up by dingoes. The child cannot speak and seems deformed. But Agnes is inexplicably drawn to her and believes she can be cured.

The decision to save the child will bring Agnes’s lost fiance into her life again, as well as awaken the love of her husband who finds his voice as the three try to solve the mystery of the ‘dingo girl’.

Agnes has put aside her own life and the dreams she once had. But now she has choices, with the main question the hardest: Who is Mrs Agnes Mulberry?

My Thoughts

Becoming Mrs. Mulberry was an absolute pleasure and a joy to read. Other than the characters which I felt became my friends, this book has a very strong sense of place, that permeates every part of the story. Add to that the often quirky goings on and the animals, and you have a book that is just wonderful. Set in the Australian bush at the fictional Wombat Hills, this book is both very sad and very very funny at times. I would recommend Becoming Mrs. Mulberry as a great read.

Published January 2023

Links to challenge books read this year

#whatsonyourbookshelfchallenge January
#whatsonyourbookshelfchallenge February
#whatsonyourbookshelfchallenge March

Star Rating

Please note that my star rating system isn’t at all based on literary merit, but is based on my enjoyment for the book.
For me a book that gets five stars, is a book that I really enjoyed, and found difficult to put down.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Unputdownable. Would read it again.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Fantastic read. Not to be missed

⭐️⭐️⭐️ Enjoyable. Would recommend it.

⭐️⭐️ Wouldn’t read it again.

⭐️ Don’t recommend this book at all.

The books mentioned in this post are of my own choice and have not been sent to me to review. My opinions are my own and I receive no renumeration at all for them.

This post is linked to the monthly #whatsonyourbookshelfchallenge linkup hosted by bloggers Deb, Sue, Donna, and Jo. Also linking to Natalie’s Weekend Coffee Share