You'll love this one...!! A book club & more discussion

Report the success you have had in reading the book Madame Tutti-Fruiti predicted you would read.

Tell us your Wall of Fame Name, link the book that you read, and tell us why you think the crystal ball picked this book for you. In other words, tell us something you gleaned of interest in it.

WoFSharonBiskit

I read Into the Black Nowhere per Madame Tutti-Fruity’s orders. . This is the second book in the UNSUB series and features Caitlyn as a now FBI agent. In the first book, Caitlyn tracks a serial killer who her father hunted as a police officer for years. The UNSUB also seemed to be fixated on Caitlyn. In this book, Caitlyn now belongs to the BAU in the FBI. There is a serial killer killing young, blond women outside of Austin, Texas. Caitlyn and her team go to investigate. (This book will not be mistaken for great literature, but it was loads of fun!)

There are many twists, turns and surprises along the way. I am a sucker for a good “caught in the storm” books and there is a dastardly blizzard in this story. The book roams from Texas, Arizona, Nevada to Portland, Oregon. Along the way, there are many things to investigate and pieces of puzzles to fit together. I am pretty good at figuring out things beforehand, but not this time. The last third of the book had me deeply engrossed and I couldn’t put it down.

Thank you, Madame Tutti-Fruity for a marvelous time and challenge. I loved it. I think Madame might know I like a great “who done it and how”. I took away, yet again, that trust is something you earn and once lost is hard to rebuild.

WoF Marnie

I read As Good As Dead per Madame’s instructions. It was the third and final book in A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder series. I gleaned that this series should probably have been a stopped after two books. The main character went from spunky to annoying and had me rooting for the killer ( jokingly.)

Not every story needs a sequel. That’s an important thing I took from this book.

WoF Jayme

I followed Madame Tutti Frutti's advice and read One Shark, No Swim. This was the second book in the Niuhi Shark Trilogy.
The message that I gleaned from the story is that you can fight it all you want, but who you truly are - your essence - will show itself in the end, so if you want to be a man/shark that eats people - be the man/shark. Who am I to judge.

WoF Aya

Madame Tutti Fruiti said that it's always wise to start at the furthest point. Thus, she recommended me to read The Last House on the Street first. I think she's right. By started from the end, I could grasp the mystery of the past. I gleaned of American history mostly, not the thriller the MPG claimed to be. But I learned many things about race injustice, white supremacy, civil rights movement, and how hard it must be to live in that era. I also like how Susan Bennett narrated this book. I think that's the only real thrill in here.

WoF Kira's Treasures (Reporting Book 1)

Madame Trutti Frutti gleamed that love was in the air and advised me to start with To Sir Phillip, With Love

This was the fifth instalment in Briderton series by Julia Quinn and had been sitting on my TBR pile for months now, I was running away from the book because I was afraid of being disappointed but thanks to MTF, I read it and enjoyed it immensely. I loved Eloise's character in all the books until now so naturally this one has become my favourite of all. Both the main characters, Eloise and Philip, understood each other greatly and communicated for the most part. (view spoiler)[I don't know what happened to Philip once they married, I am assuming smut was on his brain lol, he became a bit...unlikeable for a while there (hide spoiler)] but oh what a comeback! I absolutely devoured this book and the epilogue had me shedding tears.

My review

WoF Stacy SP

Madame Tutti Frutti advised me to start with a bright shiny outlook and read The Shining first. (Read 6/8/22) She was right, this was a really good read. Would you believe I hadn't read this or seen the film before? I received the message loud and clear, thank you Madame. I will absolutely never stay in a creepy hotel!

The second book chosen for me was Cinder. (Read 8/8/22) I was pleasantly surprised with this one. A fantasy/sci-fi take on Cinderella, this was a really good read. Thank you Madame, for reminding me to never judge a book by it's cover.

The third book on my list was the fifth Virgin River book - Second Chance Pass (Read 16/8/22) An easy read, this story carries on with the lives of the characters from the previous books. Maybe, I shouldn't leave it too long before I read the next one.

The next book was Vampire Academy (Read 24/8/22) This was a good start to a series. I have way too many series to read! I'll be adding this one to my list.

My last book was Blueberry Muffin Murder (Read 31/8/22) A very enjoyable mystery. Thank you Madame, for reminding me that I love cake... 🤫

WoF Roz

Madame Tutti Frutti gave her crystal ball a shake clearing away the clouds and out came The Secret of Clouds. I included this book in my list of choices because I've read books by this author in the past and enjoyed them. It was serendipitous that the book was part of a challenge but even if it hadn't been, I would have read it.

I moved away from Long Island back in October after living there for 40 years. Reading the book brought back many memories of places visited out on the island, farm stands, driving along Route 24A, the cottage houses along the roads. Where I live now isn't quite home, so reading the familiar names was like being home again for a little while.
I had studied to be a teacher back then and had been a teaching assistant to a (poor) Language Arts middle school teacher. The teacher MC's techniques for engaging her students in the writing process brought smiles to my face. I wished that the teacher I worked with had done the same. The students were encouraged to think and evaluate the books they read see how they related to their own lives and thoughts. The Letter to their future selves written from their 12 year old selves was wonderful. Where do you see yourself at a pivotal point in your life? What are your thoughts and dreams for that future self. Yuri, a boy with life threatening disabilities, taught us that life must be lived, not observed. No matter how long or short, participate.

WoF Kira’s Treasures (Reporting Book 2)

MTF sent me off to Hogwarts School of Wizardry next to learn more about magic and watch Harry finally defeat “The one who must not be named”. I read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows as my second book.

This helped me kill off another series that I wanted to read in 2022 and had been meaning to since I read the 6th book a few months ago now. I have this bad habit of always holding out on the last book in a series indefinitely because I am not ready to let go but thanks to MTF, this one went off my TBR as well.

I can’t say I absolutely loved it but it was an enjoyable experience. Since the nostalgia factor doesn’t come into play in my case, I measured this book at the same scale as other books I read and I definitely have read better fantasy books than this one. But for a children’s book, it is still pretty epic and had the charm to suck you right into the Potter world and give you the feeling of being right there. I am happy to have read the book and also relieved that it didn’t end up feeling like a waste of time seeing as to how it is a bit towards the chunkier side lol.

My Review

WoF - Lilisa

MTF decided I needed to meet the The Sultan of Sarawak. I learned that no matter how much coercive power and undue influence you have - don’t mess with Ava Lee. She will take her revenge - in a just and fair way - and deliver retribution the likes of which you can’t even begin to contemplate, such as hacking your bank account with $47+ million and transferring out justly estimated millions to compensate for a death, damages, etc. the sultan and his family were responsible for. To say this strategy got the attention of the bad guys is understated! Bottom line: don’t do bad stuff, you’ll pay for it. This was an okay read - I’ve enjoyed other books in the series more. But, hey, it was a casual lazy summer read.

WoF Grainne

Madame Tutti Fruitti foresaw me reading The Fault in Our Stars and she was right!

This book is fully of amazing and wonderful characters. I laughed, I cried, I wondered, I hoped and I was in awe all at the same time. The book asked more questions than it answers hahaha

The big takeaway was to live every moment and to enjoy life to the full and not to be too focused on the obstacles in your way.

Wof- Christina

Madam Tuttie Fruitie said that I needed to deal with A Stranger in the House and it must be because it was taking up space in my book shelf. It was a pretty unremarkable book with characters that I didn't care about. The one thing that I found interesting was that both women ended up getting what they actually wanted... That was highly unexpected.

WoF Cherie

I read four books (I had alread read The Mystery of the Blue Train) from my list of five books submitted to MTF.

The four books that I read were:
The Art of Deception - I read this one and the next for my on-going series reads.
Dead to the World
The Secret of Clouds - I read this one for the group read this month.
Catalyst of Sorrows -I read this one for my yearly challenge also.

I would like to post this report on Catalyst of Sorrows in memory of Nichelle Nichols, who passed away July 30, 2022. She was an amazing woman. She was a NASA Ambassador and worked to recruit women into the Space program. Robert A. Heinlein dedicated his book Friday to her and she has an asteroid named after her.

As for the story in the book, it is from The Lost Era series written by various Star Trek authors. The book is set in 2360 and contains a cast of characters from all of the first four TV genres. Uhura is an Admiral and head of Starfleet Intelligence. A lethal sickness has appeared on many planets located on both sides of the Neutral Zone and Uhura puts together an away team to go and investigate. Dr. McCoy (yes THE McCoy), Dr. Beverly Crusher, and Dr. Selar are working on the medical team, able to keep in touch with each other via hologram. Lieutenant Benjamin Sisko has been recruited by Curzon Dax and Uhura to Captain the freighter Albatros and Lieutenant Tuvok (married to Dr. Selar) is in charge of security. The disease is 100% lethal and is designated as "Catalyst" by the Federation team. I thought it was a very good story.

WoF - Janice

I read The Heart's Invisible Furies. I think Madam Tutti Fruiti had a premontion that I needed something to lift my heart. I did and gave it one of my rare 5 stars.

I gleaned that people all want to be loved and want to find their own place in the world.

WoF - Laura (Lclwags)

MTF choose Pigeon for my challenge. I had started this book before for my year long challenge and struggled to get into it. Maybe it was the point of view that took me a few chapters to adapt and really follow the story. Some chapters are from Iola's pov, but others follow Pigeon from a 3rd person perspective. The story is dark and sad, but also beautiful. I'm glad I stuck with it. I loved the way Pigeon described the different meanings for his name and how he felt about each of them.

WoF: Kristie

I read The Vanishing Half as per Madame Tutti-Fruiti's instructions. She is very wise indeed and knew that I would find this book interesting. I loved seeing different character's perspectives on a situation. It is very realistic in the sense that people often make assumptions about what another person must be thinking or why they would do something without really knowing what the other person was thinking or feeling. It also reminds me of how you may think that a person's life is a certain way and be completely wrong. Really good thought-provoking read.

WoF Kira’s Treasures (Reporting Book 3)

The next stop as predicted by MTF was The Box in the Woods.

It is the fourth and last published book in the Truly Devious series. I am still enjoying the mystery element in these books but I am on fence about the main character herself, she seems a bit over her head at times to me and I find myself getting annoyed. Also, the build up in these books is so good that I am completely invested but then the last 20% or so of the book give me a feeling of disappointment sometimes. This book was inherently good with its amazing setting and camp talk, I liked how Stevie approached the case at the start but then the personal life angle isn't something I expected here in a thriller book. I believe it should have been kept separate.

WoF Kira’s Treasures (Reporting Book 4)

MTF sent me to get acquainted with the Phase of Hate as the next stop in my journey.

This was the second book in Phase Mountain Pack series by Coralee June. I honestly don't read many shifter books, especially romances because I find them hella cringe but this one is absolute love. I love how everything has a believable explanation and fantasy is connected to science in many ways. The Goddess part is also something I ended up liking because of all the back story provided. I didn't know there was a third book announced already and I went into this assuming we'd get all the answers but there are now even more questions within me lol and I am thrilled for the next book to be released soon!

I have read my books Oh MTF!
First I read To Dance with the White Dog, I LOVED it, In my life I am dealing with aging parents and this book really spoke to me in that vein.

My next book was Fevered Star. I reread book 1 before reading this. I loved this one even better than book 1. I guess the lesson for me is about that our choices are greater than our destinies.

Book 3 was Daughter of the Moon Goddess. Again - a stunning book! Thanks MTF for giving me the nudge to read all these books! This book is about heart and grit. I cannot wait for more of this story

Book 4 is Siren Queen. Another AMAZING book! I LOVED the way the author used used magic to highlight the seedy side of hollywood. I loved the writing.

Book 5 is Wrath Goddess Sing. This was my favorite of the 5. I love greek mythology and retellings. This one surpassed my expectations! It was way more than just a recasting Achilles as a trans woman. This was a truly great reimagining of the story of Achilles.

I read The Forest.

Madame was quite right to warn me not to lose my way in this door stopper of a book, indeed at times I wondered if I would make it to the other end!

Set in the New Forest it rambled through history from the time of the Norman invasion to the present day. The natural writing was beautiful and made me feel that I was in the forest with the animals and plants. The human stories were not, in my opinion, quite as well done. Every 100 years the author focused on a different generation of a local family. This gave a great feeling of the passage of time but I found the characters a bit wooden (no pun intended!). I think it would have suited me better to have fewer timepoints with a more indepth character focus.

The writing style felt very similar to Ken Follett in the cathedral builders series but I founds storylines a lot more absorbing.

The narration by Roger Davis was adequate.

3.5 stars

Wof Anna M

I read The Salt Roads it was an odd (in a good way) book about 3 women (a prostitute in France 1860s, a slave in French ruled Saint Domingue (Haiti) and slave in an ancient Alexsandria (Egypt)) and their stories are interwoven by a goodess that visit them. It could be depressing story but it isn't as it shows that no matter how hard a life is there are glimpses of good and that there are reasons to live.

WoF Lynn

I read Never Let You Go, which was entertaining enough but I found it fairly predictable to be anything other than an ok read (I was also irritated by how something went at the end)

No WOF and no badge requested! :)

I read Rush just in the nick of time (finished today). I knew it was about a sorority rush but for some reason had thought it was set in the northeast. It's actually set in the Deep South, and one of its themes is prejudice. Another is status, and the conflict between whether people should be rewarded for "who they are" (in the status sense) or because of what they're made of. 4 stars.

WoF Kira's Treasures (Reporting Book 5)

MTF's final destination for me was A ​Court of Silver Flames. This is the last published book so far in A Court of Thorns and Roses series and featured Nesta and Cassian as the main characters. I enjoyed this much more than the first 3 books honestly because Nesta's characters is a fierce and brave one and I really liked how she overcame her aversion towards fae and accepted her new reality. Cassian was an absolute sweetheart throughout the book and thus the perfect book boyfriend. There were a few times the book scared me with it's twists and turns and I was literally holding my breath. It was a great reading experience and I am glad I just picked it up at last!

WoF Pragya

I read Such a Fun Age which was not fun to read at all. Sigh. There were some anti-racism lessons involved which I could glean. It really started off well but I didn't much care for it later on.

WoF Vicki

Madame TF correctly predicted I would read Swimming Lessons.

It was an alright book. Hated pretty much all the characters which brought it down. It was half epistolary as a woman writing a long letter to her absent husband which I liked but the woman was too passive to be sympathetic. Present day followed her messed up synesthesia-artistic-idiotic-slob of a daughter who I also didn't care for. But to live on the coast and to swim every day in the ocean must be amazing so that part was nice. I also thought it had a somewhat redeeming ending.

WoF: Emma R.

My predicted book was Inked by Rachel Rener

I loved this book, the humor, worldbuilding, characters, and relationships were amazing. I am planning on reading the next book as soon as it is available.

My takeaway from this book is it is okay to be who you are and there is harm in hiding your true self or being forced to hide yourself

The month went by so fast! But quite a few of you were inspired by Madame Tutti Fruiti. Good to see. Badges will follow, so you still have time to report your finished books.

WoF Gunit

The Book of Mother by Violaine Huisman

This book was longlisted for the International Booker Prize 2022, which is why it grabbed my attention. The book starts by elaborating on Violaine's childhood and her passionate and unstable mother. Some of her stories are unbelievable and shocking to read, making it easy for readers to conclude that motherhood is not for everyone and certainly not for Catherine. Although, this might be true, in the very next half of the book, forces you to consider the various factors along the journey that led to Catherine's transition into the person she is today. The book is well written, an absolute page turner with some interesting bits and pieces and even a little mystery every now and then. The elements of mystery in the story came from Catherine's unpredictability which can be attributed to her mental instability. The story is though provoking in many ways. It makes readers wonder about the life of a child whose parent is mentally unstable, particularly if it is a single parent. Perhaps a proper treatment can help. But proper treatment is not exactly accessible to everyone. Is it then, a good idea for a person with mental illness to raise a child? What can we do as a society to help both, the mentally ill patient and the child that they are raising? I found this book quite interesting. It is one of those stories that leave a lasting impression, forcing you to think about a vital topic.

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