I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, sweeties! My last few days were amazing, because my older brother came home for the holidays and we've been having a great time together (unfortunately I don't see him very often).
I've had time to read at last (beacause I keep postponing reading the texts for my exams... ooops) and I finally finished my Goodreads challenge, which means I read a total of 50 books this year!!
This week in my mailbox...
Let me show you my new babies! I'm very excited for all of them.
Christmas presents:
- Elizabeth the Queen: The Life of a Modern Monarch by Sally Bedell Smith
Synopsis:
In Elizabeth the Queen, we meet the young girl who suddenly becomes “heiress presumptive” when her uncle abdicates the throne. We meet the thirteen-year-old Lilibet as
she falls in love with a young navy cadet named Philip and becomes
determined to marry him, even though her parents prefer wealthier
English aristocrats. We see the teenage Lilibet repairing army trucks
during World War II and standing with Winston Churchill on the balcony
of Buckingham Palace on V-E Day. We see the young Queen struggling to
balance the demands of her job with her role as the mother of two young
children. Sally Bedell Smith brings us inside the palace doors and into
the Queen’s daily routines—the “red boxes” of documents she reviews each
day, the weekly meetings she has had with twelve prime ministers, her
physically demanding tours abroad, and the constant scrutiny of the
press—as well as her personal relationships: with Prince Philip, her
husband of sixty-four years and the love of her life; her children and
their often-disastrous marriages; her grandchildren and friends.
A lovely family, friends of my parents, gave me this book for Christmas. Being an English minor, I appreciate this present very much. With a little research I found out this book was the winner of the History & Biography category of Goodreads Choice in 2012. It must be pretty good!
- Tell the Wolves I'm Home by Carol Rifka Brunt
1987. There’s only one person who has ever truly understood fourteen-year-old June Elbus, and that’s her uncle, the renowned painter Finn Weiss. Shy at school and distant from her older sister, June can only be herself in Finn’s company; he is her godfather, confidant, and best friend. So when he dies, far too young, of a mysterious illness her mother can barely speak about, June’s world is turned upside down. But Finn’s death brings a surprise acquaintance into June’s life—someone who will help her to heal, and to question what she thinks she knows about Finn, her family, and even her own heart.
At Finn’s funeral, June notices a strange man lingering just beyond the crowd. A few days later, she receives a package in the mail. Inside is a beautiful teapot she recognizes from Finn’s apartment, and a note from Toby, the stranger, asking for an opportunity to meet. As the two begin to spend time together, June realizes she’s not the only one who misses Finn, and if she can bring herself to trust this unexpected friend, he just might be the one she needs the most.
I heard many great things about Tell the Wolves I'm Home. Maybe it'll tear my heart out, but I'm always ready to cry over a good book *goes to fetch tissues*. Thanks, Brother!!!
Synopsis:
Television reporter Callie Brown likes safe places with good coffee. But she joins friends from the past on a trek into New Zealand's most brutal wilderness, in the hope of healing a broken heart. What she doesn't know is that someone wants them all dead. Lost in every sense of the word, the hikers' primal instincts erupt. Surrounded by people who have harbored secrets for a decade, Callie must choose the right ally if she doesn't want to be the next to die...
Murder mystery set in New Zealand. I'm curious if I'll be able to guess who the killer is before anyone else does.
Goodreads
What did YOU find under the Christmas tree? Let me know in a comment below! :)
