1st Annual Historical Holiday Blog Hop

Calling all fans of Historical Fiction and blogs!  Beginning December 10th to the 17th, Amy and Passages to the Past will be hosting  The First Annual Historical Holiday Blog Hop!  

 So many authors are involved and as well as lots of of bloggers, too.  

The list of books on the grand prize page is a book lovers dream.

 

I will be participating with a giveaway (international) with one of my favorite Historical Fiction books (having a little trouble right now though deciding which one).

Be sure to come back and check it out.

The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton

1961 England. Laurel Nicolson is sixteen years old, dreaming alone in her childhood tree house during a family celebration at their home, Green Acres Farm. She spies a stranger coming up the long road to the farm and then observes her mother, Dorothy, speaking to him. And then she witnesses a crime.

Fifty years later, Laurel is a successful and well-regarded actress, living in London. She returns to Green Acres for Dorothy’s ninetieth birthday and finds herself overwhelmed by memories and questions she has not thought about for decades. She decides to find out the truth about the events of that summer day and lay to rest her own feelings of guilt. One photograph, of her mother and a woman Laurel has never met, called Vivian, is her first clue.

The Secret Keeper explores longings and dreams, the lengths some people go to fulfill them, and the strange consequences they sometimes have. It is a story of lovers, friends, dreamers and schemers, play-acting and deception told against a backdrop of events that changed the world.

 I received a copy of this from the publisher via Kate Morton's facebook page, which is also the cover pictured above.

Kate Morton has written a book that grabbed my attention with the prologue and really didn't let go until the last page. It was a book that I enjoyed so much that I savored it.  I didn't rush through it, but enjoyed the process.  I learned about Dorothy, Vivian and Jimmy.  I learned about their dreams, ambitions, struggles and fears during war torn England.  It was a book that was so smooth, all the dots connected nicely and an ending that I will admit didn't see coming.

Ever since The Forgotten Garden I have been a fan, then came The House at Riverton and it reminded me why Kate is a favorite of mine, now add this book and I am hooked.  Though I must say that the author does have her hands full topping this one, definitely a 5+ rating for me.

In My Mailbox

In My Mailbox is a cute meme hosted by The Story Siren and I love it.

I was away for the past 10 days, so the damage was minimal.

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn - This was suppose to arrive before I left and would read on my trip, but alas it was not to be.  Having read so many good things about this book I am really hoping my expectations aren't too high.

The Queen's Secret by Victoria Lamb - never read anything by this author but I keep seeing her name buzzing around Goodreads and blogs.  Picked this up at Heathrow Airport

The Traitor's Wife by Susan Higginbotham - again another author I want to start reading.

This was an ebook purchased, on sale 80% off, how could I resist?

Wish there were more hours in a day.

In My Mailbox

Daughters of Witching Hill by Mary Sharratt (I have heard so about about this author lately and was lucky enough to find this book at my favorite thrift shop)

The Queen's Pawn by Christy English (closeoutbooks.com is right around the corner from my place)

Arthur - King of the Middle March by Kevin Crossley-Holland

Arthur - The seeing Stone by Kevin Crossley-Holland

Becoming Marie Antoinette by Juliet Grey (I received the second book in series from Netgalley, so need to read the first one first)

The Blood of Flowers by Anita Amirrezvani (love the cover)

The Lady's Slipper by Deborah Swift (another thrift shop find)