Books read in April!

I am desperately trying to catch up in my Goodreads challenge to read 100 books this year!! Here is what I read in April:

    

   

 

Wordless Wednesday - Sunset

Teaser Tuesday - Dance of Shadows By Yelena Black

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share 2 “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

This weeks Teaser Tuesday is a special one for me because my dearest friend, Scott Gardiner, composed the beautiful music that you will hear in the trailer below. I hope you love it as much as I do! Plus, as you all know, I do love beautiful cover art! I am really excited to start this book today so my teaser comes from the kindle edition at 3% p.12:

" And as the rain trickled down the windowpanes, Vanessa performed, letting all of the grief pour out of her until she could feel nothing but the raw thumping of her heart."

Here is the synopsis from GoodReads if you are interested:

Dancing with someone is an act of trust. Elegant and intimate; you're close enough to kiss, close enough to feel your partner's heartbeat. But for Vanessa, dance is deadly – and she must be very careful who she trusts . . .

Vanessa Adler attends an elite ballet school – the same one her older sister, Margaret, attended before she disappeared. Vanessa feels she can never live up to her sister's shining reputation. But Vanessa, with her glorious red hair and fair skin, has a kind of power when she dances – she loses herself in the music, breathes different air, and the world around her turns to flames . . . 

Soon she attracts the attention of three men: gorgeous Zep, mysterious Justin, and the great, enigmatic choreographer Josef Zhalkovsky. When Josef asks Vanessa to dance the lead in the Firebird, she has little idea of the danger that lies ahead – and the burning forces about to be unleashed.

The Happiest Refugee: My Journey from Tragedy to Comedy By Ahn Do

Title: The Happiest Refugee: My Journey from Tragedy to Comedy

Author: Ahn Do

Published: Allen & Unwin

No. Pages: 304

Themes: Refugees, life, family

                  Genre: Autobiography

                  Rating: 4.5 stars
Review 

The Happiest Refugee is the life story of Australian comedian Ahn Do. It documents his early life in Vietnam, the plight of his family as they travelled by boat to Australia as refugees and their new life in Australia.

It is a story that will move you to tears at times but make you laugh out loud at others. Reading about the journey from Vietnam to Australia really brings to light the horrendous and unimaginable trauma that refugees such as Ahn Doe and his family have suffered. It is a tale that certainly made me realise how lucky I am to be born in a country like Australia. I found it heartwarming to read about the genuine and profound gratitude and love for Australia that Ahn and his family show and I was inspired by the generosity and kindness they have shown to others despite their own hardships.

This was a really well written book that covers a topic few people know much about in a heart wrenching and honest, yet inspiring way. I definitely recommend this book to others.

Further reading suggestions:

• Mao’s Last Dancer By Li Cunxin
• The Other Hand By Chris Cleave

The Lake of Dreams By Kim Edwards

Title: The Lake of Dreams

Author: Kim Edwards

Published:

No. Pages: 371

Themes: Love, loss, redemption, women's suffrage

Genre: Fiction

                  Rating: 3 stars
Review 

The Lake of Dreams is a story of love, loss and redemption that delves into the darkness of one family’s grief stricken past uncovering a history of lies and secrets. When Lucy returns home to the Lake of Dreams she is quickly entangled in uncovering the story of an unknown distant relative and her quest to solve the mysteries of her family’s past takes her on a journey that ultimately allows her to come to terms with her own grief around the passing of her father when she was a child.

This was a good read and quite interesting at times when dealing with the topic of women’s suffrage. The plot is strong and the characters are both well developed and believable. Not amazing, but I definitely enjoyed The Lake of Dreams and it was an easy read.

Further reading suggestions:

• The Memory Keeper’s Daughter By Kim Edwards
• Garden Spells By Sarah Addison Allen