A Friday Fun Post… on a Saturday… We are in the midst of a long and lazy weekend… To conclude library week, we thought we would give you a weekend of books to read. And a couple of Fabulous GiveAways… But first we want to thank all of you who responded to our post about the community library we are creating with our readers, book by book. thank you all, if you are still sorting/gathering books feel free to follow the link for details…
What I Am Reading Right Now
Reckless, Beautiful and a born Survivor by Lesley Pearse and Published by Penguin Books South Africa. Honestly I love a thick saga, pages and pages long to just get lost in and so when I saw this book up for review I was quick to say, “yes please.” This is the story of Mari, and begins in a small town in New Zealand between the World Wars. Mari is the oldest child and only daughter of devoted and doting parents, Belle and Etienne. Mari quickly outgrows the small town that they have chosen to call home and has wild aspirations of a bigger and better life for herself. She is a wilful teen, though in her parents eyes she can do no wrong… until she does. A brief affair with a totally inappropriate and unloving man, leaves her feeling scorned and rejected, her parents fear for her reputation and send her to relatives in London. The world is on the brink of war and Mari is captivated by all that is London. This is a gal full of life and love and ambition… and she leaves most folk behind in her wake… And then the war and Mari’s life is literally shattered… but she is a survivor… This book is really a dramatic coming of age book… and you really want to meet Mari in person. The Mari at the beginning of the book is definitely not the same gal at the end of the book… she is older and much wiser with a lot of life lessons thrown into the mix. This is a good long read, with a couple of slightly risqué sections… I enjoyed the read and the opportunity to get lost in a book.
This book was given to me for review purposes by Penguin Books South Africa and they have also provided a hamper of her previous two books in the Series to GiveAway to one of our readers…
Stepping back in time, Belle is Mari’s mother… and The Promise is more about Belle. These are sagas in the true sense of the words… pages and pages of the ups and downs, the loves lost and found… Pain overcome and compassion. Survivor is the third in the series, but because it is more about Mari than Belle it holds it’s own. I may well go back now to read the first two… my interest in the strong and fiery woman, Belle, who raised the feisty Mari, has been peaked. I have to say I am very glad to have found Lesley Pearse… because winter is coming and I have plans to while away more than a few afternoons on the couch reading away.
The GiveAway
So we are giving away a pair of Lesley Pearse Books to a lucky reader somewhere in South Africa. This GiveAway works in the usual way, leave a comment before the end of 28 March, 2014. We will draw and publish the winners in the Friday fun Post after that. I won’t respond to your comments as I do on our other posts because I don’t want to be included in our own giveaway.
This GiveAway is open to our local readers, in South Africa: If you have won a GiveAway before never fear – enter away. Good luck and happy commenting!!! And our worldwide readers, don’t panic the next two GiveAways to follow are for all of you!!! And thank you to Penguin Books South Africa for giving us Survivor to Review and the GiveAway Books. I was not paid in anyway for the review and as usual any opinions were entirely my own.
This Weeks Friday Fun Links
Here are some lovely links from this week:
- It is World Water Day and you can read all about it on Whatever…
- Alisa Burke… what can I say – just click through, I have wanted to do this on one of the kids walls for the longest time… I think this may be all the inspiration we need.
- Tinkerlab had exactly the sort of project that my kids like to do this week… Gotta love Junk Critters.
- The cutest bunny on the net… oh gasp, my heart… spotted on Kireei.
- Here’s a Great Read: What Homeschooling Gives Our Kids Right Now… on Quill and Camera.
- Fabulous Competitions Abound on the Internet this week: Decor8 is giving away an entry to her e-course and I have heard nothing but fabulous things about it.
- Imagine Childhood is having a series of Spring GiveAways… do not stop, do not pass go… head straight over there: The New Spring Catalogue packed with loveliness; The countdown to Spring and a goodie bag for the Makerie; and Hours of Orange Couch Classes…
- A Blast From the Past: And here are a couple of links to posts, this week, from previous years:
And the se7en + 1th link:
That’s us… Hope your weekend is a fabulous one and we are so looking forward to another week of blogging with you all…
Hi Se7en. Please enter me, haven’t read her before so would like to try her out! One of my favourite things about winter too…
That sounds like such a captivating book. Never heard of the author so now I’m off to research.
Pick me, pick me 😉 entering in anticipation
I know I have enjoyed her books in the past, can’t remember what they were … but please enter me 🙂
I would love to win some good books for winter!
I’m always up for a good Christian read – novels especially 🙂
I would love to read them!
Great book for snuggling up with. Thanks for the opportunities.
Looks like a good book!
Would love to win….have never read her books. Sounds like a good read.