Goodreads | Mandy Eve-Barnett's Blog for Readers & Writers

Bibliophile Collective Tuesday- Celebrating Author & Book Birthdays

January 10, 2023
mandyevebarnett

Author Birthday’s – first week in January

1st January E.M. Forster, 2nd January Isaac Asimov, 3rd January J.R.R. Tolkien, 4th January Isaac Newton, 5th January W.D. Snodgrass (Just love his name – it’s a character all of it’s own!), 6th January C.D. Wright, 7th January Gerald Durrell, 8th January Terry Brooks, 9th January Philippa Gregory and 10th January Dorianne Laux.

Of course, there are other famous author birthday’s to consider, I am only showing a few. Some are posthumous, while others are celebrated through social media greetings and memes. Another ‘birthday’ celebration writers hold are for the launching date of a book, and some authors recognize these milestones annually. For a non-writer this may seem odd, but when our stories go out into the world it is akin to a birth. We have nurtured and loved the creation of a narrative for months, sometimes years prior to the actual launching date, and so it is thus deserving of a celebration.

Do you have a favorite author whose birthday you celebrate?

Bibliophile’s Collective Tuesday – A Fantastic Review and Reading Challenge Update

June 28, 2022
mandyevebarnett

I am humbled and honoured with this latest review.

Life in Slake Patch full review: Link

The Verdict

Thought-provoking, imaginative, and entertaining, author Mandy Eve-Barnett’s “Life in Slake Patch” is a must-read novel. The alt-history fiction tale is one of the more original tales I’ve read in recent years in this genre, and the way the author uses strong imagery and a mysterious atmosphere to build this world were truly inspiring. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!

Rating: 10/10

How is your Goodreads reading challenge going? I’m three books ahead at the moment. Not entirely sure how that happened!!

What was your last review?

Which book are you currently reading?

Bibliophile’s Collective Tuesday – Reading Challenge, Reviews, a Podcast and a Prize Basket.

April 5, 2022
mandyevebarnett

How is your Goodreads Challenge shaping up? I am currently 3 books ahead of schedule, not entirely sure how, but it does give me some breathing room. These are the books I read, and I am currently reading The House We Grew Up In by Lisa Jewell.

This is not counting the chapters I am reading and editing within a novel workshop, where four other authors are participating. The genre’s span action/adventure, prairie story, time travel and contemporary fiction and my detective fiction.

What are you reading?

I will be announcing a special gift basket for my steampunk readers in Edmonton, in the next week or so. It will be part of a prize draw at Daisy Chain Book Co. Details pending.

New reviews for The Rython Kingdom

Link:

Latest Podcast Interview:

Bibliophile Collective Tuesday – A Duck Story and Book Reviews

March 29, 2022
mandyevebarnett

This is the picture prompt that inspired this little story.

Sabrina coxed Juniper, her pet duck, into her special backpack on Saturday morning. The white duck ruffled her feathers in anticipation of an adventure, being accustomed to these trips from a duckling. The plan was to meet Sabrina’s friend, Alison and meet another duck fancier. The back pack allowed Juniper a view of the world with a clear plastic panel with strategic air holes so the little duck’s nostrils could pick up the various aromas as they walked. The path from Alison’s house was a steep downhill trek, boarded by a low stone wall and many shrubs and trees. Juniper quacked as the backpack moved side to side in time with Sabrina’s steps. Soon the sounds of traffic and the bustle of the small town overtook the birdsong. The two friends looked across the road before stepping out and making their way to the special waterfowl event.

Book reviews:

Murder at the 42nd Street Library by Con Lehane

I really enjoyed the building tension, the red herrings and the characters within this narrative. Skillfully plotted and written with great twists to get the reader guessing.

The Doll’s House by A.J. Arlidge

Once again M.J. delivers a tension packed, fast paced, twisting tale that elicits page turning. His skill with short chapters packed with characters and their journey is exceptional.
I highly recommend these stories of DI Helen Grace.

Currently reading:

The House We Grew Up In by Lisa Jewell

What are you reading?

The Rython Kingdom review : Link:

Rython Legacy review: Link

Bibliophile’s Collective Tuesday – Writing & Reading Update, a Glorious Review and Research

March 1, 2022
mandyevebarnett

The Delphic Murders Update

I spent Family Day, which was a holiday Monday here in Alberta, reading and revising book two of my detective trilogy, The Tainted Search. This is a process all writer’s go through when creating any story. We become immersed in our characters narrative and sometimes a new direction will entail back tracking to correct previous timelines or actions. This story has developed with three characters becoming embroiled in an event I had not planned upon. This is what makes writing, for me anyway, so exciting and enjoyable. My characters take over, redirect and demand the direction of their ‘lives’.

Review: I was humbled and delighted with this review. The Rython Kingdom Link: Scribble’s Worth Book Reviews

This past weekend weekend was mostly reading for me, it is nice to lose yourself in story. I completed two books, both within the crime genre and helping me with plot research. The first was a collection of detective stories written by famous authors in the genre. The author’s skill at keeping a readers attention in such concise stories is good research. Some stories were better than others as the short story format was elusive.

The other novel I read was Pop Goes the Weasel by M.J. Arlidge. This is the second book I have read of his and it gripped me just as hard as the first.