This year, I am once again participating in the 52 Book Club Challenge. The Challenge is to read one book each week, to a particular prompt. The thing I most enjoy about this challenge, apart from reading the books, is matching books to the prompts. It’s a fun thing to do, and I often end up choosing a book that I may not have otherwise read. That is always a positive. Quite often the prompts have me scratching my head for a while. and that’s when the challenge kicks in. I do enjoy the hunt for a book to fit a particular prompt.

The Resort by Sarah Goodwin ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Yacht by Sarah Goodwin ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Fall by Louise Jensen ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Mind Games by Norah Roberts ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Confession by Charlotte Rigland ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Estella by Kathy George ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

My Word Against his by Lauren North ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Missing You by Harlan Coben ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Homecoming by Kate Morton ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Other Women by Emma Flint ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Flower Sisters by Michelle Collins Anderson ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Playground by Michelle Frances ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Book Of The Month

My book of the month was Sister Viv by Grantlee Kieza. This is the story of heroic Australian WW2 nurse, Sister Vivian Bulwinkle, who survived a war time massacre, and being imprisoned by the Japanese.

Vivien Bulwinkle was the sole survivor of the massacre and miraculously survived the war, coming home to dedicate her life to an exceptional career in nursing. She lived her life in tributetor her nursing colleagues, who didn’t survive the war.

I have a special interest in this story, and have been eagerly awaiting the release of this book. I have written on my family history blog about Bangka Island Massacre, as one of the nurses who died in this incident was my first cousin, three times removed, Ellenor Calnan.

Sister Bulwinkle and sixty four other nurses were on a hospital ship which was bombed by the Japanese, killing many of the nurses, including my relative. Sister Bulwinkle and twenty one of her nursing colleges made it to shore, only to be captured by the Japanese, forced into the ocean, and shot in the back. Vivian survived by pretending to be dead. Eventually, she was captured by the Japanese, and spent the rest of the war as a prisoner of war.

This book is the story of the nurses experience of Singapore, leaving Singapore, the tragedy of Radji Beach, her capture by the Japanese, and the inspiring life she lived after the war until her death.

The author Grantlee Kieza, has written many books about Australian history, and is a favourite of mine. I love the way he makes history and the people living it come to life, and he captures the time period perfectly. I would highly recommend this book to anyone, even those without an interest in history.

Recently, a state of Vivian Bulwinkle was erected at the Australian War Memorial.

For anyone who is interested to read more, here is link to one of my posts about the massacre on Banka Island: Ellenor Calnan – Bangka Island Massacre WW2

Star Rating 

Please note that my star rating system isn’t at all based on literary merit, but is based on my enjoyment for the book.
For me a book that gets five stars, is a book that I really enjoyed, and found difficult to put down.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Unputdownable. Would read it again.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Fantastic read. Not to be missed

⭐️⭐️⭐️ Enjoyable. Would recommend it.

⭐️⭐️ Wouldn’t read it again.

⭐️ Don’t recommend this book at all.

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This post is linked to the monthly #whatsonyourbookshelfchallenge linkup hosted by bloggers Deb, Sue, Donna, and Jo. 

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