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MJ Beauchamp

@mjnicefield

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Montréal, QC
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Happy Sunday🩵

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BUDDY BOOK REVIEW! 🖤📖💛
BOOK - Lady Tremaine by @hochhauser
GENRE - Fantasy/Historical Fiction/Retelling

BUDDY READERS 👯‍♀️
Hosted by the lovely @mjnicefield and reading along with @footpadnomadbooks
Thank you for this fabulous buddy read ♥️♥️♥️

SYNOPSIS ✍️
A reimagining of Cinderella, as told through the eyes of its "evil" stepmother.

A widow twice-over, Etheldreda is saddled with the care of her two children, a priggish stepdaughter, and a razor-taloned peregrine falcon. Her entire life has become a ruse, just like the manor hall they live grand and ornate on the exterior, but crumbling, brick by brick, inside. Ethel clings to her family’s respectability, the lifeboat that will float her daughters straight into the secure banks of marriage.

When a royal ball offers the chance to secure the future she desires, Etheldreda risks her secrets, pride, and limited resources in pursuit of an invitation for her daughters, only to see her hopes fulfilled by the wrong one. As an engagement to the heir of the kingdom unfolds, she discovers a secret hidden in the depths of the royal family, forcing her to choose between the security she’s sought for years and the wellbeing of the feckless stepdaughter who has rebuffed her at every turn.

MY THOUGHTS - I loved it! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
A fabulous retelling of a classic fairytale, so well crafted that I enjoyed it even more than the original. The author takes the heart of the story and flips it over, reinvigorating it and creating a unique tale of lyrical depth and Gothic undertones. Ethel is a fierce and determined character whose development throughout the story is satisfying in its conclusion. Each character in this story has its own complexities and what I love most is not that it's a tale of good and bad, but that it's a story about what we just do in order to survive and provide for our family.

I couldn't have enjoyed it more! Highly recommended

#travellingbibliophile #reimagining #ladytremaine #Bookreview #buddyread

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W͓̽i͓̽t͓̽c͓̽h͓̽y͓̽ ͓̽W͓̽e͓̽d͓̽n͓̽e͓̽s͓̽d͓̽a͓̽y͓̽
✨️🐦‍⬛The Once And Future Witches 🐺🔥
By Alix E. Harrow

🎧 Synopsis:
In 1893, there's no such thing as witches. There used to be, in the wild, dark days before the burnings began, but now witching is nothing but tidy charms and nursery rhymes. If the modern woman wants any measure of power, she must find it at the ballot box.

But when the Eastwood sisters--James Juniper, Agnes Amaranth, and Beatrice Belladonna--join the suffragists of New Salem, they begin to pursue the forgotten words and ways that might turn the women's movement into the witch's movement. Stalked by shadows and sickness, hunted by forces who will not suffer a witch to vote-and perhaps not even to live-the sisters will need to delve into the oldest magics, draw new alliances, and heal the bond between them if they want to survive.

There's no such thing as witches. But there will be.

💬I persevered and finished this previous DNF/NRN. It was a struggle, but thanks to my buddy readers, I conquered and won. Or did I? 🤔

After two years I couldn't remember why I abandoned this book. I was well into it again when I started to feel it wasn't as witchy as I was looking for, and I was less interested in the suffragists that seemed to be playing quite heavily into the story. THIS is 💯 my fault - it says it right in the synopsis! (which I didn't read, yet again!)

The audio had music and a fairy-tale story woven throughout that I enjoyed. The Eastwood sisters are fantastic, strong female characters. A lot of people love it, and I would recommend it, BUT, not as a Spooky Season book. Read it some other time when you want female rage fueled empowerment! Two other books I've read from Harrow - A Spindle Splintered and Starling House were both great.

When I picked it up for the second time, I realized I made it to 64% two years ago, Libby hold your place! I think now I gave it a fair shot the first time. It was decent, I liked it. Could I have skipped it and been fine? Yes! Will I learn from this? Probably not. 😅

⁉️ How long do you give a book before you DNF?
⁉️ Have you gone back to a DNF? What was the final verdict?

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Reading update: October has been a MUCH better reading month, I’m happy to report.

I just finished The Once and Future Witches and Howl’s Moving Castle. TOAFW was fabulous. Another five star read from Alix E Harrow. She has moved into autobuy author territory for me and I can’t recommend her books enough.

Unfortunately, Howl wasn’t a hit for me. I think I was expecting something different or maybe I just wasn’t in the right mood, but that kind of bummed me out because I know so many friends love it!!

So to get over that, I returned to my OG quirky horror failsafe, T Kingfisher! I’m reading Hemlock & Silver to go along with my ACOBOB book club as they read Thornhedge since I already read that one.

And cued up on audio and my physical book stack is, finally, Kings of the Wyld!!! Can’t wait to get into this rec from @stormbornarchive.

Hope your reading month is going well!!

✨What are your current reads?✨

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🌷📚 April Reading Wrap-Up 📚🌷

What a whirlwind of a month April has been! From craziness in work to enjoying an Easter family holiday in the beautiful city of Paris, it was busy in the best way possible! ✈️💖

One of the highlights was joining the Book Party for Hazel Gaynor's new book Before Dorothy, hosted by @harpercollinsireland. Listening to Haze and Sam Blake discuss the book was so insightful, and it’s definitely jumped to the top of my TBR pile! I can’t wait to dive in! 🌈👠✨

I loved participating in the annual #ReadIrishWomen25 challenge hosted by @read_irish_women. It’s such a wonderful initiative showcasing the best of Irish women writers. I’ll be making a little reel to share all my prompt picks, so stay tuned for that! 📹💚

Another standout moment was hosting a Greener Buddy Read with Jen @latenightliteraryclub , where the talented author Gráinne Murphy joined our chats group. Having her insights really enriched our discussions around the book, making for a fabulous reading experience! Thanks so much, Gráinne and everyone else who took part🌱📖

Here’s a quick rundown of the books I read this month:

LOVED
💖 The Story of a Heart by Rachel Clark
🌿 Greener by Gráinne Murphy
💚 Open, Heaven by Sean Hewitt
🐠Leonard and Hungry Paul by Ronan Hession

REALLY LIKED:
🔥Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor

LIKED:
👻Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders

TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT:
🤷‍♀️ Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams
🃏 Fair Play by Louise Hegarty

April was a month full of literary adventures and heartwarming experiences, and I'm looking forward to what March will bring.

❓️What did you read this month? Let me know in the comments! 📚💬

#AprilWrapUp #aprilreadingwrapup #Bookstagram #ReadingCommunity #BookParty #ReadIrishWomen #BuddyRead #BookRecommendations #IrishAuthors2025 #bookstagramireland #Irishbookblogger #irelandbookstagram #thestoryofaheart #LincolnintheBardo #Greener #openheart #carelesspeople #fairplay #leonardandhungrypaul #rollofthunderhearmycry #bannedbooks #nonfictionreads

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✨ Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders✨

I’ll admit, I struggled with "Lincoln in the Bardo" when I first picked it up. The unique format which blends historical narrative, books within books, philosophical musings, and a chorus of voices— overwhelmed me and I had paused it waiting for the right opportunity to come back which came in the form of a buddy read with a group of us who wanted to tackle our Booker Winner backlogs. There's nothing like a buddy read for motivation, plus this time, I'd been recommended the all-star cast audiobook, I decided to give it another shot—and it was a game changer! 🎧💫

The audiobook, featuring an incredible ensemble of narrators, including George Saunders himself and Miranda July, of All Fours fame truly brought the story to life. The layers of characters and emotions unfolded beautifully, allowing me to immerse myself in the haunting yet poignant exploration of grief and the afterlife.

The Bardo is a transitional realm between life and the afterlife, based on Tibetan Buddhist beliefs. The story unfolds in this strange space where various souls, who have not fully accepted their deaths, linger and interact with one another. This is where young Willie Lincoln goes, surrounded by all these disembodied souls, each with their own stories and unresolved issues.

Saunders masterfully intertwines the themes of loss, love, and the struggles of human existence against the backdrop of President Lincoln’s profound sorrow over the death of his son, Willie and the broader American Civil War.

If you’ve found yourself struggling with reading this book in the past, I highly recommend giving the audiobook a try! It’s an entirely different experience that may just change your perception and allow you to appreciate the beauty of Saunders’ writing. 🌟

❓️Have you listened to "Lincoln in the Bardo"?
❓️Do you have any audiobooks you would recommend that enhanced your experience?

#Bookstagram #LincolnInTheBardo #GeorgeSaunders #AudiobookRecommendation #ReadingJourney #BookReview #audiobooks #AudiobookMagic #ReadingJourney #BookerBacklog #bookstagramireland #bookstagramreadsthebooker #Irishbookblogger #bookstasgramireland

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Review of Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders

This novel is the latest in my quest to read my bookshelf of neglected Booker Prize winners. Luckily for me, I had a lovely group of buddy readers to help me with this one. Early on, I was recommended the 166 voiced audio, and this really changed the read for me.

'We are for more united and have more in common than that which divides us'

It was this famous quotation by Jo Cox, to which I kept returning as I read this book. It is so much about community, togetherness, and unity that it is surely a plea by Saunders for us to find our commonality rather than our divisions. The novel centres around the death of Willie Lincoln, his father's grief and the swirling turmoil of the American Civil War.

Willie is sent to the 'bardo', a liminal place between life and death, where he is looked after, protected and comforted by a motley crew of other dead people. So far, so morbid, but this novel is anything but bleak. In fact, it is very funny at times, as we hear details of their lives and deaths, their various exploits, and their proclivities. But what is so transformative about seeing all these characters in the bardo is the fact that they don't know they are dead but feel instead injured or that they can return to their lives. And this makes us as a reader empathise with them, feel the present-ness of their lives and their feelings. Every soul in the bardo is suffering the pain of regret, remorse, and unhappiness as they linger between life and death. We share their suffering. It is levelling, somehow. They are all suffering, the villains just as much as the 'hero' Lincoln. Somehow, it removes the reader's judgement of their crimes and we're able to empathise with their pain and suffering.

Wouldn't that be great, in real life, if we could empathise with another's pain instead of judging them first? Wouldn't it be great if we could see the whole of a person of their life instead of just one awful part? Saunders appears to be inviting us to consider our fellow humans and find their worth in order to find our own.
❓️which book has made you think?❓️

#bookerprize #lincolninthebardo #abrahamlincoln #georgesaunders

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📚✨ Weekend Reads Recap ✨📚

📖 Current Reads: I'm currently reading Lincoln in the Bardo as part of my Booker backlog. This is a book that I've struggled with in the past and has paused for another time but I'm absolutely enthralle this time mostly because I'm reading and listening to the audiobook which is making it far more accessible. I've also started The God of the Woods, which is gripping me! I've had this on my Kindle for a long time but grabbed this library copy for gram photos 📸 🤣 I just spend an hour in the sunshine reading with a cup of tea. Life is good ☕️🌞

🎧 In My Ears: As above, I'm listening and reading Lincoln in the Bardo. Many people whose bookish opinions I trust list it as one of their favourite audiobooks as they've a full cast narration, and it's really helping my interpretation of the story. I've borrowed it from @borrowbox

📺 Screen Time: None this week as I've been busy enjoying the lovely spring weather and longer evenings.

💗 Moments I Cherish: My daughter asked me to bring her to her GAA match yesterday, so lovely to see her and the team playing camogie together 🥰

🤗 Excited About:
I can't wait for Before Dorothy book event this week with Hazel Gaynor and Sam Blake and catching up with my booksta buddy Marianne @bookswithdoots Huge thanks to Patricia @harpercollinsireland for the invite 💗💗💗

💕 Grateful Heart: Just grateful for this lovely sunny weather, it really just changed everyone's outlook being out and about 🥰

❓️Do you enjoy reading in the sunshine? 😊

#weekendreadsrecap #currentreads #weekendreading #weekendreads #weekendreadingplans #TheGodoftheWoods #LincolnintheBardo #BeforeDorothy #gifted #harpercollinsireland #kindlecrushchallenge #bookstagramreadsthebookerprize #bookstagram #bookstagramireland #irelandbookstagram #irishbookstagram #audiobooks #tiredmammybookclub #tiredmammy30minutes #nfpicknmix
#chunkymonkeychallenge #letsearit

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🌸 April Reading Plans 🌸

Hello, book lovers and happy April to you all! 📚✨

Spring is definitely in the air here in Ireland with such lovely weather, and I'm excited to share my reading plans for April. Here are the books I'll be diving into this month:

⛈️ Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor
This is the Classic Children's Book Club choice with Sally @salboreads. I'm looking forward to reading this powerful story, which has been banned, which says it all and exactly why it's important to read it

🔥 Burn After Reading by Catherine Ryan Howard
This is being published on April 10th, and a big thanks to @penguinbooksireland for my copy! Can't wait to get started on this one as I love her writing.

💚 Open, Heaven by Sean Hewitt
This book is getting so much positive feedback, and I was lucky enough to hear Sean reading from it at the launch party in January.
This will be published on April 24th. This one has been on my radar for a while, and I'm thrilled to finally read it.

🌿Greener by Gráinne Murphy
I'm hosting a buddy read with Jen @latenightliteraryclub starting April 11th. Please DM if you want to join us! It's always more fun to read together.

🇺🇸Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders
My Chunky Monkey Booker backlisted book for the month. I'm planning to listen to the audiobook as well, since many people rate it as one of their favourite audiobooks due to its full cast narration.

❓️What are you planning to read this month? Share your April reading list in the comments below! 🌸📚✨

#aprilbooks
#aprilplans #aprilreading #aprilbooks #aprilbookstagram #irelandbookstagram #BookstagramIreland #irishbookblogger #penguinbooksireland #penguinrandomhouse #burnafterreading #openheaven #rollofthunderhearmycry #greener #LincolnintheBardo

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I meant to sneak in a final 2024 post, but instead I’m starting the new year reflecting on what has now passed. 2024 looked nothing like I planned, however, books continued to bring me joy in every season. Reading was a balm in the weariest times* and LMM’s writing was the cozy comfort my soul often needed.

I’m so glad that @literarylicense joined me to host the #RaceWhoKnowsJosephBookClub. I loved the 24 books that we read from LMM and the discussions they sparked. I’m converted to publication order over chronological. Enjoying the Anne series in the order written was so beautiful and insightful. Also, while Anne and Valancy continue to hold the uppermost spot of my heart, I’ve welcomed Pat to the inner circle of most-beloved LMM heroines. That is a special duology.

I wish I could tag everyone who participated, but thank you fellow bookworms for making 2024 a little more joyful. I loved reading with you!

*(For those who don’t know, 2024 was a year of accident and injury for my family, and while most of us have made nearly full recoveries, my grandma is now on hospice where I’m one of her full-time caregivers.)

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Happy Thursday!
Had so much fun putting together my selections for the Five Top Five Challenge

These awesome challenges are one of my favorite things about having a bookstagram.

QOTD: Have you done this challenge yet?
Do we have any favorites in common?

I tagged a few friends who I thought might like to do this challenge too.

#fivetopfive #5topfives

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Happy Tuesday!

Book Feature
The Choice: Embrace the Possible
By Dr. Edith Eva Eger
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

About:
It’s 1944 and sixteen-year-old ballerina and gymnast Edith Eger is sent to Auschwitz.
Separated from her parents on arrival, she endures unimaginable experiences. When the camp is finally liberated, she is pulled from a pile of bodies, barely alive.
The horrors of the Holocaust didn’t break Edith. In fact, they helped her learn to live again with a life-affirming strength and a truly remarkable resilience.

Thoughts:
I started this one on print and then moved to audio. The narrator, Tovah Feldshuh, an actress, singer, and playwright in her own right, brought so much emotion and passion to the book that I had to continue listening to it.
This was definitely one of the best books I’ve read this year and maybe one of the best books I’ve ever read.
The first half of the book focuses on her life before and after Auschwitz.
She becomes an academic and earns her PhD in clinical psychology.
The second half of the book, Eger shares clients she meets with and how she helped them heal from their trauma.
Eger explains that suffering is inevitable and universal, but how we respond to suffering differs.
Time doesn’t heal. It’s what you do with the time. Healing is possible when we choose to take responsibility, when we choose to take risks, and finally, when we choose to release the wound, to let go of the past or the grief.

Read this if you want to be moved, inspired, and motivated to change old beliefs systems.

Thank you to @jenrushingreads and @mjnicefield for the buddy read.

QOTD: What is your most recent 5 star read?

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