BCF Bookclub 2025 - Part 2 Completed Reads

[lunababymoonchild]

The Mayfly, L A Birchon. A short story about time travel. It was very good!

[Hayley]

Finished Dallergut Dream Department Store by Miye Lee as my first book for Time. It’s a strange book (it doesn’t really have a plot!) but just what I needed really, it captured my imagination without needing much concentration! Appropriately, if you’ve ever listened to one of the ‘sleep stories’ from apps like headspace, the narrative style felt very similar to that - probably because it’s mainly description and in first person. 
It’s set in a sort of pre-dream world, which exists outside of normal time. Sleeping people go there and can purchase dreams from the multiple available dream-stores, as well as food items to help them to relax into deep dreamless sleep. We follow Penny, who just got a job at the most prestigious store. Each chapter is essentially about a different type of dream Penny comes across as a seller and why it’s necessary to the dreamer’s waking life. They all end up having a deeper meaning (about things like perseverance and, in one quite heart-breaking one, grief), which did mean that all the chapters ended with a fairly didactic tone. Worth reading if you want something very gentle but also quite fun and fantastical. 

[lunababymoonchild]

Finished The Rules of Time Travel by L A Birchon and thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s self-published and only available on Amazon.

 

Recommended

[lunababymoonchild]

Finished Julius, Daphne du Maurier and, now that I know that it’s the life-story of Julius, submit it for this topic of Time

 

[Madeleine]

After much mind changing, I've decided to read "Shadows in the Moonlight" by Santa Montefiore for this challenge.  It's the first of a new series in which someone time travels.

[lunababymoonchild]

17 minutes ago, Madeleine said:

After much mind changing, I've decided to read "Shadows in the Moonlight" by Santa Montefiore for this challenge.  It's the first of a new series in which someone time travels.

Thanks for this, it’s right up my street and an author I’ve never read before. Bought!

[France]

I'll be interested to hear what you both think as I've read, and didn't like much, a couple of her books. But that was a few years ago and my tastes have changed - and so has her writing probably.

[Madeleine]

Must admit I'm not sure about her books either, but this one sounds different.  I do have her Deverill books, and some stand-alones as well but not read them yet.

[lunababymoonchild]

Now reading this and enjoying it.

[lunababymoonchild]

Finished! Thoroughly enjoyed it!

[Madeleine]

That was quick, I've just got to the bit where the eccentric aunt arrives for Xmas!

[lunababymoonchild]

I had to rest yesterday as I was taking my father for a scan today so did the majority of the reading then 

[France]

On your recommendations I got this too, especially as it's currently 99p on Kindle and Kobo.  I enjoyed it a lot, much more than the previous books of hers that I've tried, and thought the timesliding concept really interesting.

 

But, as a natural historical pedant (inherited from my grandfather, a history don and prolific biographer and historian) , the historical inaccuracies infuriated me.  For instance Pixie wears a crinoline in 1897, no-one had worn them for 20 years, and despite barely knowing how to ride can ride sidesaddle immediately.  She couldn't.  

 

Still the pace carried me on but I'm not sure I'll rush out to read her next one.

[lunababymoonchild]

Yes, I noticed that about the riding. What irked me the most was that although Hermione was mentioned in the end what wasn't mentioned was if she got married or not, and I wanted to know. Pixie checked Cavill Pengower's grave and discovered that he didn't die early (so she did affect the timeline) but no mention was made of Hermione Swift and whether or not Cavill noticed a difference after Pixie left and therefore didn't marry her.  Pixie convinced him to stay and thus he didn't die but nothing else was mentioned. Unless it comes up in the next book.

[France]

And actually Bruce was not a descendent of the family since he was the result of an affair so why was he left the house? Yes full of annoying things but it was still a very readable story.

[lunababymoonchild]

1 hour ago, France said:

And actually Bruce was not a descendent of the family since he was the result of an affair so why was he left the house? Yes full of annoying things but it was still a very readable story.

I took that to mean that because there was nobody left he was the closest thing to a relative.

 

I enjoyed it though and will have a look at the next one (out in July)

[Madeleine]

About halfway through this, I imagine that the 2nd book will be about Cavill as it involves a ship.  And I am getting lots of spoilers from this thread, but I had already started to suspect that we'd see more of Cavill.

[lunababymoonchild]

The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls, Emilie Autumn. I"m submitting this for the Time category because the story takes place both in the present and in the Victorian era. 

[Hayley]

On 6/26/2025 at 5:08 PM, France said:

On your recommendations I got this too, especially as it's currently 99p on Kindle and Kobo.  I enjoyed it a lot, much more than the previous books of hers that I've tried, and thought the timesliding concept really interesting.

 

But, as a natural historical pedant (inherited from my grandfather, a history don and prolific biographer and historian) , the historical inaccuracies infuriated me.  For instance Pixie wears a crinoline in 1897, no-one had worn them for 20 years, and despite barely knowing how to ride can ride sidesaddle immediately.  She couldn't.  

 

Still the pace carried me on but I'm not sure I'll rush out to read her next one.

I’m tempted to read it purely based on this discussion but I know the historical inaccuracies would really annoy me too 😅.

 

17 hours ago, lunababymoonchild said:

The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls, Emilie Autumn. I"m submitting this for the Time category because the story takes place both in the present and in the Victorian era. 

I do love Victorian settings - looking forward to hearing what you think of this one! 

[Madeleine]

Finished mine - found it slightly repetitive but overall it was an easy read and I enjoyed it.