Living in the Northern hemisphere, November was one of my least favourite months, only competing with February for the title. In November there was Christmas to look forward to. January had holiday brochures to check, while dreaming about far away tropical places .
November can feel bleak.
February had no such excitement ,just a hard slog until Spring- date unknown. Spring could be early in April or May, or even feel like it was never arriving at all. In the Southern hemisphere November is still Spring, but with unexpected heatwave blasts like summer. Often, its a good time to be indoors under air-conditioning and that was my plan.
In theory I was supposed to be writing .Finishing the two years of hard slog on spent a project very close to my heart, my memoir. Life threw a curve ball into the mix. I reconnected with my daughter, after an absence of many years. To say I was delighted is to understate it. We have been messaging daily, and catching up on What’s App. The memoir is close to my heart, but my daughter is my heart.
I haven’t had the same time for reading or writing, so, it’s a short book list this month.
Annie in Paris by Carmen Reid.
If you love Emily in Paris, you will love this BRAND NEW book in the Annie Valentine series from bestselling author Carmen Reid. Personal shopper Annie Valentine is back! Older and bolder!
Fashion guru Annie is struggling to cope with her hectic life. With the demands of two older children, plus four-year-old twins, her marriage to Ed is in a romance-free rut and she’s clinging by a couture thread to her job as the nation’s favourite fashion fixer.
And where is Svetlana, her multi-millionaire friend, when Annie needs her? Busy with an expensive mid-life crisis, that’s where!
When Ed gets the chance to teach in Paris, Annie thinks time apart could be the answer. Wrong!
In Paris, Ed transforms into a debonair silver fox, attracting the attentions of stylish siren Sylvie.
Annie can’t lose her man or the job she loves, so bundling her bags, her babies and a reluctant Svetlana onto the Eurostar, she sets off to the rescue. But can the City of Love deliver the ooh la la that her marriage, and her fashion series, so desperately needs?
Another brilliant laugh out loud emotional read, perfect for fans of Fiona Gibson, Tracy Bloom and Sophie Ranald!
“Annie Valentine is a wonderful character – I want her to burst into my life and sort out my wardrobe for me!” Bestselling author, Jill Manse 338 pages, Kindle Edition Published April 30, 2024
My Review.
When I selected this book, I was unaware it was the seventh in the series. It didn’t really matter much as I was able to catch up on Annie’s story. She leads a frantic life as a fashion stylist, but also as a mum of teens and toddlers. I found the fashion advice added an extra je ne sais quoi to the story. It reminded me a little of Sophie Kinsella’s Shopaholic series. I’d be happy to go back and start reading the series from book one. A light-hearted bit of fun.
Christmas at the Little Paris Hotel by Rebecca Raisin.
Turn a tumbledown Paris hotel into a perfect boutique, bookish retreat, and have it open for Christmas? What could possibly go wrong? When Anais receives a near-derelict Paris hotel in her divorce settlement, her first thought is to tidy it up and sell it immediately. All she wants is to move on and forget her disaster of a marriage ever happened.
But selling it proves impossible, so she has only one to make it gorgeous and open by Christmas… when her funds will almost certainly run out.
She’s not counting on the grumpy American bar-owner next door, Noah, coming and interfering at every moment though. Nor is she expecting to find a mysterious room – which holds the key to a one-hundred-year-old secret – about a woman who chose love against the odds.
One thing’s for sure… as the fairy lights twinkle all over the city of lights and the first snowflakes start to fall… this will be a Christmas in Paris to remember.
338 pages Kindle
My Review.
This book ticked so many boxes for me. Paris, Christmas, renovations, books and reading and that is without even mentioning the burgeoning romance. Like curling up with a mug of steaming hot chocolate., warm and comforting. Hits all the seasonal highs while telling a slightly unpredictable storey.
Dealing with Annie by Jill Shalvis
Danger comes to Cooper’s Corner…
Annie Hughes had become the Martha Stewart of cosmetics. But when DEA agent Ethan McCall warned Annie that her company was the target of sabotage—and that she was in danger— she wouldn’t listen. Then Annie disappeared. And only Ethan could rescue her.
Originally published in 2003. 166 pages, Kindle Edition
My Review.
A speedy read, which feels slightly more of an outline for a story than a fully fleshed out story. It was quick to read and had enough to retain my interest .Obviously, if I had read the previous books in the series that might have made things clearer. Reluctant romance.
There are so many conflicting priorities. Finish the memoir, some social obligations, and reading, always a part of my life. Most important is growing my relationship with my daughter. My priorities have shifted. It’s all about reconnecting with my daughter, and of course making up for lost time Life has blessed us with a second chance and they don’t come along very often.
Apologies for the delayed reviews, of course, I will continue reading and reviewing. Books are part of the fabric of my life, enjoyment, entertainment, information, relaxation. I cannot imagine not reading. Could you?
September, we were hoping for spring weather in the Southern hemisphere, but it’s been wetter than usual. Time to curl up with a good book, or even time to try and write one! My reviewing philosophy is,if I didn’t finish a book, or disliked it, I don’t review it.Taste is personal and what appeals to me, may not appeal to you. That’s fine, well have differing expectations and experiences we bring to our reading.
I’ve been industriously building my memoir.Like a spider’s web it has many strands.
I’m 92,000 words or so into the memoir and Im hoping to send it to my editor shortly. Briefly, it tells how when my marriage broke up, I started working as bus conductor in 1960 Britain
I worked on double decker buses.
Her Majesty’s Royal Coven By Juno Dawson
If you look hard enough at old photographs, we’re there in the background: healers in the trenches; Suffragettes; Bletchley Park oracles; land girls and resistance fighters. Why is it we help in times of crisis? We have a gift. We are stronger than Mundanes, plain and simple.
At the dawn of their adolescence, on the eve of the summer solstice, four young girls–Helena, Leonie, Niamh and Elle–took the oath to join Her Majesty’s Royal Coven, established by Queen Elizabeth I as a covert government department. Now, decades later, the witch community is still reeling from a civil war and Helena is now the reigning High Priestess of the organization. Yet Helena is the only one of her friend group still enmeshed in the stale bureaucracy of HMRC. Elle is trying to pretend she’s a normal housewife, and Niamh has become a country vet, using her powers to heal sick animals. In what Helena perceives as the deepest betrayal, Leonie has defected to start her own more inclusive and intersectional coven, Diaspora. And now Helena has a bigger problem. A young warlock of extraordinary capabilities has been captured by authorities and seems to threaten the very existence of HMRC. With conflicting beliefs over the best course of action, the four friends must decide where their loyalties lie: with preserving tradition, or doing what is right.
Juno Dawson explores gender and the corrupting nature of power in a delightful and provocative story of magic and matriarchy, friendship and feminism. Dealing with all the aspects of contemporary womanhood, as well as being phenomenally powerful witches, Niamh, Helena, Leonie and Elle may have grown apart but they will always be bound by the sisterhood of the coven.
My Review
Initially I enjoyed reading this and the concepts it explores .Women are so often simply a foot note to history, marginalised or ignored. A story about women and not just women , but women with extraordinary powers was appealing. The empathy Niamh shows was very relatable. However, because I was reading it over a few days I gradually got confused about who each character was.
The concept of a ‘cursed child’ is often the stuff of fantasy so that too was relatable. Gradually, I began to experience less enjoyment in reading, feeling I was reading a polemic. I finished the book and decided that although the story remained unfinished, I wouldn’t read further volumes. It wasn’t for me; it may be for you.
Jane Austen, the Secret Radical by Helena Kelly.
A brilliant, illuminating reassessment of the life and work of Jane Austen that makes clear how Austen has been misread for the past two centuries and that shows us how she intended her books to be read, revealing, as well, how subversive and daring–how truly radical–a writer she was.
In this fascinating, revelatory work, Helena Kelly–dazzling Jane Austen authority–looks past the grand houses, the pretty young women, past the demure drawing room dramas and witty commentary on the narrow social worlds of her time that became the hallmark of Austen’s work to bring to light the serious, ambitious, deeply subversive nature of this beloved writer. Kelly illuminates the radical subjects–slavery, poverty, feminism, the Church, evolution, among them–considered treasonous at the time, that Austen deftly explored in the six novels that have come to embody an age. The author reveals just how in the novels we find the real Jane Austen: a clever, clear-sighted woman “of information,” fully aware of what was going on in the world and sure about what she thought of it. We see a writer who understood that the novel–until then seen as mindless “trash”–could be a great art form and who, perhaps more than any other writer up to that time, imbued it with its particular greatness.
My Review.
Jane Austen subversive. Jane Austen deliberately employed the despised novel not just to entertain, but also to inform her readership ,about so much that was going on in her time. The idea of Jane, a spinster, who hadn’t travelled far, as a country mouse is far from the truth. She had five brothers , men who were involved with the church, the military and the war. Doubtless she heard and understood plenty ,from the conversations around her and formed her own opinions. She had sisters in law whose pregnancies she observed, and she knew that this was a dangerous time for a woman as many died in childbirth. Of course her thinking permeated her novels-but she still wrote to tell an entertaining story, or who would buy her next book?
The Radio Hour: A Novel by Victoria Purman.
From the bestselling author of The Nurses’ War comes this charming, funny, pointed look at the golden years of radio broadcasting in post-war Australia, celebrating the extraordinary unseen women who wrote the radio plays that held a nation captive. For readers of Lessons in Chemistry.
Martha Berry is fifty years old, a spinster, and one of an army of polite and invisible women in 1956 Sydney who go to work each day and get things done without fuss, fanfare or reward.
Working at the country’s national broadcaster, she’s seen highly praised talent come and go over the years but when she is sent to work as a secretary on a brand-new radio serial, created to follow in the footsteps of Australia’s longest running show, Blue Hills, she finds herself at the mercy of an egotistical and erratic young producer without a clue, a conservative broadcaster frightened by the word ‘pregnant’ and a motley cast of actors with ideas of their own about their roles in the show.
When Martha is forced to step in to rescue the serial from impending cancellation, she ends up secretly ghost-writing scripts for As The Sun Sets, creating mayhem with management, and coming up with storylines that resonate with the serial’s growing and loyal audience of women listeners.
But she can’t keep her secret forever and when she’s threatened with exposure, Martha has to decide if she wants to remain in the shadows, or to finally step into the spotlight.
My Review.
I’ve just finished reading The Radio Hour, I enjoyed it so much and it really resonated with me. Maybe young women today will realise how far women have come and how easily those gains could be lost .
All this happened in my lifetime. It pains me to think how disparagingly women and girls were treated. Underappreciated, underpaid and the hard working glue that often held companies together. Casual sexism was a way of life.
The Vintage Village Bake Off by Judy Leigh.
Now in his seventies, Robert Parkin is stunned to find himself the unlikely sex symbol of the village gardening club.
Living in happy solitude with his cat Isaac Mewton in the Devon village of Millbrook, entertained by his mischievous chickens and goats, Robert has never figured out the rules of romance. But as the local ladies vie for his company, it soon becomes clear that Robert’s Victoria Sponge cake is the lure, and as his baking prowess grows, so does his confidence.
Cheesecakes, meringues, puddings, Robert can do it all, but his real masterpieces are his scones – ginger, rosemary, coconut, fruit, his recipes are inspired and soon come to the attention of the local media. Which county does the best cream tea – Devon or Cornwall? It’s time for an age-old debate to be settled with a competition.
Robert’s sisters Bunty and Hattie are both at crossroads in their lives, so news of their brother’s baking competition is the perfect excuse to bring them to Millbrook. And as the siblings relish each other’s company, and Robert relishes being at the heart of his community, a summer of scones may just light the way to long-lasting happiness for them all.
My Review.
I’m surprised the blurb for the book starts with Robert, as he only appears halfway through the story. Initially, we are introduced to Hattie, who is regaining her confidence after her controlling husband left her. It’s a delight to see her venture into new territory ,encouraged by her good neighbour.Then Bunty arrives, having left her marriage and Hattie had to assert herself. Robert lives in Devon and is a doyenne of the local gardening club. His sense of humour is revealed in the names of his animals, but his romantic senses are lacking. The local ladies vie subtly and not so subtly for his attentions. The cookery competition between rival counties is a highlight. Mouthwatering concoctions are mentioned and it’s a shame the book didn’t include a recipe section.
It’s been a rainy July here in Perth, Australia, with only a few bright and sunshiny days. But, that has meant that it’s been the perfect weather for reading and I’ve enjoyed the books listed here.
How great to be inside on a rainy day with a good book.
The title alone captivated me, so I had to read Assistant to the Villain. Another intriguing tile was The Bad Bridesmaid, by West Australian Author Rachael Johns. A friend recommended The Fragments to me and I’m so glad that she did.
A summer snap of my boy!
Domestically my cat stopped eating which resulted in a very anxious time for me, a bit of indignity for him and a hefty vet bill. Luckily, he’s on the mend now.
As I’m writing this the rain is still pouring down. Trees are bowed with the weight of rain and my cat has decided he is firmly an indoor cat.
Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer.
Once Upon a Time meets The Office in Hannah Maehrer’s laugh-out-loud viral TikTok series turned novel, about the sunshine assistant to an Evil Villain…and their unexpected romance. ASSISTANT WANTED: Notorious, high-ranking villain seeks loyal, level-headed assistant for unspecified office duties, supporting staff for random mayhem and terror, and other Dark Things In General. Discretion a must. Excellent benefits.
With ailing family to support, Evie Sage’s employment status isn’t just important, it’s vital. So, when a mishap with Rennedawn’s most infamous Villain results in a job offer―naturally, she says yes. No job is perfect, of course, but even less so when you develop a teeny crush on your terrifying, temperamental, and undeniably hot boss. Don’t find evil so attractive, Evie.
But just when she’s getting used to severed heads suspended from the ceiling and the odd squish of an errant eyeball beneath her heel, Evie suspects this dungeon has a huge rat…and not just the literal kind. Because something rotten is growing in the kingdom of Rennedawn, and someone wants to take the Villain―and his entire nefarious empire―out.
Now Evie must not only resist drooling over her boss but also figure out exactly who is sabotaging his work…and ensure he makes them pay.
After all, a good job is hard to find.
My Review.
Late to the party, but I’d heard so much about this book that I wanted to read it. It’s a fast-paced romp that had me laughing out loud. I could totally understand Evie’s attraction to The Villain. Its grumpy/ sunshine, but Evie is no fool and predicts the Villain’s temperament and moods better than most. While he’s getting under her skin, is she also getting under his?
I cursed at the “to be continued ending” and went looking for book two.That is the problem , we readers can read in a day or two, books that have taken months or even years to write.
Widows Waive the Rules: Age is Just A Number! by Julia Jarman
The BRAND NEW laugh-out-loud novel page-turner bestselling author Julia Jarman ☀️ Perfect for fans of Maddie Please, Judy Leigh, and anyone who thinks age is just a number! 🍷 The Widows Wine Club of Viv, Janet and Zelda have navigated choppy waters before. Having supported each other through the first shaky years of widowhood, the future was starting to look brighter. But when Janet is dealt another blow, it’s all hands on deck for the firm friends.
Deciding what Janet needs is a change of scenery, Viv and Zelda book a luxury cruise on the Queen Mary 2, heading for the bright lights of New York. And once on board, the women are entranced. A floating pleasure palace, the Queen Mary is just what the doctor ordered. From tai chi to dance lessons, cocktails to crafting, there’s nothing they can’t do to while away the miles at sea.
But when they are joined at their first supper by fellow widow Primrose Carmichael, the holiday takes an unexpected turn. Because not only does Primrose share Janet’s surname, but their late husbands were both called Mal… As the similarities between the two women stack up, so do Viv and Zelda’s suspicions. Determined to get to the bottom of the mystery before they’re in sight of the Statue of Liberty, the friends are ready to waive a few rules…
Julia Jarman’s warm, wise and witty novels are perfect for everyone who believes age is just a number. Perfect for fans of Caroline James, Judy Leigh and Maddie Please.
My Review.
I picked this because I wanted a light and easy read and that’s exactly what I got, with a bit of intrigue thrown in. This is entertaining light reading. It’s part of a series, but it didn’t matter that I hadn’t read the earlier books. Part travelogue for the Queen Mary Two( you will want to travel on her) and part mystery ,the book straddles both genres with ease.Female friendships and burgeoning romance add to the mix.
Apprentice to the Villainby Hannah Nicole Maehrer.
NOTICE TO STAFF: There has been a disturbing increase in cheeriness, sprightly behavior, and overall optimism of late. Please resume your former dark, ominous terrors at your earliest convenience. ―Mgmt
Evie Sage has never been happier to be the assistant to The Villain. Who would have thought that working for an outrageously handsome (shhh, bad for his brand) evil overlord would be so rewarding? Still, the business of being bad is demanding, the forces of good are annoyingly persistent, and said forbidding boss is somewhat…er, out-of-evil-office. But Rennedawn is in grave trouble, and all signs―Kingsley’s included―point to catastrophe. Something peculiar is happening with the kingdom’s magic, and it’s made The Villain’s manor vulnerable to their enemies…including their nemesis, the king. Now it’s time for Evie to face her greatest challenge: protecting The Villain’s lair, all of his nefarious works, and maybe (provided no one finds out) the entire kingdom. No pressure, Evie.
It’s time to step out of her comfort zone and learn new skills. Like treason. Dagger work. Conspiring with the enemy. It’s all so…so…delightfully fun.
My Review. Yes, it is all, so…delightfully fun. Again, there is a “ to be continued.” which I expected and I’m prepared to wait. The dynamic shifts and shifts again. And we all love a bad boy ripe for reform, don’t we? Or, is Evie changing?
The Bad Bridesmaid by Rachael Johns
When serial dater Winifred Darling – Fred – is asked to be the maid of honour at her mother’s sixth wedding, she’s determined to do everything in her power to stop it. As the author of a forthcoming book called 21 Rules for Not Catching Feelings, she knows better than most about the perils of falling in love.
On arrival at the island wedding destination, Fred is delighted to discover that the groom’s hot muso son Leo is just as set against the wedding as she is. Together, they come up with ‘Operation Break-Up’ to prevent their parents from making what they believe will be a catastrophic mistake.
But as Fred and Leo get to know each other better, their unexpected feelings for each other create further complications, and Fred is forced to rethink her own rigid rules about romance and family. Maybe not every relationship has to play by the book, and could Fred become the star in a romcom of her own?
A heart-warming friends-to-lovers romance about the magic and mayhem of weddings – and what happens when everything you thought you knew about love is turned upside down.
My Review.
Rachael Johns just keeps getting better. This is a fun and relevant story with the growing popularity of hook ups and online dating. Fred is a veteran of the dating scene and quite cynical. This contrasts with her ever- romantic mum, who Fred fears is heading for yet another failure. Hot Leo is in complete agreement that the wedding shouldn’t take place .Spending time together is only to stop the disastrous wedding, isn’t it?
The Fragments by Toni Jordan
INGA Karlson died in a fire in New York in the 1930s, leaving behind three things: a phenomenally successful first novel, the scorched fragments of a second book— and a mystery that has captivated generations of readers.
Nearly fifty years later, Brisbane bookseller Caddie Walker is waiting in line to see a Karlson exhibition featuring the famous fragments when she meets a charismatic older woman.
The woman quotes a phrase from the Karlson fragments that Caddie knows does not exist—and yet to Caddie, who knows Inga Karlson’s work like she knows her name, it feels genuine.
Caddie is electrified. Jolted her from her sleepy, no-worries life in torpid 1980s Brisbane, she is driven to investigate: to find the clues that will unlock the greatest literary mystery of the twentieth century.
My Review.
A friend recommended this dual timeline book and I’m pleased that she did.It concerns a historical literary mystery. One that has puzzled fans and researchers for decades. How can an unknown Brisbane bookseller know so much about it, be involved, and convinced she has the answers the world had waited for? I enjoyed finding out.
Flowering bulbs herald Spring!
Suddenly, it’s August and here in Western Australia, we are counting the days until Spring. Blue skies and warmer days would be very welcome.Spring was my favourite season in the Uk, it is here as well. My scented narcissi and grape hyacinth bulbs have braved the cold and wet and are flowering.Promising sunnier days ahead.
Spring in the Northern Hemisphere but heading into winter in the Southern Hemisphere.
It’s getting chillier and wetter in the Southern Hemisphere, so it’s ideal weather to curl up by the fire with a good book. Here is what I read in May. I’ve read part of more books, but I choose not to review any book I haven’t finish as that seems unfair .
I’m British expat living in Australia and as such I use British spellings.
I’ve also been working on my memoir, which at times has brought up some uncomfortable emotions. But it’s a little bit of social history, and also the story of my unexpected short term career as a bus conductor Many people have been generous with their time to help me reconstruct the past.
Sifting through memories.
Love Life: How to Raise Your Standards, Find Your Person, and Live Happily by Matthew Hussey.
In Love Life, relationship coach and expert Matthew Hussey explores the most important and foundational relationship of all—the one we have with ourselves.
More than a book about navigating our love lives, Hussey’s new book is about the deeper issues our love lives reveal. Love isn’t the answer to our problems, Hussey explains. It’s a doorway to them; not a way out, but a way in. Like most of us, Hussey has gone through major changes over the past decade, and he shares some of those experiences, vulnerabilities, and mistakes.
What happens when we date, fall in love, or when we are faced with loneliness? What decisions do we make that cause us more pain and send us further adrift from what we want? Who hasn’t shied away from taking risks because they feared rejection? Who hasn’t put up with the wrong behavior because they’re afraid of losing someone or of expressing what they really need? Who hasn’t lived with the fear and anxiety of not being good enough for their partner? Or knowing their partner isn’t good for them, but stay in a bad relationship that is ultimately self-harming? In Love Life Hussey addresses these questions and more.
Our love lives hold the uncanny power to elevate or eradicate all the adjacent joy in our lives. The deeper purpose of Love Life is to ensure your love for your life will never be dependent on your relationship status. It’s about finding your love for life even while still on the journey to finding your person
My Review.
I was expecting something more from this much hyped book. More insight, suggestions and actual practical advice. Instead, the book veers through personal reminiscences and excerpts of advice. Organisation of the topics could have been clearer and better.
The Philosophy of Love by Rebecca Ryan.
What is love? Is it something spiritual or wholly physical? Can our feelings be explained and quantified? Or are we all actually two halves of a whole?
Ask Alice and Luke and you’d receive vastly different answers.
Despite her world having been recently dismantled by a messy break-up, Alice would tell you that love is the most important – albeit ineffable – human experiences. But when she once again crosses paths with her old school nemesis, Luke, he challenges this. Luke is a scientist and he’s certain love can be measured and explained – just like everything else.
So the two decide to make a bet they’ll each venture back into dating and if one of them falls in love, Alice wins, if not, then Luke does.
But can anyone win when you’re playing with emotions?
My Review
I enjoyed this quirky tale of love laced with philosophy. Do we plan to fall in love, can we plan it, or resist it? What if the person we are meant to be with isn’t the person we expect? Luke takes the objective scientific approach to life and to love. Alice leads with her heart as they discuss philosophy and love.
The Paris Bookshop for the Broken-Hearted by Rebecca Raisin.
Can you ever swear off love, in the city of love? Coco is having a hell of a month. She’s lost her boyfriend and her business, been forced to uproot her daughter to move back in with her parents in Paris, and now an infuriatingly handsome stranger is yelling at her for acting like a tourist… Right underneath the Eiffel Tower.
Storming away from him – and swearing off men for life – she decides she’s going to take the first job that comes her way.
Then, as if fate hears her, later that day she stumbles into a little bookshop – but not any old bookshop. This one comes complete with a café, cocktail bar, reading room and secret tunnel of books, and just a little hint of magic in the air. So when Coco’s offered a job selling books there, it feels like the perfect fit.
There’s only one problem… propping up the bar in the bookshop is none other than the grumpy, gorgeous stranger she’d met earlier that day…
A totally romantic, bookish and gorgeously escapist romantic novel, set in Paris in Springtime. Perfect for fans of Emily Henry, Abby Jimenez, and Sarah Morgan.
My Review.
Rebecca Raisin knows the delights of Paris well and allows her characters to explore them in this gorgeous book. You will feel as if you are propping up the bar and meeting all the characters in this starting over romance. Relationships and friendships, parental relationships and romantic ones all devolve around the bookshop.
Witch You Well by Collen Cross
Westwick Witches 1
A Westwick Witches Cozy Mystery Novel Cendrine “Cen” West has an intriguing secret. . . Cen is a journalist descended from a long line of powerful witches who have inhabited the small town of Westwick Corners for generations. Except, Cenis a witch who craves an ordinary life, and as the family black sheep, she doesn’t even want to dabble in the craft. . . much to her troublemaking Aunt Pearl’s dismay.
Then days before Cen’s wedding to a “normal” guy, a visiting billionaire is murdered at her family’s cozy inn–and now all evidence points to her eccentric Aunt Pearl. If Cen hopes to prove her aunt’s innocence, she will have to embrace her own magic and do a little sleuthing. Yet her investigation only uncovers more questions than answers after she discovers a supernatural connection to the murder, a strange vortex beneath the town, and a disturbing secret about her gorgeous fiancée.
For help she turns to the town’s sexy new sheriff, Tyler Gates. But working with him only adds more complications to her already harried life once Cen starts feeling an overwhelming attraction to the no-nonsense man.
But are her feelings for Tyler real, or just the result of pre-wedding jitters? Cen will have to find out! And will the two of them be able to get past their personal baggageto solve the case in time to save her aunt?
My Review.
This really sounded promising but unfortunately for me it fell a bit flat. It has all the ingredients for a cosy witchy mystery,small town, family, secrets, hot guy , so you may feel differently.
My cat and I will snuggle up and enjoy the pause in the seasons.
As I’m writing more, I’m not reading as much, but I will always have a book or three on the go. Other people’s word entertain me and inspire my own.
April always makes me think nostalgically of bluebells. A strong childhood memory is of entering a bluebell wood, and feeling I was in the presence of magic. The stillness, the shade with the carpet of blue flowers all around me. The subtle scent of the massed flowers. Of course, I’d pick some, although I knew I wasn’t taking the magic home with me. Clutched in my hot little hand they would wilt almost as soon as we left the wood.
Now here in Australia I can still get nostalgic, remembering my childhood. This month reinforcing my nostalgia, I’ve been reading about London and Ireland
It is easy to believe in magic in a bluebell wood.
Aged to Perfection: A funny and feel-good later-in-life romantic comedy proving that passion has no age limit! By Niloufar Lamakan
‘Dating in your 60s? This is what you need to know.’ The Telegraph
At sixty, Sophia Stone outdoes Bridget Jones in this deliciously daring romcom! Sophia is determined to grow old disgracefully and refuses to be invisible. She craves fiery passion and steamy romance, not targeted ads for funeral plans. After a heart-shattering breakup, she ditches love to date a new man each week for a year. As she flirts, fumbles and sips fizz through an array of encounters, from an opera buff in a cape to an orgasm whisperer, she discovers it’s never too late to rewrite your own love story, even if it’s not the one you expected…
My Review.
As someone who has dipped her toe into the online dating pool, I found this interesting, but a tad unrealistic. But of course, London, England, is totally different from Australia. At first, I thought it was an amusing concept but inevitably it became a bit repetitive. Her goal to meet a new man each week is pretty well unachievable as you get older. So, it’s good for light reading, but don’t take it too seriously!
The Guest House By The Sea by Faith Hogan
People come to the guest house for fresh air and views across the Atlantic. But if they’re lucky, they might just leave with the second chance they didn’t know they needed… Esme has run the guest house for as long as anyone in Ballycove can remember. But in her declining years, her sight is failing, and when she has a fall on the eve of the summer season, she is forced to take a back seat for the first time in her life. From her chair in the entry hall, not much passes Esme by. There’s Cora, the wife visiting indefinitely… without her husband; Niamh, the city professional with a life-changing decision to make; and Phyllie, the grandmother whose family is slipping away from her. Esme’s guests provide the colour that helps her keep her grip on the world. All of them have something they want to escape – or to hold on to. But can Esme help them find their way before the summer is over?
My Review
Reading this it almost felt as if I was staying there with the guests but with the added bonus of being privy to everyone’s thoughts and feelings. Each woman is facing some crisis or personal dilemma. Even Esmee who is incapacitated and forced to direct operations from her chair in the entry hall. Many women will relate to Cora who has finally realised how lack lustre her marriage is. Can it be redeemed or should she start again? Niamh is seeking both emotional distance and clarity. While Phyllie wishes things could just stay the same. As with many Irish writers’ this book is filled with ‘heart and empathy.
Case Histories by Kate Atkinson
In #1 of series, Jackson Brodie PI follows three 30-years cold, unconnected Cambridge family cases: 1 A little girl disappears in the night. 2 A beautiful young office worker falls to a maniac’s attack. 3 A new mother is overwhelmed by demands from her baby and husband – until a fit of rage creates a grisly, bloody escape. Result : Startling connections and discoveries emerge. . . .
389 pages, Paperback First published September 1, 2004
My Review.
In many ways an unsettling book. Events happen seemingly at random, and I kept reading through interest and wanting to discern a pattern. Can events from thirty years ago still resonate? They can, they do. If you want things neatly solved and explained this isn’t the book for you.
The Girl I Used to Know by Faith Hogan
A beautiful, emotive and spell-binding story of two women who find friendship and second chances when they least expect it. Perfect for the fans of Patricia Scanlan.
Amanda King and Tess Cuffe are strangers who share the same Georgian house, but their lives couldn’t be more different.
Amanda seems to have it all, absolute perfection. She projects all the accoutrements of a lady who lunches. Sadly, the reality is a soulless home, an unfaithful husband and a very lonely heart.
By comparison, in the basement flat, unwanted tenant Tess has spent a lifetime hiding and shutting her heart to love.
It takes a bossy doctor, a handsome gardener, a pushy teenager and an abandoned cat to show these two women that sometimes letting go is the first step to moving forward and new friendships can come from the most unlikely situations.
My Review.
For me , it was a more emotional read than the previous Faith Hogan book. I read The Guest House by the Sea. And enjoyed it. Perhaps because there were only two major characters in The Girl I Used to Know , that enabled me to feel more closely connected to them
It was easy to relate to Amanda, gradually aware that the surface perfection of her marriage is a façade.
Tess, alone, a bit bitter and lonely with spiky energy. Long held in hurt can hide in anger, I loved how her heart softened first towards the cat, then young Robyn, and gradually other people. Recommended.
A relaxing break with a good book
I’ve not managed as much reading as I would have liked this April. I was midway through another book which I will post about next month. I have been continuing working on my memoir and the end is in sight. It has taken me about two years and I find it intriguing how one memory can spark another. Some of my memories are painful and it’s given me a deeper understanding and allowed me to let them go.
February was a hot month here in Australia providing plenty of reading time in air-conditioned comfort. After a skin cancer scare and couple of skin cancer removals, I was not keen to be out in the sun. Even if I was slathered in Factor 50 sunblock. Reading was escapism at its best! I’d also signed up for an online writing course and had weekly writing related Zoom meetings. I also got enthralled in reality TV’s Married at First Sight. It all meant that I read far less than usual this past month.
The Runaway Heiress by Emma Orchard.
The Second Lady Silverwood
London, 1815. Cassandra Hazeldon is on the run.
Under duress to marry a repellent friend of her uncle, Cassandra has made her escape, but now she is very much alone. With luck and quick thinking, she finds a refuge in a grand mansion in Mayfair, and a protector in Lord Irlam, or Hal to his friends.
Posing as a friend of Hal’s sister, Cassandra is swept up into the social whirl of a Brighton summer. But the attraction between her and Hal is starting to scorch, and when jealousy is added to the mix, things are set to reach boiling point.
Dear Reader, this wonderfully romantic story has passionate and steamy scenes, enjoy …
My Review.
This is an entertaining and lighthearted romance, although it does tackle serious issues such as the forced marriages many young women endured. Cassandra shows her spirit by escaping and hiding from her uncle and the proposed repellent match.
Luck is with her, and Lord Irlam not only believes in her, but he also assists in her entry into society. No longer friendless Cass learns about friendship, love and duty
The Bookshop Ladies by Faith Hogan
Joy Blackwood has no idea why her French art dealer husband has left a valuable painting to a woman called Robyn Tessier in Ballycove, a small town on the west coast of Ireland, but she is determined to find out.
She arrives in Ballycove to find that Robyn runs a rather chaotic and unprofitable bookshop. She is shy, suffering from unrequited love for dashing Kian, and badly in need of advice on how to make the bookshop successful.
As Joy becomes entangled in the daily dramas of Ballycove, uncovering the secrets behind her husband’s painting grows increasingly challenging. When she finally musters the courage to confront the truth, her revelation sends shockwaves through the tight-knit community she’s grown to love.
My Review.
A delight of a book, reminiscent of Maeve Binchy’s warmth and characterization. You will cheer with shy Robyn as she struggles with the bookshop. Loving books isn’t enough, she has to make a living. The village wonders why American Joy is staying in a quiet Irish village. Joy begins to forge friendships and relationships, but the secrets she’s keeping gnaw at her conscience. I loved it!
From New York Times bestselling author Jenna McKinlay comes the Museum of Literature RomCom Omnibus. For the first time all three novellas are in one volume.
Royal Valentine
The Attraction Distraction
It Happened One Christmas Eve
Come join the fun with a secret identity and a trip to England, a second chance romance while in search of an ancient literary artifact in Greece, and a holiday caper starting with a hijacked sleigh! As the intrepid librarians and archivists of the Museum of Literature travel the world for the love of books, curating their own happily ever afters along the way. What more could any romcom adoring book lover want?
My Review.
Each story is complete and satisfying and it’s hard to pick a favourite. All convey a special attraction that deepens into love. Great banter, and fun filled stories. Royal Valentine,they so obviously were meant to be together.TheAttraction Distraction, attraction, a quest and rivalry. It Happened One Christmas Eve, don’t we all just love a feisty heroine, especially when she is escaping from a predictably boring marriage ?
Sunshine hot enough to sizzle eggs on the pavement.
Yes it’s still warm,a mild 27C (80F) today but a 37C (96F) forecast for later this week. We are slowly easing into Autumn, but there are many hot days ahead of us yet. I’ve few books downloaded that I’m excited about, as well as some physical books. What about you? Do you have a reading preference?
Christmas came and went in a blur , a few end of year events and then spending time at home. It was an ideal time for reading as here in Australia we aren’t battling cold and ice, but heat and sizzling temperatures. So,I enjoyed reading about snowy landscapes and the kind of Christmases that I remember.
New Year passed quietly and suddenly it was 2025. January was an unexpectedly challenging month for me. It marked the end of a twenty- five association with a community group. Sadly a long-standing friendship also ended. So ,I’ve joined two online author groups and still continue with the art classes I attend. My much loved cat, Alexei( aged 14) had yet another vet visit and we now have dental wipes and water additives to add to his daily routine.He’s not enthusiastic about either .
He knows he shouldn’t be on the car!
Four Weddings and a Christmas by Phillipa Ashley.
Don’t miss the new Christmas novel from Sunday Times Bestselling author Phillipa Ashley! Can the spirit of Christmas reignite an old flame? With her thriving business Cottage Angels, Freya Bolton prepares the Lake District’s holiday homes for Christmas visitors. It’s her job to think of everything, from cinnamon-scented candles to tasteful decorations and hampers of seasonal treats. If only her love life were such a success… After being burned by past relationships, she’s now determined to steer clear of love for good. So when she bumps into gorgeous – and single – ex-boyfriend Travis, a no-strings festive fling seems perfect. But when her feelings for him begin to develop, is she on track for another romantic calamity? Or could this Christmas give her the gift of true love? This gorgeous Christmas romance from Sunday Times bestseller Phillipa Ashley will take you to the Lake District with a story of second chance love as heartwarming as a cup of mulled wine. Perfect for fans of Sarah Morgan, Karen Swan and Heidi Swain I adored this from beginning to end. Phillipa Ashley never disappoints, her books are a warm hug on a cold day .’
My Review.
Perfect escapist holiday reading! Delivers on all counts, a believably flawed heroine, and an ex-boyfriend who still sets her pulses racing The push and pull of family dynamics and relationships. With just enough uncertainty to say the end result isn’t a foregone conclusion.
I read this over Christmas in a boilingly hot Australian summer but mentally I was snowbound in the Lakes and enjoying it!
My Hygge Home: How to Make Home Your Happy Place by Meik Wiking
The author of the New York Times bestseller The Little Book of Hygge, helps you turn your home into your happy, cozy safe place.
The urge to nest and control our close environments has never been stronger. We spend more time in our homes than anywhere else—but the way in which our homes impact how we feel has remained relatively unexplored until now.
Backed with Danish design principles, years of research, case studies and a sprinkle of hygge, Meik Wiking has created the ultimate guide to turning your home, office, or wherever you may be, into your happy place.
The Hygge Home will teach us all how to create a much-needed cozy safe space in our homes into which we can retreat to escape the tough things going on in the outside world. Meik will explore the size of our spaces, the way we decorate our homes, the amount of natural light coming in, how much access to green space we have and how we can extend these design principles from inside our homes to our neighbourhoods and beyond.
Meik is guaranteed to help you create a home and safe space where you can both live and thrive.
272 pages, Hardcover
My Review.
I enjoyed reading this with its reflections on home, and how we use our personal space. There are some thought provoking ideas and concepts.I found the study of hospital patients and recovery particularly interesting.The illustrations add to its charm. and I looked at my home with new eyes and concepts of spatial awareness.
New Beginnings at the Cosy Cat Café by Julie Haworth
New Beginnings at The Cosy Cat Café tells the story of Tori who, after being dumped and left stranded by her long-term boyfriend Ryan on a trip of a lifetime to Asia, returns home to the sleepy Sussex village of Blossom Heath with her tail between her legs and her dreams shattered. Donning her frilly apron to help her Mum, Joyce, behind the counter at The Cosy Cup Café, Tori starts to believe – with the help of a hunky fireman and a clowder of rescue cats – that perhaps the secret to her future happiness might lie closer to home than she ever thought possible. If you love your romance with a side order of cake, cats and cosy community dynamics, this is the purrfect uplifting, feel-good read from the winner of the RNA Katie Fforde Debut Novel of the Year 2023.
My Review.
An enjoyable read that has that ‘feel good’ factor, especially if you are a cat lover. The café sounded delightful, and Tori had a dilemma choosing between the two men vying for her attention. I appreciated the attention to detail as to how cats were treated, the differing cat personalities and the strict rules for cat adoptions. The additional reference to a real cat cafe was a bonus.
We’ll Prescribe You a Cat by You Ishida,E.Madison Shimoda( Translator).
A cat a day keeps the doctor away….
Discover this utterly charming, vibrant celebration of the healing power of cats in the award-winning, bestselling Japanese novel that has become an international sensation.
Tucked away on the fifth floor of an old building at the end of a narrow alley in Kyoto, the Nakagyō Kokoro Clinic for the Soul can be found only by people who are struggling in their lives and who genuinely need help. The mysterious clinic offers a unique treatment to those who find their way there: it prescribes cats as medication. Patients are often puzzled by this unconventional prescription, but when they “take” their cat for the recommended duration, they witness profound transformations in their lives, guided by the playful, empathetic, and occasionally challenging yet endearing cats.
Throughout these pages, the power of the human-animal bond is revealed as a disheartened businessman finds unexpected joy in physical labor, a middle-aged man struggles to stay relevant at work and home, a young girl navigates the complexities of elementary school cliques, a hardened handbag designer seeks emotional balance, and a geisha learns to move on from the memory of her lost cat. As the clinic’s patients grapple with their inner turmoil and seek resolution, their feline companions lead them toward healing, self-discovery, and newfound hope.
297 pages, Hardcover First published March 8, 2023
Original title 猫を処方いたします。
My Review.
I didn’t know what to expect from this book with its whimsical cat decorations on almost every page. My advice? Suspend disbelief and follow where the story leads .Is it a fable? A fairytale? For me , it was an unexpected delight.
Chocolate Wishes by Trisha Ashley
Life is sweet for chocolate maker Chloe Lyon! In the picture-perfect Lancashire village of Sticklepond, Confectioner Chloe dispenses inspirational sweet treats containing a prediction for each customer. If only her own life was as easy to forecast – perhaps Chloe could have foreseen being jilted at the altar! But when a new Vicar arrives in the village, the rumour mill goes into overdrive. Not only is Raffy Sinclair the charismatic ex-front man of rock band ‘Mortal Ruin’, he’s also Chloe’s first love and the man who broke her heart. Try as she might, Chloe can’t ignore this blast from her past. Could now be the time for her to make a wish – and dare to believe it can come true? A charming novel for chocoholics everywhere, perfect for fans of Katie Fforde, Jill Mansell and Carole Matthews.
376 pages, Paperback First published January 1, 2010
My Review.
Just as predictable and delicious as I anticipated. Trisha Ashley’s books often have a touch of magic or whimsy about them, and it’s always relatable. Missed opportunities, lost love and a feel-good factor. Perfect escapist reading .
Love at First Book by Jenn Mc Kinley
When a librarian moves to a quaint Irish village where her favorite novelist lives, the last thing she expects is to fall for the author’s prickly son… until their story becomes one for the books, from the New York Times bestselling author of Summer Reading .
Emily Allen, a librarian on Martha’s Vineyard, has always dreamed of a life of travel and adventure. So when her favorite author, Siobhan Riordan, offers her a job in the Emerald Isle, Emily jumps at the opportunity. After all, Siobhan’s novels got Em through some of the darkest days of her existence.
Helping Siobhan write the final book in her acclaimed series—after a ten-year hiatus due to a scorching case of writer’s block—is a dream come true for Emily. If only she didn’t have to deal with Siobhan’s son, Kieran Murphy. He manages Siobhan’s bookstore, and the grouchy bookworm clearly doesn’t want Em around.
When Siobhan’s health takes a bad turn, she’s more determined than ever to finish her novel, while Kieran tries every trick in the book to get his mother to rest. Thrown into the role of peacemaker, Emily begins to see that Kieran’s heart is in the right place. Torn between helping Siobhan find closure with her series and her own growing feelings for the mercurial Irishman, Emily will have to decide if she’s truly ready to turn a new page and figure out what lies in the next chapter.
330 pages, Paperback First published May 14, 2024
My Review.
I loved this book! The bookish theme, the characters and the witty banter. My imagination took flight and I was with Emily every step of the way in her transformation from downtrodden Emily to the feisty and witty “Red.” Kieran had enough bite to spark rebellion in Emily and also an attraction.I really fell for these two and was sad when the story ended.Of all the books this month, this was my favourite.
Of course, I have found another book by this author, more about that next month.
Writing takes time and concentration
I’m isolating in my writing cave and putting the finishing touches to my memoir.The development editor is booked and the cover designer. No one really does this alone, nor should they. We can’t see our own mistakes or tell what isn’t working. My first book, I loved the cover, but I hadn’t considered what worked for the readers.This time I will let the professionals decide.
Currently the book is around 55,000 words. Who am I writing it for? Firstly, for me to release my memories and for my children.They may have heard one side of the story and now they get to hear the other. I think it should also appeal to double decker bus enthusiasts. It covers the years I worked as a bus conductor when being a female and doing that job was quite unusual.
November was a difficult and stressful month for me. Unusually, I read very little. My cat’s continuing health problems, and my surgeries kept me occupied. I had an eye patch – reading wasn’t a priority, but I missed it.
I won’t make my Good Reads reading target of 100 this year. I will be lucky if I hit 70. But, my cat is in remission from diabetes and he had some dental work done. I had three skin cancers removed and new skin is growing back.
Reading was a mixed bag over these two months, as health appointments and care routines took priority.
The House at Sea’s End By Elly Griffiths
Forensic archaeologist Dr. Ruth Galloway is back, this time investigating a gruesome World War II war crime. Elly Griffith’s Ruth Galloway novels have been praised as “highly atmospheric” (New York Times Book Review), “remarkable” (Richmond Times-Dispatch), and “gripping” (Louise Penny).
Now the beloved forensic archaeologist returns, called in to investigate when human bones surface on a remote Norfolk beach.
Just back from maternity leave, Ruth is finding it hard to juggle motherhood and work. The presence of DCI Harry Nelson—the married father of her daughter, Kate—does not help. The bones turn out to be about seventy years old, which leads Nelson and Ruth to the war years, a desperate time on this stretch of coastland. Home Guard veteran Archie Whitcliffe reveals the existence of a secret that the old soldiers have vowed to protect with their lives. But then Archie is killed and a German journalist arrives, asking questions about Operation Lucifer, a plan to stop a German invasion, and a possible British war crime. What was Operation Lucifer? And who is prepared to kill to keep its secret?
First published July 1, 2011.
My Review
I was looking forward to reading this, but somehow it didn’t engage me as much as the previous books. It could have been the time frame, going back to the war years, or the fact that there were fewer interactions between Ruth and Harry Nelson.
The Art of Memoir by Mary Kerr.
Credited with sparking the current memoir explosion, Mary Karr’s The Liars’ Club spent more than a year at the top of the New York Times list. She followed with two other smash bestsellers: Cherry and Lit, which were critical hits as well.
For thirty years Karr has also taught the form, winning graduate teaching prizes for her highly selective seminar at Syracuse, where she mentored such future hit authors as Cheryl Strayed, Keith Gessen, and Koren Zailckas. In The Art of Memoir, she synthesizes her expertise as professor and therapy patient, writer and spiritual seeker, recovered alcoholic and “black belt sinner,” providing a unique window into the mechanics and art of the form that is as irreverent, insightful, and entertaining as her own work in the genre.
Anchored by excerpts from her favorite memoirs and anecdotes from fellow writers’ experience, The Art of Memoir lays bare Karr’s own process. (Plus all those inside stories about how she dealt with family and friends get told— and the dark spaces in her own skull probed in depth.) As she breaks down the key elements of great literary memoir, she breaks open our concepts of memory and identity, and illuminates the cathartic history, whether writer or reader, will relate. Joining such classics as Stephen King’s On Writing and Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird, The Art of Memoir is an elegant and accessible exploration of one of today’s most popular literary forms—a tour de force from an accomplished master pulling back the curtain on her craft. power of reflecting on the past; anybody with an inner life or a complicated one
My Review.
This was suggested reading as I am currently writing a memoir. It comes highly recommended, so I duly read it. Nothing stood out for me, which could well have been my distracted mind, as I was dealing with the health issues both for myself and for my cat. I was scheduled for biopsies and then surgery a bit later in the month. Might give it another try when life is more settled.
The Switch by Beth O’Leary.
Audio Book Read by Alison Steadman and Daisy Edgar Jones.
Leena is too young to feel stuck. Eileen is too old to start over. Maybe it’s time for The Switch…
Ordered to take a two-month sabbatical after blowing a big presentation at work, Leena escapes to her grandmother Eileen’s house for some overdue rest. Newly single and about to turn eighty, Eileen would like a second chance at love. But her tiny Yorkshire village doesn’t offer many eligible gentlemen… So Leena proposes a solution: a two-month swap. Eileen can live in London and look for love, and Leena will look after everything in rural Yorkshire.
But with a rabble of unruly OAPs to contend with, as well as the annoyingly perfect – and distractingly handsome – local schoolteacher, Leena learns that switching lives isn’t straightforward. Back in London, Eileen is a huge hit with her new neighbours, and with the online dating scene. But is her perfect match nearer to home than she first thought?
My Review.
I’ve not been a fan of audiobooks, as they often send me to sleep. This time I had one eye covered with a patch after surgery and reading was difficult. An audiobook was the perfect solution. It also helped that there were two distinct voices.
To some extent the story is predictable, but I found it amusing and entertaining.
Warning there are references to cancer and a death that happened before the book began.
Both narrators did an excellent job in conveying their characters.
Richard III: A Ruler and His Reputation by David Horspool.
For many, Richard III is an obsession–the Richard III Society has a huge membership, and Shakespeare’s Histories have contributed to, if not his popularity, certainly his notoriety. Now, with the discovery of Richard III’s bones under a parking lot in Leicester, England, interest in this divisive and enigmatic figure in British history is at an all-time high. It is a compelling story to scholars as well as general readers, who continue to seek out the kind of strong narrative history that David Horspool delivers in this groundbreaking biography of the king.
Richard III dispassionately examines the legend as well as the man to uncover both what we know of the life of Richard, and the way that his reputation has been formed and re-formed over centuries. But beyond simply his reputation, there is no dispute that the last Plantagenet is a pivotal figure in English history–his death signaled the end of the War of the Roses, and, arguably, the end of the medieval period in England–and Horspool’s biography chronicles this tumultuous time with flair.
This narrative-driven and insightful biography lays out a view of Richard that is fair to his historical character and to his background in the medieval world. Above all, it is authoritative in its assessment of a king who came to the throne under extraordinary circumstances.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published October 22, 2015
My Review,
Full disclosure, I was halfway through this when I had eye surgery and there was no way I could continue. From what I read this is a scholarly and well-researched book which examines Richards’s life in its entirety. I intend to go back to it.
It was a joy to be able to go back to reading, but my progress has been slower than I would have liked.
Part of December Reading 2024.
December brought some lighter books that I’d requested from the library as I was in the mood for a little seasonal escapism.
We Solve Murders By Richard Osman.
A brand new series. An iconic new detective duo. And a puzzling new murder to solve…
Steve Wheeler is enjoying retired life. He does the odd bit of investigation work, but he prefers his familiar habits and routines: the pub quiz, his favorite bench, his cat waiting for him when he comes home. His days of adventure are over: adrenaline is daughter-in-law Amy’s business now.
My Review.
Easy reading, with some interesting characters, but it didn’t quite gel for me. Maybe I was missing The Thursday Murder Club Gang? Steve could certainly fit in with them. His high-flying daughter-in-law Amy needs Steve’s expertise and takes him far out of his comfort zone. It has the potential to become a fun series.
The Very Secret Society Of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna.
A warm and uplifting novel about an isolated witch whose opportunity to embrace a quirky new family–and a new love–changes the course of her life.
As one of the few witches in Britain, Mika Moon knows she has to hide her magic, keep her head down, and stay away from other witches so their powers don’t mingle and draw attention. And as an orphan who lost her parents at a young age and was raised by strangers, she’s used to being alone and she follows the rules…with one exception: an online account, where she posts videos pretending to be a witch. She thinks no one will take it seriously.
But someone does. An unexpected message arrives, begging her to travel to the remote and mysterious Nowhere House to teach three young witches how to control their magic. It breaks all of the rules, but Mika goes anyway, and is immediately tangled up in the lives and secrets of not only her three charges, but also an absent archaeologist, a retired actor, two long-suffering caretakers, and…Jamie. The handsome and prickly librarian of Nowhere House would do anything to protect the children, and as far as he’s concerned, a stranger like Mika is a threat. An irritatingly appealing threat.
As Mika begins to find her place at Nowhere House, the thought of belonging somewhere begins to feel like a real possibility. But magic isn’t the only danger in the world, and when a threat comes knocking at their door, Mika will need to decide whether to risk everything to protect a found family she didn’t know she was looking for….
My Review.
Suspend disbelief and enjoy this magical book. It’s a fairy tale for adults. Mika is a disparaged and neglected witch who has to hide her power and is missing feeling loved or cared for. And what good is power if you can’t use it?
The invitation to Nowhere House should be ignored, but how can Mika ignore three isolated young witches? She knows what it’s like to feel alone. Mika finds far more than just the girls, acceptance, companionship, and potentially even love. My favourite read of the month.
A Lesson in Dying by Ann Cleeves.
Heppleburn, once a Northumberland pit village, has always been close-knit, friendly and safe – until the murder of headmaster Harold Medburn. Suddenly, the village seems unfamiliar, uncomfortable.
The school caretaker and his daughter pursue their own route of investigation, which should have made Inspector Ramsay’s job a little easier. But hampered by false leads, powerless to pre-empt the killer’s next move, and overshadowed by the evil atmosphere of All Hallow’s Eve, Ramsay finds his own reputation is on the line…
228 pages, Kindle Edition First published January 1, 1990
My Review,
It’s interesting to read an early Ann Cleeves book. I hadn’t heard of Inspector Ramsay and suspect he has been overtaken by Jimmy Perez and Vera Stanhope. He could be an interesting character. I’ve just checked and there are six books in the series set in Northumberland. Ann Cleeves does a sense of place particularly well and Ramsay comes across as a decent bloke, a bit of a loner. Might try book two.
Christmas at the Chateau by Annabel French.
Life has gone a little bit downhill for Naomi Winters… Ever since her ex-husband Ollie filed for a divorce last Christmas, Naomi is a self-confessed scrooge. She hates her job, has exactly zero hobbies, and on top of that she’s all alone this holiday season. Spurred on by her best-friend Mia – who has invited her to spend Christmas at her snow-kissed Chateau in the Swiss Alps – she decides it’s time for change. But, when she arrives, she’s shocked to see Mia’s big brother Gabriel. It’s been fifteen years since they last saw each other, forcing her to face memories she’d rather forget. As Naomi grapples with getting her life back on track, she throws herself into various festive activities, and she can’t seem to escape Gabriel this time… Will he manage to thaw her icy heart, or is she on a downward slope to disappointment? Escape to the Swiss Alps with this festive, feel-good novel! Full of warmth and romance, it’s perfect for fans of Lucy Coleman, Karen Swan and Katie Fforde.
My Review.
As I was spending Christmas alone, I grabbed a couple of “Christmassy “books, hoping they would help my festive cheer. This had all the ingredients, exotic European location, a recently single woman, her best friend, a chateau and an old flame. A recipe for seasonal delight.
I enjoyed the descriptions of the chateau, the village, the Christmas market, and the townsfolk. The relationship between Naomi and Mia seemed genuine and the brooding Gabriel in the background added a sense of intrigue.
Naomi is adopted and over time her constant reflections about not being wanted, and rejected by her birth parents, were repeated too frequently. I found the story less engaging. I finished the book but as a seasonal pick up, it hadn’t done the job for me.
Photo Pixabay by Jarka Duchakova.
I’m hoping that I will get back to reading for enjoyment and pleasure as well as for information.But my writing is going to have to take priority, I’ve been writing for a full year and need to get this memoir finished!
Healing is going well.
Wishing everyone a safe and Happy New Year, with friends and family and plenty of good books!
Another month has passed by in a blur of medical appointments both for me and my cat. Unexpectedly I’ve had two lots of surgery in November. Luckily nothing serious, but two basal cell carcinomas close to my eye were concerning and better removed. Alexei, who had recently been diagnosed with diabetes was out and about in our enclosed garden, and I thought I didn’t have to worry about him. When he was on my knee I noticed an odd tuft of fur on his head. I assumed he’d been under a bush, and it was sap. Two days later it was still there and when I teased it apart, I saw he was developing an abscess. So, another expensive vet visit.
Alexei as a kitten.He’s thirteen now.
Reading was a welcome escape for me from stress and worry, but I didn’t read quite as much as I had hoped to.
The Life Impossible by Matt Haig.
The remarkable next novel from Matt Haig, the author of #1 New York Times bestseller The Midnight Library, with more than nine million copies sold worldwide
“What looks like magic is simply a part of life we don’t understand yet…”
When retired math teacher Grace Winters is left a run-down house on a Mediterranean island by a long-lost friend, curiosity gets the better of her. She arrives in Ibiza with a one-way ticket, no guidebook and no plan.
Among the rugged hills and golden beaches of the island, Grace searches for answers about her friend’s life, and how it ended. What she uncovers is stranger than she could have dreamed. But to dive into this impossible truth, Grace must first come to terms with her past.
Filled with wonder and wild adventure, this is a story of hope and the life-changing power of a new beginning.
324 pages, Hardcover First published September 3, 2024.
My Review.
I didn’t enjoy it as much as The Midnight Library, but how can you compete with that? Another story that requires a suspension of disbelief. Grace is an interesting character, and her unexpected inheritance challenges her in a myriad of ways that I found quite relatable. There is a fantastic part to the story which you can accept or not.
How to Stop Time by Matt Haig
“She smiled a soft, troubled smile and I felt the whole world slipping away, and I wanted to slip with it, to go wherever she was going… I had existed whole years without her, but that was all it had been. An existence. A book with no words.”
Tom Hazard has just moved back to London, his old home, to settle down and become a high school history teacher. And on his first day at school, he meets a captivating French teacher at his school who seems fascinated by him. But Tom has a dangerous secret. He may look like an ordinary 41-year-old, but owing to a rare condition, he’s been alive for centuries. Tom has lived history–performing with Shakespeare, exploring the high seas with Captain Cook, and sharing cocktails with Fitzgerald. Now, he just wants an ordinary life.
Unfortunately for Tom, the Albatross Society, the secretive group which protects people like Tom, has one rule: Never fall in love. As painful memories of his past and the erratic behavior of the Society’s watchful leader threaten to derail his new life and romance, the one thing he can’t have just happens to be the one thing that might save him. Tom will have to decide once and for all whether to remain stuck in the past, or finally begin living in the present.
How to Stop Time tells a love story across the ages–and for the ages–about a man lost in time, the woman who could save him, and the lifetimes it can take to learn how to live. It is a bighearted, wildly original novel about losing and finding yourself, the inevitability of change, and how with enough time to learn, we just might find happiness. Soon to be a major motion picture starring Benedict Cumberbatch.
My Review.
How versatile is Matt Haig? Another story that asks you to suspend disbelief, but one that when you do, makes perfect sense. It appeals to the romantic idea that there is one perfect soulmate, one perfect love, Having once found that, to lose them would leave you bereft. Yet, you live on and on… searching for your elusive twin soul. Reminiscent of The Time Traveller’s Wife.
A Love Letter to Paris By Rebecca Raisin
Late at night when I wander the streets of Paris, my thoughts turn to her… How do I tell her how I feel? Perhaps, I need to show her…
The pretty little streets of Montmartre are abuzz with a rumour. Apparently a mystery matchmaker, known only as ‘Paris Cupid’, has somehow helped the city’s most famous bachelor find love.
But old-fashioned romantic Lilou is staying very quiet. She’d just wanted to set up her best friend, and to get on with her life selling whimsical old love letters, in Paris’s famous St. Ouen market.
She hadn’t imagined her little Paris Cupid project could ever have attracted so many people looking for true, heartfelt romance. Though the truth is that Lilou adores helping people find the right person. Even if her own love life is nothing short of disastrous.
But then a message arrives. And it’s just for her. Someone is in love with her. Someone who knows her secret. But they’re keeping their own identity secret too… Could it be from cheerful, talkative, flame-haired Felix? Or quiet, beautifully handsome Benoit? Or even Pascale – who drives Lilou mad every day?
After so long of helping others find their soulmate, is it time for Lilou to find love of her own in Paris herself?
273 pages, Kindle Edition Published July 8, 2024.
My Review.
This is a story about Paris, and a love letter to Paris. It felt as if I was strolling down the boulevards and side streets of The City of Love. A matchmaker has to believe in love, even if it has eluded her. Lilou has a talent for matching people and starting Paris Cupid has allowed her to indulge that talent. Her own love life though is disastrous, but someone starts sending her letters. There are three potential candidates, but I thought it was fairly obvious who the love interest was.
If I Tell You… I’ll Have to Kill You. Edited by Michael Robotham.
What is the secret to good crime writing? No one better to ask than a group of Australia’s leading crime writers. Their conclusions are fascinating, provocative, often surprising, and they are all drawn from the hard school of personal experience. What pieces of advice do the writers have in common? That there is no substitute for hard work! One tells us there is no such thing as writer’s block – “just do it” is a common theme. There is a fun part though: research. The writers could not vary more in their research and the way they approach it; from Shane Maloney’s near-death experience in a freezer to Leigh Redhead’s adventures as a stripper, Barry Maitland’s endless walks through the streets of London to Gabrielle Lord’s night out at a Gangster and Molls party, the search for ideas and atmosphere is never done and never dull. These writers also read voraciously, and they all give us their five ‘must reads’ – it’s interesting how much they coincide. As do their Rules for Writing. All in all a treasure trove for all fans of crime fiction, be they aspiring writers or simply want to get to know their favourite writers better.
Contributors: Kerry Greenwood, Shane Maloney, Peter Corris, Barry Maitland, Garry Disher, Michael Robotham, Gabrielle Lord, Katherine Howell, Liz Porter, Leigh Redhead, Leah Giarratano, Lindy Cameron, Angela Savage, Malla Nunn, Geoffrey Mcgeachin, Lenny Bartulin, Lindsay Simpson, Marele Day, Peter Lawrance, Tara Moss And Adrian Hyland.
My Review,
An enjoyable read. You don’t have to be an aficionado of crime to find these pieces readable and relatable. Both writer and readers will enjoy the insights gained about the writing process. One thing shines through all crime writers have an endless curiosity about people and motivations.
The Cracked Mirror by Chris Brookmyre.
FORGET WHAT YOU THINK YOU KNOW THIS IS NOT THAT CRIME NOVEL
You know Johnny Hawke. Hard-bitten LAPD homicide detective. Always in trouble with his captain, always losing partners, but always battling for the truth, whatever it takes.
You know Penny Coyne. The little old lady who has solved multiple murders in her otherwise sleepy village, despite bumbling local police. A razor-sharp mind in a Sunday best hat.
Against all the odds, against the usual story, their worlds are about to collide. It starts with a dead writer and a mysterious wedding invitation. It will end with a rabbit hole that goes so deep, Johnny and Penny might just come to question not just whodunnit, but whether they want to know the answer.
A cross-genre hybrid of Agatha Christie and Michael Connelly, The Cracked Mirror is the most imaginative and entertaining crime novel of the year, a genre-splicing rollercoaster with a poignantly emotional heart.
480 pages, Hardcover Published July 18, 2024.
My Review.
Cleverly done Mr Brookmyre. Read it once and then immediately wanted to go back and read it again. Hard to describe without giving things away. You may be surprised, you won’t be disappointed.
As the month winds down, I am hoping for a less stressful December.
A Quick Note. I am an expat Brit now living in Australia, as such I still use British spelling.
Suddenly it was September — where has the year gone? It’s been quite a challenging month. Sadly, I lost one of my cats in August. Annabelle had been with us for fourteen years since she was an 8-week old kitten. A tortoiseshell cat with an assertive personality, she was a definite presence. She sat on my desk or on my lap, quietly purring. It was a heartbreaking decision to say goodbye, but I knew it was the right thing to do. I miss her company and her loud purrs.
I decided to be proactive and take my other cat for a checkup as he’s thirteen. It was a wise if expensive decision. He was diagnosed as diabetic so a drastic change in his diet and insulin injections twice daily. He also needs his blood glucose monitoring. There is some good news, diabetes in cats is 80-85% reversible, but not so for dogs. It’s been a tough learning curve for both of us.
My lovely boy asleep on the car>
Additionally, a routine eye check found two suspicious spots close to my eye. They had to be biopsied and turned out to be basal cell carcinomas. I will be having surgery to deal with that, soon. It has been a disruptive time and I haven’t read as much as in other years, but so be it. I accept that I won’t reach my reading target this year.
It’s certainly NOT pretty
Educated by Tara Westover.
Tara Westover was 17 the first time she set foot in a classroom. Born to survivalists in the mountains of Idaho, she prepared for the end of the world by stockpiling home-canned peaches and sleeping with her “head-for-the-hills bag”. In the summer she stewed herbs for her mother, a midwife and healer, and in the winter she salvaged in her father’s junkyard.
Her father forbade hospitals, so Tara never saw a doctor or nurse. Gashes and concussions, even burns from explosions, were all treated at home with herbalism. The family was so isolated from mainstream society that there was no one to ensure the children received an education and no one to intervene when one of Tara’s older brothers became violent.
Then, lacking any formal education, Tara began to educate herself. She taught herself enough mathematics and grammar to be admitted to Brigham Young University, where she studied history, learning for the first time about important world events like the Holocaust and the civil rights movement. Her quest for knowledge transformed her, taking her over oceans and across continents, to Harvard and to Cambridge. Only then would she wonder if she’d traveled too far, if there was still a way home.
Educated is an account of the struggle for self-invention. It is a tale of fierce family loyalty and of the grief that comes with severing the closest of ties. With the acute insight that distinguishes all great writers, Westover has crafted a universal coming-of-age story that gets to the heart of what an education is and what it offers: the perspective to see one’s life through new eyes and the will to change it.
My Review.
As others have said, this is a tour de force of a book. As fiction the story would be heart-rending enough- but this story is true. Imagine realising that your worth/value was only a twelfth of the man who would be your husband. It was expected that Tara would have a husband, as was normal in her world. While questioning this was wrong and the devil’s work. Her husband would then decide everything for her, just as her father had. Rebellion meant exclusion.
The Right Side of Mr Wrong by Jane Lightfoot.
One-off, moving on sex, wasn’t meant to be this hot…
When determined singleton Shea Summers is persuaded to become the “wife” of the Lord of Edgerton Manor, the last thing she wants to do is play house with a stranger.
Brooding playboy Brando Marshall is far from happy when Shea turns up at his sprawling estate with production crew in tow. Surely she’s just another woman after his wallet? And if she’s looking for Mr Right, she’s definitely hitting on the wrong guy. Then again, after catching an unscheduled glimpse of her knickers, perhaps Brando needs to teach this “gold-digger” a lesson!
She’s seizing the moment, he’s breaking the rules, and when bad boys can be so much fun, who can resist getting on the right side of Mr. Wrong…
My Review.
A fun read with steamy sex and delicious banter. A hot guy who knows how to push Shea’s buttons and a woman who wants to resist, but finds she cant. A quibble, the name Brando didn’t resonate with me. I immediately connected it to Marlon Brando which spoiled the image
Coffee and Cake at Wildflower Lock by Hannah M Lynn.
Wildflower Lock 2
Daisy May is embarking on a new chapter of her life as a permanent resident at the idyllic Wildflower Lock. Determined to seize this second chance she’s been granted, Daisy is putting her all into making her new business venture a success. As her friendship with Theo grows ever stronger, her happily ever after seems within reach.
However, life isn’t always smooth sailing. When a string of unfortunate mishaps and an unruly stag party leaves Daisy’s finances in dire straits, she starts to question her decision to launch a coffee shop. But just when she’s nearly lost hope, the mysterious and generous Christian enters her life. Astute and eager to assist Daisy, he proposes a solution that could be the answer to all her problems…or will it be the beginning of even more challenges.
My Review.
I had been looking forward to this, but I was disappointed. I accept that a certain amount of repetition may be necessary to orientate a new reader, but this seemed excessive. Also, Daisy May behaves quite idiotically with Theo and seems to have lost all her decision-making abilities or confidence. Another man adds to the complications but she floats along letting things happen So much could have been resolved with an honest conversation. I won’t be reading book three.
A Cornish Cottage by the Sea by Jane Linfoot.
Hurtling through the sky was supposed to be Edie Browne’s flight of independence. But when she falls head over champagne bucket while celebrating her successful landing, her life is changed in an instant.
But starting over has its benefits, and as Edie relearns the basics under the watchful eye of her Aunty Josie and an entire Cornish village of new friends and neighbours, she finds love and joy she never could have imagined in the unlikeliest of places…
Come home to Periwinkle Cottage for a romance full of love, laughter and friends for life!
My Review.
Finding a supportive community has continuing positive effects on Edie as she loosens up returns to baking and starts to embrace life and love again. Relatable
Josephine’s Garden by Stephanie Parkyn.
A captivating story of love, nature and identity in Napoleon’s France
‘Stephanie Parkyn is one very talented storyteller.’ -Mrs B’s Book Reviews
France, 1794. In the aftermath of the bloody end to the French Revolution, Rose de Beauharnais stumbles from prison on the day she is to be guillotined. Within a decade, she’ll transform into the scandalous socialite who marries Napoleon Bonaparte, become Empress Josephine of France and build a garden of wonders with plants and animals she gathers from across the globe.
But she must give Bonaparte an heir or she risks losing everything.
Two other women from very different spheres are tied to the fate of the Empress Josephine – Marthe Desfriches and Anne Serreaux. Their lives are put at risk as they each face confronting obstacles in their relationships and in their desire to become mothers.
From the author of Into the World comes a richly imagined historical novel about obsession, courage, love and marriage.
‘Enthralling novel, rich in historical detail … Highly recommended.’ -Good Reading on Into the World
My Review.
I was looking forward to reading about this less well-known part of Josephine’s life. Most of the initial story is of Napoleon’s attraction to Josephine which I knew about. These were perilous times and Josephine accepted the inevitability of a man who could protect her. Sadly, for me the story felt oddly disjointed and as if the two parts were hardly related but two separate entities.
The Plumberry School of Comfort Food By Cathy Bramley.
The Plumberry School of Comfort Food was originally published as a four-part serial. This is the complete story in one package.
Verity Bloom hasn’t been interested in cooking anything more complicated than the perfect fish finger sandwich, ever since she lost her best friend and baking companion two years ago.
But an opportunity to help a friend lands her right back in the heart of the kitchen. The Plumberry School of Comfort Food is due to open in a few weeks’ time and needs the kind of great ideas that only Verity could cook up. And with new friendships bubbling and a sprinkling of romance in the mix, Verity finally begins to feel like she’s home.
But when tragedy strikes at the very heart of the cookery school, can Verity find the magic ingredient for Plumberry while still writing her own recipe for happiness?
My Review
like to mix my reading up, so after something heavy, something lighter, what I’d classify as an easy read. A relaxing book with enough in it to keep me interested. The Plumberry School of Comfort Food delivered all the things I wanted. Characters I cared about, a setting that inspired me, and a story that kept my attention. I enjoyed this book. The depiction of grief, guilt, and indecision was relatable. I enjoyed this book. Verity is a strong character, but even strong characters can buckle. Loved the school, the food descriptions, and the hot chef. Who wouldn’t want to attend a few classes?
The Very Virile Viking by Sandra Hill
Magnus Ericsson is a simple man. He loves the smell of fresh-turned dirt after springtime plowing. he loves the feel of a soft woman under him in the bed furs. He loves the heft of a good sword in his fighting arm.
But, Holy Thor, what he does not relish is the bothersome brood of children he’s been saddled with. Or the mysterious happenstance that strands him in a strange new land – the kingdom of Holly Wood. Here is a place where the folks think he is an act-whore (whatever that is), and the woman of his dreams – a winemaker of all things – fails to accept that he is her soul mate…a man of exceptional talents, not to mention…A Very Virile Viking
My Review.
With a title like that, how could I resist picking this book up? An absolute romp, suspend disbelief and go along for the ride. A clash of cultures and plenty of hot and steamy sex.It should have you chuckling.
Reading has kept me sane this month!
Overall it has been a difficult month emotionally both for my own health and also worrying about my cats. My reading has been an escape and a pleasure. Do you enjoy escaping into a good book?
Sonia Bellhouse- Author. 