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 .
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.
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.
Sonia Bellhouse- Author. 