Books I’ve enjoyed 010

Posted on March 3, 2024 by The Little Room of Rachell

1. The Book of Beginnings by Sally Page

A warm hug of a book about friendship and belonging, forgiveness and acceptance of oneself, faults and all, with twinkling Christmas lights and snow near the end too.
This is well written and nicely researched, with added historical figures for depth and interest. A little poetry thrown in to the mix and some lovely quotes from the characters. Perfect!

2. Travels with my Aunt by Graham Greene

Henry Pulling, a retired bank manager, meets his septuagenarian Aunt Augusta for the first time in over fifty years at what he supposes to be his mother’s funeral. Soon after, she persuades Henry to abandon Southwood, his dahlias and the Major next door to travel her way, Brighton, Paris, Istanbul, Paraguay.

Through Aunt Augusta, a veteran of Europe’s hotel bedrooms, Henry joins a shiftless, twilight society: mixing with hippies, war criminals, CIA men; smoking pot, breaking all the currency regulations and eventually coming alive after a dull suburban life. In Travels with my Aunt Graham Greene not only gives us intoxicating entertainment but also confronts us with some of the most perplexing of human dilemmas.’ From GoodReads

A riotous journey! I decided it was time to read this classic story, first published in 1969.

3. The House of Fortune by Jessie Burton

‘1705, Amsterdam. Thea Brandt is about to turn eighteen, and at the theatre in the heart of the city she has met the love of her life. At home, however, her family faces ruin. Desperate to change their fortunes, Thea’s aunt Nella is convinced that she must find Thea a wealthy husband, to get her away from the theatre and solidify her place in the society in which she truly belongs. As Thea and Nella clash over the demands of duty and the heart, past secrets begin to overwhelm their present.

And then there is the elusive miniaturist – when mysterious figurines begin to arrive on the family doorstep, it seems someone may have unexpected plans for Thea’s family. Will each woman be able to rescue her destiny from the whims of fortune?’ From GoodReads

The second in The Miniaturist series. I felt there is plenty of scope for another story by the end of The House of Fortune. I really enjoyed visiting eighteenth century Amsterdam.

4. The Whispering Muse by Laura Purcell

Jenny is sought out to come and work at the Mercury theatre in London’s West End by Mrs Dyer, the wife of the theatre’s proprietor. She is engaged as a member of the wardrobe room and as dresser to leading lady Lilith, whom she is also to spy upon. Mrs Dyer is suspicious and jealous of Lilith and her suspected attachment to her husband. Meanwhile, Lilith is obsessed with a watch that belonged to a tragic actor. It is said to be possessed by the spirit of Melpomene, the tragic Greek muse of theatre. The watch is said to bestow anything an actor desires, but comes with a gory history. Jenny has witnessed the upsetting event which occurred to its last owner…

Is Mrs Dyer as caring and supportive as she seems? Is Lilith the unpleasant diva she seems, or more human and fallible? What is happening to the people and fabric of the building at the Mercury?

This is a really good premise for a story; there is an array of interesting characters and an excellent setting (a Victorian theatre has to be one of the best, on par with a huge old ancestral home in the country.) The story is structured around the five plays that the company stage.

5. A Slow Fire Burning by Paula Hawkins

‘When a young man is found gruesomely murdered in a London houseboat, it triggers questions about three women who knew him. Laura is the troubled one-night-stand last seen in the victim’s home. Carla is his grief-stricken aunt, already mourning the recent death of yet another family member. And Miriam is the nosy neighbor clearly keeping secrets from the police. Three women with separate connections to the victim. Three women who are – for different reasons – simmering with resentment. Who are, whether they know it or not, burning to right the wrongs done to them. When it comes to revenge, even good people might be capable of terrible deeds. How far might any one of them go to find peace? How long can secrets smolder before they explode into flame? Look what you started.’ From GoodReads

It’s not a jolly read, which is a great understatement, but kept me guessing and turning the pages.

6. Black Rabbit Hall by Eve Chase

‘The hours pass differently at Black Rabbit Hall. For the four Alton children, it’s the perfect summer escape where not much ever happens – until one stormy evening, something does.And their idyllic world is shattered. Decades later, Lorna is drawn to a beautiful yet crumbling old house she hazily remembers from childhood – feels a bond she does not understand. But a disturbing message left by one of the Alton children tells her that Black Rabbit Hall’s history is as dark and tangled as its woods. And much like her own past, it must be brought into the light…’ From GoodReads

I’m always drawn to English county house settings! I also recommend The Glass House by Eve Chase.

7. Into the Uncanny by Danny Robins

‘This book is the story of these ordinary people who have experienced extraordinary things and want to make sense of them. Each one is a brand-new case I have never shared before; modern day ghost stories that make my blood run cold as effectively as anything that Charles Dickens could rustle up. And they are all entirely true.It’s also a story of my own personal journey of discovery because l’ve realised something from hearing all these incredible stories that come my way. I’ve realised how much I want to believe. I’m asking you to join me, to keep an open mind and to prepare to have your very concept of reality challenged. Are you ready?’ From GoodReads

Excellent audiobook voiced by the author. Genuinely gripping! #TeamNotSure

There’s also the Uncanny podcast, The Witch Farm (haven’t listened to this one yet) and The Battersea Poltergeist podcasts by Danny, also three TV episodes of Uncanny which are on the BBC iPlayer.

8. Winter Animals by Ashani Lewis

Thirtysomething-year-old Elen find herself adrift, lonely and drinking excessively, after the departure of her husband, who leaves her virtually penniless and subsequently homeless. She meets four British teenagers in a bar one day and becomes attached to the group. They travel and squat in empty buildings during the ski season and spend the majority of their days hiking up mountains and skiing back down. This is all possible by the fact that all of the teenagers come from well-off families. They live in relative comfort and without undue anxiety despite the fact they may be discovered by the authority or owners of the properties.

Luka feels himself to be the leader of the group and endlessly spouts the beliefs and ideas of a long-dead philosopher. Due to their isolation and days skiing without seeing many people the group of five become cultish and cut-off from the outside world.

9. Night watching by Tracy Sierra

A women and her two small children are at home in their old house late at night, in a raging snowstorm, the children are asleep. The woman hears a sound, she’s on instant alert and realises that they are definitely not in the house alone. What should she do? Run? Hide? Can she alert anyone without giving their location in the large house away?

This is an on the edge of your seat psychological thriller which manages to sustain the tension of what is happening in the house, even while including flashbacks to allow us to discover more about the woman, her husband and his family.

10. The Story Collector by Iris Costello

The Story Collector tells the stories of three women: Katerina, a German living in the East End of London, running a bakery in 1915, Miriam, a nurse and researcher who is working in a prisoner of war camp in Germany in 1918 and grief stricken Edie who has left London to live in Cornwall, in the present day. There are links which connect the three women. A mysterious box is found with items which will help to reveal the mystery…

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There you go, a good selection of books to check out. Many of those I read as advance copies, months ago before publication. I’m glad that there’s been a buzz around several of them. It pleases me that I picked some goodies.

I’ve currently got a batch of 7 new advance books to read and review from NetGalley, before publication including: Kate Grenville, Harlan Coben and Sarah Perry’s forthcoming releases. Exciting.

Amongst others I’m still ploughing through The Running Grave by Robert Galbraith (JK Rowling.) It’s an epic 960 pages, but like the rest of the Strike series is a total page turner. I’m also listening to it a bit on Spotify Premium, because the beauty is you don’t have to commit to the whole audiobook, like on Audible, you can dip in and out of lots of books within a 15 hour listening allowance for the month. I listened for an hour cosied sat up in bed yesterday morning, while crocheting more rounds of my last Coast Blanket granny square. That was a satisfyingly chilled start to Saturday, before I went out for the rest of the day.

Have you any good book recommendations? I enjoy reading about books you’ve enjoyed. It’s always nice when I’ve already read and enjoyed it too.

I wonder if I should start a Books I’ve Hated series?! That could provoke some interesting discussion!

Books I’ve enjoyed 008

Posted on April 29, 2023 by The Little Room of Rachell

Helloooo all. How are you? It’s been a while hasn’t it…

I’ve gathered some more of my favourite reads for you. Some I’ve read fairly recently and others were advance reader copies, read quite some time ago before publication. What I haven’t done this time is link the titles to GoodReads since I figure you probably have your own favourite book-site. Let me know if you miss the links.

The Garnett Girls by Georgina Moore

The story of three sisters: Rachel, Imogen, Sasha and their mother Margo, their relationships, secrets and glimpses into their past after they were abandoned by Richard their father, Margo’s husband.

The seaside setting in the large family house on The Isle of Wight was perfect, and the characters so real that I feel genuinely sad to leave them.

The writing is so good, the story just flows off the page; this is the first book that I have read into the early hours in ages, far beyond when I should have gone to sleep. I’ve loved it. The Garnett Girls is one of my reads of the year. I predict it’s going to be a huge hit and wouldn’t be at all surprised if it’s adapted into a film, and rightly so!

The Ink Black Heart by Robert Galbraith

The latest installment in the highly acclaimed, internationally bestselling Strike series finds Cormoran and Robin ensnared in another winding, wicked case. When frantic, disheveled Edie Ledwell appears in the office begging to speak to her, private detective Robin Ellacott doesn’t know quite what to make of the situation. The co-creator of a popular cartoon, The Ink Black Heart, Edie is being persecuted by a mysterious online figure who goes by the pseudonym of Anomie. Edie is desperate to uncover Anomie’s true identity. Robin decides that the agency can’t help with this-and thinks nothing more of it until a few days later, when she reads the shocking news that Edie has been tasered and then murdered in Highgate Cemetery, the location of The Ink Black Heart. From GoodReads.

Wow! I finally finished it – having paused at just over halfway through to pick up Landlines by Raynor Winn. I was enjoying this, but not enthralled. It’s hard to feel sympathy for the victim and a compulsion to find out whodunnit when you’ve met the murdered character in only one or two pages. However, things really start mounting up after that and then I was completely in it for the long haul.

It was so cleverly done, lots of red herrings and diversions. I’m pretty good at picking the criminal, as I read a fair bit of detective fiction, but this time not at all! Even as they entered the building, in my mind it still could have been one of two others. I got it totally wrong! And it’s there fairly early on…

So, so, so glad I read this on my Kindle. I couldn’t have held that brick of the hardback and due to the extremely large cast I found the search function invaluable to check who is who and where they fit in. I gave it 4/5 stars because it was unnecessarily long. The editor could take a stronger stance!

Obviously a lot of the author’s personal experience of the internet, Fandom, Twitter etc has gone into the writing of this book. There is much more swearing in it, not offended by it, but I noticed the increase.

I bet Strike’s meeting with Prudence will lead into the next instalment…

Landlines by Raynor Winn

Some people live to walk. Raynor and Moth walk to live . . . Raynor Winn knows that her husband Moth’s health is declining, getting worse by the day. She knows of only one cure. It worked once before. But will he – can he? – set out with her on another healing walk? The Cape Wrath Trail is over two hundred miles of gruelling terrain through Scotland’s remotest mountains and lochs. But the lure of the wilderness and the beguiling beauty of the awaiting glens draw them northwards. Being one with nature saved them in their darkest hour and their hope is that it can work its magic again. As they set out on their incredible thousand-mile journey back to the familiar shores of the South-west Coast Path, Raynor and Moth map the landscape of an island nation facing an uncertain path ahead. In Landlines, she records in luminous prose the strangers and friends, wilderness and wildlife they encounter on the way – it’s a journey that begins in fear but can only end in hope.

Loved it! Alternated it in two halves with the mega long Ink Black Heart.

I recommend you read The Salt Path, and then read this! The afterword is bone tingling and I hope really helps to spur on further research.

Go as a River by Shelley Read

A chance meeting on the street between a teenager and a young drifter starts this story, which is set in rural Colorado. Beginning in the 1940s, we leave them three decades later in the 1970s. It’s hauntingly written, lyrical and really rather beautiful. This is a book about family, about love and about loss. But it’s also about resilience and strength. Victoria the main character is a force to be reckoned with, she is the definition of a strong woman and yet you also see her vulnerabilities and feel her pain. You follow her growing up from a young teenager in charge of the household, on her family’s peach farm, into an independent woman with a place of her own, dealing with loss and grief in her own way.

All the characters are sympathetic, even the troubled Seth, his uncle and father to an extent. This is a tough life, the family has experienced tragedy and huge losses, they do the best they can, but often fall short. Victoria is holding it all together, at least in a practical sense. Other members of the local community are believable and well drawn; the trouble making vinegar-tongued woman who runs the flop house, the jolly large woman who is friendly to customers and excels at selling the Nash family peaches at the roadside stall, the odd neighbour who is one of the most touchingly written. I could picture them all clearly, the writing is crystal clear.

I gather that there really was the damming and flooding of the Gunnison river to make the huge Blue Mesa Dam. I am interested to find out more about the communities who had to move and the houses and farms that were lost in Colorado.

Admittedly I preferred the first half of the book. I was not so keen on the diary extracts, but it was a clever device to move the story forward and to explain what happened in the interim, between the two main events of Victoria’s adult life. I did find that I really missed reading about the trees and the peaches though!

Homecoming by Kate Morton

Homecoming has a dual timeline which switches back and forth 60 years, between 1958 and 2018. There is an historic murder investigation, a missing baby, fractured mother daughter relationships and three women who reflect on their lives and place where they feel most at home. The characters are distinctly drawn and sympathetic for the most part. The author is clever at giving the reader an insight into what has shaped them and their relationships (or lack of) with each other.

This is a long book at over 500 pages, it’s a slow telling of a period in time when a tragic event occurs which rocks a community, changing the lives of everyone connected to the Turner family. The backstory loops around and around revealing more through a variety of devices. The chapters from the true crime book were an effective way to provide background. However, it took until around halfway through the book for me to become gripped, it’s rather turgid in places, but by then it really hooked me and got me guessing. Even when I was confident I could easily explain exactly what had happened, I was wrong!

The descriptions of the countryside, big skies, houses and rural life were well described. I used to be familiar with most of the locations mentioned as I lived in the hills of Adelaide, travelling down to ‘the flats’ via the Greenhill road daily for work, before the expressway was built, so this greatly added to my enjoyment of the book as it brought back many memories.

The Roasting Tin by Rukmini Lyer

Pop your ingredients in a tin and let the oven do the work. The Roasting Tin has recipes for 75 delicious one dish dinners ranging from chicken traybakes to supergrains. The concept is simple: fresh, easy ingredients, a few minutes prep, and let the oven do the work. Each chapter also includes a helpful infographic for how to build your own roasting tin dinner using whatever is in your fridge tonight. These quick, clever and delicious recipes are for anvone who wants to eat nutritious food made from scratch that fits around their busy lives. (And for anyone who doesn’t like washing up). GoodReads

Such a good book. I’ve made a few recipes, so far, and the one that’s already been cooked several times is the Crispy olive & pine nut* crusted cod with roasted red onions and cheery tomatoes. I made the tapenade with reduced salt green olives, using the recipe HERE

* Actually I forgot to buy the pine nuts, equal quantities of grated grana padano (or parmesan) works well instead. I stuck with that combo instead, as it tasted so good.

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Have you read any goodies lately? I’m currently reading an advance reader copy of Pip Williams next book, which runs parallel, time wise, with The Dictionary of Lost Words. It’s an interesting read, so far. And I started a new audiobook the other day, but I’m not altogether sure about it. I’ll have to listen to a bit more, before making up my mind whether to continue. (Quite gory.)

If you read any of the books I’ve featured, today or in the other posts, let me know what you thought of them? I’d love to know if we share some of the same tastes.

Books I’ve enjoyed 007

Posted on January 31, 2023 by The Little Room of Rachell

I read all year round, but January and February are particularly good months to curl up with a book; it’s cold, icy or wet, dark and the nights are long. I’m already on my fifth and sixth books. I’m glad to be on a bit of a roll with my choices, so far so good anyway. I’m currently reading a debut novel, a detective story set in a wonderfully isolated place. I keep thinking about all sorts of practical issues. I love it when a book engages you so much that you find yourself wondering how you could manage, would you be able to live there? Also I have just started a non-fiction book, due to be published at the end of next month. If it’s interesting I’ll tell you all about it.

The Darkest Evening by Ann Cleeves

What a fantastic start to the story! A snowy dark evening near Christmas, with a house party in full swing and detective Vera Stanhope nearby when a body is discovered. Plus there is the promise of some backstory about her family, what’s not to like?

Stolen by Ann-Helén Laestadius

Stolen describes the life of a Sámi community, many of whom are part of a reindeer collective in a small village in rural Sweden. It’s an unflinching look at the reality of life there for the people; who experience racism, threats to their way of life and the killing and theft of their reindeer herd.

Elsa is a vital part of her family; she has grown up to become one of the collective, which is against tradition, the role for women has always meant marriage and children, keeping the home fires burning. She’s a very memorable character who carries the story forward with her brave and outspoken ways. Elsa is very much a 21st century woman.

I did not know much at all about the Sámi (commonly known as Lapps, although I have learnt they dislike the term and prefer to be known as Sámi.)

The snowy setting is described so clearly by the author, you feel you are skiing along with Elsa. The winter world drew me in from the beginning. The tension and sense of a family and community under duress is well drawn.

It’s worth highlighting that there are some extremely gruesome parts which detail the harm and killing of reindeer by poachers. It is possible to skip those graphic paragraphs and carry on with the story, without losing a sense of the horror experienced by the community.
Stolen was a little slow in pace for the first part of the book, but I was never tempted to put it down and stop reading. Elsa is a compelling character, you will find yourself wanting to find out what happens to her and her family.

Stolen will be published this Thursday, 2nd February.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

My latest audio book, this is the story of an aging Hollywood actress, once world famous. Evelyn Hugo finally decides to tell her story, detailing her rise to the top of the fame tree, the lives she intersected with, the men she married and a long held secret.

There is a dual storyline about Monique the journalist to whom Evelyn chooses to tell her story. Why did Evelyn choose a rather obscure writer? The story starts with Evelyn’s move to LA in the 1950s up to her decision to leave Showbusiness in the 1980s.

At first I was wondering why I would be interested, couldn’t really remember why I selected this book awhile back. Would it be a shallow story? Then… I really got into it! It’s a goodie. I recommend the audio book. The narrators are very convincing.

Then, if you’ve liked the style of writing try the author’s Daisy Jones and the Six. I liked that even more.

The Whalebone Theatre by Joanna Quinn

A transporting, irresistible debut novel that
takes its heroine, Cristabel Seagrave, from a
theatre in the gargantuan cavity of a beached
whale into undercover operations during World
War Il-a story of love, family, bravery, lost
innocence, and self-transformation. From GoodReads.

I’ve just read this book and loved it. I snapped it up when it was a Kindle Daily Deal for 99p. There is a big cast of characters, a brilliant seaside setting for the first part of the book, complete with a a rambling old house (we all love those, don’t we?), servants who become as close as family in some cases, World War II draws in and the story moves to France. It’s an absorbing novel with sympathetic characters. I would really love to read more about Cristabel, post-war.

As a side note; this was quite an interesting read too because I’m sometimes contacted by a blog reader who works as a transcriber, translating books into Czech for a publishing company. There are some phrases in this nove, which I probably wouldn’t have thought too deeply about, except they jumped out at me because I’d been sent several to provide synonyms, or explanations for. I hadn’t known which book she was transcribing when I received most of the emails. So found it fascinating to see how my take fitted when I knew the characters and the overall context.

The Paper Palaceby Miranda Cowley Heller

I’m quite torn about this book. I’ve thought of adding it here quite a few times and dithered several times since I read it last autumn.

The descriptions of the setting, the lake and woods I really enjoyed, and I can see why there are parallels with Where the Crawdads Sing. Heller’s writing evokes a very strong sense of place. It’s just unfortunate that all of the children, especially the sons, of boyfriends, stepfather and family friends are all so strange, if not downright unpleasant. Also nearly every boyfriend or step-father is weak, hateful, controlling or worse. Pretty much every character in-fact is unsympathetic. The only ones who you might feel you’d like to meet would be Anna and Dixon.

Eleanor’s mother has all the best lines, she’s the one with some humour and gosh it’s really needed by the end.

I completely agree with other reviewers that there should be trigger warnings on the blurb of this book and certainly on all the book selling sites. The content is not what you expect from what is essentially described as a love story, a love triangle. There are explicitly disturbing scenes from the beginning of the book onwards.

The Unseen by Katherine Webb

England, 1911. When a free-spirited young
woman arrives in a sleepy Berkshire village to
work as a maid in the household of The
Reverend and Mrs Canning, she sets in motion
a chain of events which changes all their lives.
For Cat has a past – a past her new mistress is
willing to overlook, but will never
understand ..This is not all Hester Canning has
to cope with. When her husband invites a
young man into their home, he brings with him
a dangerous obsession…During the long,
oppressive summer, the rectory becomes
charged with ambition, love and jealousy – with
the most devastating consequences. From GoodReads

I read this years ago, loved it at the time and as it’s shelved on my Couldn’t put down shelf on GoodReads, I thought I’d share it with you. I’ve read The Legacy and Half Forgotten Song, but The Unseen was my favourite, by far.

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How have you been? Has January been good to you. It’s been a mix for me, I have to say. Not great, but that’s life. I can’t believe it’s the last day of the month already.

Have you been reading during the long dark cold nights of January? (Or are you in the Southern Hemisphere, basking in the warmth with a book and a cold drink?)

Books I’ve enjoyed 006

Posted on November 25, 2022 by The Little Room of Rachell

Now is definitely the season to snuggle down with a good book, here are some more that I’ve enjoyed this year.

‘1957, south-east suburbs of London.
Jean Swinney is a feature writer on a local paper, disappointed in love and — on the brink of forty — living a limited existence with her truculent mother: a small life from which there is no likelihood of escape.

When a young Swiss woman, Gretchen Tilbury, contacts the paper to claim that her daughter is the result of a virgin birth, it is down to Jean to discover whether she is a miracle or a fraud. But the more Jean investigates, the more her life becomes strangely (and not unpleasantly) intertwined with that of the Tilburys’ GoodReads

I listened to the audiobook of this novel and enjoyed it a lot. Although like so many other readers I was really taken aback by the ending.

I love the household hints and the character Jean. I’m planning to make the spiced apple cake and passed the recipe on to one of my mother‘s neighbours, who has already made it, so maybe some good things come out of novels with abrupt and unsatisfying endings!

Free Love is set in an interesting time period; it’s London in the late sixties. There is political unrest, societal upheaval and attempt at change as new ideologies are being protested by the young, who are distancing themselves from the previous generation. The older generation are worldly wise and have seen too much. They only seek to make more peaceful lives for themselves after living through World War II.

The people and places are described so carefully and realistically that you are there: in a suburban villa’s kitchen with its formica topped table and chipped lino floor, in a squat in the middle of Ladbroke Grove with dirty mattresses on the floor and cigarette smoke mixing with the stale smell of curry in the air, in a boutique trying on fancy dresses while an older lover slowly nods his head and brings out a thick wad of notes with which to pay.

I love the way the author describes little things such as dun-brown paint on a stairwell and the features of a wooden lift that may, or may not get stuck between floors in a rambling old building, which has very much gone to seed and is awaiting demolition. The old ladies who once lived there in safety, in genteel surroundings amongst respectable neighbours but whom are now stranded, impoverished with no other options, tore at my heartstrings.

The story centres upon one family and the repercussions of one night when a sandal is retrieved from a pond, or perhaps it is all from a time twenty years earlier….There are secrets and people not being or communicating authentically, it’s messy and restrained all at once. Free Love is about wanting to shed an old skin amidst the tantalising possibilities of changing everything.
I loved it.

I will definitely be reading more by Tessa Hadley.

I found The Toll House a genuinely spooky and, at times, very creepy book. I really liked the dual timeline and thought this worked well to gradually reveal the backstory.

This would have been a five star read for me, but there was a chapter near the end that felt unbelievable and far too over the top. Until that point you could choose to believe what you believed; whether there had been simple accidents on a steep and narrow staircase and overactive imaginations at play, or if there was more to it …. I think leaving the story with a lingering sense of malice and an “Is there, or isn’t there?” question about the house would perhaps have been a more subtle ending.

However, overall I really enjoyed this book and found it hard to put down. I would recommend The Toll House to anyone who wants an atmospheric read.

Maureen Fry and the Angel of the North by Rachel Joyce

The third in the trilogy following on from Harold Fry’s Pilgrimage and Queenie’s Love Song. Maureen is Harold’s wife and it is her turn to go on a pilgrimage of her own. I initially assumed she is now a widow, but I think it’s okay to reassure others that dear old Harold is still very much alive, probably playing draughts and eating sandwiches with Rex, their next door neighbour!

Life has changed, this shortish story is set ten years after Harold’s epic walk. It is during the pandemic and highlights some of the changes we have all experienced in the last decade. Some of these really took me aback, because it’s been a gradual process towards everything being streamed, paid for by contactless or mobile ‘phone, so many products being offered and labelled as vegan. We have all become used to discarded masks dangling from trees, or bowling along pavements in the wind.

So, Maureen is doing something that really challenges her, in a time that is quite difficult. She is undertaking a journey with great reluctance, but it is one that she (and Harold) knows she needs to take.

Maureen is not at all like Harold, she is not a likable and sympathetic character. But during this book she becomes more understanding of how she has become who she is, as she is forced to receive care and kindness from strangers. She begins to accept what she cannot change, this is transformative. The writing is truly beautiful in the last chapters.

Until I had read nearly three quarters of this 200 page book I was thinking it is not a patch on Harold’s story. I was definitely wondering why the book could be so far removed from the other two in the trilogy. And then I found myself sitting in a hospital waiting room, waiting for the consultant, and found myself wiping tears from my eyes. The author has really got to the heart of Maureen Fry and writes with insight:

‘Surely it wasn’t too much to ask that you get to the end, and looking back, you don’t fill with horror and bitterness at all the things you got wrong. The mistakes you made, over and over, like falling repeatedly down the same old hole.’

The line drawings by Andrew Davidson at the beginning of every chapter and on the front cover are truly excellent. I wish I could draw!

We all Want Impossible Things by Catherine Newman

The heart rendering story of Ash, who is caring for and supporting her dying friend Ali. Ash and Ali have been best friends for over 40 years.
However it’s not all tears and doom and gloom; the Nora Ephron comparison drew me to request a proof of this book, there is definitely plenty of quippy, dry and clever humour. It’s a sad book, but is also full of life, light and energy.

I enjoyed the slow-burn, rather touching and unexpected, love story too. There is a good supporting cast of spouses, friends and family. Belle, Ash’s daughter, is my absolute favourite. She has some of the best lines! You know when you come across a character in a book, and would really like a another written all about them? Belle is that for me.

The hospice and progression of the story rang so true I began to suspect that the author may have experienced something similar; and indeed by the afterword we learn that her best friend died.

**This novel will not be for everyone, particularly those who have someone with a cancer diagnosis within their circle, it’s a tough read at times.**

The Night she Disappeared by Lisa Jewell

‘2017: 19 year old Tallulah is going out on a date, leaving her baby with her mother, Kim.Kim watches her daughter leave and, as late evening turns into night, which turns into early morning, she waits for her return. And waits. The next morning, Kim phones Tallulah’s friends who tell her that Tallulah was last seen heading to a party at a house in the nearby woods called Dark Place.

She never returns.

2019: Sophie is walking in the woods near the boarding school where her boyfriend has just started work as a head-teacher when she sees a note fixed to a tree.

‘DIG HERE’ . . .

A cold case, an abandoned mansion, family trauma and dark secrets lie at the heart of Lisa Jewell’s remarkable new novel.’ GoodReads

When I read this I found it my fastest read in quite a while. I just couldn’t put it down. It’s a fantastic twisty, turny read and is really well written. I’ve been reading Lisa Jewell’s writing since the earliest books in the 1990s, so am definitely a fan.

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This week I’ve been reading another good advance reader copy of a book which should be out on the 8th of December. It’s so good that I found myself awake and reading at five thirty yesterday morning! I look forward to telling you about that one too.

What about you, anything you’ve read which you want to recommend to the rest of us?

Books I’ve enjoyed 005

Posted on October 1, 2022 by The Little Room of Rachell

Oh, I’ve got some good reads for you today! Here’s another six books which you can snuggle down with and hopefully enjoy too.

One Moonlit Night by Rachel Hore

Rachel Gore’s latest is historical fiction, set during WW2. It is the story of a family and secrets that have been concealed for decades.

It is a nice read, a simple linear story which reveals what happens to Maddie and her two children after they leave London and wait to discover the fate of Philip, their husband and father.

I really like stories set in large ancestral homes in a rural setting. They are always appealing; I find the descriptions of nature restful, there are plenty of secrets hidden within and scope for strained relations and mysteries at the heart of the household.

The Lido by Libby Page

The story of Kate, a 26-year-old local newspaper reporter and Rosemary, an 86 year old lifelong daily swimmer. Kate goes to interview her and find out about the potential closure of the Lido in Brixton, London. This is the start of a blossoming friendship, an unexpectedly good thing for both for different reasons.

As you’d expect The Lido is a story about community, relationships, and the importance of fighting for what you believe is important. It also describes a very touching love story.

This is a light and rather lovely read. It would be a perfect holiday read if you’re off to find some sun. (Just don’t tell me about it. I’ll be envious.)

The Romantic by William Boyd

*Will be published on 6th October (UK)*

A fictional auto-biography which incorporates most of the 1800s as we follow events and relationships in the long life of Cashel Ross. It is the study of a life fully lived, and lived during an extraordinary period of history, filled with innovation and change.

This is truly escapist fiction. It made me really want to travel again, particularly after a few years grounded with the pandemic.

I particularly enjoyed the depiction of the long friendship between Cashel and Ignatz. You find yourself cheering Cashel on as he gets into all sorts of scrapes and commits misdemeanours.

The Romantic is a book where not everything is neatly wrapped up. The loose ends where you wonder what happened to so and so, are just like real life. In particular I was left with a lingering sense of wanting to know what would happen to Frannie…

By the way, if you’ve never read Any Human Heart by William Boyd then I recommend searching out a copy. It’s a 5 star read.

The Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford

‘Few aristocratic English families of the twentieth century enjoyed the glamorous notoriety of the infamous Mitford sisters. Nancy Mitford’s most famous novel, The Pursuit of Love satirizes British aristocracy in the twenties and thirties through the amorous adventures of the Radletts, an exuberantly unconventional family closely modelled on Mitford’s own.

The Radletts of Alconleigh occupy the heights of genteel eccentricity, from terrifying Lord Alconleigh (who, like Mitford’s father, used to hunt his children with bloodhounds when foxes were not available), to his gentle wife, Sadie, their wayward daughter Linda, and the other six lively Radlett children. Mitford’s wickedly funny prose follows these characters through misguided marriages and dramatic love affairs, as the shadow of World War II begins to close in on their rapidly vanishing world.’ From Goodreads

I’ve just reread The Pursuit of Love for probably the third time. The best parts are when the girls are at Alconleigh and especially when they’re altogether again near the end. (I LOVE the Bolter! I remember after I first read this years ago, I got a book about Idina Sackville who was almost certainly the person the character was based upon: The Bolter by Frances Osborne.)

I bought the complete Nancy Mitford collection for a little sum when it was a recent Kindle Daily Deal. I’m planning to read the other two books in the trilogy at some point too.

Shrines of Gaiety by Kate Atkinson

I’ve been waiting for publication day to come around since I read this in July, so I could tell you about it. It’s a five star read. I adore Kate Atkinson’s books and this is one of her best.

An absorbing read, with a multitude of characters. This is London in the hedonistic 1920s, post-war, fizzing with energy, opportunity, money and lots and lots of crime. Nellie Croker is the Queen of the Soho Clubs, she wants to advance the futures of her six children, but her empire is facing multiple threats.

Kate Atkinson’s writing is so gripping, I enjoy it so much that I read slowly, every single word and sentence is savoured, so as to make the book last.
I loved the structure of the book; it basically loops around introducing an event or character and then revisits it, or them, more fully, often from another point of view.

It was a relief that I could read this on my Kindle. There are many characters fleetingly mentioned, when they reappear I feel compelled to look up where they first came into the story. If I was continually flicking back and forth through a paperback it would have taken me weeks to finish!

There’s a little mystery at the end, a will they-won’t-they and a generally satisfying rounding up.

The Rising Tide by Ann Cleeves

I read this in May and have waited a long time to write about this too! It’s just been published. 2022 really is my year of reading Ann Cleeves books. I started another last night, well actually it was the ungodly hour of four o’clock this morning. I might need to start it again, things were hazy after a gin cocktail and red wine, plural.

The Rising Tide is book number ten in the series and this time we find Vera Stanhope investigating a murder on Holy Island off the Northumberland coast. 50 years ago a group of teenagers went there on a camping trip, every five years they get together again for a reunion weekend. This time one of them is found hanged.

It’s an engrossing read which I really didn’t want to put down. I loved the concept of the school friends meeting up for a reunion. It gave so much scope for backstories to explore tensions and past relationships between the group.

I really didn’t know who the murderer was, until Vera worked it out. That’s the mark of an extremely well plotted and executed (!) murder mystery.

I’ll be interested to see if this one gets made into an episode of the TV series.

~~~~~~~~

There is nothing like snuggling up with a good book on chilly autumn nights. I like to read all year round, but there is definitely something so cosy about going to bed early with a book at this time of year. I find I keep looking at my watch to see if you can go to bed yet. The other night I went up at nine thirty to read. Bliss!

What are you reading at the moment? Any books you’d like to recommend?

Books I’ve enjoyed 004

Posted on August 28, 2022 by The Little Room of Rachell

The Green Roasting Tin by Rukmini Lyer

My current favourite recipe book which I’m using to bring some fresh meat-free meals to the table. Last week I made the courgettes roasted with olives, feta and tomato bake. It was delicious both hot and cold, though perhaps not for someone who is advised to use eat a low-salt diet. You could maybe miss out the olives and cut it down that way, but it wouldn’t be quite the same. Tomorrow when I’m doing my groceries order I’ll choose another recipe to make this week.

The Diet Myth by Tim Spector

Tim trained in medicine and rose to the position of consultant rheumatologist before turning to genetic epidemiology, the study of genetic factors in health and disease. Now he is professor of genetic epidemiology and director of the TwinsUK registry at Kings College London. He is a specialist in twin study, genetics, epigenetics and microbiome, and diet. (Wikipedia) You may also recognise his name and his face from the Zoe website. He’s very active on Instagram and Twitter too.

The Diet Myth is an exploration and explanation of why most diets fail, why despite, the multi million pound diet industry, and so much advice about what to eat, and what to avoid, people are still gaining weight and populations are becoming fatter every decade. This is a fascinating read.

The Enchanted April by Elizabeth Von Arnim

Published a hundred years ago, in 1922, this story is about a couple of women who are unsatisfied in their marriages and leading pretty dreary lives. They decide to rent a small castle on the Italian Riviera and gather two others to help pay for it during a summer holiday, without their husbands. It’s a lovely read, with some very touching and humorous lines. Apparently at the time it did wonders to advertise and bring tourism to the area. This paperback was a surprise sent by a friend when I was unwell, along with Midnight Chicken which I wrote about in my last books post. Friends who post books they think you’ll enjoy and cheer you up are treasures!

Telling Tales by Ann Cleeves

The second in the Vera series. This time she’s investigating a crime which happened ten years before. New evidence has come to light, which throws doubt on the original verdict. I found this absolutely masterful; the characterisation, setting and plotting. It could be any one of the community, it’s impossible to guess the ending.

The Woman on the Island by Ann Cleeves

If you have any interest in reading the Vera series then you MUST go to Amazon next and select this because it’s currently FREE! (Even if you don’t have a Kindle, you can get the free Kindle app on your phone or tablet and read the short story.) We learn the motivation for Vera becoming a detective during this short backstory. As she goes on a day trip to Holy Island with her father Hector. There’s an excerpt at the end for the new Vera book (number ten) The Rising Tide, which is set on the same island. This should whet your appetite for when it comes out on 1st September (sorry, I’m not sure of international publication dates) next week. I read of a proof copy, back in May, and it’s a 5 star read.

The Night Ship by Jess Kidd

I’ve been looking forward to telling you about this one. The Night Ship is structured with a dual time period, which tells the stories of two nine year old children Mayken and Gil more than 300 years apart. The author weaves fiction around fact to tell the story of Mayken, who is a newly motherless child en route to the care of her father. She is travelling with her nursemaid Imke on an East India Company ship The Batavia. The ship is undertaking the long and hazardous sea voyage from Holland to Batavia, the capital of the Dutch East Indies as it was (Jakarta in Indonesia as it is now called.) It is carrying goods and 200 passengers. Gil is also newly motherless and has been sent to his Grandfather Joss to spend the fishing season on a remote island off the west coast of Australia. Their story and developing relationship is rather touching as both adjust to each other and become closer.

Mayken is a fabulous character, she and Imke definitely have all the best lines. Mayken’s story made me both laugh and cry. She is a character who will stay with me.

Jess Kidd paces this atmospheric story perfectly, as usual in her writing there is folklore and supernatural elements. The tension gradually ramps up until the denouement for both children. I enjoyed the parallels between the two and found myself thinking a lot about cultural norms and what is thought of as endearing, or alternatively as weird; particularly from a gendered point of view.

From now on I shall be keeping witch’s stones / hagstones that I find on the beach and trying to see what has already been and what is to come! This is another 5 star read. If any of you have not yet read any of Jess Kidd’s books I urge you to find them. She’s such a talented and entertaining writer. I cannot wait to see what she writes next.

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There are some absolutely cracking books coming out in the autumn, I’ve read a fair few advance reader copies this year and I’m looking forward to writing about them, when I get the publishing dates.

We’ve had a good summer here, albeit far too dry, but now I’m looking forward to autumn. This is usual for me at this point in the holidays. I’m beginning to anticipate apple picking, soup making, cooking stews, walking through crunchy leaves and having cosy evenings crafting (crossed fingers) with lots more good books to curl up with on the sofa.

Want to share what you’re currently reading? Any book recommendations for us?

Books I’ve enjoyed 003

Posted on August 12, 2022 by The Little Room of Rachell

Midnight Chicken by Ella Risbridger

Part memoir of a specific period in Ella’s life, mostly recipe book. What makes this an ideal book to dip in and out of is the lovely way that she writes about food in the introduction to each recipe. And the recipes sound good too!

Very sad endnote, but I’m glad she’s sounding happier and all is ok on the other side of everything now.

I’m definitely going to make the Midnight Chicken and a few other recipes too.

Kiss Myself Goodbye by Ferdinand Mount

‘Aunt Munca never told the truth about anything. Calling herself after the mouse in a Beatrix Potter story, she was already a figure of mystery during the childhood of her nephew Ferdinand Mount. Half a century later, a series of startling revelations sets him off on a tortuous quest to find out who this extraordinary millionairess really was. What he discovers is shocking and irretrievably sad, involving multiple deceptions, false identities and abandonments. The story leads us from the back streets of Sheffield at the end of the Victorian age to the highest echelons of English society between the wars.’ From GoodReads

This is a rollercoaster of discoveries, and it never stops! I read it while away last weekend by the sea and found it distracted me from paddling, ice cream and rock throwing games. It’s a goodie.

An Island Wedding by Jenny Colgan

A welcome return to the Scottish fictional island of Mure and lots of familiar characters. I enjoyed catching up with Flora, her family and friends. It was a welcome escape from the news and everything going on in the world. (I read an advance copy in March.)

I feel Jenny Colgan is at her best writing this series; it’s not sickly sweet like some of the others and it’s not repeating the same basic premise over and over like the recent Bookshop series. (Girl moves to new area due to unhappy previous situation, has to find a job, ends up selling books, meets a cast of quirky characters, including one or two possible boyfriends. Chooses one, lives happily ever after.) There’s some attempt at reality, grit, hardship and exploration of how characters really feel in the Mure books. These aspects take you on rather an emotional journey and you find you care about them.
The story has really moved on throughout the series, sometimes in unexpected ways, and there is definitely space for more; as this latest book ended with plenty of ends dangling. I’m glad.

(It is odd how from book 1 to book 4 Jan’s maiden name and both her father’s first and last names have been changed. I couldn’t work out why I didn’t recognise Malcy Doherty, head of the local council. Well, that’s because he was Fraser Mathieson in the first book!)

Factory Girls by Michelle Gallen

For Maeve and her friends daily life holds not just the common feelings experienced by all teens: anxiety waiting for exam results, the mad swings of love and lust, boredom with where they grew up, and worry about earning enough money to save for what comes next. Their days are also full of frustration and fear as the threat of violence flares up around them on a daily basis as there’s continual tension between the Catholics and Protestants and resignation about the troubled political situation in the country. Mixed into this mix there is heaps of black humour. It’s hilarious from the beginning and the humour doesn’t let up. This is a story where well-drawn characters are living in dangerous and strained circumstances over the border from the Free State, under British control in Northern Ireland, but it’s not nearly as grim as it sounds.

‘But it’s all these good intentions that’s killing me,’ Maeve said. ‘Everyone’s always asking us to paint pictures or write poems. Ye’ve artists sculpting doves. Teachers sucking the fucken lifeblood outtay us by asking us tae sing “Imagine” – like, no harm, but is that not showing a total lack of imagination?’ ‘Aye,’ Fidelma said. ‘Nobody’s tackling the hard stuff.’

Maeve and her friends then outline how they believe life could be different without segregation, starting the process of integration from the earliest years. The insider knowledge and lived experience of the author shines out, this is not clearly not researched, but drawn from the author’s own life growing up in County Tyrone.

It has to be said (and I know I won’t be the first to say this and certainly not the last) but it is a good companion if you’re watching Derry Girls. Some of what is sketched out in Derry Girls will make much more sense after reading Factory Girls.

Factory Girls is laugh out loud funny, irreverent and touching. I loved it. I know this because I read it slowly and properly, always a good sign as I did not want it to end.

How long until until there is a film or television series? I’m positive the rights will be snapped up. At the end I felt there was also a lot of scope for a follow up book about what Maeve (and friend) do next ….

The Crow Trap by Ann Cleeves

Detective Vera Stanhope’s first appearance, this was published in 1999.

Three very different women are living together in an isolated cottage, while undertaking an environmental survey. An apparent suicide, then another death and Vera Stanhope appears to try to piece together what has happened…

The first ever I read in the series was a proof of the tenth book, lucky lucky me. That’s coming out in the autumn. I have to say that’s a fabulous read, if you’re a fan then you’re in for a treat! Then because I enjoyed that so much, I decided to read all of the books in order.

I was already a fan of the tv series, but I think you need to let some time go by to forget details if you watch first, then read. In the TV adaptations motives have often quite changed and it can be disorienting to remember who and why, then find a completely different murderer in the book. That was why I stopped at the first Shetland book; it was too soon after I’d watched that episode. I’ll go back to the books when I’ve finished Vera and have forgotten a lot of what I’ve seen. (By the way: do you know the last series of Shetland has begun to air? The first episode is available on the BBC iplayer now.)

Ann Cleeves writes so well. I love her clear style of writing. I’ve got to look out for the fourth book, I keep checking on Amazon and finding random Kindle deals on different books in the series. I’ve only paid full price for one so far. Huzzah!

The Corset by Laura Purcell

Melodramatic and tense gothic storytelling set in the Victorian era. I started out listening to the audiobook, but I was finding it so anxiety inducing and generally horrible that I decided to read at my own speed (faster! Get past the gory parts!) and power through the e-library book instead.

I underestimated this book. It was a 3 star read all the way. Then, I got to maybe 80% of the way through, maybe more, and realised that it was going to be quite a rollercoaster of an ending. Upgraded to 4/5 stars, don’t underestimate a talented author like Laura Purcell.

~~~~~

What have you been reading lately? Anything you want to recommend to us all?

Books I’ve enjoyed 002

Posted on May 27, 2022 by The Little Room of Rachell

Linda is on the face of it not a very interesting character; she is living the kind of life that millions of people live day by day. Going to work, plodding along, cooking uninspired dinners and pushing the hoover around the house. There is no real communication, or any sense of a spark of connection between Linda and Terry, her husband.

There is plenty of black humour and characters who are all too familiar in this book. From Linda’s mother to nose-in-everything neighbour Malcolm. What happens after the girls on the estate go missing and turn up one by one is very well plotted. I don’t want to say anything more about it all, as I’d hate to spoil it for other readers.

Fantastic!

Twisty turny, with a slow-building atmosphere of menace. I had so many questions and thoughts about what might happen when I was not reading, always a good sign of a compelling story.

This novel is deftly plotted, with leaps back and forth in time and to completely different settings. 1989 was interesting, the references took me straight back to my teens. Researching (or just remembering?) that period must have been fun.

The characterisation is solid; because despite a large cast I was never confused about who was who.

It also has to be said (because I bet I’m not the only one) that any book which is set within a large country house and grounds gets my vote too. Woodland, a pool and a view of the sea too? Tick, tick, tick!

My heart was beating so hard by the end. Loved it. This is a book I’ve already recommended to many friends. 5 *****

An engrossing read as we find out exactly what has driven Meredith to stay in her house for over three years, and what happened to cause her to become alienated from her family. Along the way she makes two new friends who have some issues of their own.

Meredith, Alone is in the same genre as Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry and A Man Called Ove. All are linear stories following characters who have deeply personal issues to resolve, as they form new relationships along the way and change through the course of the story.

Meredith is a really sympathetic character, so proactive in her self-care and very likeable, while supportive of others. I imagine the dishes Meredith makes and the items she bakes will inspire. It certainly makes for a cosy read. The food, the cups of tea and the cat. Perfect.

There is one aspect of the story that could have been much darker, which could have changed the path of the story as it moved forward in the present time, but the author chose not to go there.

What a fabulous book! It’s warm hearted, honest and incredibly positive. You feel there is nothing the family won’t overcome, because there’s no such thing as giving up. There’s a problem, then there’s research, teamwork and problem solving. Breadsong is a very uplifting read. Yes, I found myself welling up at times, but then I was laughing out loud and I’m pretty sure there were a few shouted “Hurrays!” And, of course, there is bread. A lot of bread.

I’ve been making bread every week since 2014 when I read The Beach Street Bakery by Jenny Colgan, a warm and cosy novel which really inspired me to make my own. After all I’d grown up eating homemade bread, I knew how much better it was than shop bought. My Mum would come home on a Friday night after working hard all week and make a batch of loaves. I’d wait the minimum amount of time allowed to cut a slice or two. I always spread the crust with butter and honey. For the last 4 years I’ve been baking sourdough, also inspired by some of the bakers Kitty mentions. (Happy 4th Birthday Marve the Marvellous starter!) So, I completely and utterly understand the appeal of dough and baking. It is therapeutic and apart from ending with something hugely tasty to eat, you feel a huge sense of achievement.

I can’t wait to try some of the recipes, in Breadsong. I didn’t realise that there would be so many! HURRAY!

Also I should go and visit the bakery sometime soon. Who can resist a visit after seeing all the beautiful photographs in the book? (And on their wonderful Instagram account.)

Part memoir, part cookbook, this is a very engaging read. I found the descriptions of Ed Ball’s years working in government very interesting. I also loved snippets about Ed’s family life both then and now. Ed always seems likeable on TV and radio appearances and comes across favourably in this well-written book.

I’ve saved some of the recipes to try: including the baked chocolate mousse, the custard (I’ve never actually made custard from scratch, so when it comes around to apple picking time I might make a crumble and serve it with homemade custard, instead of my usual extra thick double cream. My husband will be pleased) the soups and Cajun beans, which I plan to cook this week.

I noted how the finer details of recipes were sometimes lacking, for instance: how big a shoulder of pork for the bbq recipe? Around how many bananas might be required for the stated 425g? Smaller shops do not have scales to weigh produce and it is useful to know in advance. Do you remove the garlic from their skins and eat in the chicken soup, or discard when serving? When making the Yorkshire puddings the instructions state to divide the batter equally, but it does not say around how many portions the roast beef and puddings serves, so it would be rather a guessing game the first time. We tend to take specifics for granted when reading the cookbooks of experienced food writers. None of these are insurmountable problems, but some recipes could be tweaked a little.

Ed’s observations of the Sundays of his youth with the rituals and the patterns of roast lunch, football, the BBC serial and teatime were interesting as he states it was a true day of rest. I’m certain that his Mum didn’t get much rest! However I enjoyed the nostalgia of reading his recalling those quieter, far less commercial Sundays.

I quite often look up unfamiliar words when reading, my favourite in this book was policy wonk! I didn’t think it for a minute it would be in any dictionary. I thought it was probably political slang. Wrong!

I hope there are more books from Ed as I genuinely enjoyed reading his stories and would definitely read another of his books, if it was in a similar vein.

Heartwrenching, hopeful, a testament to love, family and loyalty. There is also humour, a lot of it bleak, but it lightens the reading of what is a devastating story.

Very best wishes to Abi, Jacob and their families.

~~~~~~~~~~~

And there you go, there’s a booklist for your holiday reading, or for lounging about on sunny afternoons (or for cosy winter nights if you’re in the Southern Hemisphere.)

What about you, have you read any corkers lately?

Books I’ve enjoyed 001

Posted on April 29, 2022 by The Little Room of Rachell

The Aerialists by Katie Munnik is a fictionalised account of a true event which happened in Cardiff at the Fine Art, Industrial and Maritime exhibition in 1896. I was unaware of this exhibition despite it being on a scale to rival England’s 1851 Great Exhibition, held at Crystal Palace. It’s such an interesting story, but I do not want to give any spoilers. At it’s heart this is a story about Laura, we find out about the journey that brought her to the streets of Paris and her life with the Gauldrons. Her story, as you’ve probably guessed, involves flying!

I have to be honest and say that I felt there were some weaknesses in the writing and depiction of the behaviours and dialogue of the characters, particularly as it is set during Victorian times, but overall the story is a good one.

When you’ve read it look up the BBC article published on 24/07/21, 125 years after the festival. (Not before, because it will ruin the book for you.)

French Braid by Anne Tyler follows one family from the 1950s up to the pandemic present day.

The Garrett family take their first and last family holiday in the summer of 1959. They hardly leave their home city Baltimore, but despite this are not a close family.

I love Mercy, the mother of the family. She is definitely a free spirit!

As an Anne Tyler fan I read everything that she publishes, this was definitely a five star read, one of my favourites, alongside Breathing Lessons.

The Language of Food by Annabel Abbs is the fictionalised account of the real life and work of Eliza Acton, while she wrote her famous cookery book in England in 1837. The story also focuses upon Ann Kirby although no facts about her are known, beyond that she worked for Eliza and her mother. But her story helps to round out the book and is a good device to compare and contrast the differing lives and opportunities of the two women.

The Language of Food explores women’s freedoms (or lack of) and limited opportunities to work creatively under their own name. I felt the author successfully conveys the frustration and difficulties which must have been felt by so many.

And finally of course; the food! Luscious descriptions and well written passages illuminate Eliza’s process of developing and testing recipes. (Perhaps luscious is the wrong word for the recipe for brawn featured at the end?!)

Other People Manage by Ellen Hawley is written by a new-to-me author, but I will certainly look out for more of her books.

Set in Minneapolis in the 1970s, it tells the story of two women who meet in a cafe. Marge is a bus driver and Peg is training to be a psychotherapist. You find out about their relationship, the challenges and surprises they face over the next twenty years. Then one day things drastically change. It’s a story about family, love and loss.

I really enjoyed it; the style of writing and low-key tone reminded me of an Anne Tyler novel.

If you read this and don’t fancy making meatloaf (veggies excepted) by the end I’ll be really surprised!

One Day I Shall Astonish the World by Nina Stibbe. Have you read any of Nina’s books? If not, then do! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve read Love Nina. And seen the TV adaptation. That’s one of my comfort reads / watches.

I also really liked Paradise Lodge, that’s great fun, with laugh out loud moments. I recommend the Audible version with Helen Baxendale narrating. She really cracked the Leicestershire accent, that isn’t easy.

Anyway, back to One Day I Shall Astonish the World; it focuses on the friendship between Susan and Norma. They are thrown together in a haberdashery shop in Leicestershire in the 1990s. Thirty years later Susan begins to wonder about the choices she has made in her life.

I’m sure all of us can agree that female friendships are weird, brilliant and challenging, when they’re good they can be one of the best things, but strange and stressful when they go awry. I think Nina Stibbe has captured this complex mix extremely well.

A Song for the Dark Times by Ian Rankin. I have a confession to make; this was my first book by Rankin, although I’ve heard him interviewed about every new John Rebus crime novel for years.

It was a bit mad to start with this one, because it is his latest. Number 23 in the series! I haven’t stayed up reading and chanting ‘just one more chapter’ for a long time, but found myself still reading this at 1 AM a few weeks ago. I just couldn’t put it down. I will look out for others in the series now.

Rebus is now retired, but definitely not planning on avoiding looking into other people’s secrets and crimes, he has kept hold of a large pile of folders of unsolved cases…

Before he evens finishes unpacking from downsizing his home, his daughter calls to say that her husband has been missing for two days. Rebus fears the worst and knows that his daughter will be prime suspect. He has to decide if he’s going to go to her as a father, or a detective.

The Keeper of Stories by Sally Page I read last week. It’s such a goody! I felt a little bereft at the end.

Janice is a cleaner and notices people always tell her their stories. (I’ve always experienced that too, so I was drawn to Janice.) Her rule is that she can save one story from each person, but she is very clear: she is the Keeper of Stories and doesn’t have a story to tell about herself. But when she meets Mrs B (who is no fool) things begin to change. Set in Cambridge this is a really lovely story about supporting other people, while finding yourself and realising what you do and do not want. There’s much empathy and masses of everything practical, including DIY. If Janice’s skills don’t leave you feeling a tad inadequate, then I’ll be surprised. There is lots of humour, I laughed out loud often. Look out for the dog. (Warning for the faint-hearted…he swears. A lot.)

Let me know if you decide to read any of the books I’ve recommended. Or maybe you’ve already read some of them? I’d love to know your take.

Time to make a G&T (it’s not Dry Lent anymore woohoo!) and quickly sort out what I want to watch. Someone is fishing with a friend this evening, so I shall make the most of the P&Q. New Grace & Frankie eps are now on Neflix, or do I rewatch The Split’s third series and cry all over again? Or…?