This week...

I'm reading

Another week where I just didn't find a lot of time to read! I did finish The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters which I loved, and then I started Sophie Green's book Lessons in Love at the Seaside Salon but I am probably about a quarter of the way in...maybe. I am not sure when I will be able to get back to this book now.

The problem I have is that I have multiple blog tour books this week and I have only read one which is The Silent Resistance by Anna Normann which was really good! I am going to be feeling the pressure all this week!

I was supposed to go to three bookish events over the last week but in the end I only went to one, but it was a really good one. I went to an author talk at our Shrine of Remembrance for a non-fiction book called Survival in Singapore by Tom Trumble. It is a non fiction book about some events in WWII Singapore. After the talk we attended the Last Post ceremony which focussed on the fall of Singapore which was 84 years ago yesterday.

We were also a bit nerdy. We caught the train through the new Metro Tunnel and got out at all the new train stations for a look around on the way! It was a fun day!

I'm watching


We've pretty much only been watching the Olympics ranging from curling to ice dance to moguls and the other events that the Aussies have won medals in!

We did catch most of the 2025 Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo when it was showing on free to air TV last week. It bought back such great memories of when we were there live 18 months ago. There is a military tattoo happening in Brisbane this weekend and we gave tickets to my step daughter and her partner. I am a bit jealous that they are going although the weather isn't going to be that great. 



Life

My husband isn't one for the big gestures but we have always done something for Valentine's Day. This weekend we went to lunch at a winery which is about 15 minutes away from home. We have been meaning to try this winery ever since we moved into the area. It won't take us another 3.5 years to go there for a meal again!

Posts from the last week

Top Ten Tuesday: Library Love!

Us Against You by Fredrik Backmann

Weekend Cooking: The Golden Spurtle

Historical Fiction Reading Challenge: January Statistics

I've linked this post to It's Monday, what are you reading? as hosted by Book Date, Sunday Salon hosted at Readerbuzz and the Good Book and a Cup of Tea link up hosted at Boondock Ramblings

Historical Fiction Reading Challenge: January statistics

 Every month I share some of the statistics related to the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge. I try very hard to visit every post which has been linked (time permitting) and I find it interesting to see what are the books that people are reading and reviewing! I often end up adding a couple of books to my never ending TBR list.

In terms of the books read in January, there were 49 reviews linked up for the challenge, shared by 17 participants. There were 47 individual titles reviewed, written by 44 different authors. There were 5 reviewers who reviewed more than 4 books each. There were also a couple of people who contributed their first reviews for the challenge! Welcome to you all. Thank you to everyone who shared their links whether it be 6 or just 1.

So which books were reviewed more than once in January?

Cape Fever by Nadia Davids was reviewed by both Tracey from Carpe Librum and Bree from All the Books I Can Read. Nadia Davids is a South African author so it is interesting that both of these are Australian. I think the book was released here in Australia in late December which probably explains it!

It is probably not really a coincidence that Bree from All the Books I Can Read and I both reviewed Flashlight by Susan Choi. We bought it on the same day, although we didn't buy it together.  It was kind of a buddy read although I finished it much later than she did. You can read her review here and mine can be found here.

In terms of other authors who were reviewed more than once in January, we had quite a few classic authors featured this month. 

Agatha Christie is reviewed quite regularly for the challenge. This month Laura from Laura's Reviews read both A Caribbean Mystery and Cat Among the Pigeons. 

Deb from Readerbuzz (reviewing on Goodreads) shared two reviews of books by Laura Ingalls Wilder - Little House on the Prairie and On the Banks of Plum Creek. 

Interestingly Rosemary Sutcliff was reviewed twice this month. Hers is not a name we see very often despite having written some pretty famous historical fiction books. This month Helen from She Reviews Novels reviewed The Silver Branch and Deb reviewed Warrior Scarlet over at Goodreads. 

What else did I find interesting? Jinjer shared both a German and a Japanese book. In terms of setting we had a book set in New Amsterdam (which eventually became New York) plus a book set in Switzerland. I was pleased to see Jean Plaidy get a mention. I also read a Jean Plaidy book in January but haven't written the review yet.

You can find the list of all the books shared in January here

I am sharing this with Sunday Salon hosted at Readerbuzz and A Good Book and a Cup of Tea hosted at Hopewell's Library.

Weekend Cooking: The Golden Spurtle

 

When we visited Scotland a couple of years ago, we visited the border town of Jedburgh on our way to Hadrian's Wall. We wandered through the town and made our way to visit Mary Queen of Scots House which was very interesting. Of course, whenever you visit tourist attractions you have to exit via the gift shop and while we were there we bought a spurtle. The woman in the shop insisted that our porridge will taste even better than it normally does. To be honest, we have had many bowls of porridge since then but I don't think we have ever used the spurtle. What is a spurtle? Apart from being a fun word to say, it is a wooden implement that is used to stir porridge. I was intrigued when I saw that there was a movie coming out called The Golden Spurtle and so I dragged my husband to see it with me. He only came under sufferance but we both enjoyed it!

When you travel, you often come across small towns that are making big claims like home of raspberry jam, or best tomatoes in the world. Back in the 1990s the small town of Carrbridge in the Scottish Highlands was looking for something to differentiate itself. They wanted something very Scottish and so the World Porridge Championships were born.

Sometimes people get obsessed with something unusual and this movie is testament to this. I would never have expected people to get obsessed with porridge. Now when I think of porridge, I think of winter mornings, creamy oats, made with milk and topped with little blobs of butter and sugar. But for the people who take porridge very seriously, they would probably be horrified at that description. For the purists, porridge consists of just three ingredients - oats, salt and water.  

This documentary focusses equally on both the organisers of the competition but also the competitors. Among the competitors we meet an Australian chef, Toby Wilson. We follow him from Sydney as he practices his technique through to the community hall in picturesque Carrbridge where the competition is held. We also meet returning champions, the ultra competitive health food shop owner, other international competitors and the man who is returning to the competition after a 15 year break. We hear about their dedication to finding the perfect oats to cook, and the techniques they practice at length to get the texture and taste just right. There are rivalries and friendships, secrets, obsessions, controversies and ceremonies. 

As interesting as the competitors and the competition are, if you had to pick just one of the stories, it is probably that of the chieftain Charlie Miller. He has been leading the organisation of the event for 30 years but this is his last time as he is retiring due to ill-health. He is ably backed by the rest of the organising committee who grapple with the logistics of an event that seems to have almost outgrown the venue. Other members of the committee include the woman who is charged with washing all the pots (not my favourite thing to do after cooking porridge) to the person organising all the flags of the competitor's nations, sound and video links, dealing with the Scottish weather and so much more. 

It's probably a bit of cliché, but the word charming absolutely applies. This documentary is funny, heart warming and offbeat, and definitely worth checking out. Just finishing this post makes me wish I could watch the movie again! It comes to streaming here next week so maybe I could make that happen!

Oh, and our spurtle is only made of wood, not gold! What I did learn from this movie is that we need to make sure that we stir our porridge in the right direction. Apparently, if you stir in an anti-clockwise direction. you let the devil in!

Here's the trailer

Weekly meals

Saturday - Roast pork, crispy potato galette, cauliflower cheese
Sunday -  Honey Chicken and Rice
Monday -  Beef and Broccoli Noodles
Tuesday - Thai Chicken Meatballs with rice (new)
Wednesday - Japanese Pork Curry
Thursday - Takeaway
Friday - Takeaway

Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book reviews (novel, nonfiction), cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs, restaurant reviews, travel information, or fun food facts. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page

Us Against You by Fredrik Backman

 

Last year in July, I read Beartown, the first book in the trilogy of the same name, and I loved it. It was always just a question of time before I picked up the second book! Sometimes though, second books in a series can just not quite live up to the first book, but I loved this just as much as I loved the first book.

In Beartown, the town was torn apart by the events leading up to one of the biggest ice hockey games for the club in years. Now, in the aftermath, a lot of the players have moved to play for the nearby fierce rival town of Hed. When the local council announces that the Beartown hockey club is going to be closed down for good, the locals are disappointed.

Enter a shady politician who excels at manipulating people, mainly by pitting them again each other. He gives the club a lifeline in the form of a big name sponsor, but only if the General Manager, Peter, agrees to make certain changes to the club, which will put him in direct opposition to The Pack who are the die hard, extreme supporters who do, on occasion, tend towards violence.

Peter is a man under siege. He is blamed by many people for everything that has gone wrong, especially seeing as his daughter, Maya, was at the centre of the events. His family are receiving constant threats, his marriage is under pressure and his young son is making some bad decisions. It also seems that he can do nothing right at the club. No matter which way he turns, there will be someone who won't like it. 

Given that they lost a lot of players at the end of the previous season, the new coach, who is a woman (shock horror) needs to build a new team around Amat, the fastest skater in town, and Benjy, who long has been the heart and soul of the team. And then there is Vidar, the troubled goal keeper. 

Whilst this is a book about ice hockey, it is also a book about so much more. The way that Backman writes relationships is exceptional. Even the secondary characters can grab your heart and rip it out. In this case it was the relationship between Ann-Katrin (a player called Bobo's mum) and Amat's mother, Fatima, that really captured my heart. 

Backman also has the ability to really make you care about individual characters. Benjy is one of my favourites. He has a secret but when it comes out, everyone has an opinion. Does his ability on the ice make up for his otherness or is too much for the town to accept.  The one things that Benjy does know is that his fearsome sisters will always have his back.

I loved this quote about Benjy!

Everyone in this town knows that Benji is dangerous, because he strikes hardest. Yet few people seem to appreciate that everything about him does just that - strike hardest, beat hardest - the whole time. Including his heart.

Backman is fabulous at building the tension. You know that things are going to come to a head, but the question is what is going to be the catalyst, and what will the lasting impact be. The author has a very interesting way of writing. There is a lot of foreshadowing, some of which might be referencing things that will happen is two years or five years, so you know that your favourite characters are going to make it, but not everyone does.

Once again I was fully invested in the events that were occurring in Beartown. I have already picked the second book up from the library. I was surprised to see how thick the final book in the trilogy is! It's going to be a commitment, but I can't wait to read it and see how everything plays out!

I am sharing this review with the Books in Translation challenge hosted at Introverted Reader.

It's a 5/5 read for me!

Top Ten Tuesday: Library Love!

Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week the theme is Love/Valentine’s Freebie. I am adding my own twist because while Valentine's Day is coming up, and we do always do something, February 14 is also Library Lover's Day. My Top Ten Tuesday is therefore 10 of the 21 books I have out from the library right now. These are the books that are due to be returned soonest 

First though, I thought I would share a pic of my local library which is a gorgeous building itself inside and out.  The building was opened back in 2013 but it still feels very new. This picture is a bit old as the trees have grown quite a bit. 

The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters - Reading and enjoying this at the moment.

Antarctica by Claire Keegan - I am working my way through Claire Keegan's backlist

Lessons in Love at the Seaside Salon by Sophie Green - I have been meaning to try this Aussie author for a while now!

Sunshine, Lemons and Sea Salt by Donna Hay - I have cooked a few things out of this already and just bought my own copy!

In the Paris Fashion by Sophie Beaumont - I have really enjoyed Sophie Beaumont's other books so I am looking forward to this one!

The Dog Sitter by Zara Stoneley - I love Sue Heath's books so now I am reading what I can from her other author name, Zara Stoneley.

Secrets by Judi Morison - This was the Rachael John's book club choice for January.

Sit, Stay, Love by Amy Hutton - This author was an author for the day in an online book group I am in.

The Golden Hour by Kate Lord Brown - I have read a Kate Lord Brown book years ago. It must be time to read another.

The Little Wartime Library by Kate Thompson - I really enjoyed the last book I read by this author!

This week....

I'm reading

It's been  a quiet reading week this week. Work is crazy busy and by the time I get home it is all I can do to stay awake! 

I did finish The Resistance Knitting Club by Jenny O'Brien which I reviewed last week. 

I then started The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters. I need to finish it as I have two other books that can't be extended at the library! I have a feeling that one or both of those will be returned unread and reborrowed but we will see!

I announced over the weekend that I was going to participate in the Classics Club Spin this time around. The number that came up for the spin was #2 which means I am going to try to read The Leopard by Giuseppe Tomasi Di Lamdedusa. I am grateful that the book selected wasn't too much of a chunkster! Now I just need to read it by the end of March!

I'm watching

If you need a show to define feel good TV, the Muster Dogs is the show. The idea is that you follow a litter of puppies as they are trained to be working dogs. This series it is a mixture of collie and kelpie puppies. This time, the trainers are inexperienced so they are learning as they go along.

We have watched a little bit of the Winter Olympics. I daresay we will watch more over the next couple of weeks!

I did watch a Filippino movie this week, which is a first. A while ago I read a book called The Phone Booth at the Edge of the World. Whispers in the Wind talks about the same concept, which is that there is a phone booth in Japan where you can go to talk to those who have passed away. This story had a different focus as we met two Filipinos in Japan. Hannah was caught up in the tsunami which killed so many, and Ren is looking for his mother who abandoned him and his father many years before. It wasn't a bad watch, although it had a bit of a strange twist. 

Here's the trailer

Life

We did something a bit out of the ordinary on Friday night and went to see the Victorian Opera performance of Pirates of Penzance. It was lot of fun, and I found myself singing the tune of Modern Major General - cant sing the words because there are way too many!

Posts from the last week

Top Ten Tuesday: Books with Interesting Typology

The Girl from Lake Maggiore by Siobhan Daiko

Blog Tour: The Resistance Knitting Club by Jenny O'Brien

In My Kitchen: January

Classics Club Spin #43

Six Degrees of Separation: Flashlight to The Stowaway


I've linked this post to It's Monday, what are you reading? as hosted by Book Date, Sunday Salon hosted at Readerbuzz and the Good Book and a Cup of Tea link up hosted at Boondock Ramblings

Six Degrees of Separation: Flashlight to The Stowaway

Welcome to this month's edition of Six Degrees of Separation, which is a monthly meme hosted by Kate from Books Are My Favourite and Best. The idea is to start with a specific book and make a series of links from one book to the next using whatever link you can find and see where you end up after six links. I am also linking this post up with The Sunday Salon, hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz and A Good Book and a Cup of Tea hosted at Boondock Ramblings.

This month, the starting point is Flashlight by Helen Choi. I started to read this before Christmas and was on the verge of giving it up when I saw that it had been announced as the starting point for this month's Six Degrees of Separation. I finally finished it earlier this month. You can read my thoughts here.

Flashlight partially talks about the treatment of Korean people living in Japan up to the end of WWII. White Mulberry by Rosa Kwon Easton also tells what it was like to be Korean and living in Japan. (my review)

My next couple of choices are all about fruit and flower. Using the idea that mulberry is a fruit, as is cherry, I have chosen my next book as The Vanishing Cherry Blossom Bookshop by Japanese author Takuya Asakura. I haven't read this yet but I have had it on my TBR for a few months now.

Sticking with cherry blossoms, my next selection is Barbed Wire and Cherry Blossoms by Anita Heiss. 

This time my blossoms are apples as I have chosen Last of the Apple Blossom by Mary-Lou Stephens, a book set in Tasmania. 

I have two reasons for my next selection. The first is using the hyphenated name of Mary-something. The last author was Mary-Lou. Mary-Anne O'Connor is the author of In a Great Southern Land. My second reason for choosing this book? Well, when you think about the Great Southern Land that is Australia you can't get much further south than Tasmania.

Which brings me to my final choice which is The Stowaway which is once again by Mary-Anne O'Connor. That should be enough of a connection, but actually there is a clue as to why I wanted to end up on this book. The day I went to buy my copy of Flashlight, I needed to buy a second book by the publisher so I could get the little Penguin you can see in the picture. This book was the other book I bought that day!

Next month, the starting point is Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

Will you be joining us?