Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's theme is Books with the Word “[Insert Word Here]” in the Title (Choose a word and find ten books with that word in the title.)
My initial thought was to use the word girl but in the last few days I have read a couple of really good books which both had the word cafe in the title, so I am going with that!
The Handsome Man's Deluxe Cafe by Alexander McCall Smith - This is book number 15 in the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series
The Cafe by the Bridge by Lily Malone - This is the second book in a trilogy set in in southern Western Australia.
Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe by Heather Webb - I loved this book when I read it a few years ago (my review)
Before the Coffee Gets Cold: Tales from the Cafe by Toshikazu Kawaguchi - This is the second book in the Before the Coffee Gets Cold series
The Custard Tart Cafe by Isabella May - Just thinking about this book makes me want to eat a Portuguese Custard Tart! (my review)
The Enchanted Garden Cafe by Abigail Drake - This is the first book in a series set in Pittsburgh. (my review)
Finding Family at the Cornish Cove by Kim Nash - whoops. Had this recorded in my spreadsheet as Finding Family at the Cornish Cafe. It is, however, set in a cafe so I am keeping it! It is the second book in the lovely Cornish Cove series. (my review)
The Pumpkin Spice Cafe by Laurie Gilmore - This is the first book in the very popular Dream Harbor series.
The Bittersweet Bakery Cafe by Catherine Greer - I just read this last week and I loved it. I will be reviewing it in a couple of weeks.
The Mysterious Bakery on Rue de Paris by Evie Woods - Whoops this is a bakery not cafe but it was such a good read I am going to count it anyway!
I am also going to be sharing this post with Weekend Cooking which I host here!
Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's theme Bookish Superpowers I Wish I Had (e.g. never accidentally buying the same book twice, every book I buy would be automatically signed/personally dedicated by the author, the ability to read faster, etc.) (Submitted by Cathy @WhatCathyReadNext)
My list takes one of those suggestions and twists it just a bit. Fortunately, whenever I try to book that I already own, Kindle very gently reminds me that I already own it! My list this week is therefore the books I have tried to buy more than one!
The Enchanted Garden Cafe by Abigail Drake - I have actually read this book, but that doesn't stop me from attempting to buy it again! (my review)
The Recipes for Love by Anni Rose - Food and romance. What isn't to love. And what's better than 1 book. Well a box set obviously!
The Other Side of Beautiful by Kim Lock - I think I first bought this after seeing Kim Lock at a reader retreat last year.
The Right Place by Carla Caruso - From memory this is another foodie book. I just read the blurb again and it does sound good!
The Last List of Mabel Beaumont by Laura Pearson - I saw this book around the place last year and bought it, and then attempted to buy it again.
Champagne for Breakfast by Maggie Christensen - I have read many, many Maggie Christensen books, but not this one! Yet.
Elizabeth's Star by Rhonda Forrest - This is partially set in New Guinea in WWII, which is a very unusual setting!
This Has Been Absolutely Lovely by Jessica Dettmann - I read Without Further Ado last year and loved it, so now I need to read her backlist at some point.
The Irish Cottage by Juliet Gauvin - Maybe I should read this book soon given that Reading Ireland hosted by Cathy at 746 Books is about to start.
A Rogue of One's Own by Evie Dunmore - I can't even remember the last time I read a historical romance, and yet I still keep on trying to buy this one!
Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's theme is Books Set In X (Pick a setting and share books that are all set there. This could be a specific continent or country, a state, in outer space, underwater, on a ship or boat, at the beach, etc.) I am choosing to do books set in and around kitchens, so could feature cafe owners, cooks and more!
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus - a scientist becomes a TV cooking show host. (my review)
The Kitchen Front by Jennifer Ryan - Four home cooks compete for the chance to co-host (my review)
The City Bakers Guide to Country Living by Louise Miller - A pastry chef flees Boston after a culinary disaster and finds herself in small town Vermont (my review)
Celebrations in Bellbird Bay by Maggie Christensen - Sandy, the main character in this book, owns a baking and catering business (my review)
Finding Family at the Cornish Cove by Kim Nash - Gemma is running the local cafe in this book set in Cornwall (my review)
The Enchanted Garden Cafe by Abigail Drake - This cafe is run by a character called Fiona and is located in Pittsburgh. (my review)
Love and Saffron by Kim Fay - This is a story of inter-generational friendship that formed from a mutual love of food (my review)
Sweet Bean Paste by Durian Sukegawa - Another story of inter-generational friendship set in a cafe that only sells doriyaki. My review for this one will be posted in January.
Battle Royal by Lucy Parker - Two bakers compete for the opportunity to cook for a royal wedding.
Finding Love at the Christmas Market by Jo Thomas - Connie loves baking, and is looking for love online which leads her to a German Christmas market.
Today I m going to talk about reading via Kindle saves me money. Well, that's not precisely true. I have a tendency to be awake in the middle of the night, and finding myself browsing books. And let's face it, it's easy to shop when all it takes is just one click.
So how does it save money? Thankfully, it saves me from one clicking books that I have already bought. What happens is I think oh that book looks good. I hit the one click and it says....well actually you bought this book back in 2020.
During September I had some gaps in my reading schedule, so I was trying to just read whatever I wanted, but I did decide that I should read at least one book that I have attempted to buy more than once! And so, the next book that I tried to buy again was this one. And it just so happens that it is perfect for a Weekend Cooking post.
The Enchanted Garden Cafe by Abigail Drake is the first book in the South Side Stories trilogy. You may well ask South Side of where exactly? And the answer is Pittsburgh.
I am a sucker for a book that has a touch of magic, food and romance and this has all of these. The main character is Fiona. She helps her mother Claire run The Enchanted Garden Cafe. Where Claire is all about letting fate and karma take it's course, Fiona is about spreadsheets, plans and logic. Claire is happy enough to hold naked yoga on a regular basis. Fiona is worried about health regulations. Where Fiona is worried about the future of the cafe but Claire doesn't seem to be worried at all.
The reason Fiona is worried because there is a big developer who is determined to purchase all the businesses in the area so that they can be knocked down to build a car park. As the more and more of the shops in the other historical buildings in the area close down, the more likelihood that the cafe will suffer the same fate.
Luckily, one thing that Fiona doesn't have to worry about is her love life. She has recently met the perfect man. Scott is handsome and successful, looks great in a suit, and Fiona couldn't ask for more. The only problem is, every time they get close to doing the deed, something happens. For example, the fountain in the garden sprung a leak and destroyed his shoes on one occasion. Despite this everything is pointing towards an engagement any time soon
Given how happy she is with Scott, there is no reason why her heart should flutter uncontrollably every time she sees the new acoustic guitarist who comes to perform at the cafe every Saturday night, right?
To give you some idea of Fiona, here's a short quote from early in the book:
I enjoyed working in the shop, but the kitchen was my favorite place. I loved chopping and sifting and kneading. When the aroma of baking cookies filled the air and I smelled spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, or cloves, I felt happy and content. I couldn't cut a lemon without lifting it to my nose for a whiff of its bright, citrusy beauty, and there was nothing as satisfying as putting bread dough into an oiled bowl and coming back to see it doubled in size.
I needed a "Kitchen Witch" apron instead of "Kitchen Bitch" because this was the kind of magic I could believe in. It wasn't the magic Mom and her friends talked about, with omens, charms, and crystals. My magic was practical. Scientific. I mixed the right ingredients in the correct amounts and created something wonderful.
I planned my life this way, too, putting the right things together in the correct amounts to get the desired results. If I had a recipe, it would read, "Take four years of undergrad in a useful major. Add an MBA. Work hard. Stir in the right man, if desired, and enjoy a happy and successful life without ever worrying about things like peeling paint, broken air conditioners, leaky fountains, or irresponsible parents."
I sighed. Mom would never change, but at least I could control the other elements in my life. Any cook knows, to get the best outcome from a recipe, choose the highest-quality ingredients and buy only the best in kitchen supplies. That''s what I'd done by choosing Scott. He was as reliable as a good copper pot.
This book is full of interesting characters like Auntie Mags who was convinced that Fiona's chakras are blocked, the other staff in the cafe, and various other characters who play key roles in the battle to save the cafe. As that heats up, there are various things that happen. I enjoyed the book, but did feel like Fiona was a bit slow to figure out who she could, and couldn't, trust.
The other two books in the series are called The Hocus Pocus Magic Shop and The Dragonsong Law Offices. There are a couple of other books by Abigail Drake that sound good too!
Weekly meals
Saturday - Away for the weekend
Sunday - Away for the weekend
Monday - Butter Chicken pizza
Tuesday - Sausages in tomato and onion, mash and broccoli
Wednesday - Birthday dinner for my nephew
Thursday - Pressure cooker spaghetti bolognaise
Friday -Out for dinner
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
