Countdown to 2025: Day 31

 This year I am participating in Countdown to 2025 hosted by Lynn from Lynn's Books. Today is day 14 and the prompt for today is Bottle of Bubbly – your first read for 2025

It took me a while to decide which book I would post about today as there are several that I wanted to start, but in the end I chose There River in the Sky by Elif Shafak! I loved her book The Island of Missing Trees so I have high hopes that this is going to be a good book to start the new year with. So far, so good!

This photo was taken as we were wandering around the Adelaide Botanical Gardens looking at the Chithuly outddoor exhibition that is on there at the moment!

Thanks to Lynn for the prompts. It's been a lot of fun, and a lot of blogging! 

Countdown to 2025: Day 29 and 30

 This year I am participating in Countdown to 2025 hosted by Lynn from Lynn's Books. I am travelling at the moment so I am doing both yesterday and today's prompt today. The prompt for yesterday was A roaring fire – a book that was heartwarming

II actually struggled with this prompt a bit but in the end I chose this book because it tells the story of a woman who is starting life over after tragedy and the community that she begins to build. You can read my review here. It was also one of my 5/5 reads for the year and you can read my review here

 The prompt for today is Family and Friends – a book with great characters. I chose The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman because I am really looking forward to seeing how these characters come to life when the TV series is released! I must read the next book in the series.

Tomorrow's prompt is Bottle of Bubbly – your first read for 2025. I have one book that I really want to finish before I start thinking about my first book of the year for 2025. Fingers crossed I finish it!

Countdown to 2025: Day 28

 This year I am participating in Countdown to 2025 hosted by Lynn from Lynn's Books. Today is day 28 and the prompt for today is Candlelight – a book that kept you up into the early hours

For this prompt I have chosen the first book I read this year, which was my first 5/5 read for the year!

Tomorrow's prompt is A roaring fire – a book that was heartwarming

Countdown to 2025: Day 27

This year I am participating in Countdown to 2025 hosted by Lynn from Lynn's Books. Today is day 27 and the prompt for today is Christmas Crackers – Ended with a bang

It's not that it ended with a bang as far as the story goes, but rather in  my frustration at where it ended! Never mind, I have started the final book so I can finally get the answers after the earlier 7 books.

Tomorrow's prompt is Candlelight – a book that kept you up into the early hours

Countdown to 2025: Day 26

 This year I am participating in Countdown to 2025 hosted by Lynn from Lynn's Books. Today is day 26 and the prompt for today is Boxing Day – feeling bloated, a palate cleanser

For this prompt I have chosen What I Ate in One Year by Stanley Tucci. I listened to both this book and his previous book on audio and it is just such a joy to listen to him narrate. It often feels like he is only talking to me!

Tomorrow's prompt is Christmas Crackers – Ended with a bang 

Countdown to 2025: Day 25

This year I am participating in Countdown to 2025 hosted by Lynn from Lynn's Books. Today is day 25 and the prompt for today is Christmas Day – a book you received as a gift

Not only did I get this book, it is also a signed copy!! I see some cookies in my future.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Tomorrow's prompt is Boxing Day – feeling bloated, a palate cleanser

Countdown to 2025: Day 24

This year I am participating in Countdown to 2025 hosted by Lynn from Lynn's Books. Today is day 24 and the prompt for today is Christmas Eve – One of your most anticipated books for 2025

For this prompt I have chosen The Many Futures of Maddy Hart by Laura Pearson which is out in February.  If I had to choose who my favourite new author that I discovered in 2024 was, it would be Laura Pearson. I absolutely loved The Before Life of Eliza Valentine, and I also read The Last List of Mabel Beaumont. And I bought just about all of her other books as well!

Tomorrow's prompt is Christmas Day – a book you received as a gift

Countdown to 2025: Day 23

This year I am participating in Countdown to 2025 hosted by Lynn from Lynn's Books. Today is day 23 and the prompt for today is Sleigh bells – a series that you want to ring out the praise for

found this prompt a bit of a struggle because there were quite a few options. In the end I decided to choose this  book, Before We Forget Kindness by Toshikazu Kawaguchi, which is the fifth book in the Before the Coffee Gets Cold series.

The reason I chose this one was because seeing this author at Melbourne Writers Festival earlier this year was one of my bookish highlights for the year!

Tomorrow's prompt is Christmas Eve – One of your most anticipated books for 2025

Countdown to 2025: Day 22

 This year I am participating in Countdown to 2025 hosted by Lynn from Lynn's Books. Today is day 22 and the prompt for today is Reindeers – a book with memorable critters

The storyline for this one includes a pregnant reindeer! And a main character with the nickname of Wolf. It is also very Christmassy!

Here's the link to my review!

Tomorrow's prompt is Sleigh bells – a series that you want to ring out the praise for

Countdown to 2025: Day 21

This year I am participating in Countdown to 2025 hosted by Lynn from Lynn's Books. Today is day 21 and the prompt for today is Santa’s Snack – a book that was a ‘light read’ between heavier books

I'd never read Fredrik Backman before and now I find myself wondering why, as I thoroughly enjoyed this one!

The trouble all starts when someone leaves a frying pan next to the recycling bin and the apartment building is determined to find the guilty party. Lucas likes to be left alone. In his mind, people are the root of all stress and disharmony, so he is more than a little unhappy when he suddenly finds himself in charge of the growing pile of rubbish! And then things get really out of hand.

I have never lived in a building where there is a body corporate and the associated committees but I know people who do and I have heard some absolute horror stories of how things can go wrong!

I thought this was a delightful short read and now I am determined to read more from Backman.

I am sharing this mini review with the New Release Challenge hosted by The Chocolate Lady Book Reviews and Books in Translation Challenge hosted at The Introverted Reader.

Tomorrow's prompt is Reindeers – a book with memorable critters

Countdown to 2025: Day 20

 This year I am participating in Countdown to 2025 hosted by Lynn from Lynn's Books. Today is day 20 and the prompt for today is Eggnog – a book that was out of your comfort zone

When I was looking through my list of books read this year I was wondering if I read much that was outside my comfort zone and then I got to this book and I was like....on yes, that's right. There was that one!

I decided to read this because it foodie, and it is set in Scotland, and I was travelling in Scotland at the time. What I hadn't taken into consideration is that this was horror, which I don't really read! This was a very dark and twisted tale which I wouldn't want to read again!

Tomorrow's prompt is Santa’s Snack – a book that was a ‘light read’ between heavier books

Countdown to 2025: Day 19

This year I am participating in Countdown to 2025 hosted by Lynn from Lynn's Books. Today is day 19 and the prompt for today is Christmas Carols – a book with musicians, song or instruments

I am choosing this book because one of the main characters, Adrian, plays Spanish guitar. The story features quite a lot about the guitar, including it getting misplaced as Adrian and Jo travel across France and Spain, and some history of the Spanish guitar!

You can see my review of this book here!

Tomorrow's prompt is Eggnog – a book that was out of your comfort zone

Countdown to 2025: Day 18

 This year I am participating in Countdown to 2025 hosted by Lynn from Lynn's Books. Today is day 18 and the prompt for today is Christmas Cards – a book with a message

So, this is going to be a bit odd, because the book I am choosing definitely has a message, but, as I mentioned in my review in the author's note where she asks people to leave a review if they could, she specifically asks that we not mention one of the themes of the novel. So I won't! But it is definitely there!

Here's the link to my review from earlier this year

Tomorrow's prompt is Christmas Carols – a book with musicians, song or instruments

Countdown to 2025: Day 17

This year I am participating in Countdown to 2025 hosted by Lynn from Lynn's Books. Today is day 17 and the prompt for today is Glitter – A book that you simply have to have

When I was thinking about this prompt, I ended up thinking about what books I have on pre=order, and that is only one book at the moment - The Bad Bridesmaid by Rachael Johns. Coincidentally, I reviewed the connected book to this one yesterday! This book is out in February!

Tomorrow's prompt is Christmas Cards – a book with a message

Countdown to 2025: Day 16

This year I am participating in Countdown to 2025 hosted by Lynn from Lynn's Books. Today is day 16 and the prompt for today is Turkey Dinner– eye’s too big for your belly? A chunkster. 

Once upon a time, I would buy a book precisely because it was a chunkster. The bigger the better. However, these days it is unusual for me to read huge books! In the end I chose The Other Bridget by Rachael Johns. At 490 pages this book probably only just qualifies as a chunkster but it is the second longest book I read this year, so it qualifies in my mind.

Rachael Johns is an autobuy author for me. When I was going through a massive reading slump a few years ago, she was one of only two authors I still read. I have had this book on my shelves for months, and it is even signed, but it was only last week that I picked it up to finally start reading. And then I couldn't put it back down again. I literally read this in a day. I can't remember the last time I did that!

I thought I would use this prompt as an opportunity to share a short review!

Bridget Jones is a librarian, and yes, she was named after THAT Bridget Jones. When the book starts she has just found out that her new boyfriend is a love cheat and so she decides that she is not going to try so hard to meet someone, she is going to let it happen organically. She knows it is definitely not going to be the grumpy man who has just moved in next door, but there is a very nice Italian barista who might be a possibility, and as a bonus he makes great coffee! Luckily she has a close knit group of co-workers who are like family and they will support her no matter what, including her wannabe author best friend Fred.

Of course, life isn't as easy as that, so along the way there is upheaval at work, a couple of heartbreaking storie about the stresses of life, and the ability of books to provide emotional support during times of illness, which Bridget relates to due to her own health struggles during her teen years. But there is also joy, and laughter, a senior's book club full of interesting characters and so much more! I laughed, I cried, and I closed the book with a pretty satisfied smile. There were a couple of small things that didn't quite work for me like the epilogue but they were very small

Give that Bridget is a librarian there are lots of references to books and authors. In fact, there are more than 80 references! It's fun to spot the ones that you are familiar with, and to acquaint yourself with the ones you aren't familiar with.

This book is set in the Perth harbour suburb of Fremantle. Every time I go to Perth to visit family I end up in Freo, and I have added a couple of places that are mentioned to the list of places I must visit next time I am over there including a place called Darling, Darling which is a pirate themed bar!

I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted by The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews and Bookish Books Reading Challenge hosted at Bloggin' Bout Books!

Tomorrow's prompt is Glitter – A book that you simply have to have

Countdown to 2025: Day 15

 This year I am participating in Countdown to 2025 hosted by Lynn from Lynn's Books. Today is day 15 and the prompt for today is Mince pies – a little sweet something

This is the second book in the Kamogawa Food Detectives series, and features a father and daughter team who help recreate dishes for their clients by investigating it's origins and what might have been the factors that influenced the taste and memories. Each story is in effect linked, but individual as there isn't really a through story for the father and the daughter. In a way it reminds me of a pack of mince pies. You get a pack of mince pies, but each one is an individual treat!

Tomorrow's prompt is Turkey Dinner– eye’s too big for your belly? A chunkster

Countdown to 2025: Day 14

  This year I am participating in Countdown to 2025 hosted by Lynn from Lynn's Books. Today is day 14 and the prompt for today is Christmas pudding – if you could squeeze in just one more book for 2024.

I knew which book I was going to choose for this prompt a week ago, but I then started it yesterday so I have to pick a new one. Lucky I have a queue of books waiting for me. I therefore am going to choose A Secret Garden in Paris by Sophie Beaumont. I loved The Paris Cooking School when I read it last year!

Tomorrow's prompt is Mince pies – a little sweet something

Countdown to 2025: Day 13

 This year I am participating in Countdown to 2025 hosted by Lynn from Lynn's Books. Today is day 12 and the prompt for today is Feast – a book that was magnificent

I struggled with this prompt a little bit. What makes a book magnificent? Is it noble characters, is it just a great reading experience. I ended up choosing Lady Tan's Circle of Women by Lisa See which has both!

Tomorrow's prompt is Christmas pudding – if you could squeeze in just one more book for 2024.

Countdown to 2025: Day 12

 This year I am participating in Countdown to 2025 hosted by Lynn from Lynn's Books. Today is day 12 and the prompt for today is Holly and Ivy – a book with great world building

Rightly or wrongly, I associate the term world building with fantasy and sci fi books, so I had a look at my list of books read this year. In the end I chose this one, Hogfather by Terry Pratchett, because I love the world that Pratchett has created in Discworld.

Yesterday, I talked about aural bliss when listening to Richard Armitage narrate Georgette Heyer, but this is pretty good as an audio experience too. It must be. I have listened to every year for the past four. This one is narrated mostly by Sian Clifford, but there are guest appearances by Bill Nighy and Serafinowicz as well!

Tomorrow's prompt is Feast – a book that was magnificent

Countdown to 2025: Day 11

 This year I am participating in Countdown to 2025 hosted by Lynn from Lynn's Books. Today is day 11 and the prompt for today is Mistletoe – a little bit of romance

Now, I read quite a bit of romance, so the question of whether this means a book with just a touch of romance or a full on one one took a bit of thought. In the end though, at the last minute I decided to go with an old school romance.

I listen to this book, Sylvester by Georgette Heyer, every couple of years because it is narrated by Richard Armitage. It is, to put it mildly, aural bliss. He also narrates Venetia, so maybe next year it will be that books turn for a re-listen.

Tomorrow's prompt is Holly and Ivy – a book with great world building