Top Ten Tuesday: New to me authors I read in 2025

Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week the theme is Bookish Discoveries I Made in 2025 (New-to-you authors you discovered, new genres you learned you like, new bookish resources you found, friends you made, local bookshops you found, a book club you joined, etc.). I am going to use this as an opportunity to showcase some of the new to me authors I read last year.

All up I read 67 new to me authors which is hard to narrow down to just ten choices, so the first 9 of these authors are those that I read multiple books from. In other words, I enjoyed their first books enough to go and read more!

Finding that elusive 10th author to include on the list was a bit trickier. I thought I would pick one where I only read one book by them but I gave that book 5/5 rating. However, there are still four of those! 

Claire Keegan - I know that I am late to the party with this one but I read two of Irish author Claire Keegan's books last year and I have already read another this year. I am going to run out of her books soon I think. Often her books are quite short but boy they pack a punch!

Claire van Ryn - Another Claire! This one is from Tasmania, and I really loved both books of hers that I read last year which I reviewed here and here. Birds play an important part in the stories and both covers are gorgeous! I will be excited about her next book for sure!

Emma Davies - Emma Davies is a British author. I enjoyed the two books I read from her and have now bought some of her earlier books. I reviewed her books here and here.

Emma Grey - I have mentioned Emma Grey several times now in my best of posts for last year. She is the only author that I have given 5/5 stars to both of the books I read from her last year. I reviewed them here and here. Can't wait for the next book which is out soon.

Hannah Bonam-Young - This is definitely a case of being last to the party. I read Out on a Limb and Next of Kin last year and I am looking forward to reading more this year!

Laura Imai Messina - Laura Imai Messina is Italian by birth, but she has lived in Japan for more than 20 years. I loved both of her books but so far I have only reviewed one of them. I have a friend who is a Japanophile and I was talking to her about this authors books, and she started to cry because she said that the stories just sound so Japanese. I don't think any more of this authors books have been translated into English, but if they are I will be reading them!

Mai Mochikuzi - At first I wasn't sure about the mix of human size, walking, talking cats, astrology and food but it is fun. I reviewed the first book here and the second book here.

Shari Low - I read three of Shari Low's books last year. They are mainly set in Scotland and feature a bunch of fun characters, and are often interconnected. 

Yuta Takahashi - This is the author of one of several Japanese foodie series I am reading. This one features a restaurant where you can come to eat remembrance meals and get the chance to have one last conversation with the person you are remembering. I reviewed the two books here and here.

Jodi McAlister - In the end I chose this book because it is the only book by a new to me author that I rated 5/5 stars that I never got around to reviewing, for no other reason than I ran out of time. I also saw her at a couple of events last year as well! If you love smart, funny enemies to lover romances check it out! Highly recommend! One of the members of my book club read it and she absolutely loved it, and she is 80 years old!! I will definitely read more from Jodi McAlister

Six Degrees of Separation: The Four Dutchmen to Case Histories

 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 is a wildcard to begin the year so we start with the book that we finished last month’s chain with, which means I am starting with The Four Dutchmen by W Somerset Maughan. My instant thought was to o with a Dutch connection but I actually did a whole Dutch chain a couple of months ago so had to give it some more thought.

I very nearly still went with a Dutch related book for my first link but instead I am going in a completely different route. My first choice this month is The Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros. This is a book featuring dragons in a romantasy setting.

My next selection is also a book with dragons but this time the setting is real history, with a twist. Temeraire by Naomi Novik is set against the background of the Napoleonic Wars! This book was also published under the title His Majesty's Dragon. (my review)

From here, I had a decision to make. One choice would have taken me down the path of books published with different titles, but in the end I have chosen to focus on the word dragons, even though there was no sign of actual dragons in the book. My next selection is Here Be Dragons by Sharon Kay Penman which is one of a trilogy of books which tells the history of Welsh royalty

The book that I have read most recently that was set in Wales is Christmas at Hollybush Farm by Jo Thomas. (my review)

The most recent book that I read which was a Christmassy book was One December Morning by Emma Davies. (my review)

A book that was mentioned in that book was Case Histories by Kate Atkinson. (my review)

So there's my Six Degrees of Separation which has dragons and no dragons, a bit of time in Wales and some Christmas fun. 

Next month, the starting point is Flashlight by Helen Choi, a book that I am currently trying, and struggling, to read.

Will you be joining us?

One December Morning by Emma Davies

Earlier this year I read my first book by Emma Davies which was called The Midnight Bakery. As soon as I saw that there was going to be a new book out I knew that I was going to read it.

One December Morning starts with a really cute meet-cute. I am sure it is still a meet-cute even when the characters are in their 50s and 60s. When Peg and Henry meet in a petrol station, there is no reason to think that they will ever meet again. Hours later, they are both stuck in a traffic jam on the highway. With no sign of the cars moving, Peg approaches Henry's car and they sit together for a couple of hours chatting, sharing mince pies, until the traffic moves and they go their separate ways. 

It turns out, though, that they are heading in very similar directions. Widow Peg is returning home to her beloved cottage with a patch of wood that she can wander through whenever she needs some peace of mind or inspiration. Peg had been visiting her aging aunt who had been in hospital.

Divorcee Henry is heading a nearby village in the Cotswolds for a visit to his son Adam and uptight daughter in law Sophia. Henry doesn't really enjoy the whole Christmas production which Sophia put on. Everything has to look perfect, taste perfect, and spend time with other perfect people. Henry finds it all very uncomfortable, but he does it out of a sense of duty so that he can spend time with his son. 

After a heated discussion with Adam, Henry goes to find Peg's house looking for refuge. However, things don't come to plan. Peg finds herself becoming involved with Henry's family including Adam, Sophia and her mother Blanche. Adding Peg's aunt Mim and her own daughters into the mix, Peg's plan for a very low key Christmas with just her and a good book have gone right out the window.

Whilst Christmas plays an important part in this story, really the book is about being true to yourself and second chances. Several of the characters are facing unexpected changes in their lives and have the opportunity to think about what life really is all about!

I really enjoyed the first part of the story, and the end was nicely tied up, albeit it did feel a bit rushed. There is an odd change in the direction of the story at a point in the middle which had my scratching my head a bit when it happened. I ended up flipping back a couple of chapters to reread them to try and figure it what happened. In the end I just had to go with it!

I will be looking for books from this author's backlist and, of course, also for any new books she comes out with!

Thanks for Netgalley for the review copy. I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted at The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews. This will be my last review for the 2025 version of the challenge, but I have already signed up for the 2026 challenge!

Top Ten Tuesday: Most Recent Additions

Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week the theme is Most Recent Additions to My Bookshelf

I've gone a bit 1 click crazy over the last week or so, which meant that this list has changed a few times since I first started it! Luckily it's a matter of adding anything new to the top of the list and then take the corresponding number off the bottom of the list.

A Year at Appleyard Farms by Emma Davies - I have read the last couple of books by Emma Davies so now I am looking for some of her earlier book. This is a compilation of four of her books. 

Everyone Loves Cake by Alisha Henderson - This was one of my Christmas presents

The Sirens by Emilia Hart - I haven't read any books by this author but they all sound good so I hope to get to this one soon. 

The Honeysuckle Cafe by Lilly Mirren - I was drawn to this one because the cover is gorgeous and the author is Australian although she isn't an author I was previously familiar with. 

Christmas at the Little Knitting Box by Helen Rolfe - Helen Rolfe is an auto read author for me but now I am look at her backlist.

A Starlit Summer by Kate Frost - Kate Frost is another author I have read a few books from. I already own the first and last books in the Romantic Escape series. This is the second book in the series.

The Amsterdam Affair by Kate Frost - And this is the fourth book in the same series. No idea why I didn't buy the third book. I should fix that!

Best Wishes from the Full Moon Coffee Shop by Mai Mochizuki - This is the second book in the Full Moon Coffee Shop series which features human size, walking talking cats, astrology and magical sounding drinks! This is the only one of these books that I have read so far.

The Arctic Curry Club by Dani Redd - I saw this on someone's blog a couple of weeks ago and had to have it. Love the cover on this one.

The Ghost Cat by Alex Howard - This is one that I got through Prime rather than buying outright. I am looking forward to reading it!

Now that I have finished this post I can't buy any more books until Wednesday!

This week...

I'm reading

I managed to finished a few books this week. 

I finished reading Hot Desk by Zara Stoneley which I had out from the library. I mentioned last week that I first discovered this author through her books written under the name Sue Heath. I will definitely be reading more Zara Stoneley books through the library. 

I also finished One December Morning by Emma Davies. My review will be up in the next couple of days. 

I also started and finished The Oyster Catcher by Jo Thomas. I have read quite a few of her later books so now it is time to start catching up on the earlier releases.

Next up, I started reading Everyone on This Train is a Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson, as I am trying to get ahead of the library due dates. This is not being helped by the fact that I have 6 books all waiting to be picked up!

I'm watching

In the lead up to Christmas, I watched several different Christmas themed music events which were fine. Carols by Candelight is an Aussie tradition and this year I watched the Salvation Army Carols in the Domain, plus Delta Goodrem's Christmas special which were nice to have on in the background more than anything. 

Wed did watch quite a bit of the cricket this week. The game should have lasted 5 days but it was all done in 2. I don't think it is that great for the game really. It's exciting to watch but losing 3 days of ticket sales, advertising revenue etc has to hurt the business side of the game!

I did also watch a TV show called Europe's Greatest Gardens all about Hortus Botanicas in Leiden in the Netherlands. Next time we go to visit my brother in law it's a place I would like to visit.

Life

Welcome to that awkward week between Christmas and New Year where you lose track of what you are meant to be doing, what day of the week it is and general confusion prevails. I do have to keep an eye on the calendar as I am working every day this week except New Years Day. Robert isn't working so he has created his own Honey Do list.

Christmas was lovely as usual. We go to my sister's most years, and have a very traditional meal of prawn cocktail, roast turkey and ham, and then a Christmas pudding and other desserts.

I did make a cheesecake on Saturday because I had a lot of berries left over and I used them to decorate.  Then on Sunday we went for a drive in the country to a small town near us called Trentham. it was a lovely day out.

Posts from the last week


Top Ten Tuesday: Christmas Reads This Year
Festive Treats: 2025
Weekend Cooking: Best of 2025
Sunday Salon: 2026 Reading Challenges




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

This week...

I'm reading

My difficulty in deciding which book to read next continued, which was a bit more heightened given I didn't have much reading time this week. 

In the end I started reading Hot Desk by Zara Stoneley. I have read and loved two books by this author under her other author name, Sue Heath, but it is my first Zara Stoneley book. I was kind of surprised that my library actually had any of her books. I hadn't actually looked but when I was at another library for an event, I noticed that they had one of her books on their shelves, which inspired me to look at my library catalogue, and voila! This one was there waiting for me1

I did also read a couple of chapters of One December Morning by Emma Davies but I haven't made it very far yet!


I'm watching



December 21 is affectionately known as Gravy Day to many Australians, thanks to the lyrics of a song called How to Make Gravy by Paul Kelly. Last year, a movie also inspired by the lyrics of the song came out but I only got around to watching it this week. It's definitely not a light and fluffy Christmas movie which given the story in the song about a man in prison writing to his brother asking who's going to make the Christmas gravy.

 Here's the trailer:

Life


Given that I only changed jobs in August and I have already had a holiday since I started, I don't have any leave entitlements. I am therefore working through the break and so I am only getting the public holidays off. That meant cramming all the Christmas shopping into one day on the weekend.

We did have our end of year event for work last week. It was a bit different from the Christmas events I have been to for my previous employers. There were musicians, a magician, wandering oyster shuckers and so much more!

Posts from the last week


Top Ten Tuesday: Books on my Summer 2025-2026 To Read List

Afternoon Tea Diaries: Palate Through Time: Before at Oxi Tea Rooms
Spell the Month in Books: December






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

Weekend Cooking: The Midnight Bakery by Emma Davies

When Francis decides to start again, one of the first things she does is change her name to one that she actually likes  and one that she feels is more representative of who she wants to be. Francis.....meet Frankie! 

Beginning again also means a new job in a new location, and so it is that Frankie finds herself working all night in Duggan's Bakery getting all the goods ready for the next day. She doesn't mind working overnight in the bakery by herself. In fact she prefers to be alone. She listens to music and dances around the bakery, she dreams about the changes she would make if she owned the bakery, and she begins to heal herself from her past. It is a place of safety for her. And the small flat above the bakery is home.

One night, Frankie witnesses a woman take a tumble near the bakery. She insists on providing some first aid, little knowing that this one interaction is going to change her life, bringing new people into her life and forming a circle of support that she didn't know that she craved. 

Beth is a nurse who works the night shift at the local hospital. Her husband Jack had an accident on their farm which left him in a wheelchair. Beth is now the primary earner and works night so that can be there for her husband when he needs help during the day. They can't afford to hire a carer so it all falls on Beth. And she is tired. So, so tired. She would do anything for Jack, but she is running on empty. When her job is threatened Beth can't see how she can keep going. 

William is a man with a past, one that means that it could be difficult for him to find work. Right now though, he is working at a nearby club as security. He suspects that there are some dodgy dealings going on at the club but he has to be so careful not to lose his job. He also knows that if he gets caught up in anything illegal he could end up back in prison.  His past actions have left him separated from his family but he is determined that this time will be different. This time, he will become someone that his new friends can be proud of.

And finally there is Tam. Tam is a failed businessman whose biggest mistake was trusting his best friend. After losing everything and being declared bankrupt, he is working a job as a carer in a nursing home and doing his best to pay back those who lost money. He has lost everything, is sleeping in his car in a car park near the bakery but he has his job and his integrity. When his job is threatened because he doesn't have a fixed address, he doesn't see much of a future.

I really loved how these four came together, and how well they were able to help each other. Whilst Frankie is obviously the main character, they each had a turn where their story was told and by working together they found ways for each of them to find a way forward. I particularly enjoyed the direction that Tam's story took, where he was able to use his compassion and ingenuity in a way that might be completely unexpected at the beginning of the book. 

Frankie's heart is what brings this group together, but it is their admiration and friendship that bring her the strength she needs when her own past catches up with her.

Given that this book is set in a bakery there are plenty of scenes where the characters are creating delicious sounding baked goods. I could see the shelves full of bread, cinnamon rolls and other treats all lined up at the end of each night, ready to be sold during the day.  There were times I could smell the bread baking. This is not a book to read when you are hungry..

You know that I am a sucker for a foodie book, in particular a book set in a bakery, so I was relatively confident that I would like it. The book does still need to have interesting characters and a good story. It can't just rely on the foodie aspects. Luckily, this book had both of these plus strong food elements. I also loved how the friendship grew between these four people as they navigated the issues that they had in their individual lives.

Each person's story was treated with dignity and I closed the book with a contented sigh.

You may notice that purple is my favourite colour and so I loved this cover the minute I saw it! Interestingly, this book had a last minute title change. Originally it was called Frankie Nightingale Begins Again and that is the title that my review copy had. However, just before publication date it had a last minute changes to The Midnight Bakery. I think that the original title was more unique but the second title would be an easier title to remember, even if it is more generic. What I can say is that regardless of the title, this will be a book that I will remember for some time! I am not sure why, but for some reason I thought that this was a historical fiction story so it was a bit of a surprise when it wasn't. 

This is the first time I have read anything from this author. She does have quite a big backlist and it appears that she writes across several genres. I did see that she has just announced a new Christmas book which will be out in October. I will be keeping a look out for it and intend to see what backlist books might work for me! In other words, Emma Davies has a new fan!

I am sharing this review with Foodie Reads hosted at Based on a True Story and with the New Release Challenge hosted at The Chocolate Lady's Book Review Blog. This was also one of the books that I nominated to read as part of 20 Books of Winter.

Rating 4/5

Weekly meals

Saturday - Minestrone
Sunday - Minestrone
Monday - Pork steaks with mash, broccoli and mushroom sauce
Tuesday - Out for dinner
Wednesday - Chicken stir fry
Thursday - Chicken Enchiladas
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

This week....

I'm reading

After last week's post where I lamented the challenges I am facing in keeping up with library and blog post due dates in my reading, this week I would like to add one more layer of complexity into the mix. Normally my book club is read upon a theme, but this month we decided that we would follow the more traditional approach of all reading the same book. The book club meeting is on Saturday and no, I haven't even started reading the book yet. I don't think I will get it read in time but we will see. I would like to finish it this month as it will count for Women in Translation month.

I did finish a few books this week. I finished reading The Midnight Bakery by Emma Davies. I liked this one and will review it at some point in the near future as a Weekend Cooking post. 

I also finished reading The Florence Sisters by Tessa Harris. This was my first book by this author and I will keep an eye out for me. I plan to review this in a couple of weeks.

I did read The Girl from the War Room by Catherine Law, which I am on a blog tour for this week. I also am due to review The Friendship List by Beth Miller this week. I have started it but still need to finish it.

I also started The Whisky Widow by Karen Brooks which is a library book that is due back and I can't extend. I have read a bit of this and so far really like it. I am not sure why I haven't read Karen Brooks before as I own several of her books.

I did also go to two author events this week. The first was to hear Anne Freeman and Madeleine Cleary talk about Women of Ill Repute. Madeleine Cleary's debut novel is The Butterfly Women and it is set in a brothel in 1850's Melbourne. Anne Freeman's latest book, Me That You See, is about contemporary online sex workers. The conversation was wide ranging and covered topics like what has and hasn't changed for those who make their living in this way. It was really interesting. I reviewed The Butterfly Women here.

The second event was a launch for a book called In the Long Run by Emma Mugglestone which is a romance novel where the characters are members of a running club, which apparently is a great place to meet people these days. It would never have worked for me because I don't think I could run even if I was being chased by lions! Coincidentally, Anne Freeman was the interviewer at this event so I got to meet her twice in just a few days.

The launch was lots of fun! There was a great vibe, great conversation, a cocktail, cake and so much more!

I'm watching

Last week was the final of Masterchef Australia. Now we have to work out what to watch every night! We have Bake Off one night but not sure what else!

We did watch the first episode The Casketeers: Life and Death Around the World. The Casketeers is a show that we have watched previously and it follows a funeral company as they prepare those who have passed for their final farewell. It is very tender and funny, and now the couple visits various places around the world to learn more about the funerary traditions. The first place that they visited was Tonga. It doesn't sound like it would be particularly amusing, but it is funny and compassionate, and ultimately is uplifting TV

Life

We went and had afternoon tea with some friends at the Ritz Carlton in Melbourne on Saturday afternoon. The dining area and reception are on the 80th floor, and the views are exceptional! The afternoon tea itself was good, although I was a bit disappointed in the scones. The hit for me were the savoury items, which is a bit unusual for me. Normally I am all about the sweet treats. I'll post more about this soon.

Posts from the last week


Top Ten Tuesday: Books I read in August over the last 11 years
Beartown by Fredrik Backman
Blog Tour: Will You Stay Another Day? by Samantha Tonge
The Secrets of the Huon Wren by Claire van Ryn
Weekend Cooking: The Deadly Dispute by Amanda Hampson
Spell the Month in Books: August


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

This week....

I'm reading

Well, I guess it was to be expected. I started my new job last week and my reading time took a complete nosedive! Things weren't helped by the fact that I chopped and changed what I was reading so I currently have several books on the go. At the moment I am struggling a little bit to juggle review due dates with library due dates with the books I have left on my 20 Books of Winter list, and with the books I want to read for Aussie August and Women in Translation month. And, of course, then there are the books that I just want to read for the sheer fun of it!

I started reading The Three Juliets by Minnie Darke, which is one of the books I nominated for my 20 Books of Winter list but I had to put it aside to read 100 Years of Betty by Debra Oswald as I realised it was due back at the library and could not be extended.

Another book from my 20 Books of Winter list that I started was The Midnight Bakery by Emma Davies. This will also be a post for Weekend Cooking at some in the future, assuming I can get back to it. 

I did read Will You Stay Another Day by Samantha Tonge which I will review this week as part of a blog tour.

I started The Girl from the War Room by Catherine Law which is one of two books due to be reviewed next week for blog tours.

Then I started The Florence Sisters by Tessa Harris, thinking that book would be the next book due back at the library but then two more books came up as non-renewable. I therefore started reading The Convenience Store by the Sea by Sonoko Machida. Fortunately this was the perfect book to read in one sitting on a Sunday afternoon! I really loved it!

I may be putting too much pressure on myself!

I did go to an author event this week! I took a drive up the highway to a town called Ballarat which is just under an hour away. Whilst that sounds like a bit of a drive, it is actually easier to get to than some of the bookstores on the other side of town. This time, I went to hear Chloe Adams and Alli Sinclair talk about their new books. I went to see Chloe Adams last week but this is the first time I had heard Alli Sinclair talk. I have been a fan since I read her book The Codebreakers. Her new book is called A Woman's Voice and it sounds so good! I have a couple of author events this week which I am really looking forward to!

I'm watching


Portugal and Spain are places that are on our bucket list so when I saw that Michael Portillo had a show on Portugal we binge watched all three episodes. The first three shows focussed on Porto, Braga and The Algarve. When there are new episodes we will watch more.

We also started watching Michael Palin in Nigeria. My son is half Nigerian and my husband lived there for a couple of years (before me obviously) and so I was keen to see something about Lagos which is where my ex was from.

I also watched the Netflix movie My Oxford Year, which is based on the book by Julia Whelan, better known as audiobook narrator extraordinaire. I liked the movie, although I was a bit surprised by the melodramatic turn in the story. 

I finally watched the second Fisherman's Friends movie which is called Fisherman's Friends: One and All. I have had it on my list for a few years at least! I really enjoyed this movie, and especially the sea shanty soundtrack.



Life


So far, the new job is great! The people are nice, there are going to be plenty of challenges and opportunities, and I feel like a can make a difference. There is a lot of information overload at this point though! It is a bit of a change after being off work for nearly 10 months, especially on those days when I have to get on the train relatively early! I am sure I will get back into the routine soon enough.

Posts from the last week


20 Books of Winter - July 
Top Ten Tuesday: Sports Romances
Blog Tour: A Place in the Sun by Jo Thomas
Blog Tour: One Snowy Day by Shari Low
Blog Tour: Waves of Change in Pelican Crossing by Maggie Christensen
Afternoon Tea Diaries: The Tea Rooms
The Historical Fiction Reading Challenge: July 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

Top Ten Tuesday: 10 of my 20 Books of winter

Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week is a Summer/Winter Freebie so there is no set theme.

Recently it was announced that Emma from Words and Peace and Annabel from Annabookbel have taken over the 20 Books of Summer event that was previously hosted by Cathy at 746Books. It was an event that I always intended to participate in, but it's winter here and so it just didn't happen. This year though, there is even a 20 Books of Winter graphic, so my post this week is 10 of the 20 books that I intend to read for the Books of Winter event. I haven't decided if I am going to aim for 15 or 20 books and chances are that I won't review everything even if I do read them. We'll see. We also have a Books of my Winter TBR topic coming up in a couple of weeks so I will probably share the rest then. 

The books themselves are a combination of old and new books, books that I want to read for events, and some that I have been meaning to read for the longest time but just haven't gotten to yet.

Beartown by Fredrik Backman - I know a few people who LOVE Fredrik Backman. So far, the only thing I have read from him is a short story called The Answer is No. 

A Bakery in Paris by Aimie K Runyan - This is the current Cook the Books selection and also will be one of my posts for Paris In July.

Half Truth by Nadia Mahjouri - I heard Nadia speak at the Rachael John's Readers Retreat last month, and I just had to buy the book straight away. I am really looking forward to this one! In fact, I have hold myself back from starting this one too early in case I finished it before 1 June.

Three Juliets by Minnie Darke - I have really enjoyed everything I have read from Minnie Darke so I have high hopes for this one too!

A Secret Garden in Paris by Sophie Beaumont - I really liked The Paris Cooking School, and I have been intending to read this one ever since it came out. Sophie Beaumont has just announced her next Paris book which will be out later in the year.

French Rhapsody by Antoine Laurain - I have read a number of Antoine Laurain books over the last couple of years. This year I think I will read this one.

The French Kitchen by Emma Davies - Unsurprisingly this will likely be a Paris in July books too.

The Village Cafe in the Loire by Gillian Harvey - I am on a blog tour for this book in July, and it will also be a Paris in July book. 

The Story Collector by Evie Woods - I have read two Evie Woods books now. I thought one was fine but the other was fantastic so I am keen to read this one to see where it lands!

The Kings Jewel by Elizabeth Chadwick - I have had this on several lists as a book I really want to read. I am determined to read it soon!