Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's theme is Books that Conjure Up Happy Memories (Feel free to tell us about those memories if you’d like!).
I was going to keeping it simple and share ten titles that have some variation of the word happy in the title. I had all the titles chosen and then I realised that I did the same thing two years ago and only two books would be different, so I had to think of something different. I am going to keep those two books in the list though!
So here are some bookish references to things that make me happy
The Good Husband of Zebra Drive by Alexander McCall Smith- Whilst our street name isn't Zebra Drive, my good husband is from South Africa originally (review)
The Secret Society of Librarians by Kate Thompson - I love books and I love books about books, and this authors books about WWII librarians are right up there! They are so good.
The Little Porto Book Club by Rebecca Raisin- Love travelling, and planning travel. Portugal is my next must visit destination. Reading books set in the destinations I want to visit do give me ideas of things to include in our itinerary (review)
The German Ward by Pip Williams - Love going to author events. I went to an event for this book last night!
You Had Me at Cake by Emelia Jackson - Loving baking out of this book at the moment, or any of her books really
Summer at the French Bakery by Jo Thomas - Set in France and foodie! To be fair I do like Jo Thomas's books wherever they are set. (review)
Mixed Signals by B K Borison - I am loving on B K Borison's books right now, although I am pretty much caught up on all of them. Just need to read her latest book.
The French Christmas Market by Gillian Harvey - For a long time I was a bit of a scrooge when it came to Christmas, or more precisely I was faking it until I made it, but over the last few years I have begun to love Christmas books. This one is the latest one I read and has a bonus element as it is set in France
The Menu of Happiness by Hisashi Kashiwai - Japanese, foodie and it has the word Happiness in the title! (review)
Happily Ever After by Jane Lovering - I do enjoy Jane Lovering's books which are set predominantly in Yorkshire in England (review)
Welcome to August! And yes, in my head I am thinking how did that happen!
It was a pretty normal reading week for me. I finished a book I had started last week, finished a couple of books and started a couple more! Seems to be my regular pattern at the moment.
The book that I had started last week was Summer at the French Bakery by Jo Thomas. As you might guess from the title it is about a woman who moves to France and starts a bakery. It was also the last book I reviewed for this year's Paris in July! My review is here.
I then had a complete change of pace. I used to read a lot of historical romance but it is very, very rare for me to do so these days. This was not only a historical romance it was also a m/m romance. How to Fake it in Society by K J Charles was so much fun. I originally picked it up as it would have fitted a prompt for the Spring Reading Challenge at Goodreads but then I ended up reading something else. I have already requested another K J Charles book from the library
I have three blog tours this week, so I realised that I needed to focus on those books. I therefore read The Secret Dressmaker by Jenny O'Brien. This is the second book in the Threads of Resistance series. My review will be up later this week.
Another book that I need to review this week is Finding Forever in Pelican Crossing by Maggie Christensen. I love Maggie's books set in Pelican Crossing! I started this and I am about half way through, and it is the same comforting, familiar read! My review for this will be up later this week too!
I did also read the first couple of chapters in A Far-Flung Life by M L Stedman. It almost seems a shame to reading it now. Most years, my read on a theme bookclub decides we will go down the more traditional route of all reading the same book. We have chosen this book to read together in October, but this will be due back at the library long before then.
July was a pretty good reading month. I had one 5 star reads and I did have 4 books that I rated as 4.5/5 reads! I also had a lot of fun with Paris in July (as usual) which was Secret Society of Librarians by Kate Thompson! I have now read and loved all of her WWII librarians books so now I have to wait patiently for the next one of those which I think will be out in a couple of years. In the meantime, I will be starting to work through her backlist.
Books let our imaginations travel where our feet cannot - Nora Nguyen
Bookish travel
At the end of every month I like to look and see where I have visited through the books I have read. Here's where I travelled to in July
USA
Maryland - In the Weeds by B K Borison
Minnesota - Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J Ryan Stradal
Europe
Wales - The King's Jewel by Elizabeth Chadwick
Italy - Secrets of the Italian Guesthouse by Sue Moorcroft
France - Don't Brake My Heart by Leonie Mack, The Island of Mists and Miracles by Victoria Mas, Summer at the French Bakery by Jo Thomas
Ireland - Seascraper by Benjamin Wood, The Story Collector by Evie Woods
England - The Book Lover's Bucket List by Hannah Claire, The Secret Society of Librarians by Kate Thompson, The Palace Women by Jennifer Ryan, How to Fake it in Society by K J Charles
Portugal - Escape to the Turquoise Seas by Carrie Walker
Australia
Queensland - Everyone in this Bank is a Thief by Benjamin Stevenson
I'm watching
We started watching Ride or Die with Hannah Waddington and Octavia Spencer this week. So far we have watched three episodes and we will watch it through to the end.
We also started watching World War II with Tom Hanks which we will continue with. I am, however, a bit surprised that there are twenty episodes to get through, so it might take us a while.
Breakaway Femmes - The Forgotten TDF - documentary about the women's Tour de France in the late 1980s. It was a really interesting documentary and fascinating to think that the rampant sexism and misogyny talked about in this series was so recent! By which I mean in my adult lifetime! And shocking to think that it took until the mid 2010s for the women's TdF to start again. Here's the trailer:
Life
On Saturday we had a lovely day out in the Yarra Valley which is a wine area about an hour and a half away from us. We did something called the Coldstream Food Trail which has about 10 stops on it, although we only did 4 stops. We stopped at a brewery, and then went to a place called Coombe Yarra Valley which is a lovely place that has been created in the former home of world famous Australian opera singer, Dame Nellie Melba. from there we did some cider and cheese tastings. The main reason we went out there was to do a Fondue and Bingo lunch at Chandon which was a lot of fun! I mean, fondue and sparkling wines...what's not to love. It was a beautiful clear winter's day and a lovely way to do some exploration of just one tiny pocket of the Yarra Valley. We did see some amazing looking restaurants that we will go back and visit again at some point!
The other thing that we did last week was go to see the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra Winter Gala which featured music from composers such as Bernstein, Gerswhin and Cole Porter! It was a lot of fun, and the tickets were super cheap at only $20 each. My husband loves orchestral music so we go semi regularly, but this was too good an opportunity to pass by.
July is coming to an end, and so to is Paris in July! I just had time to squeeze in one more read set in France, and only just enough time to actually write the review!
I have read a number of Jo Thomas books over the last few years and I have enjoyed them all. I love the way that she incorporates food into all of her story. Over the years I have visited Italian towns with lasagne wars, a chocolate school in the alps, an oyster farm in Ireland and a German Christmas market amongst other places. This time we are in a small town in France!
As an aside, recently I was at the supermarket when I witnessed the check out operator doing something that I thought would be sacrilegious, but apparently the customer was asking her to do it. He had bought at least a dozen bread rolls including several baguettes which she folded in half to fit in a shopping bag! I made a joke about man not being able to live on bread alone. Turns out he didn't speak English and so he didn't get my joke. I was shocked at the folding of the baguette, so the idea that you could buy a baguette from a vending machine in France is similarly shocking to me
Back to the book, the biggest issue is that Juliet doesn't know how to bake bread, particularly not the delicious, crusty, fluffy French bread that the town deserves. And in order to be called a boulangerie, the bread must be baked on premises. Juliet can make a lovely Victoria Sponge and a very nice Lemon Drizzle cake, but not bread. Juliet is going to need all the help that she can get, especially in getting the right ingredients to give it the right taste and texture. After all, there are only four ingredients in bread - flour, water, salt and water. But in order to get the help she needs she is going to win over the gorgeous tabac owner Laurent and her grumpy upstairs neighbour who is initially opposed to Juliet's plan for her own reasons.
I liked that the author showed that it isn't easy to just decide to move to France anymore. Juliet had to meet certain criteria in order to get the right visas to be able to keep her French dream alive and the mayor's conditions might put that all at risk. Whilst this story is all about taking a chance on a new life, but I was really moved by Juliet's friendship with Annie who is undergoing her own treatment back in the UK.
Once again, food and community are right at the centre of Jo Thomas's books. It would have been nice to have a bit more of a feel about where in France the book was set but this was another fun read from an author who really knows how to draw the reader in, and to make you wish that you could eat a delicious baguette right now!
I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted at The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews, with Weekend Cooking which I host here, with Foodies Read hosted at Based on a True Story and with Paris in July hosted at Words and Peace.
When I finished my post last week, I only have two books on the go. One was my audiobook which I suspect I might finish this week, and the other was The Story Collector by Evie Woods which I finished this week. I have mixed results with Evie Woods. I really loved her book The Mysterious Bakery on Rue de Paris when I read it last year! I was underwhelmed by The Lost Bookshop, but wondered if that was about the audio production, but I was underwhelmed by The Story Collector too. I feel like I should have connected much better with the book which is all about Irish folklore, fairies and the like.
After that I read The Palace Women by Jennifer Ryan which is set in Buckingham Palace in the lead up to the Queen's coronation ceremony in 1952.
I have also made significant progress with Jo Thomas's latest book Summer at The French Bakery. I really enjoy the way that Thomas writes her stories, which always have a lot of focus on food. This one is no exception.
We had book club this week. The theme for this selection was secrets, which I found to be a very easy theme for me. I read 10 books that might have counted for this theme! The next theme is the environment and I have a couple of ideas about what I might read! Shown above are just some of the books that the group read for this theme.
I'm watching
I went and watched a French movie yesterday called Colours of Time. It is a dual timeline story set in the 1890s and the modern day and features cameos by some pretty important people in French art history! I liked it a lot. Here's the trailer
Life
We did Christmassy in July on the weekend. We had some people come around for dinner, which wasn't really traditional Christmas dinner but it was not too far off! We made roast chicken, roast pork, champagne sauce, apple cider gravy, mushroom sauce, cauliflower and broccoli cheese and roast potatoes. For dessert I made a Sticky Date Pudding Cake which was yum!
One fun thing is that we used our fire pit for the first time since we moved into this house which was nearly four years ago!
I have read a number of Jo Thomas's books now and really enjoy them. They are always fun stories, with lots of food and quite often interesting settings! I have decided that while I wait for each new book, I will work my way through her backlist, starting with her first book, The Oyster Catcher.
When Fiona Clutterbuck's husband dumps her at their wedding, she takes the campervan that they were supposed to be honeymooning in and just drives. She ends up in a small town named Dooleybridge that has seen better times on the shores of Galway Bay. After crashing into a brick wall, and being admonished by the local police because the van has now been reported stolen, Fi realises that she is broke and homeless.
In the local pub she overhears that there is a job going with one of the local farmers, Sean Thornton. Desperate, she very quickly agrees to take the job, which is especially handy given that it comes with accommodation. She soon realises that she should probably have asked more questions because it turns out that Sean is an oyster farmer. Fi doesn't like oysters and she has an extreme fear of water and boats.
Sean has his own reasons for employing a stranger. Years before, the oyster industry of Dooleybridge had collapsed, with lots of repercussions for the town. Sean is now trying to keep his uncle's farm going, but it is hard work and isn't that profitable, but he loves it. He does feel like he is on the brink of being able to turn things around but he doesn't want the locals to know what he is doing just yet.
While there might be a spark of attraction between them, Fi is staying far away from Sean, not least because of his very ambitious oyster broker/business partner/girlfriend, Nancy.
It was interesting to see the parallels between this, Jo Thomas's first book, and her latest book which I reviewed here. Both feature communities where the town has seen better days, and feature that same community coming together to organise an event which will help revitalise the town. In this book, the event is a revival of the Oyster festival which had been scrapped years before after the oyster industry was pretty much closed down. It's not all smooth sailing though. Some people want a slick, high class oyster festival and others want a rustic festival with a nostalgic feel.
There are lots of really fun characters who make up the population of Dooleybridge, as well as a couple of "baddies" like Nancy, who probably could have done with some nuance in their characterisation. There are also some really fun animal characters including donkeys Freddie, Mercury and Juliet, who have a nasty habit of escaping their enclosure at very inconvenient times!
I love most seafood, but oysters is one of the things I don't love. Give me prawns any day over oysters. I did, however, really like learning more about oyster farming. It was interesting because whenever you travel in certain parts of Australia you will see oyster farms advertised as tourist destinations. We have never stopped at one before, although we did go to a pearl farm in Broome in Western Australia which is same same but different. We might next time we come across one of them
I already have my next Jo Thomas read out of the library. That book will take me to Italy, and I am really looking forward to it!
I am sharing this review with Foodies Read hosted at Based on a True Story.
Rating 4/5
Weekly meals
Saturday - Sunday - Pork chop, mash, beans and gravy Monday - Mac and Cheese Tuesday - Steak Egg and Chips Wednesday - Takeaway Thursday - Pad See Ew 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
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 chaina couple of months agoso 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.
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.
Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week the theme is Books I hope Santa Brings/Bookish Wishes. I don't ask for books so I am sharing the last ten Christmassy books I have read!
Best Wishes from the Full Moon Coffee Shop by Mai Mochizuki - I didn't realise this was a Christmas book when I decided to read it, but it really is. It is set in the week leading up to Christmas and features talking cats, astrology and amazing sounding food!
Golden Girls on the Run by Judy Leigh - Our Golden Girls end up helping to organise a nativity play in this book (my review)
The Secret Christmas Library by Jenny Colgan - How does getting stuck for Christmas in a crumbling Scottish castle which is full of books sound to you?
Christmas at Hollybush Farm by Jo Thomas - When a community comes together at Christmas, anything can happen. (my review)
Life Begins at the Cornish Cottage by Kim Nash - This is another book with community events at the centre, especially a Christmas pantomime (my review)
Good Spirits by B K Borison - This is a spin on the idea of the ghost of Christmas past visiting our main character but this is a ghost with a difference.
The Midwife's Christmas Miracle by Fiona McArthur - My favourite part of this book was the metal ornaments that our main male character was making for our female lead.
A Christmas Gift by Sue Moorcroft - This book features a Christmas play! (my review)
A Family for Christmas in Pelican Crossing by Maggie Christensen - I love it when we get to read about Christmas as it is in Australia. Warm days and nights, maybe some time by the pool or the beach. (my review)
Christmas on Fifth Avenue by Julie Caplin - I would love to visit New York at Christmas, but if I can't, reading this book has definitely taken me there! (my review)
I have more Christmas books that I have read this year, but these are the last ten. What I didn't do this year is listen to Hogfather by Terry Pratched or The Secret History of Christmas by Bill Bryson. These have been part of my Christmas traditions over the last few years but I just couldn't fit these audiobooks in this year!
Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week the theme is Books On My Winter 2025-2026 to-Read List. Of course, I live in a land Down Under my to-read list is for summer!
Bite by Bite: Nourishments and Jamborees by Aimee Nezhukumatathil - This is the current Cook the Books selection and I am listening to this on audio.
The Croatian Island Library by Eva Glyn - This will be my first blog tour for next year
Flashlight by Helen Choi - Currently buddy reading this one with Bree from All the Things I Can Read.
The Oyster Catcher by Jo Thomas - I started this a while ago but I had to take it back to the library before I finished it.
The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters - This has been on my TBR list for a long time.
In the Paris Fashion by Sophie Beaumont - I really enjoyed Sophie Beaumont's previous Paris books so I am looking forward to this one.
Yours Cheerfully by A J Pearce - I loved the first book in the Emmy Lake series so I have high hopes for this one.
My Big Greek Island Ex-Scape by Sandy Barker - This book comes out early next year and it sounds like a lot of fun1
The Arctic Curry Club by Dani Redd - I saw these books on someone's blog last week! This is the only one I can get in Australia
Jean Plaidy - My read on a theme book club theme for January is a childhood favourite. I think I have decided to revisit my high school reading days when I obsessively read every Jean Plaidy book my library had! Big decision is which one! I am leaning towards The Goldsmith's Wife, mainly because I have two copies of that one!
Jemima Jones is a woman who is going places. She and her partner Matthew are heading back to her family farm in Wales and then they are off to taken on exciting new roles running a luxury hotel in Seattle. Her dad has always encouraged Jem to follow her dreams, even though it takes her away from the farm. However, when Jem arrives home it is to find her dad very unwell, the farm looking worse for wear and her father on the cusp of making a deal to sell one of his best paddocks to a solar farm company. And it's not just the family farm that is looking a bit neglected. The nearby town is not what it used to be either.
While her dad has always encouraged her to follow her dreams and to make something of herself, Jem knows that she needs to stay at the farm and help her dad out while he recovers and maybe figure out what actually has been going on in her absence. Matthew does not understand her decision making at all.
Soon she is out with the animals, fixing fences and so much more. When she looks around and sees the hard work that goes into farming with little financial reward, she begins to document her experiences on social media, quickly building up a presence online as the Social Shepherdess.
Jem also has an unexpected house guest in the shape of Llew, a former star rugby player and now solar panel salesman. To say that things are frosty at the start is an understatement.
Reconnecting with old friends who are similarly struggling to make ends meet and keep their businesses alive, Jem uses her growing social media fame to highlight the plight of others, most notably the local cafe which was so much a part of her childhood but now is barely staying open. When the worst happens just weeks before Christmas, Jem becomes part of a sit in to stop the cafe being set up into a bland, chain restaurant which serves microwavable food instead of the hearty Welsh food of the past.
As the town comes together, they come up with a multitude of ideas of how they can try to save their businesses and towns. Some are new ideas, and some are revivals of old traditions, but what they all do is bring the community together and Jem and her friends are at the heart of it!
Jem also has a decision to make. Does she want to continue in her corporate career or is her heart telling her that it is time to come home to the farm. And how do Llew and Matthew fit into her future.
There are also some fun secondary characters throughout the book. I particularly like the feisty neighbour Myfanwy who has been feuding with Jem's dad for years, Evie the community nurse and Mae the single mum who work in the cafe. There are also some lovely secondary romances throughout!
I have read a number of Jo Thomas books now, including three Christmas books. They have always been a magic mix of good story and great food. It is very clear that understanding where our food comes from and supporting farmers are subjects that Thomas is passionate about
Even though I haven't really talked much about Christmas yet, this is a very Christmassy book. Food is also at the heart of this book, and there are several recipes for traditional Welsh foods that are mentioned in the book, such as Cawl which is a Welsh stew and Welsh Cakes which are scone like creations.
Saturday - Pork Schnitzel, mash and gravy Sunday - Monday - Meatballs Tuesday - Mexican Chicken and rice Wednesday - Beef Stir Fry and rice Thursday - Out for dinner Friday - Away for the weekend
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
Can you believe it is December already! Before I get into what I have been reading, watching and doing this week, I wanted to mentioned that I will be launching the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge for 2026 on Wednesday! If you love historical fiction, reading challenges or both, please consider joining us!
I'm readingLast week I finished reading Life Begins at the Cornish Cottage by Kim Nash. I reviewed it last week and I think it is her best book of the ones I have read. I will definitely be reading the next book in the series. The Kamogawa Food Detectives by Hisashi Kashiwai is another series that I really enjoy so I was always going to read the third book, Menu of Happiness. So far, it's making me...happy!
The other book I read this week was Christmas at Hollybush Farm by Jo Thomas, which is set in a struggling farming community in Wales.
I feel like my new normal is to read about 8 or 9 books a month. This month it was 9 book and while I didn't have any 5 star reads, there were 4 books that I gave a rating of 4.5/5 and they are pictured at the top of this post.
Books let our imaginations travel where our feet cannot - Nora Nguyen
Here's where I travelled through books in November
Europe
UK - Dear Mrs Bird, Maame, Life Begins at the Cornish Cottage, Christmas at Hollybush Farm
Ireland - Foster
Asia
Japan - The Healing Hippo of Hinode Park, Letters from the Ginza Shihodo Stationery Shop
Australia
Victoria - The Midwife's Christmas Miracle
US
Good Spirits
I'm watching
It's always a good day when the new season of Great British Bake Off starts. I have already watched two episodes and I am now waiting for inspiration to strike so that I can start baking again!
I did watch my first Christmas movie this week, which is a bit of a late start for this year. Fortunately I thought Champagne Problems was a good one, but there was always every likelihood that it was going to be when it is set in France, features a handsome French man and a beautiful chateau in the wine region of France!
We did watch a really interesting documentary series this week. It is called When the War is Over and it is hosted by actor Rachel Griffiths. It looks at the role of art in all it's forms in telling the story of war. The first episode was all about the impact of the movie Gallipolli in telling the story of Aussies in WWI. The second episode focussed on two songs which profoundly impacted the way that Vietnam veterans were viewed after they returned to normal life. The two songs are Khe Sanh by Cold Chisel and Nineteen by Redgum which is a song that quite often makes me cry! It's so poignant. You can watch the video for Nineteen on Youtube.
Other episodes focus on Afghanistan and the role of the official war painter, the role of music in helping prisoners of war cope with their incarceration in Singapore's Changi prison during WWII, and finally the Australian wars which is basically the story of the killings of Aboriginal men and women as the British colonised their lands.
Here's an intro video about the series
I did also catch 3 episodes of Dish podcast this week on Youtube. It is a show that just brings me so much joy. I watched the episodes with Bob Mortimer, Millie Bobbie Brown and the live show with Jack Whitehall.
Life
We went and enjoyed an afternoon tea with friends yesterday. We have been to the Oxi Tea Rooms before but the menu changes regularly so it was different experience. The menu was called Palete Through Time: Before and so the dishes were inspired by different eras from Ancient Egypt through to Elizabethan era through to now. As usual the food looked spectacular and tasted amazing too. Interestingly, one of the features of this experience was that each dish was accompanied by a different scent.
The menu actually changes in two days to something completely different, so I will be trying to visit Oxi Tea Rooms again to try that menu!
After a few quieter weeks it was a busy reading week this week!
I finished reading The Last Stop on the Winter Wonderland Express by Rebecca Raisin which was a thoroughly enjoyable Christmas romp on a train through Europe.
I also finished listening to an audiobook this week. Somewhat unusually it was a non fiction book about writing. I Give You My Body...How I Write About Sex by Diana Gabaldon was mentioned at the reader retreat I attended earlier this year, purely because of some of the names she lists for the male appendage which was mentioned as being particularly humourous. The book was narrated by Herself (which is what dedicated DG fans call her) but it also featured a lot of excerpts from the audiobooks of the series. The two things I took away from it were that Diana Gabaldon talks really fast, and it also reminded me how much I loved this series back in the day. I still haven't read the last book because the last couple have been a bit like hard work to get through. I haven't yet started my next audiobook. Not sure what I am going to choose.
I started reading A New Life in Amsterdam by Helga Jenssen. I will have the review for that one later this week.
I also started The Oyster Catcher by Jo Thomas. I have read a few of Jo Thomas' books over the year and really enjoyed them all, so this is me now starting to go back through her backlist.
A few months ago now, I went to an author event which featured Jodi McAlister who had just launched An Academic Affair. This weekend was our read on a theme book club meeting and the theme for this time was Romance. Now, I am never going to be short of a read for this theme, but I decided that this book was going to be the one that I specifically chose to read. And I loved it!
I also talked about The Last Love Note by Emma Grey.
Here are just some of the books that other members read this month!
We agreed that for next month is a freebie. Not sure if that is going to make it harder or easier to choose which book to talk about.
I did go to a book launch this week. Steph Vizard's new book A Smart Girl's Guide to Second Chances was launched at a local bookstore, and it was standing room only there were so many people there! It was a good night, and I got to see a few other bloggers, bookstagrammers and authors that I am getting to know as we all turn up at the same events from time to time. I am looking forward to reading the book.
Books let our imaginations travel where our feet cannot - Nora Nguyen
Here's where I travelled through books in September
Australia
Tasmania - An Academic Affair by Jodi McAlister
Western Australia - Daughter of Batavia by Stefanie Koens
Asia
Japan - The Calico Cat at the Chibineko Kitchen by Yuta Takahashi, The Phone Box at the Edge of the World by Laura Imai Messina
Europe
France - A French Inheritance by Jennifer Bohnet
Ireland - Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan
Italy - The Lost Garden by Angela Petch, Daughter of Genoa by Angela Petch
UK - Winter Nights at the Bay Bookshop by Jessica Redland, The Life She Could Have Lived by Laura Pearson
US
Seattle - The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie by Rachel Linden
I also share my favourite reads for the month on Bookstagram and here. I read 11 books in September which is down a bit from the last couple of months but not really surprising. An Academic Affair was a 5 star read and the others shown were both 4.5 star reads!
I'm watching
After book club on Saturday three of us went and sat at a cafe near the beach and just watched the world go by before we went to see Napoli - New York as part of the Italian Film Festival. It was a good movie. It's the story of two orphans from Napoli who stow away on a boat to get to America and all the things that happen to them along the way. I actually like it a lot. It was a big melodramatic but ti was entertaining.
Life
We booked our next year's holiday and I am so excited! However, my attention is now turned to our next holiday which is in a couple of weeks. Better start getting organised.
Max
Because my son was away at the same time we were, we had to get a petsitter in for Max. I think he was okay with it! She shared a lot of photos with us over the three days we were away.
When Thea and her two children Luca and Aimee arrive in the small hill top town of Citta dei Castagni in Tuscany, they are exhausted from the long drive from the UK. Thea's plan is to clean up the house that her husband bought on a whim nearly two years ago as part of a regeneration scheme for a really cheap price and then sell it quickly. She's got six weeks to sort it all out, so that they can start their life again. Since her husband died soon after signing the contract for the house, Thea has done her best to keep going but she has lost the restaurant that they ran together and the family home. Whatever she can get for this house is what she has to build her future life upon.
What she doesn't know is that the old house is still full of possessions from the previous owner and it looks like maybe someone has been staying there without Thea's knowing. From the minute they arrive and there are problems with the electricity it becomes clear that it is going to take a lot of effort to get the house ready. Then the mayor arrives with the news that under the terms of the contract the house must be habitable within two years or else the owners must pay the penalty clause which is the full value of the house. Thea doesn't have any money so the pressure is really on. She's got six weeks to sort it all out.
This is a really small town, with not a lot in the way of shops and restaurants, but what there is a community kitchen which is run by a former chef named Giovanni. On her first night in town, Giovanni fed Thea and the kids, and soon he is helping her navigate life in the small town where everybody knows everyone's business.
Giovanni does try to warn her about the three feuding nonna's but still Thea isn't prepared when all three of them turn up at her place with a beautifully made lasagne, made to each of their own recipes, and each demanding to know which is her favourite. The three women, two sisters and their sister-in-law have been feuding for years over whose lasagne is best and they bicker constantly about everything. Or maybe the feud started about a couple of men. No one is really sure any more.
Soon Thea finds herself getting involved at the community kitchen, but the last thing she wants is to get too involved in either hospitality or in the town itself given that she is going back to the UK at the end of the summer. And when there are a couple of unexpected visitors, one of which changes her family dynamic completely and the other a blast from the past, Thea needs time and space to come up with a plan of what her family's future might look like.
What everyone in the town knows is that they also need to come up with a plan for the future of the community kitchen, as there just isn't enough funding to keep it running as it is. It is going to take the whole town, even feuding nonnas, to work together!
I have read a few books by Jo Thomas now, and I always really enjoy them. This book was no exception. I loved the way that we were immersed into this hilltop Tuscan town in summer. I could feel the heat, and the relief of sitting outside in the evening as the sun sets. I love that Thomas's book settings are quite varied. So far I have read a book about a trip to the German Christmas markets, one set at a French farmhouse, and another Christmas book which featured a character learning to make fancy chocolates at a school in Switzerland
All of the books I have read so far by Jo Thomas are very foodie focussed, and this book was absolutely full of references to delicious sounding Italian food, including but not limited to the infamous lasagne. Reading this book made me crave lasagne and I ended up having to make it for dinner last week in order to satisfy that craving!
I already know that I am looking forward to this author's next book, whereever it is set. I am also going to start working my way through her backlist as her books are my kind of reads!
I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted at The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews, with Foodie Reads hosted at Based on a True Story and with Weekend Cooking which I host here. Thanks to the publisher and Zooloo's Book Tours for the review copy. Be sure to check out other stops on the tour shown below.
Rating 4/5
About the book
It's never too late to find where you belong...
Thea knew the holiday house her late husband Marco bought in Tuscany wasn't pristine. But when she relocates to Italy for the summer with her children, she's shocked by how much work Casa Luna needs. And she only has six weeks to fix it up ready to sell! Her only option is to ask the tight-knit Italian community for help.
In return, Thea and her children become involved in the community kitchen, working alongside handsome chef Giovanni and three very competitive nonnas. Gradually, Thea begins to open up to the people around her for the first time in a long while. But just as she's beginning to wonder whether this small Tuscan town could become a new place to call home, a surprise visitor turns everything on its head . . .
Jo Thomas worked for many years as a reporter and producer, including time at Radio 4's Woman's Hour and Radio 2's The Steve Wright Show.
Jo's debut novel, The Oyster Catcher, was a runaway bestseller and won both the RNA Joan Hessayon Award and the Festival of Romance Best eBook Award. Her book Escape to the French Farmhouse was a #1 bestselling eBook. Jo loves to explore new countries and discover the food produced there, both of which she thoroughly enjoys researching. Jo lives in Pembrokeshire with her husband and three children, where cooking and gathering around the kitchen table are a hugely important and fun part of their family life.
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