This week....or more precisely the last couple of weeks.

 

First of all.....Happy Star Wars Day

It's a bit strange to me that I am all over this Star Wars thing now. Up until about 10 years ago I had never seen a Star Wars movie but my husband is a big fan so we now watch all the spin offs and I already know we will be going to the movies to see the new Mandalorian movie when it comes out soon. I still have never seen all of the movies though.

I'm reading

As a general rule, I don't read as much while I am holidays as I do when I am home. Occasionally we have holidays where that doesn't apply, but over the last two and a bit weeks where we have been in Turkiye it has definitely been the case.

Since my last This Week post I finished reading both New Chapters on the French Riviera by Jennifer Bohnet and The Hotel by the Sea by Julie Caplin (which I reviewed here and here respectively).

I then decided to read The Astral Library by Kate Quinn, as it fit two categories in the Goodreads Spring challenge, and because I really enjoy her historical fiction writing. This one is most definitely not historical fiction. I enjoyed it, but it did take me a while to get through, and it isn't my favourite book of hers.

After that I read The Bonesetter's Daughter by Amy Tan. My read on a theme book club theme for May is Mothers and Daughters and this book definitely met that theme. I have only ever read The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan, and that was in the 1990s so it was interesting reading this book now.

My final read while I was away was An Italian Island Love Story by Leonie Mack. This is part of her Wedding Adventures series which I really love! it was perfect plane reading! 

My reading numbers were down for April (mostly because I was too busy being on holiday). I read 7 books in total. I gave most of them a grade of 4 out of 5 but nothing really jumps out as being a best of the month. Hopefully next month. 

Books let our imaginations travel where our feet cannot - Nora Nguyen

Bookish Travel

While I didn't read many books, I did visit quite a few places in April (both in real life and through books!)

Europe

UK - Hopes and Dreams at the Chocolate Pot Cafe

Greece - The Islander's Daughter

France - New Chapters on the French Riviera

Portugal - The Hotel by the Sea

Australia

Queensland - Something in the Air in Pelican Crossing

America

Maine - The Seven Rings

Massachusetts - The Astral Library

I'm watching

We flew a Chinese airline this time as we had to rebook our flights to avoid the conflict in the Middle East. We would absolutely fly them again, but I know to expect that the entertainment selection is limited. I therefore only watched a couple of documentaries. One was about various destinations in China and another was an Italian documentary about The Hermitage museum in St Petersburg. When I say watched, I am being literal here as I couldn't understand what was being said in either of them!

Life

We had the most amazing time in Turkiye! Apart from one day we had amazing weather, we saw some amazing sights and food. If you have ever thought about visiting Turkiye, then do it. We would both love to go back!

The first few days we were there daughter came to stay with us with her partner we had never met before so we enjoyed time with them visiting some of the major sights including The Blue Mosque, the Grand Bazaar and we did a foodie walking tour. After they left we did a Turkish bath, visited the Basilica Cistern and more. We then joined our tour which included a visit to Topkapi Palace.

After that we left Istanbul and headed to Cannakale which was our base for spending time on the Gallipoli peninsula. The whole reason we booked this tour was so we could attend the Dawn Service at Anzac Cove on Anzac Day and it was a truly memorable experience.

After that we headed to see the ancient cities of Troy and Ephesus, visited places like Pamukkale and finally Cappadocia where we were able to take a hot air balloon ride!

It was a such a fantastic trip!

Now I have to get ready to go back to work tomorrow! 

Posts from the last week


Blog Tour: The Hotel by the Sea by Julie Caplin
Historical Fiction Reading Challenge - May Links
Six Degrees of Separation: Wild Dark Shore to The Enlightenment of Bees





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

Blog tour: The Hotel by the Sea by Julie Caplin

 

Rebecca has secretly been in love with her best friend Will for years. When she attempts to finally show this to him, he doesn't see her at all as anything other than the friend who keeps him afloat following the death of his wife five years before.

Humiliated, Rebecca decides that she needs a change and so she packs up and moves to the Algarve in Portugal to work as the yoga teacher at a small family run hotel for the summer.

There she meets the Rebelo family, more specifically Felipe Rebelo. Felipe and his family run the Quinta do Mar hotel. His mother runs the kitchen, his sister the spa, his nieces have jobs that they are forever trying to negotiate their way out of. Whilst Felipe gives off the air of a charmer who has a relaxed view of life, the reality is much different. Whilst none of his family can see it, Felipe is the one who everyone relies on to get everything done, the one they come to for decisions, the one who fills in the gaps such as working shifts in the laundry when no one else can. They all had to lean on him when his father and uncle died years before and they continue to lean on him now.

Felipe had dreams of being a professional cyclist but those dreams were put away to focus on his family. However, Rebecca is very competitive and so they first meet when they silently challenge each other to a race in the pool. She has no idea that he is really her boss. That rivalry quickly turns into attraction.

Soon Rebecca is torn. She has loved Will for so long but Felipe makes her feel desirable, wanted and valued in ways Will never has. Going with Will means leaving behind the life that she is building in Portugal.

I really enjoy Julie Caplins romantic escape series which is set in all sorts of interesting locations around the world and this was no exception. Portugal is on my list of places I would love to visit, although to be fair I am unlikely to join one of Rebecca's yoga classes

I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted at The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews and Bookish Books challenge hosted at Blogging ‘Bout Books. Thanks to the publisher and Rachel's Random Resources for the review copy. Be sure to check out other stops on the tour below too!

About the book

The Hotel by the Sea

Pack your bags and get ready to fall in love with The Hotel by the Sea—your next romantic getaway awaits!

Rebecca needs to escape. After making a complete fool of herself watching the man she's secretly loved for years run off with someone else—she jumps at a temporary job at the family-run Quinta do Mar hotel. Sun, sea, and a fresh start sound perfect.

What she doesn't expect is Felipe Rebelo.

Charming, infuriatingly confident, and always ready with a flirty quip, Felipe seems to have life sorted. But beneath his carefree exterior lies a man carrying the weight of his entire family. The last thing he needs is another responsibility. Especially one who challenges him at every turn, makes him laugh, and is dangerously easy to fall for…

Escape to Portugal's stunning Algarve coast in this uplifting summer romance about finding yourself, choosing happiness, and discovering that love isn't about being needed—it's about being seen.

Purchase Links

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hotel-Sea-Charming-Family-Run-Portuguese-ebook/dp/B0FSBMPXZX/

https://www.amazon.com/Hotel-Sea-Charming-Family-Run-Portuguese-ebook/dp/B0FSBMPXZX/

About the Author

Jules Wake aka Julie Caplin is an internationally bestselling author with over 2 million sales over twenty five books including the highly successful Romantic Escape series which has been translated into over 24 languages. Her books have topped the charts in the UK, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Iceland, Italy, Czech Republic and Slovakia.

After reading English at university, Jules Wake worked in PR where she honed her fiction writing skills on press releases and swanned around Europe taking journalists on gastronomic press trips. These visits inspired the locations of many of her books. She’s now a full-time author and what better job is there than making stuff up! It certainly beats housework.

As an avid romance fan, she’s written in several genres including historical romantic fiction, contemporary women’s romance fiction and romantic comedy.



Social Media Links


https://www.facebook.com/JulieCaplinAuthor/

Instagram @juliecaplinauthor

This week

I'm reading

Don't you love it when you have occasions of reading serendipity! 

I am currently watching a renovation show which is set in Corfu. Last week I read two books in a row set in Greece, the second set in a hotel by the sea in Corfu.  The next book I am reading's title is literally Hotel by the Sea!

The first book I read was a WWII novel call The Islander's Daughter by Patricia Wilson which I reviewed here. Then I read Summer Ever After by Mandy Baggot which is set in a beachside hotel on Corfu. My review is here.

I then started The Hotel by the Sea by Julie Caplin. However, I realised that I had another book due before that one so now I am reading New Chapters on the French Riviera by Jennifer Bohnet. The review for that one will be up later this week. 

I am currently trying to list the books I want to read while I am on holidays in priority order. I think the Julie Caplin will be my plane reading on the way to Turkiye at least

I did finally finish listening to The Lost Brides by Nora Roberts, which is the last book in the Lost Brides trilogy. 

I then started The Names by Florence Knapp on audio. I got to the end of the first chapter and stopped, mainly because I am wondering if it might be a bit heavy for now, but if I stop now that means that I have to figure out what I need to listen to instead. Maybe it is easier to just stick to the decision I already made

I'm watching


Last night I watched the first seven episodes of The Other Bennett Sister and I am hooked! I can't wait to watch more, although I am a bit concerned that I might need to wait for a few weeks to watch the last couple of episodes.

The Other Bennett Sister focuses on the middle Miss Bennett. Often overlooked because she is plain, it is only once she gets out from under her mother's thumb that she truly blooms! It's so much fun!




Life


We went to two comedy shows at the Melbourne Comedy Festival over the last couple of weeks. First, we saw Wankernomics and then Nurse Georgie Carroll. Wankernomics basically takes all the things that happen in corporate workplaces and then makes fun of them. Here's a clip that I recognised. My boss says she has a hard stop quite regularly!

Nurse Georgie Carroll talks about a lot of medical stuff, the joys and trials of being a nurse in the healthcare system. Both of these shows were very, very funny!

The countdown in on to our holidays. After the indecision about whether we should go or not, I am really looking forward to getting away! The holiday nails are done. The pre-holiday haircut is scheduled for tomorrow night. Just have to get through three frantic days at work now!

I am not sure if I will be able to post my This Week posts or not. We'll see!

Posts from the last week


Top Ten Tuesday: Island Time!
Blog Tour: Something in the Air in Pelican Crossing by Maggie Christensen
Blog Tour: The Islander's Daughter by Patricia Wilson
Blog Tour: Summer Ever After by Mandy Baggot
Weekend Cooking: Le Assaggiatrici (The Tasters)



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: Christmas reads 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 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!

I am sharing this post with Comfy Cozy Christmas hosted hosted by Lisa from Boondock Ramblings and Erin from Still Life, With Cracker Crumbs.  

Top Ten Tuesday: What I am reading and have just read

 Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week the theme is The First 10 Books I Randomly Grabbed from My Shelf (Stand in front of your book collection, close your eyes, point to a title, and write it down. If you have shelves, point to your physical books. If you have a digital library, use a random number generator and write down the title of the book that corresponds with the number you generated. You get bonus points if you tell us whether or not you’ve read the book, and what you thought of it if you did!)

Because I read physical books, eBooks and audiobooks this felt a bit tricky to me, so instead I am going to be sharing the three books I am theoretically reading at the moment, and then the last 7 books I read. 6 of these were books that I read while I was on holiday and the other was the last one I finished before we went away

Dear Mrs Bird by A J Pearce - This is one book that I am actually reading at the moment. Somehow I ended up both with a library copy and a copy on my Kindle. I am really enjoying this one 

The Secret Christmas Library by Jenny Colgan - I started listening to this before I went away. I did take my earbuds with me but I didn't listen to a single second of it. Mostly because I didn't think of it, but also because my phone died on day 2 of my trip. 

War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy - This is the theoretically book. I was doing well at keeping up with a chapter a day until I went back to work and now I am woefully behind. I do intend to catch up but not sure when that will be

Saving Starlight Hall by Debbie Viggiano - This is the second book in the Starlight series. I read the first one last year and knew I would read the follow up. The review for this will be up later this week. 

The Lucky Sisters by Rachael Johns - I can always rely on Rachael Johns for a good read and this was no exception. I did feel exceptionally lucky to be able to read this while I was on holiday in The Maldives. I am also attending an author event for her tomorrow night. 

A Christmas Gift by Sue Moorcroft - I really enjoy Sue Moorcroft's books and this was another good one. The review for this one will be up later this week. 

A Family for Christmas in Pelican Crossing by Maggie Christensen - Maggie Christensen is a comfort read for me every time so I was always going to read this book, and the next one, and the one after that. The review for this one will be up later this week. 

Escape to the Northern Lights by Carrie Walker - It did feel kind of strange to be reading this book set in snowy Norway while I was in very hot and humid Sri Lanka. The review for this one will be up later this week. 

The Tea Planters Wife by Dinah Jeffries - I chose to read this book as it is set in Sri Lanka. I will read more from Dinah Jeffries now. 

Christmas on Fifth Avenue by Julie Caplin - Christmas in New York. Yes please! (My review)

As you can see I have quite a few reviews to write this week now that we are back from holidays!

Blog Tour: Christmas on Fifth Avenue by Julie Caplin

 

Do you have a place that you dream about visiting at Christmas? I would love to visit more Christmas markets in Europe, and to visit London and New York! Whilst I can't see actually visiting these places in the next couple of years, I was more than happy to have the ultimate New York Christmas experience through the pages of this book!

Evie Green has gone viral for all the wrong reasons. As an experienced journalist, she should have known better than to fall for a scam. As a pretty decent person she should have known better than to "borrow" the money that she needed for the scam from her housemates. When a video of her housemates confronting her goes viral, she is stood down from her job.

Evie was scammed when scammers offered her a once in a lifetime holiday to New York. It is a place that Evie and her mother had longed dreamed of visiting, but it hadn't happened before her mother passed away. 

The only good thing to come out of this mess is that the Plaza Hotel in New York has offered her a first class, all expenses paid trip to New York at Christmas time. The only catch is she will have to document all of her experiences and share them on social media as a PR exercise.

American Noah Sanderson has some experience of going viral too. Noah is a profession soccer player in the UK and so is used to a little media attention.  This time he made the news for a crunching tackle that broke both of the legs of an opponent. He too is stood down, and so decides to go to New York to get away from all the headlines. 

Noah and Evie first run into each other at the airport but they already have preconceived ideas about each other. When they keep on running into each other, for their managers and the PR team it is a Christmas gift. After all, what could be better than watching two people rehabilitate their reputations as they undertake the various festive adventures in New York. But what if the attraction is real?

I loved the New York setting of this book. If you think of any Christmassy activity in New York, it is here from looking at the fantastically decorated houses, to the big Christmas tree to skating on the lake in Central Park and at the rink at the Rockefeller centre. There are also some activities that I most definitley would not undertake! I was glad that it was Noah and Evie and not me!

Evie does a lot of growth in this book, gradually realising that she has kind of shut herself down since her mother died. There is also growth for Noah who has a very regimented routine and needs to loosen up a little. They are both at places in their careers where they are dependant on other people to make decisions about their futures, and they could lose their jobs. I loved Evie and Noah together.

I have read a few Julie Caplin books now, and I really enjoy the way that she brings each new location to life. So far I have read books set at a vineyard in France, Positano, Prague and now New York and I do have a couple more on my Kindle to read at some point. This is the first in a new series called Christmas Escapes so I am looking forward to seeing what other Christmas romances she brings us!

I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted at The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews. Thanks to the publisher, Rachel's Random Resources and Netgalley for the review copy. Check out the other stops on the blog tour as well!

Rating 4/5

About the book

Christmas on Fifth Avenue

Welcome to New York, where the Christmas lights dazzle, the snow is falling and love is just around the corner…

Evie Green's Christmas dream turns into a nightmare when a viral video makes her the laughing stock of the internet. But then a 5 star hotel sees a PR opportunity and invites her to New York for a Christmas she’ll remember forever.

Enter Noah Sanderson, a disgraced soccer star seeking anonymity. Forced to fake a festive romance for the cameras, sparks fly – but not the twinkling Christmas kind!

As Fifth Avenue sparkles in all its holiday glory, can The City that Never Sleeps show these two frosted hearts that, maybe, the best love stories are the ones you never see coming.

Don't miss this cozy Christmas spin off series from the million-copy-bestselling author of the Romantic Escapes series! Each book can be read as a standalone.

Guaranteed:

Forced proximity

Grumpy sunshine

Happy ever after

Cozy comfort read

New York Christmas magic – think red velvet bows, chunky tartan-knit scarves, giant red baubles, the Rockefeller Centre Christmas Tree, Macy's, The Nutcracker and more!

Purchase Links 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Brand-Christmas-Romance-Julie-Caplin-ebook/dp/B0DJ6HS9NJ/

https://www.amazon.com/Brand-Christmas-Romance-Julie-Caplin-ebook/dp/B0DJ6HS9NJ/ 

About the author

Jules Wake aka Julie Caplin is an internationally bestselling author with over 2 million sales over twenty five books including the highly successful Romantic Escape series which has been translated into over 24 languages. Her books have topped the charts in the UK, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Iceland, Italy, Czech Republic and Slovakia.

After reading English at university, Jules Wake worked in PR where she honed her fiction writing skills on press releases and swanned around Europe taking journalists on gastronomic press trips. These visits inspired the locations of many of her books. She’s now a full-time author and what better job is there than making stuff up! It certainly beats housework.

As an avid romance fan, she’s written in several genres including historical romantic fiction, contemporary women’s romance fiction and romantic comedy. October will see the publication of her twenty eight book, Christmas on Fifth Avenue.

Social Media Links

https://www.facebook.com/JulieCaplinAuthor/

Instagram @juliecaplinauthor

This week...

I'm reading

I didn't have a huge amount of reading time or inclination this week.

I did finish A New Life in Amsterdam by Helga Jensen which I reviewed here. And now I am immersed in Christmas on Fifth Avenue by Julie Caplin, but I should finish it today. My review will be up next week but basically if you have ever thought about spending Christmas in New York, this is the book for you. 

I did finish listening to Heidi's Guide to Four Letter Words by Tara Sivec and Andi Arndt  on audiobook. This book was an Audible exclusive book and when I was looking for which book to read next I realised that it was leaving Audible soon so I figured I should probably listen to it. It was a lot of fun and I laughed out loud several times. I do wonder what it says about me that the last two audiobooks have both included a list which consisted of different names for the male appendage. To be fair, the first one was non fiction book about writing sex scenes and also included a shorter list of words for the female equivalent. 

I haven't chosen a book to listen to next. It will be a surprise for all of us!

I did go to an author event last week. It was a bit different to my normal author event. I went to hear cookbook author and Ottolenghi co-writer Helen Goh speak. As a bonus there were nibbles which were several of her recipes. Helen Goh was born in Malaysia but moved to Australia when she was young before moving to London which is where she started working for Yotam Ottolenghi. The conversation was a bit of fun, and she confessed to things like loving the meat pies that you can get at the petrol station and that being one of the things she misses when she was in not in Australia. She was promoting her new baking book, Baking and the Meaning of Life.

It was Love Your Bookshop Day this weekend so I did my duty and visited a bookshop which was a new one to me! I did get this adorable little penguin because I bought two books from Penguin (the publisher). 

We also visited a local farmers market where there was a stall selling lots of book related paraphernalia, mostly 3D printed items. My husband bought me this cute bookshelf pictured above, which you can expect to see popping up in my Bookstagram photos at some point! Also fun to play with all the little books and the blocks!

I'm watching

The only thing that I watched that was not quiz shows or British comedy shows this week was a movie called All of You. It was billed as a sci-fi romance but I am not sure it was really either of those things. The sci-fi element was that you could pay to have a test done that tells you who your soulmate was. The story is about two friends played by Brett Goldstein (of Ted Lasso fame) and Imogen Poots. She does the test and is matched with a man, but they have always circled around each other. It follows them for 12 years or so as they battle their attraction to each other, sometimes with more success than other times. It was interesting, but ultimately didn't truly work for me.

Here's the trailer

Life

We are getting ready to go on holidays later this week. 2 weeks in Sri Lanka and the Maldives. Can not wait! 

There will be no This Week post for the next couple of weeks

Posts from the last week


Top Ten Tuesday: Satisfying Series
Blog Tour: A New Life in Amsterdam by Helga Jensen
Weekend Cooking: The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie by Rachel Linden
Historical Fiction Reading Challenge: September 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: Books on my Spring 2025 to-read list

Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's theme is Books on My Fall 2025 to-Read List

This list is a mix of the review books I have coming up, books I ownf and the library books I currently have on my shelf.]

The Lucky Sisters by Rachael Johns - I always look forward to a new Rachael Johns book. I have booked in to go to a Books in Bars events in October which I am looking forward to.

Christmas on Fifth Avenue by Julie Caplin - If I think about the iconic cities to spend Christmas in New York would be right up there! 

A Family for Christmas in Pelican Crossing by Maggie Christensen - I look forward to each new Pelican Crossing book. I do like seeing Christmas in Australia portrayed in books

Last Stop on the Winter Wonderland Express by Rebecca Raisin - This came out a couple of months ago but I haven't got to it yet. I am looking forward to reading it!

The Tea Planter's Wife by Dinah Jeffries - We are going on holidays to Sri Lanka shortly so I thought I would find some historical fiction to read. 

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia - It is RIPXX where we read all things spooky and mysterious. I have participated many times over the years but I didn't really have anything that fitted on my TBR shelf. I therefore borrowed this book from the library as it is the readalong book.

The Enlightenment of Bees by Rachel Linden - I recently read my first Rachel Linden book and I loved it, so I have borrowed this one from the library.

An Academic Affair by Jodi McAlister - The theme for my read on a theme book club this month is romance. Whilst I have many, many, many books I could choose for this theme, I am nominating this book.

The Life She Could Have Lived by Laura Pearson - I usually really enjoy Laura Pearson's books and I don't see why this will be any different!

The Chocolate Maker's Wife by Karen Brooks - This is another author that I recently read for the first time and really enjoyed, so I have borrowed this book from the library.

Countdown to 2025: Days 1, 2 and 3

Thanks to Emma at Words and Peace I have just seen that Lynn from Lynn's Books is hosting a Countdown to 2025 and it sounds like fun so I am going to join in! Apparently Lynn has been doing this for a few years now but this is the first time I have come across it.

The idea is that there is a list of prompts and we post something to fit the prompt for each day. Here are the prompts for the month. I am going to try and complete the prompts using books I have read throughout 2024 (unless the prompt doesn't work for that), but I do give myself permission too go outside that if I need to!

1. Snow – a book set in a cold or wintry climate
2. Shopping – the last book added to your wishlist
3. Wrapping paper – a lovely cover
4. Gifts – a book you enjoyed more than you expected to
5. Chocolates – a book that was simply delicious
6. Christmas stocking – stocking fillers – a novella or short story
7. Christmas Tree –  a winter read
8. Baubles – these add some colour, a very colourful and striking cover
9. Fairy Lights – something magical
10. Under the Tree – a book you forgot you owned
11. Mistletoe – a little bit of romance
12. Holly and Ivy – a book with great world building
13. Feast – a book that was magnificent
14. Christmas pudding – if you could squeeze in just one more book for 2024
15. Mince pies –  a little sweet something
16. Turkey Dinner– eye’s too big for your belly?  A chunkster
17. Glitter – A book that you simply have to have
18. Christmas Cards – a book with a message
19. Christmas Carols – a book with musicians, song or instruments
20. Eggnog – a book that was out of your comfort zone
21. Santa’s Snack – a book that was a ‘light read’ between heavier books
22. Reindeers – a book with memorable critters
23. Sleigh bells – a series that you want to ring out the praise for
24. Christmas Eve – One of your most anticipated books for 2025
25. Christmas Day – a book you received as a gift
26. Boxing Day – feeling bloated, a palate cleanser
27. Christmas Crackers – Ended with a bang
28. Candlelight – a book that kept you up into the early hours
29. A roaring fire – a book that was heartwarming
30. Family and Friends – a book with great characters
31. Bottle of Bubbly – your first read for 2025

Obviously, I am coming to this a couple of days late so here are the first three selections

The first prompt is Snow - A book set in a cold or wintry climate and I am choosing A Little Place in Prague by Julie Caplin. This is set in Prague in winter! (my review)

For the second prompt, Shopping - the last book I added to my wishlist, which is The Full Moon Coffee Shop by Mai Mochizuki

The third prompt is Wrapping Paper - a lovely cover I am choosing At the Stroke of Midnight by Jenni Keer

I am looking forward to this!

Top Ten Tuesday: A new start

Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's theme is "Destination Titles (titles with name of places in them. These places can be real or fiction!) (this was a topic Rachel @ Sunny Side came up with for a freebie week last year and has let me steal it!)". 

Now I have done this topic numerous times in one variation or another and I probably could just do another whole post with Paris in the title and not duplicate from the last time I did it, but I will save that for Paris in July next year.

Instead, this week, I am going to keep it simple. These are the last ten books I have read where one or both of the main characters has moved to a new location. Most of these will be escape lit - set in other countries like France and Italy but others are just new starts in the character's home country:

Poppy's Parisian Patisserie by Daisy James - Poppy is a baker who goes to Paris to help out in the patisserie owned by her brother's friend. (review)

An Island Promise by Kate Frost - Three friends come back together in Ibiza ten years after a momentous holiday. (review)

A French Country Escape by Jennifer Bohnet - A brother and sister move to France for a new start (review)

Falling for Provence by Alison Roberts - Ellie agrees to stay in Provence to renovate the cottage that she and her sisters have inherited (review)

The Little Provence Book Shop by Gillian Harvey - Adeline and her daughter move to France after finding out that she was adopted as a child (review)

One Winter at the French Chalet by Mandy Baggot - Journalist Orla accepts a last minute job in a small village called Saint-Chambéry to write a story about a mute man and a pregnant reindeer. (review)

In Italy for Love by Leonie Mack - Jules moved to Italy for love, but it didn't work out. Now she is going to work on a homestay farm for as long as it takes for her to be able to head back to Australia. (review)

A Recipe for Christmas by Jo Thomas - Clara takes a risk and moves to Switzerland where she is going to do a fun course in chocolate making. I am planning to review this one shortly

The Bookshop at the Cornish Cove by Kim Nash - Dennis is visiting his grandmother in Driftwood Bay when he meets Nancy who runs the local bookshop (review)

A Little Place in Prague by Julie Caplin - Anna is moving to Prague for a few months for a cultural exchange. She doesn't expect to meet her ex, Leo, there. (review)

Do you enjoy a new start romance?

This week....

Max

I mentioned last week that I was worried about Max, and I was right to be. It turned out he was a very poorly puppy.

Over the last week, he has been poked and prodded, had surgical procedures and in short, cost us a fortune in vet bills. The reality is that he has a number of conditions which mean it is likely that he will be on medication for life.. We will hopefully find out more this week, but there's every chance he won't have a normal life expectancy. We will given him as good a life as we can for as long as we can.

I'm reading

I am finding that even though I am not working I am not getting a lot of reading done. I am managing to keep myself pretty busy.

Last week I wasn't sure what I was going to start  listening to next, but in the end I decided that it  was finally time for me to start listening to the seventh book in the Seven Sisters series, The Missing Sister, by Lucinda Riley. It is more than 20 hours long but hopefully I will get through it.

I finished reading A Little Place in Prague by Julie Caplin, which really made me want to visit Prague which I reviewed here. I am currently reading The Girl with the Red Ribbon by Carly Schabowski. I really need to get a move on with this book as I have this and another book due for review by Friday, and I am haven't even started reading that book.

I'm watching

I finished watching the first series of Home for Christmas which is a Norwegian series about a nurse who has told her family that she is bringing a boyfriend home for Christmas dinner, so now she needs to find one. There is a second series, so I will watch that in due course.

I started watching Nobody Wants This and the first episode was fun. I will continue with this series for sure.

We also finished watching Kaos. It's such a shame that this series has been discontinued as a it was a lot of fun, and very clever!

We also went and saw Widow Cliquot, a new movie which tells the life of the widow Barb-Nicole Cliquot who was influential in creating the Veuve Cliquot champagne house. I am hoping to talk more about this next week.

Life

Tomorrow is a public holiday so we took advantage of this and my husband took today off work as well to give us a four day weekend.

It was our wedding anniversary on Friday night so we went to a very nice restaurant for dinner. It is at a restaurant which was on the 35th floor of a building in the city, so there was an amazing view. The bathrooms have what is probably the best view from a bathroom in Melbourne.

On Sunday we took a drive down to the Mornington Peninsula where we went for a bit of walk at Arthurs Seat and then onto the Portsea Hotel for lunch. We stayed at a nearby hotel and then today, we went to the Peninsula Hot Springs, which is a mineral springs area where there are around 70 different pools and experiences. It was a very relaxing experience.

Tomorrow we won't do much at all, not even watch the Melbourne Cup, which is why we have the public holiday!

Posts from the last week

Top Ten Tuesday: Trick or Treat

Blog Tour: The Bookshop at the Cornish Cove  by Kim Nash

Blog Tour: A Little Place in Prague by Julie Caplin
Historical Fiction Reading Challenge: November links

Festive Treats: October

Weekend Cooking: What I Baked in my Kitchen in October

Six Degrees of Separation: Intermezzo to The Kamogawa Food Detectives 






I've linked this post to It's Monday, what are you reading? as hosted by Book Date

Blog Tour: A Little Place in Prague by Julie Caplin

When Anna Love gets the opportunity to move to Prague for six months as part of a cultural exchange, she jumps at the chance, and she is very keen to win the associated prize. The idea is that the participants will be placed with breweries in Prague, and they need to take what they have learned and develop a new beer. The winning beer will win the brewer all the equipment they need to set themselves up for the future. Anna's family background is in brewing but she knows that her uncle will never let her work in the family business as a brewer so therefore this will be her chance to follow her dream, outside of the family business.

Anna expects that she will have to work hard, she will miss her boyfriend, Steve, and she expects to share an apartment with a fellow participant.  What she does not expect is that she will be sharing that apartment with her ex, Leo.

Leo Knight has a passion for brewing, and he is very determined that no one is going to get in his way, especially not Anna. Leo is the kind of guy who people gravitate towards, always positive and always friendly, but this should not give the impression that he is not a hard worker or keen to learn as much as he possibly can given this opportunity.

Anna and Leo both have so much to learn about beer, about Prague, and about each other. Luckily they make friends with their neighbours Jan and Michaela who help them find some of the great locations in Prague, as well as traditional food and drink. Michaela, in particular, can see that there may still be a spark between Anna and Leo.

If you follow me at all you know that we are travellers. We love going to new places and exploring. If you ask us where we want to go, it's probably easiest to tell you where we don't want to go rather than list all the places that we do want to visit. However, if you were to ask me the where do you want to go for the first time question then Prague would definitely have been on my list, and that is even more true after reading this book. I loved that the author took us to some of the great landmarks of the city but also that we got to spend time in the country. It is clear that this is a place that she loves.

This is part of the semi connected Romantic Escapes series. Leo is the brother to Raph who was the main characters in the book, A Villa With A View. I don't think that it was key to have read Raph's book before reading this one.  I do have at least a couple more of the Romantic Escapes series on my Kindle to read at some point.

I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted by The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews. Be sure to check out other stops on the tour shown below. Thanks to the publisher, Netgalley  and Rachel's Random Resources for the review copy.

About the book

A Little Place in Prague

It's been years since Anna has seen Leo Knight. And of all the apartments in all the cities in all the world, he just happens to walk in to her cosy new attic home – as her new housemate.

As the two walk the cobbled streets of Prague, taking in the sights and sounds from Wenceslas Square, frosted with snow, to the soft glow of candlelit Charles Bridge, the enchantment of the City of a Hundred Spires soon starts to work its magic on them…

Purchase Link –

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Little-Place-Prague-swoon-worthy-must-read-ebook/dp/B0CW1F5HX8

https://www.amazon.com/Little-Place-Prague-swoon-worthy-must-read-ebook/dp/B0CW1F5HX8

About the Author 

Julie caplin, formerly a PR director, swanned around Europe for many years taking top food and drink writers on press trips (junkets) sampling the gastronomic delights of various cities in Italy, France, Belgium, Spain, Copenhagen and Switzerland. It was a tough job but someone had to do it.

These trips have provided the inspiration and settings for the highly successful Romantic Escapes series which have hit the best seller charts in Italy, Germany and the Czech Republic and have sold over two million copies worldwide.

The first book in the nine strong series,The Little Café in Copenhagen, was shortlisted for a Romantic Novel of the Year Award.

Social Media Links – @JulieCaplin Twitter

https://www.facebook.com/JulieCaplinAuthor/

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/juliecaplinauthor/

This week...

I'm reading

This week I finished listening to Stanley Tucci's new book What I Ate in One Year (and related thoughts) which I reviewed here. I think started and finished Toshikazu Kawaguchi's latest book in the Before the Coffee Gets Cold series which is called Before We Forget Kindness. Whilst I still really love the stories, I am finding myself noticing when the rules related to the time travel element of the book are getting a bit fluid. I also notice that my coffee (or tea as the case may be) seems to get cold much more slowly than the coffee does in the book.

I am currently debating whether to do a short-ish easy listening romance as my next audiobook, or if I should commit to a meatier, longer audiobook now that I have more time on my hands. Not sure. I think I am leaning towards the latter but I will need to make a decision soon. 

I also finished reading The Bookshop at the Cornish Cove by Kim  Nash. I then started reading A Little Place in Prague by Julie Caplin. I have reviews due for both of these later this week.

We had our read on a theme book club meeting on Saturday and here are just some of the books that people read for our theme of Going Back.

I'm watching


We watched a movie this weekend called The Great Escaper. It stars Michael Caine as a WWII soldier who escapes from his nursing home to go back to France for the 70th anniversary of D Day. It was a lovely movie. It was apparently Michael Caine's last role and it was also Glenda Jackson's final role before she died. It is actually based on a true story.

It turns out that Pierce Brosnan made a movie inspired by the same story, although it is a different story other than those key facts. We saw that this movie was also available on streaming so we watched this one too. This movie was called The Last Rifleman. This was good in a different way. If I had to pick just one it would be The Great Escaper but they were both worth watching.

Here's the trailer for The Great Escaper

Life


Last week I went to an author event featuring Australian chef Annie Smithers and baker Nadine Ingram. It was such a fun night. They talked about their shared philosophies around food, about knowing their limits and more. I resisted the urge to buy their books, particularly Nadine's but I have just borrowed her first book from the library.

I went with my friend who is also in the book club with me. Ever since we have been doing this book club, I had suggested doing food related books but no one was ever interested so I had given up. This week my friend had the brilliant idea that we should do food or cooking for the next theme!!! At least I know that I have dozens of books that I can read that fit this prompt already on my Kindle!

I mentioned last week that I had some changes in my world. I have left my job, and my intention is to spend a couple of months not doing much at all until the new year when I will start looking for my next role. The idea is that I will read, bake, watch TV series and go to the movies, go for walks, do all those things that I never have time for like going to doctors. That's the plan at least. So far, after one week, I am coping surprisingly well really. I am very fortunate to be in a position to be able to do this and to have my lovely husband's full support.


Max


I'm a little bit worried about Maxxie boy. He just doesn't seem like himself, and his face is very, very thin. We took him to the vet on Friday so we are just waiting to hear what is going on.

Posts from the last week


Top Ten Tuesday: October Reads

Blog Tour: In Italy For Love

Weekend Cooking: What I Ate in One Year (and Other Related Thoughts) by Stanley Tucci

I've linked this post to It's Monday, what are you reading? as hosted by Book Date