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!

Top Ten Tuesday: Books with Weather Events in the Title

 

 

Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week is a Halloween Freebie. However, in October 2023 one of the themes was Books with Weather Events in the Title/on the Cover. At the time, I put this list of books together but I never got around to adding the commentary and pictures or posting it....until now! It's a bit scary that it has been sitting in draft all this time. See what I did there?

I am starting with some wind and storms, then moving onto sun, rain and snow.

Ill Wind by Rachel Caine - Rachel Caine has a whole series of books called the Weather Warden series that I could have picked for this prompt. This is the first book in the series. (my review)

Season of Storms by Susanna Kearsley - One of the lesser know Kearsley books but, as always, I couldn't resist the urge to include one of her books. Unusually for Kearsley this book is set in Rome.

A Taste of Italian Sunshine by Leonie Mack - Wine making in Italy. Yes please!  (my review)

Under a Greek Sun by Mandy Baggot - Moving on from Italy, this is set on a Greek island   (my review)

An Island in the Sun by Kate Frost - Another country, another island. This time it was Portugal. (my review)

Floodtide by Judy Nunn - I read this years ago and don't remember much about it other than one particular scene. Looking at my rating on Goodreads I didn't like it at all, but the title fits the theme. 

The Right Attitude to Rain by Alexander McCall Smith - This is the third book in the Isabel Dalhousie mystery series set in Edinburgh. (my review)

Midnight in the Snow by Karen Swan - In the past this author put out a summer book and a winter book. Guess which one this was.

Snowy Mountain Cattleman by Alissa Callen - The Snowy Mountains are actually a place in this instance, but they do get a lot of snow. This is the second book in the Bundilla series.

The Secret of Snow by Viola Shipman - I still haven't gotten over not enjoying the last Viola Shipman book I read. This one wasn't bad though.

Blog Tour: The Island of Hope and Dreams by Kate Frost

 

Lola Wild has just come out of a really bad relationship so spending time with her friends on a hen's weekend is exactly what she needs. However, she also knows that this is the beginning of more change. Her best friend, Mirabel, is getting married in Sardinia and then she is staying there permanently. All of her other friends have established lives, married, with or without children as per their own choices. And here is Lola, with a great job in the music industry, but single. She hasn't really even shared what really happened with her ex, Jarek with any of them. They know bits and pieces but not the whole story.

What she probably doesn't really need is their friendly encouragement to hook up with someone while they are at the wedding destination. The last time that happened it was a disaster, and Lola doesn't need any more stories. It's a funny story now, but it definitely wasn't at the time.

By the time everyone arrives in Sardinia a month later she is ready, or at least she thinks she is. Everyone has come together to spend some time with the happy couple in the days leading up to the wedding. There is drama, of course, especially between the parents of the happy couple who aren't really getting along that well. 

When she meets the groom's friend Rhys, she sees an opportunity to protect herself from the interference of her well-meaning friends. If she and Rhys can pretend that they have hooked up, there will be no more in appropriate suggestions. Rhys has his own reasons for agreeing to the arrangement. His ex has now coupled up with one of his old mates, and they are very much rubbing it in his face. It's just an uncomfortable situation all round.

Rhys isn't Lola's normal type. She normally goes for the really good looking, buff guys. Not that Rhys isn't good looking. He's just quiet, a man who loves crafting things out of wood, and a teacher. He is, however, also trying to figure out what he wants from life. Does he want to continue teaching or is there something else in his future?

When Lola receives texts from an unknown number and messages, she starts to get concerned that maybe Jarek knows where she is. She is, however, determined to have a great time and focus on her time in Sardinia and her best friend's wedding.

I have read a number of Kate Frost books now, and I really love how she includes the destination in her books. Sardinia is front and centre here, and had me wishing that I could go and spend time on the island.

I also loved the friendship dynamics, particularly among Lola's friends. It was more complicated with Rhys's group but they still found a way to support each other. I loved seeing how everyone came together to support and protect Lola when she needed it.

I wanted to specifically mention the ending of this book, although no spoilers. Before he met Lola, Rhys had made some plans of what he was going to be doing for the next few months. I really liked that those plans weren't changed just because he had now met Lola. They had to work to build their budding relationship. It wasn't just...and now they live happily ever after. At least not straight away.

I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted at 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. 

Rating 4/5

About the book

The Island of Hopes and Dreams

When the beginning of the end is just the start…

Newly single Lola Wild has had her fill of well-intentioned matchmaking friends. Her best friend Mirabel’s hen weekend highlights all that’s wrong with Lola’s life and she knows something has to change.

With Mirabel’s luxurious wedding in Sardinia fast approaching, Lola is looking forward to switching off, spending time with her friends and keeping her non-existent love life off everyone’s agenda.

Meanwhile, fellow wedding guest Rhys Strickland has his own problems. So when a chance encounter brings Rhys and Lola together they decide to help each other out.

To the idyllic backdrop of white sand beaches and azure bays, they bond over shared heartache, and friendship blossoms as they attempt to navigate the hurt and hard truths of past relationships.

Opening up their hearts and embracing change might be the last thing they expected, but what if a holiday of make-believe can turn into something real?

A heart-warming and uplifting story of vulnerability, self-renewal and finding love when you least expect to.

 Purchase Link - https://mybook.to/TheIslandof

About the Author

Kate Frost is the author of several bestselling romantic escape novels including A Greek Island Escape, and An Island in the Sun. She lives in Bristol and is the Director of Storytale Festival, a book festival for children and teens she co-founded in 2019.

Social Media Links –

Facebook: @katefrostauthor

Twitter: @katefrostauthor

Instagram: @katefrostauthor

Newsletter Sign Up:

https://bit.ly/KateFrostNewsletter

Bookbub profile: @KateFrost

This week...

Max


Who's a good birthday boi! Max turned 3 last week. Over the last 8 months or so he has had some pretty significant health issues so we weren't always sure that he would make it to 3 but he did! We think he is now going blind so we'll see what happens this year. For now, we are giving him the best life we can!

I'm reading

This week I read The Woman Who Got Her Spark Back by Fiona Gibson which was fun. My review is here.

I was then very surprised to find out that there had been a fourth short story in the Once Upon a Time Book Stories by Alice Hoffman. It was  released back in February and I have no idea how I missed it! As soon as I found out about it I had to read it. It is called The Bookstore Family and I really enjoyed it. I like how she manages to pack so much into stories that are no more than 40 or so pages. Now I need to decide which full length book I should read by her.

I did have a very strange moment this week where I wasn't read anything other than my War and Peace readalong (and to be fair I was am a bit behind on that anyway). I had finished my audiobook, my Kindle book and my physical book and I had no idea what I was going to read next in any format. Too many options to be able to make a decision.

In the end I decided to listen to Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent by Dame Judi Dench which is a rare foray into non-fiction for me. It isn't narrated by her though although the narrator who is playng her is doing a great job in my opinion. Basically it is a friend of hers, another actor called Brendan O'Hea, asking her questions to prompt her thoughts of memories of the various roles she has played in Shakespeare productions. I am really loving hearing her thought processes which do a great job of bringing the humanness of Shakespeare to the fore. Definitely makes it seem much more approachable than we think of Shakespeare now!

After my period of indecision, I decided to read A Secret Garden in Paris by Sophie Beaumont. I really enjoyed her last book, The Paris Cooking School, and I liked this one a lot too. I'll have a review up for this in a few weeks once Paris in July starts.

For a physical book I started reading Half Truth by Nadia Mahjouri. I met Nadia at the Rachael Johns Readers Retreat in Perth a few weeks ago and knew I had to read it after hearing her speak about her book!

We had a few hours of flying time over the weekend and I was able to take advantage of this by reading The Island of Hopes and Dreams by Kate Frost on the way up to Brisbane and then Once Upon a Thyme by Jane Lovering. I also started reading Not My Greek Wedding by Sue Roberts. All three of these are blog tour books so I will have the reviews up soon. 

I'm watching

I watched a movie called Firebrand which basically telling the story King Heny VIII's last wife, Katherine Parr. It shows a woman who has some pretty strong religious beliefs which bring her to odds with Henry in the last days of his life. I am not sure it is totally historically accurate but it is an interesting movie to watch. It stars Jude Law as King Henry and Alicia Vikander as Katherine.

Last week we started re-watching Ted Lasso.  I had been seeing lots of clips online and it made me want to go right back to the beginning. What a joy that show is! We finished the first season and I imagine we will continue with season two this week.

Life


We had to do a quick trip to Brisbane this weekend as it was my stepdaughter's 30th birthday. We flew up Friday night and back Sunday afternoon. On Saturday we took advantage of the great weather and went for a drive to look at Moreton Bay and then on Saturday night we had dinner at Skydeck. We were sitting outside on the viewing deck (yes, it's winter here and it was a bit cool but there were heaters). I have to say, the food was amazing! Amazing!

I did get a little bit excited as I started seeing ads saying Paris comes to Brisbane and there was a 4 story Eiffel Tower at Southbank so I made my poor husband traipse over the river to see it, but it was a little bit underwhelming really! Will just have to plan another trip to see the real thing

The only downside, I had picked up some germs before we went away so I was feeling pretty average a lot of the time, and flying does not help! I think I am going to be taking it very easy for the first few days of this week.


Posts from the last week


Top Ten Tuesday: Book Titles That Remind Me of a Song
Blog Tour: Over the Sea to Skye by Sue Moorcroft
Blog Tour: The Woman Who Got Her Spark Back by Fiona Gibson
The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn
Weekend Cooking: Sticky Apricot Chicken Drumsticks
Sunday Salon: Historical Fiction Reading Challenge - May Statistics


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

Blog Tour: A Love Like No Other by Kate Frost

 

Having read a number of Kate Frost books before, I knew I would say yes when I saw there was a blog tour for this book. When I looked at the blurb though, I realised that this one had a different feel to the others I had read by her. Whereas the other three are set in Greece or Portugal, and are about new starts this one is not.

Pippa Green wants one thing more than any other. She has always wanted to be a mum. She met her husband and they started trying straight away, but several years later and it just hasn't happened for them. Contrast this with her younger sister Georgie. Georgie has a young daughter, and her husband wants another, but Georgie is lamenting the fact that she got married and had her daughter quite young. She feels like life has passed her by a little. It hurts Pippa to see other people having the one thing that she desperately wants and yet not appreciating it, and Georgie is conscious of how she feels, so there is a bit of an emotional distance between them.

Pippa and Clive are on the rollercoaster journey that is IVF, which takes an emotional toll as they follow all the medical procedures, the hormonal treatment, the injections and the hopes that the embryos will be successfully implanted and stick. Whilst her family knows that they are doing IVF, they don't necessarily understand how hard it really is, especially knowing that there are only so many times they can afford to go through this process financially.

Contrast this with Connie's story. Connie and her husband Felix are also on the IVF journey, but she is telling no one, not even her family. Luckily Connie and Pippa meet in an online IVF forum and realise that they live relatively close to each other, that they are at similar points in the process and they quickly become good friends.

The fourth person whose story we read is Pippa's best friend Sienna. She loves her boyfriend, but isn't ready to commit to anything like moving in together. She loves her independence, her job in TV and she is ambitious, and having a child is never going to be part of her plans. Never.

Even with that short summary above, you can likely imagine that there is a lot of emotional ground covered in this book. Obviously, infertility and motherhood are front and centre, along with the emotional pressures that going through infertility can bring to relationships. There is also a strong focus on female friendship, and how even the strongest friendships can be damaged by omissions and half truths, despite everyone's best intentions.

This feels like a very personal story, and so it is no surprise to learn in the epilogue that the author has experience so many of the emotions that she writes about: the hopes as each IVF cycle begins, the despair of not being successful, the joy when it looks like it has been.

I found myself contemplating my own journey to motherhood, and those of people around me. I know people who have tried and failed with IVF, as well as some who are currently trying very hard and reading this book helped me put myself in their shoes, just a little bit

This book was originally self published back in 2016 with the title Beneath the Apple Blossom. I already own the connected book to this one - The Baobab Beach Retreat. It's a little odd as that one is listed on Amazon as being book number 1 in the Romantic Escapes series, and not as being connected to this one whereas Goodreads says that these two books are connected. Anyway, none of that really matters given I am going to read all the books eventually anyway!

Whilst this was a change of pace from the previous Kate Frost books I have read, it was an important story, told very well, and I am glad that it was the first book that I finished reading in 2025.

Rating 4/5

About the book

A Love Like No Other

Four women struggle with their life choices and the hand fate has dealt them…

All Pippa Green has ever wanted is marriage and kids, but at thirty-four and about to embark on IVF, her dream of having a family is far from certain.

Pippa’s younger sister Georgie has the opposite problem, juggling her career, her lover, a young daughter and a husband who wants baby number two. She seems to have it all. But does she?

Carefree Sienna, Pippa’s best friend, is happy travelling the world with her successful career in film, however, long term boyfriend Ashton is desperate for Sienna to commit to their future. When mother nature has a surprise, will it make or break them?

Happily married Connie shares her fertility journey with Pippa, but while their blossoming friendship is cemented through the highs and lows of shared experiences, Connie underestimates the impact being unable to conceive will have on her and her marriage.

As their lives collide in a way they could never have predicted, will any of them find lasting happiness?

Perfect for fans of Rowan Coleman, Dani Atkins and Sian O'Gorman.

Previously Published as Beneath the Apple Blossom by Kate Frost

Purchase Link - https://mybook.to/alovelikenoother

About the Author 

Kate Frost is the author of several bestselling romantic escape novels including The Greek Heart, and The Love Island Bookshop. She lives in Bristol and is the Director of Storytale Festival, a book festival for children and teens she co-founded in 2019.

Social Media Links –

Facebook: @katefrostauthor

Twitter: @katefrostauthor

Instagram: @katefrostauthor

Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/KateFrostNewsletter

Bookbub profile: @KateFrost

This week

First book of the year

Every year Sheila from Bookjourney asks us to share our first book of the year. I am usually still deciding what that book might be come 1 January, so I am always too late to share it with her, but here it is this year! And I have to say, it's a good one!

Also, note that shiny new Kindle Scribe! Yes, I am very excited that my husband got me one for Christmas!

I'm reading

I was very determined to finished Land of Milk and Honey by C Pam Zhang in 2024, as I really didn't want to carry it forward into 2025. Fair to say I didn't love it, but I read it for Cook the Books and it did provide plenty of inspiration for food to make. Expect that post in the next couple of weeks!

Whilst I started There are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak my first book, I ended up then picking up A Love Like No Other by Kate Frost for a blog tour this week. 

I then started The Chibineko Kitchen by Yuta Takahashi which was a delight! I read this for Japanese Literature Challenge and my own version of January in Japan!

In other news, I decides to restart again at Storygraph for my 2025 reads. If you are on Storygraph, look me up! You can find me there as Margreads. I am also on Instagram as Intrepidreaderandbaker!

I'm watching


We really have only been watching bits and pieces. For example, we watched the Last Night of the Proms,  and the Russell Crowe version of Robin Hood

Life

We finished our South Australian road trip, coming home via Adelaide and Mount Gambier! I am planning to do a post about all the big things, silos and art we saw along the way but for now here is the Big Lobster in Kingston SE and the Blue Lake in Mount Gambier.

One of the highlights was wandering around the Botanical Gardens in Adelaide seeing the 16 piece of art that are currently on show by famous artist Dale Chihuly. We really enjoyed the display. It would have been great to see it at night where it is all illuminated but we couldn't make the dates work!

After we got home we have been doing a lot around the house in terms of cleaning out the pantry and things like that, but not much more. The last couple of days in particular have been hot, hot, hot! 

Posts from the last week


Countdown to 2025: Day 29 and 30

Top Ten Tuesday: Best Books of 2024
Countdown to 2025: Day 31
Festive Treats 2024

Historical Fiction Reading Challenge: January links

2025 Challenges

Weekend Cooking: What I Baked in My Kitchen in December

Six Degrees of Separation: Orbital to The Secret Daughter of Venice




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

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?

Blog tour: An Island Promise by Kate Frost

 

When Bella, Gemma and Laurie are 21 years old they head off to the Spanish island of Ibiza ready to have the time of their lives. Sun, music, copious amounts of alchohol, hot me and great friends for forever - it's a recipe to party! At the end of their holiday they promise to do it all again in 10 years time!

Fast forward ten years. Bella agrees to accept an events manager role at a luxury hotel in Ibiza. She has been working hard on establishing her career since recovering from a terrible accident years before, but it is time for a change. In Bella's mind, that trip to Ibiza was where she met the one who got away, the man that no other man has ever lived up to. They may have only spent a few days together, but still! It's also a great opportunity for Gemma and Laurie to come and visit her too.

The girls who were going to be besties forever are still friends, but the reality is that they are nowhere near as close as they once were. Gemma appears to live a perfect life, but appearances can be deceptive. And Laurie has her own challenges. And they all have secrets from each other, and it turns out that at least one of them has secrets from 10 years ago.

When Bella starts her new job, she meets her new boss, Caleb, a guy that came to Ibiza to make his fortune and stayed.  He is a widower who has remained close with his wife's family, runs a luxury hotel. Bella and he soon become friends, but is he ready to move on from his past.

I really enjoyed meeting the girls and seeing how their lives have turned out, even if it isn't at all how they imagined. Let's face it, I think a lot of us can relate to life not necessarily turning out the way we thought it would when we were young!

This is my third Kate Frost book, and they have all been set on different islands. I must confess I have never been fussed about the idea of going to an island like Ibiza. Dance music isn't really my deal, but I loved reading about the other side of Ibiza, the more traditional and cultural aspects.

If you are looking for some sunshine on a beautiful island, this might be the book for you!!

Thanks to Netgalley, Rachel's Random Resources and the publisher for the review copy. Check out the other stops on the blog tour below!

I am sharing this with the New Release Challenge hosted at The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews.

About the book

An Island Promise

Three friends, a Balearic promise and a summer that could change their lives forever…

For twenty-one-year-old Belle Madden her first holiday to Ibiza with best friends Gem and Laurie was memorable for all the right reasons: partying the night away, planning a future filled with big dreams and making a promise to return in ten years to celebrate living their best lives – hopefully…

Fast forward a decade and Belle is desperate for a change. Eager to escape her relationship troubles, she jumps at a job opportunity that takes her back to the White Isle.

Despite loving island life and her new job, Belle realises something is missing. With their busy lives the three friends have drifted apart, their friendship fractured. Remembering their promise to return, Belle seizes the opportunity to organise a reunion holiday.

After the initial excitement of being back together in Ibiza, cracks start to appear. A lot can change in ten years. Dreams can be shattered, love lost and hope destroyed. And when secrets are revealed, long suppressed emotions begin to unravel…

Will Belle repeat her past mistakes or can a second chance summer be the beginning of a happy-ever-after for friendship as well as love?

Purchase Link - https://mybook.to/islandpromisesocial

About the Author 



Kate Frost is the author of several bestselling romantic escape novels including The Greek Heart, and The Love Island Bookshop. She lives in Bristol and is the Director of Storytale Festival, a book festival for children and teens she co-founded in 2019.

Top Ten Tuesday: Holiday countdown!

Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's theme is Ten Favorite Books from Ten Series (We all have a favorite book in our favorite series, right?) (submitted by A Hot Cup of Pleasure)

However, I have holidays on my mind, so I am going to do the last ten books I have read that have given me holiday vibes. Lucky I read a lot of escape lit at the moment!

An Island Promise by Kate Frost - Three friends go on holidays to Ibiza and promise that in 10 years time they will do it all again, except everything is different.

The Stolen Hours by Karen Swan - This book doesn't have a holiday feel at all, but it is set in Scotland and that is one of the places we are visiting.

Poppy's Parisian Patisserie by Daisy James - Poppy goes to Paris to work, but I would love to go back for holidays again and again. (my review)

Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-Reum - I picked this one because we are going to Korea next year.

The One That I Want by Sandy Barker - This doesn't really have holiday vibes either, but it is all about London, which is one of our destinations this time. (my review)

A Love Letter from Paris by Rebecca Raisin - Paris! Paris! Paris!! (my review)

The Itinerary by Penny Pentley - This is a fun read in which the main characters starts a European trip in Rome and ends up in France.

The Riviera House Swap by Gillian Harvey - The idea of being able to swap houses and spend some time on the French Riviera sounds amazing! (my review)

The Golden Gal's French Adventure by Judy Leigh - The two main characters in this story, head off to the north of France for a life changing holiday. (my review)

A Wedding in the Sun by Leonie Mack - Two people end up getting into all sorts of adventures on the way to the wedding of their exes. (my review)

What kind of books give you holiday vibes?

This week...

 I'm reading

I've finished a couple of books this week, and started a couple more. 

I finished the audiobook that I was listening to, which was Funny Story by Emily Henry. This was narrated by Julia Whelan, who always does a great job. I haven't quite decided which book I will start listening to next. I have a few options I guess.

I also finished reading French Windows by Antoine Laurain, which was another excellent read. I started and finished An Island Promise by Kate Frost, which I will review later in the week.

Now I am reading The Secret Keeper by Renita D'Silva, who is a new to me author! I'll have the review up for this next week

I'm watching


Is there anything on other than Olympics? We've been watching whatever sport comes up from BMX to swimming, to kayak cross which is a crazy event I had never seen before!

We did go to the movies with friends on Saturday night to see Deadpool & Wolverine. Like all the Deadpool movies there was a lot of in jokes, and I am sure that I missed a few. There was also a killer soundtrack and lots of action. 


Life


We are getting ready to go away, so yes that means that there will be holiday spam coming up over the next few weeks! Just need to make it through the last couple of days at work, and then collapse into the seat on the plane ready for the long flight.

Max and Nala

This is Nala watching the dressage at the Olympics. She was very confused by the dancing horses.


Posts from the last week

Paris in July: Bestsellers Around the World - France
Paris in July: The Three Musketeers
Paris in July: C'est Fini!
Historical Fiction Reading Challenge August links
Weekend Cooking: What I Baked in my Kitchen in July
Six Degrees: Museum of Modern Love to Hamnet


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

This week....

Life

Well, I didn't really have a hospital stay on my bingo cards for last week, but that's what ended up happening. I had a minor issue that I went to the doctor about on Friday the week before last. When I went back for the follow up she told me I had to go to Emergency for a minor surgery. What I didn't expect was to end up in hospital for four nights while I waited for my surgery. It wouldn't have been so bad apart from the fact that I had to start fasting at midnight each night just in case the surgery was going to happen the next day. Over the course of four days I had 2 sandwiches and 2 dinners and that is it food wise. You would think I would have lost a couple of kilograms as a result, but it doesn't seem that I have!! Very disappointing.

I am glad to be home. No more poking, prodding, lectures. No more being woken in the middle of the night.

We did go to Cirque de Soleil last night which was pretty amazing! Such a spectacle of colour, music, acrobatics, humour all within the big circus tent. I have been meaning to got to Cirque de Soleil for years, but it just hadn't happened before now. Of course, it probably would have been better not to go the day after getting out of hospital.

I'm reading

Well, it's been a big reading week for me. I guess that's what happens when you don't have many options on how to entertain yourself when you are not sleeping. I finished three books this week which gives me a little bit of space to read a non review book.

First of all, I finished reading Kate Frost's A Greek Island Summer. I was supposed to review this last week but hopefully I will get that review done in the next couple of days.

I then started and finished reading The Restaurant at Pelican Crossing by Maggie Christensen, who is definitely what I would call a comfort read for me - definitely required this week.

Next, I read One Greek Summer Wedding by Mandy Baggot. If I had to give a one word review of this book it would be madcap. I will have a review for this one shortly.

Finally, I started reading The Shakespeare Sisters by Juliet Greenwood. I have the second book in this series to read for a blog tour later this month. I definitely prefer to read series in order so I have found some time to read the first book so far.

I'm watching

I didn't watch anything this week, except for the view from the window

Posts from the last week

Six Degrees: The Anniversary to Equal Rites

Weekend Cooking: What I Baked (In My Kitchen) in April

Historical Fiction Reading Challenge - May Links

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

This week.....

I'm reading


Last week I had started reading Mastering the Art of French murder by Colleen Cambridge, which is the latest Cook the Books selection. Now I am thinking about what I might make so that I can do a post. I have a couple of ideas but no firm decision yet.

I have now started reading A Greek Island Escape by Kate Frost. Yes, I am back travelling around Europe through the pages of a book.I need to hurry up with this one as I am supposed to review it this week.

I haven't  really made any progress on my audiobook. Maybe this week.

I'm watching

Not much really

Life

We actually had a pretty busy week, especially given that we only worked 3 days. It was a public holiday for Anzac Day on Thursday and then we took Friday off as well. On Friday we spent the afternoon visiting Lume which has a new exhibition all about the works of Leonardo da Vinci. It was really lovely. We spent nearly 2 hours there, and even then I could have spent longer!

On Saturday, we drove up to Bendigo and went to the Paris: Impressions of Life 1880 to 1925 and it was full of artefacts from Musee Carnavale in Paris.  We love the way the Bendigo Art Gallery puts it's exhibitions together and this was no exception.

As part of the visit we listened to French-Australian chef Gabriel Gate who talked about his own food history as well as the history of French restaurants and cooking. It was a lovely day.

And then on Sunday, my stepdaughter left to move to the UK for a while. It was very emotional at the airport, but she got on the plane and is just about to land as I type this. We will be going to visit in 14 weeks or so, but who's counting.

And in case you missed it, over the weekend, I unveiled my new blog look. There are a couple of kinks but I will figure them out in due course. 

Posts from the last week


Top Ten Tuesday: Unread Books on my Kindle

Blog Tour: A Single Act of Kindness by Samantha Tonge

Weekend Cooking: The French Cooking School by Caroline James

Sunday Salon: A New Look






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

Top Ten Tuesday: Greece or bust!!

 

 

  

Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's theme is Characters I’d Like to go on Vacation With (Pretend you’re going on vacation and can bring 10 of your closest friends with you. Pick your vacation spot and tell us who you’d like to bring! Bonus point if you tell us why. Or maybe you like the idea of traveling in small groups, so plan 10 trips or 5 trips!).

As is my tendency, I am twisting the topic a little bit. I actually started this post for last week's freebie topic but ran out of time to finish the post and then I looked at this week's topic and went....that works!

I do read a lot of books set in France, and quite a lot set in Italy as well, but just recently I have read a couple that were set in Greece, so that is my theme this week - Books Set in Greece.

Summer at the Santorini Bookshop by Rebecca Raisin - I really enjoy reading Rebecca Raisin's writing, particularly her descriptions of food, books and locations and this was no exception. (review)

Widows on the Wine Path by Julia Jarman - I read this a couple of weeks ago. A fair portion of the book is set in Greece! (review)

Under a Greek Sun by Mandy Baggot - I have read a couple of books by Mandy Baggot. A lot of her books are set in Greece. (review)

The Forgotten Palace by Alexander Christie - This is a multi timeline story set in Crete. It also tells the story of the minotaur from Greek mythology (review)

The Thread by Victoria Hislop - I  have read several of Victoria Hislop's books and enjoyed them all. (review)

The Maverick's Greek Island Mistress by Kelly Hunter - Ah, those wealthy Greek shipping billionaires who just need a wife! I don't read a lot of Mills and Boon but I will occasionally make an exception for Kelly Hunter.

The Clover House by Henriette Laziridis Power - I read this years ago and had forgotten all about it. (review)

A Greek Island Escape by Kate Frost - I will be reading this in the not too distant future.

The Captive Sun by Irene Karafilly - Another book I read years ago and had forgotten about. (review)

YiaYia by Anastasia Miari - This is a Greek cookbook that I bought earlier this year. I haven't cooked much out of it yet. This was a selection of the Jamie Oliver Cookbook Club.

And it's not just movies. Over the weekend I watched My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3. It wasn't a great movie but the scenery was stunning

Have you visited Greece, or have you only visited through the pages of a book like me?

Top Ten Tuesday - Water, water everywhere!

Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's theme is Water (This can be covers with water on them, books with bodies of water in them, titles with bodies of water in them, etc.)

I did a water themed TTT post a couple of years ago, but it turns out I have read ten more books with water related titles since them so there is no duplication.

Second Chances in Bellbird Bay by Maggie Christensen - To be fair I could have had 7 books just from this series as the word Bay is in every title. (review)

Hopeful Hearts at the Cornish Cove by Kim Nash -  With a bonus lighthouse playing a key role in the story. (review)

An Island in the Sun by Kate Frost - Islands are surrounded by water so they totally count. This one is set on the Portuguese island of Madeira. (review)

Far Across the Ocean by Suzie Hull - A part of this book was set in Madagascar which is quite an unusual setting. (review)

The House on the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune - Loved this book!

An Island Wedding by Jenny Colgan - This is set in the very far north of Scotland

The Custard Tart Cafe by the Sea by Isabella May - I promise you the words by the Sea are really on the cover! You just have to look closely! (review)

Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak - This is set in the Mediterranean island of Cyprus

A Granite Springs Christmas by Maggie Christensen - Another big series by Maggie Christensen which is set in the fictional town of Granite Springs

The Lights of Sugarberry Cove by Heather Webber - I like a book with a touch of magical realism! (review)

Maybe I will have another set of watery books in a couple of years time.