Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week is the theme is Books With Nationalities In The Title (e.g. The French Lieutenant’s Woman, Mexican Gothic, An American Mariage, etc.) (submitted by Cathy @WhatCathyReadNext)
I am going to mix it up a little bit and focus on place names. I am, however, going to avoid Paris because I have only recently done a whole TTT only featuring titles with the word Paris in it!
A Sunrise Over Bali by Sandy Barker - I haven't actually read this book but I have read the one that follows it which was set in Tuscany. I am still choosing to use it as we only recently visited Bali
Italy and Forever by Leonie Mack - Leonie Mack writes a lot of destination style romances. This is the final book in her excellent Wedding Planners series. (my review)
The Little Porto Book Club by Rebecca Raisin - Portugal is on my list of places I would love to visit! Even more so after reading this book! (my review)
The Nile Cruise by Caroline James - This is another thing that is on my list of places to do and see! I would love to cruise down the Nile one day. (my review)
Finding Forever in Pelican Crossing by Maggie Christensen - Pelican Crossing may not be a real place, but I love visiting it through the pages of the Pelican Crossing series. It is based on real coastal towns, so I am still counting it! (my review)
Secrets of the Italian Guesthouse by Sue Moorcroft - This book is the first in a trilogy set in a guesthouse on the shores of Lake Como! (my review)
A Venice Summer by Lynne Shelby - Whilst I have never been to Lake Como, I did go to Venice many, many years ago. One day I will go back. (my review)
Gate to Kagoshima by Poppy Kuroki - Kagoshima is a city in Japan and is famous for being the location of the Samurai Rebellion, which saw the end of the samurai way of life. (my review)
Call of the Camino by Suzanne Redfearn - I can't see myself walking the Camino, but I did like reading about it! (my review)
Letters from the Ginza Shihodo Stationery Shop by Kenji Ueda - Ginza is an area in Tokyo but we didn't make it to this area when we visited Tokyo last year.
Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week is the theme is Book Series I Want to Catch Up On (or series you’d like to start)
I know that the prompt says series I want to catch up on or start, but I am simplifying it to the most recent books I have read that are part of a series
Heartstrings series by B K Borison -And Now Back to You - I am reading a couple of different series by B K Borison at the moment. This is the second book in the Heartstrings series.
Cruise Escapes series by Caroline James - The Nile Cruise - This also has another cruise based series by this author called Diamond Star Cruises.
Pelican Crossing series by Maggie Christensen - Finding Forever in Pelican Crossing was the ninth book in this series.
Threads of Resistance series by Jenny O'Brien - The Secret Dressmaker is the second book in this series featuring undercover agents in Paris in WWII.
Wartime Librarians series by Kate Thompson - This isn't linked as a series on Goodreads but there are three books connected by theme and some characters. Recently this author announced a new librarians book and she called it the wartime librarians series so I am counting it! The most recent book I read was The Secret Society of Librarians.
Holiday Romance series by Carrie Walker - Escape to the Turquoise Seas is the fourth book in the Holiday Romance series. I haven't read books 1 or 2 yet. I do normally try to read series in order.
The Millbrook series by Hannah Claire - The Book Lovers Bucket List is on Amazon as being part of the Millbrook series
The Ernest Cunningham series by Benjamin Stevenson - Everyone in this Bank is a Thief is the fourth book in the series. I am now all caught up with the Ernest Cunningham series.
Head Over Wheels duology by Leonie Mack - Don't Brake My Heart is the second book in the duology which features professional cyclists.
The Italian Legacy trilogy by Sue Moorcroft - Secrets of the Italian Guesthouse is the first book in the trilogy which is set on the shores of Lake Como.
It's been a busy reading week this week. On Monday last week I still had two books to finish for blog tours last week so my first priority was to finish both of those. The first one was Finding Forever in Pelican Crossing by Maggie Christensen, which I reviewed here. The second was The Nile Cruise by Caroline James, which was a fun trip down the Nile!! I reviewed that book here.
I have been listening to Unruly: The Ridiculous History of England's Kings and Queens which was written and narrated by British comedian David Mitchell. It was a really fun audio experience, especially when he went on one of his middle-aged man rants! This was a rare foray into non fiction for me. I read it as it qualified for one of the Goodreads Summer Challenge.
I had previously listened to the first 10 minutes or so of Before I Knew I Loved You by Toshikazu Kawaguchi before I switched to Unruly. I have now gone back to that book on audio.
My read on a theme book club theme this time is "environment" which is the perfect reason to read my first book by Charlotte McConaghey. I chose to start with her latest book, Wild Dark Shore, because it also counted for two Goodreads categories. I thought it would take me a while to get through, but i twas so good that I ended up reading it over the course of two days
Finally I started The Little Porto Book Club by Rebecca Raisin which I am on the blog tour for next week. Originally, I was going to read this on holidays and just take my laptop and write the review while I am away, but if I can get it read and scheduled this week, along with any other posts for next week then maybe I won't take my laptop. We'll see.
I'm watching
We finished rewatching Ted Lasso season 3 and of course went straight onto the first episode of Season 4. Such a good show.
We also watched a fair bit of Bake Off this week. We binge watched 6 episodes of Bake Off: The Professionals on Saturday night, and we also watched the first episode of Celebrity Bake Off as well. Interestingly Cherish Finden was the guest judge on Celebrity Bake Off, and she was also on the grand final of Masterchef Australia! We haven't watched the Masterchef final yet as we were out last night but we will probably watch it tonight.
I did watch a Japanese film last week called Perfect Days which is about a man who is a toilet cleaner in Tokyo. It follows his very regimented life as he goes about cleaning a series of architecturally designed toilets and how he finds joy in the little things around him. It was a lovely film and it had a great soundtrack. Here's the trailer
Life
We've been talking for a while now about what the best way to store our travel memento magnets and this week we actually did something about it, and we are really happy with how it looks! You can see that there are still some gaps, so it might be lucky that we are going on holiday at the end of this week!
We had a pretty quiet Saturday, but on Sunday we went to see Six which is the rock musical about the six wives of Henry VIII. It's such a fun musical. We went to see it last time it was on and there's every chance we will go to see it again next time as well!
Max
Max went to the spa this week so he is looking very handsome as you can see from the pic above! She puts the bandana on all the dogs to take their photos!
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.
Harriet Caldwell is the headmistress of a prestigious girl's school in Brisbane. She has been content to have her successful career. She has never married and she is okay with that. And then she meets Charles Kaye, prestigious barrister and well known man about town and he sweeps her off her feet. Harri isn't Charle's normal type. He is known for dating much younger and glamourous women and regularly features on the society pages.
Harri is happy for this relationship to remain something special between just the two of them, but she is aware that at some point, his three daughters are going to need to know, especially once he proposes. Soon they are planning a life together. What Charles doesn't expect is the vehement disagreement from two of his daughters. Harri doesn't wan to be responsible for causing arguments in the family and so she is torn. Does she step away to enable Charles to repair his relationship or is she going to fight for the man that she loves.
I liked Harri and loved that she was successful and content with her life before meeting Charles. It did seem like Harri was being requested to make a lot of changes in order to accommodate her relationship with Charles. It's no wonder that she struggled with her decisions.
Charles was an interesting character given his change from chasing attractive, young women, who the media had dubbed Charlie's Angels, to falling head over heels for an elegant, confident, successful woman. His oldest daughter, Nicole, was a bit over the top in her opposition to the relationship. She was old enough to know that her dad should be entitled to have a life on whatever terms he wanted. I do, however, know that sometimes there are dramas when people recouple later in life. I was fortunate to only have a few very small incidents like this when I got together with my husband when I was in my mid 40s.
It's no secret that I am a bit of a Maggie Christensen fangirl. I have read 27 of her books over the last 5 years, all but one of which were part of series set in small country towns. I did miss the country towns, the seaside setting and the community that is such an important part of her series.
What was still present in this book was the really lovely later in life relationship between Harri and Charles and the same comforting style of writing which I have come to rely on whenever I pick up a Maggie Christensen book. I already have my next of her books lined up ready to read in a few weeks time!
I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted at The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews. 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!
Rating 3.5/5
About the book
Charlie’s Last Angel
In her early fifties, Harri Caldwell has always prided herself on being a strong, independent woman. Content with her single life, she loves her role as headmistress at the prestigious Lilian Cooper College for Young Ladies in Brisbane.
High profile barrister Charles Kaye has lived a charmed city life. With an amicable divorce behind him and three grown daughters, he is often featured in gossip columns alongside beautiful young women, a revolving cast his daughters nickname Charlie’s Angels.
When Charles and Harri meet at an art gallery opening, the instant connection is undeniable and, much to the chagrin of Charles’ daughters, a relationship quickly ensues. Their romance attracts media attention, not only because of Charles’ public profile but because Harri is so different from the women he is usually linked to. Older, private and firmly outside the socialite mould, she becomes an unexpected fascination for the press.
As the media attention and his daughters’ disapproval weigh on Harri, she begins to question whether their love can withstand the pressure. Will this prove to be the breaking point for their relationship or will Harri be Charlie’s last angel?
After a career in education, Maggie Christensen began writing contemporary women’s fiction portraying mature women facing life-changing situations, and historical fiction set in her native Scotland. Her travels inspire her writing, be it her trips to visit family in Scotland, in Oregon, USA or her home on Queensland’s beautiful Sunshine Coast. Maggie writes of mature heroines coming to terms with changes in their lives and the heroes worthy of them. Maggie has been called the queen of mature age fiction and her writing has been described by one reviewer as like a nice warm cup of tea. It is warm, nourishing, comforting and embracing.
From the small town in Scotland where she grew up, Maggie was lured to Australia by the call to ‘Come and teach in the sun’. Once there, she worked as a primary school teacher, university lecturer and in educational management. Now living with her husband of over thirty years on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, she loves walking on the deserted beach in the early mornings and having coffee by the river on weekends. Her days are spent surrounded by books, either reading or writing them – her idea of heaven!
Do you ever feel like it doesn't matter how much you read, the amount of books that add to your TBR is always far greater than the number of books that you actually read! That is definitely the case for me at the moment.
I did get get through several books last week, and then I started or picked up other books that I had previously started and put down.
I finished reading Three Bags Full by Leonie Swann. We went to see the Movie of The Sheep Detectives a few weeks ago and I picked up the book after that. It is fair to say that this is one of those rare occasions where the movie is better than the book. To be fair, they have two completely different story lines which only have some character names and the basic premise of the sheep doing the investigating in common but still.
The I sped through First Time Caller by B K Borison. I have only read a couple of her books so far but I have loved them both and I know that I am going to enjoy whatever she puts out!
I also read The Maid by Nita Prose. This was a selection for one of the Goodreads challenge categories. It's not my normal genre but I did enjoy it!
I then read Piglettes by Clementine Beauvais. I swear I saw that someone had read it for a previous iteration of Paris in July but I can't find who. It has been years since I read a YA book, and there were a couple of things that bothered me but overall it was a fun read. My review will be up in July as part of Paris in July
I am on the blog tour for Charlie's Last Angel by Maggie Christensen this week so I need to get on and write the review.
I then started This Book Made Me Think of You by Libby Page. I am not very far in but I am loving it already. Can't wait to get back to it!
The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon is another Goodreads challenge selection, so this is the book I am reading when I can't sleep at night!
I am making a concerted effort to finally finish War and Peace. My aim is to finish it by the end of this month! Currently I would need to read an average of 8 pages a day to get there. Wish me luck.
I was sorry to see the news that Iranian/French author Marjane Satrapi has passed away at the very young age of 56. Many years ago her Persepolis books were doing the rounds in the blogosphere. I also loved the movie adaptation of her book Chicken with Plums. In particular there is a montage scene towards the end of the movie which I still remember with fondness now.
I'm watching
A couple of months ago we re-watched the first two seasons of Ted Lasso. This week we started re-watching season 3 so it should be relatively fresh in our minds for when the next season comes out in August.
I did go to the movies this week to see a Mexican/Uruguyan film called Nothing Between Us which is showing as part of the Spanish and Latin American Film Festival. It is about two people who have an affair while on a work trip to Mexico. I am going to see a Spanish film this week so I will post about both of them soon.
Life
It was my birthday on Sunday so we went to our favourite afternoon tea destination. As always it was an exceptional experience with amazing customer service!
My husband bought me this cute booknook for my birthday! Now to find the time to start to put it together!
Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week the theme is My Favorite Books by My Favorite Authors (Pick your ten favorite authors and your favorite book written by each one of them.) (submitted by Cathy @ WhatCathyReadNext). After going rogue with my topics for the last two weeks, this week I am back on track.
I have broken this into two separate groups. The first five are authors who I have loved for years. The second group are more recent discoveries for me.
The Greatest Knight by Elizabeth Chadwick - I have gotten really behind on EC books but I still count her one of my favourites. I have given a lot of her books very high rating. At the time I read this one I gave it a 4/5 but this is the foundational book for me, about William Marshal and a several of her later books focus on him or his descendants.
The Sunne in Splendour by Sharon Kay Penman - This is SKP's book on Richard III, the first one I had read by her and is absolutely a 5 star read.
Voyager by Diana Gabaldon - I loved the first 4 books in the Outlander series, but if you are forcing me to pick a favourite it is the third book in the series
The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley - I could not do a list of favourite authors without including Susanna Kearsley. I also could not do a list of favourite SK books without mentioning The Winter Sea. It's a book I have reread 3 times and I am not a rereader.
The Other Bridget by Rachael Johns - Rachael Johns is one of only two authors that I consistently read when I had a years long reading slump a while ago.
Midnight in Paris by Gillian Harvey - This author writes a lot of books featuring people moving to France for a new life. This one was a bit different but I loved it!
Head Over Wheels by Leonie Mack - I don't read a lot of sports romances this day but this one featuring professional cyclists was a lot of fun. And book 2 in this world is coming out soon. Can't wait. I also am enjoying her Wedding Adventures series. And her standalone books. You get the idea!
The Paris Bookshop for the Broken- Hearted by Rebecca Raisin - I love the way that Rebecca Raisin writes about food, books and places, especially when she writes about Paris.
The Beforelife of Eliza Valentine by Laura Pearson - This was my first Laura Pearson and I loved, loved, loved this book!
Summer in Bellbird By by Maggie Christensen - In the last 5 years I have read 26 books by Maggie Christensen. She must be a favourite by definition right? They are my definition of comfort reads for sure.
Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week the theme is May Flowers (This is a companion to the April Showers topic from last month. Interpret however you’d like: books with flowers on the cover, colorful covers, books set in springtime, books where flowers/plants are a common theme, titles with flower names in them, characters named after flowers, covers that are as pretty as flowers, books featuring gardens, etc.)
However, I have done a flowers on the cover theme for the last couple of years now, so I am turning my thoughts to the 20 Books of Winter which is hosted by AnnaBookBel this year. So here are 10 of the 20 books I am planning on reading for at some point between 1 June and 31 August. I'll be back next week with the next 10 (assuming that I have completed building my list!)
This list is subject to change but at this stage, this is the plan
Charlie's Last Angel by Maggie Christensen - I read a lot of Maggie Christensen's books that are part of series, but this one is a blog tour for a standalone novel.
Secrets of the Italian Guesthouse by Sue Moorcroft - I do enjoy Sue Moorcroft's books. It's been a while since I read one of her books set in Italy. This is also for a blog tour
Escape to the Turquoise Seas by Carrie Walker - My final blog tour book is this one which is the fourth book in the Holiday Romance series. I am due to review this in July but it looks like publication has been pushed back to October so that date might change.
Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J Ryan Stradal- This is the next Cook the Books selection
Three Juliets by Minnie Darke - The next three books are all books that I meant to read last year but I ended up swapping out so they are back on the list for this year. I actually read at least a third of this book but I will have to start again now.
The Kings Jewel by Elizabeth Chadwick - It's been so long since I read an Elizabeth Chadwick so I need to prioritise this one.
The Story Collector by Evie Woods - I have had mixed results with Evie Woods books so far, so I am interested to read this one to see where it lands for me!
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy - Last year I was trying to read War and Peace and I was doing pretty well until I started work again in August at which point I stopped. I think I have about 300 paged to go so my plan is to finish it. This will also count for a Goodreads challenge.
The Maid by Nita Prose - Both this and the next book are for Goodreads challenges
The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon - This book has been on my TBR pile for a long time now. I plan to read it before the end of June.
Are you planning to participate in the 20 Books of Summer/Winter?
Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.This week the theme is Book Titles That Describe Me/My Life (Example titles: Well Traveled could describe you if you like to travel, Hotshot Doc could describe you if you’re an awesome doctor, Falling into Place could describe a life where things are starting to work out, An Infinite Love Story could describe your relationship, It Could Have Been Her could describe a thing you’re happy you avoided or a path you could have taken but didn’t. You can explain your choices or not, and they can be as specific or as abstract as you’d like.) (Submitted by Susan @ blogginboutbooks.com)
I am taking a simpler approach to this topic by sharing authors/books/characters with my name! Let's start with authors I have read whose name is either Margaret or similar/derivative to Margaret
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
The Red Queen by Margaret Drabble
Mary Queen of Scotland and the Isles by Margaret George
My Lady of Cleves by Margaret Campbell Barnes
Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
And then move onto others
Sea Hearts by Margo Lanagan
Summer in Bellbird Bay by Maggie Christensen
Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell
Are you there God? It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume
North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell
I couldn't resist including the last two. The reason for the first is likely obvious, but the second not so much. The main female character in North and South is called Margaret. And my post title is a paraphrase of a line that comes from absolutely fantastic mini-series adaptation of the book!
The news that there is a new Maggie Christensen book coming is always welcome! This is the eighth book in the Pelican Crossing series, which is set in a small beachside town on the Queensland coast.
We had met Ranah Black in previous books in the series, given her friendship with Erica and Livvy who featured in early books in the series. Now Erica and Livvy are all loved up with their new partners and they want the same for her. Ranah does allow herself moments where she wishes for someone, but she has never been in a relationship and she can't see that changing any time soon. The reality is that she much prefers the company of her dogs to that of people. As a breeder of spaniels, she came into contact with people often enough.
When she meets a young woman who is crying on the street, Ranah does something completely out of character and offers Tiffany a place to stay. Tiffany works in hospitality in town but is finding it difficult to find accommodation due to the lack of affordable housing. She is also somewhat estranged from her family and in a situation not of her own making. The kindness of a stranger is the last thing Tiffany expects, but she is grateful for the offer and accepts.
Steve Morton has lived outside of Pelican Crossing for a few years now. He is an American with Australian heritage who found the town by accident and loved it so much that he moved there. However, he too keeps himself to himself. He runs his hot air ballooning and scenic helicopter business from his property but other than that he keeps himself to himself. Ranah and Steve have never even met despite the fact that they are neighbours.
Despite his aloofness, Steve has made a big difference to the town. They just don't know it. Over the years he has made anonymous donations for a variety of local causes, including saving the local newspaper. Now though, he is turning his attention to the housing situation, and he knows that if his plans come to fruition, there is no way he is going to be able to keep his philanthropy anonymous!
Steve and Rhana finally meet when she is invited to go on a hot air balloon ride with her friend which isn't really her idea of fun. Privately, Rhana calls Steve "the birdman" and she is not really that interested in getting to know him. However, sometimes fate has other ideas and the two of them seem to keep on running into each other. Soon, they discover
I thought that the author did a great job a looking at trauma and the way it can impact your whole life. Both Steve and Rhana have had significant impacts on their lives. For Rhana, it has shaped her in ways that have led her to isolating herself from people, and from never believing that anyone would want a relationship with her. She has never, ever told anyone what happened to her, and she doesn't intend to start now. However, when she sees Tiffany suffering, she knows that she needs to share to try to help the younger woman down a different path to the one that she has chosen. And she also might need to put aside the fear of intimacy she has and give the birdman a chance.
These books are my comfort read. I know when I pick them up I am going to get immersed in the lives of a small town where there is a solid community, good people, friendships, lifestyle and so much more. Would I like to live in a town like Pelican Crossing? Yes, I think I would. Do I believe that I would get absorbed into the town in the ways that are portrayed in these books. Probably not. At least I can get absorbed into Pelican Crossing through the pages in these books! I am already looking forward to my next visit!
I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted at The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews. Thanks to the publisher and Rachel's Random Resources for the review copy.
Rating 4/5
About the book
Something in the Air in Pelican Crossing
Rhana Black has always been content with her quiet life in the Pelican Crossing hinterland, where she spends her days breeding spaniels. Following a traumatic incident at her school formal and weighed down by her own insecurities about her appearance, Rhana has shied away from any romantic relationships. That is, until a chance encounter with a hot air balloonist changes everything.
As Rhana and Steve navigate their complicated pasts and undeniable chemistry, they must decide if they are willing to break their self-imposed barriers and take a chance on love. But with their old wounds and deep insecurities threatening to keep them apart, can they be able to overcome their fears and find happiness together?
After a career in education, Maggie Christensen began writing contemporary women’s fiction portraying mature women facing life-changing situations, and historical fiction set in her native Scotland. Her travels inspire her writing, be it her trips to visit family in Scotland, in Oregon, USA or her home on Queensland’s beautiful Sunshine Coast. Maggie writes of mature heroines coming to terms with changes in their lives and the heroes worthy of them. Maggie has been called the queen of mature age fiction and her writing has been described by one reviewer as like a nice warm cup of tea. It is warm, nourishing, comforting and embracing.
From the small town in Scotland where she grew up, Maggie was lured to Australia by the call to ‘Come and teach in the sun’. Once there, she worked as a primary school teacher, university lecturer and in educational management. Now living with her husband of over thirty years on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, she loves walking on the deserted beach in the early mornings and having coffee by the river on weekends. Her days are spent surrounded by books, either reading or writing them – her idea of heaven!
This coming week I have three reviews due. I powered through Maggie Christensen's Something in the Air in Pelican Crossing. I always love Maggie Christensen's books and this was another engrossing read.
I also started reading The Islander's Daughter by Patricia Wilson. This is a dual timeline WWII novel which is partly set in Greece. I haven't read this author before. My review will be up for this in a couple of days. I need to finish this one was I have one more book due for review by the end of the week
We went away for the weekend and we started listening to Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir while we were driving (for reasons that will become obvious later in this post!
I read 14 books in March which kind of surprises me as I didn't feel like I was getting a lot of reading done and work has been pretty challenging. I didn't give any books 5/5 this month, although there were 5 books that I gave 4.5/5 to. They were
Books let our imaginations travel where our feet cannot - Nora Nguyen
This is where I travelled through books during March
Europe
UK - The Strawberry House, The Language of Food, The Heir Apparent
America
Maryland - Lovelight Farms, The Correspondent
Mississipi/Missouri - James
Australia
New South Wales - Everyone this Christmas has a Secret, Lessons in Love at the Seaside Salon
Tasmania - The Heir Apparent, Past the Shallows
Europe
Italy - The Leopard Russia/Germany - The Rebel Romanov:Julie of Saxe-Coburg, the Empress Russia Never Had
Asia
Japan - We'll Prescribe You a Cat
I'm watching
We went to the movies on Friday and saw Project Hail Mary which we really enjoyed. I did spend half the movie trying to remember what other Ryan's name was. No idea why my mind fixated on that. The Martian is one of those movies for me where I will put it on whenever I come across it on the TV schedule. I suspect Project Hail Mary might too!
Life
We decided to do a quick getaway for the Easter long weekend so we visited an island which is a couple of hours away from us called Phillip Island. It is most famous for two things. The motorcycle grand prix was held here for many years and each night at dusk a colony of penguins waddles up out of the sea. We didn't see either of those but we did enjoy our time on the island visiting the Nobbies (where we saw this fellow as well as lots of big geese and more), the local market, going the Vietnam Veterans Museum and more.
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 Spring 2026 To-Read List but as always we are in the opposite season so this is my Autumn 2026 To-Read list
Something in the Air in Pelican Crossing by Maggie Christensen - If Maggie Christensen has a new book out then I am reading it! Turns out she has this one coming out in April and another stand alone novel coming out in June!
Love Blooms at the Cornish Cottage by Kim Nash - I do enjoy Kim Nash's books and this is the third book in the Sandpiper Cove series. The Forty Rules of Love by Elif Shafak - We are meant to be going to Turkiye in a couple of weeks time. I am not sure if that is going to happen or not given the state of the world. I have loved Elif Shafak's other books so this was a good opportunity to read her given that she is a Turkish author.
Gate to Kagoshima by Poppy Kuroki - Someone reviewed the follow up book to this for the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge and I was intrigued!
Hot Chocolate on Thursday by Michiko Aoyama - I have read a couple of this Japanese authors books previously so I am keen to read this one
Everyone in this Bank is a Thief by Benjamin Stevenson - This is the fourth book in the Ernest Cunningham series. After reading this one I will be all caught up with the series and will have to wait for the next one.
Start at the End by Emma Grey - I am so excited to read this one! I read both of Emma Grey's books last year and they were both 5 star reads.
Early Mornings at the Laksa Cafe by Janet Tay = The title of this one caught my attention.
Call of the Camino by Suzanne Redfearn - This is the next Cook the Books selection. I am expecting to feel the need to make something Spanish after reading this!
The Rebel Romanov by Helen Rappaport - Trying to read this one by the end of March as the Her Story category is the last one I need to finish for the current Goodreads Challenges
Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week the theme is Book Titles Featuring Ordinal Numbers (Ordinal numbers are numbers that define an item’s place in a series. For example: first, second, third, fourth, tenth, fourteenth, thirty-third, one hundredth, etc.) (submitted by Joanne @ Portobello Book Blog)
I have chosen to twist the topic a bit. I am going to do books that are the number in the series by which I mean the title might be the fifth book in the series for example. At least one of them will be ordinal!
1. An Academic Affair by Jodi McAlister - Last year I read and adored this book. The second book in the Love Notes series is due to be released in July! I am so looking forward to it!
2. Us Against You by Fredrik Backman - This is the second book in the Beartown trilogy. I am hoping to read the third one soon! (my review)
3. The Deadly Dispute by Amanda Hampson - I read and loved all three books in this series last year, of which this is the third. The fourth book is out next month! (my review)
4. Everyone in This Bank is a Thief by Benjamin Stevenson - This is the fourth book in the Ernest Cunningham series. I have only read and loved the first two but I do know that I will read this one eventually
5. Safe Harbour in Pelican Crossing by Maggie Christensen - I do really enjoy Maggie Christensen's books. This is the fifth book in the Pelican Crossing series. The eighth book in the series is out early next month (my review)
6. The Last Camel Died at Noon by Elizabeth Peters - This is the sixth book in the excellent Amelia Peabody series. I unintentionally stopped reading this series at book number 14. It has been more than 15 years since I read that book but I do have such fond memories of it, and I feel as though I could pick the next book without too much difficulty. (my review)
7. The Missing Sister by Lucinda Riley - This is the seventh book in the Seven Sisters series. It feels a little bit ironic that there was an eight book released!
8. Written in My Own Heart's Blood by Diana Gabaldon - This is the last book I read in the Outlander series. I don't know if I have the energy to pick up the next book in the series at the moment.
9. To the Nines by Janet Evanovich - I continued to read up to book 19 before I deliberately stopped reading this series. This book was the last one that I rated as a 5 star read. It was all downhill from here.
10. Witness in Death by JD Robb - I read up to book 17 in the series before I unintentionally stopped reading them. Book 62 in the series was recently published so I don't see myself ever catching up on this series. (my review)
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!
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