Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week the theme is Bookish Discoveries I Made in 2025 (New-to-you authors you discovered, new genres you learned you like, new bookish resources you found, friends you made, local bookshops you found, a book club you joined, etc.). I am going to use this as an opportunity to showcase some of the new to me authors I read last year.
All up I read 67 new to me authors which is hard to narrow down to just ten choices, so the first 9 of these authors are those that I read multiple books from. In other words, I enjoyed their first books enough to go and read more!
Finding that elusive 10th author to include on the list was a bit trickier. I thought I would pick one where I only read one book by them but I gave that book 5/5 rating. However, there are still four of those!
Claire Keegan - I know that I am late to the party with this one but I read two of Irish author Claire Keegan's books last year and I have already read another this year. I am going to run out of her books soon I think. Often her books are quite short but boy they pack a punch!
Claire van Ryn - Another Claire! This one is from Tasmania, and I really loved both books of hers that I read last year which I reviewed here and here. Birds play an important part in the stories and both covers are gorgeous! I will be excited about her next book for sure!
Emma Davies - Emma Davies is a British author. I enjoyed the two books I read from her and have now bought some of her earlier books. I reviewed her books here and here.
Emma Grey - I have mentioned Emma Grey several times now in my best of posts for last year. She is the only author that I have given 5/5 stars to both of the books I read from her last year. I reviewed them here and here. Can't wait for the next book which is out soon.
Hannah Bonam-Young - This is definitely a case of being last to the party. I read Out on a Limb and Next of Kin last year and I am looking forward to reading more this year!
Laura Imai Messina - Laura Imai Messina is Italian by birth, but she has lived in Japan for more than 20 years. I loved both of her books but so far I have only reviewed one of them. I have a friend who is a Japanophile and I was talking to her about this authors books, and she started to cry because she said that the stories just sound so Japanese. I don't think any more of this authors books have been translated into English, but if they are I will be reading them!
Mai Mochikuzi - At first I wasn't sure about the mix of human size, walking, talking cats, astrology and food but it is fun. I reviewed the first book here and the second book here.
Shari Low - I read three of Shari Low's books last year. They are mainly set in Scotland and feature a bunch of fun characters, and are often interconnected.
Yuta Takahashi - This is the author of one of several Japanese foodie series I am reading. This one features a restaurant where you can come to eat remembrance meals and get the chance to have one last conversation with the person you are remembering. I reviewed the two books here and here.
Jodi McAlister - In the end I chose this book because it is the only book by a new to me author that I rated 5/5 stars that I never got around to reviewing, for no other reason than I ran out of time. I also saw her at a couple of events last year as well! If you love smart, funny enemies to lover romances check it out! Highly recommend! One of the members of my book club read it and she absolutely loved it, and she is 80 years old!! I will definitely read more from Jodi McAlister
I now have a number of Japanese foodie related series on the go, and today I am sharing about three of them. For the most part, I find them to be very easy, smooth reads which is perfect when you are looking for a book to get lost in.
The Menu of Happiness by Hisashi Kashiwai (translated by Jesse Kirkwood)
Menu of Happiness by Hisashi Kashiwai is the third book in the Kamogawa Detective Agency series which is a series that I really enjoy. So far there are 11 books published in Japan, and I am really hopeful that we will continue to see these books translated into English.
There is no doubt that this book fits a very common structure for lots of these cozyish books. In fact, all three of the books I am talking about today have the same characteristics with short stories where the connection is that they feature the same main characters. Often, the story is about looking back to people who they miss.
In Menu, as in the previous books in the series, we have a several individual characters who come looking for the small restaurant in Kyoto which is home to the Kamogawa restaurant and is also home to the detective agency. And lets not forget also home to the cat named Drowsy
In each story, the character is looking for a very particular taste that brings back memories of a particular time in their life. Food, like music, is definitely a key that can unlock memories of particular people or situations. They come to the cafe and share what details, if any, they remember of the dish and then former policeman turned chef Nagare Kamogawa and his daughter Koishi then try to track down the exact dish. Then the customer returns two weeks later to see if they have been able to recreate it correctly.
In this book the dishes that he needs to recreate include
Kake soba
Curry and rice
Yakisoba
Gyoza
Omurice
Croquettes
I like that the food is very accessible. It's not fancy, and some times it is the merest change of an ingredient that changes the dish from just the every day to something that the customer remembers so well!
There are a lot of lovely little details in each story. For example, one of the customers is the person who makes the special lacquerware that they use in the restaurant. Having been to Japan I now have a much better idea of what they are talking about, as we had some meals that were served in some beautiful little bowls
Even though this third book is more of the same as the previous two books, the stories still delight me! Bring on the fourth book.
Best Wishes from the Full Moon Coffee Shop by Mai Mochizuki (translated by Jordan Taylor)
When we travel we like to collect Christmas decorations. When we were in Japan last year, we looked in quite a lot of the tourist shops and didn't find any Christmas decorations anywhere. I was aware from previous reading that a Japanese Christmas cake is basically a fluffy strawberry and cream cake and that lots of Japanese people like to have Kentucky Fried Chicken on Christmas Day but that was about it in terms of Christmas traditions, which isn't all that surprising given that the majority religion is Shinto. It was therefore a bit of a surprise to realise that this book is a Christmas book.
This is the second book in the Full Moon Coffee Shop series which features giant talking cats, a magical cafe that generally only comes out on full moons and amazing sounding food and drinks. However, the magical cafe can also pop up anywhere in the week leading up to Christmas and this is when this book is set.
This time the stories are also a more connected than they sometimes tend to be in these styles of books. Satomi works hard and long hours in an advertising agency in Tokyo. She is afraid that her boyfriend is going to propose and that he is going to expect her to move away from the sitter. Koyuki is a temp at the same agency. She does good work but never seems to be able to convert her temp work into a permanent role. The final main character is Junko, who is Satomi's sister in law. She has long been estranged from her parents, but when she gets a message to say her dad is dying, she takes her young daughter to meet him for the first time.
For each woman, the encounters at the Full Moon Coffee Shop helps them to look at both their past and their present to understand what happiness might look like in the future.
I mentioned the fantastical sounding food. In this case there is a Cheese Fondue and Candy Apples, a New Moon Mont Blanc and Sparkler Iced Tea. Here is just part of the description of the tea:
"I have prepared this drink for you," he said placing a rather large glass in front of me. It was transparent and shaped like an ancient vase with no handles. Inside was tea, ice and a sparkler firing off bits of light. "It is Sparkler Ice Tea."
I brought my face close to the glass in astonishment, staring dubiously at the sparkler twinkling inside the liquid. How in the world does it work?
The master said, "Tea and memories are extracted like leaping sparks. It will be ready to drink when the sparks have scattered and the last fragment falls."
I read this one on a plane trip to Brisbane and it was the perfect way to pass the time.
This series currently has 6 books in the series. Once again, I will be looking for the next book in the series.
The Calico Cat at the Chibineko Cafe by Yuta Takahashi (translated by Cat Anderson)
The Chibineko Kitchen is in a small seaside village not too far from Tokyo. They specialise in kagezen, which are traditional meals offered in remembrance of loved ones. The twist here is that it is possible that, for the duration of the meal, you can have one last conversation with them, one last chance to tell them that you love them, and to say goodbye.
This book is the second book in the series, and once again we meet both Kai, the young man who runs the restaurant after taking over from his mother, and Kotoko, who was one of the people whose stories we read about in the first book. And then there is Chibi the calico cat.
There are four stories in the book
The first is about Nagi, a young woman who has been ill for most of her life. She has broken up with her boyfriend when he proposed to her because she thinks it would be unfair to marry her. Now, she has come to the restaurant to talk to her mother, who also died young.
Next, we meet a man named Keita who had basically shut himself in the apartment that he shared with him mother. When she dies, he takes on her job cleaning at the community aged care centre and begins to find a purpose.
The third story is about an older lady named Mitsuyo who feels isolated despite living at the aged care centre. She comes to the restaurant hoping to talk to her favourite singer.
And finally, Kumagai, who is in the same theatre group as Kotoko, visits the restaurant to see his son
What makes this book a little different is that you not only get the stories, but you also get the recipes for the food. They include
Tofu no Misozuke (Miso-marinated tofu)
Buta Bara no Kara-age (Fried pork belly)
Iwashi no Kabayaki-don (Soy glazed sardines on rice)
Shime no Kare (Curry using leftover hotpot)
There are currently 10 books in this series in Japanese but this is only the second one to be translated into English.
It is interesting that not only food and structure connects these stories. Cats also play a part in all three of these stories. The other connection is also that, even though some of these stories feature characters who have suffered great loss, particularly in Menu and Calico Cat, ultimately they are stories about finding hope and joy.
Saturday - Baked chicken fried rice Sunday - Curries, rice and roti Monday - Chicken Stir Fry Tuesday -Sausages in tomato sauce with mash potato Wednesday - Homemade pizza Thursday - Out for dinner Friday - Takeaway
Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book reviews (novel, nonfiction), cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs, restaurant reviews, travel information, or fun food facts. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page
Welcome to this 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!
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 finished Golden Girls on the Run by Judy Leigh which was a lot of fun and which I reviewed here.
After that, I pretty much hit a reading wall. I think it is because I don't have any more due dates for blog tours etc so I looked at the 50 books or so that are at the top of the various folders (amongst the thousand or so that I have on there) and couldn't decide which book was next up.
It turns out though, that a delayed flight and three hours sitting at an airport, can help with that. I read Best Wishes From the Full Moon Coffee Shop by Mai Mochizuki, which is the second book in the Full Moon Coffee Shop series and is set at Christmas.
I then quickly read the epilogue to Helen Rolfe's Best Days of Our Lives which was lovely.
On the way home I read The War Time Book Club by Kate Thompson. I have had a couple of her books on my TBR pile for a long time and I have to say I am wondering why I waited so long!
I'm watching
I haven't watched my normal number of Christmas movies yet this year and I can't see that changing this week which is a shame. I did watch Tinsel Town which stars Keifer Sutherland and Rebel Wilson as well as a few familiar British actors. It is about a washed up American action star who ends up in a small town doing pantomime. It was a bit of fun but if I was given away prizes, the prize for worst Yorkshire accent goes to Rebel Wilson. Here's the trailer
We did go to the movies to see a delightful documentary called The Golden Spurtle. It is all about the World Porridge Making Championships which is held in a small Scottish town of Carrbridge each year. You would think that a movie about porridge might be a bit stodgy but it was a lot of fun! We bought a spurtle when we were in Scotland but we haven't used it yet. Here's the trailer
We watched the first episode of the second series of A Man on the Inside with Ted Danson. We really enjoyed the first series and I hope to watch more this week!
Life
We did a quick trip up to Brisbane this weekend to do Christmas with the kids before they start travelling to their Christmas destinations!
We had dinner at a lovely restaurant and then we went to the beach with Nala, the golden retriever who used to live with us! Oh, and the kids and their partners!
Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's theme is Cozy/Atmospheric Reads
I am going a bit rogue this week and I am choosing covers which features archways or windows. It's an idea that has been calling to me for a couple of months now, and today is the day that I make it happen! These are all books that I have read this year!
The Lost Garden by Angela Petch - This is the book that made me think about doing this as a topic. (my review)
Winter Nights at the Bay Bookshop by Jessica Redland - This arch kind of reminded me of the arch window on Play School, which is the window I hoped they would choose every time. Australians will get this, or at least Australians of a certain age! (my review)
Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett - This is the first book in the Emily Wilde series. It probably almost doesn't count but the frame forms an arch like shape. At least that's my story and I am sticking to it. (my review)
The Magic of Provence by Alison Roberts - love the view extending out through the arch here. (my review)
The Santorini Writing Retreat by Eva Glyn - It looks like this might be a picture from a balcony but the flowers form an arch to look out across that iconic Santorini view. (my review)
The House at River's Edge by Rachel Burton - The windows are flung wide open on this cover (my review)
A Greek Island Gift by Mandy Baggot - Love the colours on this cover! (my review)
Under a Riviera Moon by Helen McGinn - How nice would it be to sit outside on a beautiful warm Riviera evening and look at this view. (My review)
Full Moon Coffee Shop by Mai Mochizuki - I am really looking forward to reading the follow up to the book soon! (My review)
The Secrets of the Rose by Nicola Cornick - I do love it when you see an series of arches covered in flowers like this! (My review)
Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's theme is Literary/Bookish Candles I’d Make (Pick a book and assign it a fragrance or fragrance combo that would make a nice candle.) (Submitted by Heather @ The Frozen Library)
Originally, I wasn't 100% sure I would do the topic as written but then I remembered that there are plenty of foodie scents that would work in a candle. I have also been meaning to do a foodie books post so I am combining the two! Not all of these books are foodie as such but they do have food items in their title!
The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie by Rachel Linden - I just recently read this and really enjoyed it! The main character, Lolly, makes a lot of Lemon Drop Pie in this book. Think lemon meringue pie with a small twist!
A Faraway Smell of Lemon by Rachel Joyce - This is a short story and the only thing I have read by Rachel Joyce. I do mean to read more as I love the sound of this book. Bonus is that it is set at Christmas and so we can combine the smell of lemon with the smells of Christmas.
A Crown of Bitter Orange by Laura Florand - I love Laura Florand's books so it is a real shame that she isn't publishing any more. They mostly are foodie or about perfumes and set in France. This is the third book in the La Vie en Roses series.
White Mulberry by Rosa Kwan Easton - I read this earlier this year before our trip to Japan and Korea and learnt so much about the history in the 20th century between these two countries. (my review)
Strawberry Shortcake Murder by Joanne Flake - You could use just about any book by in the Hannah Swensen series for this prompt
It was the Pie's Fault by Elizabeth Sa Fleur - This was a super fun romance that I read a while ago now which features fake dating, grumpy/sunshine tropes and delicious sounding cherry pies!
Chai Time at the Cinnamon Gardens by Shankari Chandran - This is a two for one book. Chai and Cinnamon could both be candle flavours right. It is also an excellent read!
Cinnamon and Gunpowder by Eli Brown - I mean if someone likes the smell of gunpowder this could be a two for one too! I started reading this ages ago but other things go in the way and I never finished it! One day I will.
The Tea Rose by Jennifer Donnelly - My favourite in this trilogy was The Winter Rose but this was a great read too. And another two candle flavours title.
The Full Moon Coffee Shop by Mai Mochizuki - If I am going to do tea then it is only fair that I do coffee too! This was such a fun read when I read it last year. The next book in the series is being released in English next month and I am looking forward to it! (my review)
Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's theme is Most Anticipated Books Releasing in the Second Half of 2025, I have tried not to cross over too much with my previous lists of books that I am planning to read over the summer, although it probably would have been smarter not to add another 10 books to my TBR right?
The Lucky Sisters by Rachael Johns (October)- What can I say. Rachael Johns is always an autobuy author for me!
In the Paris Fashion by Sophie Beaumont (November) - I have loved both of the Sophie Beaumont books I have read so far! I am looking forward to seeing the final cover too!
Last Stop on the Winter Wonderland Express by Rebecca Raisin (August)- Super excited about this one!
Daughters of the Batavia by Stefanie Koens (July) - I have long been fascinated by the wreck of the Batavia and we also saw the replica when we went to The Netherlands a while ago, so keen to read this one.
Best Wishes from the Full Moon Coffee Shop by Mai Mochizuki (October) - This is the follow up to The Full Moon Coffee Shop which I enjoyed a lot.
The Secret Book Society by Madeline Martin (August) - I am late to the party for Madeline Martin's historical fiction novels, but having read one recently, I am determined to not get further behind!
The Midnight Estate by Kelly Rimmer (July) - Kelly Rimmer has moved away from her excellent WWII novels, so it will be interesting to read this one!
The Forget-Me-Not Library by Heather Webber (November) - I really enjoy Heather Webber's books, although I think I am a couple of books behind!
The Seven Rings by Nora Roberts (November) - This is the final book in the Lost Brides trilogy. I have listened to the previous two so I imagine this will be another audiobook for me!
A Woman's Voice by Alli Sinclair (July) - I loved The Codebreakers so I am looking forward to this one!
Do you have any of the same books on your list this week:?
Over the last few years I have read several books translated from Japanese to English, and I have noted that the books I have been choosing seem to have certain similarities. They are usually episodic with a story connected to one particular scenario and then the next story is about someone else. They often are looking at grief and those who are left behind, often they feature food and there are often cats.
Whilst the Full Moon Coffee Shop by Mai Mochizuki certainly fits three of these similarities, it is not so much a book about those left behind after a loved one dies, and it has a kind of magical realism running through it! Obviously you can tell from the cover that there are cats, it is episodic in structure (although it does tie together nicely at the end) and the food is out of this world, as you might guess from most of the chapter titles.
The sections of the book include
Aquarius Trifle Lunar Chocolate Fondant Mercury Cream Soda Moonlight and Venus Champagne Float
The Full Moon Coffee Shop is a very unusual coffee shop. It can randomly pop up and then be gone just as quickly, it's waiters are talking cats, and for those who are lucky enough to visit, there is a side of astrological readings and otherworldly wisdom.
The first visitor is a down on their luck scriptwriter named Mizuki. In her twenties she was an in demand writer who had written hit TV shows. These days though, her TV scripts are out of fashion so she is writing for games, she lives in a much smaller apartment and she is something of a recluse. She has recently submitted a script that she is working on.
The second visitor to the cafe is Akari who works in TV and has the horrible job of telling Mizuki that her script isn't going to be picked up, which is difficult because they have a past connection. Akari has a reputation as a driven TV executive who has a mess to clean up when her leading lady gets caught up in a scandal.
Then there is computer guy Takashi who ironically seems to have a lot of technology related issues a lot of the time.
The final visitor is Meguma, a hairdresser who has moved back home to help out in her parents small salon but who is trying to work out what she wants her career to look like in future.
I thought would share a passage from the book to give a bit of a taste of the writing. When I was reading this on the plane, I was amused to see that there was a chapter called Mercury Cream Soda, because I knew I had scheduled a Weekend Cooking post about creaming soda for when I was away. So here is a short passage about Mercury Creaming Soda
At the end of a road, I spotted what looked like a popup cafe.
In front of a truck were several sets of wooden tables and chairs, where the passengers from the train were sitting. I recognised them, somehow, and yet their faces remained a blur.
I took a seat at a free two-seater table. Someone appeared and placed a glass in front of me. "Here you go. A Mercury Creaming Soda."
Unlike the scenery and people around me, the drink was vivid and distinct. It had all the usual components of a cream soda - ice cream and a cherry on top. What distinguished it from the normal version was that its soda wasn't the usual green, but instead a beautiful sky blue, and the ice cream was a greyish-what colour rather than the usual vanilla.
I pulled the glass toward me and sipped the drink through the straw.
The soda tasted pleasant and refreshing as it trickled down my throat, and the sweetness was just right. The taste was vaguely familiar and yet totally new,
The pale grey ice cream turned out to be a lemon-flavoured sorbet that went perfectly with the soda. As the flavours danced on my palate, I caught the sound of a woman's voice from the neighbouring table. She seemed to be complaining about something.
"Emails getting lost, data corrupting itself and now the train's late...Sheesh!"
The woman could have taken the words right out of my own mouth. It was if she was giving voice to my inner thoughts.
"Typical Mercury retrograde, isn't it?" she continued.
There is quite a lot of astrology in this book. Some of it I kind of skipped through, but some of it was very interesting, and some of it was just plain fun!
Interestingly, Jesse Kirkwood also translated the Kamogawa Food Detective Agency series by Hisashi Kashiwai. I might have to check out what else they have translated. The second book in the Full Moon Coffee Shop series is due to be released later this year. I will be reading it!
Weekly meals
Saturday - Out for dinner Sunday - Steak Egg and chips Monday - Normandy pork Tuesday - Chicken Kebabs and baked potato Wednesday - Beef Stroganoff Thursday - Mexican Chicken and Rice Friday - Leftovers
I am sharing this review with Foodies Read hosted at Based on a True Story and Translated Fiction challenge hosted at Introverted Reader.
Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book reviews (novel, nonfiction), cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs, restaurant reviews, travel information, or fun food facts. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page
Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's theme is My Unpopular Bookish Opinions (You can share opinions surrounding being a reader, a book reviewer, etc. OR you could share your opinions on specific books that go against what everyone else is saying. Are there any books you loved that most people didn’t, or vice versa?)
I am going rogue (again) and instead I am doing What I Read on Holidays, which fits nicely into the post because I finished exactly ten books while I was away!
The Full Moon Coffee Shop by Mai Mochizuki - What an interesting and delightful book! I am planning to review this soon.
The Pumpkin Spice Cafe by Laurie Gilmore - Given all the hype around this series, I was expecting more but it was a good book to read on a plane.
Safe Harbour in Pelican Harbour by Maggie Christensen - I always enjoy Maggie Christensen's books and this one was no exception. I reviewed this book here.
White Mulberry by Rosa Kwan Easton - I wanted to read this one because it is set in both Korea and Japan. I had no idea that Japan had occupied Korea between 1910 and the end of the war.
The King's Messenger by Susanna Kearsley - I told myself I was reading this one for our read on a theme book club. The theme for this month is spy and I guess I could make this fit the theme if I really tried.
The Librarian Spy by Madeline Martin - This one definitely fits the theme!
Under a Riviera Moon by Helen McGinn - This is an upcoming review book!
Next of Kin by Hannah Bonhan Young - I just wanted to read something fun and this one fit the bill!
Where the Birds Call Her Name by Claire van Ryn - What a book! I really enjoyed this one! I am hoping to review it soon, but I don't have a specific date. Maybe I should just give it a date just to give myself a deadline.
One Day and Forever by Shari Low - I have said yes to a book that features some of the same characters from this book. However, it turns out that this book has lots of links to other books as well!
Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's theme is Books with Springy Covers (Pastel colors, flowers, baby animals, sunshine, etc.)Books with Springy Covers (Pastel colors, flowers, baby animals, sunshine, etc.) Given that we are now in autumn in Australia I am doing books with Autumny Covers instead.
Red Leaves by Paullina Simons - This was the first book I thought of when I saw the theme. When went to search for it on my blog, I realised that I read it in my pre-blogging days. It wasn't even on my spreadsheet where I keep my list of reads going back to mid 2004! I read this book a very long time ago!
Red Leaves by Thomas H Cook - When I was filtering on my spreadsheet for the title Red Leaves, I came across this book, which I don't remember a thing about. I read this back in 2007.
Pumpkin Spice Cafe by Laurie Gilmore - When I think of American Fall, then one word that comes up a lot is pumpkin. I just read this book while I was away so it is a very, very recent read.
Full Moon Coffee shop by Mai Mochizuki - This book doesn't have anything to do with autumn really, but the colours feel autumny to me.
In Italy for Love by Leonie Mack - By contrast, this book is all about living in Northern Italy during autumn!
The Yellow Wood by Minnie Darke - When you go for a drive to check out the autumn colours in nature then yellow and reds dominate, so a yellow wood fits the theme for me!
The Family Tree by Susan Wiggs - Look at that tree! Doesn't it scream autumn in the colour of it.
Song of the Sun God by Shankari Chandran - The next three books don't have anything in the subject to do with autumn, but the colours on the covers feel like they fit in this post. This book is set in Sri Lanka which is very tropical and doesn't really have autumn as a season as far as I know.
Fire Study by Maria V Snyder - The colours of fire and the colours of autumn feel very similar to me!
The Place on Dalhousie by Melina Marchetta - It might be time for me to relisten to some Melina Marchetta books! It's been a while.
Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's theme is Books I Did Not Finish (DNFed) (feel free to tell us why, but please no spoilers!). It's very rare for me to DNF a book deliberately. Do I put them down with the intention of picking them up again? Sure, happens every now and again.
Instead of the DNF topic, I am going to share some Japanese books that I have read, and some that I want to read. This is because I am currently on a cruise from Tokyo to Seoul in South Korea, so it seems a fitting time for this topic. As I looked at the covers with just a couple of different choices I could have also called this Books Set in Japan with cats on the cover!
First the books I have read over the last couple of years:
The Chibineko Kitchen by Yuta Takahaski- the second book is due to be released in the next couple of months (review)
The Restaurant of Lost Recipes by Hisashi Kashiwai- This the second book in the Kamogawa Food Detectives series (review)
Before We Forget Kindness by Toshikazu Kawaguchi - This is the fifth book in the Before the Coffee Gets Cold series, but the only one I am going to include on this list
Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa - This book caught my eye when we were in San Francisco a while ago. I read this early last year.
What You Are Looking for is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama - I reviewed this last year for the Japanese Literature Challenge.
Books I Want to Read
Butter by Asako Yuzuki - I have wanted to read this since I first heard about it but haven't managed it yet!
The Library of Heartbeats by Laura Imai Messina - Isn't this cover sweet!
Strange Weather in Tokyo by Hiromi Kawakami - I saw a review of this over at Words and Peace and added it to my TBR list straight away.
The Full Moon Coffee Shop by Mai Mochizuki - I did commit to read this soon in my TTT post last week!
White Mulberry by Rosa Kwon Easton - This is about a Korean girl who moves to Japan just before WWII
Have you read any of these or have any other recommendations?
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 Spring 2025 to-Read List. For us, it is autumn, so I am really doing Books on My Autumn 2025 to-Read List
The Mademoiselle Alliance by Natasha Lester - In May I am going to Perth for the Rachael Johns Reader Retreat and this is one of the book club books which will be discussed.
A Snowy River Summer by Stella Quinn - Same with this one!
Where the Birds Call Her Name by Claire van Ryn - This is the same book club's selection for April. I have a review copy so I really want to read it and participate in the conversation for once.
I am Nannertgarrook by Tasma Walton - This is a book from a new indigenous imprint with one of the major publishers. It is historical fiction and so it should work for me.
The Mysterious Bakery on Rue de Paris by Evie Woods - A bakery! In France! Sign me up
The House of Lost Whispers by Jenni Keer - I am due to review this towards the end of April. I am looking forward to it.
The King,s Messenger by Susanna Kearsley - Susanna Kearsley is one of my all time favourite authors but I still haven't read this!
The King's Jewel by Elizabeth Chadwick - And the same applies for Elizabeth Chadwick!
The Last Lifeboat by Hazel Gaynor - I have heard such good things about this book!
The Full Moon Coffee Shop by Mai Mochizuki - I am heading off to Japan this week on holidays so I really want to read one or more Japanese books while I am away.
Of course, this is all subject to change at any times and some or all of these books may yet appear on my Winter reading list. Well, except for the first two!
I got a bit of reading done this week, including a book that I totally did not expect to read!
I had to finish The Shadow on the Bridge by Clare Marchant, so that I could review it, which I did last week. You can see the review here.
I then saw that Susanna Kearsley was doing a webinar about her latest book The King's Messenger. I have this book, but I haven't read it yet. As she was talking I looked at my bookshelves to see which of her books I had to hand, and there was The Winter Sea! This was the first book I ever read by Kearsley and it made me an instant fan. I thought I would just read a couple of chapters, but you know how that goes. I ended up rereading it again. Given that I don't often reread, and this is the fourth time I have read this book, I guess you would have to call it a favourite.
What I should have been reading was The Girl from Sicily by Siobhan Daiko. Fortunately I had some pretty solid reading time on two flights this weekend, so it is now finished, and the review will be up next week.
On the second flight, I also started The Full Moon Coffee Shop by Mai Mochizuki. We are going to Japan very shortly so I wanted to try and read at least a couple of Japanese books. This one is a bit unusual so far!
Finally, I had picked up Sunbirds by Mirandi Riwoe from the library a couple of weeks ago on a whim, which was probably a bit silly given that I knew that I was going to struggle to read it before we went away. However, I started reading it last week. I read the prologue, which is about the bombing of Broome during WWII, and was really moved by it. I even gave it to my husband and said read this. When I went to school I don't recall really being taught that places like Broome and Darwin were bombed during the war. I think most people would know about Darwin now, but I don't think the other bombings would be as well known. We visited Broome a couple of years ago so are familiar with the history. I am definitely going to be trying to finish this book in the next couple of days before we go.
I'm watching
I came across a list of lesser known war movies so I think we are going to start working our way through some of these.
The first one we watched was a Dutch movie called The Forgotten Battle, which is about the Battle of the Scheldt. It was actually pretty interesting. It followed a few different storylines until bringing it all together. Here's the trailer
Life
We did something a bit different last week and went and saw a play. While we go and see a lot of music, comedy and musical theatre, we don't go and see as much normal theatre. We went and saw the play based on Agatha Christie's book And Then There Were None. I haven't read a lot of Agatha Christie but I am tempted to get this one and see how the stage adaptation compares to the book.
I mentioned that we were on two flights. This is because we went up to Brisbane for the weekend. Well, really it was 24 hours as we flew up on Saturday morning and back on Sunday afternoon. The reason we went was because it is my stepson's 21st birthday this week. We had teppanyaki for dinner, which is always fun!
I am considering those as a practice run for the much longer flights that we have later this week! I don't think that I will have much internet access while we are on our cruise so it likely that I won't be doing one of these posts for the next couple of weeks!
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!
Snow – a book set in a cold or wintry climate
Shopping – the last book added to your wishlist
Wrapping paper – a lovely cover
Gifts – a book you enjoyed more than you expected to
Chocolates – a book that was simply delicious
Christmas stocking – stocking fillers – a novella or short story
Christmas Tree – a winter read
Baubles – these add some colour, a very colourful and striking cover
Fairy Lights – something magical
Under the Tree – a book you forgot you owned
Mistletoe – a little bit of romance
Holly and Ivy – a book with great world building
Feast – a book that was magnificent
Christmas pudding – if you could squeeze in just one more book for 2024
Mince pies – a little sweet something
Turkey Dinner– eye’s too big for your belly? A chunkster
Glitter – A book that you simply have to have
Christmas Cards – a book with a message
Christmas Carols – a book with musicians, song or instruments
Eggnog – a book that was out of your comfort zone
Santa’s Snack – a book that was a ‘light read’ between heavier books
Reindeers – a book with memorable critters
Sleigh bells – a series that you want to ring out the praise for
Christmas Eve – One of your most anticipated books for 2025
Christmas Day – a book you received as a gift
Boxing Day – feeling bloated, a palate cleanser
Christmas Crackers – Ended with a bang
Candlelight – a book that kept you up into the early hours
A roaring fire – a book that was heartwarming
Family and Friends – a book with great characters
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
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