Top Ten Tuesday: Books with place names in the title

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.

Gate to Kagoshima by Poppy Kuroki

 

A little while ago Laura from Laura's Reviews shared a review of Passage to Tokyo by Poppy Kuroki which is the second book in the Ancestor Memories series. I was sufficiently intrigued by the premise that I knew I wanted to read the books, but I had to start with the first book. That was both because I prefer to read series in order but also become of how gorgeous that cover is!

Isla McKenzie may have a Scottish accent and red hair but she has always been attracted to Japanese history and culture, thanks to her Japanese grandfather and ancestry. She travels to Japan with the hope of finding out whether her one of her ancestors was a Samurai as per family legend, through doing some research and visiting local Samurai sites. She travels to Kagoshima at the very south of Kyushu where the Satsuma Rebellion started and finished, effectively marking the end of the Samurai era in Japan in the late 1870s.

However, no one would have expected that being stuck in a temple during a severe thunderstorm could possibly lead to a journey back in time. Suddenly Isla finds herself in the historical city in the weeks leading up to what she knows will be the end. Found by two warriors, Isla is put under the charge of Keiichirō. As a foreigner, Isla is not trusted, especially given how strangely she is dressed and her lack of understanding of the world around her. 

Keiichirō comes from a family with a long history in the Samurai tradition. However, his family has fallen out of favour and so Kei is keen to do everything he can to please the Samurai leader. It doesn't really please his sister to have the foreigner in their home though.

Whilst the first half of the book really focusses on Isla and settling in to her new life, the second half of the book follows the rebellion with numerous brutal battles portrayed. Isla knows that it is not going to end well, and as her feelings for Kei grows she faces several agonising choices. How does she warn him of what is coming, will that change his decisions, and what will it mean for her if she can't get back to her own time. Does she even want to return to her own time, if she can?

I haven't read a lot of Japanese history, so this was really interesting to read. I think it was also a case of the right book at the right time as I enjoyed this! I am really looking forward to reading the second book, and hoping that there will be more books in the series!

 I am sharing this review with the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge which I host here and  the Speccy Fiction Challenge hosted at Book'd Out.

Rating 4/5

This week...

I'm reading

Even though work is absolutely crazy and I am exhausted at the end of every day, I am still managing to get some reading time in. Being so tired does impact my enjoyment of books. Last year I had many, many more 5 star reads by this point in the year. However, I did have one 5 star read this week which was exciting.

I finished reading A Venice Summer by Lynne Shelby. I had previously borrowed a Lynne Shelby book from the library so I went back on to request it again given that I enjoyed this book so much. It seems a bit weird to me, but the book is no longer availabe which is a bit sad. I guess I will have to buy it if I want to read it!

Last weekend we went to see the movie The Sheep Detectives which is based on the book Three Bags Full by Leonie Swann. I was a bit concerned about reading the book now having seen the movie so recently but I am going to say that the movie is more inspired by the book than based on it. A lot of the story is different to the movie, and it needed to be so that the movie could get a family friendly rating.  I am half way through the book right now so will be interested to do a full comparison of the two versions once I get to the end.

My 5 star read this week was In the Paris Fashion by Sophie Beaumont. I had read and enjoyed Beaumont's two previous books set in Paris so I knew I would like it. It felt like the right book at the right time for me as I read it in a day, and I closed it with a very contented sigh. Does the book have some flaws. Absolutely. Will everyone love it like I did. Probably not. Did it leave me smiling long after I finished the book. Yes. And that's what makes it a 5 star read for me!

I did also start reading The Little War Time Library by Kate Thompson this week. I am finding it hard to put it down! It is due back at the library already so I need to hurry up and finish it

I shared my Classics Spin list last week, and the spin landed on number 9, so I am going to be reading the Australian Classic, Careful, He Might Here You. I am looking forward to getting started on it once I pick it up from the library.


I'm watching

We had a date night on Saturday night which consisted of going to a Turkish restaurant for dinner and then watching The Mandalorian and Grogu at the cinema. The dinner was good, and we would totally go again. The movie was fine. The story could easily have been done as a TV series. My husband is a big Star Wars fan so we were likely always going to go and see it.


Life

See last week's comment about work being frantic. It's true again this week with weekend work and late nights. Not sure it is going to calm down yet.

Posts from the last week


Top Ten Tuesday: 20 Books of Winter (Part 2)

Blog Tour: A Venice Summer by Lynne Shelby

Weekend Cooking:  A Midnight Pastry Shop Called Hwawoldang by Lee Onhwa

I've linked this post to It's Monday, what are you reading? as hosted by Book Date, Sunday Salon hosted at Readerbuzz and the Good Book and a Cup of Tea link up hosted at Boondock Ramblings

This week

I'm reading

Last week I finished reading The Call of the Camino by Suzanne Redfearn. This is the current Cook the Books selection. Now I am just trying to figure out what to cook to accompany my review. I am not sure exactly what yet but I will come up with something this week

After that I read the recently released The Seaside Book Club by Helen Rolfe which I enjoyed. 

Next up I started The Venice Summer by Lynne Shelby which I am on a blog tour for later this week!

Finally, I started Poppy Kuroki's Gate to Kagoshima which is a time travel where a modern woman ends up living in 19th century Samurai Japan. In the end I finished this one as well on the train today. I have to say that there are some pretty scathing reviews on Goodreads but I really enjoyed this one!

I'm watching

It has been a good viewing week. We watched what is being called the third season of Good Omens but it was more a movie to finish off the story which started in seasons 1 and 2. I did enjoy the ending but it did feel like there was a story that was cut short.

It was my husband's birthday on Saturday and we chose to have a fairly quiet day. We did however go to the movies to see The Sheep Detectives. I can't remember the last time I went to the movies to see a family movie. It was a really lovely movie and I am so glad we saw i! It's funny, charming, deep and features some very big names! Go see it if you can! Here's the trailer

We also started watching Welcome to Wrexham season 5. Both of the first two episodes have been very emotional! Such good TV!

I was excited to see that the new season of Tucci in Italy is out so we watched the first couple of episodes as well! So far we have watched the episodes on Naples and Sicily

Life


Work is frantic and I can't see it changing any time soon!

Posts from the last week


Top Ten Tuesday: 20 Books of Winter (Part 1)
What We Ate on Holidays: Turkiye

Classics Spin #44

I've linked this post to It's Monday, what are you reading? as hosted by Book Date, Sunday Salon hosted at Readerbuzz and the Good Book and a Cup of Tea link up hosted at Boondock Ramblings

Top Ten Tuesday: Books on my Autumn 2026 To-Read List

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