Sunday Salon: Six in Six

I haven't done Six in Six before but I saw it over at Words and Peace and I decided to join in! I thought it would also be a good way to do a roundup of the various challenges that I am doing this year. Along the way I will mention 7 out of the 8 books that I have given 5/5 to so far this year! I just couldn't make the last one fit into any of these challenges. That book is First Time Caller by B K Borison.  

There is one challenge that I haven't included in this list as I really wanted to have a category for Australia authors and that is the New Release Challenge hosted by The Chocolate Lady's Book Review Blog. Of the 77 books I have read so far this year, 30 have counted for the New Release Challenges. Foodies Read (hosted at Based on a True Story) is probably not technically a challenge, but I do enjoy linking up whenever I read a foodie book!

6 Historical Fiction Books - 28 books read 

The Goldsmith's Wife by Jean Plaidy, (5/5) - mini review

The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters (5/5) - mini review

The Silent Resistance by Anna Normann (5/5) - review

The Strawberry House by Rachel Burton - Also New Release Challenge - review

Seascraper by Benjamin Wood

The King's Jewel by Elizabeth Chadwick

6 Bookish Books - 10 Books read

The Little Wartime Library by Kate Thompson (5/5) - Also Historical Fiction Reading challenge - review

The Secret Society of Librarians by Kate Thompson (5/5) - Also Historical Fiction Reading Challenge

The Croatian Island Library by Eva Glyn - Also New Release Challenge - review

This Book Made Me Think of You by Libby Page

The Seaside Book Club by Helen Rolfe - review

6 Books in Translation - 11 books read

Us Against You by Fredrik Backman (5/5)

Dinner at the Night Library by Hika Harada - Also Foodies Read and Bookish Books - review

The Leopard by Giuseppe Tomasi de Lampedusa - Also Historical Fiction - review

We'll Prescribe You a Cat by Syou Ishida - mini review

Piglettes by Clementine Beauvais - Also Foodie Reads - review 

War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy - Also Historical Fiction -  thoughts

6 Speccie Fiction Challenge - 7 books read

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

Gate to Kagoshima by Poppy Kuroki - Also Historical Fiction - review

The Astral Library by Kate Quinn - Also Bookish Books - mini review

The Seven Rings by Nora Roberts

We'll Prescribe You Another Cat by Syou Ishida - Also Books in Translation - mini review

6 Australian Books - 16 books read

In a Paris Fashion by Sophie Beaumont (5/5) - review

Past the Shallows by Favel Pavrett - Also Historical Fiction - mini review

Careful He Might Hear You by Sumner Locke Elliott - Also Historical Fiction - review

The Palace of Lost Virtue by Anthea Hodgson - Also Historical Fiction -  review

Don't Brake My Heart by Leonie Mack - review

The Model Murder by Amanda Hampson - Also Historical Fiction

6 Foodie Reads - 9 books read

The Language of Food by Annabel Abbs - Also Historical Fiction - review

A Midnight Pastry Shop Called Hwawoldang by lee Onhwa - also Books in Translation and Speccie Fiction - review

Bite by Bite: Nourishments and Jamborees by Aimee Nezhukumatathil - review

The Boulangerie on the Corner by Susan Buchanan - Also New Release challenge - review

Hot Chocolate on Thursday by Michiko Aoyama - Also Books in Translation - review

Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J Ryan Stradal 

So there's my Six in Six for this year! And an update on my challenges at the same time.

I am sharing this with Sunday Salon hosted at Readerbuzz and A Good Book and a Cup of Tea hosted at Hopewell's Library.

Weekend Cooking: Bastille Day Dinner

 On July 14, I saw a post on Facebook which talked about the fact that if you are in France on July 14 you would not be sharing greetings like Happy Bastille Day. Rather the French refer to the day as Quartorze Juilliet, July 14! 

Even with this in mind, I was really excited to attend a Bastille Day Dinner with around 100 other people, and what an amazing dinner we had. I went in expecting good food and wine and maybe something a little cultural and I was not disappointed. We had already been to a Japanese event at the club a few weeks ago where the executive chef had told us about his background in classical French cooking, before he ventured into the world of Japanese food, so it was not a surprise to see him in the room! Throughout the night he had conversations with all of the tables which was a fun touch!

The evening was billed as a five course dinner, but in actual fact it was 5 courses plus a couple of other bits and pieces. This started even before we entered the room where we were treated to a savoury puff alongside an amazing champagne/sparkling wine that I completely forgot to get the name of! It was such a nice wine. Once we entered the room the mood was set with a three piece band playing all sorts of French style café music, plus with lots of French flags around the room and red white and blue lighting. 

Before we even started the five courses there was an Amuse Bouche which was a Vol au Vent filled with chicken, mushroom, bacon and liberally dusted with truffles! It is, after all, truffle season!

No self respecting French dinner will start without bread, and this was no exception. The bread was okay but the Normandy butter! Oh my goodness, so good! The chef did warn us not to fill up too much on the bread because the rest of the dinner was still to come, but it was hard to resist that butter!

For the first course, we had a Salade Lyonnaise. The most interesting part of this was the oeuf poche. When the dish came to the table it looked a little like it had a little meat patty on the top but actually that was a egg that had been poached in red wine which is why it had the colouring. I have never had a poached egg like it

The second and third courses were the fish and mains, with the Daube de Boeuf being so tender, the Paris mash beautiful and the carrots lovely and sweet.

Then onto the cheese course, with house made lavash that was beautiful and crispy, quince paste (so good) which was the perfect accompaniment to the blue cheese and camembert which is hidden in the photo!

By this point we were getting pretty full, so when the dessert came out looking pretty as a picture, we were determined to give it every effort to finish it because it was so good! What we didn't know, was that there was one final flourish to the meal - a beautiful lemon tart! We probably didn't need it, but it was there and it looked so good that I had to eat it, and it was lovely!

When the chef came around to visit later in the evening we joked that there was going to be a bit of disappointment the next night when I had to prepare dinner because there was no way it was going to live up to the standard that he had set. 

In addition to the music provided by the trio, there were some performances from some can can dancers, who of course did the traditional dance, but also did some modern twists on can can. Here's a video to give you a taste. 

I can definitely see us attending this night again, although we might wait until July 14 is on a Saturday as going out on a school night is a challenge.

Weekly meals

Saturday - Tuscan Chicken Pasta Bake
Sunday -Leftovers 
Monday - Air Fryer Roast Pork (new)
Tuesday -  Out for dinner
Wednesday -Mushroom, Zucchini and Bacon pasta
Thursday - Japanese Pork Curry 
Friday - Leftovers

Blog Tour: Escape to the Turquoise Seas by Carrie Walker

 

Do you love an office rivals romance? With a twist? In this book the twist is that the rivals find themselves on a ship, competing for a huge PR account which will have a huge impact on their professional careers.

Kat Brennan is passionate about her job in PR. Her main client is Excalibur cruise lines. She can't believe it when she finds that Excalibur is making her company reapply for the right to continue their long standing business relationship. Of course, Kat is determined that they are going to win the competition, whatever it takes.

Leo Kendrick is the CEO of a rival agency, and he is just as determined that he and his team are going to do everything in their power to win that account! The thing is that Leo and Kat have a bit of a history. Fifteen years ago, they were both interns when they were starting out in PR, until Leo got the job that Kat wanted, and she is sure that there was underhandedness involved and she still holds a grudge.

The new Chief Marketing Officer at Excalibur has decided that the best way to provide inspiration to the two rival companies is for them to take an all expenses paid cruise on the new ship Esmerelda, along the Portuguese coast where the two teams have to experience everything that cruising has to offer.  It sounds glamorous, but the reality is anything but. The two teams are staying in bunk beds in crew accommodation, they are expected to take part in all of the activities whether they want to or not and by the end of the two weeks they have to come up with a winning strategy.

It wasn't all bad news though. Along the way the rivals got to experience some amazing sights and activities. But while Kat and Leo begin to spend more time together and to begin to fall for each other it doesn't take a lot for the fact that they are rivals to get in the way. For two people whose job is to communicate they aren't particularly good at it with each other. Mistrust and misunderstandings abound.

I loved reading about Portugal. It is one country I haven't been to in Europe but it is on the list. I just don't know when. We also enjoy a cruise so I could be convinced that a trip on the Esmerelda would be an amazing trip, although I would much prefer different cabins from those that Kat and Leo had to share with their respective co-workers.

This is the fourth book in the Holiday Romance series, and Kat really relies on her friends who have featured in the previous books. I have actually only read the third book, Escape to the Northern Lights (my review), but I have more on my Kindle waiting for the time when I want to escape to somewhere new! I am also keeping an eye out for whatever new books Carrie Walker comes out with! Yes, I am a fan!

I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted at The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews. It was also one of the books I nominated to read for the 20 Books on Winter. 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 4/5

About the book

Escape to the Turquoise Seas

Kat Brennan has always been the work-hard, play-harder type, navigating single life in London and the chaos of her job at Northstar PR. So when Excalibur Cruises invite her aboard to pitch for their account, she jumps at the chance to prove to her boss she's indispensable... and to finally relax a little.

But the last person she wants to get stuck on a boat with is industry hotshot Leo Kendrick, the CEO of rival agency Amplify – and Kat's nemesis. When Leo bagged a coveted marketing internship 15 years ago, Kat vowed never to let him win anything again. She is not about to break that promise, even if Leo has become a distractingly attractive opponent.

As the Esmerelda sails the seas, from the Azores to Lisbon via Madeira, the two agencies must battle it out to present the best pitch. But in such close quarters, the sea might not be the only thing rocking the boat…

PERFECT for fans of:

Forced proximity

Enemies-to-lovers

Workplace romance

A dash of spice

Beachy destinations

Purchase Link - https://amzn.eu/d/0eUS4oNt

About the author

Carrie Walker is a Brummie born rom-com lover with a lifelong passion for travel. She has lived in a ski resort, by a beach, in the country and the city, and travelled solo through Asia, South America and Europe. Her own love life was more com than rom until she met her husband a few years ago and settled down with him and her dog Ziggy in a small pub-filled village in Essex.

Social Media Links – https://www.carriewalker.co.uk/ https://www.instagram.com/carriewalkerauthor/

Paris in July: In the Paris Fashion by Sophie Beaumont

 

When vintage fashion afficionado and dealer, Isabelle finds a letter in a random tin, she is convinced that it maybe an authentic letter from legendary Elisabeth Fontaine. Now she just has to follow her hunch and prove it.

Fontaine was a shooting star in French fashion in the late 1920s, both for her work and for the fact that she died tragically young. After a hugely successful first season, Fontaine was supposedly working on a dress design for her second season that was going to take the world by storm. However, she and her tennis star husband died in a car crash. Rumours have swirled for decades about the dress but no one has ever been able to find the designs. 

The letter seems to suggest that the designs can be found in an orphan box, whatever that might be. Determined to find out more, she visits the address on the envelope where she meets Romy Valence. Romy is a fashion design student who left behind the career that her family approved of to study the one she dreamed of. Thank goodness her Uncle Alex has supported her dreams because her family certainly has not. She is struggling to know if she made the right choice or not, or if she should give up her dream once and for all. 

The final person who makes up our core trio of characters is Australian fashion writer Audrey Oliver. Audrey's grandmother worked in Paris during Fontaine's time. Now, Audrey is writing a book and is researching based on her grandmother's journal. This isn't Audrey's first time in Paris. She has been many times, but the most formative time was when she first visited the city and fell in love with a young man who broke her heart, which has had a lasting impact on her subsequent relationships.

As the three women are drawn together on their quest to find out more about the life and work of Elisabeth Fontaine, their friendship grows. Each of them brings a different set of skills to the table, harmonising well together but also showing each of them off to individual advantage. 

There is quite a bit of drama in this story, and it moved along at a cracking pace. There are new relationships, old loves, a bit of intrigue and many lovely descriptions of Paris and it's fashion areas which are somewhat off the regular tourist track.

I have many childhood memories of being dragged, under protest, to cheap material shops. Beaumont almost convinced me that I should allow myself the luxury of visiting a material shop in the Montmartre area of Paris and feel the various silks and other luxury materials. I should also add visiting button stores like Dam Buttons to my itinerary the next time I make it to Paris, whenever that might be.

I already knew that I liked Beaumont's books. I enjoyed both of her previous books which I have posted about in previous Paris in July events.  With this read, 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.

Beaumont has now explored Paris through it's food, gardens and fashion. I wonder what is next. Whatever it is, I am there for it!

I am sharing this review with Paris in July, hosted by Emma and with Bookish Books hosted at Bloggin' Bout Books.

Rating 5/5

Blog Tour: The Book Lover's Bucket List by Hannah Claire

 

Do you have a book related bucket list?

Librarian Gabriella Brookes has moved back to her childhood home after a bad break up and she is missing her dog badly. Given that she is now living with her brother, it is a bit cosy but at least she has somewhere to go. 

Enter Zach Osborne, her brother Dan's best friend Zach Osborne turns up out of the blue with the idea to throw a surprise birthday party for Dan! Zach has lived in London for years but he has some time on his hands and so he has come home for a couple of months before he moves overseas. Whilst Gabby is happy to see him, it is a bit awkward because Zach has been the subject of her biggest crush!

One day, Gabby finds a list that she wrote when she was very young. It is a list of bookish things that she would like to do ranging from "Find a magical land at the back of a wardrobe" to "visit a secret library" and "receive a love letter." Some of the things on the list are achievable but there are others that probably aren't.

The last thing she expects is for Zach to say that he wants to help her achieve the items on her list. And then he puts together his own non-bookish list and suggests that they can work together on their lists. Suddenly Zach and Gabby are spending a lot of time together and all those feelings come to the fore again, Given that Zach is only in town for a short time, this can only lead to more emotional heartbreak again.

I loved that Zach was very quickly invested in helping Gabby cross off the items on her list. And it was interesting to see his list, which also had the effect of taking Gabby out of her comfort zone! And I loved how she stepped up. Zach also had to open up about his challenging upbringing but he also needs to work out whether the things that have kept him away from his home town for so long are still enough to keep him away.

There was also a fun group of secondary characters who frequent the library, and especially Mr Cooper. I want to visit his house! Gabby's confidence had been dented, but the people around her were so supportive of her. 

Of course, you can't read a book about a bookish bucket list without thinking about something similar. I am not sure that I have specifically written a bookish bucket list, but my reading has inspired me to have some really great experiences including visiting St Chappelle in Paris, visiting Mont St Michel, visiting Alberobello in Puglia amongst others. 

I hadn't read Hannah Claire before. It's always nice to find a new author. It appears that this is the first book in a series, and I am here for the next book! In the mean time, I am going to search out Hannah Claire's previous book.

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

Rating 4/5

About the book

The Book Lover’s Bucket List

A bucket list to change her life.

Gabriella Brookes has spent years quietly loving Zach Osborne, knowing he only sees her as his best friend’s bookish little sister. He’s charming, successful, and only back in their Derbyshire village for the summer before his next big move.

When Gabby stumbles across her long-forgotten teenage bucket list, Zach proposes a deal: together, they’ll tick off her book-inspired challenges, if she helps him complete a few fun tasks of his own.

What starts as a perfectly sensible plan quickly turns into something far more complicated, when real life refuses to stay neatly tucked between the pages.

But as Zach’s past resurfaces and his future pulls him away, Gabby is forced to face a harder truth: dreams don’t come true if you only ever read about them.

Ticking off the challenges was meant to be easy.
Admitting what your heart wants is the real risk.

A cosy, small-town romantic comedy about courage, love, and rewriting your own ending.

Purchase Links

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0GX33FZ34

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GX33FZ34

About the Author 

Hannah has always been a bookworm, loving nothing more than escaping into fictional worlds, and can't walk past a bookshop without adding to her already-overflowing To Be Read shelves. She writes contemporary romantic novels set against the beautiful landscape of the Peak District in Derbyshire, close to where she lives.

A firm believer in the power of love stories to offer comfort and escape, Hannah writes books that celebrate connection, hope, and the magic of second chances — stories designed to bring a little joy into busy lives.

She lives with her husband, their three children, two cats, and one very bouncy dog who still hasn't worked out that squirrels generally don't want to be her friends.

Hannah loves long sunny days spent outdoors and rainy afternoons spent indoors — ideally under a cosy blanket with a good book. Her favourite things include sparkly nail varnish, candles, bubble baths, and chocolate, and she remains convinced that there is no such thing as too many notebooks.

 

Social Media Links – @hannahclairewriter

Facebook and Instagram

Top Ten Tuesday: 10 short reviews

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 Want to Read by New to Me Authors (Share books from your to-read list that are written by authors you’ve never read before.)

I am going rogue today (again!) and sharing one to two sentence short reviews of books I have been meaning to review that I have read so far  this year but not yet done so!

The Goldsmith's Wife by Jean Plaidy - Read this for the Childhood Favourite theme at my F2F book club. It's been years since I read a Plaidy but it was still so good! And a really interesting story about Jane Shore, a woman who was the mistress of a king and yet ended her life in poverty. Read this for the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge. (5/5 read)

The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters - This book is set in 1930s US and Canada, and tells the story of a young indigenous girl who disappears one day while her family is working as berry pickers. We hear of her life but also that of her brother who was the last person to see her. Incredibly moving. A 5 star read for me. Read this for the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge. (5/5 read)

We'll Prescribe You a Cat by Syou Ishida - I don't really like cats. I am more of a dog person, but I don't mind reading about cats in books, particularly in Japanese books where there is often a twist in the tail (see what I did there?).  I read this one for the Goodreads Spring Challenge. (4/5 read)

We'll Prescribe You Another Cat by Syou Ishida - I think that you might not quite understand what is going on here unless you read the first book in the series. The third book comes out soon and I will be reading it! Both of these books count for the Books in Translation and Speccy Fic Challenge. The translator for both books was E (4/5 read)

Past the Shallows by Favel Parrett - I borrowed this book at least 10 years ago and so when my rerad on a theme book club had a book you borrowed from someone as the theme, it was finally time to read it. Set in Tasmania, it looks at a family whose mother has died and how that event has impacted the father and three sons. I really enjoyed this one and will more from this author, eventually. This is an Aussie author and the book counts for the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge. (4.5/5 read)

The Astral Library by Kate Quinn - I have loved Kate Quinn's historical fiction novels. This one is a complete change in direction. It is set in the Boston Library where a young woman find the way to live inside books. It was good, but not as good as the historical fiction. Will be interested to see where Kate Quinn goes next. This book counts for the Speccy Fic Challenge, Bookish Books and New Release Challenges (4/5 read)

The Bonesetter's Daughter by Amy Tan - This was another book club read. This time the theme was Mothers and Daughters. I haven't read Amy Tan for many, many years and I liked this one a lot. It counts for the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge

The Paradise Pact by Anita Heiss - I have met Australian author Anita Heiss a number of times and really like her. She is smart, opinionated, and passionate about her indigenous identity. These traits showed in the characters in this book but I didn't really connect with the story as well as I would have liked. This qualifies for the New Release challenge(3.5/5 read)

The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon - I feel like Ariel Lawhon is an author I should have read before now, but I haven't. I will read more from her now. I really liked that this book was based on the life of a midwife who lived in the 1800s, and tells the story of what happens in a small town when a body is found trapped under the ice in the frozen river. I read this for the Goodreads Spring Challenge and for the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge. Even though this is a short review, this book counts as a Big Book of Summer at 448 pages long. (4/5 read)

The Couples Retreat by Mercedes Mercier - This is a book that I read for a recent book club retreat that I attended. This book was set on Kangaroo Island and features a newbie police officer who is pulled into a murder investigation at a luxurious house on the island. I liked it. It isn't my normal genre but that's one of the good things about book clubs right? This counts for the New Release Challenge and was one of the books I nominated for 20 Books of Winter.  (3.5/5 read)

Phew! I feel a bit caught up now! 

Have you read any of these books? 

This week

I'm reading

I had a pretty varied week of reading this week.

Firstly, I finished reading The Secrets of the Italian Guesthouse by Sue Moorcroft which I reviewed here. I also finished reading Don't Brake My Heart by Leonie Mack which I reviewed as part of Paris in July, given that it is set against the backdrop of the Tour de France!

Then I moved onto Seascraper by Benjamin Wood and Everyone in this Bank is a Thief by Benjamin Stevenson. This is the fourth book in the Ernest Cunningham crime series. 

Next up was The Book Lovers Bucket List by Hannah Claire which I was reading for a blog tour. The review for that one will be up on Wednesday. 

I have started Escape to the Turquoise Seas by Carrie Walker which is also for a blog tour. I need to get that read and reviewed by Friday.

I also started reading The Secret Society of Librarians by Kate Thompson which I need to finish this week as I can't renew it with the library.

So that's some romance, a crime fiction, a couple of historical fiction novels, one of which was pretty literary!

I'm watching


Nothing much in particular that I haven't already posted about!

Life

We didn't really have a lot planned for this weekend but I ended up making two impromptu decisions to go to some markets. 

The first one we visited was a German Christmas Market which was held at a winery in the countryside about 30 minutes from us! Given that we generally have hot weather at Christmas, Christmas in July gives us the opportunity to have gluwein and get rugged up in our winter woolies! It was a bit of fun!

On Sunday, Brooke from All the Books I Can Read and I went to visit a new romance store/cafe which has opened around 40 minutes away from us! I then dragged her along to the Bastille Day French Market which is held at the iconic Queen Victoria Markets here in Melbourne!

Posts from the last week

Top Ten Tuesday: Books That Include the Word Paris in the Title
Blog Tour: Secrets of the Italian Guesthouse by Sue Moorcroft
Paris in July: Don't Brake My Heart by Leonie Mack
Paris in July: Cartier at the NGV
Weekend Cooking/Paris in July: Piglettes by Clementine Beauvais
Historical Fiction Reading Challenge: June Stats and Midyear Update



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