This past weekend was quite the wild ride even for those of us who are not into sports (that said, YES, Knicks in Five!!!!!) yet there were milder pleasures to be had as well.
For example, a church in my neighborhood usually has a big tag/rummage/etc. sale twice a year-fall, then spring-but this year, their second sale was this June(due to roadwork in the area). It’s a great chance to get some great deals and when it came to books, I found a nice trio of reads to add to my eternally growing pile.
Now, I have read Nick Hornsby before yet it’s been awhile so finding a nice British paperback edition of Funny Girl was hard to resist. Set in England during the 1960s, newly crowned beauty queen Barbara Parker decides to move from her hometown in Blackpool to London in order to achieve her dream of becoming the next Lucille Ball.
Through a series of rather fortunate events, Barbara remakes herself as Stella Straw, the rising young star on a hit sitcom. But will her ambitions allow for anyone else to matter in her life?
This novel was adapted into a British TV series called Funny Woman and received at least two seasons, both of which are available to watch in the US via PBS Passport(that I thankfully have)-should be a fun read along experience to be sure!:
Then, I came across Three Days in June by Anne Tyler, another author that I haven’t read for some time. Seems a good enough time to get reacquainted here.
The three days in the title are centered around the wedding of Gail Barnes’ daughter Debbie and Gail has plenty of her own troubles without dealing with all of that.
She just lost her position at the fancy private school she worked at for thankless years, her ex-husband Max has shown up with a rescue cat that their soon-to-be son-in-law is allergic to and if that’s not enough, Debbie has dropped a major bombshell of a revelation that could change the course of everyone’s life.
Tyler is best known for low key drama with strong emotional high points when necessary and this certainly sounds like a prime example of her smartly elegant work. This ought to be a good way to get to know her again indeed:
For something completely different, Ten Restaurants That Changed America was the final course on my book buying menu that day.
Culinary historian Paul Freedman highlights this top ten of groundbreaking dining establishments from the classic Delmonico’s in New York to Antoine’s in New Orleans, more commercial venues like Howard Johnson’s and modern day icons such as Sylvia’s in Harlem, New York.
The cultural changes that each place brought to American society when it came to fine dining are showcased in loving detail along with gorgeous photos, menus and even recipes! I was so lucky to find such a nice hardcover edition like this!
I may be just a Food Network watcher (and Top Chef fan) but it is interesting to learn more about the everyday art of cooking and especially, cooking for the delight of others. No doubt that this book will be a banquet of delicious insights to savor with each turn of the page:
Books weren’t the only good buys I made that day; my haul also included some fresh bed linens, a lovely tablecloth and a pair of damaged yet repairable Disney villain figures (with help from my mom!).
Whether it’s a tag, rummage, yard or flea market sale, these secondhand shopping events are great opportunities to not only get a good buy(particularly in our harsh economic environment right now) but to connect a little with your fellow buyers and sellers in friendly commerce. I know those last two words sound like an oxymoron but it is possible, folks, truly!
Anyway, it was an extra nice way to enjoy the weekend with some bargain hunting fun outside of watching reruns of Flea Market Flip.
However, the host of FMF now has a new show on Hulu called That Thrifting Show, where teams of two compete to design living spaces with secondhand items found online and off . The winning team gets to keep everything they bought, plus the other team’s purchases as well!
It’s definitely a good time to be had if thrift shopping is your thing and yes, there is a second season n the works. For some creative comfort viewing, this show is truly a bargain to behold(plus, you can read during the commercials!):
It not only happens to be the last day of the Winter’s Respite readathon (courtesy of Seasons of Reading and Michelle Miller) but also the first major snowfall of this entire winter season!
After waiting so long for a decent bit of snow, this does feel like a good reason to celebrate by doing my wrap up post a day or two early. I am also pleased to report that I finished all three of the books on my TBR for this challenge-yah me!
The newest book on this list is Kayla Olson’s The Reunion , which brings two former TV actors back together to film a reunion episode of their teen hit series Girl on the Verge.
Since those days, leading lady Liv Latimer has made a quiet acting career in various indie films while her male co-star Ransom Joel has become an action movie hero. Working together again doesn’t just bring up fun memories of the past however; Liv and Ransom came close to declaring their mutual love for one another but certain issues got in the way.
Now with the possibility of reconnecting in more ways than one, Liv and Ransom have to decide if the media scrutiny they both face from such a pairing is worth it or was theirs a love never meant to be?
Olson’s novel is a nice slow burn romance set against a modern Hollywood backdrop, complete with social media commentary and heartfelt scenes of emotional depth.
While I do wish that there was a little more interaction between some of the other cast members (such as the ambitious Sasha-Kate) with Liv, the intimate moments between her and Ransom definitely make you want to turn the page and tune in for more:
As per my usual, a cozy mystery was added to the mix and I went with Donut Disturb, the next to latest entry in Ellie Alexander‘a Bakeshop Mystery series.
For baker Juliet “Jules” Capshaw, things are going well in her beloved town of Ashland, especially for her good friend Thomas who is about to marry Kerry, his partner in crime fighting as well as life.
When Kerry’s ex-con father shows up just before the wedding, Jules hopes that his unexpected presence won’t ruin the day for all involved. That surprise turns out to be the least of anyone’s worries when the bassist from the jazz trio to perform at the reception is found dead under the bandstand.
Worst of all, Kerry’s dad may be a prime suspect due to an unfortunate link between the two men. Can Jules help the newlyweds find a happily ever after here or is this case the ultimate wedding jinx?
Alexander gives us another charming entertainment here with lively characters and tasty descriptions of the treats prepared at her restaurant Torte. Oddly enough, I had just finished her most recent release, Muffin but the Truth, before this one yet that didn’t get in my way of devouring this delicious read down to the last storytelling morsel:
My final read was the second volume in The School for Good and Evil trilogy, A World Without Princes, by Soman Chainani.
Agatha and Sophie, the two “Readers” thrust into the fairytale school in the first book, are trying to adjust to life back home but that magical realm isn’t quite done with them just yet.
When each girl makes a wish regarding their past, the door between worlds is opened again and both of them are forced to return or face dire consequences.
However, they are still not safe as the twin training facilities are now divided into either all boys or all girls with both sides determined to destroy each other. Will Agatha and Sophie be able to claim a true happy ending or is this the beginning of the end?
This twist upon fairytale tropes and gender roles is incredibly engaging to say the least. The Netflix adaptation was fun(part two is supposed to under way as we speak) but the books have much more depth to them and I hope the full trilogy will be done well onscreen.
In the meantime, I do have to read the third book, The Last Ever After, soon as stopping at this book would be like ending Star Wars at The Empires Strikes Back. It’s so good to have a new take on old school notions of heroes and villains indeed:
My thanks to Michelle Miller at Seasons of Reading for a great bookish start to another year of reading. I do hope everyone who joined in had a great time and plan to sign up for Spring Into Horror this upcoming April.
For my TBR this time around, I’m planning a bit of old fashioned murder mystery fun that has an Agatha Christie flair. At least one of my picks will be a Miss Marple worth checking into for a brief visit at a certain hotel…:
Even with the lack of snow in my neck of the woods this season, I’m more than happy to relish a Winter’s Respite of reading this upcoming February.
The first readathon of the year from Seasons of Reading (hosted by the excellent Michelle Miller) is really a nice way to get the bookish ball rolling there. You are free what you want and the company kept there is always awesome.
When it comes to readathon TBR piles, I find that the rule of three works the best for me and to top my trio of sweet reads here is Donut Disturb, the fifteenth entry in Ellie Alexander’s Bakeshop Mystery series.
Our leading lady Juliet “Jules” Capshaw is busy catering the wedding of her friend and police detective Thomas to his fellow partner in crime fighting, Kerry. Jules is thrilled to be a part of this big day for her friends, especially since Kerry requested a wedding cake made up of donuts!
However, the wedded bliss is marred by the unexpected arrival of Kerry‘s father(who she hasn’t spoken to in years) and the sudden demise of the bassist from the music band hired for the reception. Can Jules save the day on more than one frosted front or will this ceremony be the ultimate “I don’t ?”
It’s funny that I’m going to be reading this right after finishing the latest book in the series, Muffin but the Truth, thanks to NetGalley the other night. Fortunately , I am so caught up with these charming culinary capers that taking a step back isn’t a setback at all.
Plus, Valentines Day is next month and what could be more romantic than reading about a wedding, with donuts to boot?:
Next up on my page turning playlist is the second book in the School for Good and Evil series, A World without Princes by Soman Chainani.
While formerly mismatched magical students Agatha and Sophie are glad to be returned to their regular lives, a regretful wish brings them back to the title educational institute that has undergone some changes to say the least.
Instead being trained as either witches or princesses, the girls are taught to battle the boys in more ways than one. With the two sides on the brink of all out war, can Agatha and Sophie restore some semblance of order before there’s no happy ending for anyone?
I did enjoy the first book as well as the Netflix adaptation, which may have this sequel on screen very soon, and the tweaks given to the fairy tales tropes within these stories are good to see.
Not sure how far I’ll get into this YA fantasy series but so far, these happily ever afters are only the beginning of new adventures for readers and characters alike:
To round things up, my third pick is one of my newest Book of the Month Club selections, Kayla Olson’s The Reunion.
Liv Latimer and Ransom Joel were once the biggest teen stars on TV due to their lead roles on the hit show Girl on the Verge.
While some of their fictional romance blend into off screen love, a major misunderstanding ultimately drove them apart.
Brought back together for a twentieth anniversary special, Liv and Ransom are in very different places both personally and professionally from those small screen days of yore. Ransom is an A list action movie star while Liv is an indie film darling who holds on to her privacy as tightly as she can.
As the sparks between her and Ransom seem to be reigniting, Liv wonders if pursuing this potentially rocky path to a renewed relationship is worth the trouble (not to mention the media attention). Is Ransom considering a reboot of romance as well or is Liv’s heart stuck in development hell?
Pop culture themed romances are my personal catnip and this one sounds like must-read TV to me! Plus, with Olson being inspired by beloved teen shows like Boy Meets World, the nostalgia energy levels are pumped up indeed:
There is plenty of time to sign up for the readathon if you’re interested in joining us for a good curl up by the fire with a good book bit of fun. Even without those flakes of snow a-falling, keeping warm by a reading lamp is perfectly suited for this time of year.
As for me, my set of three should put me in the right frame of mind, a Rory Gilmore mode if you will. I really should treat myself to a Gilmore Girls binge watch; it’s been awhile since I went to Stars Hollow and it’s the perfect reading haven, if you ask me:
With a new year comes many more opportunities to pile up more books for reading and already my TBR stacks have started to get a bit steep there.
So, let’s begin with my Christmas book haul, which was comprised of my December BOMC box(just easier that way).
Under my holiday tree we’re two more Evie Dunmore titles(A Rogue of One’s Own, Portrait of a Scotsman) and R. F. Kuang’s Babel, the latter that I’m making a leisurely but steadfast progress through.
Set in pre-Victorian England, a young man who has named himself Robin Swift is entering the title institute for advanced studies in translation.
Robin was brought to Britain as the ward of Professor Lovell as a boy due to his mother’s death in Canton from a raging epidemic of cholera. Robin’s skills at multiple languages are impressive as well as his talent for tapping into the magic of silver bars, a much sought after power source dominated by the British empire.
Adjusting as well as he can to another new life, Robin makes a few friends who are considered outsiders much like himself and who are equally excited to increase their linguistic abilities.
However, Robin discovers a group of rebels known as the Hermes Society who seek proper redistribution of the silver bars for those unable to use their powers for the betterment of the less fortunate. He also learns a few secrets about his benefactor that tips him further towards a set of divided loyalties that could change not only his future but the world itself.
So far, this story is incredibly engaging, the kind of book that you need to force yourself to slow down and savor. Kuang’s world building is as elegantly designed as a Christopher Wren piece of architecture and this tower of knowledge is well worth climbing indeed:
Meanwhile, my January Book of the Month Club picks have been delivered and it’s a tempting trio to be sure.
One of the headliners here is Queen of Thieves by Beezy Marsh, which chronicles an underworld gang of female criminals in post-WWII London.
Ruled by the infamous Alice Diamond, this select set of high class shoplifters regularly rob the top department stores of thousands of pounds worth of merchandise. Least you think these ladies are the meek and mild sort, Alice arms herself with a razor at the ready and uses her often worn diamond rings as a set of brass knuckles.
Entering this ruffian realm is Nell, hoping to better her already unfortunate circumstances by making some needed coin but soon enough sees a chance to move up this precarious ladder. Can she join the inner court of Queen Alice without stepping on too many toes or better still, make a play for this criminal throne herself?
I do like historical fiction set within a time frame of social upheaval, which was a significant part of this era in England, and Alice Diamond is definitely a crown princess of crime that I would love to get more acquainted with:
While I’m saving my other recent BOMC pick for an upcoming readathon (more on that soon!), I did round my selections out with a much talked novel from last year-Lessons in Chemistry
by Bonnie Garmus.
Our leading lady is Elizabeth Zotts, a chemist in the 1950s who is unceremonious drummed out of her job at a research laboratory due to the rigid moral code placed on women in those days(which haven’t changed enough, some would say).
Nevertheless, she manages to find work as the hostess of a TV cooking show called Supper at Six. As it turns out, Elizabeth is deftly able to mix in a few chemistry tips during her culinary lessons that appear to go under the radar of the men in charge.
While she enlightens her home audience in more ways than one, Elizabeth does her best to find her own way to personal happiness with the help of some good friends and a clever dog named Six Thirty.
This book has made quite a few Best of the Year lists and the word of mouth praise has been abundant to say the least.
However, I am intrigued by the whole cooking show/chemistry education angle of the story here as modern cuisine has taken up this combo strongly with the past several years and checking this concept out from the Julia Child era of televised culinary fare sounds delicious to me:
In between all of this, I was able to make a quick trip to the library (mainly to return an overdue book but trust me, The Hacienda was worth taking the extra time with!).
My library haul was rather small but as it happened, there were two books by the same author that were side by side on the shelf that I have wanted for a long while and couldn’t pass up the opportunity in front of me.
J. Ryan Stradal got a nice bit of notice from his novel of interconnected stories entitled Kitchens of the Midwest but his next book after that, The Lager Queen of Minnesota , did make folks sit up and notice there.
It’s a tale of two sisters, Edith and Helen, who made a decision regarding their father’s inheritance that not only changed their lives but broke them apart as well.
Decades later, Edith is content with her quiet life of baking pies and taking care of her teen granddaughter Diana despite their difficulties in making ends meet.
Helen, on the other hand, has prospered by investing fully into her husband’s brewery and making his brand a household name.
She refused to mend the breech with Edith but when Diana starts becoming a rising star in the brewing business, a chance for the sisters to reconnect bubbles up to the surface. Will they take it before the foam of a new found friendship dissolves for good?
Food themed fiction is my weakness (drinks included sometimes) and this quietly told story of savory emotions seems like the perfect comforting meal of the heart for these cold winter days ahead:
A new year of books is a welcome sight indeed and even with the all too real headlines these days, we still have much to look forward to.
Plenty of new movies and returning TV shows like Abbott Elementary (which is so good!) are just some of the pop culture delights that await as we wait for more new books to be claimed for the literary good.
Also, lots of readathons need to be prepared for as well, so taking a TV break is just fine to rev up those reading engines for the bookish road trip ahead of us:
It’s been quite the week, with a lot of uncertainty both online and in the real world there. While things may not be as bad as they first seemed, the chaos is still too close for comfort.
Fortunately, the one constant that remains for me(other than family) is my ever expanding TBR pile.
For example, my latest Book of the Month Club selection was a pair of backlisted titles, the most recent being Helen Hoang’s The Heart Principle.
Anna Sun is a violinist who is feeling burnt out after a tour fueled by extra attention from a viral video. Upon hearing a mental health diagnosis that her relatives object to and her current boyfriend wanting an open relationship (on his terms), Anna decides to make a major change in her personal life.
She meets Quan, the owner of a clothing line who is recovering from cancer, on a dating app and even tho neither of them are looking for something serious, their connection promises to be more than casual. Especially when Anna’s father experiences a severe physical crisis that challenges them all.
I know that some readers found the switch in gears in this book to be off putting since her earlier works were very romance focused. Yet, I’m fine with a writer wanting to add some additional nuance to their work and Hoang’s prior novels with their engaging down to earth energy certainly make her future books worth checking out.
My other BOMC pick was a new edition of Little Women, a childhood favorite of mine that keeps popping up in some of my current reads lately.
With that in mind, I went to Better World Books for a copy of Beth and Amy by Virginia Kantra, the follow up to her modem take on the Alcott classic Meg and Jo.
Here, Beth is an aspiring country music singer struggling with an eating disorder and Amy is a designer of fashion accessories who once had a brief fling with Jo’s best friend Trey(who was still carrying a torch for her sister).
With Jo about to get married, all four sisters are reunited for the first time in a long while. This allows them not only a chance to reconnect but to face a few hard truths, particularly when it comes to Beth’s health and Amy’s love life with Trey being back in the picture due to Jo’s impending nuptials.
I did enjoy Meg and Jo(will probably reread that one) and this companion piece should make a nice set of satisfying reading with my brand new edition of LW. I do hope that Beth does better here than in the original as the idea of her sharing her talents with a wider audience is the best update for this character that I can imagine:
I paired that book with Jennifer Ryan’s The Kitchen Front, a WWII in England set novel about a cooking competition.
The big prize here is to be the co-host of a BBC radio show devoted to teaching British housewives frugal recipes for the war effort.
Anxious to do their part as well as take a much needed chance to change their lives, a group of four women from very different backgrounds find themselves in direct culinary competition with one another.
Will it be Audrey, a widow trying to get her bakeshop going or her sister Gwendoline, who thinks she’s above it all as the wife of a major manufacturer? Could the gently spoken Nell rise from her housemaid station with such a win or perhaps Zelda, the upperclass chef can claim victory despite the secret that threatens to destroy her personal and professional life?
Author Ryan does have a flair for making such women on the home front stories engagingly compelling without being overwhelmed by the standards of the genre, so I do look forward hungrily to this one. Plus,a cooking contest amongst the British is culinary catnip to me:
And yes, I did pick up a new release for my cozy mystery collection.
Donut Disturb is the latest in Ellie Alexander’s Bakeshop Mysteries series that has leading lady Juliet Capshaw preparing a specially requested wedding cake for her good friend Thomas and his bride/coworker Kerry.
Things get tense when an unexpected guest in the form of Kerry’s estranged father shows up but even more troubling is the sudden demise of the bassist from the band hired for the reception. Can Juliet lend more than her pastry prowess to the occasion to protect her friends from the “til death do us part” portion of the marriage vows?
Alexander is amazing at whipping up these tasty detective desserts and I hope to finish this book before her next one comes out later this year( Muffin But The Truth, another win in the punny title game there!). Plus, a donut wedding cake sounds awesome!:
No matter how wild the world around us can get, some ports in such storms are worth holding on to like family/friends, a good meal and a great read.
That’s probably why I like Thanksgiving so much. Yes, the origin story of this holiday is troubling to say the least(the Wednesday Addams speech in Addams Family Values is more historically accurate than some textbooks, sad to say) but the pilgrim pageantry is not what interest me.
It’s the concept of gathering together with loved ones to celebrate the good in our lives that is of real and lasting importance, if you ask me. A good dinner can’t solve all of our differences yet it’s a good place to start as any. After all, kitchen tables do make for welcome conversation for a reason:
We are definitely into autumn now, with plenty of leaves on the ground and pumpkin spice scenting the crisp cool air.
Another sign of the season is the FrightFall readathon, which fitfully ended on Halloween. Out of my original TBR, I made one switch and completed two and a half books(am into the latter half with the last one), so a pretty good reading run here.
My first FrightFall read was Deanna Raybourn’s Killers of a Certain Age in which a set of four older female friends on a retirement cruise are not what they seem.
The ladies in question-Billie,Helen, Natalie and Mary Alice-were recruited in their youth by a secret organization dedicated to tracking down former Nazis and other bad guys for elimination. Now in their advancing years, this trip was meant as a peaceful last hurrah.
Instead, the cruise was a ruse to take them all out at once, a fatal mistake for those who set them up as pawns in a power grab. Despite their being caught off guard at first, Billie and her friends manage to turn the tables but the endgame is more complicated than any involved could have imagined.
This is just a grand roller coaster ride of a book as Raybourn weaves a smartly savvy web of engaging intrigue with dashes of humor and heart.
I really hope this becomes a movie at some point because the level of awesomeness on the page needs to be shared on more than one media platform. A great testimony to how foolish it is to underestimate older women indeed:
While I did intend to stick to lighter mysteries for the rest of this readathon, my snagging of The Kiss Curse from the Book of the Month Club before it quickly sold out was a sign unto me to make a switch in my literary lineup.
This follow up to The Ex-Hex by Erin Sterling gives Vivi’s cousin Gwyn a chance at magical romance via a professional rivalry with Llwellyn aka Wells Penhallow, the brother of her cousin’s new husband Simon.
Wells has moved to the town of Graves Glen to find a fresh start and part of that includes setting up a magic shop right across from the one that Gwyn and her family have run for years. Never liking Wells to begin with(based on a past encounter), Gwyn is eager to fight back, retail style.
However, a strange set of circumstances forces them to team up in more ways than one. Even with a mix of magic and romance around them, can these two discover their true enemy before the last stroke of midnight on Halloween?
Much like Sterling’s earlier book, this story is a fun bit of storytelling magic that completely enchants you all the way.
The addition of new characters (the trio of young apprentices that Gwyn takes on, plus the adorable talking cat known as Sir Purricval) and enhanced family drama works out great and encourages more stories to come from the good witches of Graves Glen:
At the moment, I’m finishing up The Grim Reader by Kate Carlisle, one of her most recent entries in her Bibliophile mystery series.
Her leading lady Brooklyn Wainwright is happy to visit her family at their wine making hometown of Dharma with new husband Derek Stone by her side for many reasons, especially since her mother Rebecca is leading the committee for Dharma’s first book festival.
For a dedicated bookbinder like Brooklyn, such an event is pure joy but there are unexpected pitfalls that mar the way such as an obnoxious newcomer trying to literally force his way into the festival, the shocking death of a committee member and missing funds discovered just before things are ready to begin.
While she’s determined to help out(not to mention protect her mother from harm), Brooklyn soon learns that the copy of Little Women she was asked to restore may be a pivotal key to unlocking this case. Can her bookbinding skills save the day or bring on more disaster?
I do enjoy this series with it’s bookish energy and welcoming set of characters who make you feel right at home with every page turn. Plus, all of this talk about Little Women is just pointing me towards a reread of that iconic book as soon as I’m done here:
My thanks to Michelle Miller at Seasons of Reading for hosting these wonderful readathons and while I’m not sure if I will take part in the upcoming Christmas Spirit one, I hope everyone has a wonderful bookish time.
Some sad news to report: the author Julie Powell has recently passed away at the far too soon age of 49. Her yearlong challenge to make every recipe in the first volume of Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking began as a blog and then became a book which lead to a film adaptation starring Amy Adams and Meryl Streep.
While Julia herself wasn’t thrilled with Julie’s project(they never met in real life), these two had much in common.
Both women struggled to find what ultimate purpose they had to offer the world and found it through food and writing. Each of them received equal amounts of admiration and criticism for their professional and personal choices yet firmly marched to the beat of their own drummers.
I first read Julie and Julia in reader’s advance copy form(still have that edition) as a bookseller and Powell’s lively energy not only introduced me to the wonders of Julia Child and food writing in general, she inspired this very blog that I still keep pecking away at today.
I recently reread J&J as part of my “Julia journey “ this year and yes, it does hold up. Powell’s emotional honesty and ability to look back with a laugh or two at times , plus her love of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, is the spine of this internet age meets culinary classic story.
She also wrote a memoir,Cleaving, about learning the art of butchering that is in a very different tone from J&J but definitely worth checking out. However, Julie will be forever linked with Julia and that’s a damn good legacy to have, if you ask me.
My deepest condolences to Powell’s friends and family, especially her beloved husband Eric. Truly gone too soon yet destined to be remembered always:
With the midterm election coming up in only a few weeks, most of us do need a break from the major news coverage in order not to be overwhelmed by the intensity of it all.
However, you can have your cake and eat it in an electoral style with this trio of romance titles that have political love interests at the helm. Granted, there are plenty of other similarly themed romance reads out there but these are the ones I’ve fully enjoyed, regardless of politics.
Recently, I finished Incense and Sensibility which is the third book in Sonali Dev’s Jane Austen inspired series about the Raje family. Yash , the eldest son and top contender in the gubernatorial race, receives a shocking attack at a rally, which causes him to hold back from further campaigning.
In order to take control of his understandable fears, he seeks the yoga healing services of India Dashwood , who is balancing her concerns over her mother’s health and her sister China’s secret celebrity romance as well as dealing with the reappearance of Yash in her life.
India and Yash shared a brief moment of emotional intimacy many years ago, with him quickly breaking things off before they could properly begin.
Part of that reason was the need to have a relationship of convenience with Naina, a friend who needed to pursuit her career goals without family pressure to get married.
That arrangement worked out for both Yash and Naina while they were in separate countries but now, she wants to change the game as a fast track to her professional endgame. With Yash getting help from India and the two of them placing everyone’s needs before their own, can either of them admit the truth about their feelings without risking the election?
Dev blends the basic elements of Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility within her original narrative in a seamlessly elegant way. Her characters are just as compelling and nuanced as their Regency counterparts given a modern day flair.
Also, basing a potential political candidate on Edward Ferrars is pretty great in my opinion. While he does keep a few too many secrets, Edward has the best intentions and keeps to his word by following through with whatever consequences may come. That mark of character is something we rarely see outside of fiction sadly:
In Evie Dunmore’s Bringing Down the Duke, Annabelle Archer must earn her scholarship to Oxford university by working for the local women’s suffrage society.
One of her first assignments is recruiting influential men to support The Married Women’s Property Act, which would allow wives and widows to earn their own money through home ownership.
As it happens, the first man she approaches is Sebastian, the Duke of Montgomery who has been given personal incentive by Queen Victoria herself to oppose this policy. Nonetheless, Annabelle crosses his path more than once and each encounter encourages him to respect her intelligence as he falls in love with her to boot.
While she begins to feel the same towards him, Annabelle knows that there are more than politics that would get in the way of any serious attachment between them. Is there a chance at a happy ending for them on a personal and a political front?
This novel is the first in a series (A League of Extraordinary Women) and I plan to read the others in the near future as this debut was truly a promising delight.
So nice to have a set of stories where independent women are leading the way to equality in all
things including matters of the heart:
In Party of Two by Jasmine Guillory, new resident of L.A. Olivia Monroe is pleasantly surprised to meet Max, a cute guy who appreciates a good slice of cake.
While she intends to spend her days focused on her legal career, Olivia is willing to spend the evening hours with Max, who seems familiar to her somehow.
Turns out that he’s Max Powell, a rising political star as a newly elected congressman. Although they click in more ways than one, the hazards of a romance that will eventually go public are difficult to avoid. Yet, can love save the day for them both?
Guillory’s novels are a nice blend of sweet and savory with the meat of the story allowing for the delicious romantic elements to compliment each other on the plate of pages before you. Plus, there are wonderful moments of dessert delights described with love that are a joy to behold:
While these books are fun to talk about, I do hope that all of you reading this plan to vote. Midterm elections tend to get overlooked but the direction of the country could very well be determined by who gets to take a power seat this time around.
If you think “My vote doesn’t matter”, you are mistaken. If individual votes are so unimportant, then why are so many people trying to limit access to voting places and insisting that “fraud” is running amuck?
On top of that, the right to think, read and live freely is being challenged across our nation in rapid form and mainly against folks who aren’t given a loud enough voice in government.
Voting is a right that many before us risked their lives and personal freedom for and we honor that struggle by taking the time to do our duty by not only our country but by society as well.
Not to mention that it would be nice to have someone in higher office who actually knew what the 19th Amendment was all about!:
Well, I am happy to see you all this September as well as pleased to announce that my goals for this past High Summer readathon were met!
Yes, I finished all three books on my list, starting with Mr. Malcolm’s List by Suzanne Allain. Set during the Regency period in England, the title character is a well sought after gentleman in the marriage market. Pompous Julia Thistlewaite is in all confusion as to why he hasn’t asked for her hand yet or called upon her since their first outing.
Learning from her cousin that she failed to live up to one of the list categories, Julia vows revenge and enlists an old school friend, Selina Dalton to aid her.
Selina’s role is to make Mr. Malcolm fall in love with her and then reject him based on her own list of expectations for a suitable partner in life. Knowing only Julia’s side of the story ( and needing a chance to see a bit more of life), Selina takes up the challenge.
As it turns out, the former part of the plan is easy to pull off as Mr. Malcolm takes an instant liking to Selina and she begins to feel the same way. It’s the latter that leaves her in a quandary and Julia determined to get her way. Will love conquer all or allow confusion to reign instead?
This is a very delightfully written book and I can why it became a modest success at the movies this summer with its equally lively adaptation. I haven’t had the pleasure of watching the film yet but am in no doubt of the joy that awaits me there:
Next up was Raquel V. Reyes’ debut novel and first in a new cozy mystery series entitled Mango,Mambo and Murder.
Our leading lady is Miriam Quinones-Smith, who has just moved from NYC to Coral Shores,an upper class Miami enclave where her husband’s family lives.
In addition to dealing with her less than charming mother-in-law(who makes Marie from Everyone Loves Raymond look mellow) and keeping up with her sweet son Manny, Miriam is also being taken to all of the major social settings in town by her good friend Alma, a top real estate agent who lives for the next business connection.
It’s at one of those events where a troubled socialite named Sunny Weatherman suddenly dies that leads to a string of similarly strange deaths that Alma is accused of causing. Determined to help her unjustly accused friend, Miriam takes up the mantle of amateur detective and discovers that it’s a role she can excel at along with the other new changes in her life.
As this is the first book in what I hope is a bounty of new cozy adventures, there’s quite a bit of table setting going on as Miriam also takes on using her food anthropology skills to star as a cooking instructor on local TV and suspicions about what her husband Robert is up with his professional and private business.
However, once everything is properly laid out on the storytelling table, Reyes treats us to a tasty literary meal(complete with recipes!). I look forward to more of these savvy and savory stories from this new Veronica Mars(a nickname given to Miriam by a local police detective that suits her to a T):
Last but far from least, I finished up with Jackie Lau’s Donut Fall in Love.
Popular actor Ryan Kwok meets baker Lindsay McLeod in a very romcom way, by knocking over a fresh of matcha tiramisu donuts that she was putting out for display.
Despite that awkward first impression, Ryan asks for her help when he needs baking lessons in order to compete on a cooking show called Baking Fail. He’s doing this as a in between gig before his next movie but also wanting to win the charity donation prize in honor of his late mother, who loved baking shows.
Lindsay agrees to this private culinary tutoring and finds Ryan to be a good student in the kitchen.
She also knows what it’s like to deal with the loss of a parent (her dad passed away a few years prior) and adjusting to your new family dynamic, something that Ryan and his emotionally distant father are dealing with as well.
As the two of them become romantically involved, the issue of Ryan’s fame and social media following comes into play but what truly could divide them is a shared fear of loss of a loved one and the change that comes with it which makes forming new connections scarier than usual.
So, can they find a recipe for true love or Will their relationship be the ultimate baking fail? Despite the serious undertones here, this is a charming story of not just two people connecting but a whole host of others in their social orbit combining to make a strong emotional support system.
Some of the best parts of the book are Lindsay finding a way to bond with her new roommate Vivian and Ryan trying to crack his tersely amusing father’s shell(turns out Ryan’s dad has a flair for social media and becomes an online sensation!).
Lau creates relatable characters with engaging nuances that makes their situations entertainingly down to earth. If you’re in the mood for some delicious romance , Donut Fall in Love is a feast of heartfelt flavor indeed:
Thank you as always to Michelle Miller at Seasons of Reading for setting up these great readathons and I hope everyone who took part had some fun in the bookish sun here.
Yes, I’m already making plans for FrightFall in October but this year, I plan on having a murder mystery theme(the daily headlines are horrifying enough). Some more along the lines of Knives Out rather than Nighmare on Elm Street , we shall see!:
One thing that you can rely on during the summer season is a heat wave or two(perhaps even more these days) to endure as best as you can. Said endurance can be made much better by having the perfect excuse to stay inside and read, preferably with a filled to the brim with ice cubes drink in hand.
To that end, Seasons of Reading will be hosting their High Summer Readathon this August(thanks to Michelle Miller). It’s basically a good time to catch up on relaxing reads in a beach free fashion. As always, I do have a trio of entertaining titles that should offer much refreshing amusement here:
Mr. Malcolm’s List:
Suzanne Allan ‘s romantic comedy of errors is set in Regency England, where Julia Thistlewaite is furious upon learning that the gentleman of the title has such a list of preferred qualities in a potential bride.
Angry that this set of standards caused him to break up with her, Julia plots revenge with the aid of Selina, a friend from the country. By making Selina become Mr. Malcolm’s ideal woman, she can attract his attentions and then brutally break his heart.
Since Selina has little opportunity to join in high society and believes that their target is worthy of such punishment, she goes along with this plan at first. However, upon getting to know him. Selina begins to question this whole scheme and may be on her way to truly falling in love with Malcolm. Yet, can this relationship really work out once all is revealed?
The film adaptation of this rather charming novel was released earlier this summer to rave reviews from critics and audiences alike. While it may be some time before I can this movie for myself, the book ought to do quite nicely indeed:
Donut Fall in Love:
We then head to modern day Canada, courtesy of Jackie Lau, where popular actor Ryan Kwok finds himself in need of baking lessons.
While his career in film is going well despite receiving more praise for his looks instead of his acting, Ryan is offered the chance to be a celebrity guest on the hit culinary series Baking Fail. Since his talents in the kitchen are not even good enough for a show about baking blunders, he asks local baker Lindsey McLeod for a few points about pastry.
Given that the first time they met was when Ryan knocked over a fresh batch of donuts in her bake shop,Lindsey is less than inclined to help out here.
In need of some positive distraction from her own problems , she decides to teach him enough to get by and finds that the two of them have more in common than they think. Will their time together create a recipe for romance or be more of a flaky fail than anything that cooking show ever displayed?
I do like stories about cooking competition shows and by stirring in some heartfelt flavors of love and friendship, you’ve got a tasty treat to dive on into. Plus, donuts just make everything better, folks:
Mango,Mambo and Murder:
This debut cozy mystery from Raquel V. Reyes introduces us to Miriam Quinones-Smith, whose move to Miami has caused her to delay getting her PhD in food anthropology.
Hoping to revive her culinary educational spirits, she takes a job as a food expert for a morning TV show which opens a few doors of opportunity to her.
Unfortunately, one of those doors proves deadly for a socialite at a luncheon Miriam attends, especially since her good friend Alma is seen as a main suspect in the growing number of unsavory deaths that follow.
Despite the claims on her time and talents, Miriam is determined to save Alma from such allegations but can she discover the true killer before another goose is permanently cooked?
Cozy mysteries are my jam, particularly with foodie themes and this one has gotten some great word of mouth praise there. Nice to get a first taste of what may be a feast of fun reading yet to come:
I do hope that many of you out there will take a dip in this literary pool and refresh your thoughts during this most heated time span of summer. Sign-up spots are still available and a thank you in advance to Michelle Miller for setting up this shady spot of reading.
My late summer plans are quiet ones, due to my Autumn in August movie series (which puts my regular Series-ous Reading posts on break until September) that’s starts with Master & Commander: The Far Side of the World.
Quite the nautical adventure with perhaps a sea shanty or two to keep things on an entertainingly even keel there, we shall see! Stay cool, everyone and set sail for some calmer waters to come:
While my TBR piles are getting tricky to manage (yes, I have more than one or two there), I can’t entirely resist the urge to buy something new to read, especially when the daily headlines are getting worse every day (more on that later).
Truly, I did think that I would just skip the Book of the Month club selections for May but my literary eye was caught by Love & Other Disasters by Anita Kelly, which combines romance with cooking competition shows so how could I pass that on by?
The show in question is called Chef’s Special and intended for amateur cooks like Dahlia, who is feeling unfocused in life after her divorce.
She finds a friendly rival in London, who has enough troubles of their own as the first openly non binary competitor on the culinary series dealing with rather tasteless online scrutiny.
Word of mouth about this novel has been excellent to say the least. A nicely told romance like this sounds ideal for a spring to summer bookish menu indeed:
I paired that up with Jennifer Close’s latest release, Marrying the Ketchups.
Set in Chicago, the story lines follow the Sullivan family as they deal with the recent loss of their patriarch Bud, who ran a restaurant in Oak Park.
While new widow Rose adjusts to her relocated life at an assisted living center, two of her grandchildren are reconsidering their situations as well. Gretchen is having serious doubts regarding her rock and roll career while her sister Jane harbors suspicions about her husband’s fidelity.
It’s their cousin Teddy, however, who is determined to keep the family diner going even though his ex-boyfriend constantly shows up there for the dinner hour on the regular (talk about pouring salt into a wound there!).
Dealing with change is the ultimate theme of the book and having read an earlier novel of Close’s(The Hopefuls) awhile back , I know that her delightful low key story telling is built upon well honed character development worth it’s weight in page turning gold:
Meanwhile, on my recent birthday, I decided to get a physical copy of an ebook by Christina Lauren (The Soulmate Equation) that I was reading and it only made sense to add another book by that author as a proper gift.
The Unhoneymooners has a classic romcom premise as Olive Torres finds herself on a dream vacation with the one man in the world she can’t stand to be around.
With her twin sister Amelia coming down with food poisoning, along with her new husband, their already paid for honeymoon in Hawaii will go to waste unless Olive goes in her stead. The only catch is that Ethan Thomas, her new brother in law, has to join her.
At first, Olive plans to have fun on her own but when she and Ethan run into a pair of acquaintances from back home, they have no choice but to pretend to be their newlywed siblings or lose out on their vacation accommodations.
Despite these ruses, Olive finds herself liking Ethan much more than she had bargained for. Is that feeling mutual or is this just a potential fling and nothing more?
I’ll probably save this one for summer reading but rest assured that Lauren’s engaging romcom energy enhanced by lively developed characters is definitely a year round enjoyment:
Before I go, I do have something to say about those troubling headlines, especially the recent attack on reproductive rights by the Supreme Court. Don’t worry, this isn’t going to be a huge rant, just an affirmation of what we should stand for.
Freedom is a term that gets bandied about a lot but not very well understood by many, particularly those who think that imposing their beliefs onto the rest of us is their sacrosanct right.
Freedom means not only making choices but allowing others to do the same without impediment.
What we’re seeing right now( and have been for far too long) is an entitlement mindset that wants everything convenient for themselves and no consequences whatsoever for any negative results of their actions.
Well, as a MTV show used to say, it’s time for people to stop being polite and start getting real. Putting up with this nonsense is not how bullies like this are stopped and if being loud is necessary, then let’s get loud.
We see this in the increasing prohibitive laws attacking voters, the LBTQIA community, immigration and book banning, which targets everyone overall. Whether you sign a petition, join in a protest or just tell that rude person in your social circle to knock it off with the hate speech, every bit counts.
These oppressors love to justify their actions by insisting that “This is what the Founding Fathers of our country wanted!” but they -perhaps intentionally-forget that those folks were out and out rebels against the established authority, the very one that caused them to leave their former country for a fresh start in the first place.
The important thing here is to take a stand for the future of our country to progress forward for all concerned and not fall back into an outdated oppression that benefits the few. Regardless of century, we shouldn’t hesitate to take our shot for a better world:
Over the past two years, a certain portion of my daily reading has gone into a sadly steady decline and while nonfiction was never my strong suit, I did try to keep some of it on my regular literary radar.
Given the state of things for the last couple of years in the real world, my interest in learning more about it seemed repellant to maintaining a hopeful attitude there. Sure, I did read a little bit of good nonfiction once in awhile but more often than not, I strove to avoid it as much as possible.
However, my appetite for nonfiction has been revived lately, due to a renewed pop culture interest in Julia Child(from a Food Network competition and a HBO Max series). Fortunately, this wasn’t the first time that Julia had caught my attention and I happen to still have a copy of her memoir , My Life in France, on the shelf.
The book tells the story of how she took an interest in French cooking in the first place as her husband Paul was stationed as a diplomatic cultural liaison over in France after WWII.
Their life and times in Paris and Marseille, the friends made along the way and Julia’s collaboration with Simone “Simcha” Beck and Louisette Bertholie that lead to the ground breaking Mastering the Art of French Cooking are charmingly detailed in Julia Child’s down to earth manner, a delicious feast of personal experience that needs to be well savored:
My Life in France was co-written by Paul Prud’homme(a grand nephew of Julia’s) and he wrote a solo book about the later years of his aunt”s culinary career.
The French Chef in America is well subtitled “Julia Child’s Second Act” as it covers the creation of her iconic TV show which made public television audiences hunger for more edible education programs.
I happily recall discovering this tasty tome in my local library back in 2019 and now adding it to my personal collection and current TBR, ironically enough, my own copy is a former library edition. Talk about meant to be here!
I also find it fitting that Food Network is airing The Julia Child Challenge (which has its finale this week) as their existence is due to the first foodie steps that Julia made, bringing people together to share in her love of good cooking and good company:
Least you think that I’m just rereading here, I did get another Julia Child themed book that is completely new to me.
Love Always, Julia is a collection of letters between Julia and Avis Devoto(edited by Joan Reardon), the latter being one of Julia’s best friends and a major player in getting that first cookbook published. Avis was married to Bernard Devoto, a journalist who wrote an article about culinary knives that Julia liked so much that she wrote him a letter of praise.
Since Avis handled her husband’s correspondence, she answered Julia herself and the two of them became great friends both in person and in personal print. Avis helped Julia get an initial offer from an American publisher for Mastering the Art(that one didn’t quite take) and later got her connected to Judith Jones, the editor that did bring the book ultimately to bookshelves everywhere.
In the HBO Max series Julia, Avis is also a major supporting character, played by the incomparable Bebe Neuwirth and it’s great to see such positive female friendships like this onscreen that reflect on real life.
Being supported in such bold endeavors by sisters in arms, so to speak, does lighten the load but Avis was more that just a gal pal and these letters do showcase her inner life as well, I believe :
My regular fiction reading is doing well but it is nice to expand my mental horizons again. Who knows, I might also reread Julie & Julia again, it’s been some time since I took it up.
After all, J&J is part of the reason that I started this blog in the first place, Julie Powell inspired me to learn more about the culinary arts and to write online, much like Julia Child inspired her to attempt that culinary challenge that lead to her writing career.
Granted, they never met in real life(which just as well since Julia didn’t care for Julie’s cooking blog) and yet they inspired others to appreciate the simple joys of the world for the better.
While they say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, I think that inspiration is the truest element of sincerity, passing your deepest passion on to those out there who may not know they need it. Being a muse is one of those callings that when answered, gives as much as it receives in the long run.
At any rate, I hope that my Julia journey leads to more enriching reading and for now, my page turning path is firmly in front of me. If you are similarly inspired as well, I wish you a bon appetit!:
