For 2025 I have decided to have a go at Spell the Month in Books which is hosted at Reviews From the Stacks. The link party opens on the first Saturday of the month, but I won't be posting until the third Sunday as I already have other things scheduled every Saturday and for the first two Sundays of the month.
The idea is that you use the title of books to spell the month name. There is also a theme each month, with the theme for January being New.
The Jam Queens by Josephine Moon - I read this back in 2021, and it was the first book I read from this author which made her a new author to me. I had owned another book for a while, and still do! (My review)
At the Foot of the Cherry Tree by Alli Parker - I listened to this book at the beginning of last year. It was my first book by this author, and told the story of her grandparents, and in particular her Japanese grandmother starting a new life here in Australia
A New Dawn at Owl's Lodge by Jessica Redland - This was my first book from this author, and I couldn't resist using the word new given the theme for this month! (My review)
Under a Summer Skye by Sue Moorcroft - This is the first book in Sue Moorcroft's The Skye Sisters trilogy. We visited Isle of Skye last year which was a new destination for me (My review)
The Answer is No by Fredrik Backman - This short story was my first read from a new to me author (My mini review)
A Recipe for Christmas by Jo Thomas - This book features a character moving to Switzerland to learn new skills as a chocolate maker and to make a new start (My review)
Yellowface by R F Kuang - I bought this recently which makes this a new book on my TBR pile.
That was actually harder than I expected, especially the letter Y! And there's another Y in February so I have a few weeks to work out how I am going to approach that as I would prefer to not repeat the books I use very often. The theme for next month is Valentines Day/Something sweet on the cover.
I am also sharing this post with Sunday Salon hosted at Readerbuzz
The current selection for Cook the Books is a book that is a bit outside my comfort zone, A Land of Milk and Honey by C Pam Zhang is a science fiction novel which was nominated for the best book in that category in the Goodreads Choice awards in 2023.
Our unnamed main character is an American chef of Asian heritage who finds herself outside of the US when all the borders close off around the world thanks to a worldwide food crisis. There is an intense, acidic fog that has spread around the globe which has the effect of destroying all the crops in the world. There is therefore no food for animals and so they have perished too, so there is no meat. All that is left to eat is a high protein mung powder - gray and tasteless. It's not a good time to be a chef. The chef has applied to return to America, but is languishing on a list where she doesn't meet the most desirable requirements, and therefore never gets any closer to the point where she will be allowed to returned.
She applies for a new role which is advertised as a private chef for an "elite research community" which is on a mountain top near the Italian and French border. The research community is privately funded and is very exclusive. You have to be prepared to invest heavily to be invited to be part of the community. On the top of that mountain, they have worked out how to bio engineer the food that no longer exists anywhere else, both in recent history, and from the distant past. In theory, they will be sharing their findings with the world. In reality, this is an enclave for only the chosen few, and the weekly feasts are ever more outlandish and extravagant.
The community is run by a reclusive man and his beautiful, very intelligent, driven daughter, Aida, who are always racing against time to try and develop the food that is lost for their use only. But there is so much more going on here as well. Whilst this is a foodie book exploring the idea of what would happen if food shortages became world wide, it is also looking at the ultimate haves vs the have nots. It is a very sensual book. Here is a passage from very early in the book where she has just arrived at the mountain top.
On my second pass, I spotted a box behind the door. Impress me, this note said. Inside were flour, vanilla, eggs.
I'd expected a test, of course: a textbook omelet, or a flawless consomme to prove the French training the job demanded. Pastry, no. Giddiness abandoned me as I unpacked baking soda, sugar, milk. Even the voluptuousness of the butter couldn't distract from thoughts of my spotty experience in patisserie, and the precarity of my visa, and what would happen were I turned away - and then I was no longer at the bottom of the box I touched something as warm as skin, as yielding as a woman's inner thigh: strawberries.
The sensuousness is not limited to the description of food. There is also an LGBQ+ element to the story when our chef and Aida begin a relationship. But it is complicated because the boss has a very specific role that he is expecting our chef to play, the stakes are high, and so is the tension.
This book was a reminder to me that it is important not to take food for granted. It doesn't take much for there to be food shortages, even here in Australia, where we recently have had egg shortages due to bird illnesses. Our farmland is also shrinking due to the ever increasing size of our cities, and many of our farms are now owned by huge multinational companies. We are lucky that we are able to just go to the supermarket but the food chain is probably more fragile than we realise. Obviously there are also lots of places around the world, where you don't necessarily know where your next meal is coming from on a daily basis.
It's fair to say I didn't love this book, and I was glad when it was done, but sometimes that is what being in a book club is about right? You read the selection knowing that it might not be the kind of book that you would normally read. I did appreciate the way that the author wrote about food and I marked numerous passages.
I did find it interesting to see the intersection between the last three Cook the Books selections. Two books ago we read Sue Monk Kidd's The Secret Life of Bees, so lots of honey, and then we read Crying in H Mart which is about Korean food, and this book talked about quite a bit of Korean food.
When deciding what to make I did ponder a number of options. Would it be Souffle Cheesecake, something Korean or some woolly mammoth that I picked up from the supermarket? In the end I was inspired by the very start of the book where our unnamed cook was asked to impress their new employer, using the ingredients described in the passage above.
In the end I decided on Japanese Strawberry Shortcake because I had recently read The Restaurant of Lost Recipes by Hisashi Kashiwai, which is the second book in the Kamogawa Food Detectives series. One of the stories in that book was where the food detectives were asked to recreate a Christmas Cake, which in Japan is Strawberry Shortcake. Between the description in the book and that story, I knew that was what I would make.
I am not sure that my cake was fluffy enough, and I ended up doubling this recipe to give it enough height, but my husband and I really enjoyed it!
A couple of other comments about the recipe. We can't buy cake flour here, so I made my own by mixing plain flour with cornflour. There are instructions on the internet on how to do this. I also just whipped the cream normally in my stand mixer.
Japanese Strawberry Shortcake
Cake
2 egg whites 2 egg yolks 60 g white caster sugar ½ tsp lemon juice 60 g cake flour sifted 20 g unsalted butter melted + extra to grease the cake pan 1 tbsp milk
Syrup
20 g white caster sugar 40 ml water 1 tbsp your chosen liqueur (optional)
For assembly
300 g cold thickened cream 3 tbsp icing sugar 3 drops vanilla essence of half the amount of vanilla extract 12 medium strawberries mint leaves (optional)
Measure out the sponge ingredients, separate the eggs and leave everything out to reach room temperature for about 20-30 minutes. (Cover the eggs to stop them from drying out).
Grease the cake tin with a thin layer of butter over the base and sides and line it with parchment paper. Start preheating your oven to 180 °C (356 °F) (170 °C (338 °F) for fan assisted).
In a clean, dry glass mixing bowl, add 2 egg whites and ½ tsp lemon juice. Set your electric mixer to a medium-high setting and whisk until foamy and doubled in size.
Add the caster sugar one third at a time, making sure it's fully incorporated before adding the next third.
Continue to whisk on a medium speed until the meringue is smooth and glossy with stable, stiff peaks. Add the egg yolks one at a time, whip using the electric mixer for about 10-15 seconds for each yolk and stop as soon as they're incorporated into the meringue.
Sift cake flour twice into a separate bowl. Sift once more, this time into the egg mixture, adding it one-third at a time and folding it gently with a silicone spatula. Repeat until all of the flour is incorporated into the mixture, being careful not to over-mix.
Mix 20 g unsalted butter (melted) and 1 tbsp milk in a small bowl. Add about 2 tbsp of the sponge batter and whisk them together to temper them. Pour the tempered mixture into the cake batter and fold in gently with the spatula. Once combined, pour the mixture into the lined cake tin and smooth the top and drop the cake tin twice onto a hard surface from about 10cm (4 inches) high.
Place on the middle shelf of the oven and bake for 20-30 minutes. (Check the cake after 20 minutes and remove once it's golden brown.)
Once the sponge is fully cooked, take it out from the oven and drop it on a hard surface from about 20cm high (8 inches). This will help prevent sinking and shrinking.
Turn upside down onto a wire rack and remove the cake tin. Leave to cool for about 1 hour.
For the syrup, in a small pan, add the caster sugar, 40 ml water and the liqueur if using. Bring to a boil over a medium heat while stirring continuously. Once it starts bubbling, stop stirring and boil for 1 minute before removing it from the heat.
Once the cake has cooled, cut off the top (as thinly as possible to not waste too much) and then cut in half horizontally.
Brush the top of each half generously with syrup and save any leftovers for later.
Prepare the strawberries by washing and then dry them thoroughly with kitchen paper and remove the stems. Save 7-9 of the most beautiful ones for decorating and slice the rest for the filling.
To make the whipping cream take a large bowl and add a few handfuls of ice, then take a smaller glass or steel bowl (preferably chilled) and place it on top of the ice. Pour in the cream and add icing sugar and vanilla essence or extract.
Use an electric whisk (or balloon whisk if you’re whisking by hand) and whip until the cream has peaks and becomes spreadable.
To assemble, place 2-3 spoonfuls of whipped cream in the centre of each half of the sponge. Spread it out to the edges until even and arrange the strawberries on one half.
Flip one half onto the other so that the strawberries are sandwiched between two layers of cream. Brush any leftover syrup on the top of the cake and place it on a easy-to-turn surface (e.g. cake board, paper plate etc.)
Add about 4-5 scoops of whipped cream to the middle and spread it out thinly over the edges. This is a crumb coat (to smooth down crumbs) so scrape off any excess into a separate bowl so that crumbs don’t mix in with the rest of the cream.
Whip up the cream a little bit more to make it a bit thicker and then add 3/4 of it to the top of the sponge and the other 1/4 to a piping bag. Place the piping bag in the refrigerator while you're icing the cake.
Spread out the cream using an icing spatula, making sure the whole cake is smoothly and evenly covered on the top and sides.
Finish the cake by piping swirls around the edge and placing the strawberries in the center. Decorate with mint leaves if using.
The next Cook the Books selection is Be Ready When the Luck Happens by Ina Garten. This isn't available for me to buy at a reasonable price or in my local libraries so I will probably sit it out, but I will be back for the April/May selection. Maybe I will try one of her recipes in lieu of reading her book.
Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book reviews (novel, nonfiction), cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs, restaurant reviews, travel information, or fun food facts. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page
It may seem as though I say yes to every book set in Paris, but it's not the case. And even if it was, there would be zero regrets with this book. Zero!
Tessa is a successful romance writer, and she has a looming deadline. What she doesn't have is any idea of what her next book is going to be about, let alone at the point of being ready to submit it to her publisher. What she does have is a broken heart. She truly believed that she had met "the one". Joe was handsome and successful, and they moved in together very quickly. And were over relatively quickly too.
Before they split, Tessa had paid for an apartment in Paris for a break. After being encouraged by her friends, she decides to still go to Paris in the hope that she might find some inspiration. Unfortunately, Joe had told his best friend Ethan that he could use the apartment which Tessa only finds out when he emerges from the bathroom wearing little more than a towel. Because Ethan is a pretty decent bloke, he offers to find somewhere else to stay, but it is Paris Fashion Week and all the hotels are full, so they are stuck together.
I really liked Ethan. He is a chef who has come to Paris to do some training with a famous French chef. he also has a dream to open his own restaurant with his friend Juliet. However, he knows that he is beholden to Joe and his family, so his dream is very much still unattainable at this time. I did love the sound of the food that Ethan cooked, and found myself craving the French Onion soup that we ate when we visited Paris! So delicious!
Ethan shows Tessa the Paris that he loves and they begin to act on their attraction to each other, but the spectre of Joe is always in the background. Tessa slowly begins to understand that maybe the problems in her relationship was not her, but rather had a lot to do with Joe. Hoorah! I did think that there was a good chemistry between Tessa and Ethan. I did laugh at Tessa being quite worried about the fact that Ethan was the same height as she was. She usually preferred men to be taller than her. I remember worrying about that when I was on the dating scene!
I loved Juliet as a secondary character. She was very accepting of Tessa from the moment they met, and encouraged her to believe in herself, and she bought joy to every scene she was in.
For me, there could have been a little more nuance in some areas, particularly with Joe. He is a man with no redeeming qualities at all. When he turns up, I was disappointed with some of what happened, but I guess it was necessary to move the story forward.
It was only as I read the excerpt at the back of the book that I realised that a previous book told the story of her publisher. They aren't a series as such, but it is something that I like to know.
I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted by The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews, Foodies Read hosted at Based on a True Story and Bookish Book Reading Challenge hosted at Bloggin' Bout Books. Be sure to check out other stops on the tour shown below. Thanks to the publisher, Netgalley and Rachel's Random Resources for the review copy.
Rating 4/5
About the book
The Paris Chapter
Can the city of love mend a broken heart?
Romance author Tessa Elliot has writer's block, and worse - she isn’t sure she still believes in love. To heal her broken heart, she decides to go on the romantic break in Paris she’d booked before her world fell apart.
But when she arrives at the Airbnb, Tessa is stunned to find someone is already there. Her ex’s best friend Ethan has made himself at home, being told that the place would be empty.
As it’s Paris Fashion Week, and with no other options, they agree to share the apartment. Neither will be in the place much after all, with Ethan taking a cookery course and Tessa on a hard deadline to finish her novel.
But sharing close nights in a one bed apartment, there’s an undeniable pull towards one another.
Will Tessa be able open her heart, and her laptop, ever again?
A gorgeous romance set in the city of love, perfect for fans of Emily Henry and Christina Lauren
Victoria Walters is the author of both cosy crime and romantic novels, including the bestselling Glendale Hall series. She has been chosen for WHSmith Fresh Talent, shortlisted for two RNA novels and was picked as an Amazon Rising Star. Previously published by Hera, she is now writing romantic comedies for Boldwood
Recently I was watching one of Joanna Lumley's shows, Great Cities of the World, where she visited Rome. One of the segments in the show was about the 1950's when Hollywood came to Rome. She interviewed Gina Lollobridgida, and talked about Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton and other big stars. In this book, a lot of the action centres around the same time period, when big name Italian film stars came to film their movies on the small island of Ischia, which is just off the coast of Naples.
When Ornella moved to England from Ischia, she knew she was leaving her previous life behind. She didn't want to talk about her life before the UK, about her family or the experiences that caused her to move away.
One day Ornella and her granddaughter Alessia see something celebrating the life of a famous, glamourous movie star from the 1950s, Alessia is surprised when her grandmother starts taking about her previous life. She is even more surprised when they decide to visit Ischia. Given that Alessia has had her heartbroken and lost her job recently, there's no reason not to go! The plan is to go to the island, stay for a couple of weeks and then return. However, plans have a funny way of not working as expected, and Ornella runs into one of her best friends not long after landing.
When Alessia meets a handsome journalist named Roberto, she doesn't realise that their paths are going to interconnect. Roberto is writing a piece about a reclusive famous film star whose beautiful wife and daughter were killed in a tragic car accident. It turns out that Ornella worked on the film set of his last hit film, and her own family's fate was intertwined with that of the star.
We get to see the stories unfold and Alessia and Roberto visit various landmarks and uncover some of the story, plus we see some of Ornella's story in flashback scenes. There are many secrets, twists and turns, until the truth is finally revealed. There are a lot of threads running through the book and the author does a great job of bringing them all together.
The last book I read by Victoria Springfield was set on the nearby island of Procida. Once again, the author does a great job of bringing the island culture to life on the page. I am not sure that we will ever get back to Naples, but if we did, I would like to visit Ischia and Procida!
I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted by The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews. Be sure to check out other stops on the tour shown below. Thanks to the publisher, Netgalley and Rachel's Random Resources for the review copy.
Rating 4/5
About the book
An Italian Island Secret
Escape to a beautiful Italian island with this wonderfully romantic story, threaded with secrets and intrigue.
It’s time to return to Ischia…
Alessia knows her grandmother grew up on the beautiful Italian island off the coast from Naples. But Ornella seldom talks about her life there – or why she never went back.
So Alessia is amazed when Ornella reveals that, in the months before she left Ischia, she had worked on the set of a famous 1950s movie filmed on the island. Is there a link between the film set and the tragic death of Ornella’s teenage sister?
Ornella has kept her past – and the heart-wrenching promise she made – a secret for over sixty years. She has tried not to think about the love she gave up. But now, perhaps the truth should finally be revealed…
Travelling to Ischia together, Alessia falls in love with the utterly captivating island. Meeting handsome journalist Roberto helps her dig deeper into her family’s past, too. Just what happened to Ornella’s sister? What heart-wrenching secret is her grandmother hiding?
This summer, can Alessia and Ornella put the past to rest and find the happy ending they both deserve?
A wonderfully escapist, romantic and compelling story of secrets and sacrifice, love and loyalty, that is perfect for fans of Karen Swan, Louise Douglas and Rosanna Ley.
Victoria Springfield writes contemporary ‘wish you were here’ evocative women’s fiction set in Italy. Her feel-good books follow unforgettable characters of all
ages as they deal with love, loss, friendship and family secrets. Readers can feel the sunshine!
When a baby is left on the doorstep of the Air Ambulance base in Whistlestop River, Nadia, the Operational Support Officer is the person who finds it. For Nadia, seeing the barely two weeks old baby abandoned is a bit triggering. Whilst she is a very generous and open person with her fellow team members, she is a closed book when it comes to her past.
Patient and Family Liaison Nurse, Hudson, is also somewhat secretive about his private life. He hasn't told the team that he is now divorced from his ex wife Lucinda and is the primary carer for his two children. His young daughter, Carys, seems to have mostly adapted to the situation with her parents but fifteen year old Beau is more difficult. He is quite moody and uncommunicative and doesn't seem to appreciate the fact that Hudson has had to work more hours in order to help keep the roof over their heads.
As far as Nadia knows, Hudson is happily married, so she is trying very hard to not be attracted to him, but it is difficult because he is such a great guy, both because of his role helping families but just because of who he is. When Hudson sees that Nadia is quite affected by finding the baby, he is keen to help her, and to understand why.
When Nadia left her past behind, she was determined that it would stay there, but as a result of an interview that she does about finding the baby, someone turns up that she would rather not see, and it is Hudson that supports her.
Hudson also has his own issues to deal with, particularly in relation to co-parenting and Beau's attitude. Do either of them have time to pursue anything more than just friends?
I really like reading about the work that the Skylarks do, for example, the emergency situations that they deal with. It was also interesting to see some of the other roles. For example, Hudson is the person who often has to explain to the families about what actions were taken, and what might happen next and Nadia's role including managing volunteers, organising fundraising events and so much more.
It was good too see updates from some of the characters from the previous two books in the series, and I hope to see them again soon!
I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted by The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews. Be sure to check out other stops on the tour shown below. Thanks to the publisher, Netgalley and Rachel's Random Resources for the review copy.
Rating 4/5
About the Book
Something in the Air
A surprise arrival
Working with the Whistlestop River air ambulance is Nadia's whole world. She adores her job and the team – they’re family. But when a baby is abandoned on the steps of the base, Nadia is forced to confront events from her past she’d rather forget.
A difficult change
Hudson is trying to get his life back on track after his divorce. It’s not easy juggling his work as a patient and family liaison officer and being the primary parent for his children. He wouldn’t change it for the world. But when his teenage son’s behaviour spirals out of control, Hudson begins to wonder if he can really be there for everyone who needs him…
A chance for something special?
Nadia and Hudson have always been friends, but the arrival of baby Lena pushes them closer than ever, and as their feelings start to grow, they’ll have to decide – do they have space for love when their families need them? And could they put themselves and each other first, just this once?
Helen Rolfe is the author of many bestselling contemporary women’s fiction titles, set in different locations from the Cotswolds to New York. Most recently published by Orion, she is bringing sixteen titles to Boldwood – a mixture of new series and well-established backlist. She lives in Hertfordshire with her husband and children.
Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's theme is The Ten Most Recent Additions to My Book Collection (or to your to-read list!)
I started writing this list late last week, which might have been a bit dangerous give how often I tend to 1click books in the middle of the night. Here are the last ten books I have acquired (as at the end of last week). ETA - yep, it would have looked a bit different if I was writing this post on Tuesday!
Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao - Can't remember where I saw this that prompted me to buy it, but it is probably because it is set in Tokyo.
The Last Lifeboat by Hazel Gaynor - I think I added this to my list because I saw that it had been shortlisted for an Irish literature prize.
Strange Weather in Tokyo by Hiromi Kawakami - I saw this on Emma's blog over at Words and Peace
Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett - I have been thinking about getting this for a while and finally bit the bullet.
The Last Love Note by Emma Grey - I first heard of this book last year at Rachael Johns Reader Retreat and have been meaning to get it since then.
Never Want to Sea You Again by Leonie Mack - I really enjoy Leonie Mack's books so when I saw that she was releasing this short story on her Substack I had to get it. It is still available
The Baby Dragon Cafe by Aamna Qureshi - Somehow I ended up on a broadcast channel from the publisher for this book, and in the end I couldn't help but pre-order it.
If You Could See Me Now by Samantha Tonge - Upcoming blog tour review book. I do like Samantha Tonge's books.
Happily Ever After by Jane Lovering - This is also an upcoming blog tour review book
Where the Birds Call Her Name by Claire van Ryn - This is an Australian author and the book sounds great. I was pleased when it was approved on Netgalley.
I finished my first 5 star read for the year! Midnight in Paris by Gillian Harvey. I was already a fan of this author, and this book took it to the next level for me! You can read my review here.
Next up was The Storyteller's Daughter by Victoria Scott, which features a WWII mystery, an old house and so much more. My review is here.
I also read the third book in the Skylarks series by Helen Rolfe which is called Something in the Air. My review for this will be up later this week.
My current read is An Italian Island Secret by Victoria Springfield, which has whisked me off to the Italian island of Ischia. I wish I could visit for real, but alas, it isn't to be as we have other travel plans for this year.
I'm watching
I am very excited as Bake off : The Professionals is back for another season! I love this particular version of Bake Off which features professional bakers being set the most amazing and difficult challenges. There are some amazing creations. There are also some disasters!
Another thing that was back this week was Sail GP. They changed one of the key elements on the boats for this race and it led to some very exciting racing!
I started watching the TV adaptation of Beth O'Leary's book, The Road Trip. I will get back to that next week I think.
We watched a new movie on Netflix this week called The Six Triple Eight, which tells the story of an all African American female battalion who are tasked with the almost impossible task of clearing a huge backlog of 17 million letters and packages during WWII. It stars Kerry Washington, and features a couple of notable cameo appearances. We really liked it and thought it was pretty well done.
Life
Last week was a pretty quiet week really.
My thoughts have turned towards actively looking for a new job! Wish me luck!
Max
A couple of months ago, Max was really sick, but he is pretty much like he was before now. He still has quite a few big patches of hair missing which you can see on his head and belly, but he is wanted to play tug of war, chase the ball and so much more, which is quite a relief.
Here he is lying on the cool of the tiles because it is hot here at the moment!
Beth Bineham's life is falling apart. Her husband wants a divorce, and she made a terrible gaffe on National TV which lead to her being stood down from her role in the family firm. When her great-aunt Nita passes away, her family charges her with sorting out the house before they can sell it!
Beth made it to the family home, Melham Manor, just in time to see Nita before she passed, and her last words have intrigued Beth. There is a box in the attic which contains some documents that related to Nita's past, in particular in relation to her short period working at the nearby town's local newspaper during WWII.
Nita is what you would call eccentric, but Beth has great memories of spending time with her at Melham Manor, until suddenly the visits stop, mainly because her mother didn't like Nita. Now, Beth is trying to work out what Nita's secrets are.
Nita had been raised as the privileged daughter of a wealthy industrialist. Her brother Frank is off fighting in the war, but Nita is expected to marry and have children. Nita is given the chance to work as a volunteer at the local newspaper, never expecting that she would have the chance to be a reporter. When she and her colleagues hear a story about the possibility of a German spy working in their area, they are all determined to track him down.
This is a dual timeline book, so whilst we hear Nita's story, we also get to see Beth as she follows the clues of her great-aunt's story, and navigates her own trials. She was a bit blindsided by her husband's determination to divorce and so she is trying to figure out what comes next for her and her young children. When she is offered the chance to do a little reporting of her own for the same small town newspaper that Nita worked for, she begins to see a way to reimagine her own life, away from the control of her family.
I love a book where an old house is a character in a book. In this case, Melham Manor is a place which has clearly been loved over the years, but as Nita has gotten older she has been unable to keep up. She does have many items hoarded within the house, including some items that are worth a lot of money, if only Beth can uncover them all before her father sells the house, unless Beth can perhaps change his mind.
This was a good read, and there were some really interesting things that came up, including some Wiccan practices, old secrets, secret identities, WWII intrigue and more.
I hadn't read Victoria Scott before either under that name or her other name of Victoria Darke. I will be looking for more from her at some point.
I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted by The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews, and the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge which I host. Be sure to check out other stops on the tour shown below. Thanks to the publisher, Netgalley and Rachel's Random Resources for the review copy.
Rating 4/5
About the book
The Storyteller's Daughter
A secret buried for decades… A story that will change everything.
1940: When twenty-one-year-old Nita Bineham is offered the chance of independence, away from the high walls of her family’s Surrey estate, she grasps it with both hands. But her new role at a local newspaper coincides with the emergence of a sinister rumour in their quiet village: that there is a traitor in their midst. Nita is determined to prove herself by uncovering the truth, but is she prepared for revelations that could change her life forever?
2008: Following the death of her great aunt, Beth flees London for the privacy of rural Surrey. Within the confines of her family’s dilapidated manor house, she hides from the dual wreckage of her career and her marriage. But when her aunt’s dying words lead her to a stack of old newspaper articles, Beth finds herself drawn into a decades old mystery: about a long-buried secret, and an enemy dangerously close to home.
Victoria Scott has been a journalist for many media outlets including the BBC and The Telegraph. She is the author of three novels published by Head of Zeus. Her first book for Boldwood is a Gothic timeslip novel, The House in the Water.
2024 was a pretty good reading year I think. Initially I set my goal at 75 books for the year but I exceeded that so I revised my goal to 104 books for the year. I did end up reading 120 books during the year, but I am still leaving my goal at 104, as that feels quite doable at a rate of 2 books per week.
Despite my best intentions I do tend to read a lot of new releases. I ended up reading 75 books that were published in 2024. The oldest book I read was A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens which was originally published in 1843.
Genre wise, there are no surprises that my reading is dominated by general fiction (which is a kind of catch all for all sorts of books), historical fiction and contemporary romance.I did read 4 non fiction books last year, which seems to be about my normal amount.
One of the things that has changed over the last few years is that I am reading a lot more British authors. This is mainly because of the blog tours that I am doing which feature of couple of British publishers. One of my goals for this year is to focus a little more on Australian authors.
Not sure why there was a dip in March, but most of the rest of the year was pretty consistent in terms of the number of books read per month.
No surprises here really. My preferred reading format is definitely e-books these days. I do so enjoy the paper book experience when I have it though.
From a blogging perspective, I do have a fairly established routine. I will pretty much always post on Monday, Tuesday and Saturday, and a couple of Sundays a month and then as needed on other days of the week.
Some other stats:
I read 44 new to me authors in 2024, which is 37%.
The authors who I did read multiple books by were Maggie Christensen with 5 books,and Antoine Laurain with 4 books. This is the fourth year in a row that Maggie Christensen has been my most read author. I also read 3 books each from Gillian Harvey, Rebecca Raisin, Sandy Barker and Toshikazu Kawaguchi
I don't do a lot of rereads at the best of times. This year there were four rereads. Two of those are Hogfather by Terry Pratchett and The Secret History of Christmas by Bill Bryson which are now both part of my annual Christmas traditions.
As always my reading is always skewed to read a lot more women authors than men. This year I read 76 books by female authors and 44 by men.
A new statistic that I started recording this year is whether I have reviewed a book or not. I don't intend to go back to reviewing every single book I read, but I am pleasantly surprised that I reviewed 60% of the books I read.
The final statistic for me to share relates to the grades that I have given out. I am always pretty stingy with my 5 star grades, with the vast majority of my reads being a 4/5 if I liked it. Here are the grades for what I have read this year. There was one book that I gave 2.5 and only 3 that I gave 5/5 grades to. Those 3 books were:
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
