If we were having chai, I would say that we had a hectic, but lovely last week of holidays. I even baked bread! And made a lovely Vegetable and bean soup to go with it. I feel like a domestic goddess!
If we were having chai, I’d say that it was Rakhri on Wednesday, so the brother and sister in my household had their little ceremony. I spoke to my brother and then went to my brother-in-law to tie his Rakhi, as I do every year.
If we were having chai, I’d tell you that I have read up a storm this month, especially since I haven’t been able to write. I finally reached the end of my ARC pile (for now) and began reading books on my Kindle or my physical TBR pile. I started with two books that have been hyped up so much. Have you read them? They weren’t bad, but worthy of all the hype? I am not so sure…
If we were having chai, I’d sigh and say I was back in school on Friday. It was an Inset day, so we had things to get ready in classrooms, as well as an afternoon meeting with the rest of the Academy staff. A long-ish day. I was exhausted by the end! And that is without kids! Lil Princess was also in school. It felt funny not having Lil Man with me, too. He is no longer a school-going lad…
If we were having chai, I’d have to mention a fantastic podcast I started to listen to, by three of my favourite writerly humans; Lucy Mitchell, Lucy Keeling and Bettina Hunt. It was a great first episode, and I cannot wait to hear more!
If we were having chai, I’d say that it was my birthday, yesterday. We kept it quiet as I have a hectic week this coming week, but after a leisurely walk with Hubby Dearesgt in the local woods, we all went shopping, and for a meal. Simple, but perfect. All I need is my loved ones around me. It was extra special because Lil Princess bought me a present with her own money for the first time, and went out to buy it with no help from anyone else, either! That’s a pretty big thing for her. I am so proud and will cherish that bracelet forever.
If we were having chai, I would bring it back to Sonu Singh. He seems to sense that. I need a little extra attention, especially when I am so tired, so he’s been my little shadow for a lot of the time. I guess it is a good thing that Lil Man is at home a little longer, yet, to wean him off having everyone around all day, every day. I will miss my plant-eating, early morning miaowing, little ginger ball of fluff every day!
This week will predominantly be me getting home visits done at school for my new classes, as well as an Early Years conference which my whole team has to attend. The end of the week is capped with a cricket tournament that Lil Man is playing in, which ends the cricket season for his club, too.
And while you’re here, did you sign up for my mailing list? I am in the middle of writing an exclusive Chickpea Curry Lit story for my subscribers, and there will be news, tips and even recipes! You know you want to join… go on! Click the pic below to sign up!
“My birthday is a great achievement in life. It reminds me of where I am coming from and where I am going. Happy birthday to me!”
~Anon~
Thanks, Spidey, for prompting me to do a little self-celebration today.
Yes, it is my birthday.
48 years young, and though there are days when I am certainly feeling the years go by, I still think there is an 18-year-old lurking inside…
Anywho, I hope today will be a lovely day.
Nothing too overwhelming, as I have school tomorrow, but still, a memorable one.
I have no clue, as I write this, what the family have planned… if anything!
But I will say (perhaps a little cheekily) that if you wanted to make my day a little brighter (if you haven’t already…), you could get yourself a copy of one or both of my books, and if you already have them, and have read them, maybe pop a review on Amazon or Goodreads for me!
Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is: “chews/choose.” Use one, use ’em both, use ’em any way you’d like. Bonus points if you get ’em both in. Have fun!
The way she chews is so loud, I wish she didn’t always choose to chew gum next to me. It is so loud!
This year I have a full August off from school. The last few years, we have started back in the last week of August, so aside from trying to get words down, I hope I get a load of reading done, too!
Who am I kidding? Words? My own? They did not flow. I was caught up in an awful exhaustion. However, I did get to read plenty and so far, my arc list is empty, but I am sure that won’t be for long! (It wasn’t. I read a lot of arcs!)
I can try and get some of my actual TBR books read now!
End of month Update: I finished all my arcs! And I managed to read at least five books from my TBR pile and on my Kindle, so I think that is a win! Seventeen books, bringing my yearly total on Goodreads, so far, to 103 books read. I have read more, but some are betas which aren’t on Goodreads so far!
I steamed through this one, I have to say! I love a book that is set a little while back. Not enough to be deemed proper historical, but old enough for me to feel that nostalgia… more modern history, I guess. The Last Train Home felt exactly like that. Abbie and Tom meet, officially, on a train in 2005, and their introductory conversation goes from that to a disaster movie scene in what feels like seconds. A derailment. A blackout. An unexpected hero. A lot of confused feelings. Being two people involved in such a tragedy can bring them together like nothing else could. But is it friendship, a mutual support acquaintance, or something else? Set over seven years and told from the viewpoint of both Abbie and Tom, this was a beautifully heartrending story where, as a reader, I wanted to bang heads together but felt the internal pull of conflicting thoughts that both characters were feeling. I loved the will-they/won’t-they element of the story, and a little further on, I was in love with Teddy! A cute little person is always a bonus to bring that ‘awww!’ element. So many moments from the not-so-distant past are mentioned, including the London Bombings, the awful recession of 2008 (and ongoing) and how these events fractured people’s lives and brought others together. Thoroughly enjoyed reading this! Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone, and Penguin, for an ARC.
What a beautiful story. A woman with her life planned, finds everything deraild by a young child. After being present during a tragedy that has nothing to do with her, Loretta can’t stop thinking about that little girl. Even though she has never had any interest in children in her life. This was a lovely tale about how sometimes we need a catalyst to find that human compassion side within. There are hints of different ASD behaviours in both the MC and the child, which was interesting to read. And the way Loretta’s connections with her colleagues, friends and loved ones, also evolves in a satisfying manner. Many thanks to NetGalley and Bedford Square Publishers for an ARC.
Three estranged half-sisters are brought together after the death of their father. Each woman is a very different character from three different mothers, and after a relatively close childhood, spending idyllic summers together, they drifted apart. But a few stipulations in their father’s will leaves them with little choice but to spend time together to complete certain tasks and try and get on. Maggie is the oldest, the strong one, who seems to be left holding the fort all the time. She finds it hard to accept happiness. Simone is in a good career and struggling with pregnancy issues, which strain her relationship with her wife. Star is a lone spirit, drifting here and there but also trying to run away from a toxic ex. They each have an opinion on each other’s predicaments, which aren’t always favourable. I loved the curio shop that Augustus, the father in question, left for the girls, filled with amazing objects and fascinating tat. Each woman has a romance to either start or allow to bloom, and we, as readers, see that. A lovely easy wintery read. Many thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for an ARC.
You know I love Kay Bratt’s Hart’s Ridge series, and I was privileged to receive an ARC before the publication date. Again, we have Taylor Grey, the main character who runs throughout the series. She is the older sister and a cop in the small town of Hart’s Ridge. Each story concentrates on a specific crime that has been committed, and each book’s crime is based on something that has happened in reality. This time it is about the disappearance and suspicious death of a young lad known to Taylor and her family, as well as her also investigating another assault that was committed against her a few years before. The other person who Nobody Told Me concentrates on is the younger sister, Lucy. We were already introduced to her in a previous story and learned of one part of her past. However, another secret in her life is unearthed and stalker issues cause her great distress. Together with her daily load of work and helping out at the family shelter, Taylor tries to assist her youngest sister but is filled with scepticism based on past experiences. However, after a good few twists and turns, they come together and there are several great plot endings, as well as more to really get us ready for the next couple of books! An engaging, fabulous read as always!
Since the weather has made a bit of a downturn, it feels right to be reading Christmas-themed books in August, and I dived into Starlight at Snow Pine Lodge with high hopes. Tania and Rose are staging an intervention for their close friend Clara. Having faced a huge loss, Clara is floundering in life, and her friends think a week away at Tania’s family lodge for a spot of skiing and a Christmas that means she won’t be alone is the best thing for her. Though both the other women are struggling with their own battles. Tania is the daughter of an uber-famous Hollywood actor and half-sister to Lysander, a huge name in his own right in modelling. She’s spent her life in the spotlight, but never for what she wants to be known for. And this trip might be just what she needs, as she flees the paparazzi and rumours circulating about her. Rose, on the face of it, seems to be the one who has everything together; however, she’s got her own secret turmoil. She invites one of her own friends to the trip, who brings a different spin to all their problems. There is beautiful scenery, uninvited guests, sadness, happiness, romance and relationships; plenty to keep a reader busy! An easy read, filled with lots of threads and points of view, so you have to keep on your toes to know who is thinking what. Many thanks to NetGalley and Embla Books for an ARC.
Ria is an interior designer flying out to a snowy village in New Hampshire, USA, to complete a very important job. Hayden is the man who employed her to help his parents update an old family business. The inn in question is beautiful, set with a gorgeous wintery backdrop; however, it has lost its edge, which Lucy is set on finding again. But she ends up not only helping to redecorate the inn but help with some family issues that have cropped up too. Meanwhile, Hayden finds this trip back home eye-opening, and there appears to be something happening in his heart, as well… A simple, festive love story with an inevitable happy ending. Many thanks to NetGalley and Embla Books for an ARC.
Meghna is at that age when her parents seem just to want her married and settled. She is already in a job of her choosing, which isn’t what her mother wanted. Karthik has made a deal with his mother. She can introduce him to as many women as she wants for one year. He has no intention of getting married but this will placate her. Somehow they get introduced and end up settling for an engagement of convenience, since he needs to show his mum he is willing, and she needs a date to an awkward wedding invitation. But things never quite run to plan. Feelings and the heart have a funny way of making themselves known at the most inopportune moments too. A fun read with a lovely happy ending! Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin UK for an ARC.
If you want a quick spicy romcom read, this is definitely one to jump on! Fi is travelling to Germany to the Oktoberfest and to see her best friend, Max, as well as some of the other friends she made fifteen years ago when she was studying abroad. She’s working for a promotion, but she feels stagnant in her love life. Then when she sees Max, after four years, feelings she never expected rise to the surface. The story sees the group of friends accept a challenge to do a series of silly activities and dares in a group, as well as in partners, and the knock-on effect of these things creates a fantastic build-up for a perfect friends-to-lovers story. And yes, there is a bit of graphic naughtiness! Many thanks to NetGalley and LM Books for an ARC.
What a stunning debut by Emma Hinds! The Knowing is set in 19th-century New York, where a young slum-dwelling girl has a gift for card reading and communicating with ghosts. The voices that guide her steer her away from any dialogue with the spirit world, but circumstances keep bringing her to face them. Flora is young but has seen a lot in her life already, including witnessing the person who cared for her and looked out for her as a child being abused and abducted. She ends up in the care of a tattooist who gives her affection for a while, protection, tattoos, and a roof over her head, but at a cost. Then she meets Minnie, who turns her life upside down. She flees her home, then lives a life filled with worry that she will be found and ‘dealt with’ in an unpleasant manner, as well as the added concern about the man under whose roof she now resides. Her inked body becomes a lure for people keen to watch the freak shows common at that time and the chance to hear from a ‘painted mystic’. Yet the spirits keep knocking at her door, despite her trying not to listen. Events occur which push her and Minnie to a different destination in another country, where her nightmares follow. I was intrigued by the characters, the story, and the twists and turns. I love a bit of supernatural! Many thanks to NetGalley and Bedford Square House for an ARC.
Melanie is an influencer who is losing her influence, so a chance trip to a small Canadian town to promote a new hotel is a bonus. However, dates get mixed up, and she ends up there early, at the height of the fishing season, with nowhere to stay. Luckily, there is one Air BnB booking. But that is a bit of a let down too. The grumpy owner, fisherman Evan, is hellbent on getting her to leave until his cousin convinces him otherwise. A reluctant boat trip to spot whales, a tragic accident, and Melanie finds herself with a fisherman fiance! (Pretend, of course…). It is an enemy-to-lovers story, with a heap of family drama, some sizzling romance and a sprinkling of spice! The Catch is #3 in the Influencers series, but you can read it as a stand alone. An easy read. Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin General UK – Fig Tree, Hamish Hamilton, Viking, Penguin Life, Penguin Business, Penguin for an ARC.
Releasing February 13th, 2024
Join me in September for a special Book and a Brew with my dealer friend and writerly sister, Lucy Mitchell, where I share my review of this 5-star read!
I read the first and it was horrifying, and I applaud Jaswinder Sanghera for coming out into the public with this story. The second, again, highlighted the awfulness of these forced marriages, and honour crimes. This, the third, felt a little repetitive in places. I know it is her own story, however, there wasn’t much new in in, apart from the travelogue to India, and her amazement that Indians in India are more progressive than their NRI counterparts. A sad story in many ways, but good to see she got some sort of closure.
I’ve meant to read a Portia MacIntish book for ages, but life got away with me. First, I didn’t know this was a follow-up story to characters introduced in a previous book, but that didn’t detract from my enjoyment. In fact, it’s made me want to get the first book so I can learn more! Cara and Millsy are the perfect couple in everyone’s eyes. Only they’ve broken up but can’t tell anyone until a huge planned Christmas holiday is over. It has a delightful cast of characters and a few annoying ones. But you need that. We all have those annoying people in our lives, don’t we? Tally being one of them. I wanted Millsy to man up and tell her to disappear, but he never did! I wish Millsy’s gran Iona had a bigger part, though. Even from the few scenes she was in, you could feel the power she would hold over things. A true character. You could feel the romantic tension between both characters throughout the book. There were a few moments where I thought Cara would find her true love somewhere else but that wouldn’t be second-chance romance, would it? Many thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an ARC.
I’ve read a good few of the more recent releases by Lizzie Chantree and finally got around to reading one of her earliest novels, Ninja School Mum. Skye is a widowed mother in the run, so it seems, from something dark. She has skills that she needs to hide, but they become more and more apparent as she navigates her son being bullied by a child in his school. Another carer is facing similar problems, and slowly, they forge a friendship that is the start of more for the children. Skye’s landlord is a single father and seems pretty unapproachable. However, somehow, their paths cross in a more personal way, sparking a romance that Skye never thought she would be ready for. Then we have some big twists and turns as secrets are unveiled and old faces come out of the shadows. I enjoyed the unravelling of mysteries in this story and read it quickly!
Another twist and turn-filled tale by Lizzie Chantree. This story is about a woman of a certain age who feels as if she is beyond that age where anyone notices her. Olivia works a rubbish job in a large firm, replenishing stationery around the office, and no one notices her. However, just because she looks and acts the way she does doesn’t mean people should dismiss her. Over the story, we find out why Olivia feels so downtrodden, and slowly, the secrets she is hiding and her skills are revealed. She has a best friend, Darius, who is like a brother to her, but he has different feelings for her. Connie, her boss’s wife, becomes a good friend, too, as she leans on Olivia for help. And then there is Gabe, in the police, trying to solve a crime and getting involved emotionally with someone he shouldn’t. Some so many twists and turns are brought out into the open at the end; I wasn’t expecting them at all! There were lots, but they were all tied together brilliantly!
Trigger Warnings: Domestic Abuse It Ends With Us is one of those books that has been hyped up and talked about all over the internet. BookTok was crazy over it; the #CoHo fans were crazy for it. So, only when it was on offer I bought it. And it has sat on my TBR shelf for a while until I had time to reach for it. It was my first Colleen Hoover book. The story is sadly beautiful. Lily comes from an abusive household. She’s witnessed things. And seen them brushed under the carpet. Then she meets Atlas, a homeless young man, who somehow becomes her closest friend and more until he has to leave her life. Fast forward a few years, and she lives happily in Boston. She meets Ryle under strange circumstances, and through twists of fate, their lives intertwine until the inevitable happens. As Lily begins to live her dreams, opening up a business with the help of a new, good friend, she can’t help but revisit things that happened when she was younger, and a set of journals she used to keep gives the readers the voice of the younger Lily. I’m not going into it too deep, but there is a time when the past and present meet, and it isn’t always pretty. Domestic abuse is a heavy part of this story, and then I read the acknowledgements at the end. (after I finished the book. Don’t read them before; it will ruin the story. Unless you don’t like surprises.) It’s a poignant story that was possibly quite painful yet cathartic to write. Three very damaged souls portray an echoing sentiment from the book. There aren’t bad people, just those who make bad decisions sometimes to the detriment of their loved ones. Was it the best book I have ever read? Not quite. Does it deserve the hype heaped upon it? I’m not sure. However, if you like emotional YA fiction, I am sure you would enjoy it. I read it in a day. I didn’t want to leave the story. And I got It Starts With Us to read after. So I was invested enough. A very good read.
I read this straight after finishing It Ends With Us, and I am glad I did, as it capped the story off in a positive way. A more lighthearted conclusion to a rollercoaster of a story focussing more on Atlas and Lily in a dual POV, and how they navigate life after Ryle and his behaviour towards his now ex-wife, Lily, with a small child in tow. I enjoyed it.
So, tell me what you have been reading, and what caught your eye from the above!
