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Jottings

Parish Notices

12/01/202512/01/2025 Jo5 Comments

Happy New Year to all my readers.

After what has probably been a couple of years of mentioning where I was with this blog and how I have probably for the last year been so behind with reviews and whilst I was happy with the reading, the reviewing was to be honest becoming a chore. I didn’t and still do not have the passion for it as I once had.

I think that has been reflected in a few reviews of late, which were not but could quite easily have been generated by AI.

Book blogging has changed tremendously since I first began, it used to always about the written blog interspersed with a few pictures and as everything does, it evolves. The vlog took more of a front seat and with the way we consume such things, the written blog became something very much of the past. I can see this as the amount of blogs I read has dwindled and dwindled as people have moved to vlogs.

It is not something that has appealed to me, and I think with the added pressure of editing, etc it would be even more work. This has always meant to be a hobby and I have other things I enjoy doing, including a number of crafts and that would eat into the time I could spend on them.

Therefore it was with some sadness that I have made the decision to stop this blog.

I will continue to be on Goodreads here where any reviews will be published. Of the few blog tours that I have committed to for this year, they will be published via Instagram.

Thank you for everyone that has stopped by and commented on this blog over the last number of years, I am most grateful for the small part of the internet that you have shared with me.

Never say never of course, but for the moment thank you and goodbye.

Books

Christmas Reading

12/12/202408/12/2024 Jo1 Comment

It is December, so it seems right to talk about the Christmas reading which started in earnest back in October.

Olivia, was getting to know an online date called Fraser, then one day he disappears and no longer can be found online. Olivia fed up with being ghosted, decides to take matters into her own hands. She tracks down Fraser to have it out with him.

However upon arriving, snow hampers the journey and she trudges to the only nearest at this run down hotel in Scotland’s Highlands to seek refuge. To be greeted by a grumpy chef called Fraser and a eclectic mix of family members. Stuck there Olivia finds herself becoming attached to the place and the residents.

A passable distraction from everyday life, but not the best of the festive books around.

I am back with familiar characters in this new Christmas novel from Cathy Bramley. Merry and her best friend Nell are in completely different parts of their lives and whilst they work together, it seems they couldn’t be even further apart. Can this friendship survive another Christmas?

As Merry awaits the birth of her first child and all the expectations of being a mum, as well fulfilling all her business needs, she doesn’t want to have to rely on anyone else. Her gut instinct from the past has meant she has a need to do it all.

Nell is very much wanting to find out why babies are not going to be part of her life. When she does, she makes a decision which will test everyone and when it threatens her friendship as well as her marriage, it seems this Christmas is not going to be merry at all.

Full of Christmas warmth and cheer, although it tackles some rather difficult subjects. It reminds you that even if it is the most ‘wonderful time of the year’, there are people out there dealing with all sorts. Sometimes all we need is kindness and friendship. Cathy Bramley somehow manages to fit it all within the pages of the book and this series. I would start from the beginning of this series of books, to gain the most from them and understand the background of the characters and the wonderful Wetherly where it is all set.

Perfect Christmas read.

Christmas and Chocolate go hand in hand. Clara thinks a chocolate making workshop in Switzerland is the perfect place.

What Clara doesn’t realise is she has signed herself up to a course, for advanced chocolatiers. She is out of her depth and knee deep in techniques and skills far beyond her reach. Of course the people on the course are all there for different reasons and the resident chocolate master is finding Clara’s lack of skill annoying rather than endearing.

However, Clara is determined to win all these people round and prove by stepping outside of your comfort zone you can achieve greatness. If it comes with the added bonus of chocolate then perfect.

A great mouth-watering Christmas read without all the calories! And a fascinating insight into what goes into Chocolate. I hope the author did the appropriate amount of research!

Thank you to the publisher via netgalley for the opportunity to read these books.

All books are out now.

Books

Girl’s Names & Female Titles

09/12/202401/12/2024 Jo1 Comment

This book is very different from Lauran Pearson’s other novels I have read. That doesn’t make it bad but for me it didn’t sit quite right. I am always a bit wary of magic realism in books. It really I think depends on the premise. In this case, a group of ‘almost’ watch over their mother, but not all of them will be born and be a child.

The four ‘almost’ are like siblings themselves, but at various points they will lose each other as one is born and the rest disappear. Becca is the mother of the almost and we see the choices she makes in her life, a young mother who has the support of her own father but not mother, but the father of the children seems to be different person and the almost can perhaps see what way their life is going to go. Can they make a difference?

I found this book quite difficult to like, the characters were not particular loveable and even the ‘almost’ which were harsh in places. This book handles lots of emotions and the story maybe a trigger for some people, so I would approach with care.

That said, this would not put me off picking up another Laura Pearson novel, as each one is so unique.

Imagine buying a new home, moving in and finding that the previous owner has not left. In fact she is still very much installed. For Amber and Stevie, this is meant to be the forever home, surely they can convince Dorothy to leave?

But Dorothy, 80 years old and with no filter, is not going anywhere, she is waiting in the house. And it seems Amber and Stevie will have to work round her.

What happens is farcical, humorous, tinged with sadness and full of warmth and good nature as the story progresses. this book made me laugh out loud, it made me cross with people’s opinions and expectations of what a family should look like.

Without doubt, one of my books of the year and something that could do with a second reading to enjoy all over again!

This is the beginning of a new series of cosy crime, featuring Miss Alice Beeton, relation of the famous one but not a cook, but someone who runs the Good Household Management Agency. The agency provides the best staff for the best houses in the country. Exclusive and discreet is what Miss Beeton aims for.

When the perfect potential employee walks into the agency, Enya impresses Alice and she seems the perfect fit when a housekeep job comes up. But then Enya ends up dead and Alice finds herself trying to solve the replacement for Enya but who exactly did kill her and did it have anything to do with the place she was working?

Alice seems to be a character you could dislike, but her quirkiness and her adorable dog Agatha set the scene for future books in this series. I look forward to seeing what happens next.

Thank you to the publishers via netgalley for the opportunity to read this books.

All are available now.

Books

Wartime Girls

04/12/202401/12/2024 Jo1 Comment

I enjoy all books that are related to the wonder that is Bletchley Park, Enigma machine and cracking codes during the Second World War which is why I was intrigued by this book which gives yet another perspective.

This time we are in Poland with Beata, an orphan who has a determination to help the other Polish mathematicians and the cracking on the first enigma code. But Poland is not safe and extraordinary lengths are taken to keep what they are doing secret.

When undercover intelligence officers from Bletchley Park become involved, Beata meets with Harry and this spark a relationship which throws them together and forces them apart.

Great historical fiction which shows another part of the war and the overlooked Polish codebreakers who gave those at Bletchley Park the advantage.

For the Bomber Girls Christmas is always going to be difficult when the men they love are away. For this Christmas as the war nears it close, this one is particularly difficult as for Pearl and Jenny, those they care about are missing behind enemy lines as the countdown to Christmas begins.

For Pearls’ sister, Thea it is more stable this Christmas and their grandmother Edith moves to be nearer to the girls an reignites a romance from a long time ago. Something that her granddaughters know nothing about and it seems this Christmas is going to be very different for them all.

A lovely book and one that adds to the saga series.

Sometimes you need to have a series to have a saga and sometimes you can have it all within one book. Katherine is employed in the War Office and an opportunity to work within the Cabinet War Rooms comes up.

For Katherine, this is a chance to progress and have a more vital part of the war. Deep beneath the streets, she doesn’t know what she will ever have to do and when sickness causes her to work more closely with Winston Churchill, she finds herself in the thick of it. Like any office there is romances and jealousy and it becomes apparent that something in Katherine’s past could cause her trouble.

An excellent read and another aspect of the Second World War told in such rich detail and information, I felt I was present.

Thank you to all the publishers of these novels, via netgalley for the opportunity to read.

All books above are available now.

Books · Jottings

November Roundup

01/12/2024 Jo1 Comment

And there goes November and here comes Christmas. What happened? In terms of this book blog only reading and not much reviewing and as Christmas approaches, I should probably get along with the Christmas reviews! Please bear with……

Murder and Christmas is the theme of this month, and started with Merryn Allingham – Murder in an English Castle, a re-enactment goes wrong and it is left to Flora and Jack to work out whether it was an accodent or murder and also who is out to get them too.

The three Dahlias are back in the snowy Scottish Highlands for a wedding in Katy Watson – A Lively Midwinter Murder. However as the weather changes, they are trapped and when a dead body turns up in an unexpected place and strange goings on occur. The three of them need to solve this quickly, if they are to enjoy any sort of Christmas. The classic play on a locked room mystery.

Whilst there is no murder, there is plenty of secrets and betrayals in this jam packed saga second novel Michael Ball – A Backstage Betrayal. It is Panto season, oh yes it is and The Empire needs to pull this one out of the bag to be able to survive. A huge list of characters and for me to understand the history of some of them, you needed to have read the first book. Great, I wonder if there will be more?

Not everyone is a fan of Christmas, so in this book Phillipa Ashley – Escape for Christmas, we get to see the main character host a non-Christmas event. But it all goes wrong and suddenly they are knee deep in proper Christmas. It will be one they will all remember.

Of course you would remember Christmas with a member of the Royal Family and in Hazel Gaynor & Heather Webb – Christmas with the Queen, we get to see the early days of the reign, with the importance of the Queen’s Speech and how it came to change one young girls life. An interesting premise of a novel, and of the few times I have read a book written by more than one author.

Christmas and snow go hand in hand in a number of books I read, of course the reality in the UK, is very much away from that. But abroad it can of course be a presence. For Julie Caplin – A Little Place in Prague it snows and shows the city in a great light, as two divorced people find themselves battling a brewing competition, all part of a cultural exchange. Julie Caplin does it again with there city series.

So that was November, and I think there are only a couple more Christmas themed books to read and then I can spend the holidays, when I get there reading and maybe reviewing some of them too!

How was your November reading? Starting to think of plans for reviews of the year and plans for 2025?

Books

Murder in New York – Helena Dixon

27/11/202409/11/2024 Jo1 Comment

What better way to spend Christmas than abroad, experiencing the snow and cold weather of New York. In 1936, Kitty and Matt find themselves setting out for America after they receive news that her father is unwell. Upon reaching New York it seems Kitty’s father, Edgar has made a swift recovery and Kitty and Matt can now enjoy the sights of New York at Christmas.

Far away from Devon and discovering bodies, it seems the perfect escape. That is until they stumble across a dead body.

That dead body is Mrs Dangerfield, Edgar’s upstairs neighbour and the host of the previous nights wonderful party that everyone who is everyone attended.. Add in Mrs Dangerfield’s daughter, an elderly chauffeur, a secret lover and a personal secretary, it seems this murder might have enough suspects. That is until another one of them ends up dead.

Not so sure of the way American’s conduct such investigations Matt and Kitty find themselves, very much told not to interfere. But of course curiosity always gets the better of Kitty and it seems she is going to come in close contact with the preparator.

It is going to make for an interesting Christmas tale to tell those left behind in Devon.

I really got the feel of New York at Christmas, the extravagance in the shops, the weather, Central Park, Church Service and the opulence that would not have been matched if Kitty and remained at home.

One of the better stories in this cosy mystery series and it is always a joy and comfort when the next book is released. More of the same please.

Thank you to the publisher via netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Murder in New York is out now.

Use the search bar on the right and search for all the other books in this series.

Books

Murder in an English Castle – Merryn Allingham

20/11/202417/11/2024 JoLeave a comment

Everything was all change in the previous book where Jack and Flora split their time between Abbeymead and the All’s Well bookshop and Cleve College where Jack has a position tutoring and monitoring English students.

Becoming more settled, on a day out they watch a re-enactment at Lewes Castle from the local historical society. When a man falls from the top of the ramparts. Did he fall or was he pushed? Flora suspects foul play but the police say otherwise and it isn’t until a friend asks her for help that she becomes more involved.

However others are aware of Flora and a reluctant Jack’s interest and it seems there might be trouble for them both as well. Even back home in Abbeymead where characters from the historical society seem to suddenly appear and making their presence known.

With all this mystery it is easier to forget what else these books are telling us of life in the later Nineteen Fifties. Domesticity was very different than it is now and whilst Flora and Jack’s relationship is quite modern by the standards of the day the book is set in. It does contain other characters who have a very different view and this adds to some of the plot and some of the other characters who are becoming more frequent in this series.

I look forward as this series moves on and see what Flora and Jack get up to next.

Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read this book via netgalley.

Murder in an English Castle is out now.

Author Bio:

Merryn taught university literature for many years, and it took a while to pluck up the courage to begin writing herself. Bringing the past to life is a passion and her historical fiction includes Regency romances, wartime sagas and timeslip novels, all of which have a mystery at their heart. As the books have grown darker, it was only a matter of time before she plunged into crime with a cosy crime series set in rural Sussex against the fascinating backdrop of the 1950s.

Merryn lives in a beautiful old town in Sussex with her husband. When she’s not writing, she tries to keep fit with adult ballet classes and plenty of walking.

https://merrynallingham.com/
https://www.facebook.com/MerrynWrites
https://twitter.com/merrynwrites

Sign up to be the first to hear about new releases from Merryn Allingham here: https://www.bookouture.com/merryn-allingham

Books

Snow is Falling – Sarah Bennett

18/11/202417/11/2024 JoLeave a comment

I have had my bags packed and ready to go for my next visit at Juniper Meadows. This time is is Christmas and it looks like I am going to be sharing it with some interesting characters.

Sadie’s children have paid for her to have the full 12 days of Christmas experience at Juniper Meadow’s, rather than running the gauntlet of a normal Christmas, especially as she is now single. She throws herself whole heartedly into the experience, which the team at Juniper Meadow’s have put together.

What Sadie didn’t bank on was finding Dylan.

Dylan is back at Juniper Meadows for Christmas. He is a Travers and has not been back to the family estate in years and has estranged himself from the Travers patriarch h, Monty who isn’t the most popular of fathers with his children. However this year is different, Dylan’s children want to know about their fathers background and the UK, after being brought up in the US.

Christmas is always a good time to bury old grudges and perhaps see the future through different eyes for all of the main characters in this novel.

Full on Christmas mode is activated within this book, plenty of festive cheer, food and snow falling around. This is the perfect ending to this series of books and there is something about creating a community of characters around a central purpose, in this case the Juniper Meadows estate which works so well in telling so many different stories. All of them with happy ever afters, because what more could we possibly want!

Thank you to the publisher via netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Snow is Falling is out now.

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