Five in October

I read five books in October.

Lucky me. I spent three days in Melbourne in October and the rest of the month touring New Zealand, a trip that katewritesandreads readers will be hearing more of in due course. Don’t worry, I won’t be showing you all of my photos …

I thought I would read more than I ended up doing – somehow plane travel doesn’t seem conducive to reading peacefully and any time in the evenings was mostly spent writing up my diary about that day’s adventures and planning the next day’s. However, I fitted in five books, four on Kindle and one paperback.

The Secrets We Keep by Kate Hewitt

The lives of wealthy Rebecca and of just-making-ends-meet Tessa would never normally coincide, but one summer, in their adjacent but oh-so-different holiday cottages by an upstate New York lake, they do. To begin with, their children hate each other and Tessa is in awe of this privileged, elegant woman who seems to want to be friends with her. But, as the title indicates, all is not as it seems – in either of their lives. The book, told from their alternate viewpoints, explores several modern issues in a gripping way but – spoiler alert – the ending seemed to me unnecessarily harsh.

Through the Years by Kate Hewitt

Kate Hewitt, a USA Today best-selling author, is so prolific it’s hard to keep up with her. She also writes under the name Katherine Schwartz and as such recently had a serial in The People’s Friend, so not only prolific but very versatile. Through the Years is an enjoyable collection of five historical romance short stories originally published in magazines.

He Said, She Said by Erin Kelly

I read Erin Kelly’s The Poison Tree, her first novel, when it came out in 2011 and thought it was absolutely terrific. This is her fifth – I’m not sure how I’ve managed to miss the others but I will remedy that. This is a twisty page-turner about the aftermath of a brutal attack witnessed by Laura and her boyfriend Kit, against the backdrop of eclipse-chasing.

Effie’s War by Philip Paris

Read in paperback. I was intrigued to read this as it’s set in a part of the world I know quite well but was inspired by a piece of real history I knew nothing about. In 1943 a family in the farming community on the Tarbat Peninsula in Ross shire was given notice to leave by the government – their land was to be used for a purpose intended to aid the war effort. Perhaps this was not enough to sustain a whole book because there is also a spy element and a love story – and with the latter Philip Paris’ research for a previous book of his, on the Italian Chapel in Orkney, must have been useful.

The Taste of Marmalade by Tessa McWatt

This has been on my Kindle for ages and I cannot now remember what prompted me to download it. I found it to be a convincing and well-written tale – of Katrin, a Polish woman working in London. She wants to bring her mother to live with her but the difficulties are insurmountable – her landlord won’t let her do that, her erstwhile lover is unable to help plus her boss at the café is giving her grief. I also didn’t remember that this is a Kindle Single, ie a long short story, so was surprised when it ended so quickly.

 I’ve just realised that by chance four of the five books I read this month had downbeat endings. That I didn’t notice this at the time I attribute to being in blossomy New Zealand, trying to decide which delicious piece of bakery to try next (such as this warm Morning Glory fruit loaf). Back home in Scotland, eating porridge in dark November, will call for some up-lit ...

 

Six in July

I read six books in July, four fiction and two non-fiction.

Girl Sleuth: Nancy Drew and the Women Who Created Her by Melanie Rehak

From Christian Aid Booksale. From the back cover blurb: ‘Nancy Drew has survived the Depression, World War II, and the sixties to enter the pantheon of American girlhood.’ But the story of how the books were written is even more exciting than the girl detective’s many adventures. The ‘author’ Carolyn Keene <spoiler alert> did not exist.  Instead, Edward Stratemeyer thought up the storylines and formed a syndicate of writers to whom he farmed out the work; when he died his daughter Harriet took over.

This is really Harriet’s story, and that of one of the writers, Mildred Wirt, who (long before word processors) could turn in a manuscript in a matter of days. It was many years before Carolyn Keene’s non-existence was admitted to by the Stratemeyers and there had to be many subterfuges (eg when answering fan letters) to keep the secret. And in telling the history of Nancy Drew, the author has also given an engrossing account of women’s history over the decades.

The Wonder Spot by Melissa Banks

Sophie Applebaum feels a bit of a misfit. We first meet her when she’s about twelve at her cousin’s Bar Mitzvah and go with her through various (unsuitable) jobs and various (unsuitable) boyfriends, visit her beloved brothers and not-so-beloved grandmother, until we leave her in her early thirties, still not really sure of her place in the world. I liked the episodic way this was told so that with each chapter we have to fill in the gaps. I enjoyed the writing very much too.

The Curious Heart of Ailsa Rae by Stephanie Butland

I read Lost for Words by this author last July and absolutely loved it, one of my favourite books of the year. So I was very keen to read her new one and while I didn’t fall for it quite as much I would certainly recommend it. Ailsa was born with a serious heart defect; now, in her twenties, her life has been saved through having a heart transplant. In part the book is told through a blog she has kept during and after her days in hospital. Ailsa lives in Edinburgh and she finds herself involved in the production of a Fringe Festival event, Romeo and Juliet with tango … At the same time she is getting used to her new heart, she’s wondering about getting in touch with her estranged father, and there’s an unexpected new man in her life.

A Mother’s Goodbye by Kate Hewitt

I do like Kate Hewitt (who also writes as Katherine Schwartz). This story is told in alternate chapters, in the first person, by two women: Heather lives in a too-small house in downtown New Jersey; her husband is injured and unable to work and they have just found out that their fourth child is on the way; Grace works for an investment bank, lives in a minimalist flat in New York, and is realising how empty her life is. Under normal circumstances the two would never meet but … well, find out for yourselves and remember to have a box of tissues handy.

Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict by Laurie Viera Rigler

I usually avoid Jane Austen spin-offs and the title of this one did not appeal but when I flicked through I liked the look of it – and I thoroughly enjoyed it. ‘Jane Mansfield’, a gentleman’s daughter in England in 1813, wakes up in Los Angeles in the 21st century in the body of Courtney Stone. As she tries to realise what has happened and who she really is, she must quickly get to grips with the dizzying new world she finds herself in – I found it all very convincing. In Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict Courtney finds that she has gone back in time and is now Jane – look forward to reading that at some point.

Just a Larger Family: Letters of Marie Williamson from the Canadian Home Front 1940-44

Edited by Mary F Williamson and Tom Sharp

Christian Aid Book Sale purchase. During the days of the Second World War when children were being evacuated from cities to countryside, and from Britain overseas, Marie Williamson in Toronto and her family welcomed into their home two boys they had never met, children of a distant cousin in England. During the four years they stayed – and they weren’t the easiest of lads – she faithfully wrote long letters to their mother, which were found just a few years ago.

 I found the whole story fascinating. The boys could not have had a better foster family – the editors of the book are, respectively, Marie’s daughter and the younger of the evacuees. It was also a revelation to me that Canada too had wartime rationing – in part that was because they sent so much in the way of food over to Britain.

My Life (maybe) – according to the books I read in 2017

Describe yourself

Vinegar Girl

How do you feel?

Lost for Words

Describe where you currently live

The Whaleboat House

If you could go anywhere where would you go?

The Road to Harmony

Your favourite form of transportation is

The Christmas Train

Your best friend is

Hester and Harriet

You and your friends are

Rainy Day Sisters

What’s the weather like?

Autumn

Favourite time of day

At the Edge of the Orchard

If your life was a book

The Child that Books Built

What is life to you?

Standard Deviation

Your fear

Big Little Lies

What is the best advice you have to give?

Chin Up, Chest Out, Jemima!

Thought for the day

I Found You

How would you like to die?

Terms & Conditions

Your soul’s present condition

A Red Herring Without Mustard

This is a fun idea I saw first on Portobello Book Blog:

https://portobellobookblog.com/2017/01/01/my-life-according-to-books-i-read-in-2016/

'Perfect for the festive season'

Stella’s Christmas Wish, published in November 2016 by Black and White, has had some delightful reviews in the last week. 

From Fictionophile (a booky blog I hadn’t come across before but will now be following):

‘ … This is a charming Christmas novel that will be appreciated by anyone who likes the work of Kate Hewitt or Rosamund Pilcher.  A ‘feel-good’ love story set over the Christmas season, and a heart-warming testament to the importance of family.’

(How brilliant to be compared to two (best-selling) authors whose books I love!)

From Withloveforbooks (again, a book blog I didn’t know; they did a lovely feature on the book, asking me to write a guest post (which I did, on sending Christmas cards) and doing a review which included:

‘ … Kate Blackadder's writing has a lovely flow. Her vivid descriptions of Melrose made the town come to life really well. It was easy to picture Stella's friends and family. I love stories about close communities and Stella grew up among wonderful people. I enjoyed reading about every single one of them. Stella's Christmas Wish is a charming and sparkling Christmas story with a terrific moving and fabulously romantic ending.’

From Lothian Life, an online magazine. Anne Hamilton raised some points about the book that I have been hoping someone would!

‘ … there are several other dimensions to this tale that raise it above being ‘just’ another decent bit of chick-lit.

I’ve said it many times, but the fiction world needs more strong and engaging older characters! And  it’s here that Kate Blackadder delivers that something extra. Stella and her ex, Ross, may be young, but other characters are not – Alice, Gray, Lilias – and rather than these being consigned to the realm of supporting cast, they are main players with their own stories, both developed and resolved.

Kate Blackadder has produced a light but not light-weight read, perfect for the festive season – or actually any other time of year.’

Why not have a read and see for yourself? Stella's Christmas Wish is available on various e-platforms including Amazon http://amzn.to/2dYQOrY

Six in August

I read six books in August.

Out of Bounds by Val McDermid

My sister passed this on to me. 'There were a lot of things that ran in families, but murder wasn't one of them . . . When a teenage joyrider crashes a stolen car and ends up in a coma, a routine DNA test could be the key to unlocking the mystery of a twenty-year-old murder inquiry’. I’m not sure how I’ve managed to miss the first three books featuring Detective Chief Inspector Karen Pirie investigating cold cases (a la one of my favourite TV programmes New Tricks) but I will catch up asap. Fab.

The Trouble with Goats and Sheep by Joanna Cannon

I got a lovely hardback copy of this in the Christian Aid book sale last year. The era appealed to me – the hot summer and drought of 1976 which I remember very well. I chose that year to move from Scotland … to St Albans (and thence to London the following year). My abiding memory of my first summer south of the border is of parched yellow grass in the park where I went in vain to get some fresh air after work. I did write a poem about that; wish I’d thought of writing a novel. Maggie O’Farrell also used this time for her Instructions for a Heatwave.

This is a cleverly constructed story of neighbours and the secrets behind closed doors. A woman from their street goes missing and 10-year-old Gracie and her loyal sidekick, Tilly, investigate (and search for God at the same time). I loved both girls: Gracie, a worthy successor to Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird (and the book does have its own Boo Radley pariah figure), and physically frail little Tilly – ‘She’d taken the bobbles out of her hair, but it stayed in exactly the same position as if they were still there.’ – can’t you just see her?

Hester and Harriet by Hilary Spiers

Bought in a charity shop – and what a discovery! I loved this story of two widowed, childless sisters (elderly but prefer to think of themselves as being in late middle-age …) who have been living together for the last six years. They reminded me a bit of Harriet and Belinda from Barbara Pym’s Some Tame Gazelle (one of my top ten books of all time, so I don’t say it lightly). But this Harriet and her sister face 21st-century dilemmas when they give sanctuary to a mysterious young woman from Belarus and her baby, and a cousin’s moody teenage son also lands himself upon their hospitality.

Rainy Day Sisters by Kate Hewitt.

Another sister novel – or half-sisters actually. I was delighted to win this in a giveaway by the author – I have read several of her books, particularly enjoying the Falling for the Freemans series (and The Vicar’s Wife under the name of Katharine Swartz). This is in her series Hartley-by-the-Sea – a village in a relatively untouristy part of the Lake District. Lucy has been living in Boston but when her life goes awry (thanks in no small measure to her own mother) she accepts an invitation from the older half-sister she barely knows, Juliet, who runs a B&B in Hartley-by-the-Sea. Juliet has her own problems (again, mostly to do with their mutual mother) and it takes various events, some involving other villagers, and revelations for the sisters to begin to understand and to love each other.

The Meryl Streep Movie Club by Mia March

Lent by a friend. The setting is the Three Captains’ Inn, Maine, New England. Lolly Weller, the inn’s owner, summons home her daughter Kat along with the two nieces she brought up, Isabel and June, telling them she has an announcement to make. As the weeks go by the problems each of the four women have are revealed and discussed in the context of whatever Meryl Street film they’ve just watched. I thought the ending was a bit rushed and I didn’t find all the relationships convincing (eg Kat’s with her childhood sweetheart – he seemed kind of creepy to me) but as a Meryl fan I found this an enjoyable read.

Chin Up Chest Out Jemina! A Celebrationof the Schoolgirls’ Story by Mary Cadogan

A Christian Aid Booksale purchase. I have blogged about my collection of girls’ annuals and I’m also a fan of the Chalet School and Abbey Girls series of books, and of Angela Brazil, so I was thrilled – Jubilate! – to find this celebration of schoolgirl stories brought out by Girls Gone By Publishers. It has extracts, stories, illustrations, and articles (one by actor Terence Stamp, whose first adolescent crush, would you believe, was on ‘Dimsie’, the chestnut-curled and leggy heroine of a series of books by Dorita Fairlie Bruce).

Some adverts from girls’ magazines are reproduced. Cricket bats feature in these – and typewriters: ‘Yes, Mary is quite the envy of her friends now her father has bought her a Bar-Let Portable.’ Those were the days.

Six in November

I read six books in November.

I'm playing catch-up, posting this in late December. My last few blog posts have been about my own book Stella’s Christmas Wish which was published by Black & White on 3 November. I’m thrilled that it’s attracted so many lovely comments.

I squeezed in reading six books in November – between doing guest posts for lovely book bloggers and looking at reviews. Find out more about all that here. 

So, I read:

Return to Kilcraig by Rosemary Gemmell

Read on Kindle. ‘The legacy of her beloved grandmother's cottage in the Scottish village of Kilcraig seems like the ideal solution after Christy Morrison’s recent trauma. Until the threats begin.’ I do love a romantic suspense novel. Great sense of place here and some heart-stopping moments.

A Yorkshire Christmas by Kate Hewitt

Read on Kindle. I hadn’t read ‘Kate Hewitt’ before but have enjoyed books by this author under the name Katherine Swartz (see her website here). I was enjoying A Yorkshire Christmas and was surprised that the story was being wrapped up although only showing 50% finished, then I realised that what I’d downloaded was two books in one; the other was called Falling for Christmas (Book 1 in the Falling for the Freemans series).

And blow me, if it didn’t have exactly the same plot as A Yorkshire Christmas – just before Christmas a city girl running away from her life gets snowbound in a remote area, is rescued by attractive man who is going to be spending Christmas on his own, they fall for each other, and get married in the local church the following Christmas Eve. However Falling for Christmas is set in upstate New York.

I forgave the author because what’s not to like about that scenario plus I love books set in upstate New York – and I went on to buy and read the second in the series, set in the same location:

Falling Hard (Falling for the Freemans Book 2)

‘Quinn Freeman has spent his life avoiding the dangers of commitment, but his reluctant return to his home town stirs up memories and emotions he’d intended to leave buried.’ This is the only book I’ve read where the female protagonist is a plumber – Meghan's skills come in handy when Quinn Freeman decides to renovate his family’s abandoned hotel.

I look forward to Book 3.

And now for something completely different …

A House in Flanders by Michael Jenkins

In 1951 Michael Jenkins aged 14 was sent to spend the summer in a country house in Flanders, in a household consisting of elderly ladies who had previously been connected (in a way that eventually became clear to him) with his own family. He was soon irrevocably entwined with a family that had taken him to their hearts – and found out about the scars that two world wars left on his hosts and on the area. Beautifully written account of events seen through the eyes of a boy.

Displacement by Anne Stormont

Read on Kindle. Loved this book with its dual setting. First there’s the Isle of Skye (where the author lives) and the loveliness of its geography and geology, and the work involved in looking after sheep, plus the interaction between friends and neighbours. Then we move to Israel, its beauty and its problems – and its wonderful food. Through her time in both of these places we get to know author/artist/crofter Rachel – her heritage, and her coming to terms with recent traumatic events in her family. An engrossing read and – my test of a good book – one that brought tears to my eyes more than once.