Thursday, 19 November 2020
Review: I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day by Milly Johnson
It’s nearly Christmas and it’s snowing, hard. Deep in the Yorkshire Moors nestles a tiny hamlet, with a pub at its heart. As the snow falls, the inn will become an unexpected haven for six people forced to seek shelter there…
Mary has been trying to get her boss Jack to notice her for four years, but he can only see the efficient PA she is at work. Will being holed up with him finally give her the chance she has been waiting for?
Bridge and Luke were meeting for five minutes to set their divorce in motion. But will getting trapped with each other reignite too many fond memories – and love?
Charlie and Robin were on their way to a luxury hotel in Scotland for a very special Christmas. But will the inn give them everything they were hoping to find – and much more besides?
A story of knowing when to hold on and when to let go, of pushing limits and acceptance, of friendship, love, laughter, mince pies and the magic of Christmas.
Review: I pre-ordered the audiobook of this title because it has a wonderful narrator and I really thought she did a great job of bringing this story to life. One of the things I love most about this book is the ensemble cast. It can be difficult to keep track of who is who when you first start listening but the synopsis is so well written that I referred back to that to ensure I had everyone memorised and could really settle into the story.
This was one of those books I saw playing out in front of me like a movie or a television show. I saw everyone on their own journey, make the detour to the inn and each character on their own journey of person discovery. This is almost like a mid-life coming of age story for most of these characters. This tiny inn and everything that surrounds it is the perfect setting for these characters to really take a look inward and have a think about where they are, where they've been and the next step they want to take.
I warmed to Bridge and Luke straight away. They have been on a journey together and they were very easy to relate to, I could see them slotting into my own life as neighbors or friends of friends. Their story is a little bitter sweet and I really loved the way they bonded together as they bonded with the other characters. Mary and Jack are that classic combination of a hard working woman and a man who doesn't see how hard working his assistant is just because she is so hard working. She is the swan and he is he passive recipient of all of her time saving efforts. I loved watching Mary step outside of her comfort zone and seeing if Jack would realise her worth.
Charlie and Robin were my favourite characters, the true hedonists of the group. I felt sorry for them that they had to detour on their way to Scotland but I loved that they got to interact with the other characters because I think they really brought out the best in everyone. Their story is definitely the most emotional but that because fo the passion that the two of them throw into their lives. I would definitely have found myself drawn to their pair if I was in that inn too.
Fans of Milly Johnson will know that he books often feature the newspaper The Daily Bugle and whilst that paper doesn't feature in this book, it has been replaced with another form of media to provide comedy interludes in this narrative. I loved tuning into Radio Brian and really would have enjoyed his festive musings myself I am sure. This book is just the right balance of festive, funny and introspective and I really enjoyed the audio. I did laugh and I did cry so you know you're in for a good time with Milly Johnson's latest.
Wednesday, 18 November 2020
Guest Review: The Cornish Cream Tea Christmas by Cressida McLaughlin
Hannah Swan is looking forward to Christmas for the first time in years. Her new job as an eco-consultant is taking her – and her geeky colleague, Noah – to the beautiful Cornish village of Porthgolow for the first time.
They’re are helping the Crystal Waters Hotel to ramp up its green credentials, though after a bumpy journey, Hannah can’t shake off the feeling that Porthgolow is strangely familiar. Never able to resist a mystery, her interest is piqued when the hotel’s staff and customers report odd noises and sightings, believing the hotel to be haunted.
When bad weather cuts off Porthgolow, Hannah and Noah are looking at a Cornish Christmas. It gives them plenty of time to work out what is really going on, but will their yuletide escape send shivers up their spines? Or will it be as warm and toasty as a glass of mulled wine?
Review: This is the third book in a series about The Cornish Cream Tea Bus, an old red Routemaster bus that has been skilfully converted into a tea shop that can usually be found beside the beach in the fictional Cornish village of Porthgolow. The owner, Charlie, brought the bus there on a holiday, but never really left, so it is now a famous fixture in the community. Charlie’s boyfriend, Daniel, runs the luxurious cliff top hotel, Crystal Waters, and it is the hotel that brings the heroine of the present tale to Porthgolow all the way from Edinburgh. In common with many of Cressida McLaughlin’s books, this story was originally published as a series of 4 ebooks. I have waited until finishing all the parts before writing this review.
The story revolves around eco-consultant Hannah, who travels to Porthgolow just a couple of weeks before Christmas to assess the eco rating of the Crystal Waters Hotel and suggest any improvements. She is joined by local freelance assessor Noah, who seems at first cold and uncommunicative. She soon becomes enthralled by the village but can’t shake the feeling that she has been there before during childhood holidays in Cornwall. However, her mother is being quite evasive on the subject and Hannah wonders what she is hiding. When a tremendous storm hits the area and makes her planned journey back to Edinburgh impossible, Hannah enjoys getting to know the locals and spending more time with Noah. She also becomes intrigued by reports of paranormal activity at the hotel and an interesting episode in its past. As it seems less and less likely that Hannah is going to get home for Christmas, she ponders on her future, having become smitten with this village, and, increasingly, with Noah.
I have read and enjoyed all of the books in this Cream Tea Bus series, and wouldn’t be able to choose which I liked most. I would definitely recommend this book as a festive read. It could certainly be read as a standalone, but the three books go together to make a lovely cosy tale. The series is full of wonderful characters and locations. Making the old bus into a cafe was a great idea, just right for the setting in the little village. I’m sure I’m not alone in wishing that I could climb on board and sample some of those lovely cakes whilst looking out over the beach. I don’t know if Cressida McLaughlin is planning more stories about Porthgolow and the bus, but I for one would love to know what happens to the inhabitants I feel I have come to know.
Tuesday, 17 November 2020
Review: Nothing Like I Imagined Series by Mindy Kaling
Freaked out by her fortieth birthday, the creator and executive producer of Never Have I Ever reflects on the importance of good friends—and the mortifying obligations it takes to keep them.
Yes, Mindy Kaling is the genial Hollywood celebrity who posted twelve selfies from a single Oscar party, but that smile took work. In this hilariously honest essay, Mindy reflects on the social anxiety that she traces back to the slices of white cheese her parents served at her ninth birthday party. Little has changed in thirty years—least of all the fear of being judged forever. It’s probably best to just back away.
From the acclaimed writer, actor, director, producer, and New York Times bestselling author comes Nothing Like I Imagined. In these essays, Mindy Kaling shares the latest chapters of a multitasking life in Hollywood. Read or listen to them in a single sitting. Either way, they’re pitch-perfect.
Review: Oh I loved this series. These eBooks are free from Amazon Prime members but you can also download the accompanying audio and so I listened to these on audiobook. I really recommend the audio if you can access them because Mindy Kaling reads them herself and so each short feels like listening to a podcast episode or just sitting down for a chat in the car with Mindy herself!
I don't know why I'm surprised that I laughed at a series of books written by a comedy writer but I chuckled at all of these. I particularly enjoyed Once Upon a Time in Silverlake and Please Like me. Those essays made me laugh the most and I really loved hearing both of those stories. In terms of being open and honest, Help is On the Way and Searching for Coach Taylor are brutally honest about single motherhood and asking for help when you need it. Big Shot deals with the reality of being 'a celebrity' and what that entails and then Kind of Hindu talks openly about religion, family and Mindy's roots.
The thing that I loved most about this series, aside from the humour and the fact that the audio is read by the writer herself is the honesty with which Mindy Kaling writes. Many people who are in the limelight like she is would cover the fact that sometimes she doesn't want to socialise or that she has help being a mother or that she's fine being single but these are all things that Mindy Kaling fully explores in these short but sweet stories.
I really recommend this series and if you can access the audio, they really are fabulous!
Monday, 16 November 2020
Gilmore Girls Readathon Sign Up and TBR
This week I will be taking part in the Gilmore Girls Readthon. You can check all the details of this readathon over on their Instagram and I will be vlogging the week over on my BookTube channel so keep an eye out for that video up next week!
Here are the challenge, I will be making my TBR from books already on my November TBR with a couple of extras...
Read a book set in a small town.
Read a book set during fall/winter.
Read a book with complicated love interests
Read a book by an Asian Author
Read the next book in a series you haven't finished
Bake a fall treat and watch your favourite episode...
I'm not sure which episode I will watch but I think it will probably happen towards the end of the week...
Read a book that features a mother/daughter realtionship...
I'm not sure if any of the book on my TBR have this so I'm going to have to let you know on that one however I will be kicking off the readathon by listening to a favourite nonfiction of mine since it is nonfiction November so this leads me into the bingo challenge and other books I might pick up this week!
I'll be starting with:
The bingo card...
So some of the other books that are on my November TBR but don't meet the readathon challenges will definitely tick off some of the bingo card. You'll need to keep an eye on my social media and watch out for the vlog to see which books meet which square!
Sunday, 15 November 2020
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