The Book Post – June

The weeks since my last book post have been filled with vets, a nasty head cold, and more vets. In between I’ve read a lot – partly waiting at vets for results or appointments, partly to escape, partly because I couldn’t sleep, partly because my brain wasn’t in work mode, partly because I felt like crap and partly (especially in the last week) because I’ve had to keep an eye on my pooch who we sadly lost earlier this week. (My tribute to her is here.)

There were a couple of books I don’t feel I gave all my attention to – but that’s not the fault of the books or the author, rather it’s me and the mindset I was in as I was reading. Under normal circumstances I’d put them aside until I could give them my whole attention, but as they were reservations from the library that had taken months to come through and were on “quick read” status with no renewal, I pushed through.

Anyways, without further ado, here we go.

Fiction

Love From Scratch, by Amy Hutton

Ethan James has a problem: he’s about to start shooting a movie and he needs someone to mind his anxious dog, Harry. This film could make or break Ethan’s career, and he knows he has to give it all his attention, but Harry’s new minder turns out to be more of a hindrance than a help. She’s gorgeous and funny, and throws so much shade in his direction that Ethan can’t think straight.

Hazel Conor has a problem: she’s just lost her job as a sous chef at the fancy beachside restaurant she uphauled her life for. And if she doesn’t get another job soon, she won’t be able to afford food – or worse, cat food, and then her grouchy cat Kevin will finally murder her in her sleep. So when she sees an ad for an easy dog minder job, she goes for it.

Hazel finds everything about Ethan annoying; he’s flashy, flirty, and a total charmer. She probably wouldn’t look at him twice if it wasn’t for her cat. Because Kevin, the cat who hates everyone, is totally smitten with Ethan James. And with each purr, cheek rub and head bump that Kevin bestows on Ethan, Hazel begins to wonder if there’s something her cat can see that she can’t.

I like that this one was set on the Sunshine Coast (where I live). Also a big tick for Kevin and Harry. I’m not usually into the whole movie star thing, but Ethan grew on me. Perfect example of a rom com and a cute story.

I got this one as an advance copy via Net Galley for review purposes.

Maisie Dobbs, Birds of a Feather, Pardonable Lies, by Jacqueline Winspear

Blurb for book one:

Maisie Dobbs got her start as a maid in an aristocratic London household when she was thirteen. Her employer, suffragette Lady Rowan Compton, soon became her patron, taking the remarkably bright youngster under her wing. Lady Rowan’s friend, Maurice Blanche, often retained as an investigator by the European elite, recognized Maisie’s intuitive gifts and helped her earn admission to the prestigious Girton College in Cambridge, where Maisie planned to complete her education.

The outbreak of war changed everything. Maisie trained as a nurse, then left for France to serve at the Front, where she found–and lost–an important part of herself. Ten years after the Armistice, in the spring of 1929, Maisie sets out on her own as a private investigator, one who has learned that coincidences are meaningful, and truth elusive. Her very first case involves suspected infidelity but reveals something very different.

In the aftermath of the Great War, a former officer has founded a working farm known as The Retreat, that acts as a convalescent refuge for ex-soldiers too shattered to resume normal life. When Fate brings Maisie a second case involving The Retreat, she must finally confront the ghost that has haunted her for over a decade.

I’m hooked on this series – thank you to the contributors to this link-up who recommended Maisie to me. It’s cosy crime, set between the wars with all the social change that’s happened because of the war, and all the change we know is coming in the years approaching the next one. If you like cosy crime and you like history, you’ll love Maisie Dobbs.

What Happened To Nina? by Dervla McTiernan

Nina and Simon are the perfect couple. Young, fun and deeply in love. Until they leave for a weekend at his family’s cabin in Vermont, and only Simon comes home.

WHAT HAPPENED TO NINA?

Nobody knows. Simon’s explanation about what happened in their last hours together doesn’t add up. Nina’s parents push the police for answers, and Simon’s parents rush to protect him. They hire expensive lawyers and a PR firm that quickly ramps up a vicious, nothing-is-off-limits media campaign.

HOW FAR WILL HIS FAMILY GO TO KEEP HIM SAFE? HOW FAR WILL HER FAMILY GO TO GET TO THE TRUTH?

Nina’s family is under siege, but they never lose sight of the only thing that really matters – finding their daughter. Out-gunned by Simon’s wealthy, powerful family, Nina’s parents recognize that if playing by the rules won’t get them anywhere, it’s time to break them.

When I first went on the reservation list for this one, 42 people were ahead of me, so it was a miracle I got it when I did. On the downside, it arrived at the same time as Dissolution, The Women and Pardonable Lies – all of which were due back to the library in 14 days.

I wanted to enjoy this more – as much as everyone else who has read it enjoyed it, but the timing for me was just wrong. Not the fault of the book which I’m sure is as good as everyone else says it is. Oh and can I say I really don’t like the cover?

Dissolution by C.J. Sansom

After one of Cromwell’s commissioners is brutally murdered, Matthew Shardlake is drawn into an investigation that becomes darker than he could have ever imagined . . . 

England, 1537. It is a time of revolution that sees the greatest changes in England since 1066. Henry VIII has proclaimed himself Supreme Head of the Church. The country is waking up to savage new laws, rigged trials and the greatest network of informers it has ever seen. And under the orders of Thomas Cromwell, a team of commissioners is sent throughout the country to investigate the monasteries. There can only be one outcome: dissolution. But on the Sussex coast, at the monastery of Scarnsea, events have spiralled out of control. Cromwell’s commissioner, Robin Singleton, has been found dead, his head severed from his body. His horrific murder accompanied by equally sinister acts of sacrilege. Matthew Shardlake, lawyer and long-time supporter of Reform, has been sent by Cromwell to uncover the truth behind the dark happenings at Scarnsea. But Shardlake’s investigation soon forces him to question everything that he hears, and everything that he intrinsically believes . . .

Another it’s not you, it’s me.

I rushed through this to get to The Women – which I’d waited a few months on the reservation list for – and didn’t appreciate it as much as I should have done.

The Women, by Kristin Hannah

‘Women can be heroes, too’. When twenty-year-old nursing student, Frances “Frankie” McGrath, hears these unexpected words, it is a revelation. Raised on California’s idyllic Coronado Island and sheltered by her conservative parents, she has always prided herself on doing the right thing, being a good girl. But in 1965 the world is changing, and she suddenly imagines a different path for her life. When her brother ships out to serve in Vietnam, she impulsively joins the Army Nurses Corps and follows his path. As green and inexperienced as the young men sent to Vietnam to fight, Frankie is overwhelmed by the chaos and destruction of war, as well as the unexpected trauma of coming home to a changed America. Frankie will also discover the true value of female friendship and the heartbreak that love can cause.

I haven’t read any books by Kristin Hannah before, and I’m not sure I want to after reading this one. It was good – excellent, in fact – but brutal and unrelenting as Frankie suffered through blow after blow after blow. Sure, my emotions were running high as I was reading it, so perhaps that had a bearing on how I felt. Because of what was happening with our pooch I was looking for at least some happiness and hope in the trauma, some light balancing the dark – not just at the end, but along the way. I agree, though, that the subject matter didn’t allow that and the novel was more powerful as a result. It was, however, an important story to tell and, because of that, an important story to read.

Non Fiction

The Happiest Diet In The World, by Giulia Crouch

Giulia Crouch always knew there was something magical about the life of her Sardinian grandfather, so she was not surprised when Sardinia was identified as one of 5 ‘blue zones’ around the world – places where people live healthy, happy lives for way longer than the average.

There are a host of reasons for the blue zoners’ longevity but scientists agree it is their diet that matters most. They eat for flavour and pleasure: food that is nourishing without even trying.

In The Happiest Diet in the World, Giulia takes us to the culinary heart of these long-lived communities, where instincts and taste buds rule.

With fascinating insights into everything from fasting to meat eating, sugar to wine-drinking, gut health and the incredible power of beans, this book shows us how to incorporate the key aspects of the blue zone diet into ours and how to reconnect with an instinctive wisdom which we are in danger of losing.

I’ve read quite a bit about Blue Zones in the last few years, and, to be honest, while I’ve found them interesting, I’ve also found many of them joyless. Not so this one. This one is full of joy. Oh, and there are recipes which are also full of joy.

Where the Hearth Is, by Kate Humble

What is it about a place that makes us feel truly home?

Kate Humble has a knack for sharing her own journey towards a more pleasing and purposeful life in a way that inspires readers, enables them to reassess their own lives and helps them achieve their personal goals. Having encouraged readers to reconnect with nature in Thinking on My Feet and simplify their lifestyles in A Year of Living Simply, she turns now to reimagining whatever we consider ‘home’ – examining her own experiences and expectations, ideals and memories, and considering the views of others living uniquely, extraordinarily, happily. And she’s gaining insights from some unexpected quarters – including the animal kingdom.

As our time spent in office buildings and other traditional workplaces shrinks forevermore, feeling happy, healthy, productive and content in our homes (be they castles or caravans, flat-shares or farms, fixed or temporary, inner city/out of town/beyond) is more important to get right than ever before. Where the Hearth Is will resonate with all those seeking to make the most of their lives during the many hours we all spend at home – whether it’s a case of tiny adjustments while staying put, moving out, living differently or dreaming of building something new.

I listened to the Audible version of this narrated by the author. Humble is a brilliant broadcaster and documentary maker who has approached the subject of home in this way, bringing us stories from different cultures, circumstances, and even the animal kingdom. From crofts, caravans, castles and boats to wartime and refuge, these are stories from ordinary people about belonging.

I loved it. My read of the month.

Best Wishes, by Richard Glover

Do you hate noisy restaurants, pre-ripped jeans and pedestrians who walk five abreast?

Do you also have a problem with plastic-wrapped fruit, climate-change deniers and take-away sandwiches priced at $14.95?

And, most of all, do you think the world would be a better place if people got back their sense of humour?

Here’s proof you are not alone. Heartfelt and hilarious, serious but sly, Best Wishes is the encyclopedia of ‘can do better’. It’s a plea for a better world – one wish at a time.

Another Audible listen that I have devoured over the past few days. It has been exactly what I needed to listen to right now.

From wishing fruit wasn’t wrapped in plastic to wishing for tax receipts that don’t fade before tax time, this is a celebration and hope for simple joys.

Many of these I nodded in agreement, some I laughed out loud at, and others I had my own wishes in those categories.

Of the 365 wishes (one for each day) my favourite is his wish for pre-existing condition reports on grandkids when you pick them up – like the ones you do for rental cars – with things like grazes and rashes clearly marked so you can say they didn’t happen on your watch.

Your turn…

Deb, Donna, Sue, and I would love you to share what you’ve been reading…the linky is below.

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