The Book Post – March

Alrighty, here it is, the book post for March – or, rather, what I’ve been reading since the last book post.

Fiction

Chasing the Italian Dream by Jo Thomas

The Blurb:

Lucia has worked hard as a lawyer in Wales, aiming for a big promotion she hopes will shortly come her way. Finally taking a well-earned break at her grandparents’ house in southern Italy, the sunshine, lemon trees and her nonna’s mouth-watering cooking make her instantly feel at home.

But she’s shocked to learn that her grandfather is retiring from the beloved family pizzeria and will need to sell. Lucia can’t bear the thought of the place changing hands – especially when she discovers her not-quite-ex-husband Giacomo wants to take it over!

Then bad news from home forces Lucia to re-evaluate what she wants from life. Is this her chance to carry on the family tradition and finally follow her dreams?

My verdict:

I’ve read a few Jo Thomas books of late – mainly because all my reserved copies came in together. If I hadn’t been reading so many I might not have found this one quite as predictable as I did.

Retreat to the Spanish Sun, by Jo Thomas

The Blurb

Eliza has a full house! When her three children grew up and moved out, she downsized to a smaller property… but now they’re all back. Every room in the house is taken and Eliza finds herself sharing her bed with her eldest daughter and her daughter’s pug. Combined with the online course she’s trying to finish, plus her job to fit in, there just isn’t the peace and quiet that Eliza needs.

So when an ad pops up on her laptop saying ‘house-sitters wanted’, Eliza can’t resist the chance to escape. She ends up moving to a rural finca in southern Spain, looking after the owner’s Iberico pigs, learning about secret gastronomic societies… and finding a new zest for life and love along the way.

My verdict:

See the comment above.

Christmas at the Beach Hut, by Veronica Henry

The Blurb

Everyone adores Christmas . . . Especially Lizzy Kingham. But this year, she is feeling unloved and underappreciated by her family. The present-buying, decorating and food shopping have all been left to her. So she wonders . . . what would happen if she ran away and left them to it?

Lizzy heads to her favourite place: a beach hut on the golden sands of Everdene. There she meets an unlikely collection of new friends, all running away from something. But the spirit of Christmas gets under Lizzy’s skin: soon the fairy lights are twinkling and the scent of mulled wine mingles with the sea air.

Back at Pepperpot Cottage, her family are desperate to find her. For Christmas isn’t Christmas without Lizzy. Can they track her down in time and convince her she means the world to them, every day of the year?

My verdict:

What I love about Veronica Henry’s novels is that they often deal with themes within that are more hefty than the fun, light covers would indicate – and this is no different. I think once we get to a certain age there are times we’d all like to run away for a little bit – and that’s exactly what Lizzie does.

This one was my read of the month.

Thirty Days In Paris, Veronica Henry

The Blurb:

Years ago, Juliet left a little piece of her heart in Paris – and now, separated from her husband and with her children flying the nest, it’s time to get it back! So she puts on her best red lipstick, books a cosy attic apartment near Notre-Dame and takes the next train out of London.

Arriving at the Gare du Nord, the memories come flooding back: bustling street cafes, cheap wine in candlelit bars and a handsome boy with glittering eyes. But Juliet has also been keeping a secret for over two decades – and she begins to realise it’s impossible to move forwards without first looking back.

My verdict:

I loved this romantic, escapist story (let’s face it, Paris is always a good idea).

The Chasm, by Bronwyn Hall

The blurb:

Andy King knew she should never return to Stonefield. Ten years ago, her boyfriend Will Hoffman disappeared without a trace and most people in the town thought she was to blame. But a decade is a long time to be homesick, and she isn’t technically going back there. Only to Taplin, a small town in the neighbouring valley, far enough away from Stonefield she can stay under the radar, but close enough to the mountains that she can feel their pulse and breathe their special brand of oxygen. And it’s only for four weeks, after all.

But Andy didn’t bargain on running into those who are still looking for Will, the ones who have the most to lose if he is ever found. Andy will go to her grave before she reveals what had happened back then, but when she realises that those same people have other secrets hidden in the mountains, it’s clear she’s once again in their way. And this time sending her to her grave is exactly their intention.

My verdict:

A fabulous heart-racing debut set in country Victoria, my mother recommended this one to me – and I’m glad she did … it just took ages for the library copy to come my way. Very very close to being my read of the month.

Five French Hens, by Judy Leigh

When 73 year old Jen announces that she is going to marry Eddie, a man she met just a few months previously on a beach on Boxing Day, her four best friends from aqua aerobics are flabbergasted.

The wedding is booked and, when the groom decides to have a stag trip to Las Vegas, the ladies arrange a hen party to beat all others -a week in the city of love, Paris.

From misadventures at the Louvre, outrageous Parisian cabarets, to drinking champage with dashing a millionaire at the casino, Paris lives up to all their hopes and dreams. But a week can change everything, and the women that come home have very different dreams from the ones who got on the plane just days ago.

The verdict:

Lots to like about this one which proves that a) you’re never too old for an adventure or a new start and b) Paris is always a good idea (and yes, I’m aware I’ve already said that).

Classics

A Tale of Two Cities, by Charles Dickens

The Blurb:

Charles Dickens’s A Tale of Two Cities portrays a world on fire, split between Paris and London during the brutal and bloody events of the French Revolution. After eighteen years as a political prisoner in the Bastille the aging Dr Manette is finally released and reunited with his daughter in England. There, two very different men, Charles Darnay, an exiled French aristocrat, and Sydney Carton, a disreputable but brilliant English lawyer, become enmeshed through their love for Lucie Manette. From the tranquil lanes of London, they are all drawn against their will to the vengeful, bloodstained streets of Paris at the height of the Reign of Terror and soon fall under the lethal shadow of La Guillotine.

My verdict:

This is considered by many people who know about these things one of the greatest books ever written and, you know what? I can’t really argue with that.

We read this in bookclub over three parts and while all of us found Book 1 to be a tad hard going, in retrospect it set everything up – and I mean everything – for the next two acts. Dickens was at his masterful best in this. I was reminded a tad of an Ottolenghi recipe where every spice – no matter how seemingly inconsequential – is essential to the finished product, so it is with every character, every word, every action.

The final act was almost visceral and had my heart pounding, and my eyes leaking.

Just brilliant. If you haven’t read it before – or for some time – do yourself a favour. Push through book one (you’ll know why when you get to the end) and be prepared to have some scenes remain in your memory for years to come.

While I read this about thirty years ago (and had nightmares about the women knitting) this time around I listened to Simon Callow reading it and his voice only added to the whole experience for me.

Heartburn, by Nora Ephron

The blurb:

Seven months into her pregnancy, Rachel Samstat discovers that her husband, Mark, is in love with another woman. The fact that the other woman has “a neck as long as an arm and a nose as long as a thumb and you should see her legs” is no consolation. Food sometimes is, though, since Rachel writes cookbooks for a living. And in between trying to win Mark back and loudly wishing him dead, Ephron’s irrepressible heroine offers some of her favorite recipes.

Okay, first things first, this was written over forty years ago (so is probably more vintage than a classic, but hey ho) and some parts have not aged as well as others with certain phrases and being viewed now as being a long way from politically correct. As I said though, it was written over forty years ago. Oh, and I wouldn’t be tempted by any of the recipes which are, I suspect, part of the background joke here.

That aside, in many ways this reminds me of Virginal Wolfe’s Mrs Dalloway in its stream of consciousness style. I listened to Meryl Streep’s narration for Audible and honestly felt as though I was having a cup of tea with a friend while she told me what had been happening in her life.

Yes, it’s an exploration of infidelity, yes, it’s a tad angsty, but its also supremely witty with many laugh out loud moments. If you can get past the 1980’s pre-wokeness, it’s a great read.

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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