February books

My favourites this month are:

Daisy James - Escape to the Hummingbird Hotel

This is a new author for me, and I shall certainly look out for more of her feelgood novels! Abi is unexpectedly left a property in Corfu by her aunt, whom she'd never met because due to a mysterious family estrangement. Following a disastrous romance, Abi decides to take a holiday there to deal with selling the property. The money would mean she could buy her dream cottage in England and pursue her ideal career as a botanist. The Hummingbird Hotel is not at all what she expected, nestled in the Corfu countryside next to an extensive vineyard. It's a place for retreats, enriching courses and relaxation. She finds herself immediately on the wrong foot with the vineyard's owner, Nico. As Abi begins to fall in love with the peace and beauty of the island and make friends with the locals, she's also finding her emotions are being stirred by the handsome Nico who seems to have some troubling issues in his past. Abi begins to question her intention to sell the hotel, realising it would cause many problems for the people she has grown to care for. But if she stays, will it be the end of her own dreams? Atmospheric, and a wonderful escapist read during the dark months of a British winter.

Faith Hogan - The Bookshop Ladies

I always enjoy Faith Hogan's novels. This is another set in her fictional Irish seaside town of Ballycove, and I spotted one or two characters from her previous books. In The Bookshop Ladies, American Joy has recently lost her Parisian art dealer husband. On his deathbed he shocked her by revealing that he has a daughter. This is heartbreaking for Joy, as the two of them were childless. She discovers that he's left his daughter Robyn a painting, which on impulse she decides to take to her in Ballycove. She finds the young woman to be lacking in confidence and pining with unrequited love. Robyn also has no idea of her origins. Before Joy can reveal who she is, a misunderstanding leads her to become a volunteer in the old bookshop that Robyn has just taken over. Against all the odds, Joy takes to her husband's daughter, and realises that she can help her with the dilapidated and financially failing bookshop. But when Robyn's mother Fern arrives in a state of despair, it is inevitable that secrets will be revealved. All three women are caught up in the life of the bookshop, and soon their long-held ideas about life, love, friendship and family are challenged. Warm-hearted and uplifting.

Diane Saxon - The Good Twin

This English thriller had me hooked. Twins Summer and Skye lost their mother due to a brain haemorrhage not long before they were due to go to university. Summer bows to her father's wish to defer her place and stay at home to help their twelve year old sister Jade in the aftermath of this tragic event. But her twin Skye takes chooses to go to university. When Summer disappears with no warning, the family concludes she must have run off, unable to cope. They don't realise that she's been taken, and is being held prisoner. The novel unfolds in two timelines, and from two points of view. We see Summer in her prison, suffering at the hands of her attacker who is only known as L.J. Then seven years on, we see her family beginning to move on. Jade is at university, Skye has her own flat and a dog, and a failed relationship. But most importantly, it's their father's wedding day, to Martha. At the last minute before they leave for the church, Skye answers a call to their house phone, and the torment of her twin's disappearance bursts back into her life. High in suspense, the reader is pulled along in a breathtaking ride as clue after clue begins to surface, and danger stalks Skye as well as her twin. Compelling right to the last page.

January books

My best reads from January are:

Shari Low - One Year After You

The novel follows a dramatic day in the lives of three people in Glasgow. It's the anniversary of Tress's husband Max's death, and her son Buddy's first birthday. She's determined to make it the best day possible for her little boy, and not associate it with anything dark. Noah was Matt's best friend, and remains Tress's constant support and friend. But they have another bond - Matt's death revealed that he and Noah's wife Anya had been having a long-term secret affair. Anya survived the accident, but Noah and Tress have had to come to terms with their betrayal. Tress's friends are trying to persuade her to begin dating again, and she's wondering whether it's time to take the plunge. Meanwhile Odette is a sixty-nine year old actress, stalwart of the local soap, The Clydeside. Now she's been written out of the show, shooting her final scenes that day. On her mind is the guilt of a bad deed she did as a young woman, and she's determined to try and put things right. Tress recently started work as a designer on the set. As Tress, Noah and Odette's stories begin to collide, old and new problems surface and bring the day to a dramatic climax, when nothing will ever be the same again. An intricate story, with many dramatic twists, sympathetically written. Very enjoyable.

Joy Ellis - Guard her with Your Life

Detective Sam has struggled to come to terms with his daughter being taken away to Greece by his ex-wife, Julia. T his surprise, Julia unexpectedly arranges for Zoe to come over to stay with him for a while. Excitedly he waits at Heathrow airport for the ten-year-old's arrival. In the hubbub of the airport he hugs the little blonde girl who's handed over to him by the air hostess. But when he looks into her face, he realises that this child is not his daughter. As a message comes through from Julia, warning him, "Guard her with your life", he takes the child home and begins a bizarre situation where he's pretending this girl is his daughter to everyone around him. What has happened to Zoe? As he and his brother get dragged into a dangerous situation, it becomes clear that the unknown little girl is in real jeopardy. Fleeing for their lives, they leave London, and Sam has to use all his policeman's expertise to protect them, while his police partner, Terri, also gets caught up in the mystery. A thrilling read, with plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader on the edge of their seat.

Jeff Wheeler - The Invisible College

I find the worlds of this fantasy author absolutely fascinating. This is the first book in a new series, set in a different universe from most of his previous books. This is a world which is like the early twentieth century, but where technology runs from magic. Human beings were given this magic in the distant past by a mysterious race called the Aesir, who are cold-loving beings and have long hibernation cycles. But every so often they awaken and wage a war with humanity, their old alliance long forgotten. Robinson is a talented sorcerer, a researcher and professor at the Invisible College, where young people are taught magic. The key to magic is sounds, with music paramount. The Aesir have in the past released plagues on the human race which cause deafness, and eighteen-year-old McKenna is one who has suffered this fate. But she's supremely intelligent, and a talented lip-reader. She believes that one day she will have the ability to weave magic. Her parents employ Robinson to teach her how to improve her speech, and she's certain that this will be the key to her learning magic. As the Aesir awaken and a new war begins, Robinson and McKenna's relationship deepens. But someone is stalking him to the death, and McKenna suffers an accident which leaves her with strange sensations. Plenty of mystery, adventure, and magical imagination, this is another of Jeff Wheeler's novels that I couldn't put down.

December books

Happy New Year! My favourite reads from December are:

Raynor Wynne - Landlines

This non-fiction title is the third book in Raynor Wynne's Salt Path series. I was totally gripped by the first book. It told how she and her husband, Moth, lost their home at the time he was diagnosed with a serious chronic illness, and the power of the outdoors to reverse his symptoms. I bought this memoir without realising it was book three - I'll need to read book two now! In Landlines, Ray and Moth are living on their Cornish farm, but his symptoms have begun to progress. To add to the problem, it's the end of Lockdown and everyone is living with the spectre of the Covid pandemic. Ray begins to wonder if another long trek could work its magic again on her ailing husband. Moth's hesitant and skeptical, suspecting he's on a downward spiral. But he can't resist the lure of the trail, and somehow they manage to organise a trip to the northern-most parts of Scotland, where they aim to walk from Caithness to Fort William. Trials and tribulations abound, people are wary of strangers because of the ongoing virus fears, and it doesn't quite pan out the way they intended. But they keep on walking... The couple's love of the outdoors and nature is inspiring, and Ray's thoughts on the loss of wild spaces and the effects of humans on the natural world are insightful and meaningful. Another inspiring and riveting read.

Suzanne Fortin - The Dance Teacher of Paris

A dual-time novel set in present day and during World War 2. In Paris in 1942, Adele and her father run a dance school, keeping alive her mother's memory. In the dark time of the Nazi occupation of the city, it's a welcome release for the children. To Adele's dismay, her sister Lucille has become involved with Peter, a Nazi officer. Lucille claims that he's going to leave his wife and marry her. As the occupying force tightens its grip and the deportation of Jewish families begins, Adele realises that she must fight the evil and protect the innocent, no matter what the danger to herself. The modern part of the story focuses on Fleur, orphaned young, and brought up by her French grandmother. Lydia is now in her eighties, and every year she visits Paris on her own to reminisce. But this year she aks Fleur to accompany her, to discover about her grandmother's past. When they arrive in the city, Lydia is upset when she finds an old ballet shoe attached to a railing. Attractive antiques dealer, Didier, offers to help them investigate the source of the shoe. But Fleur doesnt know whether she can trust him, as he believes that Lydia can lead him to a priceless missing painting. In different centuries, two women seek to protect the people they love, and to search for the future they desire. Excellent historical atmosphere, drama and romance all combine to make a thoroughly good read.

Jenny Colgan - Midnight at the Christmas Bookshop

Carmen works at McCredie's traditional bookshop in Edinburgh, part of a picturesque row of shops in a historic part of the city, just below the castle. But times are hard, and all the shops are feeling the pinch. Carmen is nursing a broken heart, as Oke, the love of her life, has returned to his native Brazil and is working somewhere deep in the rainforest, out of communication - or else he's ghosting her. Carmen is so hard up that she's staying with her sister Sofia, who's on maternity leave, but who wants Carmen's room to house a full-time nanny for her four children when she returns to her high-powered job. To make matters worse, local entrepreneur Jackson McClockerty is buying up many struggling businesses and turning them into tacky souvenir shops. He has his eye on the shop where Carmen works. As Christmas approaches she has to come to terms with new challenging living arrangements, and with the realisation that Oke's not coming back. Delving into the secrets of the old bookshop she aims to find a new way of keeping its wonderful atmosphere and keeping it a source of wonder and joy for different generations, including her nieces and nephews. The people she thought she knew reveal hidden depths as snow begins to fall on Scotland's capital. A colourful and imaginative read with enjoyable characters, this novel celebrates the love of tradition and the magic of books.

November books

These are my favourite reads from November:

Kirsty Greenwood - The Love of My Afterlife

Delphie has lived a reclusive existence, unusual for a twenty-seven-year old woman. Suddently she finds herself in an ante-room for the Afterlife, in the presence of a most unusual being in the shape of a woman called Merritt. But even as she realises that she's dead, she meets the most attractive man she's ever encountered - and he's looking at her with love. When he's sent back to his life (as he's only under anaesthetic) Delphie can't believe that she would meet the Love of Her Life at that inappropriate moment! Merritt devises a plan to send Delphie back to Earth - and if she can find Jonah and he kisses her (intentionally) within seven days, then Delphie can have her life back. Revived and reprieved, she begins a frantic search for the man about whom she knows the bare minimum. At least he lives in London, but as she begins to recruit the workmates and neighbours she's never engaged with previously, she finds that it's a virtually impossible task. Humorous, tender and even outrageous at times, I found this to be an entertaining read, but with an underlying message about not wasting your life. There are lots of red herrings, lessons learned and even an unexpected twist at the end. Does Delphie find Jonah in the end? You'll need to read it to find out!

Nicola Cornick - The Other Gwyn Girl

Another of this author's novels about forgotten women from history, this time the elder sister of Nell Gwyn (the famous mistress of King Charles II). Rose was known to be a thief and married to a highwayman. But Nicola Cornick has delved behind the little that's known of her, and fashioned a sensitive and touching history for Rose. In this time-slip novel, we discover a connection between Rose and Jess, a woman from our own time. Jess is also eclipsed by her younger sister, Tavy, who is a television presenter and influencer. Following the end of a disastrous relationship to a fraudster, Jess is grateful to be offered the chance to live as caretaker for a historic manor house, Paradise Hall, which her sister is supposed to be 'making over' for the television cameras. While her famous sister is sleeping at a fancy hotel and jetting off to social events, Jess lives at the hall and wonders why she keeps seeing glimpses of a past time. When a historic skeleton turns up by the lake, she and the former owner of the hall, Ethan, begin to connect over their love of history as they search for its past. Intriguing, historically vivid, captivating, this book also has glimpses of present day characters from other of the author's novels. Thoroughly enjoyable as always.

Jenny Colgan - The Christmas Book Hunt

This was described on Amazon as a short story, but I would say that rather it is a novella. I know I can go to this author when I want to read an uplifting romantic story. This festive tale is a must for those who love books, and who like a feel-good romance. As Mirren's great aunt Violet only has a short time to live, she wants to make the old lady's final days as kind as possible. All Aunt Isobel desires is to find a special book that she had as a child, that connects her to the father she lost when she was young. Mirren knows that time is limited, so at the darkest time of the year she begins to search second hand bookshops for the rare book - if it actually exists at all. One of her first stops is at Philip Palliser's rare bookshop in the West End of London, where the owner's acquisitory instincts are engaged. He sends his downtrodden nephew Theo to follow Mirren on her hunt. If she does find the book, Theo's instructions are to pay her off for a fraction of its possible value. As Mirren's search widens to all corners of the British Isles, Theo latches on to her and persuades her that it's a coincidence that they're both on a book hunt. Is he a friend or a foe, and if she finds the book, will Mirren be able to keep it from his clutches? Full of lovely book references, bringing up the joy experienced by hunting for delicious finds in second hand bookshops, spiced with all the Christmas spirit of snow and festive accoutrements. A sensitive and satisfying read.

October Books

My favourite reads from October are:

Pam Lecky - No Stone Unturned

This is the first in a series of novels about Lucy, a young Victorian woman who is an amateur sleuth. Lucy has been estranged from her wealthy family since eloping with her husband Charlie. But after several years she's disillusioned by his infidelities and his badly-judged schemes that have left them penniless. When his recklessness goes too far, she finds herself identifying his body in the mortuary. Here she meets insurance investigator, Phin, who is researching some priceless stolen gems and believes that they were in Charlie's possession. As a result, Lucy herself is under suspicion. But her family have relented and invite her to stay with them for a while. Having no other means of support, she goes back home to Yorkshire. However, not everyone welcomes her home, and it's not the haven she'd imagined. Help comes from an unexpected source, and she's startled to find her heart being unexpectedly captured. Courageous Lucy embarks on an adventure with only Mary, her loyal Irish maid, to accompany her. The heroine is engaging, feisty, and resourceful, and the novel is well-written and packed with content.

Evie Woods - The Lost Bookshop

An enchanting novel about the joy of books and how a special bookshop in Dublin provides a refuge for two women a century apart. In 1921, Opaline runs away from her English family to escape being married off as a chattel. She travels to Paris where she works in a bookshop with a wonderful mentor, and meets people who share her interests and stir her emotions. But she's forced to flee again, and ends up in Dublin, taking over an unusual bookshop. In present day, Matthew is searching in Dublin for a wonderful bookshop he saw momentarily, but for some odd reason, he can't find it again. He believes it will lead him to a lost manuscript that would be the crowning of his research. His quest leads him to Martha, who has escaped an abusive marriage. She's found a live-in job looking after the elderly and eccentric Madame Bowden. The situation is not ideal but is safe. Martha and Matthew feel a connection to each other, though they spar constantly. At the same time, unexplained phenomena begin to appear in Madame Bowden's house. As Matthew and Martha begin open up to a new future, the links to the past are reaching down the years to be revealed. 

T. J. Brearton - Her Husband's Lies

Callie's husband, Abel, has lying in a coma in hospital following a car crash six weeks previously. As far as the police could tell, he'd skidded on some ice and crashed into the lake. Luckily someone had found him before the car was submerged. He wasn't even supposed to be in that area, and the questions keep piling up. Callie's desperate for answers, for him to recover, especially for the sake of her son Cormac who's just started college. But when a young woman named Althea calls her, claiming that she's a psychic who taps into the memories of others, and tells her that someone ran Abel off the road, Callie doesn't really believe in psychics - yet some of the information Althea tells her turns out to be spookily accurate. As she begins her own investigation, she begins to uncover secrets that Abel was keeping from her. When the police turn up some new evidence connecting her husband to a serious crime, it feels to Callie as if her whole life has been a lie. Exciting, twisting, the plot weaves its way through the winter countryside as Callie tries to find out the truth. A gripping read.

September books

These are my favourite reads from September:

Marc Guggenheim - In Any Lifetime

This fast paced, inventive novel really captured me. Jonas Cullen is a scientist whose work proving the existence of mulitple universes has won him a Nobel prize. But at the culmination of his work, his own world falls apart when his wife and soul-mate, Amanda, dies in a car crash. He sets out on a daring mission to find a universe where she is alive. However, despite the differences between these universes, they tend to favour similar outcomes, and his chances are slim. In addition, his time will inevitably run out. Then there's Eva, a Swiss scientist who has also lost her life partner, and he connects with her in more than one reality. Settling with her could be a possibility if he can't find Amanda. As another angry scientist begins to stalk him through the universes, seeking revenge, it seems that the odds are against him. Edge-of-the-seat moments, joy, despair, excitement, tenderness - this novel has it all. 

Ann Cleeves - Raven Black (Shetland book 1)

I've enjoyed every series of this drama on television. However, up till now I haven't read any of the author's books before. I found this novel to be excellent, with plenty of pace, well-rounded characters with convincing back-stories, and a definite sense of place. Detective Jimmy Perez went to school in Shetland, being from the even remoter Fair Isle. When he returns to take up a police post, he's immediately thrown into solving the murder of sixteen-year-old incomer Catherine Ross. She's discovered by Fran Hunter, former wife of a prominent Shetland businessman, and mother to Cassie. The killing stirs up memories of the disappearance twenty years earlier of another young girl. Reclusive neighbour Magnus Tait was suspected at the time, but nothing could be proved. It's Perez' job to discover once and for all if the old man was guilty of the previous crime, while many of his colleagues think it's a done deal. But danger lurks in the dark nights, and tensions run high. The other-worldliness of the Shetland isles is depicted very well. As Ann Cleeves grew up in England, she's certainly done her homework in depth. From the bleak winter landscape, the isolation of some of the residents and the difficulties of moving to live there, to the spectacle of the 'Up Helly A' winter viking festival, it's a brilliantly drawn novel.  

Patrick Stewart - Making it So

Every now and again I add one of my non-fiction reads to my list. I have particularly enjoyed this autobiography of the Shakespearean actor who became 'Captain Jen-Luc Picard' in the Star Trek: Next Generation series and beyond (I'm a long-term fan of the series!). He describes his impoverished background in Yorkshire, leaving school aged fifteen with no qualifications, and being given openings to develop his talent by a dedicated teacher. Through sheer hard work and grit he made his way through drama school and finally achieved his dream of acting with the Royal Shakespeare Company. Eventually he found himself in Hollywood, becoming famous as a sci-fi actor, but he never lost his love of the stage. Honestly written, the book reveals his troubled relationship with his father, plus his own personal family difficulties. He's also worked many famous actors who became his friends. The reader can hear his voice in the writing, as if it was spoken. If you're not a fan of the theatre, some of the acting detail might become tedious, but I found it absolutely riveting and I was always keen to get back to reading the book. An excellent autobiography.

August books

My favourite books from the past month are:

Sue Monk Kidd - The Secret Life of Bees

In South Carolina, 1964, fourteen-year-old Lily has grown up believing she was responsible for her mother's death ten years earlier. Gradually she's become a slave to her unkind father, who she calls T. Ray. But when their black servant, Rosaleen, makes the decision to register to vote now that it's been passed by law, everything changes. After an altercation, Rosaleen ends up in prison, and Lily rescures her as she knows she's in danger. The two then set off on a voyage of discovery. Lily takes with her a treasured picture from her mother's few remaining belongings, depicting a black Madonna and marked with a place name. When Rosaleen and Lily eventually arrive there, they discover that the picture is a label from a honey farm. It's run by three black sisters, August, June and May, who open their home to the two strangers. There Lily learns about kindness, about bees and that the colour of your skin should never make anyone suffer or be despised. But can she tell the sisters who she really is, and can she eventually discover the truth about her mother and how she died? A fascinating and deep novel, but it's a compelling read.

Shaun Bythell - The Diary of a Bookseller

I finished reading this non-fiction book in July, but I'm including it in my August books. I've been dipping in and out of it over a couple of months since visiting south west Scotland in early May. On a very wet day we visited Wigtown, known as Scotland's book town, and spent a couple of hours looking round some of the many bookshops. There was so much to browse and enjoy in The Bookshop. Written by the shop's proprietor, this is an entertaining glimpse of life behind the counter. He started keeping a journal of the trials and tribulations of being a bookseller, from the strange customers to the vicissitudes of online selling through Amazon, the local weather, and the excitement of investigating a collection of books to see if there's anything thrilling to add to the stock. His observations are entertaining and often humorous, as he reveals his life as a traditional second-hand bookseller in a world which is rapidly transforming to digital, and where customers' expectations are also changing. For anyone who likes browsing bookshops, it's a must! And in hindsight I'm very glad that I did buy books when I was in the shop. We really need to keep these treasure troves on the streets of our towns.

Jenny Colgan - Five Hundred Miles from You

It wasn't until I finished this novel that I realised that it was the third in a trilogy - but each book can be read as a standalone. It was a perfect holiday read (especially when staying in Scotland for my summer holiday). London nurse Lissa witnesses a tragic event which severely affects her emotionally. To help her recover, she's seconded for three months to a remote Scottish village near Inverness, in an exchange with ex-army medic, Cormac, who will take over her job in London. Although they have never met, or even seen what the other looks like, the two keep in touch professionally so that they can troubleshoot any problems in their new jobs. Once living in his house, Lissa finds herself becoming more curious about the man himself, while in the London nurses' home, Lissa's outrageous friend Kim-Ange takes him under her wing. Both Lissa and Cormac begin to connect on a deeper level, unaware that they have another, more sensitive connection, through the circumstances that led to their exchange. But at the back of Lissa's mind is the dread of her upcoming court appearance in connection with the crime she witnessed. Will her time out in Scotland give her the courage to face this? A tenderly written and heartwarming story.