Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week the theme is Bookish Discoveries I Made in 2025 (New-to-you authors you discovered, new genres you learned you like, new bookish resources you found, friends you made, local bookshops you found, a book club you joined, etc.). I am going to use this as an opportunity to showcase some of the new to me authors I read last year.
All up I read 67 new to me authors which is hard to narrow down to just ten choices, so the first 9 of these authors are those that I read multiple books from. In other words, I enjoyed their first books enough to go and read more!
Finding that elusive 10th author to include on the list was a bit trickier. I thought I would pick one where I only read one book by them but I gave that book 5/5 rating. However, there are still four of those!
Claire Keegan - I know that I am late to the party with this one but I read two of Irish author Claire Keegan's books last year and I have already read another this year. I am going to run out of her books soon I think. Often her books are quite short but boy they pack a punch!
Claire van Ryn - Another Claire! This one is from Tasmania, and I really loved both books of hers that I read last year which I reviewed here and here. Birds play an important part in the stories and both covers are gorgeous! I will be excited about her next book for sure!
Emma Davies - Emma Davies is a British author. I enjoyed the two books I read from her and have now bought some of her earlier books. I reviewed her books here and here.
Emma Grey - I have mentioned Emma Grey several times now in my best of posts for last year. She is the only author that I have given 5/5 stars to both of the books I read from her last year. I reviewed them here and here. Can't wait for the next book which is out soon.
Hannah Bonam-Young - This is definitely a case of being last to the party. I read Out on a Limb and Next of Kin last year and I am looking forward to reading more this year!
Laura Imai Messina - Laura Imai Messina is Italian by birth, but she has lived in Japan for more than 20 years. I loved both of her books but so far I have only reviewed one of them. I have a friend who is a Japanophile and I was talking to her about this authors books, and she started to cry because she said that the stories just sound so Japanese. I don't think any more of this authors books have been translated into English, but if they are I will be reading them!
Mai Mochikuzi - At first I wasn't sure about the mix of human size, walking, talking cats, astrology and food but it is fun. I reviewed the first book here and the second book here.
Shari Low - I read three of Shari Low's books last year. They are mainly set in Scotland and feature a bunch of fun characters, and are often interconnected.
Yuta Takahashi - This is the author of one of several Japanese foodie series I am reading. This one features a restaurant where you can come to eat remembrance meals and get the chance to have one last conversation with the person you are remembering. I reviewed the two books here and here.
Jodi McAlister - In the end I chose this book because it is the only book by a new to me author that I rated 5/5 stars that I never got around to reviewing, for no other reason than I ran out of time. I also saw her at a couple of events last year as well! If you love smart, funny enemies to lover romances check it out! Highly recommend! One of the members of my book club read it and she absolutely loved it, and she is 80 years old!! I will definitely read more from Jodi McAlister
Melbourne weather is notoriously fickle and we have had some really,really hot days this week with more to come. This week it just so happened that I picked up two books set in the Arctic area of the northern hemisphere, so plenty of snow and ice to cool the brain. The first of those books was The Arctic Cruise by Caroline James. Our characters sailed north to Norway chasing the Northern Lights. It was a fun read. (my review)
Then my thoughts turned to France and pastries when I read The Boulangerie on the Corner by Susan Buchanan. As I stated at the beginning of my review...you had me at boulangerie!
I stepped a bit outside of my normal reading this week and read The Housemaid by Freida McFadden. I don't normally read these kinds of psychological thrillers. I picked it up because a friend of mine recently told me that McFadden is her favourite author, and I have noticed how her books are dominated the best sellers lists around the world! Having now read one of her books, I can see why. It was gripping, twisty and turny and definitely made me want to find out what happens next. I have requested the next book from the library but there is a bit of a wait.
Finally, I started Us Against You by Fredrik Backman, which is set in a small town in Sweden. This is the second book in the Beartown trilogy and I'm enjoying it very much. I can't wait to pick it up again today.
I'm watching
I watched the first episode of the Irish show, The Walsh Sisters, which is based on the Marian Keyes books. I wasn't really sure what to make of the first episode. There was lots of drama, but I guess I always think of Marian Keyes as being funny while she tackles heavy issues. I am not sure I got the funny yet. I will keep watching too see if it picks up or not.
Recently, it was announced that the best selling books in the Before the Coffee Gets Cold series are being made into a TV series. I thought that it was probably about time that I watched the movie version which was made back in 2018, which is called Cafe Funiculi Funicula. I enjoyed it,, and liked the way that they depicted the person going back in time. It was a bit different to the book, which I guess is to be expected. I liked it, but I am not 100% sure it would have made a lot of sense if I didn't already read the series.
Here's the trailer
Life
It's a long weekend here for Australia Day. It is a bit of contentious holiday. It's not because people aren't proud to be Australian and love our great country, but the date of 26 January is seen as being harmful for indigenous Australians as it represents the day that the British came and took their land and so many of their people in the following years. I would be quite happy to see the date changed to another date that is less painful. It's been changed before and it can be changed again. I am, however, happy to have the additional day off. Work has been pretty stressful so I am grateful for the chance for one extra day to just do not much, especially seeing as we have had some pretty hot days
With the heat comes the threat of fires. Whilst I have never been close to being threatened by a really big fire, I do hate the days that you wake up and all you can smell is the lingering smoke from fires in other parts of the state. It was like that yesterday morning.
Max
Poor Maxxie boy has an eye infection so he looks a bit rough at the moment. It is getting better slowly though. You can also see how bad his blindness is getting. He is, however, still a happy boy. We will see if there is anything that can be done for him this year. With all his other health issues though we are just taking it one condition at a time!
2025 was a pretty good reading and blogging year, helped by the fact that I wasn't working for the first half of the year. Not working gave me time and freedom to read what I wanted, whenever I wanted. No more trying to fit reading in around long hours and high pressure. I am back to that world now. I set my goal for 2025 at 104 books and I easily met it. I didn't re-set the goal and ended up reading 171 books for the year. Now that I am back at work, I am leaving my goal at 104, as that feels quite doable at a rate of 2 books per week.
The lure of the new and shiny continues to dominate my reading when it comes to deciding what to read, and 2025 was even higher than 2024. I read 102 books published in 2025. The oldest book I read was Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Genre wise, there are no surprises that my reading is dominated by general fiction (which is a kind of catch all for all sorts of books), historical fiction and contemporary romance. I am not sure I always get my classifications right, especially when I look at what is marketed as women's fiction versus romance as often they feel very similar. I did read 3 non fiction books last year, which seems to be about my normal amount.
One of the things that has changed over the last few years is that I am reading a lot more British authors. This is mainly because of the blog tours that I am doing which feature of couple of British publishers. One of my ongoing goals is to focus a little more on Australian authors. I did read about 10 more books by Australian authors in 2025 than I did in 2024 so I did make some progress.
You can definitely see the impact that returning to work full time had on my reading!
No surprises here really. My preferred reading format is definitely e-books these days. My numbers for paper reading have gone up in 2025, mainly because I used my local library more!
In 2024 I only read a couple of books from my library. In 2025 that number was a lot higher!
From a blogging perspective, I do have a fairly established routine. I will pretty much always post on Monday, Tuesday and Saturday, and a couple of Sundays a month and then as needed on other days of the week. There was a bit of a dip in October when we were on holidays and I hadn't pre scheduled as many posts as I did when we went on holidays earlier in the year.
Some other stats:
I read 67 new to me authors in 2025, which is 39% of my total read. There were several authors who I read for the first time last year that I then went on to read more of their books. Special shout out to Emma Grey. I gave both of her books that I read last year 5/5 and I can't wait to read their next book!
The authors who I did read the most books by were Leonie Mack with 4 books, Maggie Christensen, Amanda Hampson, Helen Rolfe, Jo Thomas, Laura Pearson and Shari Low with 3 books each
I don't do a lot of rereads at the best of times. In 2025 there was only one reread which was The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley. I have reread that book 5 times now and I still love it every single time! I didn't even do my now traditional rereads of Hogfather by Terry Pratchett and The Secret History of Christmas by Bill Bryson at Christmas
As always my reading is skewed to read a lot more women authors than men. In 2025 I read 158 books by female authors and 13 by men. That is a big reduction in the number of male authors from 2024.
A new statistic that I started recording in 2024 is whether I have reviewed a book or not. I don't intend to go back to reviewing every single book I read, but I am pleasantly surprised that I reviewed 77% of the books I read.
The final statistic for me to share relates to the grades that I have given out. I am always pretty stingy with my 5 star grades. Usually I might give two or three books the top grade but in 2025 it was an exceptional year with 13 books that I graded as 5/5 reads. As always, my go to grade is 4/5 if I liked it.
I have previously shared my favourite 13 books for the year in my Best Books posts which I shared for a Top Ten Tuesday post a couple of weeks ago. You can find the list here.
You can find my previous Year in Review posts at the following links
You know that I am always up for a foodie read, and books set in France, so a foodie book set in France is my jam. Or should I say confiture!
When Lia breaks up with her up to no good partner Freddie, not only is she now single, but she also has to sell her apartment and find somewhere new to live. Deciding that she needs a holiday, she goes to see her boss to ask for some time off only to find out that she is likely going to be losing her job as well due to being made redundant.
Lia is naturally devastated, but Jules encourages her to think about where her happy place might be and to try to go there. It doesn't take Lia long to remember how much she loves France, particularly the Toulouse region where she spent 3 months living with a French family fifteen years previously. She has kept in touch with the Molins family, and they would love to see her, so it is quickly arranged that she will go and visit.
The Molins run the village boulangerie. It means early mornings to get the baking done, and long hours in the shop with customers. But life happens and everyone gets older, and for the Molins family this means that their parents/grandparents are getting older and have significant health concerns. Shortly after Lia arrives there are some health emergencies, and she finds herself helping out in the boulangerie, just getting by with her very rusty French.
Fresh off a break up, the last thing that Lia is really thinking about it is a new relationship, but she soon catches the attention of not one, but two very handsome French men. Theo is flashy, a bit pushy and wants to take Lia to the most expensive restaurants in town. Jean-Luc is more down to earth and owns the fromagerie that is right next to the boulangerie. Soon Lia finds her life getting a bit complicated, especially given that both men have history with the Molins family.
Lia finds that spending time with the family, even with all the challenges they are facing at the moment, and in France makes her realise that perhaps her current circumstances give her the chance to choose what she wants for the future, rather than just following her existing path. As the pressures rise on the Molins, could it be that Lia can find a new path for herself and help them overcome their own challenges.
I loved the Molins family. This is a family that is having a serious run of bad luck. The have worked hard over the years building a successful family run business that is an important part of the local community. I think if I had to get up at 2am to do the baking everyday I would end up seriously over tired and grumpy, but together they are able to support each other both with the boulangerie and through their current trials.
I also enjoyed the Toulouse setting. I loved the sound of some of the places that Lia visited, and the fact that Carcasonne is just down the road is a real temptation for me as that is a place that is on my bucket list.
There is lots of baking in this book, and plenty of references to delicious sounding treats like chocolatines (which is what pain au chocolat is called in the South of France), baguettes and other less familiar sounding pastries such as pastis Gascon which is apple pie with a hint of Armagnac.
One of the sections that I really loved was when the team from the boulangerie decide to enter a regional competition for new products, and they decide to develop a fig and cheese fougasse. I had heard of fougasse before, which is kind of like foccacia but it has distinctive cuts in it which form slits in the bread making it both crunchy and soft and pillowy. It is traditionally flavoured with olives which I don't love, but the idea that there are lots of other flavours out there is very appealing. Here's a video to show what they end up looking like
I have making foccacias on my list of things to try one day. Maybe I will try fougasse instead.
In the blurb below it says for fans of Gillian Harvey, Jo Thomas, Rebecca Raisin and Veronica Henry. I really enjoy those first three authors, and now Susan Buchanan, so I guess I should go and find some Veronica Henry books. Oh, and read some more from Susan Buchanan as well! This is the first in her new European Escapes series and I will be looking out for the next one.
I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted at The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews, with Foodies Read hosted at Based on a True Story and of course with Weekend Cooking which I host. Thanks to the publisher and Rachel's Random Resources for the review copy. Be sure to check out other stops on the blog tour below.
Rating 4/5
About the Book
The Boulangerie on the Corner
🥖🥐🥖🥐 Grab your passport for the first in the European Escapes series 🥐🥖🥐🥖
No home. No job. No boyfriend.
When Lia loses her job straight after a break-up, she escapes to the Molins’ family-run boulangerie in Toulouse – the place she was last happy, far away from her cheating ex.
Sworn off men, she isn’t prepared for the spark she feels for charming cheesemaker Jean-Luc, nor for things heating up at the family’s country home in Gascony when handsome, self-assured vineyard-owner Théo asks her out.
Torn between the two and her connections to the Molins family, Lia has some tough decisions to make.
Lia loves being back in France with the people she cares about, helping in the boulangerie. On discovering it is under threat of closure, she is devastated and resolves to do everything in her power to help it stay open.
Will she succeed? And will she be able to choose between the two handsome Frenchmen and live her happily ever after?
For fans of Gillian Harvey, Rebecca Raisin, Jo Thomas and Veronica Henry.
Susan Buchanan writes contemporary romance, women’s fiction and romantic comedies, usually featuring travel, food, family, friendship, community – also Christmas!
Her books are Sign of the Times, The Dating Game, The Christmas Spirit, Return of the Christmas Spirit, A Little Christmas Spirit, A Taste of Christmas Spirit and Just One Day – Winter, Spring, Summer and Autumn, The Leap Year Proposal, You Can’t Hurry Love and The Boulangerie on the Corner.
As a freelance developmental editor, copyeditor and proofreader, if she’s not reading, editing or writing, she’s thinking about it.
She is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, the Society of Authors and the Alliance of Independent Authors.
She lives near Glasgow with her husband, two children and a crazy Labrador.
When she’s not editing, writing, reading or caring for her two delightful cherubs, she likes going to the theatre, playing board games, watching quiz shows and eating out, and she has a penchant for writing retreats.
Giveaway to Win a signed and dedicated paperback of The Boulangerie on the Corner (Open to UK Only)
*Terms and Conditions –UK entries welcome. Please enter using the Gleam box below. The winner will be selected at random via Gleam from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.
Saturday - Away for the weekend Sunday - Away for the weekend Monday - Away for the weekend Tuesday - Chicken Schnitzel and chips Wednesday - Mexican chicken and rice Thursday - Chilli con carne and rice Friday - Takeaway
Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book reviews (novel, nonfiction), cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs, restaurant reviews, travel information, or fun food facts. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page
When sisters Addie and Susanna receive an invitation to their aunt's funeral, it isn't a done deal that they would attend. Gayle might have stepped in to care for the girls when they were orphaned, but it wasn't smooth sailing. Susanna, in particular, was resentful of having to move to Anchor Island in the Channel Islands, and she could not wait to get out of there when she was old enough. Addie was more settled living with Aunt Gayle, and she had a burgeoning love of baking as she helped in her aunt's pudding bar until she was forced to choose between staying on the island or heading to the mainland with her sister.
Having arrived on the island, the two girls are shocked to find Aunt Gayle alive, although not necessarily well. A small but crucial word was missing from the invite - it was meant to be a living funeral! For Susanna, this accidental oversight feels like manipulation and she is reminded of why she wanted to get away from the island in the first place. However, Susanna's life is a bit of a mess right now with her marriage seemingly on the rocks, so maybe she can stay for a short time while she thinks about what might come next. What she doesn't need is to run into her first true love but Anchor Island is a very small place!
Addie is a single mother. She lives in London with her young son, and she worries about how she can give him a life where he has the freedom to play in a garden or ride his bike. It all feels like a long way from anything she can achieve now. Could spending time on Anchor Island help her define what her next steps in life are.
Having agreed to stay for a short time, Addie and Susanna take on the task of clearing out their late father's belongings. Addie adored her father but the two sisters can't talk about him without tensions boiling over. Addie can't understand why Susanna has issues when it comes to him. And Gayle is the keeper of even more of their father's secrets. What happens when the truth is revealed?
I have read quite a few books set on the Channel Islands but most of them have been set during the German occupation during WWII. As far as I can remember none of them have had a contemporary setting. Anchor Island sounded like an idyllic place with it's mix of sea and land and interesting characters!
I loved the sound of Aunt Gayle's pudding bar. The food sounded amazing! From jam roly polys to fruit crumbles, lemon meringue pies and so much more. I would love to visit a place that specialised in all of these different desserts!
I have read a number of books by Helen Rolfe, and I do enjoy them. This was a different setting, and had a different feeling. It took a little while to get going, and it took me even longer to warm to Susanna in particular. Whilst this book is being billed as a standalone novel, it does feel like it could be the start of a series or a duology at last, and I would love to see what happens with one of the characters we met.
I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted at The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews, with British Isles Friday hosted at Joy's Book Blog and Foodies Read hosted at Based on a True Story. And of course with Weekend Cooking which I host. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the review copy.
Do you have a bucket list of places you would like to visit one day? We absolutely do, and visiting somewhere like Norway to visit the Northern Lights is right up near the top! In fact, we are talking about doing it at the end of this year or early next year, and having read this book, I most definitely want to go!
Joy isn't sure that she wants to really take this Christmas cruise through Norway chasing the Northern Lights. She and her husband Tom had booked the cruise some time ago to celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary, but he had subsequently passed away leaving her to take the cruise on her own.
Henry is on the cruise because of the guest speakers who are experts on his favourite hobby of photography. He is looking forward to sharing his Arctic adventures with his best friend, Audrey, who can't travel herself and is therefore living vicariously through Henry.
Letitia and Jim are making the most of every moment they can, knowing that Jim's health isn't going to get any better than it is right now. And Barb and Ken are there to see and be seen and are aiming to rub shoulders with the most important people on the ship, ranging from the captain to the guests who are staying in the ultra exclusive suites.
For all that the other people play an important part in the story, this is really Joy and Henry's story. Henry is a life long bachelor and has no interest in forming any romantic relationships. Joy is still recovering from her loss. She does her best to hide in plain sight, with a wardrobe of frumpy clothes and little interest in taking part in any group activities. But some people have a knack of drawing out even the shyest of people. We watch as Joy begins to come out of her shell, and it is only then that we find out how much impact she has had in her field of work and we see her undergo a transformation of her own.
Ultimately, for Joy and Henry the attraction they feel for each other is initially hampered by their life experience and circumstances. Will they take a risk and try to build on what starts on a boat underneath the amazing aurora borealis, or will they take only their memories with them as they return to their normal life?
We love a cruise from the food to the entertainment, the sea days and the excursions, although we have never done one to cold climes. We also haven't done a cruise at Christmas time, which is when this book is set. We have talked about it, and it is very tempting, so it might happen at some point. And whilst it is more fun to be the one actually cruising from one interesting destination to another, Caroline James does a great job of taking us on a cruise through the pages of her books! I particularly enjoyed her descriptions of some of the excursions!
One of the challenges of travelling with other people is that there are all sorts of people out there, some of whom you can quickly come to like and other's who you know you would never pass the time of day to in other circumstances. We have met the people who know what is best for the whole group, the people who have been everywhere and done everything, and the people who just stick to themselves and barely acknowledge your existence. Just like in real life, the book is peppered with different types of people who are thrown together by fate. Fortunately, none of the people I have met in real life are as bad as a couple of the passengers in this story!
I have read several of Caroline James' books now, and I have enjoyed them all, but I particularly enjoyed this one with it's interesting mix of locations and characters. I look forward to reading her next cruise adventure!
I don't want to finish without giving a shout to the cover designers as this cover is amazing! Great job!
I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted at The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews. Thanks to the publisher, Rachel's Random Resources and Netgalley for the review copy. Check out the other stops on the blog tour as well!
Rating 4/5
About the book
The Arctic Cruise
Pack your bags for the adventure of a lifetime…
From the #1 bestselling author of The Cruise, embark on an unforgettable journey and sail through Norway’s winter wonderlands to see the spectacular Northern Lights.
________
Will the Arctic wonderland work its magic this winter?
Joy never imagined stepping aboard a cruise ship without her husband, Tom. Now widowed, Joy wonders what her voyage on the Emerald Dream will hold – and as it glides through breathtaking Norwegian fjords, she longs to believe in happiness again. However, she carries a secret that could unravel her fragile hopes if it ever came to light…
Elsewhere on deck, as the sun dips below the horizon and the polar night sets in, Henry, a lifelong bachelor, is living his dream of seeing the Northern Lights. Having long since given up on love, he now dedicates himself to his passion for photography. But when he meets Joy, is it more than the aurora borealis that catches his eye?
As they embark on a snow-dusted adventure which takes them from bustling ports to reindeer-drawn sleigh rides, will Joy and Henry find the courage to embrace love again? Or will hidden truths sink the possibility of a new beginning?
A heartwarming, feel-good voyage of self-discovery, romance and second chances, perfect for fans of Sarah Morgan and Judy Leigh.
Caroline James is the celebrated author of later-life fiction, including THE CRUISE, the #1 best-seller that has captivated cruise ship passengers worldwide, and her eagerly anticipated follow-up novel, THE CRUISE CLUB, and now: THE ARCTIC CRUISE.
Her best-selling novel ATTICUS ARNOTT’S GREAT ADVENTURE is described as “A heartwarming and uplifting read where the characters shine from the page.”
Caroline’s vibrant storytelling stems from her colourful career. Before becoming a full-time writer, she carved out a fascinating path in the hospitality industry, owning a charming country house hotel and a lively pub. As a media agent, she worked closely with celebrity chefs, giving her an insider’s perspective on the glitz, glamour, and grit of the culinary world. When she finally turned her focus to writing, she discovered her true calling, penning best-selling novels that have garnered her legions of fans.
When she’s not writing in her cosy writing retreat, Caroline enjoys tranquil walks with Fred, her Westie, and refreshing swims in a local lake. As a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, the SoA, ARRA, and the Society of Women’s Writers & Journalists, Caroline is a champion of lifelong creativity.
If you were to ask me what my husband's retirement dream would be, it would be to buy a boat and sail around Australia for as long as it takes. I am not sure how long I would last on such a trip, but if you could combine it with doing something with books, I could make the distance.
I said yes to this simply based on the fact that I have really enjoyed the book I have previously read from her, and that will also be my practice going forward. This is the first time I have read one of her books set wholly in Croatia but I do have The Dubrovnik Book Club on my Kindle to read at some point.
When Ana Meštrović recieves an inheritance from her grandfather, she uses it to buy a catamaran which she has been using to run a charter business. She needs to diversify if she is going to keep her business running successfully enough to not need to take her boat and return to be part of the family business. She loves the sea and her independence.
When an opportunity comes up to run a pilot for a library project, Ana is determined to make it work. The idea is that she will sail through the Croatian islands. At each stop, there will be a library set up where hopefully the local population will come and borrow all the books and then return them the following week. If this pilot program is a success then Ana might be able to secure the contract, and her livelihood and independence, for the next few years.
In order to run the operation effectively, Ana employs a young woman named Natali as a general deckhand/boat mechanic/Girl Friday and former teacher Lloyd as the librarian. Also along for the ride is Natali's dog Obi. Ana isn't sure that she is equipped to be the leader of these people, and it can get complicated when you not only work with these people but you also share a very confined living space.
Natali is pretty quiet, only talking to her dog most of the time. She loves working on boats but she is self taught with no qualifications and limited schooling. She works low pay jobs to make ends meet and usually it is hard to get a job on a boat because of Obi. She is therefore super keen to please, going above and beyond. However, she does find it difficult to engage with her co-workers, always believing that she isn't as clever as them, a message that has been reinforced over and over again over the years by her mother.
Lloyd is a widower who is trying to get on with life following the death of his wife. He has been encouraged by his daughter to make a new start and go on and adventure. He has had to leave his job as a teacher but he is loving feeling useful again.
Things start off slowly, but they are slowly beginning to build when one of the crew's past catches up with him. Lloyd hadn't told Ana that he had even been to the country before. When he was a young man he had worked for a time on an island where he had met and fallen madly in love with a young woman. But it was 1991, and the Croatian war was on the verge of beginning and so Lloyd had to leave in a hurry, leaving behind his love.
I said yes to this simply based on the fact that I really enjoyed the book I have previously read from her, and that will also be my practice going forward, which was The Santorini Writing Retreat (my review). This is the first time I have read one of her books set wholly in Croatia but I do have The Dubrovnik Book Club on my Kindle to read at some point.
I really enjoyed this book. I loved the way that the three crew members gradually opened up to each other, becoming almost like family. I really enjoyed how each of them were able to take control of their own lives, making decisions about what their future would look like, regardless of what people around them might think. And I loved seeing Natali fall in love with books and also realise that she could do more with her life and have more security if she was happy to take some chances.
I haven't even mentioned the islands yet. I read this book in the plane on the way to Perth over the weekend and I was transported from inside a very crowded plane to the waters of the islands in Croatia with their history, culture, food, and yes, with the added bonus of books! There were some interesting characters who impacted our main characters in sometimes very touching ways.
If you are looking for a bookish books that takes you to new parts of the world through the pages, then consider reading this one!
I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted at The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews and with the Bookish Books Challenge hosted at Bloggin' Bout Books. Thanks to the publisher, Rachel's Random Resources and Netgalley for the review copy. Check out the other stops on the blog tour as well!
Rating 4/5
About the book
The Croatian Island Library
Where books are borrowed, and friendships are forged…
When her beloved grandfather dies, Ana Meštrović buys a catamaran in his memory, which she names Dida Krila – Grandad’s Wings.
For the summer months, it will be transformed into a travelling library, delivering books to children living across the Croatian islands.
Joined by crew members Natali, a young mechanic afraid of her own shadow, and Lloyd, an older widower who needs a fresh start, the newly-formed trio all have their own reasons for needing the floating library to be a success.
Embarking on an adventure that will change them for good, they each discover that a new chapter is only a boat ride away…
Eva Glyn writes escapist relationship-driven fiction with a kernel of truth at its heart. She loves to travel and finds inspiration in beautiful places and the stories they hide.
Set mainly in Croatia, her contemporary stories are more about friendship than romance, the coming together of people through shared interests, and the opportunity to make fresh starts in their lives. A love of books is a common theme too, so her publisher, One More Chapter, has christened them the Bookish Escapes collection which currently includes The Dubrovnik Book Club, and The Santorini Writing Retreat, with The Croatian Island Library to be published in January 2026.
In addition Eva has written two Second World War dual timeline romances, An Island of Secrets and The Collaborator’s Daughter, and a new beginnings novel entitled The Olive Grove. All are set in Croatian, a country she loves.
Although she considers herself Welsh, Eva lives in Cornwall with the man she met and fell in love with more than thirty years ago. She also writes as Jane Cable.
Giveaway To Win a paperback copy of The Croatian Island Library (Open to UK & Ireland Only)
*Terms and Conditions –UK & Ireland entries welcome. Please enter using the Gleam box below. The winner will be selected at random via Gleam from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.
Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week the theme is Goals for 2026 (Bookish or not! Share your reading goals, personal goals, etc.)
Last year was the first time in years that I had set actual goals, and to be honest I am pretty much going to have the same goals this year, so this week's post is going to be both a review of how I went last year and what I am planning this year.
My Goodreads goal for 2025 was to read 104 books, and I easily met this goal. I ended up reading 171 book for this year. This was helped by the fact that I didn't go back to work until August. This year I am going to set the same goal as last year. It is definitely doable even though I am now back at work. I don't want to make it any higher.
Read more Australian authors - I have been reading a lot more British authors, and have found some that I really love, but I do need to make some more space for new to me Aussie authors as well Last year I read 40 books by Australian authors and I would love to read even more this year!
Read more historical fiction - Given I host the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge, I really should read more. Last year I read around 50 historical fiction novels, so I am hopeful that I can read more this year! If I read more Aussie historical fiction books then I could kill two birds with one stone!
Review both of those when I do read them - I am never going to go back to reviewing every single book I read, but I do want to make a concerted effort to read both of the two types I mentioned above. I did pretty well a this last year, particularly when I wasn't working.
I committed to doing the chapter a day War and Peace readalong, so one of my goals was to make sure I actually did it. I didn't achieve this goal. I managed around 70%. I kept up until I went back to work but I am determined to finish it.
I do intend to read some classics this year so I am still contemplating whether I will join the Classics Spin or not! We'll see.
The question I asked last year was "Will this year be the year that I finally figure out how to build engagement on social media?" And the answer was no. I have slow and steady growth on my Bookstagram, but never going to set the word on fire. If you would like to follow me I am intrepidreaderandbaker. I will also follow you back!
I said that I was going to figure out Storygraph last year, which just didn't happen. I am going to stick with Goodreads and try to do the additional Goodreads challenges as much as I can.
My final goal was that I wanted to use the library more. I did this and I will continue to do that this year, although a times it does get a bit tricky balancing review due dates with library due dates.
.png)
