The Briar Club by Kate Quinn

So when I sat down to write this post I was intending to do a couple of mini reviews of some historical fiction novels I've read over the last couple of months. However, it turns out that I have plenty to say about this book. The other mini reviews will just have to wait as this is a maxi review!

This the second Kate Quinn book I have finished  over the last few months. The first book I read was The Diamond Eye and then I listened to the audiobook of The Briar Club. I already know that I will be reading more Kate Quinn as soon as I can find space in my reading schedule. It is easy to see why Kate Quinn is such a popular author. 

In this book she bring together a house full of women who are all boarders at Briarwood House. The ladies all live very separate lives with most of their interactions being fights over the bathroom until Grace March moves into the small apartment on the top floor. Soon they are regularly gathering together every Thursday for a supper club and they are sharing their lives and their food. Also joining them are Pete and Lena who are the children of the crusty and judgemental landlady Doilies Nelson. I loved the way that all the boarders become involved in the lives of the young people, providing them with the care and attention that they don't get from their mother and their absent father.

Among the boarders there is Fliss who is a young British mum who is married to an American doctor who is serving in Korea. She is determined that she should be the perfect wife and mother to her baby girl, but that is a hard facade to maintain when you are falling apart. Also living in the house are Reka, an elderly German art professor who is now poverty stricken and who holds a long standing grudge, Claire who comes across as being very tough, Bea who is a former professional baseball player, and Nora who is a policeman's daughter and works at the National library but falls in love with an unsuitable man. Oh, and then there is Arlene, a young Texan woman who is desperate to find a husband. 

I loved the way that Grace is able to break through the barriers that her housemates put up so that soon she knows all their secrets. We hear each of their stories, see them as they fall in love, find their direction, challenge society's restrictive norms, touch on many cultural and historical events and more. Yet, as someone points out, Grace manages to keep all of her own secrets in tact, until her past catches up with her.  

Set in Washington in the 1950s, this is the McCarthy era and lots of people were scared of the Red Threat of communism but there is plenty of other ground covered here too including racism and domestic violence, art and food

One of the surprises in this book is that Briarwood House is a character in the book. As the boarders in the house grow together then the house too begins to come to life. It loves the way that Grace begins painting the walls. It is also the narrator for the shocking events that are unfolding as we hear each of the women's stories. 

Given that one of the keys to this story is the Thursday night supper club, it is probably no surprise that food plays a big part in this story. I probably would have really liked to read this book as well as listen to it so that I could read the recipes. It was interesting how culturally varied the recipes were. Pretty sure I am not too worried about trying Arlene's Candlestick salad though! I did love Lena's story arc particularly in relation to her food journey.

It's fair to say I loved this book. When I finished it I was desperate to talk about it with someone who had read it, about books that one of the stories reminds me of, but I can't even say that now because it will then spoil the twist at the end!

The narrator was Saskia Maarleveld and she did a great job of telling the story. I was interested to hear the additional feature at the end of the book where the author and the narrator sat down to talk about the audiobook process. Kate Quinn even said that when she was writing she was thinking about the audiobook performance so that influenced some of the backstories for the women. This meant that it made it easier for the narrator to have different voices and intonations for each of the character. 

This is another fantastic read from Kate Quinn, and I highly recommend it.

I am sharing this review with Foodies Read hosted at Based on a True Story and with the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge which I host.  

Rating 4.5/5

Blog Tour: Winter Nights at the Bay Bookshop by Jessica Redland

Lily loves her job running the family bookstore Bay Books. She loves the moments during her day when she gets to talk about books with customers or when she sees a young child engrossed in a book in the children's area of the store. She loves the team who work with her, including one of her best friends, she loves planning window displays, especially in the run up to Christmas.

Whilst her professional life is satisfying, her personal life is arguably not so successful. She had had two big romances in her life and they both ended with her being left behind. Now, she lives in the annexe at her parents house and she is happy there, but she does know that something is missing.

When her dad, well actually her stepfather but he has been there for her since he came into her life which is more than you can say about her biological father needs a double knee operation and it is going to be happening in the run up to Christmas, which is the busiest time of the year, she knows she is going to need some help. She needs to recruit someone who loves books, has initiative and great customer service.

Enter Lars Jóhannsson. Lars has recently sold his successful business and his grandmother has moved into a seniors community, so he knows that he needs to find something to do with his time. When his friend sees the ad for the role at the bookshop, he applies but he isn't really convinced that he has a shot at getting the role. After all, he has never been someone else's employee. Oh, and there's the small matter of him treating Lily quite badly at school. He knows that he was unfair back then, but he also knows that Lily would have no idea why he didn't want to be her friend, which was actually nothing to do with her. Rather it was all to do with the hurt he felt after his beloved sister passed away and his parents separated, leaving Lars to be raised by his grandmother.

Lily remembers the hurt she felt at being rejected by Lars all those years ago, but if they can get past that could there be more between them. 

I really love a book about books and this definitely a celebration of all things books. It was full of references to many books some of which were made up but many of them were real. Anne of Green Gables, which is Lily's favourite book featured throughout the book. I loved the sound of the bookstore with it's various different levels, especially the kids section which sounded magical. 

The book is also a celebration of all things Christmas as well, with a special focus on the Christmas traditions of Iceland, due to Lars being half Icelandic and half British. I loved the sound of the 13 Yule Lads of Christmas and, of course, which of us would not love the idea of all sitting around on Christmas Eve reading the books we have just been gifted as part of the Christmas Book Flood.

As soon as I saw this book I knew that I was going to request it, because as far as I could tell it was a standalone novel. I had previously read another book from this author but I was very conscious of not wanting to start midway through any of her series. However, it become very obvious that this wasn't the first book that featured some of the same characters. It turns out that several of the shopkeepers are Lily's friends and that they have found their loves in earlier books. It didn't stop me enjoying this book, although it did distract me a little as I was reading because I was thinking about which book their stories were in. I don't like reading series out of order!

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, Netgalley and Love Book Toursfor the review copy. Check out the other stops on the blog tour as well!

Rating 4/5

About the book

It's the most wonderful time of the year at Bay Books, and a new love story is being written in the stars ✨ Nestled amongst the comforting shelves of her beloved Bay Books, Lily Appleton finds the peace and quiet she needs. But with Christmas just around the corner, Lily has to find an extra pair of hands to help her share the bookish magic.

After selling his business, Lars Jóhannsson is feeling lost. A job at Bay Books would give him the space he needs to contemplate his next move, but returning would mean confronting a painful past he's been avoiding. He’s also fairly sure he’s the one person Lily would never want to see again.

Lily is torn. Lars could be the perfect fit for Bay Books, but he once rejected her friendship and the hurt still lingers. But working together, Lily discovers a vulnerability that Lars has kept hidden away, along with a few surprising secrets. And as the Christmas season sprinkles its magic, Lily discovers the warmth of renewed friendship and the joy of heartwarming traditions from Lars’s Icelandic roots.

Surrounded by the quiet magic of the season and the soft glow of festive lights, perhaps there’s even the possibility of finding a love as enchanting as the Northern Lights on a winter's night.

About the author

 About the Author  –

Jessica Redland writes emotional but uplifting stories of love, friendship, family and community. Her Whitsborough Bay books transport readers to the stunning North Yorkshire Coast where she lives with her husband, daughter and sprocker spaniel. Her Hedgehog Hollow series, set in a hedgehog rescue centre, takes readers into the beautiful rolling countryside of the Yorkshire Wolds.

Social Media Links –  

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JessicaRedlandAuthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JessicaRedland

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessicaredlandauthor/

Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/JessicaRedlandNews

Bookbub profile: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jessica-redland

Top Ten Tuesday: V is for...

Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's theme is Villains (favorite, best, worst, lovable, creepiest, most evil, etc.). 

I did start having a think about villains and a couple did spring to mind, but not ten, so in the end I decided to twist the topic a little bit. V is for villains but it can also be for many other words, so here are my ten V is for....books

V is for Venetia by Georgette Heyer - I couldn't not include this book seeing as I have listened to it at least 4 times. Narrated by Richard Armitage this is an ultimate comfort book to listen to. Aural bliss! (review)

V is for Vintage 1954 by Antoine Laurain - This was such a fun read. A group of strangers share a bottle of wine from 1954 and find themselves back in the past. (mini review)

V is for Voice of the Falconer by David Blixt - I loved, loved, lovedthe first book I read by David Blixt which was The Master of Verona. This was the sequel to that book and I thoroughly enjoyed that one too! (review)

V is for Virgin River by Robyn Carr - I mean, there are a whole heap of books in this series set in a town called Virgin River, and a few of them have the word virgin in the title. I couldn't not have at least one of them in the list! (post about the whole series)

V is for Vision in White by Nora Roberts - I loved this whole series of four books which features a group of wedding planners, coordinators, florists etc who work together and it's their turn to fall in love!

V is for Victory of Eagles by Naomi Novik - As soon as I saw this title I knew I would have to have a V for Victory included in the list. This book is the 5th book in the excellent Temeraire series by Naomi Novik which features dragons and Napoleonic history. So much fun! (reviews from earlier books in the series)

V is for The Vineyards of Champagne by Juliet Blackwell - This was an enjoyable dual timeline which tells the story of the Champagne region of France and the events that happened there during WWI

V is for The Visitors by Jane Harrison - This book tells the story of the arrival of the First Fleet in Sydney but from the perspective of the indigenous people who were already here.

V is for The Venice Hotel by Tess Woods - I would love to be in Venice. Sigh. 

V is for The Village Cafe in the Loire by Gillian Harvey - I would, however, be just as content to be sitting at a cafe in the Loire as well! (review)

There are plenty of other words that I could have used for this list, but there are ten books with titles begining with V.

This week....

I'm reading

Well, it's finally happened. Last week was the week where the number of books I either read or started dropped dramatically. I don't see this week being any different as it is going to be very busy the whole week between work and social activities.

So what did I read last week?

I finished reading The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie by Rachel Linden which I absolutely loved, and I have already requested another of her books from the library. This book was very foodie with some magical realism which is a combination I love to read. 

The other book I read was Jessica Redland's Winter Nights at the Bay Bookshop. I mentioned in my review of Meet Me Under the Northern Lights by Maggie Baggot that Iceland is calling my name and this book just reinforced that. My review Bay Bookshop will be up later this week.

I did attend two author events last week. The first was a drive to the other side of the city to listen to author Christine Newell talk about her memoir Five Seasons in Seoul. It was a very interesting conversation and I can see myself reading this one despite the fact that I don't read a huge amount of non-fiction. It helps that my interest was piqued because we visited Seoul very briefly earlier this year 

The other event I attended on Saturday night was a round table of romance authors. 5pm on a Saturday (yes, I wrote that to the tune of Piano Man) is an odd time to have an author event but it was a large crowd. The authors that were present were Steph Vizard, Jodi McAlister, Katharine Pollack and Michelle Kalus and Ali Berg who are two best friends who write together. It was such a fun conversation where they asked each other questions ranging from how do you know when an idea is viable to what's harder to write - a first kiss or a sex scene. 

I'm watching

Not much other than football because it is the finals series here now. My team, the Adelaide Crows, finished on top of the AFL ladder at the end of the season but lost their first match. Luckily they have a second chance so they will be playing my husband's team this Friday night.

Life


My husband and his kids were all together in one place for the first time in about three years so on Monday I took the day off and we went up to a winery in the Yarra Valley for a nice lunch and then to the Chocolaterie. They were all here for their aunt's wedding. They all then went up to Queensland which is where two of them live. The middle daughter arrives back in Melbourne today to spend a few days with us and then she goes back to London where she currently lives.

Posts from the last week


Top Ten Tuesday: Get a job!
20 Books of Winter wrap up
Blog Tour: Meet Me Under the Northern Lights by Mandy Baggot
Weekend Cooking: In My Kitchen - August, and a recipe for rusks
6 Degrees of Separation: Ghost Cities to A Brief History of Montmoray



I've linked this post to It's Monday, what are you reading? as hosted by Book Date, Sunday Salon hosted at Readerbuzz and the Good Book and a Cup of Tea link up hosted at Boondock Ramblings

Six Degrees: Ghost Stories to A Brief History of Montmaray

Welcome to this month's edition of Six Degrees of Separation, which is a monthly meme hosted by Kate from Books Are My Favourite and Best. The idea is to start with a specific book and make a series of links from one book to the next using whatever link you can find and see where you end up after six links. I am also linking this post up with The Sunday Salon, hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz and A Good Book and a Cup of Tea hosted at Boondock Ramblings.

This month the starting point is Ghost Cities by Siang Lu which was recently announced as the winnter of the 2025 Mile Franklin Literary Award here in Australia. I haven't read it, and I don't think I am likely too, but that doesn't mean that I can't make a chain from it!

A book I read earlier this year that featured a house that was haunted by ghosts was Lauren Westwood's The House of Light and Shadows. (my review)

I do love it when a house is almost a character in a book. In The Briar Club by Kate Quinn Briarwood House is a character in it's own right, telling part of the story. I listened to this book on audio recently and thoroughly enjoyed it.

The next book I listened to on audio was Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby van Pelt which also featured an unusual character - a giant Pacific octopus named Marcellus. I loved the voice of Marcellus in the audiobook so I am really pleased to hear that the same actor is going to be the voice in the upcoming movie version too! 

There are remarkably few books with the word remarkably in the title (at least in my reading lists) but there is Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier which is about a woman who was a fossil collector.

Which leads me nicely to The Fossil Hunter by Tea Cooper.

Choosing the final book was actually a bit harder, as there were almost too many directions I could choose from but in the end I went with the surname of Cooper and chose A Brief History of Montmoray by Michelle Cooper

Next month, the starting point is Dominic Amerena’s novel about authors and publishing, I Want Everything.

Will you be joining us?

Weekend Cooking: In My Kitchen - August and a recipe for rusks

Welcome to the first Saturday of the month where I usually share everything I have made over the previous month. The word usually is important here because this month I baked....nothing. That's right. Not a thing! I started working again at the beginning of the month and apparently it took away all my baking inspiration.

We weren't entirely without baked goods. My husband likes to occasionally make Rusks and so he made a big batch of those, so instead of my normal baking wrap up I am going to share the recipes for that.

We did have one foodie experience and that was high tea at the Ritz-Carlton here in Melbourne. The restaurant is on the 80th floor and has amazing views. The afternoon tea itself was nice. I loved the savoury course but the scones were a bit disappointing really. But that view!

  

52 Recipes Challenge

Here are the new recipes we tried this month. Both of these are recipes from Nagi Maehashi's cookbooks. We are very behind with this so not sure that we are going to get to 52 new recipes in the year but we will keep trying.

Cajun Chicken and Rice

Shanghai Noodles

Back to the rusks, which are a twice cooked biscuit. They are perfect for dunking in a cup of tea or coffee and I happen to know that some monkeys like packaged rusks. The first time I went to South Africa, we were staying in a chalet in Manyane camp in the Pilanesberg Game reserve. One morning, the kitchen door to the chalet was left ever so slightly ajar and quick as a flash a monkey came into the kitchen and stole a whole packet of rusks. It clearly wasn't his first time as he then gently peeled open the wrapping, even tapping the rusks on the ground to get rid of the loose crumbs. This is what the humans do to try and limit the amount of soggy crumbs that end up in the bottom of the cup after you dunk the rusks.

This recipe does make a large batch, and we made it in the evening so we could then just leave it in the oven overnight to completely dry out.

We have tried several different recipes now, but this one, which we found at Teach Me Mommy, is the best one so far and so I am posting it here so that we can always find it. Reminder that it is possible to make your own buttermilk  using milk and vinegar and self raising flour using plain flour and baking powder if you need to.

The picture below is what the rusk looked like after it came out of the over the first time.

South African Rusks 

7-8 cups (1.5kg) self-raising flour (or 7-8 cups of plain flour with 8 teaspoons of baking powder)
2 cups (500g) sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon (5ml) salt
500g butter (softened)
2 cups (500ml) buttermilk 

Add the flour to your large bowl. Mix the butter in with your fingers and then add the rest of the dry ingredients.

In a separate bowl mix the eggs and buttermilk.

Add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients and mix well. (The dough should be sticky but you can add more flour to make it easier to get into the trays.)

Flatten the dough onto your cookie trays and then bake for 30 minutes at 180'C or until golden brown and baked throughout.

Let it cool slightly and cut into rusk fingers. Place the rusks directly on the racks in your oven and bake again at 70 or 75'C for 5-6 hours until it is dry throughout. (leave your oven door open slightly)

Weekend Cooking posts from the last month

Blog Tour: A Place in the Sun by Jo Thomas

Afternoon Tea Diaries: The Tea Rooms at NGV

The Deadly Dispute by Amanda Hampson

The Convenience Store by the Sea by Sonoko Machida

The Midnight Bakery by Emma Davies

Sunday Salon: Three Mini Reviews for Women in Translation Month

Weekly Meals

I am sharing this post with In My Kitchen hosted at Sherry's Pickings.

Weekly meals

Saturday - Butter chicken with roti
Sunday - 
Monday - Toast
Tuesday - Spanish Tuna Bake
Wednesday - Spicy Pork and Beef Noodles
Thursday - Mexican Chicken and Rice
Friday - Smash burgers with chips

I am sharing this post with In My Kitchen hosted at Sherry's Pickings.

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

Blog Tour: Meet Me Under the Northern Lights by Mandy Baggot

 

Chloe Bellamy is an events organiser. She loves her job, and she loves her boss Michelle, who has become a close friend. When her boss sends her on a very last minute pre Christmas trip to scope out Iceland for a potential future big event Chloe was hopeful that this might be the time that her boss offers her a partnership.  She's worked hard and she deserves this chance.

The trip was so last minute there wasn't even time to book a hotel. Never mind. Chloe thinks that she will be able to book something when she gets there. What they haven't taken into consideration is that winter is prime tourism season. Oh, and it doesn't help that Chloe has lied on her CV and can't actually speak a word of Icelandic.

When Chloe literally bangs into a tall handsome man at the airport and her overpacked suitcase ends up bursting open, it's not a great start, but it turns it is a stroke of good luck. Tour guide Gunnar is one of the good guys and he also happens to be the driver of Chloe's bus from the airport. Luckily for Chloe he is able to sort out some accomodation and can give her some ideas of where the best places are to visit.

Chloe has had a rough few months. Her relationship disintegrated once it became clear that her fertility issues were not going to go away. She has her job and her best friend Kat and that will have to be enough for now.

If you were describe the perfect man, Gunnar would be right up there. Not only is he good looking (of course), he is the kind of man who would think nothing of risking his life to save a child. In fact, he is raising a young orphan named Magnus. He is ably supported by an octogenarian family friend named Hildur and together they form a lovely found family, and this was one o f. 

When Chloe and Gunnar continue to bump into each other, their attraction grows, although there are several times when assumptions and miscommunications get in the way. But love has a way of finding a way, but only if the two people involved can get out of their own way.

I have read quite a few of Mandy Baggot's books which were all set in Greece, with one exception which was set in the mountains in France. This time we are in Iceland, and I loved how the country was shared throughout this book. You could almost make a map of all the places to visit and create your itinerary. And the same goes for the food, and the traditions and mythology. I love the sound of the night cruise from Reykjavik to see the Northern Lights. Definitely adding that to my list of things to do if I ever make it to Reykjavik in winter. 

Iceland is a place that is definitely on my list of places to visit. It was before I read this book, but it is even more. Coincidentally I have a couple of friends visiting Iceland at the moment and so between the book and their photos, you could say that Iceland is calling my name! One day!

I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted at The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews. Thanks to the publisher, Netgalley and Rachel's Random Resources for the review copy. Check out the other stops on the blog tour as well!

Rating 4/5

About the book

Meet Me Under the Northern Lights

Can one kiss melt a cold, broken heart?

When career-focused Chloe Bellamy is sent to Iceland on a last-minute work trip, it’s her big chance to prove she deserves a seat at the top.

But there’s one problem, she may have embellished her CV a little… saying she speaks Icelandic when she doesn’t! And now, to add to her woes, she’s landed with no place to stay.

Gunnar Eriksson has a habit of saving people. First, when he rescued a young boy from a volcano and offered him a forever home. Then opening his door and welcoming in a spirited yet accident-prone Octogenarian. Now Gunnar has somehow tied himself to Chloe who needs all the help she can get but, for some reason, is reluctant to accept it.

Neither of them are looking for love, but under Iceland’s spell, and with a little extra help from those around them, something begins to shift. Could one kiss beneath the Northern Lights change everything?

This Christmas, escape to Iceland for festive feels, unexpected friendships and maybe even a chance at love.

Purchase Link: https://mybook.to/UndertheNorthernLights

About the author

Mandy Baggot is a bestselling romance writer who loves giving readers that happy-ever-after. From sunshine romantic comedies set in Greece, to cosy curl-up winter reads, she's bringing gorgeous heroes and strong heroines readers can relate to. Mandy splits her time between Salisbury, Wiltshire and Corfu, Greece and has a passion for books, food, racehorses and all things Greek!

Social Media Links 

Facebook: @MandyBaggotAuthor

Twitter: @MandyBaggot

Instagram: @MandyBaggot

Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/MandyBaggotNews

Bookbub profile: @MandyBaggot