For 2025 I have decided to have a go at Spell the Month in Books which is hosted at Reviews From the Stacks. The link party opens on the first Saturday of the month, but I won't be posting until after that as I already have other things scheduled every Saturday and for the first two Sundays of the month. I will be sharing this post with Sunday Salon hosted at Readerbuzz.
The theme for this month is Giftable. The biggest challenge is finding three E books!
D - Dinner by Nagi Maehashi - We have been cooking out of this cook book for more than a year every week and I am sure anyone could find recipes to cook out!
E - Everyone in my Family has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson - This book is funny, irreverent and the start of a series, so you could give someone the next book next year as well! (my review)
C - I am cheating with this one but picked it because it is a lot of fun and is now part of my Christmas tradition. I think I totally get away with it because after all the C in December sounds like an S anyway! Secret History of Christmas by Bill Bryson
E - Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell - This is an older book but it was on that gives you all the feels. It is also a YA book so would work for a range of giftees. (my review)
M - Me Before You by Jojo Moyes - Another book with all the feels. I have read, and loved, this a few times now! (my review)
B - Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi - This might be something a little different but it gives Japanese foodie charm vibes. (my review)
E - Emma by Jane Austen - maybe a lovely special edition in honour of Jane Austen's 250th birthday.
R - Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby van Pelt - I would recommend the audio of this one. The guy who does the voice of the octopus was exceptional and he is voicing in it the upcoming movie!
I hope that you all get the books you want as gifts this year!
Welcome to another entry in my irregular event, Afternoon Tea Diaries.
Earlier this year my husband and I visited Oxi Tea Rooms and were blown away by the afternoon tea experience we had there. I do use the word experience deliberately as it wasn't just nicely presented food. The food items were mini pieces of art, and there was a fun interactive element as well. I posted about that afternoon tea here.
When I was trying to find a place to catch up with some friends pre Christmas, I thought this would be a great place. The good thing is, the Oxi Tea Rooms menu changes regularly so while it was another great experience, it was different to the first time we went.
The theme this time was Palate Through Time. The pre set afternoon tea menu was called Before and took us on a culinary journey through different times and places. If we had of wanted to also indulge in the a la carte menu, these had a theme of Beyond. These items looked spectacular but we didn't get to taste them.
The idea was that each item on the board represented a time and place across ten different eras either through the way it was presented, or the flavours or both
Here's the list of items that were included in the Before menu
2500 BC - Ancient Egypt - flatbreads, confit mushrooms, herbed salad
100+500 BC - Ancient Rome - barley, cured king fish, pickled red ginger
Once again this was a multi sensory experience. There were little glass jars on the table that were colour coded to match with each of the courses (except for the first one). In the jar, there was a piece of rock that had been infused with a smell that matched each of the courses. The idea was that you smell the rock and then eat the food and that you then have an enhanced flavour experience. It was going well until we realised that one set of our jars had the lids mixed up.
In the picture above, you can see the horse which was the Colombian era, the curried chicken pie tart, and the sponge cake. In the bottom picture you can see the Ancient Rome cured fish and the lavender dessert. As you can hopefully see they are all exquisitely presented, and for the most part they were all delicious. I didn't love the last one or the lavender one, and my favourites were probably the Elizabethan pie tart and the sponge cake.
It isn't afternoon tea without tea, and this is one aspect of the experience that didn't change. There were more than 30 different types of tea which we were invited to smell to make our choice. There options vary from Taiwanese oolong tea, to Kenyan tea and South African rooibos tea. I can't remember what I chose last time, but this time my selection was a roast peach tea. I seem to be going through a bit of a peach phase at the moment.
The tea that you selected was then brewed two ways. The first cup of tea was brewed using a traditional Chinese brewing method and then the second cup was brewed using a futuristic machine called a teapresso.
The day we went, it was the very end of the Palate Through Time menus. It was changing a couple of days later to a menu called Victoria: The Place to Be which highlights the produce from our state. This menu is available until April. I am definitely planning to go before the menu changes again. And probably when it changes to the next menu as well.
Weekly meals
Saturday - Away for the weekend Sunday - Away for the weekend Monday - Roast beef rolls and gravy Tuesday - Pressure cooker spaghetti bolognaise Wednesday - Pork Stir fry Thursday - End of year function 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
Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week the theme is Books On My Winter 2025-2026 to-Read List. Of course, I live in a land Down Under my to-read list is for summer!
Bite by Bite: Nourishments and Jamborees by Aimee Nezhukumatathil - This is the current Cook the Books selection and I am listening to this on audio.
The Croatian Island Library by Eva Glyn - This will be my first blog tour for next year
Flashlight by Helen Choi - Currently buddy reading this one with Bree from All the Things I Can Read.
The Oyster Catcher by Jo Thomas - I started this a while ago but I had to take it back to the library before I finished it.
The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters - This has been on my TBR list for a long time.
In the Paris Fashion by Sophie Beaumont - I really enjoyed Sophie Beaumont's previous Paris books so I am looking forward to this one.
Yours Cheerfully by A J Pearce - I loved the first book in the Emmy Lake series so I have high hopes for this one.
My Big Greek Island Ex-Scape by Sandy Barker - This book comes out early next year and it sounds like a lot of fun1
The Arctic Curry Club by Dani Redd - I saw these books on someone's blog last week! This is the only one I can get in Australia
Jean Plaidy - My read on a theme book club theme for January is a childhood favourite. I think I have decided to revisit my high school reading days when I obsessively read every Jean Plaidy book my library had! Big decision is which one! I am leaning towards The Goldsmith's Wife, mainly because I have two copies of that one!
I finished Golden Girls on the Run by Judy Leigh which was a lot of fun and which I reviewed here.
After that, I pretty much hit a reading wall. I think it is because I don't have any more due dates for blog tours etc so I looked at the 50 books or so that are at the top of the various folders (amongst the thousand or so that I have on there) and couldn't decide which book was next up.
It turns out though, that a delayed flight and three hours sitting at an airport, can help with that. I read Best Wishes From the Full Moon Coffee Shop by Mai Mochizuki, which is the second book in the Full Moon Coffee Shop series and is set at Christmas.
I then quickly read the epilogue to Helen Rolfe's Best Days of Our Lives which was lovely.
On the way home I read The War Time Book Club by Kate Thompson. I have had a couple of her books on my TBR pile for a long time and I have to say I am wondering why I waited so long!
I'm watching
I haven't watched my normal number of Christmas movies yet this year and I can't see that changing this week which is a shame. I did watch Tinsel Town which stars Keifer Sutherland and Rebel Wilson as well as a few familiar British actors. It is about a washed up American action star who ends up in a small town doing pantomime. It was a bit of fun but if I was given away prizes, the prize for worst Yorkshire accent goes to Rebel Wilson. Here's the trailer
We did go to the movies to see a delightful documentary called The Golden Spurtle. It is all about the World Porridge Making Championships which is held in a small Scottish town of Carrbridge each year. You would think that a movie about porridge might be a bit stodgy but it was a lot of fun! We bought a spurtle when we were in Scotland but we haven't used it yet. Here's the trailer
We watched the first episode of the second series of A Man on the Inside with Ted Danson. We really enjoyed the first series and I hope to watch more this week!
Life
We did a quick trip up to Brisbane this weekend to do Christmas with the kids before they start travelling to their Christmas destinations!
We had dinner at a lovely restaurant and then we went to the beach with Nala, the golden retriever who used to live with us! Oh, and the kids and their partners!
Before I get started with this month's statistics, I wanted to mention that I have announced the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge for 2026! You can find all the details in this post. If you love historical fiction and reading challenges, I hope you will join us!
Now, onto the November statistics
Every month I share some of the statistics related to the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge. I find it interesting to see what are the books that people are reading and reviewing!
In terms of the books read in November, there were 42 reviews linked up for the challenge, shared by 16 participants. There were 39 individual titles reviewed, written by 38 different authors, There were 3 reviewers who reviewed 2 or more books each. Thank you to everyone who shared their links whether it be 8 or just 1.
So which books were reviewed more than once? There were three.
The first book Murder at Cottonwood Creek by Clara McKenna which was reviewed by Mark at Carstairs ConsidersandLaura from Laura's Reviews. This is the seventh book in the Stella and Lyndy series set at the beginning of the 20th century.
Seascraper by Benjamin Wood is the second book to have been reviewed more than once this month. Actually, I should say that it is a novella which was listed for the Booker Prize. It was reviewed by Kay at What Me Read and Davida from Chocolate Lady's Book Review Blog.
Next month I will be back with both the statistics for December and for the whole of 2025! I have had a bit of a sneak peek and as at now there are 2 books that are tied for the honour of being reviewed the most times for this year's challenge. Let's see if that changes during December!
Jemima Jones is a woman who is going places. She and her partner Matthew are heading back to her family farm in Wales and then they are off to taken on exciting new roles running a luxury hotel in Seattle. Her dad has always encouraged Jem to follow her dreams, even though it takes her away from the farm. However, when Jem arrives home it is to find her dad very unwell, the farm looking worse for wear and her father on the cusp of making a deal to sell one of his best paddocks to a solar farm company. And it's not just the family farm that is looking a bit neglected. The nearby town is not what it used to be either.
While her dad has always encouraged her to follow her dreams and to make something of herself, Jem knows that she needs to stay at the farm and help her dad out while he recovers and maybe figure out what actually has been going on in her absence. Matthew does not understand her decision making at all.
Soon she is out with the animals, fixing fences and so much more. When she looks around and sees the hard work that goes into farming with little financial reward, she begins to document her experiences on social media, quickly building up a presence online as the Social Shepherdess.
Jem also has an unexpected house guest in the shape of Llew, a former star rugby player and now solar panel salesman. To say that things are frosty at the start is an understatement.
Reconnecting with old friends who are similarly struggling to make ends meet and keep their businesses alive, Jem uses her growing social media fame to highlight the plight of others, most notably the local cafe which was so much a part of her childhood but now is barely staying open. When the worst happens just weeks before Christmas, Jem becomes part of a sit in to stop the cafe being set up into a bland, chain restaurant which serves microwavable food instead of the hearty Welsh food of the past.
As the town comes together, they come up with a multitude of ideas of how they can try to save their businesses and towns. Some are new ideas, and some are revivals of old traditions, but what they all do is bring the community together and Jem and her friends are at the heart of it!
Jem also has a decision to make. Does she want to continue in her corporate career or is her heart telling her that it is time to come home to the farm. And how do Llew and Matthew fit into her future.
There are also some fun secondary characters throughout the book. I particularly like the feisty neighbour Myfanwy who has been feuding with Jem's dad for years, Evie the community nurse and Mae the single mum who work in the cafe. There are also some lovely secondary romances throughout!
I have read a number of Jo Thomas books now, including three Christmas books. They have always been a magic mix of good story and great food. It is very clear that understanding where our food comes from and supporting farmers are subjects that Thomas is passionate about
Even though I haven't really talked much about Christmas yet, this is a very Christmassy book. Food is also at the heart of this book, and there are several recipes for traditional Welsh foods that are mentioned in the book, such as Cawl which is a Welsh stew and Welsh Cakes which are scone like creations.
Saturday - Pork Schnitzel, mash and gravy Sunday - Monday - Meatballs Tuesday - Mexican Chicken and rice Wednesday - Beef Stir Fry and rice Thursday - Out for dinner Friday - Away for the weekend
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
Sadie and Bronagh have been friends for many years. They are widowed sister in laws, friends, and after a bake off competition in a their local pub ends in disaster they are now on the run from the law. Of course, they are doing it in style, having borrowed Bronagh's grandson's Ferrari. What started as an overnight adventure to Dublin ends up being a much longer adventure as the two fugitives cross over into Wales and our renegades end up making their way to Devon.
Whilst Sadie is mostly sensible, Bronagh is quite the character and soon she is telling everyone that she meets tall stories about who she is and which famous Irish people she is related to. Meanwhile, back at home, their extended families are worried about what the two octagenarians are getting up to and where they might be, although Ryan doesn't seem to be too worried about his car.
When the two ladies end up in Devon, they find themselves staying at an animal rescue farm which doubles as a bed and breakfast. It's fair to say that Tails and Hope farm isn't exactly thriving, especially in the lead up to Christmas. It is here that Sadie reveals a formerly unknown talent for event organisation and fundraising. It is all hands on deck.
Before too long, the whole Irish family (including a sulky girlfriend) makes the trek to the village to try and talk some sense into Sadie and Bronagh, but they too get involved in all the activities in town ranging from nativity plays to baking competitions and so much more. The Devon getaway gets longer and longer as time goes on. Could it be that there is a new life in Devon calling, or will the comfort and memories of home draw them back to Ireland eventually.
You can't really tell from the blurb, but this book is connected to The Vintage Village Bake Off which I read a couple of years ago. It was such a pleasure to revisit the Devon village and re-unite with reluctant lady magnet Robert and his new love Tressy, his sister Hattie and many of the villagers, some of whom still are trying to get their hands on Robert's baked goods (nudge, nudge). Baking is still an important part of this book, from the opening scenes to the end, and there is some delicious sounding food in it!
This book kicks off at a frantic pace, and I was a bit worried that it would keep that speed up all the way through, but it did calm down a bit once the two ladies got to Devon. I am not sure that I have even half the energy that Bronagh and Sadie have. It is a very large cast of characters with all the Irish family and all the villagers plus a few newcomers to town.
If you are looking for something that screams fun, features memorable characters with a big dash of Christmas spirit, then this may be the book for you!
I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted at The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews, Foodies Read hosted by Based on a True Story and Comfy Cozy Christmas hosted hosted by Lisa from Boondock Ramblings and Erin from Still Life, With Cracker Crumbs. Be sure to check out other stops on the tour shown below. Thanks to the publisher, Netgalley and Rachel's Random Resources for the review copy.
Rating 4/5
About the book
Golden Girls on the Run
Age is just a number. Trouble is a lifestyle.
When octogenarian sisters-in-law Sadie and Bronagh find themselves at the centre of a scandalous (and slightly explosive) bake-off fiasco, there’s only one thing to do – steal Sadie’s grandson’s gleaming red Ferrari and make a run for it.
Sadie is the practical one, all cardigans and contingency plans. Bronagh treats rules as loose suggestions – especially if mischief or wine is involved.
What begins as a quick getaway across Ireland soon spirals into a wild, cross-country adventure filled with fake identities, unexpected friendships, and more than a few brushes with the law.
Sadie and Bronagh may be on the run, but what they find at the journey’s end might just be what they were missing all along…
Judy Leigh is the bestselling author of Five French Hens , A Grand Old Time and The Age of Misadventure and the doyenne of the ‘it’s never too late’ genre of women’s fiction. She has lived all over the UK from Liverpool to Cornwall, but currently resides in Somerset.
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