Weekend Cooking: The Oyster Catcher by Jo Thomas

 

I have read a number of Jo Thomas's books now and really enjoy them. They are always fun stories, with lots of food and quite often interesting settings! I have decided that while I wait for each new book,  I will work my way through her backlist, starting with her first book, The Oyster Catcher.

When Fiona Clutterbuck's husband dumps her at their wedding, she takes the campervan that they were supposed to be honeymooning in and just drives. She ends up in a small town named Dooleybridge that has seen better times on the shores of Galway Bay. After crashing into a brick wall, and being admonished by the local police because the van has now been reported stolen, Fi realises that she is broke and homeless.

In the local pub she overhears that there is a job going with one of the local farmers, Sean Thornton. Desperate, she very quickly agrees to take the job, which is especially handy given that it comes with accommodation. She soon realises that she should probably have asked more questions because it turns out that Sean is an oyster farmer. Fi doesn't like oysters and she has an extreme fear of water and boats.

Sean has his own reasons for employing a stranger. Years before, the oyster industry of Dooleybridge had collapsed, with lots of repercussions for the town. Sean is now trying to keep his uncle's farm going, but it is hard work and isn't that profitable, but he loves it. He does feel like he is on the brink of being able to turn things around but he doesn't want the locals to know what he is doing just yet.

While there might be a spark of attraction between them, Fi is staying far away from Sean, not least because of his very ambitious oyster broker/business partner/girlfriend, Nancy.

It was interesting to see the parallels between this, Jo Thomas's first book, and her latest book which I reviewed here. Both feature communities where the town has seen better days, and feature that same community coming together to organise an event which will help revitalise the town. In this book, the event is a revival of the Oyster festival which had been scrapped years before after the oyster industry was pretty much closed down. It's not all smooth sailing though. Some people want a slick, high class oyster festival and others want a rustic festival with a nostalgic feel. 

There are lots of really fun characters who make up the population of Dooleybridge, as well as a couple of "baddies" like Nancy, who probably could have done with some nuance in their characterisation. There are also some really fun animal characters including donkeys Freddie, Mercury and Juliet, who have a nasty habit of escaping their enclosure at very inconvenient times!

I love most seafood, but oysters is one of the things I don't love. Give me prawns any day over oysters. I did, however, really like learning more about oyster farming. It was interesting because whenever you travel in certain parts of Australia you will see oyster farms advertised as tourist destinations. We have never stopped at one before, although we did go to a pearl farm in Broome in Western Australia which is same same but different. We might next time we come across one of them

I already have my next Jo Thomas read out of the library. That book will take me to  Italy, and I am really looking forward to it!

I am sharing this review with Foodies Read hosted at Based on a True Story.

Rating 4/5

Weekly meals

Saturday - 
Sunday - Pork chop, mash, beans and gravy
Monday - Mac and Cheese
Tuesday - Steak Egg and Chips
Wednesday - Takeaway
Thursday - Pad See Ew
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

Blog Tour: The Stolen Sister by Jan Baynham

When Zoë Carter's mother, Greta passes away at a relatively young age, she is left alone. Zoë was an only child, and her father had died in a car accident when she was three. As far as she knows, her mother had lived a very closed life in Wales, so it was a complete shock when she receives a sealed letter asking that she spread Greta's ashes in Crete. Zoë had no idea that her mother had even visited Crete.

Determined to try and put all the pieces together, Zoë decides to visit the island, and slowly she begins to put the story together. Not only had Greta visited but she had lived there for a period of time during the 1960s

In one time line of the book we follow Greta as she arrives in the picturesque town of Fáros Limáni and joins an art commune. There she meets Andreas and begins a passionate love affair. When she finds out that she is pregnant, Greta is torn because she is concerned that her parents will be ashamed of her but she loves Andreas. 

In the other time line which is set in 1984, Zoë tries to find out the truth. She is a silversmith and she is drawn to the jewellery shops in the town. She is surprised when she is called by another name, and even more surprised when it happens again. Why do people keep on mistaking her for someone else. 

Along the way, Zoë also gets to meet some of the people who were important to her mother, and they in turn help bring Zoë's truth to life. However, along the way, it is not only Zoë who needs to learn the truth about who they are. Family secrets are revealed, and the truth is quite shocking, to think that things like the key events in the historical story could truly have happened.

I hadn't read Jan Baynham before but i am glad that I took a chance with a new . I found myself getting lost in the world that Baynham has created. While I have travelled quite a bit in Europe, Greece is one of the places I have not yet visited and when I read books like this, it really makes me want to do so! Crete does seem of particular interest given ancient history and more recent history, as well as gorgeous beaches and food and so much more.

I am sharing this review with New Release Challenge hosted at The Chocolate Lady's Book Review Blog and the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge which I host here.  Thanks to the publisher, Netgalley and Zooloo's Book Tours for the review copy. Be sure to check out other stops on the blog tour below.

About the book:

Lost letters. A secret Greek love affair. A daughter's search for the truth. 

Crete, 1963. Young artist Greta Ellis arrives at the sun-soaked port of Fáros Limáni, ready to paint and explore the beautiful Greek island. 

 When she meets passionate local Andreas Papadakis, she is swept up in a world of colour, freedom and forbidden love. But when tragedy strikes, Greta is forced to make an impossible choice that will echo for decades. 

 Wales, 1984. After her mother Greta’s death, silversmith Zoë Carter receives a sealed letter that upends everything she thought she knew. Greta’s dying wish is for her ashes to be scattered in Crete, a place precious to her . . . but somewhere she had never spoken of.

 Searching through her mother’s belongings, Zoë uncovers a series of letters. Written in Greek and dated the year before she was born, they reveal a passionate love affair. And a tragedy that tore it apart. 

 Determined to know the truth, Zoë travels to Crete to follow the trail left behind in her mother’s letters. Through the olive groves and whitewashed villages of Crete, she begins to piece together a story of love, betrayal and loss — and discovers that her family was never what it seemed.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/246324063-the-stolen-sister 

Purchase Link: https://mybook.to/stolensister-zbt

About the author:

Fascinated by family secrets and ‘skeletons lurking in cupboards’, Jan’s dual narrative, dual timeline novels explore how decisions and actions made by family members from one generation impact on the lives of the next. Her first three novels look at the bond between mothers and daughters as well as forbidden love. Setting and a sense of place plays an important part in all Jan’s stories and as well as her native mid-Wales, there is always a contrasting location - Greece, Sicily and northern France. Her next books will involve secrets and sibling relationships; the first set in 1943 and 1968 takes the reader back to beautiful Sicily where two sisters work together to prove their father’s innocence of a wrongdoing. 

Social Media Links

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

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

 X (formerly Twitter) https://x.com/JanBaynham 

 Website https://janbaynham.blogspot.com/

Blog Tour: The Cottage at the Edge of the Woods by Jane Lovering

 

Every now and again a book comes along which leaves you wondering how on earth can I possibly review this book to give it the praise it deserves without spoiling. This is one of those books! I have to try though, so here goes.

Libby is a young mum who has run away from a difficult relationship with her ex and the father of her now two year old daughter. She is doing the best she can, but it is hard to move forward when you are forever looking over your shoulder, worried that you may be being followed or that you will be found. She is, however, determined that she will get to a point where she will be able to provide a stable home for Tilly and herself. She does whatever odd jobs she can to make money during the hours that Tilly is at nursery. 

When Ross, a local architect with big dreams, asks her to make sure that the cottage at the edge of the woods is empty before he gets it knocked down, Libby agrees. However, on her first visit, she is attacked by birds. It is normal to be scared when you visit a house that is nearly falling down, but it is terrifying for Libby as she has an extreme fear of birds. She runs away screaming and has no intention of going back again. 

Ross needs to know that the house is empty, so he implores her to go back and offers her a decent amount of money to do so. It's the kind of money that could at least get Libby and Tilly out of the hostel they currently live in. Returning to the cottage, she meets eccentric mute Isobel who lives in the tumbledown cottage, looking after injured birds. 

Slowly each of the characters begin to open up to each other but not without asking some questions which might lead to some tough answers. Why does Isobel live out here by herself? Is Ross a decent man as he seems? Can Libby trust him? Is she in danger of being found? Are things really as they seem?

I have read five of Jane Lovering's books now. While they all tend to be set in Yorkshire, they are all different from each other, and I think this is her best one yet. It touches on a heartbreakingly serious subject but does so with so much grace and empathy. I felt the tension building for each of the main characters as they each faced their own issue. For Isobel, the question is where could she and her birds live if they have to move the cottage. For Ross, what will happen if he can't get the cottage clear in time for his big potentially life changing TV project, and for Libby, how can she outrun her past, without continuing to actually run.

This is an exceptional read from Jane Lovering, with some unexpected outcomes for everyone concerned. Once I read past the first couple of chapters, I really struggled to put it down. It was that good!

I am sharing this review with New Release Challenge hosted at The Chocolate Lady's Book Review Blog.  Thanks to the publisher, Netgalley and Rachel's Random Resources for the review copy. Be sure to check out other stops on the blog tour below.

Rating 4.5/5

About the Book

The Cottage at the Edge of the Woods

Some houses won’t let go of the past. Some people won’t, either…

When single mum Libby is offered a life-changing sum of money to clear out an old cottage in the woods, she expects dust and decay. She doesn’t expect a house full of secrets, a room full of birds, and a woman who refuses to leave.

The handsome but stressed architect who hired Libby is also a puzzle. Why can't Ross empty Elm Cottage himself? What can he possibly see in Libby, who has been burned by love and is wary of attachment? How can they persuade the mysterious but kindly Isobel to move on?

As Libby is pulled into the cottage's story, she must face up to her own deepest fears. Can she help Isobel, fight the past that haunts her, and learn to open her own heart to love once more?

Jane Lovering’s new novel is a delicious, romantic mystery where secrets, love and healing weave through every page.

Purchase Link - https://mybook.to/CottageattheEdge

About the Author

Jane Lovering is the bestselling and award-winning romantic comedy writer who won the RNA Contemporary Romantic Novel Award in 2023 with A Cottage Full of Secrets. She lives in Yorkshire and has a cat and a bonkers terrier, as well as five children who have now left home.

Social Media Links –

Facebook: @jane.lovering

Twitter: @janelovering

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

Bookbub profile: @janelovering

Top Ten Tuesday: Bookish Books

Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week the theme is Books for Armchair Travelers (Submitted by Laurie C @ Bay State Reader’s Advisory). 

I don't often save quotes so I am going to do a twist on the topic this week. This year is my third year of participating in the Bookish Books Reading Challenge hosted at Bloggin' 'Bout Books. For my TTT post this week I am going to share the last ten bookish books I read! I think books about books is something that most of us love!

Soyangri Book Kitchen by Kim Jee Hyde - This is a Korean book about a young woman who opens a bookshop and kitchen out in the country. 

The Croatian Island Library by Eva Glyn - A trio of characters sails from island to island in Croatia to share library books. (my review)

Dinner at the Night Library by Hika Harada - Another book that combines food and books! This is a Japanese story about a strange library which holds the books that writers loved. (my review)

Everyone on This Train is a Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson - What happens when multiple crime authors get on a train for a crime writers festival, but less people make it to the end of the line. (my review)

The Wartime Bookclub by Kate Thompson - How a Channel Island community comes together through the love of books! (my review)

The Secret Christmas Library by Jenny Colgan - When a woman is asked to find one particular item in a falling down stately home in the Scottish highlands at Christmas time, what could go wrong?

I Give You My Body...How I Write Sex Scenes by Diana Gabaldon - This was a very short audio book about writing sex scenes and featuring a lot of quotes from her books as example.

Winter Nights at the Bay Bookshop by Jessica Redland - Featuring a gorgeous sounding small town bookstore at Christmas. (my review)

The Cruise Club by Caroline James - An author with writer's block goes on a cruise where one of her author heroes is giving writing lectures. (my review)

The Storytellers by Sue Heath - A group of very different people come together at a local library with the aim of writing a short story competition entry together! (my review)

This week....

I'm reading

At the beginning of last week I suddenly realised that I had four books to read in a very short period in order to meet blog tour commitments. I am on the last of those books now!

I read and really enjoyed The Silent Resistance by Anna Normann which tells a WWII story set in Norway. My review is here.

Then it was another WWII with The Wartime Affair by Victoria Cornwall which I reviewed here

Another very enjoyable read The Cottage at the Edge of the Woods by Jane Lovering. I always enjoy her books and I think this is one of her best yet. My review will be up later this week.

My final read for the week is The Stolen Sister by Jan Baynham, which I am about a third of the way through. 

I'm watching


I was home by myself on Saturday night which is a very unusual turn of events. I had to finish my book, and then I watched the first half of the first episode of Heated Rivalry. I definitely intend to read more.

We watched quite a lot of the Olympics this time, but now it is has come to an end. I hope to watch some of the Paralympics when they start in a few weeks. 



Life


Last time I went to get my nails done I got them done in  a mint green pastelly colour. This weekend it was time for a change and I chose purple cats eyes. My husband said I see you chose a grown up colour this time. What does that even mean? lol 

We went on a Sunset Penguin cruise last night. The weather wasn't great but it was still a fun night.

I did come home to a bit of drama tonight. Somehow the kitchen sink flooded and nobody who was home heard it so there was water everywhere. Unfortunately some of the carpet was affected too so we will see what happens with that.

Posts from the last week

Top Ten Tuesday: Armchair Travelling

Blog Tour: The Silent Resistance by Anna Normann

Blog Tour: The Wartime Affair by Victoria Cornwall

Weekend Cooking: Sunshine, Lemons and Sea Salt by Donna Hay

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

Weekend Cooking: Sunshine, Lemons and Sea Salt by Donna Hay

I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that I was going to try to start cooking along more regularly with the Lamb's Ear Cookbook club. The February cookbook is Sunshine, Lemons and Sea Salt by celebrated Australian cook Donna Hay.

As you might note from the photo above, I actually own quite a few cookbooks by Donna Hay, and yet I don't often cook out of them. Part of the reason is that everything looks so beautiful that I am intimidated by it. And because it always looks so good, I assume it must be complicated. When I cook I do tastes good, I don't often do looks beautiful! I am therefore often guilty of using her books as though they are coffee table books. I mainly just look at the pictures. 

I am not only talking about the food. Even the book is beautiful, with great pictures, a nice layout, and a ribbon! I love it when a cookbook has a ribbon. It instantly makes it a better book!

The book starts with a chapter on styling where she gives tips on how to make your lunch or dinner settings look amazing by saying things like "consider those vintage copper pots, ceramic saucepans and teapots in your cupboards the unsung heroes of your table." I don't really have any of those in my cupboard**, but I get her point. The styling tips continue throughout the book, especially in the menu sections 

The book is then divided into a pretty normal structure with chapters called

Sunrise: Win the morning, win the day (yes, I suspect Donna Hay is a morning person! lol)

Light lunching

Summer nights, simple dinners

Sunny sides that double as snacks

Sweet and sunny treats

Anything-but-basic basics

From there the structure of the book changes into a section called Coastal Celebrations where we get four suggested menus for entertaining from starters to mains and desserts, including the aforementioned styling suggestions. The four menus are called

Sailing into lunch

Summer in bloom

There's no party like a taco party

Coastal 

I have already cooked quite a few things from this book, but there is more I would like to make including the recipes below.

Tomato and mascarpone tart - This was so delicious and would be super easy if you bought premade shortcrust pastry

Crushed potato galette - We served this when we had family for dinner, and it was a hit. Soft on the inside, crunchy outside. Will definitely do again. 

Crispy lemon and garlic roast chicken - A bit unusual with the use of miso paste but definitely tasty and we plan to make this one again.

Thai chicken in lime and coconut - It's always good to have another tasty meatball recipe. I am thinking about having a whole week of different meatballs but I am not sure the rest of my house would agree

Korean fried chicken burgers - Making this tonight!

Sticky soy and miso chicken

Passionfruit powder puffs

Lemon and elderflower bundt cake

Passionfruit meringue tart

Crispy meringues with poached vanilla pears

Originally, I borrowed this book from the library, but we have already cooked quite a lot out of the book, and some of the recipes could end up in our regular recipe rotation, so I did end up buying it!

When I was thinking about recipes to share, I originally had something else in mind, but when I said we had made this recipe in my Weekly Meals section last week, Jackie mentioned that she was curious about this recipe so I decided to share this one instead. 

Thai chicken in lime and coconut (Donna Hay)

750g chicken mince
6 Thai lime leaves (also known as kaffir lime leaves)
2 tbspn finely grated ginger
2 tbspn finely grated lemongrass
2 tbspn finely chopped coriander leaves (also known as cilantro)
1/2 cup (30g) panko breadcrumbs

Lime and coconut sauce

1 tbspn grapeseed or vegetable oil
1/3 cup  (100g) store-bought Thai red curry past
400ml coconut milk
1/2 cup (125ml) good quality chicken stock
1 tbspn fish sauce
1 1/2 tbspn lime juice
1 tbspn caster (superfine) sugar
2 Thai lime leaves, finely shredded, extra

To serve

Extra coriander (cilantro) sprigs, shiso leaves (optional) and lime wedges

Place the chicken, lime leaves, ginger, lemongrass, coriander and panko in a large bowl and mix to combine. Roll the mixture into 16 balls and place on a baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until firm.

To make the lime and coconut sauce, heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the oil and curry paste and cook for 1 minute or until fragrant.

Add the coconut milk, stock, fish sauce, lime juice, sugar and extra lime leaves and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes or until the sauce has thickened and reduced. 

Add the chicken and cook for 10 minutes, turning halfway, or until cooked through.

Serve with the extra coriander, shiso leaves (if using) and a squeeze of lime. 

**I have asked my husband to rejig the storage in one of the spare bedrooms so that I can reorganise to see if I have any of things I could use for smart styling. The challenge then will be to fill it up, right?

Weekly meals

Saturday - Scrambled eggs on toast
Sunday - Mexican Chicken and Rice
Monday - Pork Schnitzel, mash, mushroom sauce and broccoli
Tuesday - Nasi Goreng
Wednesday - Chicken green curry pie
Thursday - Chicken, mushroom and broccoli pasta bake
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

Blog Tour: The Wartime Affair by Victoria Cornwall

 

Elsa Kalbach is a young woman who has grown up in the 1930s in Germany. She remembers what life was like in the barren years that followed the end of WWI. As a teacher, she follows the rules, even the ones that related to allegiance to the Fuhrer. However, slowly, she begins to realise that maybe it is wrong to just follow him blindly and this is reinforced when she witnesses the events of Kristallnicht in her home town of Gollnow in the Pomerania region.

Sam is a British soldier who is injured during the Dunkirk evacuation, and he is captured and becomes a POW. 

Fast forward several years, and the war appears to be coming to an end. For Elsa, her home is right in the path of the Russian invasion into Germany and everyone is terrified about what they will do as they pass through, especially to women. Her family decides to leave, but her elderly grandfather doesn't want to go. Elsa stays behind until the last possible moment to leave but unfortunately he doesn't last long, and she is left to travel along with a young girl named Klara in her care. 

At the same time Sam is being marched across the country from one camp to another. He feels guilty for having been a POW for so long and for having survived when so many of his fellow prisoners have not, including some of his friends.

Fate brings Sam and Elsa together. Initially they do not trust each other at all. After all, they are on opposite sides of the war and they see the actions of both sides very differently. However, it makes sense for them to travel together and so they begin to walk. Sam is hoping that he is walking towards home, and Elsa is walking towards the city of Bremen, where she hopes to be reunited with her mother and sister. 

Of course, after that initial distrust, their feelings for each other begins to change and to grow. But what hope can there be for a German woman and a British man in this world torn apart by war. Elsa, Sam and Klara have to endure a lot during their journey, most of which is on foot. But reaching their destinations may not be the end of their trials. 

There are a couple of big jumps in time in this story, which was a bit disconcerting. While I did like the book overall, I did find the story and dialogue a bit stilted at times. I guess the real gauge is was I emotionally moved, and the answer is yes, particularly as we moved forward into the 1950s. 

When I read the author note it mentions that one of the questions Victoria Cornwall was trying to answer was how did the ordinary people of Germany remain bystanders as a dictator came to power, and his control continued to grow until he become one of the biggest villains in history. And it is a question that is relevant even today. How do leaders get people to follow them blindly? For me, one of the most powerful moments in the book is when Elsa is farewelling a woman who says "Heil Hitler" and Elsa realises that she can't do that anymore. 

It is always nice to discover a new author, and I have already bought one of her other books! I would classify this book as a solid read. It is worth checking out, if only for the relatively unusual situation of a German female main character. 

I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted at The Chocolate Lady's Book Blog and the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge which I host here.  Thanks to the publisher and Zooloo's Book Tours for the review copy. Be sure to check out other stops on the blog tour below.

Rating 4/5

About the Book

A love that dares to hope when everything seems lost.

Germany, 1945. Elsa Kalbach was once the perfect daughter — loyal, obedient and proud to serve her country. But years of lies and fear have opened her eyes to the terrible cost of blind obedience.

As the Russian Army advances, Elsa flees her ruined hometown with an abandoned Jewish child in her care — and no one left to trust.

When she discovers a wounded British soldier hiding in a barn, she knows she should turn him in. His uniform makes him her enemy.

Instead, Sam becomes the only one she can trust as they seek safety away from the frontlines.

As Elsa and Sam travel across a land torn apart by war, a fragile bond begins to grow — one that defies everything Elsa was taught to believe.

And when the guns finally begin to fall silent, Elsa and Sam must decide whether their love can survive the wreckage of all they’ve lost.

This sweeping story of hope, humanity and the forbidden love that defied a world at war is perfect for fans of Soraya M. Lane, Kate Quinn, Rachel Hore and Kristin Hannah.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/245501352-the-wartime-affair

Purchase Link: https://mybook.to/wartimeaffair-zbt

About the Author:

Following a career in nursing, a change in profession finally provided Victoria Cornwall the time to write. Her books have subsequently reached the finals of the NEW TALENT AWARD at the Festival of Romantic Fiction, the RNA's JOAN HESSAYON AWARD, the 2021 RNA's Goldsboro Books HISTORICAL ROMANTIC NOVEL AWARD and have twice been nominated for the RONE Best Indie or Small Published Book Award by InD'tale magazine.

Victoria grew up on a farm in Cornwall and can trace her Cornish roots as far back as the 18th century. It is this background and heritage which is the inspiration for her Cornish based novels. She is married, has two grown up children and likes to read and write historical romance with a strong background story, but at its heart is the unmistakable emotion, even pain, of loving someone

Social Media Links

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/victoria_cornwallx/

Threads - https://www.threads.com/@victoria_cornwallx

Website - https://www.victoriacornwall.com/