The Intrepid Reader and Baker

Weekend Cooking: Library Loot!

2026-08-08T09:55:00.000+10:00

I am trying to make sure that I borrow cookbooks from the library where I can so that I can literally try it before I buy. To be fair, sometimes it does seem as though I am just delaying the inevitable because so far this year I have ended up buying 3 cookbooks after I initially got them from the library!

Today I am sharing the three cook books that I currently have out from the library right now. I also have numerous novels out that are a bit foodie, but I am focussing just on actual cook books for now!

Delicious: Love to Eat: Around the World in 80 recipes by Valli Little

The author of the month for July in the Lambs Ear Cookbook Club was Valli Little who was the editor in chief for Delicious magazine. This book is decided in sections based on countries ranging from European (Italian, Spanish, French and British) to Austalian, Inidan, Asian and Middle Eastern. The first time I went through the book there were a few things that looked nice but only a couple that I had to make. However, every time I go through it now I find more and more. If I had more time with the book I would like to cook at least one thing from most of the chapters. So far, we have cooked

Chocolate Orange Cake (Spanish) - This is one of those cakes where you boil the whole orange for a couple of hours and then use it in the cake. It was a really delicious cake.

Slow Cooked Mexican Beef with guacamole and lime crema (Mexican)- We are actually cooking this one in the coming week.

Truffled Chicken with Champagne Sauce (French) - I think this champagne sauce is going to become a regular whenever we do a roast chicken.

Sticky Date Pudding Cake (British) - This was an absolute winner of a recipe! Easy to do and tasted delicious!

Thai: Anywhere and Everywhere by Nat Thaipun

Nat Thaipun was the winner of Masterchef Australia in 2024. In one of the episodes, she won a prize to go to the UK to visit Jamie Oliver, and he has provided the foreword to the book, as well as chosen this as one of his cook book club selections, which is where I heard about it! I was kind of surprised that I hadn't heard of it before this!

If you love Thai food, this book is exceptional. She spends time talking about the different regions of Thailand and how the flavours vary in each area, how to make the staple pastes, seasoning, marinades and garnishes

Each recipe has the title written three ways. The first is in the Thai writing, then in western style of writing but with the Thai name and then the English translation.

It is a beautifully presented book, and I look forward to cooking some more out of it before it has to go back to the library! The one dish we have cooked from it so far is Grapow Moo which is a Basil stir-fry with pork. It is served with rice and a fried egg on top! It was pretty easy, and very tasty.

Midnight Chicken (& Other Recipes Worth Living For) by Ella Risbridger

This is the book that I picked up from the library this week, so I haven't really had a chance to go through it properly yet. I have, however, heard so many good things about this book. One of the interesting things about this book is that there are no photos of the recipes. Instead, the book is filled with beautiful illustrations.

I have heard that this is the kind of cook book that you can read like a novel, from beginning to end. It charts the story of how cooking helped her rise from the depths of grief and mental health issues. I am looking forward to digging into it soon!

This was a Cook the Books selection a few years ago but I never explored it at the time. I can't remember if it was difficult for me to track down or what. Better late than never though!

Weekly meals

Saturday - Scrambled Eggs on Toast
Sunday - Lasagne
Monday - Swedish Meatballs, mash and broccoli
Tuesday - Thai
Wednesday - Bacon, Risoni and Vegetable Soup
Thursday - Lasagne
Friday - Bacon, Risoni Vegetable Soup

20 Books of Winter: July recap!

2026-08-07T05:50:00.000+10:00

1 June was the beginning of the 20 Books of Winter reading challenge which this year is being hosted by Anna(Book)Bel. I really enjoyed participating in the challenge last year so I was looking forward to this year. Now, here's my progress after 2 months. I am actually pretty pleased with my progress. I only need to find time to read 4 books in August and 3 of those are for blog tours, so really I just have to figure out when I am going to read one book.

Here's my list, subject to change of course, and anything that is in purple is a book I read in June, and if it is green I read it in July.

Charlie's Last Angel by Maggie Christensen (review)

Secrets of the Italian Guesthouse by Sue Moorcroft (review)

Escape to the Turquoise Seas by Carrie Walker (review)

Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J Ryan Stradal (review)

The Three Juliets by Minnie Darke

The Kings Jewel by Elizabeth Chadwick

The Story Collector by Evie Woods

War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy (review)

The Maid by Nita Prose

The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon

The Little Porto Book Club by Rebecca Raisin

The Palace of Lost Virtue by Anthea Hodgson (review)

The Couples Retreat by Mercedes Mercier

The Secret Dressmaker by Jenny O'Brien

The Nile Cruise by Caroline James

The Forty Rules of Love by Elif Shafak

First-time Caller by B K Borison

Seascraper by Benjamin Wood

Everyone in this Bank is a Thief by Benjamin Stevens

Careful, He Might Hear You by Sumner Locke Elliott (review)

Blog Tour: The Nile Cruise by Caroline James

2026-08-06T21:01:00.000+10:00

When widow Hattie Mulberry needs to get out of her charming country cottage while her bathroom is being renovated, she decides it is a good idea to go on a holiday, but where can she go? There are so many options. However, once she thinks about her favourite author, she knows where she wants to go. She is going to take a cruise down the Nile, following in the footsteps of Agatha Christie who is not only her favourite author but also an inspiration. Hattie works as a private investigator, but she is looking forward to a break from that.

Once onboard, Hattie meets a cast of other characters. There is Canadian Sylvie and her son Ezra who are travelling through Europe together. Whilst Sylvie has arrived safely in Egypt, her luggage has not, so it isn't long before she is borrowing Hattie's clothes. Ezra seems to be obsessed with the idea of curses and very reserved for a young man his age. Maybe it is to do with travelling with his mother?

Other passengers include Peter, a sausage maker who lives in a make-believe world where he is a spy, and Gerald and his much younger, and very glamourous, wife Anushka. She likes to think of herself as an influencer and as such, she isn't really that interested in the history or the scenery, apart from thinking about how she can use it for her Insta photos. But behind the glamour, not everything is picture perfect, and they are not the only people on board who find themselves sharing their feelings and secrets with the people they just met.

Unlike Anushka, my favourite thing about this book is the various locations with the scenery and the excursions along with the associated history. I have long wanted to visit Egypt, but we haven't made it yet. Maybe some time in the next decade. Also on my list of things to do is a river cruise. We have done several ocean cruises, but never a river one. Maybe I can convince my husband to combine the two.

Caroline James likes to bring characters from previous books back into the current book for another period in the spotlight, and in this book, it is Hattie that is the recycled character. She has previously starred in at least three other books. While I get that this is a boon for readers who have been reading her books for a long time, I have only come to her books in the last few years. As someone who prefers to read series in order, it is a bit uncomfortable for me not having read the previous stories, but in this case I was able to glean enough of the backstory, and to realise that the events in this book represent a new start for Hattie.

There are moments in this that are perhaps a bit over the top, but if you are looking for a fun, escapist read that takes you to some of the most iconic sites in the world, then this book ticks all the boxes. I will be interested to see where Caroline James takes her readers next! And which characters she brings back as well.

I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted at The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews. This was a book that I nominated as one of my 20 Books of Winter. Thanks to the publisher, Netgalley and Rachel's Random Resources for the review copy. Be sure to check out other stops on the tour below too!

Rating 4/5

About the book

The Nile Cruise

Sail down The Nile this summer on a voyage of discovery…and just a little bit of mystery!

Will an adventure sailing The River Nile turn the tide for Hattie?

Hattie Mulberry is exhausted. Worn out from the demands of everyone around her, she’s long overdue a break. So, she decides to take a holiday – the adventure of a lifetime, following in the footsteps of her literary hero, Agatha Christie.

Before Hattie knows it, she’s embarking on a glamorous Nile cruise. Not only a voyage steeped in history and world-famous sights, but one where the passengers are almost as fascinating as the views from her luxurious cabin…

As the eclectic band of travellers journey between ancient temples and legendary tombs, guided by handsome Egyptologist Sam, secrets surface, desires awaken, and tensions simmer beneath the Egyptian sun.

Will the magic of moonlit nights on the Nile bring romance and renewal? Or will the infamous curse of Tutankhamun cast a shadow when least expected?

A gloriously escapist read full of sun, secrets and romance, perfect for fans of Sarah Morgan and Judy Leigh.

Purchase Link

https://geni.us/TNCK The Nile Cruise

About the author

Caroline James is the celebrated author of later-life fiction, including THE CRUISE, the #1 best-seller that has captivated cruise ship passengers worldwide, earning its reputation as Girl Power for the Over-Sixties! Her eagerly anticipated follow-up cruise novels, include THE CRUISE CLUB, and THE ARCTIC CRUISE both hitting the Amazon Top 100 Kindle charts.

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, Caroline enjoys tranquil walks with Fred, her Westie, and writing and plotting her next novels in her Scottish retreat. As a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, the SoA, ARRA, and the Society of Women’s Writers & Journalists, Caroline is a passionate advocate for the written word and a champion of life-long creativity

Books by Caroline James:

The Nile Cruise

The Arctic Cruise

Atticus Arnott’s Great Adventure

The Cruise Club

The French Cookery School

The Cruise

The Spa Break

Hattie Goes to Hollywood

Boomerville at Ballymegille

The Best Boomerville Hotel

Coffee Tea the Gypsy & Me

Coffee Tea the Chef & Me

Coffee Tea the Caribbean & Me

Jungle Rock

Social Media Links –

www.carolinejamesauthor.co.uk

Twitter: @CarolineJames12

Facebook: Caroline James Author

Insta: Caroline James Author

Blog Tour: Finding Forever by Pelican Crossing by Maggie Christensen

2026-08-06T07:00:08.380+10:00

After a detour down to Brisbane and different characters in her last book, Maggie Christensen takes us back to the seaside town of Pelican Crossing! This is the ninth book in the series and all of the favourites that we have come to know and love are here.

Paige Harper has fond memories of time spent in Pelican Crossing, but she feels a bit guilty that she hasn't spent enough time in town visiting her beloved grandmother, Mimi. When Mimi suffers a fall and is rushed to hospital, Paige makes an emergency dash to the town. Mimi lives in one of the group of fisherman's cottages where she has built strong community relationships with her neighbours. She shares her home with Martha, a little dog who now needs someone to care for it.

When the worst happens, Paige has to think about what her potential plans might be. After all, back in Brisbane she has a good job as an assistant manager in a boutique hotel, and she has her children and grandchildren nearby. The reality is her job is stressful and she doesn't seem to see her grandchildren that often anyway.

Also at a crossroads is local vet Bob Reed. In a previous book, Bob had spent a year in Colorado teaching and now he is being encouraged to apply for a permanent position. It would mean uprooting his whole life. Bob has had to do that before when he moved to Pelican Crossing following the tragic deaths of his wife and child. Does he have the energy to start again at his age.

When Bob and Paige meet, they are both surprised by the connection that they feel with each other. They have both been on their own for many years, and given that they both are not sure what their future looks like they wonder if this is the right time to embark on a relationship. Of course, old Agnes also has some pearls of wisdom for them both!

All the things that I love about this series are here. There are the familiar characters, the small town community, the seaside setting, the dogs and so much more! And I am always pleased to hear that there is another book in the series on it's way. Happy days!

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

Rating 4/5

About the book

Finding Forever in Pelican Crossing: A heartwarming tale of second chances

When Paige Harper arrives in Pelican Crossing to visit her ailing grandmother, she plans a short trip—just enough time to make sure her grandmother recovers before heading back to her busy city life. But when her grandmother unexpectedly passes away, Paige is hesitant to leave the small coastal town, unable to shake the pull of its quiet charm.

Bob Reed, the laid-back local vet, has settled back into his life in Pelican Crossing after spending a year at Colorado University. He is surprised when he receives an offer to apply for a permanent position at the university—a tempting opportunity to embrace a very different path. Torn between his love for the peaceful coastal life and the draw of a more structured, academic future, Bob faces a tough choice.

When Paige and Bob cross paths, they’re worlds apart—she, the city professional, and he, the easy-going surfer. But a series of unexpected encounters brings them closer, and what begins as an unlikely friendship turns into something much more.

With Bob facing a career-defining decision and Paige bound to her life in the city, they must determine if their newfound connection is strong enough to overcome the obstacles in their way. Can they find a way to be together, or will the demands of their separate lives keep them apart?

For fans of small-town romances and heartwarming stories of unexpected love.

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

About the author

After a career in education, Maggie Christensen began writing contemporary women’s fiction portraying mature women facing life-changing situations, and historical fiction set in her native Scotland. Her travels inspire her writing, be it her trips to visit family in Scotland, in Oregon, USA or her home on Queensland’s beautiful Sunshine Coast. Maggie writes of mature heroines coming to terms with changes in their lives and the heroes worthy of them. Maggie has been called the queen of mature age fiction and her writing has been described by one reviewer as like a nice warm cup of tea. It is warm, nourishing, comforting and embracing.

From the small town in Scotland where she grew up, Maggie was lured to Australia by the call to ‘Come and teach in the sun’. Once there, she worked as a primary school teacher, university lecturer and in educational management. Now living with her husband of over thirty years on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, she loves walking on the deserted beach in the early mornings and having coffee by the river on weekends. Her days are spent surrounded by books, either reading or writing them – her idea of heaven!

Social Media Links –

https://www.facebook.com/maggiechristensenauthor
https://x.com/MaggieChriste33
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8120020.Maggie_Christensen

https://www.instagram.com/maggiechriste33/

https://www.bookbub.com/profile/maggie-christensen?list=about

https://maggiechristensenauthor.com/

https://bsky.app/profile/maggiechriste33.bsky.social

Blog Tour: The Secret Dressmaker by Jenny O'Brien

2026-08-05T08:53:00.000+10:00

When Flora Toussaint was a young woman she found herself in the unhappy predicament of being pregnant to an older man. After giving birth to twin girls, she reluctantly hands them over to their father and flees to Ireland with no intention of ever returning to France.

Fast forward 18 years, Flora is now working in a parachute factory in WWII when she is approached by British intelligence. They suspect the girl's father, famous couturier Lucien Lumineau, is a collaborator. More alarmingly, one of her daughters has disappeared.

Taking the opportunity to leave her unhappy marriage, Flora finds herself living in a room above a brothel, her nearest neighbour is a singer named Edith (as in Piaf) and she is tasked with finding out whether Lucien is indeed a collaborator. It also gives her the chance to find out what happened to her daughters. She had believed that Lucien was raising both of their daughters with his glamourous wife Sabine, but it turns out the truth was very different.

Whilst working in the wardrobe department at the famous Moulin Rouge, Flora is able to use her skills as a seamstress to not only help maintain the gorgeous costumes but she also helps develop an ingenious way of delivering messages across enemy lines using a simple code. With the help of her Paris contact, a Paris wine merchant, she is able to work out her own complicated history and maybe find a future. It won't be without danger and challenges though!

There is a lot that happens in this book, and at least two things that I was surprised by. I was also a bit surprised when I realised that there was a character from the previous book, The Resistance Knitting Club which I reviewed here, that played a key role in this book. Don't let that worry you though. I didn't make the connection until I was looking to see if Tomas had appeared in the earlier book or not.

I mentioned Edith Piaf but she isn't the only big name cameo to make an appearance. Lucien's work as a designer brings him into contact with the great, the good and the not so good in Paris!

I am already looking forward to the next book in this series. If I was to hazard a guess, I think the next book might feature Marguerette and it might feature crocheting! Of course, I could be wrong!

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. This is also one of the books I nominated for 20 Books of Winter. 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

About the Book

The Secret Dressmaker

Shelves of sequins in a kaleidoscope of colours. Bolts of silk and tulle against the back wall. The sewing room was the last place anyone had seen her daughter alive.

Northern Ireland, 1942. Flora Toussaint packs parachutes for the RAF, haunted by the twin daughters she was forced to give up eighteen years ago. When British intelligence shows her photographs of her girls – now young women in occupied Paris – her world shifts. One is safe. One has vanished. And their father, the celebrated couturier Lucien Lumineau, is suspected of collaborating with the Nazis.

Flora agrees to a dangerous mission: parachute into France, pose as a seamstress at the Moulin Rouge, and uncover the truth. Lodging above a brothel where Edith Piaf sings after hours and where Pablo Picasso still holds court, she mends costumes between shows, searches for any trace of her missing daughter between curfews, and circles closer to Lucien.

But Lucien isn’t the man she remembers. Neither is their history. And what Flora discovers will unravel everything she thought she knew – about Lucien, about her daughters, and about the night she gave them away.

A sweeping tale of wartime Paris, family secrets and impossible choices. Fans of Kate Quinn, Pam Jenoff and Kristin Hannah will be mesmerised by The Secret Dressmaker.

Purchase Links

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Secret-Dressmaker-Jenny-OBrien-ebook/dp/B0GSVGSK36

https://www.amazon.com/Secret-Dressmaker-Jenny-OBrien-ebook/dp/B0GSVGSK36

About the author

Jenny O’Brien writes complex thrillers and heartbreaking historical fiction, as well as intriguing romances. Silent Cry, initially self published, topped the Amazon kindle chart in both the UK and the USA. Most of her books have followed suit.

Jenny has over 40 years experience as a qualified nurse. She turned to creative writing as a hobby when her children were born. Now, 20 years later, she's retired from the day job to focus on writing. She's currently working on the third book in the Threads Series.

Born in Ireland, she now lives in Guernsey with her husband and children.

Social Media Links – https://www.facebook.com/JennyOBrienWriter/

https://www.instagram.com/scribblerjb/

https://x.com/ScribblerJB

Top Ten Tuesday: Shhh....don't tell anyone!

2026-08-04T00:56:00.000+10:00

Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week is a cover freebie! (Pick any topic related to book covers. You can make up your own topic or pick one from the list of previous ones!)

I am choosing to go with books that have that word Secret or Secrets on the cover. The reason why I have chosen this is because Secrets was the theme for my read on a theme book club and I was able to read a lot of books that met this theme, and several of them even had the word secret in the title.

So here are the last ten books I have read with either of these words in the title!

The Secret Dressmaker by Jenny O'Brien - A WWII story set in Paris. My review for this book will be up in the next couple of days.

The Secret Society of Librarians by Kate Thompson - This is another WWII story, this time set in London, and it was a 5/5 read

Secrets of the Italian Guesthouse by Sue Moorcroft - The secrets in this book are the family type! (my review)

Everyone this Christmas has a Secret by Benjamin Stevenson - The first of a couple of Christmas secrets! (mini review)

The Secret Christmas Library by Jenny Colgan - This one involves searching for a secret in a Scottish castle at Christmas

The Secrets of the Huon Wren by Claire van Ryn - This is another book about family secrets, including a hidden identity. It is predominantly set in Tasmania. (my review)

A Secret Garden in Paris by Sophie Beaumont - This book had a map to guide you around some hidden gardens in Paris (my review)

Secrets Beneath a Riviera Sky by Jennifer Bohnet - I do enjoy a book about family secrets, but even moreso when it is set on the French Riviera (my review)

The Secrets of the Rose by Nicola Cornick - A dual timeline where the secrets that are being revealed are from the past (my review)

An Italian Island Secret by Victoria Springfield - Set on a small island off the coast of Italy, this book has a touch of Hollywood glamour! (my review)

This week...

2026-08-03T05:49:00.000+10:00

I'm reading

Welcome to August! And yes, in my head I am thinking how did that happen!

It was a pretty normal reading week for me. I finished a book I had started last week, finished a couple of books and started a couple more! Seems to be my regular pattern at the moment.

The book that I had started last week was Summer at the French Bakery by Jo Thomas. As you might guess from the title it is about a woman who moves to France and starts a bakery. It was also the last book I reviewed for this year's Paris in July! My review is here.

I then had a complete change of pace. I used to read a lot of historical romance but it is very, very rare for me to do so these days. This was not only a historical romance it was also a m/m romance. How to Fake it in Society by K J Charles was so much fun. I originally picked it up as it would have fitted a prompt for the Spring Reading Challenge at Goodreads but then I ended up reading something else. I have already requested another K J Charles book from the library

I have three blog tours this week, so I realised that I needed to focus on those books. I therefore read The Secret Dressmaker by Jenny O'Brien. This is the second book in the Threads of Resistance series. My review will be up later this week.

Another book that I need to review this week is Finding Forever in Pelican Crossing by Maggie Christensen. I love Maggie's books set in Pelican Crossing! I started this and I am about half way through, and it is the same comforting, familiar read! My review for this will be up later this week too!

I did also read the first couple of chapters in A Far-Flung Life by M L Stedman. It almost seems a shame to reading it now. Most years, my read on a theme bookclub decides we will go down the more traditional route of all reading the same book. We have chosen this book to read together in October, but this will be due back at the library long before then.

July was a pretty good reading month. I had one 5 star reads and I did have 4 books that I rated as 4.5/5 reads! I also had a lot of fun with Paris in July (as usual) which was Secret Society of Librarians by Kate Thompson! I have now read and loved all of her WWII librarians books so now I have to wait patiently for the next one of those which I think will be out in a couple of years. In the meantime, I will be starting to work through her backlist.

Books let our imaginations travel where our feet cannot - Nora Nguyen

Bookish travel

At the end of every month I like to look and see where I have visited through the books I have read. Here's where I travelled to in July

USA

Maryland - In the Weeds by B K Borison

Minnesota - Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J Ryan Stradal

Europe

Wales - The King's Jewel by Elizabeth Chadwick

Italy - Secrets of the Italian Guesthouse by Sue Moorcroft

France - Don't Brake My Heart by Leonie Mack, The Island of Mists and Miracles by Victoria Mas, Summer at the French Bakery by Jo Thomas

Ireland - Seascraper by Benjamin Wood, The Story Collector by Evie Woods

England - The Book Lover's Bucket List by Hannah Claire, The Secret Society of Librarians by Kate Thompson, The Palace Women by Jennifer Ryan, How to Fake it in Society by K J Charles

Portugal - Escape to the Turquoise Seas by Carrie Walker

Australia

Queensland - Everyone in this Bank is a Thief by Benjamin Stevenson

I'm watching

We started watching Ride or Die with Hannah Waddington and Octavia Spencer this week. So far we have watched three episodes and we will watch it through to the end.

We also started watching World War II with Tom Hanks which we will continue with. I am, however, a bit surprised that there are twenty episodes to get through, so it might take us a while.

Breakaway Femmes - The Forgotten TDF - documentary about the women's Tour de France in the late 1980s. It was a really interesting documentary and fascinating to think that the rampant sexism and misogyny talked about in this series was so recent! By which I mean in my adult lifetime! And shocking to think that it took until the mid 2010s for the women's TdF to start again. Here's the trailer:

Life

On Saturday we had a lovely day out in the Yarra Valley which is a wine area about an hour and a half away from us. We did something called the Coldstream Food Trail which has about 10 stops on it, although we only did 4 stops. We stopped at a brewery, and then went to a place called Coombe Yarra Valley which is a lovely place that has been created in the former home of world famous Australian opera singer, Dame Nellie Melba. from there we did some cider and cheese tastings. The main reason we went out there was to do a Fondue and Bingo lunch at Chandon which was a lot of fun! I mean, fondue and sparkling wines...what's not to love. It was a beautiful clear winter's day and a lovely way to do some exploration of just one tiny pocket of the Yarra Valley. We did see some amazing looking restaurants that we will go back and visit again at some point!

The other thing that we did last week was go to see the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra Winter Gala which featured music from composers such as Bernstein, Gerswhin and Cole Porter! It was a lot of fun, and the tickets were super cheap at only $20 each. My husband loves orchestral music so we go semi regularly, but this was too good an opportunity to pass by.

Posts from the last week

Top Ten Tuesdays: Historical Fiction set in France - the WWII edition

Paris in July: French movies

Summer at the French Bakery by Sue Thomas

Paris in July: Au revoir!

Historical Fiction Reading Challenge: August Links

In My Kitchen: July

Six Degrees of Separation: Land to Still Life

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: Land to Still Life

2026-08-02T01:42:00.000+10:00

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 Land by Maggie O'Farrell, which is a book that I do intend to read but haven't yet. It's funny, I had already done my chain when I actually read the synopsis and I am pretty sure I could have come up with a completely different chain! Anyway, it's done now, and I am happy with it, so here we go!

Maggie O'Farrell is an author who I should have read more from, but I haven't. The only one of her books I have read is Hamnet, which I really loved.

Hamnet tells the story of Shakespeare and his wife, Agnes, particularly following the impact on their lives of the loss of their son. Last year, I listened to Dame Judi Dench's book Shakespeare: the Man Who Pays the Rent which was co-written by Brendan O'Hara. This was an excellent book and audio.

My latest audio book is Unruly Kings:The Ridiculous History of England's Kings and Queens by David Mitchell who not only wrote the book but is also narrating it as well. I am familiar with David Mitchell from the British panel show Would I Lie to You

One of our favourite regular panelists on Would I lie to You is comedian Bob Mortimer. Last year we started listening to his novel The Satsuma Complex, which he also narrates, while we were on a weekend away but we never finished it.

An audiobook that I started listening to recently but decided to stop was The Names by Florence Knapp. It wasn't that the book wasn't good or that the narration wasn't good. Irish actor Dervla Kerwin was doing a great job. It's just that I felt like it is a book that I need to read so I can get through it quickly rather than listening to it over a number of weeks or month.

If I think of books that I have read set in Florence, one that immediately comes to mind is Still Life by Sarah Wingate. This book is almost a love letter to the city and it is a read that has stayed with me, despite it not being an absolute favourite!

Next month, the prompt is start with your book group’s current selection (if you’re not in a book group, start with the book that you’re currently reading).

Will you be joining us?

In My Kitchen: July

2026-08-01T07:43:00.000+10:00

Welcome to the first Saturday of the month where I share everything I have made over the previous month. It's been a busy month. I've had a couple of fun foodie experiences and tried some delicious new recipes! Let's start with what I made during the month of July!

Caramel Miso Apple pudding -Do you ever just randomly pick up one of your cook books looking for something and then find something else and go I have to make this? I was looking through Around the Table by Julia Busittil Nishimura for something (no, I can't remember what!) and I saw this recipe and through that looks appealing, especially given how cold it has been here. It was also very simple, and very tasty! Definitely a make again recipe.

Chocolate Orange Cake - Rather than having a specific cook book of the month in Lambs Ear Cookbook Club, we had an author. Valli Little was the long time food editor for Delicious Magazine. I chose to borrow the book Delicious: Love to Eat - Around the world in 120 simply delicious recipes, and this was one of the simply delicious recipes in the book! This is a version of the whole orange cake, so started with boiling whole oranges for 2 hours and then blitzing them up in the food process.

Traditional shortbread /Pistachio, sour cherry and white chocolate shortbread - The featured produce for the month was nuts, so I couldn't resist the urge to make these again. The recipe comes from Emelia Jackson's book Some of My Best Friends are Cookies.

Sticky date pudding ginger cake - This is another recipe from the Delicious cook book. We hosted Christmassy in July on 25 July and this was what I served for dessert! Winner, winner, chicken dinner. Well, yes, there was chicken but there was also pork and other deliciousness.

Earlier in the month we had a very European weekend where I visited the Bastille Day French market at Queen Victoria Market near the city. We have been for the last few years and every time we pick up some of this delicious pate. This year I also picked up some truffle butter and these interesting flavoured French chips/crisps. Of course, there was also can can dancers, jazz and so much more.

We also visited a German Christmas Market which is in a small country winery about half an hour away from our house. We have been before and it is a lot of fun. This time, we had hot chocolate with Baileys which was a delicious surprise and I picked up the gingerbread above.

One of our highlights in July was going to a Bastille Day dinner which I posted about here. 5 plus courses, can can dancers, French wines and cafe style music! Fun night!

I have mentioned Christmassy in July! What do I mean by that? My sister always hosts Christmas and she used to do the same meal again for Christmas in July. We decided to host this year but didn't go the full Christmas experience. I put on my Christmas jumper (which it is usually way to hot to wear on actual Christmas day) and put on a Christmas music playlist. We served roast chicken with champagne sauce, air fryer roast pork, broccoli and cauliflower cheese, roast potatoes, cider gravy and more! Oh, and the Sticky Date Pudding Cake. Everyone went home having eaten way too much, so I guess that was a success then!

We did visit a new to us Korean café after we went to see an exhibition about ancient Rome at the museum. There's a few cafes doing these style of patisserie so I wanted to try one. I tried the pear version. It looked amazing and tasted very peary! So good!

I managed to only buy one cook book this month, which I think showed tremendous restraint. The book I bought was Tender by Lucy Tweed, which was last month's cook book of the month in the cook book club. The good news is I already own the August cook book!

New recipes

We tried a few different recipes for the first time this month!

Slow Cooker chilli - Poppy O'Toole - It is very cold here so it is perfect weather for slow cooker meals.

Caramel Miso Apple Pudding - So good!

Chocolate Orange Cake - Another winner!

Air Fryer Pork Roast - This is now our go to method for cooking roast pork. The crackling comes out really crispy and it is super easy to do.

Truffled Chicken with Champagne Sauce - This was a bit fancy, but oh so good, and the champagne sauce will go with roast chicken, whether it is truffled or not! We made this sauce a couple of times this month.

Weekend Cooking posts from the last month

In My Kitchen: June

Paris in July: Piglettes by Clementine Beauvais

Bastille Day Dinner

Paris in July: Eva Longoria: Searching for France

Cook the Books: Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J Ryan Stradal

Summer at the French Bakery by Jo Thomas

Weekly Meals

Saturday - Christmassy in July
Sunday - Leftovers
Monday - Tomato and Paneer Curry
Tuesday - Salad Dressing Chicken and Rice
Wednesday - Mac and cheese
Thursday - Out for dinner
Friday - Chicken stir fry

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

Historical Fiction Reading Challenge - August links

2026-08-01T04:42:00.000+10:00

Thank you to everyone who contributed a review in July for the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge. It's been a good start to the 2026 challenge. I will be back in the next week or so with all the statistics for the month.

I am looking forward to reading your reviews throughout the rest of the year! I am sure there is going to be a lot of great historical fiction discovered and shared with fellow HF lovers over the course of this year!

If you haven't already signed up, it's not too late! The sign up post is here.

Just to recap what participants need to know. At the beginning of each month I will put up a post which will have a Mr Linky embedded into it for you to add your link.

Please remember...

add the link(s) of your review(s) including your name and book title to the Mister Linky we’ll be adding to our monthly post (please, do not add your blog link, but the correct address that will guide us directly to your review).
it doesn't matter where you review - Bookstagram, Goodreads etc as long as you share a direct link to your review.
any kind of historical fiction is accepted (fantasy, young adult, graphic novels...)
if you have time, have a look some of the other links that are present. You never know when you will discover new blogs or books!

You can also join the challenge group on Facebook which you can find here and don't forget to use the #histficreadingchallenge hashtag on the socials.

Let the reading begin!!

Au revoir!

2026-07-31T07:54:00.000+10:00

This year's Paris in July has come to an end! It has been another fantastic month with a plethora of French related posts! This month I have talked about books set in France, movies, food and more! Here's all the links!

Bienvenue!

Since the last Paris in July!

Watching Tour de France

Top Ten Tuesday: Books that include the word Paris in the title

Cartier at the NGV

Don't Brake My Heart by Leonie Mack

Piglettes by Clementine Beauvais

Bastille Day Market

In the Paris Fashion by Sophie Beaumont

Bastille Day Dinner

Island of Mists and Miracles by Victoria Mas

Eva Longoria: Searching for France

Weekend Cooking: French Onion Rigatoni

Bestsellers Around the World: France

Top Ten Tuesday: Historical Fiction Set in France - the WWII edition

French movies

Summer at the French Bakery by Jo Thomas

And from recent years

Paris in July 2020-2023

Paris in July 2024

Paris in July 2025

I can assure you that I am already looking forward to Paris in July in 2027!

: Summer at the French Bakery by Jo Thomas

2026-07-30T06:25:00.000+10:00

July is coming to an end, and so to is Paris in July! I just had time to squeeze in one more read set in France, and only just enough time to actually write the review!

I have read a number of Jo Thomas books over the last few years and I have enjoyed them all. I love the way that she incorporates food into all of her story. Over the years I have visited Italian towns with lasagne wars, a chocolate school in the alps, an oyster farm in Ireland and a German Christmas market amongst other places. This time we are in a small town in France!

Juliet has just gone through treatment for cancer and as a result she wants to make some changes in her life. She convinces her husband Pete that a holiday in France is just what the doctor ordered. There they find an unused water mill and in her mind she can see that it will make the perfect salon de thé. The only problem is that she can't see herself doing this with Pete. He is quite content with his life that is filled with routine. Juliet does not want that anymore. Her children are all grown up with lives of their own so they don't need her as much as they used to. Can she follow her dream of reinvigorating the water mill on her own?

Juliet's plan after refreshing the décor is to open a salon de thé where she can serve cakes and tea in an elegant lake side setting. However, it isn't too long before she hits her first hurdles. First, there is the mayor who wants Juliet to reopen the town boulangerie which has been closed for years and he won't support her plans unless she agrees to it. Now, there is only a tabac in town, and that only has a few customers. The town is served by a bread vending machine which is maintained by a slimy baker from a nearby town. He is not happy at the prospect of a rival taking his customers, especially given that Juliet rejected his advances.

As an aside, recently I was at the supermarket when I witnessed the check out operator doing something that I thought would be sacrilegious, but apparently the customer was asking her to do it. He had bought at least a dozen bread rolls including several baguettes which she folded in half to fit in a shopping bag! I made a joke about man not being able to live on bread alone. Turns out he didn't speak English and so he didn't get my joke. I was shocked at the folding of the baguette, so the idea that you could buy a baguette from a vending machine in France is similarly shocking to me

Back to the book, the biggest issue is that Juliet doesn't know how to bake bread, particularly not the delicious, crusty, fluffy French bread that the town deserves. And in order to be called a boulangerie, the bread must be baked on premises. Juliet can make a lovely Victoria Sponge and a very nice Lemon Drizzle cake, but not bread. Juliet is going to need all the help that she can get, especially in getting the right ingredients to give it the right taste and texture. After all, there are only four ingredients in bread - flour, water, salt and water. But in order to get the help she needs she is going to win over the gorgeous tabac owner Laurent and her grumpy upstairs neighbour who is initially opposed to Juliet's plan for her own reasons.

I liked that the author showed that it isn't easy to just decide to move to France anymore. Juliet had to meet certain criteria in order to get the right visas to be able to keep her French dream alive and the mayor's conditions might put that all at risk. Whilst this story is all about taking a chance on a new life, but I was really moved by Juliet's friendship with Annie who is undergoing her own treatment back in the UK.

Once again, food and community are right at the centre of Jo Thomas's books. It would have been nice to have a bit more of a feel about where in France the book was set but this was another fun read from an author who really knows how to draw the reader in, and to make you wish that you could eat a delicious baguette right now!

I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted at The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews, with Weekend Cooking which I host here, with Foodies Read hosted at Based on a True Story and with Paris in July hosted at Words and Peace.

Rating 4/5

Paris in July: French movies

2026-07-29T01:05:00.000+10:00

It doesn't matter which month it is, I quite often enjoy watching French movies. This year, I haven't watched as many as I normally would but I still though I would share some brief thoughts on the ones I have seen before Paris in July ends!

On Sunday, I went and saw Colours of Time which is a dual time line film, set in the 1890s and current day. Whilst there have been lots of dual time line books around for years, it is not something that you see all the time in movies and when I do see them it does tend to be in European movies. In this one, a group of strangers are bought together when it is identified that 30 of them are descendants from one woman. This is important because a developer wants to knock down the ramshackle house that she owned in Normandy but they can't do so without their permission. Four of them are nominated to go and look at the house and there they find a painting, letters and photographs of their common ancestor. In the other strand, we follow Adele from rural Normandy to Paris where she is trying to locate her mother who left her to be raised by her grandmother as a baby. We get to see many of the historical sites of Paris and meet some interesting characters from history. There is one short section that is a bit weird but otherwise it was a really nice movie. Here's the trailer:

Another movie we saw with a strong focus on art was The Stolen Painting which is about a painting that was thought to be lost during WWII being found. It was based on a true story. In the movie, a young factory work buys a house, contents and all and it turns out one of the paintings is a masterpiece by Egon Schiele. It is a combination legal drama and art history. I really liked it! Here's the trailer

Earlier this year I watched a movie called Nun in the City while on the plane home from India. I do seem to watch quite a few foreign films on planes, and now I look for them when I am on a long haul flight. This was such a fun movie. A bit silly, but fun nonetheless. A nun named Lucie finds herself discovering what life is like after 20 years in a convent. The world has changed a lot since she has last been out in the world!

The good news is when I was at the movies on Sunday I saw three trailers for upcoming French files and they all looked really good!

Top Ten Tuesday - Historical Fiction Set in France - the WWII Edition.

2026-07-28T00:13:00.000+10:00

Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week the theme is Books I HAD to Have Immediately but Still Haven’t Read (this is a throwback topic from 2022). However, given that this is the last Tuesday for me to do a Paris in July related Top Ten Tuesday I am going down that route instead.

During last year's Paris in July, I shared a TTT post which was Historical Fiction set in France. When I put that list together I specifically excluded WWII fiction, so this week my theme is Historical Fiction Set in France - the WWII Edition. I have started with two books that come to mind instantly and then the rest are more recent books I have read set in France during WWII.

A Farewell to France by Noel Barber - in the 1990s I read a lot of Noel Barber books and I have such fond memories of them. I am not sure they would stand up all that well to read now though.

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah - I am looking forward to seeing the movie of this one whenever it ends up actually getting made

The Resistance Knitting Club by Jenny O'Brien - I am just about to read the follow up to this book and can't wait! (review)

The Girl From Normandy by Rachel Sweasey - I really enjoyed this read (my review)

The Madamoiselle Alliance by Natasha Lester - What a fascinating this read was. It is based on a true story which makes it even more amazing! (my review)

The Librarian Spy by Madeline Martin - This one is set in both France and Portugal (my review)

The Paris Dancer by Nicola Rayner - I was nearly going to say WWII Paris, but then I remembered that the whole theme for this post is WWII which makes that kind of redundant! (my review)

The Resistance Bakery by Siobhan Curham - I love a book set in a French bakery so this was always going to be a winner for me! (my review)

The Last Train from Paris by Juliet Greenwood - I thought this was a really great read with an interesting story! (my review)

The Lost Sister of Fifth Avenue by Ella Carey - The title might make you think this one is not set in Paris, but the majority of the story is! (my review)

This week...

2026-07-27T06:17:00.000+10:00

I'm reading

When I finished my post last week, I only have two books on the go. One was my audiobook which I suspect I might finish this week, and the other was The Story Collector by Evie Woods which I finished this week. I have mixed results with Evie Woods. I really loved her book The Mysterious Bakery on Rue de Paris when I read it last year! I was underwhelmed by The Lost Bookshop, but wondered if that was about the audio production, but I was underwhelmed by The Story Collector too. I feel like I should have connected much better with the book which is all about Irish folklore, fairies and the like.

After that I read The Palace Women by Jennifer Ryan which is set in Buckingham Palace in the lead up to the Queen's coronation ceremony in 1952.

I have also made significant progress with Jo Thomas's latest book Summer at The French Bakery. I really enjoy the way that Thomas writes her stories, which always have a lot of focus on food. This one is no exception.

We had book club this week. The theme for this selection was secrets, which I found to be a very easy theme for me. I read 10 books that might have counted for this theme! The next theme is the environment and I have a couple of ideas about what I might read! Shown above are just some of the books that the group read for this theme.

I'm watching

I went and watched a French movie yesterday called Colours of Time. It is a dual timeline story set in the 1890s and the modern day and features cameos by some pretty important people in French art history! I liked it a lot. Here's the trailer

Life

We did Christmassy in July on the weekend. We had some people come around for dinner, which wasn't really traditional Christmas dinner but it was not too far off! We made roast chicken, roast pork, champagne sauce, apple cider gravy, mushroom sauce, cauliflower and broccoli cheese and roast potatoes. For dessert I made a Sticky Date Pudding Cake which was yum!

One fun thing is that we used our fire pit for the first time since we moved into this house which was nearly four years ago!

Posts from the last week

Top Ten Tuesday: Free Books!
Paris in July: Island of Mists and Miracles by Victoria Mas
Weekend Cooking: Eva Longoria: Searching for France
Cook the Books: Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J Ryan Stradal
Paris in July: Bestsellers Around the World: France

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

Bestsellers Around the World: France

2026-07-26T06:10:00.000+10:00

Once upon a time I had an infrequent feature called Bestsellers Around the World where I would take a look at the bestsellers from a country and see what caught my interest, particularly when I compared it to Australian lists. These days it is even more infrequent as it is something that I save for Paris in July! So, here is this week's bestsellers in France, based on the list from Sens Critique for the week from July 6 to 12.

1 Le Diner (The Dinner Party): A Pick Your Poison Adventure by Freida McFadden

2 La Prof (The Professor) by Freida McFadden

3 Les heures fragiles (Fragile Hours) by Virginie Grimaldi

4 Tata by Valerie Perrin

5 Un lieu a soi (A room of One's Own) by Virginia Woolf

6 Tout le monde aime Clara (Everyone Loves Clara) by David Foenkinos

7 Quelqu'un d'autre (Someone Else) by Guillaume Musso

8 L'intruse (The Intruder) by Frieda McFadden

9 D'autres printemps (Other Springs) by Virginie Grimaldi

10 A Retardement (Delayed ) by Franck Thilliez

Freida McFadden has really dominated the bestsellers lists over the last couple of years when I have done these posts. I was surprised to see that the number one was a short story though, and it is not one I remember hearing about but that maybe because I don't really read her genre. I did recently read one of her books and I liked it. Just not rushing out to read another one really.

I was surprised when Virginie Grimaldi wasn't on the list last year but she is back with two novels in the top ten this year! I read one of her books a couple of years ago and really liked it. I am tempted to read more, but there are none available in my library system (which isn't really that surprising) and some of her translated novels are more than $30 on Kindle which is too much!

I own Tata and was hoping to get it read for Paris in July this year but I am rapidly running out of time. I did read Like Water for Flowers for last years Paris in July and really liked it. I think I now have three of her novels waiting for me!

I thought it was interesting to see Virginia Woolf on the list. Seeing it makes me wonder about what has bought it back into the spotlight in France

Franck Thilliez has appeared on a lot of the lists over the years. Delayed was on the list last year so this book has a lot of staying power!

Often when I look at the Australian list there is some crossover, even if it is for an author like Frieda McFadden, but there was none this year!

Previous French lists

I am sharing this with Sunday Salon hosted at Readerbuzz and A Good Book and a Cup of Tea hosted at Hopewell's Library.

Cook the Books: Kitchens of the Great MidWest by J Ryan Stradal

2026-07-25T05:23:00.000+10:00

When this book was announced as the current selection for Cook the Books I wasn't really sure what to expect. I hadn't heard of either the book or the author before, but being part of a book club often brings new authors so I searched out the book. Unsurprisingly my library system did not have a copy.

This book has quite an unusual structure. The story is fundamentally the story of Eva Thorvald, an enigmatic figure destined for greatness in the food world. However, Eva isn't really at the centre of the book. The book features a series of vignettes told by people who have the slightest connection to Eva. In one chapter she is the narrator's boyfriend's sister. In another, she is the judge at a bake off, in another a culinary rival. Eva herself only has one chapter where she is the one telling us of her life. The rest of her story is learnt through the interactions with other people.

Eva has a rough start to life. Her chef father wants to introduce her to fancy food at a very young age. Her mother has deserted the family to follow her wine related dreams. Eva is only young when her father dies, leaving her to be raised by her aunt and uncle. They love her, but they don't understand her. As a youngster she wants to grow the hottest chilli's she possibly can. Over the years, we see Eva's passion for food morph into an unrivalled food career, all of which she manages on her own terms. The other thing about Eva is that she is a collector of people, but as reader's we don't really see this all come together until the very end of the book!

There was lots to like about this book. It did make me laugh at times. For example, early on there is a section where Eva and her cousin are putting her forward in hot chilli eating competitions to make money, and there is a church baking competition that made me smile. There were moments when I found myself wishing I could be part of something similar to the Saturday Night Dinner Party where the guests all had to bring a dish that met the theme. Or the character who talks about the fact that they go to McDonalds for a birthday every year. One year it was McDonalds in Paris, another year it was London. That's my kind of trip to Maccas!

I am not sure, however, that the book worked for me as well it might have. It was a good read, rather than a great read. For all that there was humour and an unusual structure, underpinning it there was grief and damaged people, drugs and other struggles. I did like how it all came together though. I have also had a look at the other books that this author has written, and they do all sound like books I might like to read at some point. They certainly all have definite foodie titles and subjects.

This was a great selection for Cook the Books as the food was front and centre! I thought about counting all the different types of food that was mentioned but there was so many! I would have run out of fingers and toes before the end of the first chapter! I was not familiar with all of the food. For example, there were chapters about Lutefisk (a white fish cured in lye) which I have never heard of, and to be honest, I am not sure I would want to try. Another chapter featured Sweet Pepper Jelly, which again was a new taste to me.

So how do you decide what recipe to make when there are so many food mentions in a book. It almost happens by osmosis. I had written down a few notes, one of which was French Onion Soup, which was the subject of one of the chapters. And then I realised that I had this recipe already saved in my blog to share at some point, and that the recipe would definitely count for Paris in July and voila! The decision was made. It's not the first French Onion Soup inspired post I have shared for Paris in July. Back in 2022 I shared this recipe for French Onion casserole which was so delicious. I am trying to convince my husband that we need to have this again while it is still cold here. And every time I do have anything French Onion flavoured, I can't help but think of the soup that we had when we did our foodie walking tour of Le Marais.

This recipe comes from from Tender by Lucy Tweed, which was a recent selection for Lambs Ear Cookbook Club. We have made several recipes from this book, at least one other of which had French influences. This was a cook book that I originally borrowed from the library but I did end up buying it!

Obviously, this is not an authentic French dish, but we really enjoyed the flavours and will definitely make it again! The cheesy thyme crumb was a highlight! So good! We didn't have gruyere so I used a combination of mozzarella and parmesan

French Onion Rigatoni (Lucy Tweed)

Serves 4 – Cook Time: 45 Mins

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 large red onions, quartered
8 baby (pearl) onions, halved
200 ml (7 fl oz) dry white wine
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce (vegetarian if you want the dish to be fully vegetarian)

30 g (1 oz) butter
2 tablespoons plain (all-purpose) flour
3 thyme sprigs
2 garlic cloves
400 ml (14 fl oz) beef stock (or vegetable)
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
500 g (1 lb 2 oz) rigatoni
11/2 teaspoons sea salt flakes
freshly ground black pepper
100 ml thickened (heavy) cream
90 g (2/3 cup) grated smoked gruyère
50 g (1/2 cup) grated parmesan

Cheesy thyme crumb

1/4 sourdough loaf, crusts removed, torn into small pieces
6 thyme sprigs, leaves picked
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
salt
freshly ground black pepper
35 g (1/4 cup) grated smoked gruyère

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) fan-forced.

For the cheesy thyme crumb, combine the torn sourdough, thyme, olive oil and a little salt and pepper. Spread on a baking tray lined with baking paper and bake for 15 minutes, without turning, until golden. Scatter with the grated smoked gruyère and return to the oven for 3–5 minutes. Allow to cool and crisp fully before crumbling into shards. (You can make this a few hours ahead of time or cook this at the same time as the onions, on a lower shelf.)

Heat the olive oil in a large casserole over medium–high heat. Add the onion quarters, cut-sides down first, turning to colour all sides, about 5 minutes. Remove and set aside.

Deglaze the pan with the white wine, scraping up any bits stuck to the base. Whisk in the mustard, Worcestershire sauce, butter and flour until smooth and slightly thickened, about 3 minutes.

Return the onion to the pan along with the thyme and garlic. Pour in the beef stock and sherry vinegar and stir well to combine. Transfer to the oven and bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Switch to the grill (broiler) setting and grill (broil) for 10 minutes until the onion becomes jammy and browned on top.

Meanwhile, cook the rigatoni according to the packet instructions. Reserve a small cup of the pasta water, then drain.

Remove the pan from the oven and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the pasta and stir it through, using just enough of the reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce.

Add the cream either now or at the table, stirring it through for desired richness. Scatter with the gruyère and parmesan.

Top the pasta with the cheesy thyme crumb just before serving.

Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.

The next selection for Cook the Books is Mrs Quinn's Rise to Fame by Olivia Ford, which I am already looking forward to reading! This is the selection for August and September. The one after that it is my turn to host and my selection for October and November is The Kamogawa Food Detectives. If you enjoy reading and cooking, please join in. Cook the Books is a fun blogging event and you would be more than welcome!

Weekly meals

Saturday - Out for dinner

Sunday - Truffled Chicken with champagne sauce (new)
Monday - French Onion Rigatoni
Tuesday - Zucchini, bacon and tomato risotto
Wednesday - Out for dinner
Thursday - Out for dinner
Friday - Mexican Chicken and Rice

Weekend Cooking: Eva Longoria: Searching for France

2026-07-24T07:38:00.000+10:00

It happens every year. I run out of Saturdays for foodie related posts for Weekend Cooking during Paris in July, so here is a Paris in July/Weekend Cooking post on Friday!

Several years ago I become obsessed with Stanley Tucci's Searching for Italy. I have watched parts of that show over and over, and have now followed Stanley Tucci wherever he wants to take me on his culinary journey including the new TV show TC in Italy and his foodie memoirs.

I did know that Eva Longoria has previously done a series called Searching for Mexico, which I think I have watched before. What I didn't realise is that she has now gone on to make a Searching for Spain series. and now Searching for France. So what qualifies Longoria to take us on this culinary journey through France. Clearly she has the experience of travelling through various countries, connecting with people and eating some amazing food. And she is a self proclaimed Francophile1

The series has 8 episodes with the first two being filmed throughout Paris. The first episode focussed on the Art of the Table, with the second focussing on Patisserie! Oh la la! So much deliciousness. They visited somewhere which is known as Sweet street where there is a food hall that I really want to visit next time we go to Paris.

From there, the host travels around the country to explore food and culture traditions which varies so much around the country starting in Provence. Below are a highlight from each of the episodes.

Provence - One of the segments was all about ratatouille, which when served with cous cous and lamb is one of my favourite meals ever.

Bordeaux - Red wine, of course! Also beef and caviar

Burgundy - Truffle hunting and history

Alsace - is it French or is it German, exploring the ways that both German and French influences have created a uniquely Alsation cuisine

Brittany - This episode started in St Malo which we visited when we were in France a few years ago. It also talked about seafood and buckwheat

My favourite episode was called France in Seven Courses and it was the 7th episode. This was a journey through French culinary history through a seven course dinner eaten whilst taking a cruise down the Seine. Throughout the meal, they talked about how the French Revolution led to the establishments of restaurant, how Auguste Escoffier changed French cooking, how Michelin started the famous star system, the rise of nouveau cuisine and bistronomy through to modern cuisine which is taking on influences from around the world. It should really be the last episode but I guess they wanted the seventh episode to have the Seven Courses title.

What about Eva herself? I can't say that I am that familiar with her as a person, but this show definitely showed that she has an earthiness, earnestness, a certain cheekiness and a love of food and wine. There were also moments of honesty. For example, in Provence she was being given a half and half pizza type dish where one half is covered in anchovies. She did say up front that she didn't like anchovies, but it isn't often that you see a TV food presenter go ugh, I don't like that! You can watch a video here where she talks about all the things that she loved.

While watching the series I said to Robert next time we go to France we will make it all about the wine regions. We had already talked about visiting Champagne but now we are adding Bordeaux and Burgundy to our itinerary.

Here's the trailer

Paris in July: Island of Mists and Miracles by Victoria Mas

2026-07-22T05:12:00.000+10:00

I often try to read at least one book by a French author for Paris in July, not in French though. Over the last few years I have read Antoine Laurain, Valerie Perrin and last year Victoria Mas's book The Mad Women's Ball. I was really surprised by how much I enjoyed that book given that it was quite dark.

That darkness is something that permeates The Island of Mists and Miracles, although it is a very different book. The story brings together a number of characters to a small together on l'île de Batz, a tiny island off the coast of Brittany.

Sister Anne is a nun who believes that she has been promised that she would see a visitation of Mother Mary, and therefore she accepts a mission that takes her to Brittany. She had turned to religion after some childhood trauma. Before accepting the mission, she had rarely left her community so it she is very much out of his comfort zone.

One of the residents of the island is Isaac, an outsider from a devout family and then there is Hugo, his only friend whose family life is shaped by the fact that his younger sister, Julia, is always sick.

With Anne waiting for the visitation, she is disappointed when she is not the one who sees but rather it is to Isaac that the vision is revealed, setting in wheels a series of events that quickly get out of control. At first the islanders are intrigued at the idea that Isaac is seeing the vision. Some believe wholeheartedly, like his grandmother Madden, but others do not, like Hugo's father who forbids Hugo from seeing Isaac. It doesn't take long for intrigue to turn to jealousy and other, more primitive emotions.

For a very short book, this story is very powerful and it has so many layers. It is a story of grief, of friendship, of small island rivalries, of faith and tragedy. It is mystical, mystical, shattering and human. The sea and the natural environment of the Breton countryside are very much part of the story and help build the atmosphere in the story! There are also quite a few mentions of traditions and foods from the area

In French, the title for this book is Un Miracle so it is interesting that the title in English is so much longer. I think the simpler title actually works better in this case.

Framing the story, we also hear the story of Catherine Labouré who was a young novice in 1830 who had a vision of the Virgin Mary

Both of the books from Victoria Mas have kind of mixed reviews, but for whatever reason her writing style really works for me. I like the depth that she achieves within a short time, the way that she looks at relationships with a good dash of mysticism and religion. I already know that I am to read whatever Victoria Mas comes out with next! As an aside, I just found out this week that Mad Women's Ball was adapted into a movie. I am planning to watch the movie over the weekend!

In addition to reading this book for Paris in July, it also counts for the Books in Translation challenge hosted at Introverted Reader and the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge which I host.

Rating 4.5/5

Top Ten Tuesday: Free books!

2026-07-21T09:06:00.000+10:00

Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week the theme is Books That Live in My Head Rent-Free (submitted by Emma @ damppebbles.com).

I am focussing on the word Free in this and choosing to share the next ten books that are due back to the library. I know it isn't really free. I mean I pay rates and taxes which pay for it, but no money changes hands when I visit the library so it is as good as free!

The Island of Mists and Miracles by Victoria Mas - I finished this yesterday and liked it!

The Palace Women by Jennifer Ryan - And started this one today!

How to Fake it in Society by K J Charles - This one sounds like fun!

The Paradise Heights Craft Store Stitch up by Kate Solly - I am going to an author event with this author tomorrow night!

Delicious: Love to Eat: Around the World in 120 Delicious Recipes by Valli Little - My selection for the current Lambs Ear Cookbook Club

And, Now, Back to You by B K Borison - Looking forward to this one!

Better Than the Real Thing by Brooke Crawford - I have run into this author a number of times at bookish events.

A Far-Flung Life by M L Stedman - I really need to read this one before I have to return it.

Somewhere Beyond the Sea by T J Klune - This should be a fun read!

Kate and Frida: A novel of friendship, food and books by Kim Fay - Loved the previous book I read by this author

This week...

2026-07-20T09:08:00.000+10:00

I'm reading

I seem to have gotten into a bit of a routine now where I finish a couple of books and start a couple more and then ...voila...there's my reading for the week!

This week I finished Escape to the Turquoise Seas by Carrie Walker, which I reviewed here.

I also finished The Secret Society of Librarians by Kate Thompson. I am excited that she has just announced that there will be another WWII librarians series. I have loved all three books so far and this one was a 5 star read for me.

I also finished Kitchens of the Great MidWest by J Ryan Stradal, which is the current Cook the Books selection. My post about this book will be up on Saturday.

I then started The Story Collector by Evie Woods. This is one of my 20 Books of Winter selections. So far, so good.

Finally I also started (and finished) The Island of Mists and Miracles by French author Victoria Mas. I read her book The Mad Women's Ball last year and I really enjoyed it. I did just find out that there was a movie made of the book so I am hoping to watch that over the next couple of weeks

I'm watching

We went to the movies and watch The Odyssey on Saturday afternoon. We enjoyed it but it was a very long movie! I was very careful not to drink too much so that I didn't need to leave half way through for a bathroom break. It is also a pretty bleak, but I guess that is reflective of the source material. It has a big name cast and I would say it is worth seeing!

Life

On Sunday we went to an exhibition called Rome: Empire, People and Power which is at our local museum. It was a really good exhibition, and one of the things that we enjoyed was that, for once, an exhibition wasn't super crowded! There was a section in the exhibition which was set up like it was a pool and we enjoyed sitting on the bench and passing the time of day while the lights and sounds made us feel like we were sitting in the pool back in Roman times!

We also went to a new Korean inspired cafe which does amazing desserts. I had this amazing looking pear dessert! The shell was super thin, and the inside was very peary!!

Posts from the last week

Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Short Reviews

Blog Tour: The Book Lover's Bucket List by Hannah Claire

Paris in July: In the Paris Fashion by Sophie Beaumont

Blog Tour: Escape to the Turquoise Seas by Carrie Walker

Weekend Cooking: Bastille Day Dinner

Sunday Salon: Six in Six

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

Sunday Salon: Six in Six

2026-07-19T06:04:00.000+10:00

I haven't done Six in Six before but I saw it over at Words and Peace and I decided to join in! I thought it would also be a good way to do a roundup of the various challenges that I am doing this year. Along the way I will mention 7 out of the 8 books that I have given 5/5 to so far this year! I just couldn't make the last one fit into any of these challenges. That book is First Time Caller by B K Borison.

There is one challenge that I haven't included in this list as I really wanted to have a category for Australia authors and that is the New Release Challenge hosted by The Chocolate Lady's Book Review Blog. Of the 77 books I have read so far this year, 30 have counted for the New Release Challenges. Foodies Read (hosted at Based on a True Story) is probably not technically a challenge, but I do enjoy linking up whenever I read a foodie book!

6 Historical Fiction Books - 28 books read

The Goldsmith's Wife by Jean Plaidy, (5/5) - mini review

The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters (5/5) - mini review

The Silent Resistance by Anna Normann (5/5) - review

The Strawberry House by Rachel Burton - Also New Release Challenge - review

Seascraper by Benjamin Wood

The King's Jewel by Elizabeth Chadwick

6 Bookish Books - 10 Books read

The Little Wartime Library by Kate Thompson (5/5) - Also Historical Fiction Reading challenge - review

The Secret Society of Librarians by Kate Thompson (5/5) - Also Historical Fiction Reading Challenge

The Croatian Island Library by Eva Glyn - Also New Release Challenge - review

This Book Made Me Think of You by Libby Page

The Seaside Book Club by Helen Rolfe - review

6 Books in Translation - 11 books read

Us Against You by Fredrik Backman (5/5)

Dinner at the Night Library by Hika Harada - Also Foodies Read and Bookish Books - review

The Leopard by Giuseppe Tomasi de Lampedusa - Also Historical Fiction - review

We'll Prescribe You a Cat by Syou Ishida - mini review

Piglettes by Clementine Beauvais - Also Foodie Reads - review

War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy - Also Historical Fiction - thoughts

6 Speccie Fiction Challenge - 7 books read

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

Gate to Kagoshima by Poppy Kuroki - Also Historical Fiction - review

The Astral Library by Kate Quinn - Also Bookish Books - mini review

The Seven Rings by Nora Roberts

We'll Prescribe You Another Cat by Syou Ishida - Also Books in Translation - mini review

6 Australian Books - 16 books read

In a Paris Fashion by Sophie Beaumont (5/5) - review

Past the Shallows by Favel Pavrett - Also Historical Fiction - mini review

Careful He Might Hear You by Sumner Locke Elliott - Also Historical Fiction - review

The Palace of Lost Virtue by Anthea Hodgson - Also Historical Fiction - review

Don't Brake My Heart by Leonie Mack - review

The Model Murder by Amanda Hampson - Also Historical Fiction

6 Foodie Reads - 9 books read

The Language of Food by Annabel Abbs - Also Historical Fiction - review

A Midnight Pastry Shop Called Hwawoldang by lee Onhwa - also Books in Translation and Speccie Fiction - review

Bite by Bite: Nourishments and Jamborees by Aimee Nezhukumatathil - review

The Boulangerie on the Corner by Susan Buchanan - Also New Release challenge - review

Hot Chocolate on Thursday by Michiko Aoyama - Also Books in Translation - review

Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J Ryan Stradal

So there's my Six in Six for this year! And an update on my challenges at the same time.

I am sharing this with Sunday Salon hosted at Readerbuzz and A Good Book and a Cup of Tea hosted at Hopewell's Library.

Weekend Cooking: Bastille Day Dinner

2026-07-18T08:58:00.000+10:00

On July 14, I saw a post on Facebook which talked about the fact that if you are in France on July 14 you would not be sharing greetings like Happy Bastille Day. Rather the French refer to the day as Quartorze Juilliet, July 14!

Even with this in mind, I was really excited to attend a Bastille Day Dinner with around 100 other people, and what an amazing dinner we had. I went in expecting good food and wine and maybe something a little cultural and I was not disappointed. We had already been to a Japanese event at the club a few weeks ago where the executive chef had told us about his background in classical French cooking, before he ventured into the world of Japanese food, so it was not a surprise to see him in the room! Throughout the night he had conversations with all of the tables which was a fun touch!

The evening was billed as a five course dinner, but in actual fact it was 5 courses plus a couple of other bits and pieces. This started even before we entered the room where we were treated to a savoury puff alongside an amazing champagne/sparkling wine that I completely forgot to get the name of! It was such a nice wine. Once we entered the room the mood was set with a three piece band playing all sorts of French style café music, plus with lots of French flags around the room and red white and blue lighting.

Before we even started the five courses there was an Amuse Bouche which was a Vol au Vent filled with chicken, mushroom, bacon and liberally dusted with truffles! It is, after all, truffle season!

No self respecting French dinner will start without bread, and this was no exception. The bread was okay but the Normandy butter! Oh my goodness, so good! The chef did warn us not to fill up too much on the bread because the rest of the dinner was still to come, but it was hard to resist that butter!

For the first course, we had a Salade Lyonnaise. The most interesting part of this was the oeuf poche. When the dish came to the table it looked a little like it had a little meat patty on the top but actually that was a egg that had been poached in red wine which is why it had the colouring. I have never had a poached egg like it

The second and third courses were the fish and mains, with the Daube de Boeuf being so tender, the Paris mash beautiful and the carrots lovely and sweet.

Then onto the cheese course, with house made lavash that was beautiful and crispy, quince paste (so good) which was the perfect accompaniment to the blue cheese and camembert which is hidden in the photo!

By this point we were getting pretty full, so when the dessert came out looking pretty as a picture, we were determined to give it every effort to finish it because it was so good! What we didn't know, was that there was one final flourish to the meal - a beautiful lemon tart! We probably didn't need it, but it was there and it looked so good that I had to eat it, and it was lovely!

When the chef came around to visit later in the evening we joked that there was going to be a bit of disappointment the next night when I had to prepare dinner because there was no way it was going to live up to the standard that he had set.

In addition to the music provided by the trio, there were some performances from some can can dancers, who of course did the traditional dance, but also did some modern twists on can can. Here's a video to give you a taste.

I can definitely see us attending this night again, although we might wait until July 14 is on a Saturday as going out on a school night is a challenge.

Weekly meals

Saturday - Tuscan Chicken Pasta Bake
Sunday -Leftovers
Monday - Air Fryer Roast Pork (new)
Tuesday - Out for dinner
Wednesday -Mushroom, Zucchini and Bacon pasta
Thursday - Japanese Pork Curry
Friday - Leftovers

Blog Tour: Escape to the Turquoise Seas by Carrie Walker

2026-07-17T09:22:00.000+10:00

Do you love an office rivals romance? With a twist? In this book the twist is that the rivals find themselves on a ship, competing for a huge PR account which will have a huge impact on their professional careers.

Kat Brennan is passionate about her job in PR. Her main client is Excalibur cruise lines. She can't believe it when she finds that Excalibur is making her company reapply for the right to continue their long standing business relationship. Of course, Kat is determined that they are going to win the competition, whatever it takes.

Leo Kendrick is the CEO of a rival agency, and he is just as determined that he and his team are going to do everything in their power to win that account! The thing is that Leo and Kat have a bit of a history. Fifteen years ago, they were both interns when they were starting out in PR, until Leo got the job that Kat wanted, and she is sure that there was underhandedness involved and she still holds a grudge.

The new Chief Marketing Officer at Excalibur has decided that the best way to provide inspiration to the two rival companies is for them to take an all expenses paid cruise on the new ship Esmerelda, along the Portuguese coast where the two teams have to experience everything that cruising has to offer. It sounds glamorous, but the reality is anything but. The two teams are staying in bunk beds in crew accommodation, they are expected to take part in all of the activities whether they want to or not and by the end of the two weeks they have to come up with a winning strategy.

It wasn't all bad news though. Along the way the rivals got to experience some amazing sights and activities. But while Kat and Leo begin to spend more time together and to begin to fall for each other it doesn't take a lot for the fact that they are rivals to get in the way. For two people whose job is to communicate they aren't particularly good at it with each other. Mistrust and misunderstandings abound.

I loved reading about Portugal. It is one country I haven't been to in Europe but it is on the list. I just don't know when. We also enjoy a cruise so I could be convinced that a trip on the Esmerelda would be an amazing trip, although I would much prefer different cabins from those that Kat and Leo had to share with their respective co-workers.

This is the fourth book in the Holiday Romance series, and Kat really relies on her friends who have featured in the previous books. I have actually only read the third book, Escape to the Northern Lights (my review), but I have more on my Kindle waiting for the time when I want to escape to somewhere new! I am also keeping an eye out for whatever new books Carrie Walker comes out with! Yes, I am a fan!

I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted at The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews. It was also one of the books I nominated to read for the 20 Books on Winter. Thanks to the publisher and Rachel's Random Resources for the review copy. Be sure to check out other stops on the tour below too!

Rating 4/5

About the book

Escape to the Turquoise Seas

Kat Brennan has always been the work-hard, play-harder type, navigating single life in London and the chaos of her job at Northstar PR. So when Excalibur Cruises invite her aboard to pitch for their account, she jumps at the chance to prove to her boss she's indispensable... and to finally relax a little.

But the last person she wants to get stuck on a boat with is industry hotshot Leo Kendrick, the CEO of rival agency Amplify – and Kat's nemesis. When Leo bagged a coveted marketing internship 15 years ago, Kat vowed never to let him win anything again. She is not about to break that promise, even if Leo has become a distractingly attractive opponent.

As the Esmerelda sails the seas, from the Azores to Lisbon via Madeira, the two agencies must battle it out to present the best pitch. But in such close quarters, the sea might not be the only thing rocking the boat…

PERFECT for fans of:

Forced proximity

Enemies-to-lovers

Workplace romance

A dash of spice

Beachy destinations

Purchase Link - https://amzn.eu/d/0eUS4oNt

About the author

Carrie Walker is a Brummie born rom-com lover with a lifelong passion for travel. She has lived in a ski resort, by a beach, in the country and the city, and travelled solo through Asia, South America and Europe. Her own love life was more com than rom until she met her husband a few years ago and settled down with him and her dog Ziggy in a small pub-filled village in Essex.

Social Media Links – https://www.carriewalker.co.uk/ https://www.instagram.com/carriewalkerauthor/

Paris in July: In the Paris Fashion by Sophie Beaumont

2026-07-16T00:30:00.000+10:00

When vintage fashion afficionado and dealer, Isabelle finds a letter in a random tin, she is convinced that it maybe an authentic letter from legendary Elisabeth Fontaine. Now she just has to follow her hunch and prove it.

Fontaine was a shooting star in French fashion in the late 1920s, both for her work and for the fact that she died tragically young. After a hugely successful first season, Fontaine was supposedly working on a dress design for her second season that was going to take the world by storm. However, she and her tennis star husband died in a car crash. Rumours have swirled for decades about the dress but no one has ever been able to find the designs.

The letter seems to suggest that the designs can be found in an orphan box, whatever that might be. Determined to find out more, she visits the address on the envelope where she meets Romy Valence. Romy is a fashion design student who left behind the career that her family approved of to study the one she dreamed of. Thank goodness her Uncle Alex has supported her dreams because her family certainly has not. She is struggling to know if she made the right choice or not, or if she should give up her dream once and for all.

The final person who makes up our core trio of characters is Australian fashion writer Audrey Oliver. Audrey's grandmother worked in Paris during Fontaine's time. Now, Audrey is writing a book and is researching based on her grandmother's journal. This isn't Audrey's first time in Paris. She has been many times, but the most formative time was when she first visited the city and fell in love with a young man who broke her heart, which has had a lasting impact on her subsequent relationships.

As the three women are drawn together on their quest to find out more about the life and work of Elisabeth Fontaine, their friendship grows. Each of them brings a different set of skills to the table, harmonising well together but also showing each of them off to individual advantage.

There is quite a bit of drama in this story, and it moved along at a cracking pace. There are new relationships, old loves, a bit of intrigue and many lovely descriptions of Paris and it's fashion areas which are somewhat off the regular tourist track.

I have many childhood memories of being dragged, under protest, to cheap material shops. Beaumont almost convinced me that I should allow myself the luxury of visiting a material shop in the Montmartre area of Paris and feel the various silks and other luxury materials. I should also add visiting button stores like Dam Buttons to my itinerary the next time I make it to Paris, whenever that might be.

I already knew that I liked Beaumont's books. I enjoyed both of her previous books which I have posted about in previous Paris in July events. With this read, it felt like the right book at the right time for me as I read it in a day, and I closed it with a very contented sigh. Does the book have some flaws? Absolutely. Will everyone love it like I did? Probably not. Did it leave me smiling long after I finished the book? Yes. And that's what makes it a 5 star read for me.

Beaumont has now explored Paris through it's food, gardens and fashion. I wonder what is next. Whatever it is, I am there for it!

I am sharing this review with Paris in July, hosted by Emma and with Bookish Books hosted at Bloggin' Bout Books.

Rating 5/5