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Word Revel

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December 24, 2018

CHRISTMAS CAKES AND MISTLETOE NIGHTS by Carole Matthews

December 24, 2018

Book cover & 3.5-star rating - CHRISTMAS CAKES AND MISTLETOE NIGHTS by Carole MatthewsTechnically, Christmas Cakes and Mistletoe Nights is a sequel to Cake Shop in the Garden but it stands quite well on its own. I actually only realised that it’s a sequel due to the summarised info dump during the first couple of chapters — think throwback highlight reel at the start of new seasons of TV shows. Once that’s done and dusted, it’s back to regular writing and storytelling.

· Categories: Fiction Keywords: baking, british authors, cafes, cheating, christmas, food and drink, friendship, half-siblings, hardship, holidays, illnesses, inheritance, poverty, pregnancy, survival, weddings, winter, work life

November 14, 2017

MY ITALIAN BULLDOZER by Alexander McCall Smith

November 14, 2017

Book cover & rating - My Italian Bulldozer by Alexander McCall Smith

Food writer travels through Tuscany on a bulldozer — such a bizarre and hilarious image this premise painted. It sounded so ludicrous and I have to admit, it made me think of The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson. That set the bar of absurd humour unfairly high but I couldn’t help it. Perhaps it’s a good thing then, that My Italian Bulldozer wasn’t filled with tall tales, even if that slightly disappointed me.

· Categories: Fiction Keywords: british authors, culture, food and drink, relationships, romance, travel, work life, writing

July 20, 2017

THE SUMMER SEASIDE KITCHEN by Jenny Colgan

July 20, 2017

Book cover & rating - The Summer Seaside Kitchen by Jenny ColganThe atmosphere of The Summer Seaside Kitchen was incredible. Even though Mure isn’t a real island but an amalgam of various islands of the Northern Isles, it completely came to life. I could picture the scenic views, the landmarks and houses so perfectly, I very nearly felt as though I had been transported to Mure myself. The more I read, the more I fell in love with the island. That’s how well Jenny Colgan detailed everything!

· Categories: Fiction Keywords: british writers, family, food and drink, friendship, identity, lgbtq characters, relationships, restaurants, romance, scottish writers, self discovery, siblinghood, work life

May 6, 2017

THE HOUSE OF NEW BEGINNINGS by Lucy Diamond

May 6, 2017

Book cover & rating - The House of New Beginnings by Lucy DiamondThe House of New Beginnings to me, was a comforting book to read. Following the lives of three women at crossroads, this is a book that speaks about hope amidst uncertainty. Naturally, what first caught my eye in the synopsis was Rosa, the sous chef. Now, I found out she’s more of a line cook but ultimately, that deviating detail doesn’t matter all too much. She lives and breathes food and that’s where she finds solace.

· Categories: Fiction Keywords: british authors, cheating, death, family life, food and drink, friendship, grief, hope, humour, journalism, on-writing, realistic fiction, romance, self discovery, single parenthood, work life

September 19, 2015

SECONDS by Bryan Lee O’Malley

September 19, 2015

Book cover by SECONDS by Bryan Lee O'MalleyLife choices, second chances and changing the past are major themes in Seconds. That’s why I think it’s a graphic novel that appeals to a wide audience, even if the medium isn’t something one usually reads. It’s natural to wish things had gone differently, lamenting that everything could’ve turned out better, dwelling on the perpetual if only…

· Categories: Graphic Novels Keywords: canadian authors, choices, despair, food and drink, friendship, hope, illustrated, life, memories, restaurants, romance, work life

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About

Joséphine. Word reveller. Loves books. Reads books. Talks about books. Photographs books. When she’s not blogging, she can be found on Instagram under @wordrevel.

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