Reading Round-Up: February

On By booksandbakes1In Books, Literature, Reading, Reading Round-Up10 Comments

Hello Loves!

In the blink of an eye, February seems to have disappeared! However, I really needed that week off, and it also gave me time to read plenty. In fact, the majority of my reading this month took place during that week. Since being back at school, I’ve noticed that the mornings are getting lighter, as are the evenings. I’ve also spotted some spring flowers appearing — we’ve made it, everyone!

I wanted to share my February reading round-up with you all because there have been some brilliant books. I managed to read 9 books last month, which I’m really pleased with. Let’s check out the shelves!

Just look at them all! There are some brilliant ones here. I’ve already reviewed One Night in Paris as well as The Dutch House. I always like to pick different books for my top three to keep it fair!

  1. Till Summer Do Us Part – Meghan Quinn. I bought this from a little independent bookshop over half term because the blurb sounded hilarious and like something I would do! Scottie has started a new job, and being the only woman on her team has its disadvantages — everyone seems to be happily married. Under pressure, Scottie mentions her own husband. The only problem is: she doesn’t have one. This is where her best friend’s brother, Wilder Wells, steps in. They meet with a marriage counsellor and then end up on an eight-day marriage retreat. The rest, as they say, is history.
  2. The Last Twilight in Paris – Pam Jenoff. I bought this purely because it had Paris in the title and a beautiful sprayed edge of the Eiffel Tower, but it was an absolute treat. Who knew that finding a necklace could lead someone on a journey like Louise’s? Seeing the name of a French department store on the box triggers something in Louise’s memory from her days working for the Red Cross during the Second World War. Leaving her family behind, she takes a trip to discover the truth. She uncovers the dark history behind the glamorous department store Lévitan and Helaine — a woman imprisoned there, torn apart from her husband after the invasion. This book has beautiful storytelling at its heart.
  3. Hot Chocolate on Thursday – Michiko Aoyama.
    I loved this just as much as What You Are Looking For Is in the Library. Here, we see the Marble Café with its cherry blossom view and a young woman who writes in her notebook while the waiter prepares her drink. This book includes twelve interconnected stories, showing us how even the smallest moments and meetings can have a profound impact. We learn about her and the other visitors to the café, as well as what binds them all together.

I’m so thrilled March is here. It brings more light, beautiful spring flowers, and that refreshing feeling of starting again. I’m really looking forward to this month.

Enjoy Sunday everyone!

Big love all xxx

Reading Challenge 2026: The Dutch House – Ann Patchett

On By booksandbakes1In Book Review, Books, Literature, Reading, Reading Challenge 20264 Comments

Hello Loves!

Another weekend is upon us and I’m at the end of half term break. I hope everyone has had a brilliant week doing all the lovely things they wanted to do. For me, I wanted to share with you another book choice for my reading challenge. As you know, it’s all about giving my ‘To Be Read’ shelf some attention. This book has been on my shelf since 2019! The random generator gave me: a hardback book for January so this book was the perfect choice. I’m so excited to share my thoughts on a book that stayed with me long after I turned the final page: The Dutch House by Ann Patchett. 

What’s it all about?

At its heart, The Dutch House is a story about family, memory, and the house that shapes both. The novel follows siblings Maeve and Danny Conroy, whose lives are forever marked by the grand and mysterious Dutch House — a lavish mansion in the suburbs of Philadelphia purchased by their father, Cyril Conroy. The house, with its imposing façade and ornate portrait of its former Dutch owners, quickly becomes the centre of the family’s world – it is the thing that they each go back to. 

“There are a few times in life when you leap up and the past that you’d been standing on falls away behind you, and the future you mean to land on is not yet in place, and for a moment you’re suspended knowing nothing and no one, not even yourself.”

When their mother, Elna, unexpectedly leaves the family, Maeve and Danny are raised primarily by their distant but financially driven father. Years later, Cyril remarries Andrea, a woman who initially appears composed and refined but gradually reveals a cold protectiveness over the house and her own daughters. After Cyril’s sudden death, Andrea wastes no time in claiming ownership — and ultimately forces Maeve and Danny out of the only home they have ever known.

From that point forward, the novel traces decades of their lives as they circle back — both physically and emotionally — to the Dutch House. Even after building successful careers and lives elsewhere, they find themselves parked outside the mansion, revisiting memories and dissecting the past. The house becomes less a physical place and more a symbol of longing, resentment, and unresolved grief.

“But we overlay the present onto the past. We look back through the lens of what we know now, so we’re not seeing it as the people we were, we’re seeing it as the people we are, and that means the past has been radically altered.”

As the story unfolds, Patchett explores how childhood wounds linger into adulthood, how loyalty between siblings can shape the course of a life, and how difficult it can be to let go of what once defined you. The narrative moves steadily through time, revealing the choices each sibling makes — Danny becoming a wealthy real estate developer, Maeve quietly battling illness and carrying the emotional weight of their shared history — all while the Dutch House remains a silent presence in the background. This story is unlike anything I’ve read this year or read before. I’m genuinely thrilled I’ve finally got to experience it. 

Final Thoughts

If you love books that make you think and feel, books that whisper truths about family and belonging, then this is the one to pick up next. The Dutch House isn’t just a story — it’s a home you visit long after you’ve closed the cover. I’m ashamed it spent so long on a bookshelf but it really is a beautiful book with honest, raw emotions and relatable scenarios. 

Have a lovely weekend everyone!

Big Love xxx

Reading Challenge 2026: One Night In Paris – Nina George

On By booksandbakes1In Book Review, Books, Literature, Reading, Reading Challenge 20264 Comments

Hello all!

Happy half term! I’ve finally got time to stop, relax, and catch up with the books I’ve been wanting to read. This evening, I can’t wait to share with you a book I finished today for my reading challenge. The random generator selected: an impulse buy for February. Pretty much most of my purchases are impulse buys — any excuse to treat myself, really!

One Night in Paris by Nina George was my latest impulse buy, so I thought we’d start there. Just a reminder: my reading challenge this year is all about not buying books specifically for it, but instead clearing my to-be-read bookcase! I picked this one because I have a real soft spot for books set in Paris, and I loved Nina George’s other books.

What’s it all about?

Told through the eyes of Claire Cousteau, a highly respected French biologist who appears to have it all, we quickly learn that all is not as it seems. Increasingly disillusioned with her marriage, she knows that her husband often plays away. The emotional distance she feels from him doesn’t help either.

“It happened to people, this longing, emerging from an unknown void, grabbing the soul with a firm hand…”

Whilst in Paris during a heatwave, Claire experiences a spontaneous, sensual encounter with a stranger in a hotel room. That night — in the small confines of Room 32 at the Hotel Langlois — marks a turning point for her, but she vows to keep it a secret forevermore. However, someone else sees her leave.

Later, back in her normal life, Claire and her husband prepare for a summer on the Breton coast. Their son, Nico, surprises her by asking if his new girlfriend, Julie, can come too. Julie herself is ambitious but not entirely certain about her relationship with Nico.

“Vertigo marée… that desire that came from nowhere — to erase the self, to be free…”

What Claire’s family doesn’t know is that Julie and Claire have met before. Julie is the person who saw her leave after her encounter. This unexpected connection challenges both women’s assumptions about themselves, the relationships they’re in, and what they really want from their lives.

With the gorgeous Brittany coastline providing the backdrop to their story, the novel explores ideas of desire, missed opportunities, change, and the courage to alter the path you are on. By the end of the novel, Claire is a very different character from how she is presented at the beginning.

Final Thoughts

I had no idea what to expect from this book, but I knew Nina George would provide complex characters and an emotive storyline set in the heart of France. She delivers again on all those levels. Yet, more than anything, I found this book to be about bravery. The bravery to look at your life and admit you might want something different. The bravery to challenge societal conventions. The bravery to want something else from your life.

Have a lovely rest of the week everyone! I’ll be sure to check in along the way.

Big Love xxxx

Reading Round-Up: January

On By booksandbakes1In Books, Literature, Reading, Reading Round-Up12 Comments

Hello Loves!

Well, January seemed to last forever but also presented me with very little opportunities to actually do anything. Back to school, flu season, snow season and then just general life meant that everything else kind of stops. Regardless, I’ve tried to keep in touch with you all and your wonderful posts. I hope January was good for you all and that you’re doing ok.

Today I wanted to share with you my round-up for January. It was never going to match the dizzy heights of December but I still think the month on the whole was quite successful. I managed to read 7 books. Writing on the other hand, didn’t happen. But that’s ok. Let’s check out the shelves!

Picking a top three is never easy because I don’t tend to keep reading books if I’m not enjoying them. However, there really are some gems here.

  1. The Feminine Art of Revenge – Celine Saintclare. Oh, how I loved this book. It’s so well written and I bought into the story straight away. Protagonist Sylvie, has high ambitions and big dreams of being a ballet dancer. But she’s forced to abandon that plan. It isn’t all bad though, she meets Jay. They embark on a passionate, all consuming relationship where she believes she’s in love. Then she learns he’s married…
  2. The Examiner – Janice Hallett. A mature student art course doesn’t sound like it should be too much trouble. However, the one at Royal Hastings University has been nothing but a problem from the start. Accusations of theft, deliberate burning of art and an affair, just to name a few, mean that the course leader, Gela Nathanial is at the end of her wits. Their final assignment is one in which they need to work together. Simple enough, but it ends in murder. Another classic Hallett.
  3. The Impossible Fortune – Richard Osman. I have nothing but love for this series. The Thursday Murder club have had a relatively quiet year. Some things don’t change. She Elizabeth meets a guest at a wedding who is fearing for his life, the spark of the investigative thrill is ignited once again as the group need to work together to solve the puzzle and a murder. A thrilling read that I really enjoyed.

Here’s to February! I hope it brings you all you hope for. I’ll back (absolutely certain because of February half term) and I’ll do my best to make sure I’m on top of all your amazing posts.

Big love all xxx

Book Chat: My Reading Year

On By booksandbakes1In Book Chat, Books, New Year, Reading, Reading Challenge 2026, Reading Round-Up15 Comments

Hey Loves!

Happy New Year! I’ve got a good feeling about 2026, and I’m hoping this year brings lots of wonderful reading opportunities, along with times of peace and kindness. I want to be the best version of me in 2026!

Before I look to the future, I always like to sign off on the previous year. Whilst I read more in 2025 than in 2024, I definitely had longer gaps on my blog — something I want to be better at next year. Thank you for sticking with me though. This community is just so amazing.

2025

In 2025, I managed to read 119 books, which I am genuinely really proud of. Personally, there have been some challenging moments this year, so to have read this many is something that has surprised me. Looking back over the list, there have been so many brilliant reads. I also love the fact that my reading year both started and ended with Colleen Hoover — there’s a lovely sense of a cycle there! Here’s what I read in 2025:

  1. Colleen Hoover – It Starts with Us
  2. Laura Nowlin – If He Had Been With Me
  3. Kate Summerscale – The Peepshow: The Murders at 10 Rillington Place
  4. Colleen Hoover – Finding Cinderella
  5. Mai Mochizuki – The Full Moon Coffee Shop
  6. Colleen Hoover – Reminders of Him
  7. J.B. Priestley – An Inspector Calls
  8. Katy Brent – I Bet You’d Look Good in a Coffin
  9. Susan Hill – The Woman in Black
  10. Uketsu – Strange Pictures
  11. Laurie Gilmore – The Strawberry Patch Pancake House
  12. Michael Morpurgo – Spring: The Spring of a Season
  13. Kenji Ueda – Letters from the Ginzo Shihodo Stationery Shop
  14. Susie Dent – Roots of Happiness
  15. Freida McFadden – The Housemaid’s Secret
  16. Tom Ellen – The Lifeline
  17. Junko Takase – May You Have Delicious Meals
  18. Lily King – Writers & Lovers
  19. Joanna Wallace – You’d Look Better as a Ghost
  20. Louise Hegarty – Fair Play
  21. Freida McFadden – The Housemaid Is Watching
  22. Abigail Johnson – The Secret Collector
  23. Julia Quinn – The Duke and I
  24. Claire Douglas – The New Neighbours
  25. Julia Quinn – The Viscount Who Loved Me
  26. Anthony Doerr – All the Light We Cannot See
  27. Ali Hazelwood – Not in Love
  28. Rose Carlyle – The Girl in the Mirror
  29. Kate Simants – Freeze
  30. Catherine Hapka – The Little Things in Life
  31. Lynn Painter – Better Than the Movies
  32. M.J. Robothan – The Scandalous Life of Ruby Devereaux
  33. Sosuke Natsukawa – The Cat Who Saved the Library
  34. Harvey Edgington & Lauren Taylor – National Trust on Screen
  35. Marion Poschmann – The Pine Islands
  36. Matt Dunn – 13 Dates
  37. Nicola Whyte – 10 Marchfield Square
  38. David Attenborough – Ocean: Earth’s Last Wilderness
  39. Michel Faber – The Hundred and Ninety-Nine Steps
  40. Sanaka Hiiragi – The Lantern of Lost Memories
  41. Rachel Blackmore – Constanza
  42. Tom Gaisford – Sanctuary
  43. Emily Henry – Great Big Beautiful Life
  44. Hiro Arikawa – The Passengers on the Hankyu Line
  45. Bal Khabra – Collide
  46. Jessica Asquith & Norma Burton – Jess and Norma: A Lifetime of Laughter and Our Unbreakable Bond
  47. Robert Macfarlane – Thirst: In Search of Freshwater
  48. Moira Macdonald – Storybook Ending
  49. Julia Quinn – An Offer from a Gentleman
  50. James Patterson & Imogen Edward-Jones – The Last Days of Marilyn Monroe
  51. Jesse Sutanto – The Good, the Bad, and the Aunties
  52. Julia Quinn – Romancing Mr Bridgerton
  53. Atsuhiro Yoshida – Goodnight Tokyo
  54. David Nicholls – You Are Here
  55. Jesse Sutanto – Vera Wong’s Guide to Snooping (on a Dead Man)
  56. Tracy Chevalier – The Glass Maker
  57. Sue Hincenbergs – The Retirement Plan
  58. Disha Bose – Dirty Laundry
  59. Ruth Reichl – The Paris Novel
  60. L.M. Chilton – Everyone in the Group Chat Dies
  61. Victoria Hislop – The Last Dance and Other Stories
  62. Laura Vaughan – Let’s Pretend
  63. Ali Hazelwood – Problematic Summer Romance
  64. Jason Rekulak – Hidden Pictures
  65. Rose Donovan – Death in Velvet
  66. Sharon Booth – Loving Spirits at the Vintage Teashop
  67. Benjamin Stevenson – Everyone on This Train Is a Suspect
  68. Alex Pavesi – Eight Detectives
  69. Sally Page – The Book of Beginnings
  70. Janet & Allan Ahlberg – The Jolly Postman or Other People’s Letters
  71. Liz Tomforde – Mile High
  72. John Clegg – Literary London
  73. Her Yaeyeon – Hakuda Photo Studio
  74. K.L. Walther – The Summer of Broken Rules
  75. Martin Amis – Night Train
  76. Vanessa Dina & Claire Gilhuly – Book Nooks
  77. Laurie Gilmore – The Gingerbread Bakery
  78. James Norbury – A Beautiful World
  79. Yasuhiko Nishizawa – The Man Who Died Seven Times
  80. Matthew McConaughey – Poems & Prayers
  81. Hiyoko Kurishu – The Amberglow Candy Store
  82. Kim Ho-Yeon – The Second Chance Convenience Store
  83. Charlie Mackesy – Always Remember
  84. J.B. Priestley – An Inspector Calls
  85. Martin Edwards – Miss Winter in the Library with a Knife
  86. Ali Hazelwood – Deep End
  87. F. Scott Fitzgerald – The Great Gatsby
  88. Lucy Score – Mr Fixer Upper
  89. Miye Lee – Break Room
  90. Lynn Painter – Fake Skating
  91. Freida McFadden – The Boyfriend
  92. Robert Galbraith – The Hallmarked Man
  93. Stacey McNeill – Fox Under the Moon
  94. Anais Mitchell – Hadestown
  95. Mark Manson – The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fck*
  96. Hwang Bo-Reum – Every Day I Read
  97. Janice Hallett – The Appeal
  98. Emmanuel Olympitis – Whispers in the Park: The Prophecy
  99. Seishi Yokomizo – Murder at the Black Cat Café
  100. T.L. Swan – The Stopover
  101. Joseph Nguyen – Don’t Believe Everything You Think
  102. Janice Hallett – The Twyford Code
  103. Charles Dickens – A Christmas Carol
  104. Tasha Coryell – Matchmaking for Psychopaths
  105. Lee Onhwa – A Midnight Pastry Shop Called Hwawoldang
  106. Nicola Upson – The Christmas Clue
  107. Anna James – Alice with a Why
  108. Janice Hallett – The Killer Question
  109. Hika Harada – Dinner at the Night Library
  110. James Patterson – The Medical Examiner
  111. Sophie Jomain – A Heart for Christmas
  112. Gunnar Gunnarsson – Advent
  113. Viola van de Sandt – The Dinner Party
  114. Susan Stokes-Chapman – The Twelve Days of Christmas
  115. Halen Coben & Reese Witherspoon – Gone Before Goodbye
  116. Richard Coles – A Death on Location
  117. M.L. Rio – If We Were Villains
  118. Janice Hallett – The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels
  119. Colleen Hoover & Tarryn Fisher – Never Never

2026

My priorities going into 2026 are still the same: read more great books. However, for my main reading challenge, the focus is on clearing my TBR shelves. The honest truth is I have a whole large bookcase full of great books that are patiently waiting to be read. In the past, for my other reading challenges, I’ve often bought new books to fit the theme. This year, the categories are for books already on my TBR shelves only. I’m also hoping to save some more money, so this should help with that — or at least, I’m hoping it will! I’ll still be using a random generator to pick the theme for this month as well.

Let’s check out the challenge! I hope you like it, and please do feel free to take part if you’d like to.

Let me know your reading goals for 2026, and I’ll be there to champion you along the way too. After all, that’s what makes this community so amazing!

I’m back to work tomorrow to start the next term, but will be back soon with more reading updates and bookish fun! 📚

Big Love xxx

Reading Round-Up: December

On By booksandbakes1In Books, Literature, New Year, Reading, Reading Round-Up6 Comments

Hello Loves!

Happy New Year’s Eve! Since I probably won’t finish my current read today, I thought I’d share my December round-up before the celebrations begin.

I’m genuinely chuffed to say that December has been a brilliant reading month for me. The Christmas break and having no work on my plate really worked in my favour! I managed to read a whopping 17 books—there are some absolute gems here, plus a few to catch up on my reading challenge. Let’s check out the shelves!

A number of these I’ve already reviewed so I’ll leave them off the list so it’s fair. Also, I’ve not read anything I didn’t like which is also great!

  1. The Killer Question – Janice Hallett. I’m a huge Janice Hallett fan—I genuinely can’t get enough of her books. Her style is so unique, and I love the way her plots slowly unravel. Honestly, I just love her. This one features a quiet pub, kind landlords Mal and Sue Eastwood, a body discovered in a river, and a pub quiz… what could possibly go wrong?
  2. Never Never – Colleen Hoover & Tarryn Fisher.
    Colleen Hoover is another writer I’m late to the party with, but she can really deliver a compelling read. This was my last book of 2025, and it was an absolute belter. Charlie Wynwood and Silas Nash have been friends their whole lives and in love since their teens—yet they both wake up having lost their memories, with no idea what’s happened or how they got here. Together, they work to uncover the truth. I loved these characters, and I genuinely couldn’t put this one down.
  3. A Christmas Carol – Charles Dickens. I love teaching this book, and I really appreciate rereading it every year in the run-up to Christmas. So many stories have been influenced by A Christmas Carol, and it’s easy to see why. Scrooge is the epitome of his name—misanthropic and miserable—yet he’s shown the past, present, and future in the hope that he can redeem himself. I truly believe this is a must-read every festive period: an opportunity to reflect, show compassion, and find the best in everyone.

What an amazing reading month—I’m genuinely buzzing! I’m aiming to clear my bookshelves in 2026, though knowing me, I’ll definitely be adding more books along the way.

I’ll be back in the new year with my complete reading list for 2026. I’m going to try and keep posting as much as I can before I head back for the new term at school.

Finally, Happy New Year to everyone already in 2026, and to those of us still counting down—I hope you have a wonderful night and the very best start to the year ahead. ✨

Big love all xxx

Reading Challenge 2025: If We Were Villains – M.L. Rio

On By booksandbakes1In Book Review, Books, Literature, Reading, Reading Challenge 20256 Comments

Hey Loves!

I hope you’re all well. I actually really like this gap between Christmas and New Year. I appreciate that no one really knows what day it is, and we’re all full and a bit fed up with food. However, I enjoy the slowness of this time. After the Christmas rush, it feels like you finally have a moment to come up for air.

I’ve done what I always do and used the time to read! I may have fallen behind, but today I finished the last theme and book for my reading challenge. The final one was: read a book with a key or keyhole on the cover. I couldn’t find one for ages, but then I stumbled across a very lovely edition of If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio—and I didn’t look back.

What’s it all about?

In all honesty, I really didn’t know what to expect from this book and now I’ve completed it, I don’t really know how to describe it. It’s strangely haunting and compelling. I felt like I was stepping into a Shakespeare play – there are multiple references to various plays: Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, King Lear – for example. However, these plays we all know. The problem for these characters was that it isn’t clear where the play ends and real life begins.

Told through the eyes of Oliver Marks, we learn at the start of the book that he is about to be released from prison after serving ten years. The police detective who put him there waits for him, wanting answers and the truth about that fateful night.

“But maybe every day we let grief in, we’ll also let a little bit of it out, and eventually we’ll be able to breathe again. At least that’s how Shakespeare would tell the story.”

Oliver and his six classmates (Richard, Meredith, James, Wren, Filippa and Alexander) are the last ones at a brutally competitive school where everyone is typecast. There’s the golden boy, the villain, the temptress, the ingénue and Oliver – unsure who or how he fits. Initially, everything seems like normal competitive harmlessness. But feelings escalate: jealousy, violence and obsession make an appearance and the beginning of end and the blurring begins.

The end begins with a death. Richard, growing increasingly violent is found dying by the lake. As a group, they make the collective decision to let him die – to do nothing. That secret poisons everything that follows, each character changing irrevocably. Through Shakespeare’s medium, the book explores guilt, fear and desire, with these emotions leading towards self-destruction.

 “I knew by then the way the story went. Our little drama was rapidly hurtling toward its climactic crisis. What next, when we reached the precipice? First the reckoning. Then, the fall.”

This book goes beyond solving a murder – something I won’t spoil for you. Oliver ultimately pays the price on so many levels but the emotional fallout lasts longer than the prison sentence. By the end of the book, you’re left with unanswered questions, unresolved grief and a haunting feeling that you don’t get the endings you want. That’s the beauty of this book.

“In that one brief moment, I actually wondered if ‘okay’ or something like it might still be possible. But that is how a tragedy like ours or King Lear breaks your heart—by making you believe that the ending might still be happy, until the very last minute.”

Final Thoughts

The only way I can describe this book is with one word: fascinating. I found myself completely hooked—in fact, it took me ages to go to sleep because I was trying to piece it all together. I loved all the Shakespeare references and the way they influenced the characters’ lives. I found it incredibly clever.

With that, another reading challenge is complete. I must admit there were times when I didn’t think I’d read them all—but I did. That’s the main thing!

Big Love. Xx

Reading Challenge 2025: The Twelve Days of Christmas – Susan Stokes-Chapman

On By booksandbakes1In Book Review, Books, Christmas, Literature, Reading, Reading Challenge 20254 Comments

Morning all!

I promised myself I’d catch up with my reading challenge, and this book turned out to be the penultimate read on the list! As you know, I always use a random generator to choose each prompt, and this time the theme was: Read a book with a number in the title. While doing some Christmas shopping, I spotted this beauty and immediately knew it was the perfect fit.

The book features twelve interconnected stories, all inspired by the much-loved Christmas carol that also gives the collection its title: The Twelve Days of Christmas by Susan Stokes-Chapman. With its festive theme and clever structure, it felt like a very fitting (and timely!) choice for the challenge.

What’s it all about?

First of all, I just loved this book. I thought the cover was gorgeous, it fitted the season perfectly and it felt like it called to me from the bookstore shelves. I had to have it!

As I said before, this is a collection of interconnected stories inspired by the gifts in the traditional carol The Twelve Days of Christmas. Each tale reimagines a different gift with a festive twist, unfolding like a series of heartwarming mini-novellas that together create a vivid picture of Christmas in a Regency-era English village.

‘So it is that a tale such as this did indeed finish with a wedding, and one brought great joy to all, especially those who understood that the event was long overdue.’

At the heart of the book is a colourful cast of characters — from a Viscount and Viscountess and their family, to the village vicar, local staff and a range of friends whose lives intertwine across the seasons. There are weddings and a grand ball, a lovelorn vicar reunited with a kindly maid after years apart, and the mysterious story of a child found in the woods who won’t reveal her name. A trio of spirited sisters vie for the attention of a handsome but decidedly roguish duke, while a grieving father and a soldier making his way home after war add a more emotional tale to the collection.

What I especially loved about this book was the way each story is both self-contained and yet part of a larger tapestry, all woven together with warmth, humour and festive cheer. It’s remarkable how it’s been put together, all centred around the famous carol. The author’s writing is attentive and graceful, bringing each character’s voice vividly to life and painting an evocative picture of village life at Christmas. It struck just the right balance between cozy charm and emotional resonance, making it a joy to read.

“I have learnt a precious lesson this past week. I am ashamed to say I have been guilty of blindness – I became so enthralled by the excitement of Christmastime that I forgot to pay attention to that which was under my very nose.”

Final Thoughts

Overall, this feels like the perfect read for anyone who loves character-driven stories, festive settings and thoughtful reflections on community, love and the spirit of Christmas.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and whilst we’re in the in between stages of Christmas and New Year, it’s still the perfect time to delve into a festive read.

Big Love. Xx

Explorations: The Snowman Sculpture Trail – Baddesley Clinton

On By booksandbakes1In Art, Christmas, Days Out, Exploring, Gardens, National Trust, Nature, Photography, Places2 Comments

Hello All!

I hope your Christmas Day was as magical as you’d hoped. I had a lovely time with my family, and today—rather than our usual Boxing Day tradition of sitting around watching films and eating chocolate—we decided to head out and explore the Snowman Sculpture Trail at Baddesley Clinton.

The sculptures are presented by Wild in Art, who are well known for their popular sculpture trails across the country, featuring some of the most well-loved characters. This particular trail includes 12 adorable Snowman statues, making it a fun and festive experience for the whole family as you search for each one.

Each sculpture, designed by a different artist—both national and international—has been inspired by the much-loved and well-known carol The Twelve Days of Christmas. My personal favourite was number four; I loved the colours and thought it had one of the best spots too! You can find out more about the event here.

Each one has its own unique design and I must say, they’re all really charming. I had the best time admiring them and celebrating in the Snowman story. If your household is anything like mine, the Snowman features over the festive period!

Wishing you the very best for Boxing Day.

Big Love xxx

Advent – Gunnar Gunnarsson

On By booksandbakes1In Book Review, Books, Christmas, Christmas Eve, Jolabokaflod, Literature, Reading4 Comments

Merry Christmas!

I hope you’re all well and have some suitably peaceful and festive plans for the day. Before the day gets going here, I wanted to share my review of my Christmas Eve book I received: Advent by Gunnar Gunnarsson.

What’s it all about?

Told through the eyes of Benedikt, a shepherd, his dog, Leo and his buck, Knoest, the story shows how every late autumn through to winter, Benedikt heads up to the mountains. Without a herd of his own, he decides he will follow the small roads and paths to the top of the mountains so he can rescue any lost sheep.

‘And there they went now, the three of them, step by step and swaying to and fro in the wild gusts of wind.’

The sheep remain on the mountains from spring to autumn, but if the shepherds are late bringing them back to the valley, Benedikt is there to help them. Too late means it is too dangerous to get back down the mountain to safety.

The trip is one of danger, low visibility and fear. However, Leo has an unquestionable sense of smell, smelling sheep much earlier than Benedikt can see them. Together with Knoest, who can handle the most stubborn of sheep, the three can bring the sheep to the valley before the biting winter sets in.

‘And so, this Advent journey was concluded, the service to the community was brought to an end…’

Final Thoughts

This is very much a Christmas book for adults. I was transported to the ice and snow of Iceland. I too could feel the cold described. The sense of love for a community was the overwhelming emotion I took away from this book. I’ve never read anything quite like it before and I doubt I’ll read something like this again but for so many reasons and in so many ways, this was the perfect Christmas Eve book.

I hope you all enjoy your day – whatever your beliefs and your traditions are.

Big Love. Xx