The Graces by Laure Eve . Review

The Grace family are made up of mother Esther Father Gwydion , twins Thalia and Fenrin , and younger daughter Summer. They are well known in their community for the rumours that they are a magic family and that their is a curse surrounding them. They are the family everyone likes and wants to be friends with, to be in their social group is what every member of the community wants the mosts but the Graces are selective about who they choose and disgard.

When River moves to a new town she quickly observes the power this family has at school , not a thing they do goes unnoticed so she is even more surprised when the youngest Grace family member Summer chosses her to be her friend. 

I really enjoyed this story , River comes from a shaky family home and the Grace family are everything she would dream family life to be like but with there is a flip side to all this and this facade can't all stay beautiful and shiny forever. This book was full of surprises and just as you think you know what way it's going to go it changes leaving a very surprising ending!  Fans of "The Craft" movie should enjoy this teenage magical tale. 

I received this book for review from the lovely people over at Lovereading4kids.co.uk

This book is being published September 2016 and will be available from Lovereading4kids and all other good bookstores then. 

Below please find a link to this book:

http://www.lovereading4kids.co.uk/book/9780571326808/isbn/noredirect

The Loving Husband by Christobel Kent . Review

As soon as I received this book I was interested , the cover is very enticing!

The story is about a family , a wife called Fran , husband Nathan and two children Ben and Emmie. One night something grizzly happens at their house in the countryside and it  blows open Nathan's past and it becomes clear that Fran never knew her husband at all. This book did not give up its secrets in one go so if you like a slow burner mystery then this is the book for you. The author really sets the scene, it's eerie and uncomfortable and there is a sense of danger from the very beginning . I was never certain how reliable a character Fran was as her actions were often very questionable and they left me suspicious of her and her motives. The book literally takes you to the last pages before it will give you a full picture of what happened there and why. If you like a mystery or thriller then add this to your TBR list. Loved it!

I received this book for review from the lovely people over at Lovereading.co.uk

This book is being published Septemver 2016 and will be available from lovereading and all other good bookstores then. Below please find a link to this book :

https://www.lovereading.co.uk/book/16313/The-Loving-Husband-by-Christobel-Kent.html

Kitchen Essays By Agnes Jekyll. Review

This book was first published in 1922 by Thomas Nelson and Sons , it has most recently been published by Persephone books in the UK. 

This is a nostalgic account of recipes and home cooking in the early 1900's that

would be rare to find in a home nowadays . These recipes and anecdotes are told in a conversational mannor making them enjoyable to read about if a little horrifying to contemplate eating in present day. 

I really enjoyed seeing the difference between the food choices between then and now and even though I would be unlikely to use this as a cook book it makes for an interesting read about the running of households in past times with plenty of humour and memorable paragraphs included . I would recommend this to anyone with an interest in early 1900's or with an interest in the history of cookery.

Below please find a link to this book on the Persephone website:

http://www.persephonebooks.co.uk/kitchen-essays.html

Mini Haul

Cheerful Weather For The Wedding by Julia Strachey

The Home-Maker by Dorothy Canfield Fisher

Kitchen Essays by Agnes Jekyl

Good Wvening Mrs Cravwn by Mollie Panter Downes

All books were published by Persephone Books in the UK.

Below please find a link to their website:

http://www.persephonebooks.co.uk/

Reading This Weekend

It's cold here at the moment so I have this candle lit making the entire house smell like a bakery.

Heidi by Johanna Spyri. I have been reading this slowly. 

Kitchen Essays by Agnes Jekyl

The Hone-Maker by Dorothy Canfield Fisher

Good Evening Mrs Craven by Mollie Panter Downes

Agatha Raisin And The Day The Floods Came by M.C Beaton. Review

First thing you should know is that I am a huge fan of M.C Beaton , the second is that Agatha Raisin is one of my top five heroines in cozy mystery books. 

In this book Agatha is off on holiday , having been disappointed and let down by men yet again she finds herself needing a break from the village of Carsley .

 In this book a woman is found drowned wearing a wedding dress and there is a lot more to this case then meets the eye especially when Agatha does some digging of her own with the help from her friends and a good wig!

 Agatha is full of doubt about herself in this book but comes across as a pushy overbearing sort to those who don't know her . She is still suffering with heartbreak for James who she truly loved and even though he is far from Carsley it has done nothing to help the situation . She has a kind heart and loves deeply and fast which usually leads her into trouble , but this is one of her least loved up stories. 

Mrs Bloxby and Roy are back in this book and I love the friendships she shares with these two especially Mrs Bloxby. It's such a sweet friendship and she always has Agatha's back . If you are a fan of this series then this book does not disappoint .I listened to the audio version but please find a link to the paperback below . 

Below please find a link to this book :

http://www.bookdepository.com/Agath-Raisin-and-the-Day-the-Floods-Came-M-C-Beaton/9781849011457?ref=grid-view

Cheerful Weather For The Wedding by

This book was first published in 1932 by The Hogarth Press and most recently by Persephone Press in London. 

This is a really gentle story about the run up to the wedding of a young woman called Dolly Thatcham. This is a fairly typical family , with the same hopes , dreams , and fears on the countdown to walking down the aisle . This novella is a sweet read with relatable characters and it is a feel good story . The narrator of the story is primarily Dolly, she is a little bit of a minx but wholly likeable. I would recommend this to anyone with a fondness for books set in the earlier part of the 1900's . Delightful!

Below please find a link to this book where you will find out some more information about the author and this book:

https://www.persephonebooks.co.uk/content/persephoneforum/persephone-book-no-38-cheerful-weather-for-the-wedding-by-julia-strachey/