Curled Up With a Good Book and a Cup of Tea

When Jenna Gray’s life changed in a split second, the world became too much for her to handle. Knowing the only way she would be able put it all behind her was to escape, and so she left her home to live in a remote cottage on the Welsh coast. But no matter how far from home she was, she couldn’t escape the events of that terrible night in November. The detectives investigating the case couldn’t just walk away. Though there were few leads, they knew that if they just kept with it long enough, there would be a breakthrough. And when that happens, the past comes crashing back down on Jenna just as she thinks she may once again be able to experience a little happiness in her life. I Let You Go , by Clare Mackintosh, is a heartbreaking, thrill ride of a novel that will have you hooked with every twist and turn. Whenever someone asks me if I have read this book, all I can say is “yes and wow.” This book gets a big, huge “WOW” from me. It is incredible. Twice, I gasped so loud...

Dr. Georgia Young has the life many dream of - she has a great career, wonderful family, and close friends that she can depend on no matter where life takes her. But that doesn’t stop her from feeling stuck in a very large rut. It’s time, Georgia has decided, for some major change. When Georgia quits her job and puts her house up for sale, she’s positive she is taking steps that will turn her life around. But it’s when she decides to look up all the loves of her life, good and bad, and see how they are doing that her life really ends up changed.  I Almost Forgot About You , by Terry McMillan, is a moving and very relatable novel about revisiting the past and opening yourself up to whatever it has in store for your future. Terry McMillan is a very special writer to me. When I was sixteen I came across her novel Mama on the shelves at my school library. From the very first pages I was hooked and I made it my mission to read everything she had written until that point....

Thirty-year-old Tina Fontana is great at her job. As the executive assistant to the CEO of a multinational media conglomerate, she spends her days making reservations, pouring drinks, and putting out small, ridiculous fires. Her boss loves her, trusts her, and couldn't function without her. But things aren't going well for Tina. The glamour of her job is long gone and her student loan debt and inability to pay the rent has stuck around. One day, while preparing expense reports for her boss, Tina realizes that a technical error has put enough money into her bank account to pay off all of her debt. She should let someone know of the error, but she also realizes that her boss has so much money he would never notice what is missing. Against her will, Tina lets a few others in on what happened and they begin to pay off debts for other assistants around the company. Very quickly, what started out as one little indiscretion turns into a movement that Tina can’t quite contain. ...

In 1862, a young Jewish man has set sail from his home in Calcutta, heading toward Hong Kong  to participate in the opium trade. Emmanuel has left behind his wife Semah, promising to return to her having made his fortune. But while he is in Hong Kong, he falls in love with Pearl, the daughter of his Chinese business partner. He takes Pearl as his wife and builds her the most beautiful mansion anyone has ever seen in Hong Kong. But Semah refuses to let Emmanuel have his new life and she arrives unannounced in Hong Kong to take her rightful place as mistress of the house. Neither woman wants to share their home or their husband but neither is willing to give up their place as his wife and very quickly, life changes for all of those who live in the house.  Inspiredly the lives of his own ancestors, The House of Wives by Simon Choa-Johnston is a beautiful novel about two women who will do whatever it takes to secure a place for their children in the upper echelons of t...

Sirocco - origin: early 17th century, from Italian scirocco , based on Spanish Arabic sharq meaning “east wind.” A hot, dry wind blowing from east to west; sometimes described as warm, spicy, and sultry. When the East and the West are combined in the oven, delicious foods are created. In Sirocco: Fabulous Flavours from the Middle East , food writer and self-taught cook Sabrina Ghayour combines the foods she knew growing up in England with the Eastern flavours of her Persian heritage. These recipes aren’t authentically Middle Eastern but they are inspired by the beautiful spices and dishes that come out of the region. There is an incredible Turkish restaurant not too far from where I live and if I could eat there every day I would. But I can’t, so when I saw this cookbook I knew that it would be the perfect book for a novice chef like me to recreate the foods I love so much from that restaurant. This is a great book for the Western cook that wants to introduce Middle Eastern...

In my last Month in Review I mentioned that I've been having trouble on the blogging front, just getting the time to sit down and write reviews and keep the blog updated. I was hoping to fix that in May but evidently that didn't happen. I once again read some great books this month but I just haven't had the time at the computer. I have a lot of reviews to write and I absolutely pledge to do all that this month. Here is what I read in May with my GoodReads ratings: Homegoing - Yaa Gyasi ***** The Couple Next Door - Shari LaPena **** The House of Wives - Simon Choa-Johnston **** Kay's Lucky Coin Variety - Ann Y.K. Choi **** The Assistants - Camille Perri *** The Translation of Love - Lynne Kutsukake *** Thoughts I have already declared Homegoing  my favourite book of 2016. I honestly don't think any book will come close to it for the rest of the year. It's destined to become a classic. I read some great Diverse CanLit this month with The House of Wi...