Sunday Salon: Historical Fiction Reading Challenge - May statistics

Every month I share some of the statistics related to the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge. I try very hard to visit every post which has been linked (time permitting) and I find it interesting to see what are the books that people are reading and reviewing! I often end up adding a couple of books to my never ending TBR list.

In terms of the books read in May, there were 59 reviews linked up for the challenge, shared by 21 participants. There were 57 individual titles reviewed, written by 56 different authors. There were 4 reviewers who reviewed 5 or more books each. Thank you to everyone who shared their links whether it be 9 or just 1.

So which books were reviewed more than once in May? There were two books that were reviewed twice!

Six Days in Bombay was reviewed by two Laura's: Laura at Reading Books Again and Laura at Laura's Reviews.

Traitor's Legacy by S.J. Parris was read by Helen at She Reads Novels and by Cathy at What Cathy Read Next. This is the first book in a new series which is a spin off from the long running Giordano Bruno series.

Laura from Laura's Reviews is working her way through Jane Austen's books in honour of her 250th birthday. This month she shared reviews for Sense and Sensibility and Persuasion.

The Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction was announced this week. The 2025 winner is The Land in Winter by Andrew Miller. This has been reviewed for the challenge by Cathy at What Cathy Read Next where she said

Although things do happen, some of them quite dramatic, The Land in Winter is essentially a beautifully crafted, character-led novel.

I wonder what books will be featured next month! In next month's post I will share some statistica for the year so far given that we will be half way through the challenge at that point! Hard to believe but it is true!

If you love historical fiction and reading challenges, it isn't too late to join us! All the details can be found in the sign up post.

I am sharing this with Sunday Salon hosted at Readerbuzz

Weekend Cooking: Sticky Apricot Chicken Drumsticks

The 1970's called and want their recipe back!

Do you ever have moments of nostalgia where you think of a recipe and then you need to make it? For me, as soon as I saw this in the Coles supermarket magazine in April, it was the recipe that we needed to try.

Whilst the recipe is relatively faithful to the original, making it using drumsticks does mean that it is pretty much doable as a weeknight meal. I did have to laugh when I made it the first time. We always cook our rice in the microwave, and when I added the peas my husband came into the room and asked what I had done to the rice.

I didn't have any Moroccan seasoning either time I made it. The first time I just didn't worry about it, but the second time I decided to make a small amount rather than the full amount using this recipe from Bowls are the New Plate. Because I only wanted a small amount I ended up adapting the recipe so I used the following measurements

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
0 teaspoon ground cloves (because I didn't have any)
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Yes, I had to do maths!

If I forget to buy some Moroccan Seasoning I would make this mix again as it definitely made it taste interesting.

I did find the sauce a bit thin so we tried to thicken it up using a cornflour paste, but when I make it again I think I will not put all the juice in with the apricots. Maybe just half would be enough.

Sticky Apricot Chicken Drumsticks with Rice

1/3 cup (110g) apricot jam
1 tbs Moroccan seasoning
40g pkt Coles Simply French Onion Soup Mix
1.5kg Coles RSPCA Approved Chicken Drumsticks
700g can apricot halves in juice
3/4 cup (185ml) salt-reduced chicken stock
1 1/2 cups (300g) white long-grain rice
1 cup (120g) frozen peas
2 spring onions, thinly sliced
Flat-leaf parsley sprigs, to serve


Preheat oven to 180°C. Combine the jam, seasoning and soup mix in a bowl to form a thick paste. Place chicken in a large baking dish. Spoon over jam mixture and rub to coat. Season. Bake for 20 mins. Add apricot, apricot juice and stock. Bake, spooning over the pan juices occasionally, for a further 30-40 mins or until chicken is golden and cooked through.


Meanwhile, place the rice and 3 cups (750ml) water in a medium saucepan over high heat. Bring to the boil. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 15 mins or until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed. Top with the peas. Cover and set aside for 10 mins to steam. Season and use a fork to separate the grains.


Top chicken with spring onion and parsley. Serve with the rice mixture.

Weekly meals

Saturday - Out for dinner
Sunday - Chicken Schnitzels on Turkish Bread
Monday - Pork Chops, Marsala Roast Potatoes, Broccoli
Tuesday - Sticky Apricot Chicken Drumsticks
Wednesday - Kimchi Fried Rice
Thursday - Spaghetti Bolognaise
Friday - Away

Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book reviews (novel, nonfiction), cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs, restaurant reviews, travel information, or fun food facts. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page

The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn

 

Do you have a book that is a go to when anyone asks for recommendations? I have a few, one of which is The Rose Code by Kate Quinn. Do you want a really good read? Have I told you about The Rose Code by Kate Quinn? Do you want a good WWII story? The Rose Code. WWII from a female experience? The Rose Code. Which makes it even more unfathomable that it has taken me more than three years to read this book and she has published two more since then. Maybe I was worried that this book wouldn't live up to The Rose Code, but I needn't have worried.

So what prompted me to finally read this book? My read on a theme book club has chosen War as it's next theme and when I looked through my Kindle this one jumped out at me. I think I have about 50 books that will fit the theme but this was where I started.

Lyudmila Pavlichenko is a young mother who is separated from her much older manipulative husband who refuses to take the final steps required to finalise their divorce. Supported by her parents as she raises her son, Slavka, she is studying history and working at the public library. Taunted by him, she also takes up marksmanship, a skill which will give her an unexpected trajectory into Soviet history.

When war breaks out, Mila was among the thousands of young women who signed up to fight for the Soviet Army and soon her skill with her gun sees her becoming a sniper. This isn't only about being able to kill an adversary with a single shot, although with her life motto of "Don't Miss" Mila is very focussed on that, it is also about being able to wait in silence for hours watching, calculating, almost stalking her mark. Soon her hit count is rising, and yet, as is true for so many women who perform amazing tasks in war, the recognition that she should get for her skill is very slow in being given. 

The portrayal of war is very detailed about the conditions, about the injuries and death, and the very specific skills a sniper must have and use on a daily basis. However, we also see a Mila who is trying desperately to remain connected to her true self and her son by sending him different types of leaves that she finds.  She also carries her dissertation around with her every where she goes in the hope that she will finish it one day.

Interspersed with Mila's war stories are sections which tell of her visit to the US where she was sent along with others to try and convince the US of the need for a second war front to help relieve the pressure on the Soviet Army against the Germans. Here, Mila meets and befriends Eleanor Roosevelt, wife of the American president. She also has to brave the belittling press pack who don't necessarily believe that she is a sniper and so ask her about her underwear and other inane questions. 

Here is where the story deviates from the known history, with the introduction of an unnamed character who has a plan where Mila will take the blame for his actions which, had they been successful, would have completely changed the course of the war.

I loved the various methods and voices  that Quinn uses to tell the story. We see Mila through diary entries made by Mrs Roosevelt, we hear from her adversary and all through the text we see Mila's humour as she shares lines from her official memoir along with those of her unofficial version. For example, here is one from very early in the book

My memoir, the official version: Every woman remembers her first.

My memoir, the unofficial version: Those words mean very different things for me than most women

In the hands of a lesser author, it would have been possible that this story could have been very bleak and upsetting, but balanced between the injuries, death, and fighting there are moments of joy, mostly found through the friendships and yes, love, that Mila finds on the battlefield and in her life.

It is interesting looking at the events of this book through the lens of the current situation between Ukraine and Russia. A lot of the action takes place in the Ukraine and Lyudmila Pavlichenko was born in what we would now call Ukraine. At the time that the book is set, Mila was a proud Soviet. It is likely that if she was still around Mila would rather be addressed as a proud Ukrainian that is just a guess on my part. 

And now if I am asked for a reading recommendation about women in war I will have to say have you read The Rose Code or The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn.

I am sharing this review with the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge which I host here at The Intrepid Reader and Baker. This is also one of my nominated 20 Books of Winter, and at 435 pages counts as a Big Book of Summer (well Winter but you know what I mean!). Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the review copy. Sorry it's so late!

Rating 4.5/5

Blog Tour: The Woman Who Got Her Spark Back by Fiona Gibson

 

It's fair to say Celia Bloom lives a very beige life. She and her husband Geoff watch every penny, she dresses very sensibly, she has a job she doesn't really mind, she hasn't had her hair properly styled in forever and her main social life is with her neighbour Terri.  The only things that bring her any kind of joy are her son and the plant hospital that she runs out of her house. Even that has to be contained to just one room otherwise Geoff gets upset. 

When she gets invited to her best friend from school's glamourous wedding she is quite surprised. She has barely spoken to Amanda for years. Geoff won't come with her to the wedding, so she feels quite out of place.

Fast forward a few months and Celia is having a particularly bad day, as you do when you have recently caught your husband in bed with someone else in the mouldy caravan that he has inherited from his parents. When French school teacher Enzo comes knocking at her door with a particularly sick looking cactus named Spike, she turns him away, but also feels bad about that almost immediately. When she runs into Enzo again, she agrees to see if she can work out what is wrong. This is a huge relief to Enzo who can't face telling his young daughter, Matilde, that he has killed the cactus. Enzo and his ex-wife are navigating co-parenting very well, but he is struggling to get back into the dating scene.

The last thing Celia needs is Amanda inviting herself to stay for an indefinite period, without even having the energy to wonder why she would turn up out of the blue like that! For all that Amanda looks like she has everything together, she really doesn't. She has just been told that her TV job is coming to an end as they need someone younger, her toyboy husband is driving her crazy and she just needs to get away. 

Amanda decides that she is going to help Celia. After all she does have experience doing makeovers on TV. With Amanda taking charge, Celia begins to live a little more taking small steps like trying a new haircut, a new fragrance, getting some new clothes and more. Soon it is more than just a cosmetic makeover, it's a life makeover.

It's funny. When the book began I saw Celia as being my own age or a bit older (which is mid to late 50s) so when it began to look as though there might be a spark of interest there it puzzled me for a moment. However when I did the maths, Enzo and Celia were much closer in age that I had remembered. I guess that is the whole point of the story. Celia was almost invisible until something happened to give her the opportunity to take a chance on a new life. 

Plants are a bit part of Celia's story. It's her special gift. It's fair to say that I don't have that same gift.  A while ago we had the idea to put up a vertical garden on a fence that we can see from our living room. It was going to be nice to see cascading greenery whenever we looked out. Now, we see a wall of black plastic pots and some of those got eaten when we had my stepdaughter's dog staying with us. That probably sounds dreadful but we do have a nice patch of grass that my husband takes great pride in, especially now that dog is gone and so there are no new holes being dug. 

It's funny though. The next book I picked up to read was all about gardens too. Maybe the universe is trying to tell me something!

I hadn't read Fiona Gibson before, and I have to say I enjoyed this book a lot. The good news is that there are lots of other books on her backlist, and quite a few of them have fun titles like this one.

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

Rating 4/5

About the Book

The Woman Who Got Her Spark Back

Is it ever too late to bloom?

Meet Celia. Life hasn’t worked out quite how she’d planned.

Since her son left for university, Celia has felt stuck at home – battling with her husband Geoff over control of the thermostat, and without the merest glint of a social life. Her only joy comes from the plants she nurtures in her makeshift plant hospital in their Glasgow flat.

Then three unexpected things happen:

• She catches Geoff in bed with a secretary from his sausage factory (no pun intended).
• Her high-flying best friend Amanda arrives on her doorstep without warning (but with a very large suitcase).
• A tall handsome French teacher asks her to tend his daughter’s cactus back to health.

Suddenly, Celia finds her life in freefall, but she makes a decision: she won’t let this be the end of her. She’ll bring herself back to life, just like the plants she works her magic on. But just how do you change the habits of a lifetime?

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

About the Author –

Fiona Gibson writes bestselling and brilliantly funny novels about the craziness and messiness of family life.

Social Media Links –

Facebook: @fionagibsonauthor

Twitter: @FionaGibson

Instagram: @fiona_gib

Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/FionaGibsonNews

Bookbub profile: @FionaGib

Blog Tour: Over the Sea to Skye by Sue Moorcroft (includes UK giveaway)

 

Over the Sea to Skye is the third book in the Skye Sisters trilogy by Sue Moorcroft. This time, the focus is on Valentina, who has been a bit in the background in the previous books mainly because, unlike her sisters Ezzie and Thea, Valentina lives in Inverness rather than on the Isle of Skye. 

However, Valentina has now bought and renovated a cottage right on the shore and she is bringing her young son Barnaby with her to spend the summer. This has come at a good time for her given that her life is in turmoil. Her marriage has broken down and she has been made redundant so spending time on the island with the people she loves will help heal her hurts.

On the train, she meets an American tourist named Xander Courage and his nephew who are Britsburghers which mean that they're descended from British people but live in Pittsburgh. Xander is heading to the island for a few weeks to explore his Scottish history and he has bought Macdonald with him to get him away from some trouble at home. Even though there is a 10 year age gap between Macdonald and Barnaby they bond over games. 

Valentina has a lot going on in her world. She is navigating her separation from her husband Gary following his affair. She also has to deal with Barnaby's feelings as he misses his dad. She is also attracted to Xander. And then there is the random email she has just received from someone saying he is her brother. All three girls were adopted by loving parents, and in each of their books we got to meet their birth families, and this time it is Valentina's turn. 

There is a British show called Lost Families which I often watch when I am home alone so no one can see my cry in just about every episode. It features families who have been separated and then reunited. Whilst I love the ones where relationships are repaired and loving bonds formed, it doesn't always work out that well, and I was interested to see which way this would go in Valentina's story.

I really enjoyed Xander as a character. He has come to find his family history, and take a break from his stressful job, but I think he probably didn't really know what he was taking on when he suggested bringing Macdonald with him. There isn't a lot for a lonely, hurt teenager to do on the island so it wasn't a surprise when there was a bit of  trouble. Xander felt like a fundamentally decent guy trying to do the right thing by everyone, even when it backfired on him. He was able to support Valentina admirably when she had to deal with yet another crisis and her ex's family (ugh!). 

Oh, and a special shout out to the VW camper van named Miley! Such a fun inclusion

Once again the Isle of Skye stars as the location for this book. As I mentioned in my review for the last book, we spent a couple of hours on Skye when we were in Scotland last year. It was nowhere near enough and the author makes me want to drop anything and go back now to spend more time exploring the island!

It's always a bit bittersweet when you come to the end of a trilogy that you have enjoyed. You know how the story is playing out for all the characters but you aren't quite ready to let them go just yet. It was lovely to see how Ezzie and Thea's lives now.

Here are my review for the first two books in the trilogy

Under a Summer Skye

A Skye Full of Stars

I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted at The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews. Be sure to check out other stops on the tour shown below. Thanks to the publisher, Netgalley and Rachel's Random Resources for the review copy. Also, if you are in the UK, check out the giveaway at the bottom of this post

Rating 4/5

About the book:

Over the Sea to Skye

One summer on a beautiful island could change everything…

Valentina Taylor's life has been upended. With her marriage over, and unsure of what her future holds, she heads to the Isle of Skye for the summer with her young son, Barnaby.

But the journey there sets her on a new path, when she meets Xander Courage on the train – a charming American, running from problems of his own. After sparks fly, they go their separate ways. But on this small island, they’re never far from one another…

Skye offers Valentina the refuge she needs as she whiles away the long summer days at her beachside cottage, enjoying visits from her sisters, Thea and Ezzie. But when bad news from home throws her Scottish idyll into turmoil, Valentina finds herself pulled away from the place – and people – that she loves.

Valentina knows she must confront her heart’s desires – but can she let go of the past and embrace the future she deserves?

Lose yourself in a heartfelt story of second chances, love, and self-discovery, set against the breathtaking backdrop of the Isle of Skye. Perfect for fans of Sarah Morgan and Karen Swan.

Purchase Links

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Over-Sea-Skye-million-copy-bestseller-ebook/dp/B0DLRBCYXY/

https://www.amazon.com/Over-Sea-Skye-million-copy-bestseller-ebook/dp/B0DLRBCYXY/

https://books.apple.com/gb/book/over-the-sea-to-skye/id6737715920

https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/over-the-sea-to-skye-the-skye-sisters-trilogy-book-3-3

https://www.waterstones.com/book/over-the-sea-to-skye/sue-moorcroft/9780008740559

https://www.whsmith.co.uk/Product/Sue-Moorcroft/Over-the-Sea-to-Skye/15469811

https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/over-the-sea-to-skye-sue-moorcroft/7722336

About the Author:

Sue Moorcroft is a Sunday Times bestselling author. Her novels have been #1 on Kindle UK and Top 100 on Kindle US, Canada, Germany and Italy. She’s won the Goldsboro Books Contemporary Novel of the Year, Readers’ Best Romantic Novel award, two HOLT Medallions and the Katie Fforde Bursary. She’s the president of the Romantic Novelists’ Association.

Her novels, short stories, serials, columns, writing ‘how to’ and courses have appeared around the world.

Social Media Links –

Amazon page: Sue Moorcroft

Audible page: Sue Moorcroft

Website: www.suemoorcroft.com

Facebook author page SueMoorcroftAuthor

Twitter: @SueMoorcroft

Instagram: @SueMoorcroftAuthor

Linked in: Sue Moorcroft

Link Tree: linktr.ee/SueMoorcroft

Bookbub: SueMoorcroft1

Giveaway to Win a signed copy of Over The Sea to Skye, bookmark and pen (Open to UK Only)

*Terms and Conditions –UK entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

Top Ten Tuesday: Book titles that remind me of a song

Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's theme is Bookish Wishes (List the top 10 books you’d love to own and include a link to your wishlist so that people can grant your wishes. Make sure you link your wishlist to your mailing address or include the email address associated with your e-reader in the list description so people know how to get the book to you. After you post, jump around the Linky and grant a wish or two if you’d like. Please don’t feel obligated to send anything to anyone!). 

I always feel a bit uncomfortable with this topic. I don't really have a wishlist and I would feel uncomfortable putting one up in the hope that someone would gift me something, and feeling uncomfortable if no one did!

Instead, I am bringing you 10 books with titles that remind me of a song. And you are welcome for any earworms that you might receive as a result of this post. I certainly gave myself some!

Best Days of Our Lives by Helen Rolfe - This phrase reminds me of the chorus of Thank You by Dido where one of the lines is  I want to thank you for giving me the best day of my life. (my review)

Is She Really Going Out with Him? by Sophie Cousens - Makes me think of the Joe Jackson song that was released in 1978. It's a very catchy tune!

Girls Just Want to Have Sun by Jo Lyons - This is an obvious play on the title Girls Just Want to Have Fun by the fabulous Cyndi Lauper

You Can't Hurry Love by Susan Buchanan - Phil Collins anyone? And look, there's a sloth on the cover. 

Someone I Used to Know by Paige Toon - The song title is actually Somebody That I Used to Know by Gotye and Kimbra, but it's close enough to make me thing of the song. 

I Knew You Were Trouble by Sandy Barker - Now we are in our our Taylor Swift earworm era. I feel like if I went looking hard enough I would find quite a few Taylor adjacent titles. (my review)

Don't You Forget About Me by Mhairi McFarlane - Back to the 80s with Simple Minds for this one!

Over the Sea to Skye by Sue Moorcroft - The title of this song is actually The Skye Boat Song and it is a very old song, originating in Scotland in the 19th century. You may also be familiar with it as the theme song for the Outlander TV series. I will have my review up for this book later in the week.

Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow by Claudia Carroll - Not quite as old given that it was originally released in 1960  the title of this song by The Shirelles is sometimes shown as Will You Love Me Tomorrow but the lyrics include the word still. 

Suspicious Minds by Martin Edwards - Edwards has a whole series featuring detective Harry Devlin where several of the books have song titles. I chose this one because I love both the Elvis and Fine Young Cannibals versions.

Can you think of other titles which remind you of a song. I am sure there are lots!

This Week...

I'm reading

As I mentioned last week, the theme for our next read on a theme book club is war. I probably have at least 50 options already on my Kindle to fit that theme so I suspect that I will be reading multiple books again this month. I have already read the first which was The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn. I had this from Netgalley before it was even released. I do intend to write a review. Do you think it's too late to add feedback now?

I also read Over the Sea to Skye this week. This is the third book in the Skye Sisters trilogy and I enjoyed it. My review will be up later this week.

On audio, I finished The Mirror by Nora Roberts, the second book in the Lost Brides trilogy. The final book comes out later this year and I am looking forward to seeing how she wraps the story up. I have no idea what book I am going to listen to next. I have so many options and I can't make a decision. I did look at all the books I have nominated for 20 Books of Winter, but I already own them all or at least have them out of the library. 

I also finished The Page Turner by Viola Shipman Normally l love this author but this one didn't work for me. It did, however, have some great quotes about books and reading.  Here's just one

"Sometimes we forget why we read," my mother says as if to herself. "Sometimes it is to walk in someone else's shoes for a while. Sometimes it is to travel to a place or time we never will. Sometimes it is to get angry or more informed. And sometimes it's simply to escape, smile and be offered a little bit of hope so it's possible to go on in this world."

I was excited to attend the launch event for Jodie McAlister's new book, An Academic Affair. I am really looking forward to reading this one! It sounds so good!

I'm watching


I watched a French movie called Siddonie in Japan. It was a very quiet movie about an author who goes on a book tour to Japan. However, the ghost of her husband starts to appear to her as she begins to have feelings for her publisher. She visits some of the same places we went to in Japan. Only difference....there were no crowds! Here's the trailer

Life

It's been a very social long weekend here. Today is a public holiday to celebrate the King's Birthday (it's not his actual birthday) but it was mine! I was out for lunch and dinner on Friday, then we went to Geelong for lunch, and then to an engagement party and then brunch on both Sunday and Monday! Now I am ready for a good lay down!

Everything at the lunch at Geelong was delicious, and the view is pretty spectacular too!

Posts from the last week

Top Ten Tuesday: 10 of my 20 Books of Summer
The Women by Kristin Hannah

The Bad Bridesmaid by Rachael Johns

Blog Tour: The Silver Ladies Seize the Day by Judy Leigh
Weekend Cooking: In My Kitchen - May

Six Degrees: All Fours to War and Peace






I've linked this post to It's Monday, what are you reading? as hosted by Book Date and Sunday Salon hosted at Readerbuzz