Book Chat #Issue 124
Sweet things
Hello reading friends!
Today’s Book Chat is quite short, however I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to wish you a Merry Christmas. If you don’t celebrate Christmas, I hope you have a peaceful holiday period.
I’m conscious that not everyone feels super happy at this time of the year. Some of you may be missing loved ones, and others may feel lonely or stressed by all the work that accompanies preparing food and gifts for family and friends. So if that’s how you are feeling, please take some time to care for yourself. Maybe curl up with a good book and a hot drink if you are in a cold place, or find a shady spot and a cold drink if you are in a warm country, as I am.
It’s been hellishly hot where I live, with temperatures of over 40 degrees C (100 degrees F) for several days in a row. Needless to say, I’ve been spending my time split between trying to clean the house in time for Christmas, and lying on my bed under the aircon reading a book. It’s been hard to tear myself away from my current book, which is hugely enjoyable.
What I’ve been reading
I’m about halfway through Welcome to Murder Week by Karen Dukass. It was recommended some months ago by Elizabeth from What To Read If, a fantastic bookish newsletter. It sounded like a perfect Christmas read, so I was delighted when I received a message from the library to let me know my copy had finally arrived.
As I thought, it’s a really fun read. It has a wonderful cast of characters who are well-drawn and believable.
Here’s the publisher’s description.
When thirty-four-year-old Cath loses her mostly absentee mother, she is ambivalent. With days of quiet, unassuming routine in Buffalo, New York, Cath consciously avoids the impulsive, thrill-seeking lifestyle that her mother once led. But when she’s forced to go through her mother’s things one afternoon, Cath is perplexed to find tickets for an upcoming “murder week” in England’s Peak District. A whole town has come together to stage a fake murder mystery to attract tourism to their quaint hamlet. Baffled but helplessly intrigued by her mother’s secret purchase, Cath decides to go on the trip herself—and begins a journey she never could have anticipated.
What I’ve been eating
I’ve also been busy going to various Christmas lunches and end-of-year functions, so rather than featuring a recipe this week, I’m sharing an idea for a delicious and impressive breakfast or morning tea treat. It involves raisin toast, sweetened mascarpone, strawberries, toasted almond flakes and maple syrup. It’s easy to put together and tasted great.
International Book Club
Invitations have gone out for our next book club. If you didn’t receive an invitation and you’d like to come, please let me know by hitting reply to this newsletter.
We are meeting on January 15 at 9am (Eastern Australian Daylight Saving). That’s January 14 in the US and Canada and the UK.
Meeting link
We are discussing H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald and it’s sure to be a lively discussion.
If you’ve never been to a book club and think you’d like to attend, please be brave and come along - we’d love to meet you. We meet online about every three months.
That’s all for this issue.
Merry Christmas and take care!
Marg xx
Sorry to read this after Christmas greetings were in order! I hope your Yule was merry, Marg! The breakfast spread sounds very tantalizing, as does the book you recommend. I need some pleasant diversion—both in literature and food!😉
I have a lot of sympathy with your dealings with hot weather in December as California can definitely veer into the red zone even in winter. Lately, though, we’re coping with what are known as atmospheric rivers, huge amounts of rain in a short amount of time. Weather extremes are becoming the norm everywhere unfortunately.
Looking forward to joining you for the book club in January. Hope I figure out the link and the correct time this go round!
Wishing a happy, healthy New Year to you and your family!
That's what I love about summer, the excuse to lie on your bed and read away the afternoon. Not that I don't do this all year round lol.
Thanks for your interesting newsletter. I look forward to it.