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Showing posts from December, 2018

My five star reads of 2018

I've managed to read a fair few books this year. At the time of writing this I am part way through book 175. Looking back over the books I've read this year is really interesting for me as a reader. I've read more broadly in one sense in that I no longer read just YA books and have read a real mix of books from picture books to adult books. I've also found myself reading and loving a bit of non fiction which isn't something I've done in years and years. However in lots of ways I feel like my reading habits have become narrower. I tend to only read what I like with a focus on contemporary and historical fiction or non fiction focused on history books on parts of history I get really geeky over. I am also a serial DNFer. If I'm not enjoying a book even after the first page I tend to ditch it. This does mean that out of the 174 books I've finished so far only seven haven't been rated three star or above as I do tend to really enjoy what I read. Out of

A year at Castle Court by Holly Hepburn

Sadie is a single mum, nursing a broken heart. Her best friend from childhood,  Cat, is burned out from working long hours as a chef in Paris. In need of a change, they decide to invest in their dream – running their own handmade biscuit shop in gorgeous Castle Court, a three-storey food court tucked away behind Chester's bustling streets. They soon discover that Castle Court has its own community – a little haven of delight against the stresses of the outside world. But not everyone welcomes the new business; the patisserie owner is less than pleased by what she sees as direct competition and Greg, who runs the fancy bistro that dominates one end of the courtyard, doesn't think Sadie and Cat have the talent or business acumen to succeed. Luckily, there's support in the form of the delectable Jaren , who owns the Dutch waffle house opposite Smart Cookies, and Swiss chocolate-shop owner, Elin . And if all else fails, the friends can drown their sorrows in