Romance, medieval feminism, YA angst, historical fabulousness and loving snark – what a mixed bag in this collection of books that I adored.
Salty, Spiced and a Little Bit Nice by Cynthia Timoti
Speaking of ‘boom chicka wow wow’ (weren’t we?) I absolutely loved this romcom by my fellow #debutcrew25 member Cynthia.
Here’s the blurb:
Ellie Pang has had enough of her controlling family, who have been micromanaging her life since her type 1 diabetes diagnosis. When her parents orchestrate a public proposal from their business partner’s son, a proposal that goes humiliatingly viral, Ellie escapes to the other side of the country to put her dream of opening a sugar-free bakery into action. After all, she’s done her research. How hard can it be?
She hits a snag when her storefront turns out to be a dump and in need of major renovations. Worse, the only person who can help her turn things around is Alec Mackenzie, her brother’s best friend and the man responsible for crushing her teenage heart ten years ago.
But Alec has a proposal of his own: he needs a pretend girlfriend in order to cement a business deal. All they need to do is feign love and affection, while trying not to maim each other. As the thin line between hate and fake-madly-in-love starts to blur, buried secrets resurface, and Ellie must learn to trust her heart.
My take: Salty, Spiced and a Little Bit Nice was almost exactly what it said on the box, but the ‘little bit’ doesn’t accurately convey the belly laughs and the beautiful, fresh trope delivery. Fun and fast paced, it also delivered fantastic T1 diabetes information.
By Her Hand by Marion Taffe
Rich, descriptive language. Fabulous world building. A cast of supporting characters that feel vivid and alive. Meticulous research. Forbidden legumes. Gah, this incredible novel is one of the best I’ve read – and I know that’s a big call, but I’m calling it.
Here’s the official blurb, tweaked a bit:
Mercia, AD 910: Freda’s world is at war, and when her village is destroyed in a Viking raid her only options are begging or servitude, yet she longs to learn to write. A cunning bishop sees an opportunity, proclaiming her a miracle (and therefore attractive to wealthy pilgrims) and places her in an abbey where she learns to write. Freda chafes against the bishop’s control and develops a friendship with the Lady of the Mercians, who shows her what it is to lead as a woman in a world that worships warrior kings. Soon, Freda must choose between being a subservient quill or does she fight to create and write her own story?
My take: didn’t I tell you this is somethin’ damn special? The voice of Freda is so strong. The world building of Mercia in the 10th century (aka before England was even England) with details and language that effortlessly transported me to the time period, which shows the strength of the research behind this book. Put simply, it’s captivating and compelling and I couldn’t put it down.
The Edge of Everything by Miranda Luby
This Young Adult novel was everything I want in fiction: poignant, viscerally real and so vivid my chest actually hurt while reading it.
Here’s the blurb, tweaked:
A rare and endangered bird flies into Lucy’s window, and she thinks it’s a sign. Of what, she’s not sure, but it might get her life back on track and she’ll make sense of the sudden death of her brother. She takes the injured bird to a local sanctuary and meets Ben. He could be the distraction she needs, but when unrelated events collide, it’s clear that things aren’t going to be that simple.
Here’s my take: this is an incredibly relatable portrayal of grief with a side of tender, touching teen romance with all its beautiful uncertainty, vulnerability and angst. Lucy’s surrounded by an eclectic cast of characters, all dealing with their own stuff, sometimes badly, messily, and I loved how they interacted and danced around each others’ hurts. It’s heavy, yet also funny and nuanced. It’s raw and tackles big themes but with deftness and care. I chatted via DM with Miranda about my reaction to her beautiful book and she reminded me that books speak to us. They’re mirrors to our world view, in this case giving me words for my feelings of grief from my own losses. Highly, highly recommend.
The Florentine Quilt by Chrissie Bellbrae
Three heroines. Three timelines. Mythology. Romance. Mystery. Walhalla. Italy! Come at me!
Here’s the blurb, tweaked:
Australian textile conservator, Theodora Harris, is grieving her grandmother’s death when offered an internship to restore a medieval quilt. Theodora’s connection to the quilt brings family secrets to the surface, and the threads of long lost love refuse to let her go.
1896: healer Amelia Treloar sails from the wild Cornish coast to join her husband in the Australian mining town of Walhalla. Devastating consequences await.
1875: Florence Trevelyan is exiled from Queen Victoria’s court for following her heart. But she’ll never abandon her search to reclaim the one she left behind.
Each woman pays the price for love— and for her differences. Is the missing scene from the Florentine quilt the key to unlocking more than one woman’s forgotten story?
My take: I loved this enchanting book that blends so many genres- there’s historical fiction, mystery, romance, legend and magic with tarot. The depth of research is something to behold, and the pacing of the reveals is bang on. The characters are so beautifully drawn and I loved how their stories shifted and evolved.
What Did I Miss by Holly Brunnbauer
Okay, so I read this quite some time ago, and I’m still guffawing in the most delightful way at some of the antics of Makayla as she suffers the consequences of Chiko Rolls.
Here’s a quick (tweaked) blurb:
Makayla married her high school dud young, and is now finally divorced and about to turn thirty. She’s determined to hold on to her independence and makes a list of all the things she missed out on while her friends were single and running amok in their twenties, including a one-night stand with a random, who turns outto be not-so-random. There’s a revenge plot on her ex and she has to decide if some things are worth missing.
Here’s my take: this was a fun and fabulous rom-com (heavy on the com, which me likey) with some deeper layers that had me borderline teary as much as it had me snort laughing. Makayla as a character is so fully fleshed she feels like an old friend. The banter is on point, and Beau is the perfect book boyfriend with green flags a plenty. Meanwhile, I’m rethinking every school camp I ever sent my cherubs on… JK! ALSO Holly is a mate and is a shining exampleof why I say the writing and reading community is such a joy to be around.
Hike Like a Flamingo by Melinda Charlesworth
As an avid hiker who gets unreasonably grumpy when denied nature and isolation, I absolutely loved this story of walking, connection and contemplation.
Here’s the blurb:
When Melinda decided to do 50 hikes for her 50th birthday, she got a surprise. The Flamingo Flock — a group of women who taught her how to hike her own hike. A memoir about friendship, hiking, and midlife, for fans of Cheryl Strayed’s ‘Wild’ with better boots and a lot more coffee!
Here’s my take: a true call to action, it blends anecdotes of women exploring the natural environment and relishing in the sense of mental space that comes with focusing on little more than placing one foot after another in beautiful spaces. At times laugh out loud funny, as well as heart-achingly tender, I loved the reflections on ageing and motherhood, as much as I loved the sensory details about the hikes and adventures. The rhythm of the text mixed with the words of the Flamingos themselves read like conversations. I want to be a Flamingo!
And there we go – six books that you might like, and let me know what you think!