What I Read On My Holidays 

I've just had a wonderful holiday in Greece and I'm pretty pleased with my reading progress. I took a pile of paperbacks that I really wanted to read, as well as my kindle and of course library apps for audiobooks. Before looking ahead, how many of these do you think I managed to read?

In my physical books pile were:

Tales Of Folk and Fey by Melissa Marr

Under a Dancing Star by Laura Wood

The Quiet at the End of the World by Lauren James

The Guggenheim Mystery by Robin Stevens

The Price Guide to the Occult by Leslye Walton

First I finished off Two of Swords by Colleen Vanderlinden on kindle and The Familiars by Stacey Halls on audio. From the list above I read Tales Of Folk and Fey, The Price Guide to the Occult and The Quiet at the End of the World. I managed to just get started on Under a Dancing Star near the end of the holiday and was excessively happy to see it matched my nails AND the sea! Then I finished it off on the plane home so I'm counting that as on holiday. Naturally the only one I didn't manage was a library book which was due back soon, The Guggenheim Mystery, but I made that one my priority as soon as I got back.

Here are some short reviews of my favourites:

Two of Swords - Colleen Vanderlinden

Moira is determined to leave the past behind and focus on the kitchen magic that she loves. Things are going well, her bakery is successful and she has made some good friends. But then her Bounty Hunter past makes a comeback and she is drawn into her old world again. Moira's necromancy has never sat well with her kitchen magic and now threatens to take over if she lets it. She has some tricky decisions to make that could affect the rest of her life.

The Quiet at the End of the World - Lauren James

I took this on holiday knowing my sister would want to read it too. She actually read it first and then kept nagging me to get to it asap because she couldn't wait to discuss it with someone! Of course, I knew I would enjoy it as I loved The Loneliest Girl in the Universe.

I had no idea how this book could possibly end but I was still surprised at the conclusion. In fact there were so many surprises throughout the book. I really loved the ending, it was so uplifting and hopeful. 

Under a Dancing Star - Laura Wood

Bea and Ben are so perfect for each other. Exactly what the other needs to balance them out. The romantic letter Ben writes is just the best thing ever! And Bea trying on trousers for the first time articulates exactly how I feel (Pockets! What a delight.). I think Bea is one of my favourite heroines, she's so feisty and has the best sense of humour. I enjoyed the book so much I finished almost the whole thing on the plane home. Then had nothing else to read as I hadn't expected to get through it all so quickly. Rooky mistake not having a spare book!

Disclaimer... I actually haven't read Much Ado About Nothing! However, I now do want to read it and I'm sure it will be even better with this new perspective. 

As I was in Greece my drink of choice was actually a coffee. Frappe is made by mixing together instant coffee with a little water and sugar to taste. Once frothy, add ice, milk if wanted, and more water to get a lovely long, ice cold drink. 

Did you guess the number of books correctly? Have you read and enjoyed any of these? I would love to hear which is your favourite.

Maresi Red Mantle - Maria Turtschaninoff

I'll start with a quick overview of books one and two of the Red Abbey Chronicles. Book one tells Maresi's story of growing up at the Red Abbey. She arrived there as a young child and though she always missed her family, she loves her friends and the Sisters on the island. Rather than continue with Maresi, book two goes back to the lives of the women who founded the Abbey and how they came together to rescue themselves from a life of servitude to a selfish, cruel man.

In book three we are once again following Maresi and her personal mission to go back to her family and her home village. There she wants to start a school where she can teach girls all the things she has learnt at the Red Abbey. She has quite a journey to reach her home and even once there it is not as easy as she had hoped to fit in and set up the school.

This book is written a little differently to the others, as a series of letters from Maresi back to the the sisters and her friends in the Abbey. I wasn't too keen on this format at first but I soon forgot this as I was completely immersed in the story. 

Though Maresi has to endure many hardships and setbacks, there are some moments of such true kindness that I felt so emotional. Whenever she feels like giving up, the people around her surprise her and remind her of her true purpose. I don't want to give away any spoilers but the resolution scene was so dramatic and described so wonderfully. Plus Karun is like a dream man, so perfect!

I've made a Red Abbey cocktail, adapting the Red Earl by adding strawberries and lemon juice.

Muddle a few raspberries and strawberries in a cocktail shaker, add in 1&1/2 shots of vodka, 1/2 shot limoncello, 1/2 shot lemon juice and a dash of sugar syrup (you can leave out the sugar if you prefer, especially if the fruit is quite sweet). Shake with ice and strain into a glass. Garnish with a raspberry float.