The Wrath of the Woolington Wyrm
(Miss Mary-Kate Martin's Guide to Monsters)
by Karen Foxlee

Book Summary

There are those that hunt monsters to harm them and there are those that hunt monsters to help them. Which one are you?

Dressed in sparkly red shoes and carrying her strawberry-scented notebook, Mary-Kate accompanies her archaeologist mother to the quiet English countryside to investigate some unusual bones found in an old well.

But soon she realises that the village of Woolington is not as peaceful as it seems; the ground trembles beneath them, there are mysterious noises, and the locals are obsessed with a terrifying old legend.

Could there be any truth in the myth of the beast who lives in the ancient well? With the help of a new friend, Mary-Kate starts getting to the bottom of this monstrous mystery.

I loved reading about Mary-Kate's investigations, the book is so easy to get into and quite fast-paced, there is always something happening.

Mary-Kate is so sweet, I really felt for her with all her worries, and she tries so hard not to cause other people stress. Her mother is lovely, so understanding but also no-nonsense and I think just the right amount of challenging.

I really enjoyed the snippets from P.K. Mayberry's Complete Guide to Monsters of the Northern Hemisphere. I feel like this might need a whole companion book of it's own!

This was such a comfort read, I'm just sorry I don't have book two yet to read next (The Trouble with the Two-Headed Hydra). From the excerpt it sounds like it will be just as much fun to read, specially as it takes place in a Greek island!

Mary-Kate definitely deserves a cocktail of her own so I've created one with strawberry and of course, glitter! Muddle a couple of strawberries in a shaker, add 30ml gin and 20ml lemon juice, shake with ice and strain into a flute glass. Add a sprinkle of pink edible glitter then slowly top with prosecco which will get the glitter swirling around beautifully.

Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree

Book Summary

She's done slaying monsters

She's ready to serve coffee

After decades of adventuring, Viv the orc barbarian is finally hanging up her sword for good. Now she sets her sights on a new dream – for she plans to open the first coffee shop in the city of Thune. Even though no one there knows what coffee actually is.

If Viv wants to put the past behind her, she can’t go it alone. And help might arrive from unexpected quarters. Yet old rivals and new stand in the way of success. And Thune’s shady underbelly could make it all too easy for Viv to take up the blade once more.

But the true reward of the uncharted path is the travellers you meet along the way. Whether bound by ancient magic, delicious pastries or a freshly brewed cup, they may become something deeper than Viv ever could have imagined.

This was a surprise highlight of the year! I didn't think it was exactly my thing but I'd heard so much good about it that I had to give a go, and I enjoyed it so much. It was such a relaxing read, no angst or stress and just what I needed at the time. Cosy gets used a lot in book descriptions but in this case it is truly deserved.

I was really curious to see how a coffee shop would go down somewhere they'd never heard of such a thing and the customers had some pretty interesting reactions. There's also a lot of humour in the descriptions...

“Well, shit. Milky bean water. I'll be damned.”

Viv is the best! She's such a great character, both practical and level-headed, but can also be hot-headed at time. I love how she cares so much about everyone. The other characters are all so lovely too. by the end of the book you feel like you know them all.

Whether you love coffee or hate it, you won't be able to resist the wonderful descriptions of the smell and taste in this book.

I've wanted to try making an Espresso Martini for ages so this was the perfect excuse. First, brew some fresh espresso and add sugar to taste. In a shaker, pour 30ml espresso, 45ml vodka, 20 coffee liqueur and a tiny pinch of salt. Shake all with ice and strain into a martini glass.

Mysteries at Sea: Peril on the Atlantic

by A. M. Howell

 

 

Book Summary

July, 1936. As the Queen Mary sets sail across the Atlantic, Alice can't wait for the summer of adventure that lies ahead. She's excited to explore the huge ship, with its shops, animals and even celebrities on board.

As Alice's sailor father focuses on winning a prestigious race, she witnesses a shocking attack. Alice and her new friend Sonny start to uncover a dark plot to sabotage the race, and as they investigate gold bars, anonymous notes and lost silk gloves, secrets in their own lives come to the surface.

While fog threatens the boat's journey, and dangerous enemies show themselves, Alice and Sonny are in their own race to solve all the mysteries unfolding. But what they discover might change both their lives forever...

This is a thrilling adventure across the Atlantic, with more than one mystery on board and the nail biting race for the fastest crossing.

Alice is a great main character and I loved her mischievous nature. Of course she wasn't going to sit around her room doing nothing for the whole trip! The wonderful descriptions of the ship make you feel like you're actually there, exploring with Alice and her new friends. Halfway through the story, a whole new mystery appears, which was actually something I was hoping for. At the end, the reveals just keep coming, it was not predictable at all and there were lots of things I never could have guessed. 

The perfect cocktail to sip while enjoying the view from the sun deck is an Atlantic Breeze. Shake and strain all the following ingredients into a tall, ice-filled glass: 45ml white rum, 15ml brandy liqueur, 7.5ml Galliano, 75ml pineapple juice, 15ml lemon juice.

Flatlands by Sue Hubbard

Book Summary

Freda is a twelve-year-old evacuee from East London, who has been sent away at the start of the war, leaving behind everything familiar to her, to escape the expected German bombing.

In her new temporary home in Lincolnshire, Freda finds herself billeted with a strange, cold and, ultimately, abusive couple, whose lives mirror the barren landscape in which they live a hand to mouth existence, based upon subsistence farming and poaching. There, deprived of any warmth, she meets a young man – Philip Rhayader -a conscientious objector who has left Oxford and his prospective vocation in the church following a nervous breakdown.

Together they explore the wild, beautiful landscape of the Wash, teeming with migrating birds, and nurse an injured goose back to health. As they do so, Philip introduces Freda to the wonders of the natural world and its enduring power to heal.

I wanted to share a short extract from the book which I particularly liked. I felt it was quite touching and I also thought it gave a good feel for one of the main characters. I found the writing in the book to be so descriptive and it is full of evocative nature writing.

Author Bio

Sue Hubbard is an award-winning poet, novelist and art critic. She has published three acclaimed novels and numerous collections of poetry, and was commissioned to create London's largest public art poem at Waterloo. Flatlands is her fourth novel.