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.

Magic Has No Borders
edited by Sona Charaipotra & Samira Ahmed

Book Summary

A pair of star-crossed lovers search for a way back to one another against all odds…

A girl fights for her life against a malignant, generations-old evil…

A peri seeks to reclaim her lost powers…

A warrior rebels against her foretold destiny…

From chudails and peris to jinn and goddesses, this lush collection of South Asian folklore, legends, and epics reimagines stories of old for a modern audience. This fantasy and science fiction teen anthology edited by Samira Ahmed and Sona Charaipotra contains a wide range of stories from fourteen bestselling, award-winning, and emerging writers from the South Asian diaspora that will surprise, delight, and move you. So read on, for after all, magic has no borders.

Anyone who knows me, knows that I am sucker for any book involving mythology. I don't know much about South Asian myth so this anthology interested me immediately and I really enjoyed discovering these legends. I was excited to read more from some of my previously read authors, and to find lots of new ones.

This was a bit of a mixed bag for me. There were some stories which I really enjoyed, Kiss Me Goodbye and Dismantle the Sun were two of my favourites. Infinite Drift and Mirch, Masala and Magic both had me in tears! However there were a couple of the stories which had so many unknown words that I didn't understand half of what was happening.

To make this delicious Without Borders cocktail, shake the following ingredients with ice and strain into a coupe glass. 30ml calvados, 20ml Benedictine, 20ml maraschino, 20ml lime juice and half a pinch of salt.

The Lonely Tiger by Terenia Edwards
Illustrated by Severus Lian

Book Summary

It can get lonely… being one-of-a-kind! Tiger loves to party, but he hates being alone. It’s up to his friends to show Tiger that being on your own isn’t so bad. The Lonely Tiger follows Monkey, Bird, Elephant and Frog on a quest to help himself. It’s about loneliness, friendship and discovering who we really are through the eyes of the people who love us the most. This picture book is beautifully illustrated by Severus Lian and can be enjoyed as an introduction to reading alone or as a theatrical journey performed by grown-ups at bedtime!

Sometimes it's so hard to see (and believe) what others see in you. This is a really sweet story about accepting yourself and recognising your worth to others. The illustrations are adorable and I loved the expressions on the animals' faces. The way they rally round to help Tiger really shows their friendship and how much they care, it's so heart-warming.

I'm sure your little ones will be asking you to read this to them over and over so you'll probably need something refreshing when you're done! To make an Easy Tiger cocktail, muddle 2 small slices of ginger in a shaker. Add a teaspoon of honey and 60ml of tequila and stir to disolve the honey. Then add 30ml lime juice and lots of ice. Shake and strain into a martini glass. I think this is one of my new favourites!