Hello everyone, and happy Bank Holiday weekend to you. Here is the UK it is a 3 day weekend. Wahoo! We have a busy weekend culminating in our Village Hog Roast where we all bring a salad, table, cutlery and any beverages we like

This week I received 2 rather exciting emails. One was from the wonderful Lucy at The Literary Edit, which contained her favourite 5 books read in 2024, and the other was from the folks at Goodreads on my reading challenge.

Hello, Hello, I hope you are having a smashing week so far. We have had a little bit of a weekend away to celebrate our 7th Wedding anniversary and it has a slight literary connection

I attended a Eurovision party dressed as Ireland along with a ballerina, Gene Simmons, 2 Vikings and SuperMario. The performances have definitely become ruder! If I didn't see a pair of buttocks it would not be too soon

And of course, it is entirely appropriate to read a classic crime set in snowy eastern Europe on the way to a country with temperatures exceeding 30 degrees.

I am publishing this slightly early, as I am fully in the reading of (and sweating a bit about if I'm honest) my #12booksofchristmas. I have not been organised this year at all.

I genuinely did not start out my year deciding to read the Hercule Poirot books in order, it sort of just happened that way. This is the 9th book to feature our wonderful Belgian friend

Life has been a bit crazy over here at Coffee Books and Cake Towers and for the very best reasons. I must say a big thank you for the lovely messages we received about Hattie

Happy Friday! I hope wherever you are you have had a good week and are looking forward to a fun weekend. We are up early for a brunch and a party on Sunday

In the UK we are treated to a third Bank Holiday in May this year. Personally, I am loving all of these Bank Holidays and am looking forward to some very special visitors arriving on Saturday.

First of all, I need to apologise again for the lateness of this post. We've had a bit of an ill-health January here at Coffee Books and Cake Towers First of all, both me and my lovely husband had the flu

I was having a chat with my colleagues at work the other day and we cannot believe how quick this year is going. It doesn't feel like 2 minutes since we were looking at the spring bulbs coming out

I tend to think Autumn lends itself wholeheartedly to either books with a bit of atmosphere, or a good crime novel. The heady days of summer with those classic beach reads are a dim and distant memory

Back in Spring 2021, I disappeared down a rabbit hole of reading crime thrillers, and this was in particular thanks to Rules for Perfect Murders by Peter Swanson. I loved this book.

After finishing the dirge like Anna Karenina, I felt in the mood for something a lot lighter. Where better to turn then the first 3 Hercule Poirot novels by my comfort author Agatha Christie

And this morning, I woke up to a cake disaster, namely that we had none. I quickly whistled up some chocolate fairy cakes, including the obligatory one bun to rule them all

How was Easter for you all? Wherever you are and if you celebrated it or not, I do hope you managed to have a nice break. As the UK is still in lockdown, we were unable to go anywhere apart from around the duck lake.

I have been promising this post for a little while. A few weeks ago I reviewed Rules for Perfect Murders by Peter Swanson. I loved this book namely because it was set in a bookshop, at Christmas and was about crime fiction.

I clearly did not get the memo about Christmas being over because out of the 8 books I read and reviewed in January, only one was not a Christmas book. I am reading another Christmas novel and have 2 more Christmas books

At the time of writing, it is currently the middle of January, and I am not quite ready to give up reading my Christmas books just yet. Especially as it is snowing outside. I had already enjoyed Hercule Poirot's Christmas

I can't believe that this is my last wrap up of 2020. December has been lovely and Christmas is always my most favourite time of year. This December I managed to read 12 books for #12 Books of Christmas.

I think I've talked before about Jolabokaflod. This is the lovely Icelandic tradition of exchanging books on Christmas Eve so that families can curl up with a cosy book and some chocolate.

What is this? Another sneaky post? Yep, It is that time when I do a round of the month and what I have been reading. It has been a nice, mixed bag this month.

On a golden Autumn day, I was craving something cosy and familiar. Naturally I turned to my old friend Miss Marple. This is the 12th outing for Miss Marple and finds her in St Mary Mead living the quiet life

I do not know if it is the sunshine that has addled my mind but I spent most of this novel trying to remember if I had read it before. I racked my brains, checked the bookshelves and in a last ditch attempt checked audible.

Former Air-Force pilot, Jerry Burton is recommended by his doctor to convalesce in the sleepiest and most dull town possible. Jerry and his sister Joanne therefore move to Lymstock expecting a quiet convalescence.