Welcome to Bookish Recipes, a feature on the blog where I cook or bake a recipe from a book I have loved and share the result with you. This time the recipe is inspired by Harry Potter again. Earlier this year I made Hagrid's Rock Cakes and they were a roaring success so I decided to try my hand at Pumpkin Pasties as Halloween is fast approaching!

As you know, Harry loves pumpkin pasties and after trying this recipe, I'm a convert too. This is delicious! I decided to go for a salty filling and I think it was the best decision. Also, I found this free printable for the the boxes here, I think it looks really cute. This is how I made them: 

Ingredients:

Pastry crust: 

- 1 1/4 cups flour

- 1 tbsp sugar

- 5 tbsp butter (70 g)

- 3 tbsp shortening (40 g)

- 4-6 tbsp ice water

Filling:

- 1/2 medium pumpkin roasted

- 4 tbsp butter

- 1 clove garlic

- 1/2 cup cheese

- salt and pepper

1) To make the pastry crust: Mix flour, sugar and salt. Add chunks of butter and shortening into the mixture and cut them into it, with a food processor or using two knives. Have a look at this video to see how to do it with knives and also, if you prefer a sweet version, you can also follow the recipe on the video.

2) Transfer it into a mixing bowl and add 4 tbsp of ice water. Toss with a spatula until combined. Add more water if the dough is still dry.

3) Form a ball of dough and wrap it in plastic wrap. Put it in the fridge for at least one hour.

4) While the dough is in the fridge, roast the pumpkin. Mash the hot pumpkin with the butter and stir in the grated garlic and the grated cheese. Season it too.

5) Pre-heat oven to 200º. Roll the pie dough to 1 inch thick and cut 7 inches circles (18 cm). Another option is to cut the dough with a cutter in the shape of a pumpkin (that's what I did).

6) Spoon the pumpkin mixture in the middle of the circles/pumpkins. If you have circles, fold them to form half moons. If you have pumpkins just put another pumpkin on top. Seal the edges with a fork.

7) Cut slivers on top and rub the yolk of an egg if you want a golden finish.

8) Place in a baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes.


Serve hot and enjoy! These are probably my new favourite autumn dish and I'm sure I'll be making more this weekend to celebrate Halloween! 

Holly Martin is back with not one but two Christmas books this year! And they are both set in a town called Christmas, how magic is this? Today I'm reviewing the second book, Christmas under a Starlit Sky, which was published last week. Have a look at what of I thought of the first one, Christmas under a Cranberry Sky, here.

Title: Christmas under a Starlit Sky (A Town Called Christmas #2)

Author: Holly Martin

Published: October 20th 2016 by Bookouture

Amazon | Amazon UK

Review: Last month I read Christmas Under a Cranberry Sky and fell in love with the setting. I would love to go to Juniper Island and stay in a glass igloo to enjoy the Northern Lights. So I was really excited to be back there with this new story. If you haven't read the first book, you can read this one anyway as it's a brand new story but I'd recommend reading both books as they are both fantastic.

Actually, I think this one is even better than the first. I loved every tiny detail of this story. It's romantic, fun, warm and really interesting. The story focuses in Neve Whitaker, who broke up with actor Oakley Rey because she thought she was not good enough for him. Oakley himself though doesn't agree and has traveled to this remote island to win her back. Their story was full of secrets, surprises and unexpected announcements and had me completely glued to its pages.

But they are not the only possible couple in the story. Gorgeous Adam has come to the island to help Neve and the last thing he wants right now is a relationship... But Juniper Island is a magic place and has many surprises in store for him. I really liked Adam as a character and enjoyed his story immensely. 

As usual, Holly Martin has created a magical story with original and interesting characters, lots of fun moments and above all, love. I really think that both Christmas under a Cranberry Sky and Christmas under a Starlit Sky are unmissable titles for this Christmas. So just treat yourself with them! 

Rating: 5 stars

I would like to thank the publishers for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*

Husband and I moved to Munich in January and since then we've been slowly exploring this city and the area around it. We've been to little medieval towns with a lot of charm, to beautiful lakes, to beer festivals and to huge markets and flea markets. So I've decided to share our little adventures with you all.

Salzburg is only a couple of hours away from Munich, so we decided to spend a weekend in this part of Austria and on Saturday, we visited this beautiful town. Salzburg is basically famous for being Mozart's birthplace and because the iconic The Sound of Music was filmed here. But once you're in Salzburg, you soon discover it has so much more to offer! The architecture is stunning and there are many green areas where you can just sit and relax. 

We arrived by car and parked it next to the train station. This area is not very nice but it's close to the city centre and its attractions. After a ten minutes walk, we arrived at the beautiful Mirabell Palace and its gardens. It was built in 1606 and its name actually means "admirable" anb "beautiful". The place has certainly earned that name. It's now the town hall and you can visit some areas during the week, but not on weekends.

The gardens surrounding the palace are divided in different sections. My favourite parts were the rose garden, with stunning views to the fortress and the collection of gnomes! After having a stroll around, we continued to the river. Still on this side of the river, there's one famous landmark: Mozart's Residence (the house where he lived is now a museum). Actually, make that two famous landmark, there's also the Sacher Hotel, where you can have the original Sacher Torte!

Once you've crossed the river, you are in the old quarter. Here, the streets are narrow and packed with shops (some really touristy ones, but others really nice). There are also street musicians and other artists, so it make for a really nice walk.






After that, we were exhausted, so we decided to say goodbye to Salzburg and take the car to Werfen, a small village in the Alps where we had our hotel for the night. I'll tell you all about our day in the mountains on my next travel post!

Miranda Dickinson is an author I discovered thanks to blogging and she soon became one of my favourite authors. So I'm over the moon today to be reviewing her latest book, which was released yesterday. 

Title: Searching for a Silver Lining

Author: Miranda Dickinson

Published: October 20th 2016 by Pan

Amazon | Amazon UK

Blurb: It began with a promise...

Matilda Bell is left heartbroken when she falls out with her beloved grandfather just before he dies. Haunted by regret, she makes a promise that will soon change everything...

When spirited former singing star Reenie Silver enters her life, Mattie seizes the opportunity to make amends. Together, Mattie and Reenie embark on an incredible journey that will find lost friends, uncover secrets from the glamorous 1950s and put right a sixty-year wrong.

Touchingly funny, warm and life-affirming, this is a sparkling story of second chances. Perfect for fans of Cecelia Ahern, Searching for a Silver Lining will take you on a trip you'll never forget.

Review: Searching for a Silver Lining is one of the warmest and best crafted stories I've read in a long time. The idea behind the story is original and unique, and the characters are interesting, lovable and most of all, memorable. The main character is Matilda Bell who after losing her grandfather is feeling a bit lost, especially after she fought with him just before his passing away. But she then meets Reenie Silver, an octogenarian like no other. She completely steals the show and it's impossible not to love her. She had quite a well-known group in the fifties and both Matilda and Reenie embark on an epic journey that will take them to every part of the country.

As I said, I found the idea for this story genius. The road trip around the UK is a veritable joy to read. With every stop you learn more and more about Reenie and her glamorous and eventful past, which I found fascinating. She had so many stories! I really felt like I was back with her in the fifties, going dancing in Soho. Plus, I think it worked really well with Matilda's own story and her grandfather's.

I've realised that every time I pick a book by Miranda Dickinson I end up feeling happier and really hopeful about the future. Her writing kind of brings the best out of me, with her life-affirming and touching stories, where you never give up, you keep fighting for a second chance. And Searching for a Silver Lining is no exception to the norm. After finishing it, I was left with a huge grin on my face (I even shed some happy tears). 

I'm sure this story will warm many hearts and for a full fifties experience, I'd recommend reading it while listening to the songs you find at the beginning of every chapter. I completely forgot about everything else while reading this story. 

Rating: 4,5 stars

I would like to thank the publisher for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*

Today's review is for author C. J. Skuse's latest release, the YA novel The Deviants. I absolutely loved this one! Also, I had the pleasure of interviewing C.J. a couple of weeks ago, so if you haven't read it yet, have a look now here as she reveals many interesting things. 

Title: The Deviants

Author: CJ Skuse

Published: September 22nd by HQ Young Adult

Amazon | Amazon UK

Author: Katey Lovell

Published: October 6th 2016 by HarperImpulse

Amazon | Amazon UK

Blurb: ‘Quirky, cute and utterly romantic’ – Bestselling author Rebecca Raisin

Monique and Issy are teachers, housemates and lovers of musicals! Their Friday night routine consists of snacks, wine and the Frozen DVD. So when Monique’s boyfriend moves to America for a year and her sister Hope moves in because of her own relationship woes, Friday nights get a new name… ‘The Singalong Society for Singletons’!

Review: When I first heard about The Singalong Society for Singletons, I immediately thought that it was a really fun idea to mix musicals with a love story and after reading it, I can say that it was indeed a great idea. The story focuses on Mon, who after breaking up (or actually still being on a break, even she doesn't really understand what is going on) with her 10-year boyfriend, creates this society for her friends to meet every Friday to watch a musical and sing along and dance until they have forgotten about all their problems.

Thanks to Mon's idea, this group of friends soon becomes a close unit that support each other and share their fears and doubts. I loved how well the dynamics of the group worked and how every character had their own story and moment in the spotlight. I really enjoyed reading about them and I ended up caring for them all too. I also felt like we really got to know them and their situations sounded real and possible on real life.

Then, there was the musical aspect the story. Each chapter focused on a musical (mainly movies but some live shows too) and I think Katey Lovell made a great job of "matching" musicals with what was going on with the characters. Also, being quite a musical lover myself, I really enjoyed all the references to some of my favourite shows and with every new chapter, I kept adding movies I had to watch again.

As I said, I think the concept for this story was original and fun and really well executed. The only thing that bothered me a bit was Mon's story per se. I was never sure what she really wanted, especially at the beginning. -But it's true though that as the story progressed we started seeing a better version of herself and I started liking her more and more. I think that the ending was the perfect decision as it fitted with the story and the evolution of all the characters involved.

All in all, a fantastic debut novel from Katey Lovell. I'm sure we'll soon get more fun and feel good stories from her.

Today is Publication Day for Cathy Bramley! Comfort and Joy is Cathy's latest release, a Christmas novella set in the Plumberry School of Comfort Food. If you loved the Plumberry School full novel, you'll be delighted to be back but if you haven't discovered it yet, this is the perfect opportunity for you: 

Title: Comfort and Joy

Author: Cathy Bramley

Published: October 13th 2016 by Transworld

Amazon | Amazon UK

Blurb: Curl up with this feel-good short story, full of romance, surprises and a sprinkling of Christmas magic…!

It’s been a busy year for Verity Bloom at the Plumberry School of Comfort Food, but Christmas Eve is finally here. With delicious treats all wrapped up and the ingredients packed away, Verity is looking forward to a relaxing few days with her new boyfriend.

Good food, family and friends – it’s a simple recipe for true comfort and joy, and all Verity’s friends in the village are full of excitement about the holidays too.

But the weather has other plans in store… Relentless rain leads to a power cut that spells disaster for many of Plumberry’s residents. It’s starting to look like this year’s celebrations could be a total washout.

With dreams of a perfect Christmas dashed, will the last of the festive cheer be swept away in the downpour? Or can the cookery school create a Christmas miracle for everyone Verity holds dear?

Review: It was a lovely surprise when Cathy Bramley announced she was publishing a Christmas novella this year, even more when she revealed that the story would be set in Plumberry! If you have read Cathy's previous book, The Plumberry School of Comfort Food (which I absolutely loved), you'll already know the characters in this story. If you haven't though, do not worry, you don't need any background to follow this new story. For me, it was great to catch up with this lovely community and see how Verity and her school are doing.

This story is a real festive treat. Set during Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, it's packed with laughs, love, friendship, Christmas spirit, some drama and of course, joy. It's actually a really touching story that will leave you with a huge grin on your face. 

I had a really good time reading this novella. I started it and without even realising it, I had already read 80% of it. Once I was back in Plumberry, I forgot about everything else. I really thing that this is the perfect story to get you in the mood for Christmas. So I would recommend you treat yourself with this lovely story and enjoy it with a hot chocolate and some mince pies. I'm sure I'll be re-reading it closer to Christmas! 

Today is my stop on the Blog Tour for The Secret Letters by Catherine Law, author of Map of Stars. Catherine stops by to talk about her early influences, a very interesting guest post that I'm sure you'll enjoy: 

Fellow writers of a certain age will remember the 1980s children’s TV programme, Why Don't You Just Switch Off Your Television Set and Do Something Less Boring Instead? It was a great show, possibly a little low-key for today’s audiences, but in a roundabout way it led me to become first an avid reader, and then by natural evolution, an avid writer. Because, as a child, when I switched off my television set, I would dive headfirst into a book. 

I’d spend hours in my local library, browsing the shelves with a mixture of envy and adoration, wanting be immersed in the worlds that would open up for me as soon as I selected a book and took it to the counter to be stamped out. Who can remember those lovely old-fashioned library tickets? Lounging on my bed with a bar of Galaxy and a brand-new novel or big fat reference book was an absolute treat. And today, just wandering around a bookshop will conjure all sorts of ideas and nuggets that feed my imagination.

This long-standing love for books was ignited in my childhood by seeing my mother and older sister constantly reading. I was able to dip into novels beyond my ability (broadening my mind and so pleasing my teachers no end). There was nothing more comforting than seeing a stack of hardbacks from the library by my mother’s chair waiting to be explored. From Jackie Collins to Jean Plaidy, and Wilbur Smith and Mazo de la Roche, we would devour them, our reading list peppered with the odd classic here and there. And almost by a sort of intellectual osmosis, I found myself wanting to create my own stories, my own worlds just like the ones I had been drawn into. 

I began to make books, little examples of juvenilia, from folded up pieces of paper, stapled and scruffily illustrated. I progressed, as I reached my teens, by investing in a typewriter (manual of course, this was the 1980s!). It was at this point that I read the Brontes and knew that my course was set. I began tapping away at bodice rippers and dreadful gothic romances that would make me blush today if I hadn’t shredded the lot in the early 2000s. 

It was a long haul. My first book, A Season of Leaves, was published in 2008 (to be released as an e-book on 6 October 2016 with a new title The Secret Letters). Before this, I’d spent many years attempting to write what I thought were reasonably mature contemporary novels. These early works, I see now, were all part of the steep learning curve that writers must navigate. A kind of really hard apprenticeship, if you will. When confidence was high I’d trawl through the Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook for names of suitable agents and publishers, send off submissions, enter ‘first novel’ competitions and then sit back to wait for the inevitable rejections to roll in. When confidence was low, I’d escape into the private world of other people’s books – my list of favourite authors includes Kate Atkinson, Barbara Kingsolver and Mary Wesley – become inspired by them and the cycle would start again. 

It was hard to face these setbacks. After A Season of Leaves was published, my two-book deal was cancelled. And it was a few years before my agent secured me another two-book deal (publishing my war-time romances, The September Garden in 2012 and The Flower Book in 2013). But I’ve come to realise that this is the nature of publishing and all you can do is keep writing. These experiences have made me more determined. 

I’m sure that most writers find it hard to pinpoint where the drive comes from. Why do we keep going? I guess we must live to write, not write to live, and tap into our creativity whenever and wherever we can. And, first and foremost, switch off that television set!

About the book: 

Title: The Secret Letters

Author: Catherine Law

Published: October 6th 2016 by Zaffre 

Amazon | Amazon UK

Blurb: Rose Pepper has kept her wartime past a secret for decades. Forty years ago, she fled communist Prague and left behind the love of her life. Now in her sixties and with two daughters, Rose discovers a bundle of unopened letters sent to her by her lost love, hidden beneath her home. Confronted with the possibility of facing up to her past, she decided it’s finally time to go back to where her story began and uncover the truth buried for so long in Prague… 

From the author of Map of Stars comes a heartbreaking story of love, hope, secrets and lies. Perfect for fans of Kathryn Hughes and Leah Fleming.

            

About the author: 

Catherine Law was born in Harrow, Middlesex in 1965 and has been a journalist for twenty-two years, having trained first as a secretary at the BBC and then attending the London College of Printing. She now works on a glossy interiors magazine and lives in Buckinghamshire.

web page: http://www.catherinelaw.co.uk/

twitter: @cathmarialaw

                

Author: Katey Lovell

Published: October 6th 2016 by HarperImpulse

Amazon | Amazon UK

Blurb: ‘Quirky, cute and utterly romantic’ – Bestselling author Rebecca Raisin

Monique and Issy are teachers, housemates and lovers of musicals! Their Friday night routine consists of snacks, wine and the Frozen DVD. So when Monique’s boyfriend moves to America for a year and her sister Hope moves in because of her own relationship woes, Friday nights get a new name… ‘The Singalong Society for Singletons’!

It’s a chance to get together, sing along to their favourite tracks from the best-loved West End shows, and forget the worries of work, relationships and love (or lack of it). But when Issy shares the details of their little group further afield, they get some unexpected new members who might just change their opinions on singledom for good…

Today is my stop on the Blog Tour for Something in Between,  the thought-provoking new novel from Melissa de la Cruz, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Isle of the Lost and Return to the Isle of the Lost.

Title: Something in Between

Author: Melissa de la Cruz

Published: October 4th by Harlequin Teen

Amazon | Amazon UK

Blurb: It feels like there's no ground beneath me, like everything I've ever done has been a lie. Like I'm breaking apart, shattering. Who am I? Where do I belong? 

Jasmine de los Santos has always done what's expected of her. Pretty and popular, she's studied hard, made her Filipino immigrant parents proud and is ready to reap the rewards in the form of a full college scholarship. 

And then everything shatters. A national scholar award invitation compels her parents to reveal the truth: their visas expired years ago. Her entire family is illegal. That means no scholarships, maybe no college at all and the very real threat of deportation. 

For the first time, Jasmine rebels, trying all those teen things she never had time for in the past. Even as she's trying to make sense of her new world, it's turned upside down by Royce Blakely, the charming son of a high-ranking congressman. Jasmine no longer has any idea where—or if—she fits into the American Dream. All she knows is that she's not giving up. Because when the rules you lived by no longer apply, the only thing to do is make up your own.

Review: I found the premise for this story highly interesting and important. Jasmine de los Santos is an out-standing citizen: intelligent, hard-working and high-achieving. She's just received a national scholar-ship that will allow her to go to any university she wants; the only problem is, she is actually not a USA citizen. Her parents have been lying to her all this time, they are illegal immigrants.

I cannot even begin to imagine how hard this must have felt for a girl like Jasmine, to have all her future stolen from her. And I think that the author made a great job of describing Jasmine's and her family's fears and worries. But the reason why I find this story so important is because there are so many people in that same situation. Illegal immigration is a reality that many people, politicians included, choose to ignore. So I think it's great that YA authors choose to raise awareness on this topic.

There a couple of things in the story though that I think didn't work as well as I expected. For example, Jasmine is kind of a difficult character to like. You can tell she is indeed hard-working and determined but I felt like we didn't really get to know her. She becomes frustrated with little things that didn't add that much to the story. She is also a tad too obsessed in what other people might think of her and her personality changes considerably during the story.

Also, I felt like the story dragged a bit too much. There was a moment when you could guess how the story was going to end, but it actually took the story a lot to get to that point. A few of the subplots, like the senator's elder son's story didn't add anything interesting to the main plot in my opinion. I would have preferred that the story focused more on Jasmine and her family.

Despite these couple of things, I did enjoy this story and as I said I think this is a story everyone should read. It has a lot of interesting aspects, like how the university system and the scholarships work or also how knowing the right person can really help you. All in all, an enjoyable and cute story with a very important message. 

I would like to thank the publisher for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*

Today's review is for Miracle on 5th Avenue, the third book on Sarah Morgan's latest trilogy, From Manhattan With Love. It can be easily read as a stand alone but I'd recommend reading the first two, to get to know the characters better and because they are a fantastic stories too. Here are my thought on this one:

Title: Miracle on 5th Avenue (From Manhattan with Love #3)

Author: Sarah Morgan

Published: October 20th 2016 by Mira

Amazon | Amazon UK

Blurb: Sometimes love needs a Christmas Miracle…

Hopeless romantic Eva Jordan loves everything about Christmas. She might be spending the holidays alone this year, but when she’s given an opportunity to housesit a spectacular penthouse on Fifth Avenue, she leaps at the chance. What better place to celebrate than in snow-kissed Manhattan?

What she didn’t expect was to find the penthouse still occupied by its gorgeous–and mysterious–owner. Bestselling crime writer Lucas Blade is having the nightmare before Christmas. With a deadline and the anniversary of his wife’s death looming, he’s isolated himself in his penthouse with only his grief for company. He wants no interruptions, no decorations and he certainly doesn’t appreciate being distracted by his beautiful, bubbly new housekeeper. But when the blizzard of the century leaves Eva snowbound in his apartment, Lucas starts to open up to the magic she brings…

This Christmas, is Lucas finally ready to trust that happily-ever-afters do exist?

Review: After loving the first two book in this series, Sleepless in Manhattan and Sunset in Central Park, I was really looking forward to Eva's story. From the previous books we knew she was a hopeless romantic and that since the death of her grandmother, her only family, she had been feeling a bit lost. Also that she was looking for her happily ever after but it had been avoiding her... until now.

As soon as Eva meets Lucas ( and by "meet" I mean gets attacked by him and pinned to the floor) you can see sparks flying. Lucas is a really interesting character, the moody thriller writer that is suffering writer's block has lots of secrets and I just wanted to know them all at once. But Eva and Lucas don't jump into bed immediately, they really get to know each other and you soon realise what a perfect couple they would make. It's actually really cute to read how they interact with each other and how they become real friends before things get messy.

Something I'm loving in this series is the strong bond of friendship between Eva and her two best friends. They both got their happy ending in the previous books but they are there for Eva no matter what. They really get each other and it's a joy to read how supportive they are but also how they enjoy teasing each other. And another thing I'm absolutely loving is the setting, who doesn't love New York? And this story gives us New York at Christmas, what could be better? I mean, there is a snow blizzard but once it's over, Sarah Morgan paints such a magical picture of this famous city. 

Miracle on 5th Avenue is a great addition to this already fantastic series. Eva and Lucas' story is so cute and romantic, it had me swooning every few pages. Definitely the perfect read to enjoy in a crispy afternoon with a hot chocolate in hand. 

Rating: 4 stars

I would like to thank the publishers for sending me a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

Today is my stop on the Blog Tour of The Silence Between Breaths, Cath Staincliffe's latest book. Cath is an award winning novelist, radio playwright and creator of ITV’s hit series Blue Murder. Her books have been shortlisted for the CWA’s Best First Novel award and for the Dagger in the Library and she won the Short Story Dagger in 2012. In 2014 her novel Letters To My Daughter’s Killer was shortlisted for the ITV3 Crime Thriller Book Club. Cath is also the author of the Scott and Bailey novels based on the popular ITV series.

Title: The Silence Between Breaths

Author: Cath Staincliffe

Published: September 22nd 2016 by Constable

Amazon | Amazon UK

Blurb: Eight people, one deadly secret.

Passengers boarding the 10:35 train from Manchester, Piccadilly to London, Euston are bound for work, assignations, reunions, holidays or new starts, with no idea that their journey is about to be brutally curtailed. 

What I read:

5 Stars:

Destination Chile by Katy Colins

Christmas at the Comfort Food Cafe by Debbie Johnson

The Canal Boat Cafe by Cressida McLaughlin

A Boy Made of Blocks by Keith Stuart

4 Stars:

Christmas under a Cranberry Sky by Holly Martin

Only Daughter by Anna Snoekstra

Nothing Tastes as Good by Claire Hennessy

The One Real Thing by Samantha Young

3 Stars:

The Second Love of my Life by Victoria Walters

To Be Reviewed:
The Silence Between Breaths by Cath Staincliffe
Something in Between by Melissa de la Cruz
Miracle on 5th Avenue by Sarah Morgan
Searching for a Silver Linning by Miranda Dickinson

What I was up to:

We started and ended the month with beer. The first week, we had the Herbstfest (Autumn Festival), which is like a smaller Oktoberfest. We went a couple of days to eat traditional Bavarian food, drink beer and enjoy the funfair.
The second weekend of September we went to Austria. On Saturday we visited the beautiful town of Salzburg and then spent the night on the mountains. On Sunday we visited the Ice Caves in the Alps, which was such a cool experience! The temperature inside the caves was 0º and the wind makes the ice take such beautiful shapes!
And then, on the 17th started the Oktoberfest in Munich. We went a few times and had so much fun. It's absolutely crazy to see so many people drinking beer (maybe a bit too much beer) and then the fun fair is huge, with lots of fun activities to do.

What I blogged about:

My Top Five Favourite Thrillers of all Time

My Top Ten Favourite Series of all Time

Author Interviews:

C. J. Skuse, author of The Deviants

Anna Snoekstra, author of Only Daughter

Foody posts:

My Christmas Special at the Comfort Food Café

Recipe: Egg Foo Young, inspired by How to Find your (First) Husband by Rosie Blake

Recipe: Millionaire's Shortbread, inspired by The Wedding Date by Jennifer Joyce

Travel:

Discovering Bavaria: Neuschwanstein Castle