Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because they are particularly fond of lists over there at The Broke and the Bookish. I'd love to share my lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

This week was a Freebie and as this year a lot of sequels for amazing books are coming out, I decided to share my most anticipated sequels or follow-ups.

When the lovely Alba first asked me to write a post on my idea of a visit to my favorite novel, I immediately knew what I wanted to write about, but I didn’t want to visit a novel...

I wanted to visit my cookbook collection.

I know, as an author you were expecting me to tell you what novels I’d love to live in, but cooking is a huge passion of mine. I cook almost every single day. I devour recipes on Pinterest, in magazines, blog sites but I love nothing more than finding a treasured cookbook, one with recipes I will use over and over, ones with sticky pages from being splattered on, one that helps me cook well for my family and provide healthy meals for my table. 

I’m obsessed with them. Whenever I see one of my favorite chefs has a new cookbook out, I get super geeked out and preorder it immediately. So who are my preorders, no questions asked? Bobby Flay. I have found multiple recipes out of each cookbook of his that are incredible. I also love Giada De Laurentiis. Her cookbooks are beautiful, and again, I always find something delicious to make in them.

What are my favorite cookbooks, the ones I can’t live without and are my Holy Grail of cookbooks? Both books by Gwyneth Paltrow: My Father’s Daughter and It’s All Good. They are full of healthy foods, interesting flavors, and the recipes are easy to make. I love her soups-her tomato soup is perfection, and so is her butternut squash soup, her gazpacho...okay I’ll stop there but I’m a huge fan of these books.

 Since I’ve tried to cut back on grains, Danielle Walker’s Against All Grain is a huge player in my weekly menu planning. In fact, we’re having her flank steak this week. The barbecue sauce is incredible, as are her salad recipes. 

And I can’t leave out Gordon Ramsay. Gordon Ramsay’s Healthy Appetite is full of delicious-and healthy-recipes. Another favorite Gordon book is Gordon Ramsay’s Home Cooking: Everything You Need to know to make Fabulous Food. This one is worth it for the smoky pork sliders with barbecue sauce alone.

I also have inherited cookbooks from my grandmother Addie, who loved to entertain and cook. She did something super handy in them-she put notes on top if the recipe was V.G (Very good) or V.G for Company . Other recipes got a check mark and an O.K next to it. And my favorites-the ones that got a big NO. One that did get a V.G-and I kid you not, this is the name-was “Better than Robert Redford Cake.” How funny is that? 

So there’s my journey through cookbook land. These books are my passion, and I love spending time with them. There’s a reason why MK in Connectivity loved cooking, Kylie in Waiting for Prince Harry loved baking, and Kenley is a Confection Consultant in The Definition of Icing. It’s a way of extending my cooking passion into my writing. And I’m sure you’ll be seeing more characters cooking in my pages very soon.

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Thank you Aven for sharing your own Cookbookland with us! Who wouldn't want to get lost in some of these amazing recipes too? 

You can connect with Aven on Twitter and on Facebook

And Aven's new book, The Definition of Icing is out next week. If you loved Waiting for Prince Harry (if you haven't read it yet, I don't know what you are waiting for), then you'll love this one too as the Dallas Demons are back! 

Blurb: Hilarious, touching and fun, Primrose Terrace will appeal to dog lovers everywhere and fans of Lucy Diamond, Cathy Bramley and Trisha Ashley.

Catherine ‘Cat’ Palmer realises, too late, that bringing an adorable puppy into work at the local nursery was a bad idea, especially after the ensuing chaos gets her the sack.

Determined to turn a negative into a positive, Cat decides this is the perfect opportunity to get her dog-walking business off the ground with the help of her flatmates, Polly and Joe. After all, Primrose Terrace where she lives, is full of home-alone hounds…

Wellies and Westies is the first part of a serialized novel told in four parts – all set in Primrose Terrace.

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

Review: Wellies and Westies is the first part of a four parts serialised novel by debut author Cressida McLaughlin. I think serialised novels are really fun to read but difficult to write, especially the first parts, as you only have a hundred pages to introduce your characters and start a story that will interest the readers. But in this case Cressida does a fantastic job as we get to know Cat quite well. She is one of those dreamers that thinks that the world can be a better place. Her enthusiasm is addictive and soon, you find yourself on board with her crazy ideas. But maybe her latest one is not that crazy, it seems like her neighbours are in need of a dog walker and she is the perfect one (with a bit of practice!).

For me, the highlight of the story are the dogs (and Joe). Cressida introduces us to a lovely bunch of dogs that gives us some of the funniest moments of the story (especially when there's a squirrel involved). And then, I really liked Joe, one of Cat's roommates. I have a feeling that he has a lot to tell and he will surprise us. I am also very intrigued by Mark, a possible client (and more) for Cat. I can't wait to find out more about him.

As you can see, I feel quite invested in the story already and I am looking forward to the second part to keep reading about Cat's (and her dogs) adventures.

Wellies and Westies is a cute quick read that you can enjoy one afternoon in the park. If you are a dog lover (or a cat lover, as Joe's not a dog person at all and has a cat as a pet) you can't miss this one. 

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Last Tuesday I had the opportunity of attending the Fabulous Night In with Lindsey Kelk, Lucy Robinson and Lucy Hollyday organised by Fabulous Magazine and Harper Collins. The event took place at the News Building, where Harper Collins has their new offices and just for the amazing view from up there, the night was already worth it. Meeting two of my favourite authors ever was just a plus... (just kidding). First, enjoy the amazing views and the wall of books (!!) they have:

Afterwards, it was time to meet the authors and get our books signed. It was such an honour to meet Lindsey Kelk and Lucy Robinson! They are totally awesome and such talented women. And I still can't believe that I got to meet them, I will treasure my signed books forever.

Also, it was a pleasure chatting with debut author Lucy Hollyday who is releasing A Night With Audrey Hepburn next week. It certainly sounds and looks like an amazing book and I can't wait to start reading it. 

Did I tell you that they have a wall of books? There are so many books. I had a look and found Lindsey Kelk's I Heart Paris.

Blurb: The second part in this hilarious four-part romantic comedy, from the author of You Had Me at Merlot and The Twelve Dates of Christmas - winner of the Novelicious Debut of the Year award.

Jess had been feeling on top of the world - she'd had the best night out with Bryony, making lots of fabulous new friends, and she'd MET A BOY! Now, all of a sudden, her carefully constructed (if slightly exaggerated) facade is about to come tumbling down. She's had a taste of how the other half live and she's not ready to give it up just yet - especially if it means also giving up Leo. But how long can Jess and Bryony continue pulling the wool over everyone's eyes before they're in too deep?

Full of hilarious one-liners, sparkling blue seas and plenty of romantic moments, Catch Me If You Cannes is the story of two friends, a few white lies and one extremely delicious man. WARNING: reading Catch Me If You Cannes may result in embarrassing outbursts of belly-aching laughter on public transport.

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

Review: This story is just getting better and better. After enjoying Part 1 immensely, with the lovely friends Jess and Bryony arriving at Cannes and mingling with the stars, this second part we discover a bit more about Leo and Harvey. Leo seems like the perfect match for Jess, they really connect and I loved reading about their interactions. They were really cute together. But Lisa Dickenson leaves us with a huge cliff hanger in this part and I can't stop thinking about what is going on.

Lisa is creating a great story that is making me want to forget about everything else. I feel like I'm in Cannes with them. And in this part we also get to go to Monaco. Montecarlo sounds so glamorous and movie like. I can't wait to visit for myself!

If you are still doubting about starting this serialised novel, stop doubting right now and get it! I guarantee laughs, a stunning setting, lovable characters and romance. What else can you ask for?

Diving into part 3 right now, I can't wait to find out how the story continues!

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