This is going down as my best book of 2025. I became lost in the story only stopping to reflect on Anne‘s feelings as a mother , and other feelings of the characters, so well written. I respected them on their journeys through life. Their lives often mirrored each other. I kept wondering about the title , and in the end the idea of a flashlight in this story made sense to me. I learned a lot about Korea and Japan.

#FridayHappyReadingHour
Relaxing with red wine and chocolate sweets on Stephen‘s Day here. Reading this book slowly over time and loving every minute.
I hope you are all chilling and that you had a lovely Christmas Day. ✨🥂 also tagging TheBookHippie

Thank you Helen 👍🏻❤️ for this beautiful card and your generous donation to Bookbanks. Thank you 🙏
Have a lovely holiday season xxxx Very best wishes x
Happy Christmas ✨

Thank you Leah for this lovely present. I love Celia Dale so I am looking forward to this one. I have something in the post for you too x.
Have a wonderful holiday season my dear friend. Xxx Happy Christmas to you ✨✨✨

#FridayHappyReadingHour Happy Friday Ladies !
I‘m sitting back with A Christmas Carol , and some red wine , and a mince pie. It‘s a cosy feeling ❤️😁

Sorry , I‘m only seeing my prompt to vote now. I‘ve tagged the book on the left as in the picture it‘s a bit blurry. ❤️ #PersephoneClub.

✨ Few Eggs and No Oranges
✨ Crooked Cross

#HappyFridayreadinghour
Relaxing this Friday with Flashlight. I couldn‘t have imagined how much I would love this book, I started a sample on kindle and cannot put it down. Great storytelling, characters. A most engaging read. The main characters are in Japan at the moment. Surprises all the way .. so good. Enjoy your Friday ladies ! 🥂xxx I‘m on chocolate peanuts and raisins ☺️

I loved this story set in Japan. Modern, and yet some things don‘t change that much. An insight into Japanese life , Tokyo. Thankyou Barbara for putting this one on our radar. I couldn‘t put it down. X Loved it ! #Happyfridayreadinghour have a lovely weekend Ladies xx

#FridayHappyReadingHour a day late so it‘s more like Saturday happy hour 😬, but it‘s getting cosy now. Wine and black Moroccan olives. I finished reading Astray for Bookclub and I would highly recommend. Haunting short stories, memorable, beautifully written. People whose lives and fortunes have gone astray one way or another. Loosely based on true stories.
Happy weekend x

It‘s a pick. I did like it , although I feel a bit lost. But I will read Volume II …

“ And suddenly I had a glimpse of hope : a moon on the wane moving in the right direction , a time that had begun to pass “ ..

Is it a book about a day before trauma ? , a day around trauma , I have woken up to remember some traumatic news ? .. to the day this trauma is told to me.
And where do I go from here ? What do I do now ?
These are the thoughts as I read it.
It‘s taking awhile for me to appreciate this book…what it‘s all about

We read Frankenstein for our Bookclub. There are so many layers of meaning and angles to look at it from. I didn‘t understand half of all that, but I loved reading it. I watched some of the new Frankenstein movie and it is beautifully filmed, mesmerizing to watch , But , I was disappointed that the story was not the same as the book.

#Fridayhappyreadinghour Thank god it‘s Friday ☺️
Chilling with my lovely Lisa , and getting lost in another Ruth Rendell ❤️ Happy Friday ladies xxxx

#FridayHappyReadingHour Sorry I‘m late , it‘s Sunday ! But finally getting a chance at a happy Reading hour. We had lovely little callers on Friday night though. Some tiny little people who were delighted to get a lollipop! 🍭 🎃 Adorable 🥰
Reading for our next Bookclub, the first three stories are very promising.
I hope you all had a great weekend. Xx

#FridayHappyReadingHour Dinner was early today so this is white chocolate and raspberry tart as I check out my new books. Tagged, I wanted. The Banville was part of the ‘ two for one‘ deal ! Can‘t resist. It‘s lovely just to look at the new books 🥰Happy Friday 😘

#FridayHappyReadingHour
Dinner is in the oven. So it‘s time for a glass of wine and a read of Frankenstein… it‘s for my bookclub and I‘m LOVING it. Happy Friday everyone xxx

#FridayHappyReadingHour This evening it‘s tea… because I‘m looking over my notes for Migrations. Bookclub tonight and it‘s the book I picked so I‘ll say a few words about it. I‘ll be having my Friday glass of vino ( or two ) with my bookclub ladies later 😁🥂
Happy Friday to you all @kspenmoll @Tamra @BarbaraBB @Ruthiella @dabbe @mcctrish @melissajayne @Aims42

Another intriguing edgy read from Ruth. She is saving me from being in a complete reading slump. My concentration isn‘t good for anything more demanding just now. Hopefully this will change soon 🤞🏻❤️

#FridayHappyReadingHour Late again posting ! I‘ve had busy Fridays lately. Just starting this book 🤞🏻so far I like it , but it‘s early days. Have a lovely weekend everyone. Wine and olives for me 🥂🥰

Sorry I‘m late posting for #HappyFridayReadingHour #FridayHappyReadingHour

‘Do you not see how necessary a world of pains and troubles is to school an intelligence and make a soul. ‘

Lots to think about in this book.
Wine and nuts and raisins.

Another great Ruth Rendell. Mix Cellini lives in a creepy old house in London with his landlady. He is obsessed with a deceased serial killer. … all the ingredients for suspense and madness. A very ‘ enjoyable‘ read , if you like this sort of story. 😳

#FridayHappyReadingHour It‘s Saturday here too @BarbaraBB But I did have a very happy Reading hour yesterday with two lovely old friends on a yoga retreat here in Crete. Loving the book. It‘s hooked me. Regards to all you Friday happy hour people xxx Im a bit slow on Litsy for this week away xxx

#FridayHappyReadingHour Dinner is on , so I‘m taking a minute with this book that I started this morning. ❤️

Last nights #FridayHappyReadingHour … it turned into a busy evening later , but I did relax and have a glass of vino earlier. White wine , and Pringles, and still reading Our Evenings for Bookclub. I find it‘s a book I can‘t read quickly. It‘s a lovely book so far.

I just got on kindle for 85p. @dabbe has just read and reviewed it , and being Ruth Rendell fan , I just purchased.

Starting for Bookclub. We‘ve been told to read it in a slow and relaxed way, savouring it. I think the wine will help with that 👍🏻😁

Three stories come together here for a brilliant psychological thriller. This is a particularly good Ruth Rendell. Set in London, this is a chilling tale. Another book I found impossible to put down. It‘s a frightening read. Very good !

Book shopping … Three new books. All highly recommended. 🥰 Looking forward to them.

A brilliant book about life and parenting, set in Belfast. We meet Misty , the mc, a teenager who wants to be a makeup artist. Misty is attacked and traumatised. The characters are many and drawn with humanity. As one review says ‘ Erskine‘s great gift is for character, all are complicatedly flawed and empathetically rendered‘. I couldn‘t agree more. A gripping book to read. I couldn‘t put it down. It‘s a debut and I look forward to more from her

I adored this book. Watching Frankie as a young girl and then as she matures , and how she sees Hetty at different times in her life. Beautiful writing , I loved this story. #PersephoneClub And what do we think of Hetty !

I knew from the start I was going to love this , and I did. It‘s dense and brilliant, I also knew I‘d read it faster than any other book I‘ve read for a long time. I was absorbed in the story and the writing quickly carried me on. A literary psychological thriller , set in a hamlet in France , where the four main characters live. It felt real and often familiar to enter the minds of these people. I loved the writing , the book 👌🏻 See comments

Hetty Dorval is down from the top shelf. But I wanted to share my growing Persephone collection, Thankyou @LeahBergen for your inspiration. ✨✨✨

I‘m halfway. This is brilliant, and so very sad. I‘m loving it and it‘s killing me too. A great island setting for these wounded people , this wounded earth. ❤️

This is going to be a So-So , light pick. I did feel the book was a compelling read , the writing was good , and there were some frightening scenes. But now that I‘m finished, I feel that I didn‘t really like it. Im left wanting something more from this compelling read. It feels too strange, I feel no connection to the characters , maybe that‘s the point. I did love Pet, but this is a very different book.

We are on a small break away. These are the books 🥰 I may not get much reading done, but I‘m loving the Catherine Chidgey so far ..

Currently reading for our next Bookclub, the bookclubs are coming around very fast 😁It‘s a good story, I think I tried it before and had the book , which I can‘t find now …

A strange book, that pulls at the heart strings. More Ishiguro for me. ❤️💔

We just read this for our Bookclub. The story of a deeply traumatised family. The subject matter of the book is important, and difficult to read about. I found it hard to follow, I‘m not sure I liked the format. But it‘s a page turner for me. We had a great honest discussion. It scored high.

A strange dream like book , I‘m loving it. There‘s a familiarity about it. Ishiguro seems to get to the heart of it , of feelings , memories. There‘s a poignancy to every situation … situations abruptly changing all the time. I‘m also having laugh out loud moments , I love his humour, I‘m unconsolable 😂 I can see though , this wouldn‘t be everyone‘s cup of tea. I‘m surprised it‘s mine. I wasn‘t a fan of Klara. But this one 👌🏻

I really liked My Husband.
This one , I‘m not so sure. The story and writing aren‘t pulling me in. I‘ll keep going for now, but … 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻

This one is up next , because I hear there is a movie coming out ❤️

Vienna after WW2 as three characters return. I found it poignant and fascinating. I loved Adlers story the best ,the writing in his story seemed more beautiful to me.
The narrow streets, the cake shop that Kanakis sees through a broken pane and all the smells
‘The hallway was the same - and the smell - that most evocative, most nostalgic of the senses ..‘
I loved the details of life then. . Resi was an unusual character, I felt sad for her.

Finally started on train trip to Dublin. Also Kuno Adler is on his train to Vienna. Loving it so far , beautiful writing and story. #Persephoneclub

I need to catch up on my reading. The Names is for IRL Bookclub, and it‘s very good, nearly finished. 👍🏻 Then it‘s onto #PersephoneClub and The Exiles Return.

Weekend reading. I‘m enjoying ... I remember bailing on Intimacies, but this one seems better so far.
Although , I‘m tired today and feel more in the form for a good thriller , I may go trudging through my kindle yet 😂
One of those reading days …

This is great. The story of the Beckett‘s marriage so far. While Kathleen is in the pool all day , we learn so much about these people. One of my favorite books this year, I think it‘s a perfect piece of writing, well done.
I‘m off to look up more by J Anthony.

Bookclub book is very good , I‘m enjoying 👍🏻❤️

Putting some books together for our little road trip up the country … and I might add another few … it‘s so good to read when away .. no jobs to do , nothing else is calling. ❤️

Sunday morning reading. Halfway, there‘s a lot of the main character ! I know she is the MC , but still .. I‘m curious to see what happens though. Parts are really good , and other parts are YA ish and not as engaging.

This is a beautiful collection. Some stories left striking images of people , which seemed to connect with this idea of one character ..
‘ She doesn‘t feel anything, most of the time, but it takes nothing at all to make her feel everything. ‘
Haunting writing about memories and longing. Some parts reminded me of TS Eliot, I‘m not sure why.
Thankyou Sarah, I would never have come across it only for your post. ❤️