Yesterday The BookPeople catalogue came, with some good offers. If I didn’t already have Anita Shreve’s books I’d have to buy this set – 10 books for £9.99. You’ll get:

The Weight of Water

All He Ever Wanted

The Pilot’s Wife

Eden Close

Strange Fits of Passion

Resistance

Sea Glass

Light on Show

Where or When

A Wedding in December

This doesn’t include the first one of hers I read which is Fortune’s Rocks, the first one in the series of books set in a large beach house (that used to be a convent) on the New Hampshire coast. The other books in the series are The Pilot’s Wife and Body Surfing. I think Fortune’s Rocks is the best one of these three. 

 

Nor does it include The Last Time They Met which I loved. I was completely surprised by the ending – I just hadn’t seen it coming. I’ve since read reviews where people say it’s predictable, but to me it was totally unexpected. If you look at the end of a book before you’ve finished it – don’t with this book! I’m glad I didn’t. This is one I definitely want to re-read because I want to know how I read it knowing the ending. 

On Thursday I received Beachcombing by Maggie Dana. Maggie had emailed me about her new book and a copy was with me almost immediately. I like the cover picture – it looks so summery. It’s her first novel and is described on the back cover as

Funny, sophisticated and wise, Beachcombing is a coming-of-age-middle-age story about girlfriends when you’re no longer a girl, about growing up when you’re alread grown up, and the price you’re willing to pay for the love of your life.

Earlier in the week I was chatting to our librarian and she mentioned The Clatter of Forks and Spoons by Richard Corrigan, which I must borrow from the library. I think I have too many cookery books already but I do like to browse new ones and I may even be tempted to buy this one!  

I always like watching Great British Menu and Richard Corrigan has previously won three of the competitions – one to cook for the Queen on her 80th birthday when he cooked the starter – smoked salmon with Irish soda bread, woodland sorrel and cress – one to cook for the Ambassadors at the British Embassy in Paris – the fish course  €“ whole poached wild salmon and duck egg dressing with wheaten bread and country butter. He was also the winner of the Great British Dinner Christmas Menu in 2006.

The current series of  The Great British Menu (click on this link gets you to the recipes) is on BBC2 – cooking for the British Forces  returning from the war in Afghanistan. It’s the final next week and we, the public, can vote for each course. I have my favourites and maybe I’ll even pick up the phone to cast my vote.