A bookish Christmas

I'm back from the ski slops with no broken bones, and feeling very relieved that I managed to shoehorn so many books into my suitcase as I ran out of books on the plane home. The skiing was absolutely beautiful and it was fun to spend Christmas in Austria again.

I'll resume blogging about books next week I think, but in the meantime this week, I shall be bringing you Five Bakes of Christmas - a different Christmassy bake each weekday. But first a brief word on the books that I read whilst away.

The two Honno classics, Dew on the grass (Lewis) and Travels with a duchess (Gallie) were absolutely delightful and will be reviewed in due course here. Housewife on top (Fenton Harper) and Relative love (Brookfield) were Christmassy reads. I enjoyed Odd girl out (Howard)and The vinegar jar (Doherty) which had been languishing for some time. I didn't think much of The snow cow short stories, but again, will be writing about this. Nightingale Wood (Gibbons) was a wonderful Virago which I enjoyed much more than Cold COmfort Farm. It was good to read another Jane Gardam, The queen of the tambourine. I read two Greyladies titles, Pink Sugar (Douglas) and Pirouette (Scarlett) - the first was disappointing, especially given such an appealing title, but the latter was a lovely Noel Streatfield-esque book. Adrian Mole: the prostrate years continued the Mole saga. My boyfriend had taken A taste of my life, the autobiography of Raymond Blanc, and I read this too - a fascinating insight into the man and lots of interesting advice on cooking. Evelyn Finds herself was a typical school girl story and most enjoyable. Christmas at Fairacre was good and Christmassy, but Christmas at Thrush Green, the ghostwritten Miss Read was a disappointment - the characters were there, the plot was about right, but the writing and details were just wrong.

Not bad for a week away!