2015 book awards: best seasonal stories (Summer & Christmas)

There's something really fun and comforting about reading a book about the season you're in. Over Christmas, I love settling down with a festive book to get me in the Christmas spirit and in the Summer, I enjoy reading books jam-packed with summery activities and good weather. These are my picks of the best Summer and Christmas-themed books from 2015. 

Summer

Summer at Shell Cottage by Lucy Diamond

Lucy Diamond novels always bring a smile to my face. She manages to create a vivid fictional world that pulls you in and absorbs you from the first page until the very end and Summer at Shell Cottage is no exception. This story follows the Tarrant family on their annual trip to Devon. I loved the different situations the characters were in and finding out what the cottage meant to them. Setting the novel in Devon during the Summer was blissful and made for perfect Summer reading... pass me a cocktail please! You can read my full review here.

A Seaside Affair by Fern Britton

This was the first story by Fern Britton I've read and I really enjoyed it. Set in a seaside town, it was a fantastic location to be set in for this season and sent my imagination into overdrive. Filled with a variety of different characters all working together to save the local theatre that's set to be bought out by a high-street coffee chain, the plot for this story really resinated with me and felt very true to life. You can read my full review here.

Summer at Little Beach Street Bakery by Jenny Colgan 

I LOVED this story - absolutely everything about it was great... the characters, the setting, the plot. The seaside location of this book perfectly suited the season, which was so well described and brought to life by Jenny. With the gorgeous sounding food from the bakery and the beautiful location, this story was a perfect Summer read that I thoroughly enjoyed. You can read my full review here

Christmas

How to Stuff Up Christmas by Rosie Blake

First of all just look at that sparkly, festive cover. I knew from the offset this would be a brilliant book to get me in the festive spirit, and I wasn't wrong! This is a great book that I absolutely adored. Rosie Blake's writing style is fantastically unique and I can't wait to read more from her. It's a fun, festive read perfect for dark winter nights. You can read my full review here

The Twelve Dates of Christmas by Lisa Dickenson

This story had me laughing out loud from the first page - it's a witty, hilarious read jam-packed with funny situations, likeable characters and lots and lots of festiveness. It's the prefect easy read for Christmas time and one that got me in the mood for celebrating. I'm already looking forward to reading it again next year! You can read my full review here.

Christmas at Lilac Cottage by Holly Martin 

Romance writing at it's finest, Holly Martin once again creates an addictive story filled with romance and sexual tension. I was willing for the main characters, Penny and Henry to act on their feeling for each other and just get it to together already! Aside from that, there's lots of festive sparkle in the story too which I loved. A brilliant all-rounder that I thoroughly enjoyed. You can read my full review here. 

Winter is coming...

So, the clocks have changed, the dark nights are upon us and I've had to fetch out my 'big coat' to wrap up warm. Most people are grumbling about winter being close by and how depressing the dark winter nights are. I have to say though, I don't agree. I LOVE winter. 

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for a sunny summer holiday - relaxing by the pool with a good book and a cocktail. Bliss. But, if we're honest with ourselves, British summers suck. They aren't reliable, you can't guarantee good weather and deciding what to wear each day is a bloody nightmare. Vest top? cardigan? light jacket? Sunglasses? who knows! chuck it all in a massive bag and hope for the best. Ugh. At least with winter you can rely on it being cold. You know you'll need a coat and an umbrella on hand. It's a dependable season. I agree that this time of year isn't the best when you have to be out and about as it can be so wet and cold, but at least you know what to prepare for.

Then there's the general cosiness of the season. Getting home from work and shutting out the dark, dreary weather. A hot bath, fresh PJs and a night on the sofa when it's cold and rainy outside feel like such a treat. Swapping a big night out for a quiet night in with a book seems more acceptable in the winter months than they do in Summer.

Autumn and Winter also have brilliant holidays to celebrate. Although I'm not massively into Halloween, I do think its fun to see all the decorations and costumes and people getting into the spirit. Swiftly followed by bonfire night, which I love... fireworks and toffee apples and parkin (om nom) - my healthy eating goes out the window once Summer comes to an end, especially once mince pies start hitting the shelves.

Finally, I love autumn and winter clothes - boots, scarves, jeans, coats... I much prefer dressing in the winter than I do in Summer. I'm naturally really pale and burn easily, so I love not having to carry around a bottle of sun cream or fake tanning my milk bottle legs regularly in case I wear a dress - I can hide them in some tights instead.

I love getting in from work, having something warm and comforting for tea (think sausage and mash with gravy, shepherds pie and gravy... basically something smothered in gravy!), followed by a hot shower and getting into fresh PJ's. Once I'm in my comfies, I'll light some candles, make a cuppa, grab some biscuits and dive into bed with a book.  An early night in bed reading is no doubt my ultimate happy place, and I think it's even better in the winter when you can hear the wind and the rain outside and feel even more snug. Basically I love Autumn when I feel cosy, relaxed and can have my nose stuck in a book.

What do you like most about this time of year? Let me know in the comments below! 

Book review: Ivy Lane by Cathy Bramley

I've just come up for air after being engrossed in Ivy Lane - a fabulous read that literally suits all seasons!

Firstly can I just mention the absolutely BEAUTIFUL cover? It truly is one of my favourites so far this year, it's so pretty. I just couldn't help but keep looking at it as it sat on my coffee table on the (very few) occasions it wasn't in my hands!

Ivy Lane was originally released for Kindle as a 4 book series, covering all seasons. It was so popular (and I can see why!) that in February it was released as a full book, pulling all the seasons together. I read the full book rather than the separate kindle versions and really, I'm quite pleased I did, as I don't think I'd have been able to wait between the seasons!

The book follows Tilly, who moves to a new village and takes on an allotment plot following the unexpected death of her Husband, James. In the small allotment community she finds a whole host of different personalities - there's Christine, the pushy but enthusiastic committee chair, Gemma - a loud & funny character who shares a plot with Tilly and Charlie - a handsome, quiet man who develops a soft spot for Tilly. That's just to name a few! The characters jump off the page and you become engrossed in their world - it made me want to pick up a trowel and shovel and join in the Ivy Lane community- they have such fun! I really have a soft spot for Tilly - I sympathised with her and willed her to make a start at a new, pain-free life. I find myself missing her already, she is an engaging, caring character that I really enjoyed finding out about.

My only hesitation when I picked up this book was that it would be too gardening-focused. I'm not very green fingered and didn't really want to read all about the best technique for growing potatoes or picking sweet peas. But actually, the gardening element really shows off Cathy's brilliance - there is enough detail to give you a great picture of the allotment, to know how Tilly struggles at first but then gets into it, and to build up a picture in your head of all the different fruits and vegetables brightening up the allotment (especially in the summer), but it isn't at all overwhelming. The story focuses more on the friendships and relationships throughout the allotment and the gardening plays an important part of that, but isn't drawn out or boring - I was actually surprised how much I enjoyed reading about carrots and apples!

The split-season element is brilliant and makes the story fast-paced, it's definitely one of my favourite things about this book and reflects Cathy's unique style. I love how the book literally transports you into the season you're reading. As I was reading Ivy Lane, it was Easter weekend and when I read the 'Spring' section of the book, I felt just like real life - Easter egg hunts were happening in my life AND in Ivy Lane and it made it engaging and realistic. Saying that, later on I was reading about a halloween party and then the annual Ivy Lane Christmas party, all whilst the sun was shining on the book as I read. Despite this, I still felt a part of the Christmas celebrations and it gave me a craving for a mince pie and glass of Baileys! Again, this really shows Cathy's brilliance in making a story and characters come alive.

There had been a lot of hype surrounding Ivy Lane and I can COMPLETELY see why. It is a fantastic read that has you drawn in from Spring to Winter! Cathy's latest series, Appleby Farm, is also split into 4 e-books (the first 3 are available to buy on amazon for a bargain 99p each!) This time I couldn't wait for the full book to be released - I've already downloaded the first three to my kindle to read and am eagerly awaiting part 4, which is out on May 4th.

Ivy Lane is a brilliant read whatever the season with an engaging host of characters and a wonderful location. I absolutely loved it, and it has firmly put Cathy on my radar and up there as one of my favourite authors - she is witty, creative and downright talented.