Hello there! I hope you all had a good weekend. We had a busy weekend, but had a very relaxing Sunday complete with a roast chicken dinner and lots of curling up on the couch together with Hattie. Hattie was truly enjoying her best life, as she partook of a bit of roast chicken, so was laid on her back, all 3 paws in the air with quite the chicken belly! I've started a real page-turner of a book, and am close to finishing it, but am playing serious catch-up with my book reviews. I'm aiming to do 2 reviews a week this month.

Read all about my To Be Read Pile 2025 edition

I also, somehow, managed to go into Waterstones and buy two more books. Ahem!I will add them to My To Be Read post, and then we are all ship shape and Bristol fashion.

Today's review sees us catching up with an old friend. I did read this in February, so all my talk of rainy days was true at the time. I am pleased that more spring like weather is amongst us!

The Plot (From the back of the book)

Her gentle and amusing approach to rural pursuits and the unassuming absorption that she finds in the fascinating details of a small community are as effortlessly conveyed in this book

My Thoughts

On one dark February day, a day where the cloud sits low, the rain is mizzling and where lamps are needed for most of the day to bring some welcome light and joy into our day, I picked this book up. Maybe subconsciously I was wishing for it already to be Summer (and then Autumn!), but in the case here we actually start our novel on the first day of Spring.

Like the warmer months the novel gently rolls along much like those Summer holidays that seem to stretch forward forever. It's pretty much business as usual in Fairacre with a few minor irritations. Henry Mawne's wife has gone to look after family in Ireland, leaving him in desperate need of 'looking after'. He generally makes himself a bit of a nuisance by asking the women of Fairacre (including Miss Read herself) to assist with his ornithological talks and provide him with scintillating company.

Mrs Pringle is on the warpath, complete with her bad leg, takes umbrage and goes off sick leaving Miss Read searching for help cleaning the school. Minnie Pringle, niece of the indomitable Mrs Pringle, steps into help much to Miss Read's horror. And Arthur Coggs is back in prison.

But all of these trials are faced with the help of good friends, village events and the beautiful nods to the seasons.

The pace is gentle and lulling, the children providing welcome relief, and the countryside a welcome balm. This feels like classic Miss Read 'business as usual' and is all the more enjoyable for it.

I will be back on Friday to tell you all about the Milly Johnson and Lucy Diamond event. Have a good week!