Five on Friday... or Four books and one puppy!

Are you sensing a theme here... I've come to realise that thinking I can post more than once a week is unrealistic so I thought I would join in again with Five on Friday with a round up of books I've read. But then I realised that I haven't actually read that many books over the past month! But I have also come to realise that posts about books attract the least amount of comments whereas puppy posts get lots of attention. I know it's a cheap trick and I'm shameless!

1. The Dressmaker

As I typed the title I realised I have already told you about The Dressmaker which I read last month. I really am losing the plot! I'll be banished from Five on Friday forever! But did I tell you I saw the film too? Subtle differences to the book but I loved it equally and Kate Winslett was excellent. It was very dark and sad but also hilariously funny.

 2. Picnic in Provence

I borrowed Picnic in Provence from a friend and absolutely loved it. Elizabeth Bard is an American married to a Frenchman. They move from Paris to Provence where they set up home, have a baby and start a new business. It is an entertaining memoir, which is well written and peppered with the most amazing sounding recipes that made me just want to cook. I loved it so much I have ordered my own copy!

3. Isabel's Daughter

When I started reading Isabel's Daughter I wasn't sure I liked the style of writing but I'm now half way through and can't put it down. My usual time to read is when I wake up in the morning. I like to sit up in bed with a cup of tea and read for half an hour before I get up. But I've been sneaking this downstairs and catching the odd chapter here and there during the day too.... as well as reading before dinner in the garden with a glass of wine It's a bit of a mystery set in New Mexico about orphan Avery James who unravels the mystery of her mother, with lots of food and textile references thrown in too!

4. Portland Place

A copy of Portland Place, Secret Diary of a BBC Secretary written by my friend Sarah also arrived this week and is my next book to read. Some of you may remember I read this in June last year when Sarah self published and it was available on the kindle. Well it proved so popular that she found a publisher and this week it has been released in hardback to great aclaim. Joan Bakewell has reveiwed it in The Telegraph, Sarah has been interviwed on Radio London (about 1.14 hours in), it is going to be available as an audio book and I am very much looking forward to reading it again. I wrote a review here and I can thoroughly recommend it. I'm also somewhat chuffed that Sarah has mentioned me in the acknowledgements for championing the book on my blog last year... I didn't know until I saw my copy yesterday afternoon. Do buy a copy and read it if you get a chance as it is not only about the unlikely romance between Sarah and Frank but it also conveys the sense of the era absolutely perfectly. It transported me right back to being a teenager in the 1970s.

5. Hector

And to make up my five things this Friday... the obligatory puppy pictures. Here he is hiding under the kitchen chair because there was a big scary lawn mower in the garden!

And looking very cute, sleeping on his cat. Although he's not been so cute the last few days. He's chewing everything, including our feet and hands given half a chance and he has found his voice. He's got a very loud bark for such a little chap! We're off to training classes next week so we'll see what he makes of that!

Joining in with Amy for Five on Friday