All I Want For Christmas by Karen Swan

 

All I Want for Christmas by Karen Swan.

Published 10th October 2024 by Pan Macmillan.

From the cover of the book:

Can she find love this Christmas?

Christmas in Copenhagen is a magical time of year but Darcy Cotterell isn’t feeling festive. Newly single, again, she's not even going home for Christmas. Instead she will be spending her holiday finishing her art history PhD. Her best friend, Freja, has other ideas. She signs Darcy up to a dating app, determined that she won't be lonely this Christmas.

Darcy agrees to three dates – but her mind is on work, not play: an unknown portrait by Denmark’s greatest painter has been found and she is tasked with identifying the woman in the painting. During her research, she encounters sexy, arrogant lawyer Max Lorensen – who happens to be bachelor number one! The attraction is instant but, knowing they must work together, they abandon the match. Or try to. But their feelings are undeniable - until Darcy discovers Max has an agenda . . .

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Darcy Cotterell will be spending Christmas in beautiful Copenhagen this year, where she has been studying for her PhD in art history. With her heart recently broken, after one more failed love affair, she is planning to forget all about romance this festive season and concentrating on putting all her efforts into her thesis this holiday - but her flatmate Freja has other ideas. Freja signs Darcy up to a dating app for the rich and famous and challenges her to choose three eligible bachelors to date over the Christmas period, which she reluctantly agrees to - who knows, it might be the chance for cosy kisses under the mistletoe without any sort of commitment.

But any thoughts of love, however fleeting, are pushed rapidly aside when Darcy is called into consult on a high profile project at work. A mysterious portrait of a young woman has been found on the reverse of a painting by Denmark's most famous artist, and it falls to Darcy to try to discover who this woman might be. Her research into the archives of a prominent Danish family brings her into contact with arrogant lawyer Max Lorensen, who just happens to be one of the men she matched with on the dating app. She immediately feels a strong attraction to him, but it is soon clear that his interests put him firmly against her when it comes to what this new finding means for the provenance of the painting...

The story unfurls against the deliciously snowy backdrop of Copenhagen, in the run up to Christmas, but typically this is not your average take on a traditional festive romance, which I always really enjoy about Swan's wintery stories. Instead, this is a fabulous combination of beautifully wrought mystery set in the art world, with a heart-wrenching love story running through it, which makes for a real page-turner of a novel.

As Darcy gets to grips with her research into the archives, searching for clues about who this woman could be, she gradually uncovers links to possible secrets within a prominent Danish family who have a very firm eye on their reputation and pecuniary interests - a family connected to the man she cannot keep from her thoughts, Max Lorensen, who is full of fathomless depth despite appearing to be a player. Pretty soon, things are getting complicated on the love and work fronts, with oodles of tension and suspense, and I really did not know where this story would land until all the emotionally power-packed threads of past and present tied up in a very satisfying bow at the end. 

I loved everything about this book from the magical setting, to the fabulous cast of characters, and the glimpses of Danish high society past and present. I am especially partial to an art mystery, and Swan weaves a really clever one on these pages that brought in lovely themes of family, reputation, and early twentieth century misdeeds that works beautifully with the contemporary elements of the story too. An absolute cracker. 

All I Want for Christmas is available to buy now in paperback, ebook and audio formats.

Thank you to Pan Macmillan for sending me a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

About the author:

Karen Swan is the Sunday Times top three bestselling author and her novels sell all over the world. She writes two books each year – one for the summer period and one for the Christmas season. Previous summer titles include The Spanish Promise, The Hidden Beach and The Secret Path and for winter, Christmas at Tiffany’s, The Christmas Secret and Together by Christmas.

Her books are known for their evocative locations and Karen sees travel as vital research for each story. She loves to set deep, complicated love stories within twisting plots.

Her historical series called The Wild Isle, is based upon the dramatic evacuation of the Scottish island St Kilda in the summer of 1930.

Being Henry: The Fonz And Beyond by Henry Winkler (Audio Book)

 

Being Henry: The Fonz And Beyond by Henry Winkler (Audio Book).

Narrated by Henry Winkler.

Released 31st October 2023 by Pan Macmilllan.

From the cover:

Henry Winkler, launched into prominence by his role as 'The Fonz' in the beloved Happy Days, has transcended the role that made him who he is.

Brilliant, funny, and widely-regarded as the nicest man in Hollywood (though he would be the first to tell you that it’s simply not the case, he’s really just grateful to be here), Henry shares in this achingly vulnerable memoir the disheartening truth of his childhood, the difficulties of a life with severe dyslexia, the pressures of a role that takes on a life of its own, and the path forward once your wildest dream seems behind you.

Since the glorious era of Happy Days fame, Henry has endeared himself to a new generation with roles in such adored shows as Arrested Development, Parks and Recreation, and Barry, where he’s revealed himself as an actor with immense depth and pathos, a departure from the period of his life when he was so distinctly typecast as 'The Fonz', he could hardly find work.

Filled with profound heart, charm, and self-deprecating humor, Being Henry is a memoir about so much more than a life in Hollywood and the curse of stardom. It is a meaningful testament to the power of sharing truth and kindness and of finding fulfillment within yourself.

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As someone who remembers watching the American sitcom Happy Days as a child in the 1970s, I have fond memories of Henry Winkler playing 'The Fonz' - the role that launched him into stardom. Henry is now seventy-nine years old, and Being Henry is his candid memoir about his life, the highs and lows of his career, and his, not always easy, relationship with the part that made his name. It is more or less a chronological journey through Henry's life, from his childhood to the present day, and he comes across just as funny, self-effacing, and genial as I expected - in fact, the all-round good guy that he is reputed to be, which I was rather pleased about (illusions very much unshattered). 

Henry talks a lot here about his struggles with dyslexia, which I was already familiar with, but what really surprised me is the frank way he speaks about the difficult relationship he had with his German emigre parents, and how this shaped him. He is so honest about how he now recognises that life-long feelings of low self-esteem, complicated attitudes to money and work, and the inability to connect emotionally with his loved ones stemmed from growing up with parents that openly displayed disappointment in his achievements and choices. I found that quite refreshing.

While Henry fails to mention my recent favourite role of his in the delightfully cheesy Christmas movie, The Most Wonderful Time of the Year, there is plenty here to entertain anyone interested in his long and varied career. His narration is very easy on the ear, which makes it a delight to listen to. I really liked that his wife of forty-six years, Stacey, narrates part of this book too, giving her take on fascinating aspects of living with an actor, the ups and downs of their life together, and how Henry has overcome his issues through therapy.

I did not laugh as much as I thought I would reading this memoir, but there is added depth and poignancy in Henry's account of his life and journey that makes this a really interesting listen, and lifts it above what could otherwise simply be another acting story full of talk of roles and amusing anecdotes. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Being Henry is available to buy now in hardcover, paperback, ebook and audio formats.

About the author:

Henry Winkler is an American actor, comedian, author, executive producer and director. He rose to fame playing Arthur Fonzarelli on the long-running hit television series Happy Days, and won over a new generation with roles like Barry Zuckerkorn in Arrested Development, Uncle Joe in The French Dispatch, Dr Saperstein in Parks and Recreation and Gene Cousineau in Barry. He has won a Primetime Emmy, two Daytime Emmys, two Golden Globe Awards, and a Critics Choice Award. In 2011, he was awarded an OBE for his work around dyslexia. Being Henry is his first autobiography.

Return To The DallerGut Dream Department Store by Miye Lee

 

Return to the DallerGut Dream Department Store by Mi-ye Lee.

Translated by Sandy Joosun Lee.

Published 1st November 2024 by Wildfire.

From the cover of the book:

It has been a year since Penny first walked through the doors of DallerGut Dream Department Store, and surviving a year at the store means one thing . . . She is now an official employee of the dream industry! She can finally take the express commuter train to the Company District, where all the dream production companies are located and discover how all raw dream materials and testing equipment are produced.

But the Company District is not quite what she expected, it hides the darker underbelly of the magical industry that Penny thought she was a part of.

Penny discovers the Civil Complaint Center, full of people filing complaints about their dreams. She also learns about the regular customers who have stopped coming to the store. As she gets to the bottom of each complaint, she begins to expand her horizons, transforming from just selling dreams to understanding what lies in the hearts of their lost regulars.

Return to the DallerGut Dream Department Store delves deeper into the dream industry and its customers. Why do some of them buy a dream and never return? Will Penny and her colleagues be able to bring their regulars back?

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A year has passed since Penny fulfilled her dream to become an employee at the magical DallerGut Dream Department Store. She has learned a lot about the art of selling dreams, the requirements of the store's customers, and the workings of the dream industry, and she is now ready for the next step in her career - to take the commuter train to the Company District, where dreams are made and tested.

The Company District holds a whole new world of wonders for Penny to explore, and knowledge about things that she is unprepared for - such as finding ways to tackle the difficult issues of the people who contact the Civil Complaint Center in respect of dreams that have not performed as they should. Can Penny and her colleagues find a way to bring these customers back to the store and make them regulars once more?

This original little novell picks up a year on from the beginning of the first book in the duology, The DallerGut Dream Department Store, to delve deeper into the goings on of the magical place in our collective  subconscious where people and animals go to purchase their dreams. Penny has now earned a promotion which allows her access to another part of this fantastical world, but this also brings new challenges to be faced in terms of the customers who are desperately unhappy about the dreams they have experienced.

As before, this is all about speculative flights of fancy in a colourful, highly-imaginative setting full of intricately described wonders, and creatures from all walks of fantasy. Its whimsical charm provides fertile ground for Lee to guide you in a multi-layered exploration of the psychological and philosophical aspects of dreams in a really insightful way, through the idea that they can be designed and sold. It is such a clever story device that you find yourself pondering some really complex ideas almost by accident as you get caught up in the antics of the quirky characters.

If you have read the first book (which I recommend you do before tackling this one), then you will already have an idea about how Lee makes this work - but hold onto your comfy pyjamas, because she ups the stakes this time by providing fresh problems for Penny and her colleagues to work through about the dream industry, and with them, new ways to make abstract concepts about the subconscious and the impact of dreams on the psyche accessible, particularly when it comes to those darker dreams that merge into nightmares. Can nightmares actually be valuable experiences? Perhaps they can...

There are lovely themes that run through this book about loss and yearning that make this story intensely poignant, and the impressive translation work by Sandy Joosun Lee helps you feel every ounce of emotion. The power of memory is explored incredibly well too, especially when it comes to healing and balance, and the sensuous delights of a whole new host of flavoursome foods are something to behold.

Without a doubt, this is not your average fictional tale, but if you are up for something that takes you on a journey, while making you ponder some very big questions about life, the universe, and everything, then you will find it highly rewarding.

Return to the DallerGut Dream Department Store is available to buy now in paperback, ebook and audio formats.

Thank you to Widlfire for sending me a copy of this book in return for an honest review.

About the author:

Miye Lee was born in Busan in 1990. After graduating from the Busan National University School of Materials Science and Engineering, she worked as a semiconductor engineer at Samsung Electronics. Her debut novel Dallergut Dream Department Store published entirely funded through a crowdfunding service in Korea in 2020 and has since drawn many enthusiastic responses and favourable reviews.

About the translator:

Sandy Joosun Lee is a translator and interpreter based in Seoul. Her translations include Won-pyung Sohn's Almond (HarperVia 2020). She also works in animatronics, translating and developing animated content, which includes The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf (2021) and Star Wars: Visions (2023).

 November 2024 Reading Round-Up

A bit of a slow reading month in November as there was a lot going on that cut into book time (how rude 😁), but these twelve were all little crackers!

You can find your way to my reviews of these by clicking on the pictures below.

Black Storms by Teresa Soldana

The Last Princess by Ellen Alpsten

The Enigma Girl by Henry Porter

The Viscount and the Thief by Emma Orchard

The Cut by Richard Armitage

Victim by Jorn Lier Horst and Thomas Enger

Palisade by Lou Gilmond

Fear in the Sunlight by Nicola Upson

The Ice Retreat by Ruth Kelly

The Island of Lies by O. Huldumann

Third Girl by Agatha Christie

The Secret Library by Oliver Tearle

We are into festive season now, so lots of comforting Christmas books are on my reading pile for December. I cannot wait!

Pictures taken from my Instagram account @brownflopsy.