bethany725

I'm on page 60 or so of The Forgotten Garden.. will be reading some more tonight. Hope everyone's enjoying their books!

I finished Firefly Lane today.. SUCH a great book! If you read this one, buy some tissues... sheesh.. No more time for reading today since we have Super Bowl stuff to do, but tomorrow I hope to start The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton.

I read 100 more pages of Firefly Lane tonight... still a little more time for reading since we're staying in tonight. I also bought The Autobiography of an Execution by David. R. Dow today while we wandered around the bookstore... Looks really interesting.

Anika, Fairly certain I'm going down the wrong path here, but wanted to offer what I know anyway, in case it's helpful to you or anyone else. Both of the books that came to my mind are set in the 19th century.. "The House at Riverton" by Kate Morton tells a story from the perspective of a lady's maid living with a wealthy English family. However, it's definitely not funny.. it's a modern Gothic mystery. That, combined with the time it was set, just before WWI, makes me think it may not be at all what you're looking for, but maybe it will help someone else. The same goes for "A Dangerous Fortune" by Ken Follet, although it is set in the LATTER part of the 19th century... still pretty early for what you're looking for, it seems. Again a mystery, it's a story driven by a tragedy that surrounds a wealthy family with servants and a prominent family name in Victorian England, and the cover-ups they employ to try to keep their family name intact. Afraid I'm not TOO much help so far, but I'll keep thinking..

Yey, Stephanie!! Fun game, Inver. Thanks!

A friend at work is reading this and said it took her a while to plod through all the details at the beginning and for it to start being really good, but she got there and she absolutely loves it. It seems to be the consensus from a few friends and some reviews on here, so I hope it works out the same for you and you start loving it soon! I'm 130 pages into Firefly Lane now.. have plenty of time for reading today. It's still wonderful!

Hi and welcome, Englishrose! How are you enjoying The Lovely Bones? I'm thinking about adding it to my TBR list for this year.

We're having baked potatoes stuff with broccoli and ricotta cheese.. Yum yum!

I'm going to say 7th Heaven! I know I've read the first 4 or 5.. so going with 7 to be safe!

I'm about 60 pages into Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah, and it is so good! I can't wait to read some more tonight. Happy reading, everyone!

I don't think it was the hype... just not sure. Oh well.. I'm reading Firefly Lane now and it's already really good, so I'm not fretting over the last book. We all like different things. Thanks for your note, Frankie!

Pages: 274 Date Started: January 23, 2010 Date Completed: January 31, 2010 Synopsis: January 1946: London is emerging from the shadow of the Second World War, and writer Juliet Ashton is looking for her next book subject. Who could imagine that she would find it in a letter from a man she's never met, a native of the island of Guernsey, who has come across her name written inside a book by Charles Lamb. As Juliet and her new correspondent exchange letters, Juliet is drawn into the world of this man and his friends--and what a wonderfully eccentric world it is. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society--born as a spur-of-the-moment alibi when its members were discovered breaking curfew by the Germans occupying their island--boasts a charming, funny, deeply human cast of characters, from pig farmers to phrenologists, literature lovers all. Juliet begins a remarkable correspondence with the society's members, learning about their island, their taste in books, and the impact the recent German occupation has had on their lives. Captivated by their stories, she sets sail for Guernsey, and what she finds will change her forever. Written with warmth and humor as a series of letters, this novel is a celebration of the written word in all its guises, and of finding connection in the most surprising ways. My Thoughts: I really wanted to love this book. The setting, the story, the books that bring The Literary Society together.. It all seems, on paper, to add up to a story with which I'd fall in love. I've heard great things about the book, have seen it recommended many times, and I really wanted to love it. I think my first clue should have been the lavish recommendation on the backcover given by none other than Elizabeth Gilbert, of "Eay, Pray, Love" fame. I couldn't even finish that book and her story drove me nuts. But I forged ahead, because how could I NOT love this story? I have to say though, after finishing the book, that it just didn't hold the same spark for me as it seems to bring to many other readers. I actually really like the style of the story, with the plot and details and characters all conveyed through a series of letters between book-lovers. Juliet, an author, is tracked down by Dawsey Adams, who's searching for a particular book that is linked back to Juliet. One letter turns into two, which turns into three... and the story of Guerney during the German occupation, and it's Literary Society in particular, is formed. After much correspondence between Juliet, Dawsey, and the other members of this society, Juliet is fascinated with the inhabitants of this tiny Channel island, and sets sail to meet her new friends. She continues corresponding with her friends from back home in London, and through the letters, you can see that her life is being intertwined with her Guernsey friends' lives. Besides liking the setup and style of the story's form, I really liked the writing... The words are carefully chosen, often humorous, and really give the story life. So I liked the set-up, and I liked the writing style... I honestly think it's just the story that I didn't love that much. It SOUNDED like something I would like, but somehow, when it all came together, despite liking the separate pieces that make up the story and book, it didn't hold my attention that well. I didn't rush home all excited to pick up the book and see what happened next... The plot didn't keep me from being able to set it down and take a break... It just didn't all come together in a way that kept me reading. I'm even tempted to say that if this reading wasn't spurred by the fact that this is the selection for next month's book club here, I might would have set it down and not picked it back up. Since it IS the book that will be discussed at the next meeting, I kept going.. and I'm even going to make some attempt to re-read it before the meeting, since I drifted away during points and want to make sure I can contribute something during the discussion. I'm hoping I like it better the second time around?? Not sure I'll make it through the re-read, but we'll see.. I'm definitely going to try. So it was all just okay for me... I liked the idea behind the book, I liked the idea of it all being told through an exchange of letters, and I think Shaffer and Barrows certainly have a way with words... but despite all that, it just didn't become near and dear to my heart. I'm glad so many other readers have enjoyed this book, and were able to find something in it I couldn't. My Rating: 6.5/10

We had a new chili recipe.. was pretty good, but think I'll stick to my original recipe I've used in the past.

I finished The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society today.. Next will be starting Firefly Lane.

Mmmm, so jealous! I'd love a Cadbury treat We're having Subway.. mines ham and turkey with lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, cucumbers.. yum!

Ohhh I have Erica Spindler on my list, of good recommendation! I may bump it up a bit since you couldn't even go to sleep because you wanted to read it so much. Thanks for the thoughts, Rachel

No time for reading today, but I got to read about 20 more pages of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society last night.. not much more to go!

You must have a ton of time to read! Nice lists you have, and nice progress, Fi!!

We watched Confessions of a Shopaholic over the weekend.. Pretty cute, despite being way different from the book! They never compare for me, but this was bearable and good for escapism.

No Country for Old Men

Garlic penne pasta with broccoli and roasted peppers.. yum!

Mmmm, yummy, ELQ! Chicken korma is my favorite, although I can never find it in a restaurant the way I like it! Tonight, Raja is cooking us lambchops.. Yey!

I hope you got it if you went after it today, Mac! Let me know And Janet, I think it's a GREAT book for bookclubs.. It offers plenty to talk about, that's for sure!