Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons - Lorna Landvik

I just finished this today!   YAY!!!

I know it seems like forever since we've had a bookclub meeting but with Christmas and New Years & all that, it's just been a busy time.

And this book is a thick one!!!   It took me this long to get through it!

I will say, when I first started this (um, let's see... in early December!) I couldn't seem to get into it.

I got through the Prologue and then just set it down.

Since hubby and I have been in New York for the past 3 weeks, I brought it with me (thinking, 'geez.. if I don't finish it here, then I dunno what...') and I then I couldn't put it down!

I had not been in the mood to read and this put me back in the mood!

I wouldn't say this was a page-turner for me 'cause it's the best book or necessarily thought provoking.  I just found it to be a nice and good read.

I got into the characters.  I enjoyed a characteristic of each of them in different ways.

Does that makes sense? 

So, for example, I liked Faith in that I found her to be fairly real... (or maybe she's like me...?)  :)   She could be huffy and she had moments of jealousy.  She had resentment towards her hubby, who traveled (he was a pilot) while she stayed home to raise their twins. 

She wasn't perfect.  And that's what I liked about her.

I liked Audrey's larger-than-life-ness.  Audrey's the gal you always want at your party 'cause you know the fun (and the boys) will follow.  :)

Anyway, I found things I liked in each of them.

I found it interesting (and I'm curious as to why) the author chose to give some characters their voice in first person (like Slip, Audrey and Grant) but spoke in 3rd person for others (like Merit and Keri).

And Faith's first person voice only came through her letter's to her 'mama'...

Not bad, or good... I'm just curious as to why. 

Anyway, as usual, when you give quite a bit of your time to a book and spend time with characters, you get bummed that it's over.  Or at least I do.

I was sad that this book ended.  And I'm proud that I finished it!

For being a book about a bookclub, they never address if one of them never finished their book (ahem... like I tend to...)    :)

A Killer Stitch - Maggie Sefton

This month's book is A Killer Stitch by Maggie Sefton.

So far, so cute.

It took me a bit to get into this one.  It was a lotta talk at first of knitting and coffee.

Once we had a mystery on our hands, it definitely picked up.

This is a cute read and it was chosen cause everyone knows I love to knit!

This book comes with a cable scarf pattern as well as a fudge recipe!

I'm gonna try and make the scarf, but not til after I finish this book.

I didn't even read the last one so I wanna be good and finish this one.  Also cause it was kinda picked for me... ;-)

UPDATE: Well, I finished it...  I did!  And... it was ok...  Out of the four of us, only two of us read it!  We (two) both agreed that it just had no 'umph'... No kick!  No mystery!

I will say, though... I was surprised at who 'did it' but only because I forgot they were even a character!

There were way toooooo many characters in this story.  And I'm not quite sure why.

Oh well... It was an easy read.

And I did start the pattern just to see what it would be like.  Much like the story, the pattern doesn't have much 'umph' either.

A cable on each side of the edge.  It would make a cute basic scarf.

I'm glad I didn't make the fudge.  ;-)

Francesca's Kitchen - Peter Pezzelli

Alright, well...

I didn't read this one.

This one was for Bookclub, which met this past Wednesday night.

Everyone else read it and they all loved it!

So I'll give you their feedback. :)

They said this was a nice light read. They enjoyed the main character (Francesca) and they were impressed that a man wrote this store with the two central characters being women (just like A Thousand Splendid Suns).

They all said I should read it 'cause it's worth the read and they think I'd like it.

I'll have to borrow it from one of 'em and get into it one of these days.

I didn't not read it 'cause I wasn't interested. I didn't read it 'cause I'm in the process of reading a couple of books on my two loves...

Crafting and Blogging. :)

Unfortunately, I'm not very good at book-multi-tasking so as a result of trying to read 2-3 books at once, I end up reading nothing all at the same time...

0:-)

My Life in France - Julia Child

Adorable!

Totally totally adorable!

This wasn't for bookclub, but after seeing the movie and being so charmed by Julia Child as a person, I wanted to know more about her!

After seeing the movie Julie & Julia, I think Meryl Streep hit it head on as Julia!

I still think the movie would have been just fine had it been just about Julia Child and just with Meryl Streep (and Stanley Tucci - LOVE!)

Anyway, this book is great and it just really captures her essence and Full of Life-ness! (I know... not a real word...)

I think I'm particularly charmed by Julia's love story with Paul Child. She really conveys how much he supported her and just how much they loved each other.

The other thing I'm so charmed by is her love of France! Not just the food but the culture and the people... The environment! All of it!

She felt a connection with French culture that was specific to her. She understood it.

How nice... Good for her!

Marley & Me

This wasn't for bookclub (as one of us who shall remain nameless isn't an animal person... ahem...) but I'd been dying to read this since forever!!!

And since I finished Joy Luck Club early, I took my opportunity! :)

I LOVED this book!

Again, hubby was like, "how can some of those stories be for real?!?!"

(like Marley dragging a restaurant table across a lot...)

Regardless! Whether they're real or embellished or whatever, I loved the story!

I laughed... I cried... (no, seriously... I cried at the end).

I really enjoyed this author's writing style. Not too wordy, yet very expressive! Does that make sense?

Said a lot with very little and he's quite witty and funny!

Just a great story.

Now... I have not seen this movie (cause we never see movies) and from those I've spoken to who have seen it, it seems like I'm better off not seeing it!

But the book was great. I loved it!

I have to say, tho... I'd definitely think twice about getting a Lab Retriever. ;-)

The Joy Luck Club

Up next...

The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan.

I can't tell you how long I've been wanting to read this!

And fortunately, one of us Bookclubbers accidentally started reading this, instead of A Thousand Splendid Suns, so we decided to stick with it!

Yay for me!

Update: I finished it! I really enjoyed this read and couldn't put it down. The writing is beautiful... I love how descriptive her words are in the simplest ways.

I loved all eight stories (four mothers & four daughters) though I will say... I had to make a little cheat sheet for myself to keep them all straight!

Who's mother was who's? Who's daughter was who's?

I was so afraid that I'd lose out on the meaning through the beautiful writing so I kept my cheat sheet with notes so I could relate it all back as I read.

Beautiful story of mothers and daughters. How does anyone really know each other, regardless of how they are related...

A Thousand Splendid Suns

What can I say...

This book is AMAZING!!!

I can't tell you how many people have stopped me (while I'm reading it) to tell me how great it is and how it's sooooo much better than The Kite Runner.

I thought that would be nearly impossible since I LOVED The Kite Runner... but I can see why they say it.

It's something in the author's writing. It keeps you wanting more.

It's also very clear and concise, yet so descriptive (if that makes any sense).

For ex... in descriptive scenes of war and death, it is so beautifully said, with very few words, yet you totally get what is being described and with full clarity.

It's beautiful.

This story has me gripped and I feel like I know these people.

I think that's the other thing that's amazing about this author's writing.

I really feel like I'm a part of the lives of these characters... Like, I'm shouting out what I think they should do, as if they can hear me! :)

I can't wait to hear how these stories end, and I can't wait to hear what the rest of the group thinks of this one. Hopefully they are loving it as much as I am. :)

UPDATE: Finished this book this morning and I absolutely LOVED it! I don't know that it is better than The Kite Runner... But I will say that I did like it BETTER! I could not put it down. An amazing story told in a beautiful way. Definitely read it!