This and That

Well, it must be said that Eva takes after her daddy. She is a natural-born salesperson. That is her in the pink blow-up suit, with two more inhibited friends, selling Girl Scout cookies this past weekend in front of our local supermarket. Believe me, she attracted attention and the girls sold a boatload of cookies. 

I have absolutely no sewing content to share with you right now. I have not set foot in my sewing room for the past five days.

I have been working on a jigsaw puzzle, which is like watching a tectonic plate move. I may finish it in my lifetime. 

What I have been doing is some reading, which I will share with you.

I did finish Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry, which was even more magnificent 30 years after its first reading. My gosh, if you haven't read that book, give it a go. It is a masterpiece. I had a massive book hangover when I finished it, so severe that I didn't think I would ever read again. If you aren't up for a 900+ page western, give the mini-series a try. It is on Amazon Prime and stars Robert Duvall, Tommy Lee Jones, Diane Lane, and Robert Urich (among others). 

Because Lonesome Dove was such a doorstop of a book, I didn't read a lot of others this month, but I have a few recommendations that I think most of you will really like. Funny thing, three of these five books have protagonists in their 60s, 70s or 80s!

Mrs. Quinn's Rise to Fame by Olivia Ford is a lovely book that I think so many of you will enjoy. It is based on The Great British Baking Show, which is such fun. Jenny Quinn is a 70-something lady who has been married for 59 years to her lovely husband Bernie. She decides on a whim to apply to be on the TV show, and to her amazement is accepted as a competitor. I think you will love following her along on her cooking journey and cheering her on as she develops self-confidence and reconciles with a secret from her past. 

Oh my gosh, the Air Raid Book Club by Annie Lyons will be your cup of tea if you like books about books, WW2 novels, and stories about female friendships. 60-year-old widow Gertie Bingham runs a bookshop and at the start of WW2 is persuaded to take in a young Jewish teenage refugee, Hedy. Once the Blitz bombing starts plaguing Londoners, they start a book club where they read and discuss books in the town air raid shelters. As the war gains force, the characters will need to band together for comfort and support during terrible losses.  There is an accompanying PDF file with recommendations of all the books mentioned in the novel.

The Last List of Mabel Beaumont by Laura Pearson is another book I think so many of you will adore. It is free on Kindle Unlimited right now, so jump in and get it. 80-something Mabel Beaumont's dear husband Arthur was a listmaker. He would leave his lists all over the house, and once he passed away, Mabel found his last list and felt compelled to complete all the items on it. One of the items was "Find D". Dot was a dear friend from their courtship days who inexplicably disappeared when Mabel and Arthur got married. Solitary and somewhat curmudgeonly  Mabel makes a number of new friends on her journey to find Dot and discovers many things beyond finding her old friend. This is a very sweet and uplifting book and will leave you feeling hopeful and with a smile on your face. 

Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross is a  YA fantasy novel that many of you who don't typically enjoy that genre will be surprised by and enjoy. Two young rival journalists discover a magical connection through writing. The novel takes place during a time when the gods are at war (think WW1) and the young journalists go to the front to relay accurate information back home. The blossoming romance between the two main characters, the turmoil of war, and the whims of the warring gods make this an enthralling story. The writing is beautiful and the book ends with a major cliffhanger. Don't worry, the sequel "Ruthless Vows" is already out. This book is free on Kindle Unlimited, so what's stopping you?

The Women by Kristin Hannah. Ok. Bear with me. I am not a big Kristin Hannah fan. That being said, I went into this book hoping for the best, and for the first third of the book I was not disappointed. I had it pegged as a solid 5-star book due to the author's impeccable research into the Vietnam war and depictions of the conditions the troops endured during their service. However, for me, the book went downhill big time to about a 2.5 rating. The story follows the life of Frankie McGrath, an Army nurse who serves on the frontline in Vietnam. I wanted a lot more grit from Frankie and was greatly disappointed with her choices and the flaws in her character. For me, the book dragged in the middle and was overly focused on Frankie's ill-fated romances, which were quite unbelievable. The book turned into a soap opera and missed the opportunity to tell the story of what brave women did during their service in the Vietnam War. So, hear me out. This book disappointed me, but I believe I am in the vast minority with my opinion. If you have loved Kristin Hannah's other books, you will absolutely love this one. Even though I ended up disappointed with the book, I found it a page-turner and read it in two days. I was left feeling judgemental about the main character but have been thinking about the brave service of those who served during the Vietnam War ever since I finished the book. As you see, I am conflicted. 

Hope this content will tide my readers over until I can get some sewing done! We are under a blizzard warning through Sunday, so with luck, I will get up into the sewing room and make something happen!

Wishing you all a great week, whatever you are up to. 

 

Comments

[Mary]

I loved your comment about 'a book hangover.' Hilarious!!!! Have Mrs. Quinn's book in our Amazon cart and have The Last List ordered at my library. Looking forward to borrowing Kristin Hannah's book from my daughter eventually. An excellent list of books to read! Thank you so much.

[Suzanne]

A book hangover? GENIUS term! Several times a year, I declare that I’m never reading another book. My husband doesn’t even bother to roll his eyes at this point. He just nods in acknowledgment and waits for it to pass. It’s such a real feeling though, isn’t it? I love your terminology around it!

[Jan]

Congrats to the girls on their cookie selling venture! Eva is really self-confident to put on the pink blow-up suit & get out there! I read your reviews with interest & will also share with my sister & a friend. Taking a break from sewing is pretty normal, in my world at least. Enjoy your puzzle & some reading!

[Ina]

Eva looks really cute in that photo...I bet it did help sell lots of cookies.

a puzzle is the perfect thing to work on in this kind of weather. make sure you have candles and flashlights ready bc the weather is gonna be rough.

[Judith Hogan]

I completely agree with your opinion of The Women. To me, it read like a Danelle Steele novel. With so much hype, it was hard not to buy a copy, but I was very disappointed in it.