I spent the weekend reading though I should have been doing five or six other things, including lots and lots of laundry. Oh well, it was a delight to read outside in the fall sun, so I don't regret it for an instant, even as I sorted through my socks this morning to find the cleanest dirty pair to wear to work today. The week of cold and rainy has begun. It will be easy to focus on laundry now.
I read two lovely books this weekend that I thought to share.
The first one, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, many people have possibly already read. I think I just never bothered to read it because it seemed like it might have been overhyped. I got burned a few times with books that were fussed over as good book club books: The Jane Austen Book Club anyone? Yawn. This one came out around the same time, I think, and the title must have reminded me of the latter novel, so that's probably why I was never motivated to pick it up. It was recommended to me by Nathan's mom and aunt when they were visiting last weekend, and I'm so glad they mentioned it because it is wonderful. It is one of those books full of characters that float along beside you even after you've finished it. I rate a book particularly high if I actually truly laugh out loud while reading it. Read this one. Really, do.
The second one, The Tenth Gift, was still an enjoyable story though it was a bit more uneven. I think I liked it mostly because I found the mix of histories on embroidery and pirating that the plot contained to be fascinating. The book included a present day storyline in addition to a historical story of barbary pirates kidnapping people from Cornwall to sell as slaves in Morocco. I suppose if I had read another novel involving the historic connection between Cornwall and Morocco I may have been somewhat disappointed in the weaknesses of this novel's plot, but since I haven't, those were far overshadowed by the historical details for me. If I read it again, I think I would put it at the same "mildly disappointing" point on the scale as "The Lovely Bones." Loved most of it, but there were just one or two elements that I couldn't get on board with. Still, I certainly recommend it.
I read two lovely books this weekend that I thought to share.
The first one, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, many people have possibly already read. I think I just never bothered to read it because it seemed like it might have been overhyped. I got burned a few times with books that were fussed over as good book club books: The Jane Austen Book Club anyone? Yawn. This one came out around the same time, I think, and the title must have reminded me of the latter novel, so that's probably why I was never motivated to pick it up. It was recommended to me by Nathan's mom and aunt when they were visiting last weekend, and I'm so glad they mentioned it because it is wonderful. It is one of those books full of characters that float along beside you even after you've finished it. I rate a book particularly high if I actually truly laugh out loud while reading it. Read this one. Really, do.
I also really enjoyed The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (even though its a mouthful to say or type). I thought it was a good story and easy to read. Its amazing to think and read about what people can survive when faced with those situations.
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