(no subject)
I've started pulling my best of 2008 list together (if it's done in Jan I'll be happy) and thanks to my handy dandy list I kept I am finding lots of good books I never blogged about. In order to keep the best of post to a reasonable length, I thought I'd start making up some of the holes.
One of the last books I read in 2008 was Mary Ann Shaffer's* The Guernsey literary and potato peel pie society. I think I first heard about this intriguingly titled novel at Smart Bitches Trashy Books, but since then have seen other glowing reviews. It’s a story told in letters, which for no discernable reason (ie I can’t pick out any book I’ve hated in the format) I have a grudge against, but it worked wonderfully. Juliet, an English writer, corresponds with her publisher and other English friends, but the bulk of the story revolves around her interactions with a group of people on Guernsey who formed a reading society during the German occupation of World War Two. Juliet had an engaging voice from the start, and the huge cast of other characters were believable. And I loved the setting during the war and its immediate aftermath.
I agree with the smart bitches that it’s a feel good book. It’s certainly not all happy - I cried at least once - but it was satisfying. I'll be buying a copy to add to my comfort read pile.
*Apparently the niece, Annie Barrows, that tidied up/finished the book is listed as a second author on some editions, but not the UK one I read, strange
One of the last books I read in 2008 was Mary Ann Shaffer's* The Guernsey literary and potato peel pie society. I think I first heard about this intriguingly titled novel at Smart Bitches Trashy Books, but since then have seen other glowing reviews. It’s a story told in letters, which for no discernable reason (ie I can’t pick out any book I’ve hated in the format) I have a grudge against, but it worked wonderfully. Juliet, an English writer, corresponds with her publisher and other English friends, but the bulk of the story revolves around her interactions with a group of people on Guernsey who formed a reading society during the German occupation of World War Two. Juliet had an engaging voice from the start, and the huge cast of other characters were believable. And I loved the setting during the war and its immediate aftermath.
I agree with the smart bitches that it’s a feel good book. It’s certainly not all happy - I cried at least once - but it was satisfying. I'll be buying a copy to add to my comfort read pile.
*Apparently the niece, Annie Barrows, that tidied up/finished the book is listed as a second author on some editions, but not the UK one I read, strange