Book list 2017
7. Bruce, Katherine Juniors of the Chalet School PB, school story, my copy, 260 pages
That was a truly delightful way to spend a Sunday afternoon reading. KB's new filler covers the same term as EBD's Princess of the CS, but features the juniors, Grizel and the infamous Matron Webb. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about familiar (or not so familiar as it's been quite a few years since I last reread Princess) happenings from a different point of view. Matron's character is still EBD's nasty, bad-tempered, intolerant Matron, but a more developed character than one can love to hate, rather than being simply the villain who is used to demonstrate all that is good with the CS and people who don't fit in to its ideals are automatically bad. I'm glad I never had anyone like her nurse me, like the juniors, I'd be too scared to be ill. The juniors are exactly that -juniors without being babies. The incident with the missing sheets trick was gorgeous. How the EBDisms with the movable dormitories worked. The other thing I enjoyed was Grizel getting to be a main character whose personal growth we get to see and now we know she'll make the right kind of CS Head Girl. This may very well be my favourite filler to date. (6/6)
8. Weger, Jackie The Wings of Morning pb, romance, not keeping, 215 pages.
I nearly didn't finish this one as both the heroine and the hero annoyed me greatly, but it improved and by the time widow Rachel's mute youngest daughter was lost in the forest, with potentially wild, rabid dogs at large, Sheriff Garrett's handling of the rescue, the other children, and Rachel made for quite exciting reading. I'm glad I stuck it out. Rachel's husband suicided while in the Sheriff's custody. She blamed him for hubby's death, refusing to believe he was a weak thief, who'd been caught - the reason for the initial animosity. She also wasn't loving the fact she found him incredibly sexy, and there you have it. (3/6)
9. Dawson, Jodi Her Secret Millionaire
pb, sweet romance, 180 pages, not keeping
She's a divorcee with 2 small children, struggling to keep her father's small country town towing business alive. Dad, who had a heart attack, lives with Danielle and her two children. Advertising executive Hunter's car breaks down late at night and Dani tows it. There's no motel in town so she offers to put him up for the night in the family home. Next thing we know is he's pretending to be a nanny for the kids, while keeping his millionaire status secret. Dani's twin sister Cami gets some romance of her own. It's exactly what it purports to be - a sweet romance. It made me smile. Especially the tales of Dani's previous dates with men and how they always seemed to involve toilets. (3.5/6)
10. Schulze, Dallas The Vow
pb, romance, 243 pages, not keeping
Poor Brittany is alone and pregnant. Dan, the father of her baby, has been killed in a plane crash, leaving on the trip before finding out he was going to be a daddy. Brittany's parents are more concerned about what the neighbours will think about the bastard child - checks publication date; 1990, so very old fashioned parents. They basically throw her out as she won't go away before people find out and return after the baby is born and adopted out. Michael is Dan's best friend. He offers to marry Brittany, in name only, and look after her and baby till she can get manage on her own. Time passes and the 'in name only' marriage is no longer in name only, but they are the most uncommunicative couple and neither speaks about their feelings. Michael loves Brittany, but thinks she still loves Dan. Brittany's 'young girl's love' for Dan has faded and she now loves Michael as a woman does, but can't tell him that's how she feels, as she can't articulate her feelings to herself, let alone Michael. And then Dan returns from the dead!! Completely unexpected plot development, not even hinted at on the blurb. Brittany's parents don't feature in the story any more, so they never see their grandchild, a plot point that made me happy - don't like them at all - and sad - where is the forgiveness? (4/6)
2017 totals:
Books read: 10
Pages: 2,473
Rereads: 2
Keeping: 4
Challenge books:
a) alphabetical challenge - 3
b) Abbey books in order - 0
Books out: 6
Books in: 10 (bought 2 J.M. Barrie plays and the book depository books arrived)
That was a truly delightful way to spend a Sunday afternoon reading. KB's new filler covers the same term as EBD's Princess of the CS, but features the juniors, Grizel and the infamous Matron Webb. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about familiar (or not so familiar as it's been quite a few years since I last reread Princess) happenings from a different point of view. Matron's character is still EBD's nasty, bad-tempered, intolerant Matron, but a more developed character than one can love to hate, rather than being simply the villain who is used to demonstrate all that is good with the CS and people who don't fit in to its ideals are automatically bad. I'm glad I never had anyone like her nurse me, like the juniors, I'd be too scared to be ill. The juniors are exactly that -juniors without being babies. The incident with the missing sheets trick was gorgeous. How the EBDisms with the movable dormitories worked. The other thing I enjoyed was Grizel getting to be a main character whose personal growth we get to see and now we know she'll make the right kind of CS Head Girl. This may very well be my favourite filler to date. (6/6)
8. Weger, Jackie The Wings of Morning pb, romance, not keeping, 215 pages.
I nearly didn't finish this one as both the heroine and the hero annoyed me greatly, but it improved and by the time widow Rachel's mute youngest daughter was lost in the forest, with potentially wild, rabid dogs at large, Sheriff Garrett's handling of the rescue, the other children, and Rachel made for quite exciting reading. I'm glad I stuck it out. Rachel's husband suicided while in the Sheriff's custody. She blamed him for hubby's death, refusing to believe he was a weak thief, who'd been caught - the reason for the initial animosity. She also wasn't loving the fact she found him incredibly sexy, and there you have it. (3/6)
9. Dawson, Jodi Her Secret Millionaire
pb, sweet romance, 180 pages, not keeping
She's a divorcee with 2 small children, struggling to keep her father's small country town towing business alive. Dad, who had a heart attack, lives with Danielle and her two children. Advertising executive Hunter's car breaks down late at night and Dani tows it. There's no motel in town so she offers to put him up for the night in the family home. Next thing we know is he's pretending to be a nanny for the kids, while keeping his millionaire status secret. Dani's twin sister Cami gets some romance of her own. It's exactly what it purports to be - a sweet romance. It made me smile. Especially the tales of Dani's previous dates with men and how they always seemed to involve toilets. (3.5/6)
10. Schulze, Dallas The Vow
pb, romance, 243 pages, not keeping
Poor Brittany is alone and pregnant. Dan, the father of her baby, has been killed in a plane crash, leaving on the trip before finding out he was going to be a daddy. Brittany's parents are more concerned about what the neighbours will think about the bastard child - checks publication date; 1990, so very old fashioned parents. They basically throw her out as she won't go away before people find out and return after the baby is born and adopted out. Michael is Dan's best friend. He offers to marry Brittany, in name only, and look after her and baby till she can get manage on her own. Time passes and the 'in name only' marriage is no longer in name only, but they are the most uncommunicative couple and neither speaks about their feelings. Michael loves Brittany, but thinks she still loves Dan. Brittany's 'young girl's love' for Dan has faded and she now loves Michael as a woman does, but can't tell him that's how she feels, as she can't articulate her feelings to herself, let alone Michael. And then Dan returns from the dead!! Completely unexpected plot development, not even hinted at on the blurb. Brittany's parents don't feature in the story any more, so they never see their grandchild, a plot point that made me happy - don't like them at all - and sad - where is the forgiveness? (4/6)
2017 totals:
Books read: 10
Pages: 2,473
Rereads: 2
Keeping: 4
Challenge books:
a) alphabetical challenge - 3
b) Abbey books in order - 0
Books out: 6
Books in: 10 (bought 2 J.M. Barrie plays and the book depository books arrived)