The Beach Street Knitting Society and Yarn Club by Gil McNeil
Sweet and fun, this book kept me laughing the whole time. Set in England, I really enjoyed the British terms throughout the book like people always "tutting" and exclaiming "bugger". So fun! The story starts off with Jo packing up herself and two boys for a move from London to a small seaside town where she will be taking over her Gran's wool shop. Her back-story is that her husband, Nick, had come home from assignment to tell her that he has just landed a new position and has been having an affair. He tells Jo he will be leaving her and the boys, then slams out of the house in a temper and has a fatal car accident. Jo finds herself a new widow who can't grieve properly for a husband who was just about to leave her, so maybe taking over Gran's wool shop is the new beginning she needs. She soon finds wonderful new friends and a place to belong. Written delightfully and with so much humour, I really enjoyed this one!
One of my favorite passages (for the humor!)was when Jo's best friend, Ellen, is trying to get her to tell her what her Christmas present is. Jo finally states, "Something to keep you warm and snuggly". Ellen replies something like,"Johnny Depp in his pirate costume? Perfect. Bike him over right away!"
One of my favorite passages (for the humor!)was when Jo's best friend, Ellen, is trying to get her to tell her what her Christmas present is. Jo finally states, "Something to keep you warm and snuggly". Ellen replies something like,"Johnny Depp in his pirate costume? Perfect. Bike him over right away!"
The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott by Kelly O'Connor McNees
Delightful! Author Kelly O'Connor McNees takes facts from Louisa May Alcott's life and spins an imaginary summer around those facts. How could Miss Alcott have written such wonderful novels full of romance yet never have been in love herself as all the historians claim? The author imagines a time when all of that changed and takes us along for the journey. I don't know much about Louisa May's life so it was fun and intriguing to learn how her family lived and what an absolute bum her father was. Louisa was a fiery young girl who knew she was born to be a writer. She believed that when a woman married, she lost herself so when love presented itself, Louisa struggled with the idea that she could be a writer and have someone to love and cherish. Would it be worth giving up her independence? A wonderful novel about a great author and a theme that many women still struggle with today.
Once I finished The Lost Summer, I just had to pull one of my vintage copies of an Alcott book off my shelves and dive in. I choose Eight Cousins by Louisa May Alcott~
This was another fun, light read. I actually enjoyed it more than Little Women. Here is the book description from Amazon:
At the age of 13, Rose finds herself orphaned and living with two elderly aunts on "Aunt Hill" where she is treated as delicately as the flower for which she is named. But Rose soon finds her quiet world turned upside down with the arrival of her seven boisterous boy cousins followed by her Uncle Alec, a doctor and a world traveler. Upon meeting Rose, Uncle Alec quickly prescribes fresh air and much activity to help with the girl's poor constitution. Uncle Alec's diagnosis turns out to be an accurate one and Rose, with the help of her cousins, finds herself in the middle of much hijinx and merriment.
August was a good reading month! Looking forward to my September reads!
Pop over to visit with Adrienne as Some of a Kind and find out what others are reading as well~
