Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Mini Reviews

Mini Reviews


The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows


"I wonder how the books got to Guernsey? Perhaps there is some secret sort of homing instinct in books that brings them to their perfect readers."


What a perfectly delightful book, written in letter format, that had me on page one! WW II and the German occupation of Guernsey, an island off the coast between England and France. Quirky characters. Books united people across the channel. Gosh, this was the perfect recipe for success in my eyes.


There's loads written and reviewed about this book so I will skip to the chase and say that our whole book group loved it! For once. Potato Peel Pie tastes similar to dirt, which I think it kind of is if you think about it. We tried to doll it up but we wanted to mimic what they might have used on Guernsey during the occupation.



Fatal Error

by JA Jance


I enjoy JA Jance's books. They are ones I fell into and enjoy almost immediatly, but this character, Ali Reynolds, is not one of my favorites. I heard Judy Jance discuss this book a bit at the Tucson Book Festival so I had some background coming into it - cyber stalking, Arizona/California as a backdrop. The book was very readable but I just wasn't won over by any of the characters. Still it was a fun Saturday read. As a matter of fact, a few days later, I can't remember more than that.


Isn't it Romantic?

by Ron Hansen


Light, laughable, full of misunderstandings and quirky characters. This was one of the books from my personalized recommendation from the local library and it was a success. A French couple is 'marooned' in Seldom, Nebraska, pop. 395 where they get more than they are bargaining for in a taste of American life. It was definitely a light afternoon read, but I was sick and it was a fun pick-me-up. The author is a former National Honor Book Honoree and he definitely took some criticism for this one, but I thought it was like watching a Nora Ephron movie. I kept picturing Owen Wilson as one of the supporting characters!!


Gosh all of these books AND report cards, Writing folders and end of year paperwork. I guess I didn't do too bad for finishing up the month.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

That Guernsey book is gem isn't it? My book group loved it when we read it a couple of years ago. It really got me interested in those Channel Islands.

I've read a couple of J.A. Jance's Ali Reynolds books. They are OK. Not my favorite, but I do pick them up occasionally. I like her Joanna Brady ones better.

Inside A Book said...

Kay, we must be reading twins. I had to look up where Guernsey was and what it looked like - my interest was peaked! I also enjoy JA Jance's other series but I am not sold on the Ali character. I like Joanna Brady and J.P. Beaumont is my first love. I can't believe I was able to carve out enough time to get to all of this in this crazy month. Yippee!

Alyce said...

I loved the Guernsey book too. I wish that I liked the type of books that J.A. Jance writes because she was so much fun to see in person. They're just not my cup of tea though.

Bookfool said...

Great reviews! I can't believe I still haven't gotten around to reading the Guernsey book. I came across it while moving books from room to room, again, this week. And, there it sits, waiting. I'd read about the Channel Islands in a WWII book, many years before it came out, and I still long to go there.