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464th out of 674 books
—
1,006 voters
The Aloha Quilt (Elm Creek Quilts #16)
Another season of Elm Creek Quilt Camp has come to a close, and Bonnie Markham faces a bleak and lonely winter ahead, with her quilt shop out of business and her divorce looming. A welcome escape comes when Claire, a beloved college friend, unexpectedly invites her to Maui to help launch an exciting new business: a quilter’s retreat set at a bed and breakfast amid the vibr...more
Hardcover, 336 pages
Published
April 6th 2010
by Simon & Schuster
(first published January 1st 2010)
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Dec 24, 2011
Jean Barrington
rated it
2 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Those who like Hawaiian settings
I have a love/hate relationship with this book. I loved that it was set in Hawaii and that Chiaverini did a good job of incorporating Hawaiian geography, history and language into the book. I also liked the story. What I hated was the main character Bonnie's split personality. Here is a woman that has been hired as a consultant to help set up a quilt camp because of her expertise and her business experience (she owned a business) and yet she has the most naive, inexperienced, nearly laughable re...more
I'm a huge fan of Jennifer Chaiverini's Elm Creek Quilt novels. That being said, if you haven't read much of the series (or any) this review is probably not going to be that helpful for you. You could probably read them as stand-alones in a pinch, but having the background on all of the characters really helps. Especially for this book, where the backstory of the main character is especially relevant.
Bonnie is still reeling from her pending divorce and the infidelities her husband Craig has been...more
Nice book. I've read a couple in this series. Luckily, I had read the book that set up the divorce in this story. A couple of things bothered me: 1) it's set in Hawaii and does a nice job of discussing Hawaiian lore and using Hawaiian terms. BUT, the main part of the story takes place at a B&B with a Hawaiian name (sorry don't remember the name). Never once, in referring to the hotel, was the entire name not used. Really? Isn't it common to say: "I'm going back to the hotel" or "I'm going ba...more
I've read only the first book in this series and didn't realize that I skipped over 14 books. However I get them feeling that they are all pretty similar anyway. I enjoy some of the central themes of these "quilting novels"... that of sisterhood, love and friendship. The setting is beautiful Hawaii and it was fun to learn a bit about their unique history and culture. Bonnie, the main character, is going through a nasty divorce and the novel is kind of her healing process as she works through thi...more
May 22, 2010
Barbara
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Middle aged to older women, fans of Hawaiian culture, quilters and other crafters.
Shelves:
fiction,
relationships
I saw this as a new book coming at the library and decided to give it a try. I am not a quilter, so have not read any of the prior books in the series, but I have been to Hawaii a couple of times and love the culture and history. I did not have high expectations for this book, but I was wrong. The word I would use is "rich". My enjoyment of the books stems from several aspects. 1. The character of Bonnie: someone who grows during the course of the book and learns more about herself than almost a...more
I guess I shouldn't have expected too much from this book; I mean, it's obviously a "chick lit," easy reading book, but, hey, sometimes I expect cheesy chick lit and find a gem. Plus, sometimes it's fun to relax and read something that doesn't require much thinking. While this book did satisfy my desire to read w/o having to think, sadly, this was not a gem. I picked it up b/c I enjoy reading books about Hawaii, set in Hawaii, and/or written by locals in/from Hawaii and I wanted to learn more ab...more
Apr 11, 2010
Barbara
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Chiaverini fans, quilters.
Shelves:
general-fiction,
crafts-cooking
So now I really want to go to Hawaii! They have very cool quilts!
This new installment in the Elm Creek Quilts series leaves Pennsylvania far behind and spends most of its time in Hawaii. Chiaverini focuses on Bonnie, one of the founding ECQ women, who's going through a nasty divorce but joins an old friend to launch a quilters camp/retreat set up in Hawaii. It was a good way of exploring new territory--the islands, some little-known history, and a different quilt style--but still maintaining a...more
This new installment in the Elm Creek Quilts series leaves Pennsylvania far behind and spends most of its time in Hawaii. Chiaverini focuses on Bonnie, one of the founding ECQ women, who's going through a nasty divorce but joins an old friend to launch a quilters camp/retreat set up in Hawaii. It was a good way of exploring new territory--the islands, some little-known history, and a different quilt style--but still maintaining a...more
This was a thouroughly enjoyable novel.
I was not familiar with the series and picked it up simply because it looked interesting when I last was in the library.
For an audiobook to listen to, I prefer to choose authors that generally limit the amount of profanity in their works, as I have children around when I am cooking, etc. This book did not disappoint in that sense.
I found the charachters to be believable and interesting. I did feel that Bonnie's response to what her friend had done was a bi...more
I was not familiar with the series and picked it up simply because it looked interesting when I last was in the library.
For an audiobook to listen to, I prefer to choose authors that generally limit the amount of profanity in their works, as I have children around when I am cooking, etc. This book did not disappoint in that sense.
I found the charachters to be believable and interesting. I did feel that Bonnie's response to what her friend had done was a bi...more
This is the first Elm Creek Quilts book that I read, actually listened to, and it got me hooked on the series.
Since this book takes place solely in Hawaii I got little connection to the Elm Creek Quilters and Sylvia and was totally in the dark about who everyone was. So, of course, I had to start reading the rest of them but not in order since my library doesn't always have them available and I was not sure of the order in the beginning of my foray with Elm Creek Manor and the quilters.
But thi...more
Since this book takes place solely in Hawaii I got little connection to the Elm Creek Quilters and Sylvia and was totally in the dark about who everyone was. So, of course, I had to start reading the rest of them but not in order since my library doesn't always have them available and I was not sure of the order in the beginning of my foray with Elm Creek Manor and the quilters.
But thi...more
I love all the Jennifer Chiaverini quilting books. I was introduced to these by my dear friends, Kris Leishman and LaRue Fillerup, both of whom actually do quilt. I don't, but the characters in these books and the light, easy going plots are enough to make them enjoyable. Chiaverini is no great word-smith but she's a good story teller and she creates realistic, likeable women.
In this book you get the conclusion to the sad story of BOnnie's failing marriage. It takes place in Hawaii rather than...more
In this book you get the conclusion to the sad story of BOnnie's failing marriage. It takes place in Hawaii rather than...more
I've been a big fan of the Elm Creek series but this one fell a little short for me. While the information about Hawaii was interesting and vital to the plot Chiaverini presented it more as a history lecture than an interwoven part of the plot as she has in her other books.
There just weren't a lot of surprises in the this book-you could see everything coming a mile away and when it finally happened (long after you knew it was coming) it was pretty anti-climatic.
Also the whole Bonnie and Craig...more
There just weren't a lot of surprises in the this book-you could see everything coming a mile away and when it finally happened (long after you knew it was coming) it was pretty anti-climatic.
Also the whole Bonnie and Craig...more
This is the lastest book in the elm Creek quilt series. It is set in Hawaii (on Maui) this time. One of the orginal founders of the Elm Creek quilters is going through an ugly divorce when Claire a friend from college invites her to come and help get a quilting camp started. The descriptions of Maui make you want to get on the next plane. I liked learning about Hawaiian quilting and how the patterns are so indivual with meaning to the quilter. Also the history was something I didn't know much ab...more
I hadn't planned on reading any more Elm Creek Quilter books. However, this one was sitting alone on a shelf at the library and I went ahead and picked it up. If nothing else, I thought it would prove entertaining. I was surprised at how original it actually was. This one is number 16 in the series and several of the books have been rehashes of previous books which is rather annoying. The Aloha Quilt wasn't a rehash, which was refreshing.
In the Chiaverini tradition of giving every single charact...more
In the Chiaverini tradition of giving every single charact...more
Wish I could quilt but that would mean learning to slow so the learning process is too steep without the immediate rewards that I would need to keep going. But reading these lovely stories satisfies that itch as I get to be an arm chair quilter and I learn about the art and practice of quilting - the artistry, the discipline, the generosity and friendship amongst quilters. And then, aside from all of this well written information is a lovely story. Once again, I am not disappointment. This time...more
3.5 Stars.
As this book came to me as a "must read recommendation," I checked it out. It went quickly enough and I did enjoy reading about the historical tidbits of Hawaiian quilting mixed into the plot. But teh book was also a bit weird for me too. Typically I read books where the main character's age is closer to my own rather than my mother's. When I'm not partaking of my library's Teen Department (where I work) collection, that is. It was also a different genre than I would normally pick up....more
As this book came to me as a "must read recommendation," I checked it out. It went quickly enough and I did enjoy reading about the historical tidbits of Hawaiian quilting mixed into the plot. But teh book was also a bit weird for me too. Typically I read books where the main character's age is closer to my own rather than my mother's. When I'm not partaking of my library's Teen Department (where I work) collection, that is. It was also a different genre than I would normally pick up....more
So i am totally in love with these stories. I was not sure how I would like them but they are fantastic. The stories are just about women betting the odds and how you can survive heartache and disappointment and still come out better of than when you started. It tells the story of B, she was having trouble in her marriage. Well as the name of the book lets you know she ended up in hawaii where she grew to become a better woman for herself. As women we have such a hard to transitioning from mom b...more
Another amazingly compelling book by Jennifer Chiaverini focusing on Bonnie this time. Bonnie is trying to divorce her up-no-good devious and vicious husband Craig. She unexpectedly gets invited by her old college friend Claire to visit her at the victorian inn she runs on Maui. Claire wants Bonnie's expert help in launching her own Aloha Quilt Camp on the lines of the Elm Creek Quilt Camp. This is helpful to Bonnie as it helps take her mind off a bit of the horrendous garbage she is going throu...more
I read this on the way to Maui, Hawaii which is the location setting in the book. I enjoyed Chiaverini's information about Hawaii and quilting history throughout. I visited several places she talked about and enjoyed being able to "see" the story.
On the island I decided to shop for quilt fabrics. I was extremely disappointed when I went to a shop - not on the fabric selection but after being in the store for 20 minutes not a single sales person would acknowledge me. I did go to another store an...more
On the island I decided to shop for quilt fabrics. I was extremely disappointed when I went to a shop - not on the fabric selection but after being in the store for 20 minutes not a single sales person would acknowledge me. I did go to another store an...more
I have enjoyed most of Mrs. Chiaverini's books. This one was a bit of a disappointment to me. I often thought, as I was reading, that I was attending a lecture. Either a history lecture or a lecture on marriage/divorce/human relationships. Somehow it wasn't as enjoyable a read as her other books have been.
Some of the prose seemed so calculated, as though the author thought up a certain line and then created the circumstances to fit. This particular one is a good example: "Even those things she l...more
Some of the prose seemed so calculated, as though the author thought up a certain line and then created the circumstances to fit. This particular one is a good example: "Even those things she l...more
I found this book in the Hawaiian section of a local used book store and picked it up on a whim. I have next to no interest in quilting and I hadn't read any of the other books in this series, so I was surprised that I enjoyed it as much as I did. The plot was reasonably interesting, but more enjoyable were the bits of Hawaiian history and culture mixed in. Sometimes the transition between narrative and lecture was a bit ham-handed, which is why I can't rate it higher, but I thought the author d...more
I saw in the Goodreads newsletter that Chiaverini has a new book being released this month. I checked the website to make sure I hadn't missed any books and found that I had! I missed this book but my library had it available. Picked it up and read it in less than a day.
Nothing too profound about this book, just a continuation of the previous story. It's fluffy chick-lit but was enjoyable. The setting was unique and I appreciated the chance to learn more about Hawaii! Mostly, this book just gav...more
Nothing too profound about this book, just a continuation of the previous story. It's fluffy chick-lit but was enjoyable. The setting was unique and I appreciated the chance to learn more about Hawaii! Mostly, this book just gav...more
A delightful story which is part of the Elm Creek Quilt Camp Series.
Bonnie Markham ,one of the Elm Creek Quilt Camp owner/instructors is going thru an agonizing divorse, she's recently had ro declare bankruptcy with the Quilt shop she had owned before her divorce.
To get a break away she goes to Maui to help a long term college friend start a quilting camp in a charming old Inn in Lahina, Maui.
The book does a beautiful job of building the characters around their interst in the quilting club abd...more
Bonnie Markham ,one of the Elm Creek Quilt Camp owner/instructors is going thru an agonizing divorse, she's recently had ro declare bankruptcy with the Quilt shop she had owned before her divorce.
To get a break away she goes to Maui to help a long term college friend start a quilting camp in a charming old Inn in Lahina, Maui.
The book does a beautiful job of building the characters around their interst in the quilting club abd...more
I've read all of Jennifer Chiaverini's books, and enjoy them all. The details about the divorce were hard to believe. Jennifer should have done some research with a divorce lawyer. I found it hard to believe that Bonnie's ex turned into such a monster. Yes, I know that it happens, but she was married to the guy for, what, 25 years? And there is no mention that he was ever unstable or abusive while they were married. And the property division details were just wrong.
Having said that, I was able t...more
Having said that, I was able t...more
The story was not the fascination with this one, but I have a secret longing to make a quilt in the Hawaiian style. Ever since I saw the daffodil yellow on butter-yellow quilt in the movie The Descendants, I was convinced these could be exquisite and modernized. I also think I might be able to pull off the applique, but I'm not sure. Lots of detail in here about how to do it all, so that's what I appreciated most. There were also details about how to set up a quilter's retreat, if anyone was int...more
One of the Elm Tree Quilters sets out to help an old friend (and fellow quilter)/college roommate, to open a quilt camp in Hawaii. Character Bonnie is going to a rough divorce at the time. The book is set around both situations. I found all characters to be quite shallow and at times VERY irritating, although I liked the story line. Chiviarini's previous books had much more depth of character and they were all more likeable. I felt like she wrote the book in a hurry. I did enjoy the quilt refere...more
I liked the description of Hawaiian culture and geography--found it intriguing and very engaging. I also love the quilt descriptions and learned so much about Hawaiian quilts which I've admired, but never really investigated. I just didn't get the characters. I never really understood Bonnie or Claire, except maybe the part about wanting to be with family during the holidays--otherwise, their reactions to love, divorce, friendship, marriage, just didn't exactly ring true with me. Close, but not...more
I was a bit skeptical at first since I'm a fan of Sandra Dallas' quilt books, but that was quickly squelched. Jennifer Chiaverini has a way with words and you will find yourself entrenched in this heart-warming novel. I personally am not a quilter, but I still enjoyed this quilt quite a bit. Occasionally she will talk about quilting techniques as the characters are discussing (it's only to be expected in a book about quilters), but it's the story that will captivate you. Whether it's Bonnie's pa...more
Her marriage is ending. Her life seems to have no direction or purpose. A friend offers a job on Maui setting up a new quilting retreat center, so she flies off for the winter and learns the true meaning of aloha.
Some of Chiaverini's books are really good. Some just aren't. This one is quite good. I wish she could get into a better rhythm. I can't just write her off and stop reading. If you have no desire to read the whole series (and frankly after reading the first few so many are just the same...more
Some of Chiaverini's books are really good. Some just aren't. This one is quite good. I wish she could get into a better rhythm. I can't just write her off and stop reading. If you have no desire to read the whole series (and frankly after reading the first few so many are just the same...more
I really enjoyed this book in particular in the series. I'm a craftsperson and appreciate hearing about another culture and their approach to craft. In particular learning not only about how quilts evolved in Hawaii, but all the other cultural background of the indigenous people and their history. I've noticed that the author is using different devices to get the story out of the circle in Pennsylvania and getting out into a different time and/or culture. I think it's a good route to go, since I...more
I borrow these books from my Mom. It's a quilting series. I have easily gotten attached to the characters and appreciate the celebration of an art form through literature. I'd give it three stars rather than more, because the plots usually move really slowly and if you read them all, quite a bit of material is repeated from other books. These are great books to read when you are going through big changes in life or difficult situations, because the characters generally are also. The characters o...more
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Jennifer Chiaverini is the author of ten Elm Creek Quilts novels and An Elm Creek Quilts Sampler and An Elm Creek Quilts Album, as well as Elm Creek Quilts and Return to Elm Creek, two collections of quilt projects inspired by the series, and is the designer of the Elm Creek Quilts fabric lines from Red Rooster fabrics. She lives with her husband and two sons in Madison, Wisconsin.
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May 29, 2012 02:20pm