Christian Fiction Devourers discussion
Archived Group Reads 2015
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Additional Group Read January- Lizzy and Jane
I read Dear Mr. Knightley last January and Lizzy and Jane this year. (hmmm, what's up with the January thing?!) Both are five-stars for me, but "Knightley" had a slight emotional edge for me and thus was marked "favorite". This is a very complex and emotional story. I came out on the last page feeling like I'd known Lizzy, Jane, and all their friends. It's an easy one to get lost in.
I read DMK last year - it's one of my all-time faves now :) loved the letter format!
I read DMK a little over a year ago; loved it. Have just started Lizzy & Jane. Looks to be a good one. Enjoy reading about cooking & sisters.
Ok, I am going to get in on this one! I have both books waiting for me on my bookshelf. I haven't read either yet, but will start with Lizzy and Jane now. :-)
I just finished dmk earlier this week and absolutely loved it! I'm hoping to start this one shortly.
Am heading to Texas this weekend to visit my sister in law who lost her husband in December. Plan to start this one when I get home. Now killing time at the Denver airport as our flight has a 2 hour delay. Thank goodness for computers and Kindles:)
I'm about half way through this one and loving it so far. Katherine Reay just has a way about capturing sincerity within relationships. So good! Can't wait to finish reading it and discuss it with all of you :)
Mod
I read DMK & loved it. I had never read Daddy Long Legs, but just had to do so after. hearing about the connection between the two. I'm looking forward to starting L&J soon.
Hi all... I would love to join in if anyone has questions etc, but don't want to inhibit discussion or get in the way of good conversation.I'm so glad you all liked DMK and hope you enjoy "my" sisters as well. Just let me know if you do or don't want me comment. :)
Thanks so much. And thanks for reading L&J!
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I'm so glad you all liked DMK and hope you enjoy "my" s..."
I love it with authors join in the discussion! Welcome!
Please join on in Katherine! There is a fun dimension for me in this book as I live in Washington state about 45 min south of Seattle, so I am making a list of all the restaurants mentioned in the book and am gonna try and eat at the different spots at some point! Especially the frozen custard shop- that sounds divine!
I am also halfway through and love it. Katherine, your writing style is so very readable. I know that sounds like a strange thing to say, but there are just some stories that flow and this is one of those. This story also resonates with me a lot because my mother in law is going through an 8 month chemo treatment right now and is struggling with these very things, such as not being able to stomach certain foods, losing weight and subsequently losing ground on her chemo treatments.
Just started it and am really enjoying it. Katherine so glad you are joining us. I love it when authors jump in and give us some of their perspective.
Katherine, I've been wondering what gave you the idea of a literary-inspired diet for those dealing with treatment-damaged appetites. It seemed so interesting, and I loved how it was incorporated in the book. :)
That was my question as well Hannah- glad you asked it!
I'm finding that fascinating as well since I just lost my brother in law to cancer last month and know he had a horrible time the last few months finding anything that tasted good to him.
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My question is...does Katherine enjoy cooking?
I finished this last night. All I can say is WOW! Katherine this is a veritable "feast"- feast of food, emotions, grace, relationships, growth. I found so many wonderful gems of wisdom. Thanks for another great book!
I finished last night, too. I loved how deep this book is. The relationship between sisters is so complex, with love, anger, hurt feelings, history, etc. between them.
Great question Staci! It feels as though a "foodie" definitely wrote this book :) And I agree with your comments Loraine and Brittany- there truly was a lot going on in this book which made it a very "rich" book to read. I enjoyed it!I definitely got a kick out of Elizabeth's "New Yorker" ways versus the folks in Seattle- kind of designer meets the PNW where we don't know who designed the boots we want to buy, we just know we want brown ones- that is so true here! Haha!
Hannah wrote: "Katherine, I've been wondering what gave you the idea of a literary-inspired diet for those dealing with treatment-damaged appetites. It seemed so interesting, and I loved how it was incorporated ..."Hannah, as I watched friends go through chemo, it struck me again and again how they said tastes changed -- and it wasn't in the same way or the same tastes for people. Everything was unique. So when I started writing the story -- Lizzy was a chef first -- I needed to find a way to connect to Jane and that came to mind instantly.
Staci wrote: "I finished Lizzy & Jane last night. Look forward to the discussion!My question is...does Katherine enjoy cooking?"
Yes, I do. BUT I'm not the chef in the family. :) My husband and middle child are fantastic cooks. And they cook! We eat seriously well around here...
Cheryl wrote: "Please join on in Katherine! There is a fun
demension for me in this book as I live in Washington state about 45 min south of Seattle, so I am making a list of all the restaurants mentioned in t..."
Old School Frozen Custard is amazing. Check on line because it is really one flavor a day and you might not want "Lemon Curd" -- or you might. ;)
Natalie wrote: "@Cheryl: Will you please post the post the poll for next month's Additional Group Read when you get the chance?"Thanks for the reminder Natalie- but this is the last additional group read that we are doing. See message at the top :)
Most of my family members have heart/blood pressure problems, and I was too young to remember much when my grandmother died of cancer in the 90s, so a lot of this story's subject matter was unknown to me. Diets for lifelong health issues are pretty prosaic. It was interesting to be pulled into this world where someone's reading choices might say something about their taste choices when faced with something like chemo.I loved how vibrant the setting was, how it felt like you could walk into town and see the same sights. Katherine, what drew you to choose Seattle? I recall that there was a Washington-state incfluence in Dear Mr. Knightley also.
A question for the group- for those that have finished the novel- what are your thoughts as to why Lizzy sort of lost her edge/focus as a chef for Feast in New York? It is an important part of the story, so thought we could dig into that a little bit.
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I agree with Stacy. I think Lizzy didn't realize that she wanted to heal that relationship and that she really cared what was happening with her sister.
I feel like Lizzy's past was catching up to her and she had never dealt with her mother's death, her sister's absence during that time, and her father's distancing himself afterwards. As that began to resurface due to her sister's cancer, I think Lizzy realized it was time to deal with the past and restore the broken relationships with her family. She was so overwhelmed with the feelings regarding these issues she couldn't maintain focus on her cooking.
I agree with you all- great insight. I think we can try and avoid things from our past, but eventually (and I think God always has a hand in it, because He wants us to heal and be whole) there comes a time where everything just catches up to you and try as you might, it becomes unavoidable in terms of dealing with it, especially if you are someone trying to follow Christ. And that is what happened with Lizzy, it was time to deal.
Just started and am really enjoying it! Call me crazy, but is that really true about adding cinnamon to tomato sauce? Does this book make anyone else want to go out to eat? :)
Susan wrote: "Just started and am really enjoying it! Call me crazy, but is that really true about adding cinnamon to tomato sauce? Does this book make anyone else want to go out to eat? :)"I was wondering that as well!
Susan wrote: "Just started and am really enjoying it! Call me crazy, but is that really true about adding cinnamon to tomato sauce? Does this book make anyone else want to go out to eat? :)"Susan- absolutely- on the wanting to go out and eat thing- yum!
Susan wrote: "Just started and am really enjoying it! Call me crazy, but is that really true about adding cinnamon to tomato sauce? Does this book make anyone else want to go out to eat? :)"I made spaghetti the other night and did try adding a dash of cinnamon. It did seem to cut the tartness a bit, but nobody else notice anything different LOL:)
Cheryl wrote: "A question for the group- for those that have finished the novel- what are your thoughts as to why Lizzy sort of lost her edge/focus as a chef for Feast in New York? It is an important part of t..."I thought perhaps that there are only so many days you can continue to ignore past issues. She seemed to miss the idea of family even while she hated the relationship she had with them. No one can really decide they can get on without drawing strength from solid human relationships and still be the best version of themselves. There's a reason we have others in our lives.
From a Christian perspective, I'd also say that God was nudging her to grow up, deal with things like a grown-up, and putting her on the path to her real future.
I agree with your thoughts Hannah- so true!How about the sister relationship here-did you think it "rang true?" And with regards to the story, do you think it's tougher to forgive and lay things down with our siblings, with past history there both good and bad or is it tougher to forgive someone that is perhaps a co-worker that you see constantly and they get under your skin?
I thought the relationship between Lizzy and Jane rang very true. I think misunderstandings or problems occur between siblings that are never straightened out, and the longer the estrangement goes on the more difficult it is to repair. And sometimes no matter the forgiveness or effort of one it never reaches or is accepted by the other and the relationship is never repaired.
Mod
How about the sister relationship here-did you think it "rang true?" And with regards to the story, do you think it's tougher to forgive and lay things..."
I think it is easier to forgive a co-worker you see every day than a relative that you've had difficulty with for years. With that pattern of disfunction occurring over years, it's hard for both of you to change course.
Staci wrote: "I've just started this one! It will be tough to be as good as Dear Mr. Knightly..."I feel the same way! I keep wondering if the others will be as good because this one set the bar so high! But I have to read her others now because Dear Mr Knightley was so good!
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Staci wrote: "Bonnie, you bring up a great question. For those that have read both of Katerine Reay's novels, did you find one to be stronger than the other? Or did you find them equally compelling?"I preferred Lizzy and Jane over Dear. Mr. Knightley. I thought DMK was a slow start and if other CFD readers hadn't encouraged me to keep reading I would have probably quit (which I am glad I didn't because I did like it). L&J caught my attention from the very beginning.
Staci wrote: "Bonnie, you bring up a great question. For those that have read both of Katerine Reay's novels, did you find one to be stronger than the other? Or did you find them equally compelling?"I loved them both, but DMK is definitely my favorite :)
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I loved them both as well for different reasons :), but of the two if I had to pick one.. it would be DMK- it was so charming and the ending- very swoon worthy ;)
I'm only about half way into L&J but I'm thinking I'm still leaning towards DMK as my favorite of the two books. Both are great, but DMK was ah-mazing! I still have a ways to go, so that opinion may change.
I left the discussion for a while because I really couldn't choose between "Dear Mr. Knightley" and "Lizzy & Jane." :) But I do want to answer Hannah's question regarding Washington... I lived in Seattle for 4 yrs. We moved there right as I was peddling DMK to agents and publishers. So in edits, I changed Alex's hometown as a nod to my new state.
And, since I lived there, and there were cultural differences between NY and Seattle I wanted to play with -- I sent L&J there. I've now moved again... So "The Bronte Plot" is set in London. That makes no real sense -- we didn't move there -- but I did used to live in London too.
Also, thanks so much for discussing Lizzy's emotional journey and the juggernaut that sent her home. Character motivations and reactions are so important to me and I loved reading your perspectives. Thank you!!
Katherine wrote: "I left the discussion for a while because I really couldn't choose between "Dear Mr. Knightley" and "Lizzy & Jane." :) But I do want to answer Hannah's question regarding Washington... I lived in..."
Katherine- I don't think it would be possible as an author to choose between books, sort of like choosing your favorite child, hmm? :)
Can't wait to "The Bronte Plot"- can you say Pavlov's dogs- salivating..haha! London is another favorite city of mine and I can't wait for that one! You have moved onto my list of "favorite authors".
In terms of your thoughts on Lizzy and what sent her home- were we on the right track? What were your thoughts/ character motivations, etc in that process?
Christian Fiction Devourers
Books mentioned in this topic
Dear Mr. Knightley (other topics)Lizzy and Jane (other topics)
Lizzy and Jane never saw eye to eye. But when illness brings them together, they discover they may be more like Austen’s famous sisters after all.
Lizzy was only a teenager when her mother died of cancer. Shortly after, Lizzy fled from her home, her family, and her cherished nickname. After working tirelessly to hone her gift of creating magic in the kitchen, Elizabeth has climbed the culinary ladder to become the head chef of her own New York restaurant, Feast. But as her magic begins to elude her, Paul, Feast’s financial backer, brings in someone to share her responsibilities and her kitchen. So Elizabeth flees again.
In a desperate attempt to reconnect with her gift, Elizabeth returns home. But her plans are derailed when she learns that her estranged sister, Jane, is battling cancer. Elizabeth surprises everyone—including herself—when she decides to stay in Seattle and work to prepare healthy, sustaining meals for Jane as she undergoes chemotherapy. She also meets Nick and his winsome son, Matt, who, like Elizabeth, are trying to heal from the wounds of the past.
As she tends to Jane's needs, Elizabeth's powers begin to return to her, along with the family she left behind so long ago. Then Paul tries to entice her back to New York, and she is faced with a hard decision: stay and become Lizzy to her sister’s Jane, or return to New York and the life she worked so hard to create?
As always please be careful to either mark SPOILER COMMENT if you're going to mention something that might spoil what's coming for someone else:) or use the (some html is ok) -upper right of the comment box -spoiler link to truly hide your comments.
This group read goes from January 15-February 14th :)
So, you know I have to ask, how many of you read Dear Mr Knightley by Katherine Reay? Tell me your thoughts :)