January 2021 - Rose/s on the cover/in the title

[Sandra, Moderator]

I couldn't find anything that fits the theme and I feel like reading right now. At this point in the month I think I will just skip this month.

[Amanda]

Janice wrote: "I'm glad you enjoyed it, Amanda. I was glad that it was a standalone. That seems to be the rare option these days."

It does seem to be. While I don't mind reading a good series, I also like to be able to pick up a book without committing to reading x number of other books to get the full story.

[Janice, Moderator]

Amanda wrote: "Janice wrote: "I'm glad you enjoyed it, Amanda. I was glad that it was a standalone. That seems to be the rare option these days."

It does seem to be. While I don't mind reading a good series, I a..."

I agree. I have so many series that I'm trying to work on that I groan when I've got a 1st book in a series to read. Sometimes a story is better as a standalone in my opinion.

[Saar The Book owl]

I'm reading since yesterday and already half through it. I can recommend it very. You get easy sucked in this story.

[Ayacchi]

Amanda wrote: "I have yet to read any of Austen's novels or see the movie adaptations, and I really should fix that! Maybe I'll start with Sense and Sensibility..."

You should try, at least one :)

[Ayacchi]

I'm on chapter 21 of Sense and Sensibility, and I read less that I did before because I'm getting a bit bored. (view spoiler)[Now that our male characters are gone, life is event-less. Everyday is full of invitation, Barton Park-Barton Cottage, back and forth. Just eating and gossiping, some new passing by characterd here and there.

I like the setting though. Imagine living in a rural area, surrounded by meadow and hill, you can run as fast and far as you please without worrying you'll hit someone. No next door neighbors. But then again, it'd be troublesome to not having horses or carriage. (hide spoiler)]

[Janice, Moderator]

I'm feeling a bit the same way about my book, Aya - bored.

There are lots of characters in the book I'm reading, but only 2, possibly 3, seem to be fully fleshed out. LaRose, Romeo, and possibly Maggie. The rest just fill up the pages. I'm just past the 75% mark and I can't finish it soon enough. I hate when I'm reading just to finish a book.

Emmaline & Nola are half sisters with a dislike for each other. I wonder if the book will delve into their history as to why there is so disharmony between them. At 75% left, it doesn't seem likely.

There are elements of magical realism to the story. Question - is magical realism restricted to Latin-American literature? I believe at one time, it held the monopoly for the genre. But I've seem it adapted more and more to other forms. Nineteen people have shelved this book as magical realism.

At the beginning of the book, I thought that there were only 3 LaRose's. But the book has stated there were 5, and all had the ability to "fly" in the spirit world.

A word about Maggie - (view spoiler)[She caught her mother about to commit suicide. She walked into the barn and she was standing on a chair with a noose around her neck. She was about to kick the chair out from under her. In fact, she almost did it anyway with Maggie watching. The story talks about the responsibility Maggie felt in trying to keep her mother from attempting again. What a horrible burden for a 13 year old. I can't imagine the stress and fear she would have felt. What if Nola had kicked out the chair with Maggie standing there? Maggie wasn't big enough or strong enough to save her. To place the subsequent guilt and pain on a child was reprehensible and I wanted to slap Nola silly at that point. As it was, the only person Maggie confided in was LaRose and they both took on the responsibility of guarding Nola. (hide spoiler)]

[Kristie, Moderator]

That's disappointing, Janice. Your book looked so interesting.

[Shirley]

My book is

I'm combining it with my interactive task to read a book that was translated from the French.

[Janice, Moderator]

I finished LaRose last night. The last quarter of the book actually had more impact for me than the main story.

Louise Erdrich can write and I've enjoyed a couple of her other books but this one missed the mark for me.

[Kristie, Moderator]

I'm still reading The Good Sister and enjoying it. I really like Sally Hepworth's writing. I get drawn into the story and before I know it several chapters and a couple of hours have snuck by. It is one where the chapters don't necessarily end in cliffhangers, but I still find myself saying just one more chapter.

I have read two books by this author previously, The Mother-in-Law and The Family Next Door, and I enjoyed them both. I'm going to have to see if I can fit some of her other books into my yearly challenge or something.

[Kristie, Moderator]

Just an added bonus for the monthly theme - one of the main characters / narrators is named Rose. :)

[Saar The Book owl]

Kristie wrote: "Just an added bonus for the monthly theme - one of the main characters / narrators is named Rose. :)"

I've got a main character that is named Rose Gold, so that would work. Thanks for the hint!

[Ayacchi]

@Janice My book also has so many cameos since it's all about socializing. Once their role ends, I can't really remember their name. Feeling obliged to finish a book is something I experienced too, and it's not nice.

I decided to put down my book and just started again today. I'm on chapter 30 of Sense and Sensibility, and finally, something happened! Our characters are back and eventually someone's true color has revealed. At this point, I hate to say it since I'm more like a sensitive Marianne, but I don't like her demeanor. (view spoiler)[She acts as if the whole world is against her and ruined her. Poor Elinor has to be an object of her assumption. So, it's kind of good to see that she has to be brought back to reality. That all her expectation and dreamy dream has evaporate into a thin air. (hide spoiler)]

But then again, without these characters and personalities, this book wouldn't be entitled as it is.

[Kristie, Moderator]

Saar The Book owl wrote: "Kristie wrote: "Just an added bonus for the monthly theme - one of the main characters / narrators is named Rose. :)"

I've got a main character that is named Rose Gold, so that would work. Thanks ..."

It's also the title of your book! lol

[Saar The Book owl]

Yes :D

[Kristie, Moderator]

I finished The Good Sister: A Novel. I thought it was really good. It was a little unbelievable and convenient at times towards the end, but really engaging and it felt like it went by quickly. This is the third book I've read by Sally Hepworth and I really like her writing style. 4★ my Good Sister review

[Kristie, Moderator]

Saar The Book owl wrote: "I'm reading since yesterday and already half through it. I can recommend it very. You get easy sucked in this story."

What did you end up thinking of the story? I read it a while ago, titled Darling Rose Gold. It wasn't quite what I was expecting, but it was interesting! Here's my review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Shirley]

I have started reading Fresh Water for Flowers for this challenge (rose/s on the cover).


So far I am really enjoying the writing style, mixing both humour and sadness. It's about a young woman who is a cemetery caretaker. She takes her job seriously and gets to know the backstories of all the people interred in the cemetery. These stories form an integral part of the novel, and add depth to the main story.

[Shirley]

I’m reading Fresh Water for Flowers and I’m finding it hard to put it down. I really care about what happens to the main character, Violette, as more and more of her life events are revealed. The author has tempered the sad bits with a lots of joy. She starts each chapter with a lovely saying that would be inscribed on a headstone, for example: “There’ll always be someone missing to make my life smile: you.”
“You’re no longer where you were, but you’re everywhere that I am.”

[Shirley]

I finished reading Fresh Water for Flowers. This story, mixing both humour and sadness is immensely readable. It is the story of Violette, the main character, - a wife, a mother, a friend, a cemetery caretaker. The author writes in a mix of conversation, diary entries, and letters, revealing both the central tragedy of Violette’s life, and the connections among all the people in her life. As the reader, I felt immersed in her daily life, the mystery of the tragedy becoming merely one element of the story. Adding depth to the novel are the backstories of the people interred in the cemetery at which Violette works. Sayings that could be seen on headstones (for example, “There’ll always be someone missing to make my life smile: you.”) are used at the beginning of each chapter, adding to the poignant tone of the novel..

[Ayacchi]

I finished my Sense and Sensibility and gave it 3 stars. I didn't enjoy it as much as I did the other works. It has similar pattern that readable, we can assume what will happen or how the book will end. And the setting kept moving from one place to another yet with less event so I found it boring. I needed to take a break for a day or two to continue the book and felt obliged to finish it. Nonetheless, I'll still read her other books, or at least the famous ones.