Sorcery & Cecelia Buddy Read

[Shel, Moderator]

Upon request, here is an unofficial thread for discussion of Sorcery & Cecelia: or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot by Patricia C. Wrede for anyone who would like to participate!

[Leticia]

Thanks a lot!
Is this planned for February or would you like to buddy read this before?

[Shel, Moderator]

This is entirely up to you all. It’s not an officially scheduled discussion, so you can chime in whenever you want.

[Kathi, Moderator & Book Lover]

I’m in! I could set up a poll for folks who are interested to express a month preference.

Also, can someone explain what a “Buddy read” is, other than an unofficial group discussion of the same book(s)?

[Leticia]

I have a buddy read group where we try to post more times at each third of the book or so, and we try to start the book together so we can discuss it as we read. The pool is a good idea.

[Kathi, Moderator & Book Lover]

Before I move forward, I am hoping Mary Catelli will chime in, since she is the person who has nominated Sorcery & Cecelia: or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot a number of times. Mary, how do you feel about a Buddy Read, or would you prefer to nominate the book for BotM again?

Of course, people can still choose to read whatever they like and comment in the “What are you reading in (insert month)?”

The Buddy Read option is still on the table, as is a poll to see which month would work. A Buddy Read might make it harder for the book to garner enough votes to move through the BotM polling.

Other group members—what do you think?

[Nyssa]

I think there is enough interest to garner a buddy read. Sorcery & Cecelia seems to come in second place almost every time it is nominated. Open-ended buddy reads (with a start date but no specific end date) also encourage others to read it at their own pace and participate when they are ready.

Discussing a specific book with others interested in the same book is more enjoyable than just posting in the "What are you reading" thread.

I am in a group dedicated to buddy reads (as opposed to BotM selections), and it is a lot of fun, especially as there is less pressure to complete the book(s) by a specific date.

[Leticia]

I can start this anytime.

[Kathi, Moderator & Book Lover]

IF you are interested in a Buddy Read for Sorcery & Cecelia: or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot by Patricia C. Wrede, please vote in the poll to let us know what month you prefer.

Buddy Read Poll

Poll will be open through December 20.

[Kathi, Moderator & Book Lover]

The poll is still open, but based on early returns, I’d say readers can likely plan on staring this Buddy Read in January 2023. Just a heads up if you are planning ahead…

[Nyssa]

That's the one month I can't do. :(

[Kathi, Moderator & Book Lover]

Nyssa wrote: "That's the one month I can't do. :("

:-( Darn! But, as always, every discussion topic thread stays open indefinitely. I will be gone part of January, so I may not start it until later as well.

[Nyssa]

Kathi wrote: "Nyssa wrote: "That's the one month I can't do. :("

:-( Darn! But, as always, every discussion topic thread stays open indefinitely. I will be gone part of January, so I may not start it until late..."

We can start late together! :D

[Kathi, Moderator & Book Lover]

Poll is closed and, as expected, it looks like most of the potential Buddy Readers either have no preference or prefer we start in January. We will use this topic thread for our comments. Since we will be reading and discussing as we go along at our own various paces, please either hide spoilers behind tags or clearly mark them in some other way. (I think that will work OK for those who want to comment as they go along and those who are starting later or reading more slowly.)

[Kathi, Moderator & Book Lover]

OK, I’m in for the Buddy Read and started this book today. I’m just getting used to the style (letters between Cecelia and Kate) and am glad I am reading in the Kindle app so I can easily look up unfamiliar vocabulary from the 1800s.

Has anyone else started? (I didn’t think I’d get to this before I leave on vacation, but I surprised myself by finishing my other books more quickly than expected.)

[Leticia]

I will finish a current book and then start this.

[Kathi, Moderator & Book Lover]

How old are Kate & Cecy meant to be? At times they seem like young teens, at other times a bit older. I guess I should look up at what age do young women “come out” in Regency England.

Edited to add that there’s not much magic in the early going…

[Mary]

Lydia is considered a little young to be out at under 16.

[Kathi, Moderator & Book Lover]

I’m wondering if the other Kate & Cecelia books use a similar format. I may continue on with the series but am wondering about the format. I can’t decide if it leads to a more “tell” than “show” style of writing since the young women are actually telling each other what’s been happening in their respective locations.

[Mary]

Kathi wrote: "I’m wondering if the other Kate & Cecelia books use a similar format. I may continue on with the series but am wondering about the format. I can’t decide if it leads to a more “tell” than “show” st..."
It's all documents but not all letters to each other.

[Kathi, Moderator & Book Lover]

Mary wrote: "It's all documents but not all letters to each other."

Good to know, thanks!

[Mary]

I will add that I think this one is definitely the best

[Kathi, Moderator & Book Lover]

OK, Buddy Readers—whose voice are you enjoying more, Kate’s or Cecy’s?

I think I prefer Cecy, but I don’t think I can exactly say why.

On a different topic, Cecy has a father but no mother, just her Aunt Elizabeth. Does Kate have parents? She seems to just have Aunt Charlotte. Do I have that right?

[Leticia]

I am in Chapter 9 and I enjoy both POVs but Kate seems to be bolder or her part of the narrative seems more interesting at the moment. I am a bit lost on the side characters atm too.

[Leticia]

Chapter 19, this is a very fast and cozy read.

[Kathi, Moderator & Book Lover]

I will say that Kate’s portion seemed more “Regency-ish” in terms of society, social outings, the clothes and manners and all. Cecelia, being in the country, seemed to have a bit less rigid environment.

Oliver, Cecy’s brother, seems to have gone missing, yet no one seems too concerned—or their concern feels like an afterthought.

[Leticia]

Yes, it is all very bubbly and for that reason I am not so immersed. I think this is middle grade? Or YA? A bit dark but perhaps too cozy for adults? In any case a fast read.

[Leticia]

On Chapter 23, this is entertaining but I might read only the first book and not continue because I am not the audience for middle-grade.

[Leticia]

I finished it.
(view spoiler)[
This was interesting but the epistolary narrative didn't work for me. I was never really caring for the characters or immersed in the story due to that.
(hide spoiler)]

[Kathi, Moderator & Book Lover]

Are Kate & Cecy cousins? Are Aunt Elizabeth and Aunt Charleston sisters?

I finished and rated it 7/10. Regency romance is not my thing, and it took a while for the fantasy elements to really blossom (view spoiler)[after the initial exposure in the garden when Kate is almost poisoned. (hide spoiler)] I found the epistolary style interesting—mail service was pretty fast in Regency England! Neither Kate’s nor Cecy’s “voice” was particularly unique, so I sometimes found myself confusing them, as well as the aunts and various gentlemen of interest. (view spoiler)[And the rapid development from romantic interest to marriage was surprising. (hide spoiler)]

Still, it was a quick read, fun and pretty light. I will likely read the others in the Kate & Cecelia series. since I bought them in an ebook omnibus.

[Shel, Moderator]

Avoiding all of the comments above for fear of spoilers, but I've just downloaded this from the library and it'll be next when I finish Tales from Earthsea!

[Shel, Moderator]

I finished this last night and thought it good fun. I wavered between 3 and 4 stars for a rating and ended up bumping it to 4 upon learning that the book had its genesis in a letter-writing game between the two authors, because I just find that idea delightful.

Did it wrap up a little too neatly to be plausible? Yes, it did. But I was so charmed by it that it didn't matter to my enjoyment of the book.

I did think that the two girls' voices were a little too similar; I managed to keep track of who I was reading about just based on whether the action was in London or not.

[Mary]

Ironic, given they were two different women.

[Shel, Moderator]

I know, that's what made it so surprising to me!

[Kathi, Moderator & Book Lover]

I started the next book and am still having trouble distinguishing between the 2 main female characters AND their spouses! Is it the Regency effect?