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5⭐️

This is an extraordinary novel that depicts the entangled lives of the Wellwood, Fluud, and Cain families at the end of the 19th and into the 20th century. Byatt is remarkable in her descriptions of the Kentish countryside during the halcyon days of childhood.
I was reading this for the WWI prompt for #BookedinTime I'm not sure it counts as the war only appears in the last few chapters. However, by giving us such a detailed, prolonged

Cont

Sunday came around fast!
Are you planning on joining our Sunday #HyggeHour readathon? What will you be reading/doing?

We have the Euro finals tonight, so I'll probably be moving my #Hyggehour to an earlier time. Come on, England ⚽️

@TheBookHippie @Chrissyreadit

#7covers7days my favourite cover with a lalique art nouveau dragonfly.

1. Back to Burgundy - I know I saw that one this year because it was just a few weeks ago, it's hard for me to remember what I saw when
2. A meal in a nice restaurant - it gives you plenty of time to talk.
3. I really don't have one
4. Tagged book is my most recent bail
5. Will do👍🙂

#Friyayintro

OK, I am officially bailing on this one. I didn't hate it, it just didn't hold my attention enough to make me prioritise getting back to it over all the other things I want to read.

Our library is switching over to the bookstore model of cataloging and one of the major changes is how we “shelve” our children‘s books. Today, our new book bins came in so the afternoon was spent removing the old, government shelving and transferring all the picture books to our new book bins. Time will tell how difficult it will be for those of us that work at the library to find a particular book but the patrons are already loving it.

As I read this I felt it to be more a vehicle for the author to show off her erudition and the breadth and depth of her knowledge. When I thought about it afterwards, I realized she had created some compelling characters and intriguing story-lines (although these sometimes got lost in the fact recitals). Esoteric facts about the writers, artists, political figures, thinkers, and the various cultural and political movements of the Edwardians 👇🏻

I believe that (more than 100 years after the time depicted in this book) this is a fairly accurate description of the majolica “refreshment room” at the Victoria and Albert?

Finished this a while back and will review soon. I liked the quote above about reading.

I have very mixed feelings about this book. THis was my 4th attempt at reading it and I was bored still by the first half but then it turned a corner for me and there were parts I found wonderful and engaging mixed in with the dreary parts. I do think it was a clever book in the way she captured an era. The scope and focus on the period made it hard to connect to any one character but the book gives the reader an in-depth view of the times.

The center of the story are two families, both dedicated to art, creativity ... and to dark secrets. Extremely thoughtful story has excellent rich, detailed descriptive prose - elements that make this story compelling, and in some segments even magical. Very knowledgeable story, driven by social changes is filled with the ideas... and those are the same reasons for my almost completely indifference. To many ideas in very encyclopedic manner.

I bought this novel back in 2011 when it first came out and was translated, forgetting that I already had an other of her novels on my shelf, "Possession. A Romance". Unfortunately for me I read this "Possession" first and to be honest I'm not a fan and #children stood unread on my shelves, until now. And now I'm wondering why I didn't read this sooner. This one is absolutely amazing. I was completely hooked from the first page. (cont. below)

I really enjoyed the first few chapters and was excited about the potential. I also enjoyed the short fantasy stories, which is unusual for me. But then the numerous characters and what plot there was spiraled out of control so there didn‘t seem to be hardly any cohesion. And the end? I laughed because I swiped the page forward on my Kjndle expecting there to be more. A forgettable read - I don‘t even remember the characters‘ names now.

I feel bad giving this a so-so. I loved Possession & foolishly expected another Possession. I'm in awe of the scope & ambition of this book, covering a particular time in British history ahead of WWI. Fabianism, the Arts & Crafts movement, socialism, women's suffrage, the vibrance of children's lit at the time—fascinating. But there was too much & too many characters; it felt crowded & I couldn't find a way *in* to feel much about any of them.

Ready to start next week's reading for #children

So the clocks ticks on for #13inThree

I didn't care for this book at all. There are so many characters and storylines (why??), all are potentially interesting. However because of the quantity, none is really well worked out. All subjects (war, art, politics) are being only touched upon. On me this had the effect that I ended up not being interested in any of the subjects or the characters. I really wonder what point Byatt wants to make with this book.

#children #1001books

I‘m almost caught up with the group #childrensbook

I think I‘ll probably finish it this time around thanks to @BarbaraBB and the buddy read. I am still finding it tedious. I simply don‘t care what happens to any of them. There are moments I find engaging but for the most part I‘m just going through the motions to finish it

Pretty #audiowalk to work this morning.
It's been a little slow going, but overall I'm really enjoying this book. Only at the halfway point, but I'm getting more and more invested. Not sure I'd be able to focus on this in print right now.

A list of some of the children books being published around 1900. The list continues onto the next page as well. More than one of these have survived the test of time.

#children

I love this description of memory at the start of chapter 26. It rings so true, how we remember certain things and how even them might change through time.

#children

I am having such a hard time with this book. I am not able to read it in one go and each time I pick it up again I am fighting to stay focussed. And that while I enjoy some of the storylines, the art references and the political-historical facts. If I didn‘t organize this readalong myself I might have bailed. For now I am not and keep hoping the struggle will be worth it in the end! #childrensbook #maylovesclassics #children

After reading about Paris, I just had to google it. And I found this picture from the Exposition Universelle 1900 on Wikipedia. The Eiffel Tour was already built for an earlier exposition.

#children

4th time‘s the charm? I doubt it - I‘m already bored. Must keep going...

#childrens #readalong

“Two boys stood in the Prince Consort Gallery, and looked down on a third.”

#openingline #bookcover #1of365 #bookgnome #dumbledwarf

I started a little late on the #children readalong so it's early days for me, but I am drawn in and entranced by these people's lives. I can see that @Centique was right in describing it as rich in lush detail. I find myself stopping to look up every art and politics reference. Just now I lost almost a half hour looking up Minton porcelain and trying to understand why William Morris considered it an "abomination" ? @BarbaraBB

First day of the #children readalong and so far so good. I'm really enjoying this so far, maybe too many characters have been introduced, but I hope to get them sorted out as I read further. Other than that, this book as sucked me in.

My #MayTBR is quite predictable - two books for buddy reading: Grapes of Wrath (host is @Tove_Reads ) and The Children‘s Book (host is @BarbaraBB ), The Secret Life of Bees for #LMPBC (host is @suvata ), Notes from the Hyena‘s Belly for #ReadAroundTheWorld (host is @JenP )

#ReadingResolutions

Ooh, this is interesting! Was poking around the career page on #BOTM's site and came across this tidbit - there's going to be a soft launch for a Children's Book of the Month Club membership in May! Not that I personally need or read children's books, but thought some of you parents/teachers might find it interesting! 😄

My best friend just started selling Usborne books... uh oh, this could be very bad!!!

#septembowie #underground

The mother in this book is a fairytale writer who writes a book for each of her children. Her book for her son Tom is called "Tom Underground" about a boy that gets lost underground looking for his lost shadow. Lots of imagery about being underground so I thought of it immediately!
A huge, difficult but rewarding book that is hard to describe so I've added in a bit from an LA Times book review to help!

I came across this at a relative's home in Aklan, but I had no time to borrow it. I love A.S. Byatt and wish I could read this!

Airport reading after being out of country! Looking forward to catching up with all of you! This book, by the way, is capturing me with the same intensity as Possession!

#BLUEDABADE Pretty blue cover on this one.

I love this #bluecover. Now I just need to get around to reading the words inside. #17rainbowbooks

Went to the library to return some movies and had to browse the carts of books. Grabbed this illustrated Edgar Allan Poe and then picked up the children's book, which I've never heard of but the cover was interesting and I do like historical fiction.

Anybody read this?

Stopped by the library to pick up a hold, and found these on the sale shelf!! It has been crazy at work, so this was much needed therapy 😊. 📚📚📚📚📚 #nosuchthingastoomanybooks #bookhaul

Which book has been your best recent second hand find?
I got a beautiful copy of The Children's Book for pennies at the book fair on the Southbank on my last trip to London.

It's #Recommendsday and I would like to introduce you to this beauty here. Losely modelled on the life of E. Nesbit, it's a story about reading and writing, family, loss, war and the bohemian lifestyle. And don't you just adore this cover???? 😍😍

It's #Recommendsday and I would like to introduce you to this beauty here. Losely modelled on the life of E. Nesbit, it's a story about reading and writing, family, loss, war and the bohemian lifestyle. And don't you just adore this cover???? 😍😍

I'm I the only one here who loves Five Books? This list is amazing and blowing up my TBR.

I bailed for now - I'll pick it back up later! It's on my TBR pile!

Whenever I see a dragonfly, I think of A. S. Byatt's The Childrens's Book. This one is on the wall of Glyptoteket in Copenhagen.

A long and engaging read with a vivid cast of characters.

Long and winding but engaging, this novel is a good pick for people who have liked her previous work, and those who like fantasy and Dickens.

Lazy Sunday and perfect weather= hammock reads

Time to power read this book club beast before our meeting next week.