Long Way from Verona | 
pickThis was the #EuropaCollective pick for September, which I've finally read. I ended up liking it, but I can understand why not everyone did. Jessica isn't terribly likeable at the beginning and the plot doesn't seem to go anywhere. But, it started working for me around the time of the house party. Jessica changes and matures. This won't be a favorite, but I enjoyed it. (The book for December has been shipped, so maybe I'll read that one on time!)
pickI enjoyed this #europacollective I like a precocious tween narrative ( I was getting Harriet the Spy and Flavia de Luce vibes at different points despite there being no mystery in this) Jessica Vye made me laugh and cringe in equal measures.
I‘ve got about 10 jobs around the house started ( dishes, laundry, seasonal clothes change over, thanksgiving table decorating, getting garbage and recycling sorted for pick up tomorrow, meal planning, goodwill piles and I should clean bathrooms) but I‘m freezing ( it‘s 14°C today) and I just want to drink tea and read
And this is why I love Garham.
I think this same thing about anonymous people on the internets all the time. 😂
#EuropaCollective
I think most people have already read the ‘current‘ #europacollective already but I have finally joined the party
bailedJust not feeling it. 😏 Reading life is short, like summer is in the north.
I‘m sure it‘s me - I rarely enjoy reading teen angst.
#Europacollective
pick#europacollective
I wasn‘t quite prepared at first for the precocious adolescent narrator, and it took me a little while to really get into the story. Once I gave it a chance, I really enjoyed the slice-of-life picture of growing up in 1940s England. I especially appreciated seeing the class differences through Jessica‘s eyes. Beautifully written and vividly imagined. Many of the issues Jessica grapples with map well onto 2020s adolescence. 4⭐️
rubyslippersreads, mcctrish, Jess_Read_This, Caryl, GatheringBooks, tpixie, kspenmoll, Gleefulreader, LeahBergen, TheBookDream, DrexEdit, Sapphire, Vansa, TheKidUpstairs, Aimeesue, Deblovestoread, charl08, Adventures_of_a_French_Reader, Tamra, lauraisntwilder, Chelsea.Poole, squirrelbrain, Cathythoughts, BarbaraBB, jlhammar, Sparklemn, Lesliereadsalot, JuniperWilde, julieclair, AllDebooks, willaful
pickI thought that this was rather wonderful though I am partial to the precocious, “not quite normal” girls of literature. Love Gardam‘s wit and the dialogue felt warm and authentic. Also enjoyed all the details of navigating adolescence during the early years of WWII.
#EuropaCollective
rubyslippersreads, mcctrish, Jess_Read_This, Caryl, GatheringBooks, tpixie, kspenmoll, Gleefulreader, LeahBergen, TheBookDream, DrexEdit, Sapphire, Vansa, TheKidUpstairs, Aimeesue, Deblovestoread, charl08, Adventures_of_a_French_Reader, Tamra, lauraisntwilder, Chelsea.Poole, squirrelbrain, Cathythoughts, BarbaraBB, CSeydel, Sparklemn, Lesliereadsalot, JuniperWilde, julieclair, AllDebooks, willaful
panI didn‘t think you could go wrong with Europa Editions books, but this one proved me wrong. It‘s about child, semi-intellectual and weird, yet not interesting at all. Set in the UK during WWII but that didn‘t do much for the story either. In fact nothing much happens. I am sorry I can‘t be more encouraging. #EuropaCollective
mcctrish, Jess_Read_This, Caryl, GatheringBooks, tpixie, kspenmoll, Gleefulreader, LeahBergen, TheBookDream, DrexEdit, Sapphire, TheKidUpstairs, Aimeesue, Deblovestoread, charl08, Adventures_of_a_French_Reader, Tamra, lauraisntwilder, Chelsea.Poole, squirrelbrain, Cathythoughts, allthebooks, jlhammar, CSeydel, Sparklemn, Lesliereadsalot, JuniperWilde, julieclair
Getting started on this beauty today on a beautiful day in North Myrtle Beach. I love September reads. Now to keep my gorgeous Europa edition from damage from sun and sand. #europacollective
GatheringBooks, tpixie, kspenmoll, LeahBergen, TheKidUpstairs, Aimeesue, Deblovestoread, Adventures_of_a_French_Reader, Chelsea.Poole, BarbaraBB, jlhammar
so-soThe narrator is a 13 year old girl in England during World War II. Today she would probably be referred to as “on the spectrum” as she has a compulsion to tell the truth and her teachers think there‘s something off about her. She tells about small episodes in her life, in great detail and with a lot of dialogue. Only a couple hundred pages, but it never really spoke to me. I‘ll be interested in other reader‘s thoughts.
#EuropaCollective
I ought to tell you at the beginning that I am not quite normal, having had a violent experience at the age of nine.
#FirstLineFridays. @ShyBookOwl
Getting a jump on September book for #EuropaCollective
Next up for #europacollective hosted by @jhammar Open to everyone!
original post: https://www.litsy.com/web/post/2767694
#EuropaCollective ✨September 2024✨ REMINDER
Hi Collective!
Our next pick is Jane Gardam‘s 1971 coming-of-age novel (her debut) A Long Way from Verona.
Read the book sometime in September, post your review &/or any thoughts along the way and be sure to tag the group.
All are welcome!
mcctrish, Jess_Read_This, Caryl, GatheringBooks, tpixie, kspenmoll, Gleefulreader, LeahBergen, TheBookDream, DrexEdit, Sapphire, TheKidUpstairs, Aimeesue, Deblovestoread, charl08, Adventures_of_a_French_Reader, Tamra, lauraisntwilder, Chelsea.Poole, squirrelbrain, Cathythoughts, BarbaraBB, CSeydel, Sparklemn, Lesliereadsalot, JuniperWilde, julieclair, AllDebooks
#AboutABook Day 21: Our #EuropaCollective pick for September is somewhat #Lighthearted. Paired with a limited summer special dessert of mango cheesecake with ice cream.
Well, #EuropaCollective people, it‘s a long way ahead but here are your choices for September 2024. Vote away!
(See comments for links to book descriptions).
mcctrish, GatheringBooks, DrexEdit, Aimeesue, Deblovestoread, charl08, Tamra, lauraisntwilder, squirrelbrain, BarbaraBB, jlhammar, CSeydel
I love Jane Gardam and have been saving this one for when I have the time to savor it. Seems like that time has arrived. ❤️
#Namechallenge
Thanks for the tag @Ruthiella Spell your name with book titles. I'll tag @jillrhudy and @Billypar , if they'd like to play.
This is my trip booty! Surprisingly, I wasn‘t charged extra for my severely overweight bag. How kind of them! Many I have to blame on the Tea & Tattle podcast and THE NOVEL CURE.
#bookhaul
Husband goes to Houston for work, brings back:
🌠 Mini-bottles of Scotch from Spec‘s
🌠 Beaver nuggets from Buc-ee‘s
*note: not actual beaver
🌠 potato knish from Kenny & Ziggy‘s
🌠 BOOKS ON MY WISHLIST! (Thanks for telling me about this one, @Marchpane )
October wrap up! A couple of duds this month but mostly great reads. Highlights:
🔸A Long Way from Verona - deserves to be as well-loved as I Capture the Castle
🔸The Trauma Cleaner - I keep recommending this to anyone who will listen
🔸Ghost Empire - fab intro to History of Byzantine Empire, can't wait to read his new one, Saga Land
🔸Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde - reread of an old fave
🔸The Halloween Tree - a new fave & a classic
#bestofoctober
pick⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Well, this was just blimmin delightful. Bright and charming and fierce and FUNNY.
It follows 13 year old Jessica Vye's misadventures at an English school during WWII but that description doesn't do justice to this sparkler of a book. Read if you love: I Capture the Castle, Cold Comfort Farm, Flavia de Luce etc.
As Jessica would say: I ADORED IT!
