The Guest Book: A Novel | 
pick1-19-22: My 8th finished book of 2022! A sweeping story encompassing 3 generations of the Milton family. In 1935, Kitty Milton sets the tone of life in NYC and on the Island. In 1959, Kitty‘s 3 children, especially Joan and Moss, branch out into a new world of acceptance and love. And in present day, Kitty‘s granddaughter, Evie, tries to learn all the secrets of their past. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️📖#️⃣8️⃣
so-soThis sweeping and somewhat ponderous book looks across 3 generations of a wealthy family. It‘s supposed to be a profound look at the reverberations of prejudice, but since the youngest generation seems unaware of this and many of the characters talk past each other, the impact is lessened. It does evoke a wonderful sense of place in the family‘s Maine island summer home, but otherwise feels too much like an early draft.
pickThe Guest Book follows a young, successful family that appear to have everything in 1935. The unexpected loss of one of their children changes the Milton family forever. The family business ties to the Nazi's come back to haunt the family throughout future generations as does their racism. Family secrets come to light for the future generations after family deaths. The book is long & I restarted it several times; the end had me in tears.
Truth! This book has been between a So-So and a Pick for me. I guess you could say it‘s had its moments since I didn‘t bail.
pickOverall I would say I liked this book. The story was abut a family that covered 3 generations. They owned an island in Maine. It covered issues of racism and anti-semitism. The writing was very descriptive which made the book longer than it needed to be. It also made it move more slowly. But I have a hard time saying it wasn‘t a good book.
bailedYeah I dunno... people love this book but no. Prose sometimes lovely, sometimes completely overwrought. Kitty is interesting in that we mourn with her while loathing her anti-Semitism & snobbery. Cinematic scene swirling up through rooms of Upper East Side apartment, ending in heartbreak, is effective. But 400 more pages with these characters? I don‘t have it in me. 2019
pickThis is billed as covering serious racial and political issues, which it kind of did, but from the point of view of a very wealthy family in NYC who own an island in Maine. Nazism, anti-semitism & racism are viewed through the lens of the perpetrators which lends an odd distance and, as there is no kind of redemption, almost an acceptance of the status-quo.
There were also too many characters and two with the same name - confusing!
Good-ish 3/5
Here is the cover with a house. Lots of castles, and mansions, this mission had me thinking!
#ispy @Lynnsoprano
Tagging @SquidgetsRoom and @Linsy to find a book cover with an ocean!
Business travel slows the reading but I am just fine waiting for a colleague that is running late.
I‘ve switched to red wine but my Friday night plans haven‘t really changed. #finallyfallweather #actuallyanoreaster
Today is a godawful miserable day that basically nothing could cheer up but I am looking forward to the day I can enjoy my Instagram giveaway wins! Thanks Flatiron books.
bailedI just CANNOT get into this book. I took a break from it and then attempted it again.... It's just so SLOW. I made it to chapter ten, but that's it. I'm out.
pickI have been away for awhile, and posting sporadically before that. I am going to try to change that in the upcoming days, as I have missed this community.
Just finished this book, I am not sure how I feel about it yet. It felt too long, too detailed in some ways, yet too vague in others.
View from my front porch on this beautiful September day! 😊
It‘s an Amazon deal today! I have not read it but it seems to be everywhere, so I grabbed it for a good price.
pickHotel reading. Overall I really enjoyed this historical fiction but it gets really slow in the middle. It follows three generations of women: Rich and newly married Kitty in the 1930s, smart and sassy Joan (Kitty‘s daughter) in the 1950s, and sweet Evie in present day who is tasked with deciding to keep the giant family island in Maine. Nice historical settings and characters but most of the middle could have been cut.
"If there are places that hold us, keeping us in them, surely too there are people, he felt, people who work like mirrors for the selves we have forgotten."
Too true. ?
pickHistorical fiction that jumped back and forth to the present time, as a family member learned about what happened. Small private island in Maine, issues of money and inequality.
The first of two groups. Everything I got was deeply discounted today, thank goodness. 🙈
I‘ll be needing “Education” for a book club meeting in a few months. “The Guest Book” sounds amazing and takes place in a state I love, Maine. I‘m looking to be introduced to a great new thriller series, and Quinn Colson might do it for me. We‘ll see. 😎
Have you read any of these?!
#LilithJuly #Brassinpocket
The ‘Brass‘ in the song means money, so I thought of this recent B&N bookclub pick.
Once I found my groove with Blake‘s very descriptive writing, I really enjoyed this multi-generational family saga set on a family‘s private island.
On the surface there is elegance and privilege, yet hidden beneath the shallow veneer is an underbelly of secrets, lies and prejudices. It lead to a great discussion! Lots to talk about!
so-soTime for a check in! I‘m at 9 1/2 hours so far. Most has been audiobook listening, since I‘ve been working on household projects. Just took a late lunch (leftover onion, mushroom, spinach, & feta frittata w/ grape tomatoes & cold brewed watermelon mint tea 🍉🍃) The Guest Book is one of those books I think I should have read, & not listened to. It just didn‘t grip or keep my interest. 🤷♀️ It‘s finished & I‘m on to the next book! #24in48 @24in48
Late lunch today, a noon appointment, pushed things back a bit. I‘m enjoying a quiet moment with my current read (I‘ve been flipping back & forth between audio & physical, anyone else do the same?) & leftover green chicken curry. It‘s even better now that the flavours have marinated together. I have just enough leftover rice, to make a favourite breakfast tomorrow, rice cereal w/ nutmeg, cinnamon & allspice - it reminds me of my childhood!
pickoverall, i liked it, but it was probably 100 pages too long.
This passage in the chapter I was reading this morning jumped out to the genealogist in me.
pickI loved this book. Full review at www.safepassagesandprose.com
Signups are open for next months #24in48 !!!! I signed up...did you?!?
#read #reader #bookaholic #bookstagrammer #bookobsessed #bookhoarder #bookstagram #bookaholic #bookwork #bookathon #readathon @24in48
pickThree generations of the Milton family spanning from the 1930s to present day. The book focuses on the social inhumanities during this period, telling the reader that families thoughts/values can change with each generation, but core family values will remain.
For thoughts and additional findings: https://recommended-4.com/blog/2019/06/09/the-guest-book/
pickHave you ever heard the phrase “the sins of our fathers?” That kept popping up in my mind. There‘s so much truth to it in this story. In their minds they felt so far above everyone else they couldn‘t see it. White privilege, racial inequality + guilt all played a role in the three generations of the Milton family history. Blake‘s writing was perfection + kept me turning pages. 4 ☆ #bookclub
My husband asked if I wanted to work out with him this morning? No...I just want to relax and read 🤓
#reader #ireadinbed #bedreader #bookstagrammer #bookobsessed #bookhoarder #bookstagram #bookworm #bookish #bookishlove #booker #bookgram #bookaholic
pickA little slow to start, as Blake‘s writing is VERY descriptive...... But once I found my groove with it, I really enjoyed this multi-generational family saga centered around a family‘s private island.
On the surface there is elegance and privilege, yet hidden beneath this shallow veneer is an underbelly of secrets, lies and prejudices. This should be a great discussion at the B&N bookclub in June.... lots to talk about!
pickThis book was all the stars to me. I'm on a really good book roll right now and this is something that really made me think and also had me crying at times. I urge everyone to give this a try - although the pacing can be slower at parts so I know this won't be for everyone.
Full review here! https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2662466326
I am starting this for the BN book club.
I am starting this for the BN book club.
Guys, the struggle was real to try and read this past holiday weekend. So much yard work, but hopefully I will wrap this book up in the next few days. It is very, very good.
pickThis book raises some really interesting questions. Can we change who we are or who we are meant to be? Can we ever really make a big change in the world? How would we have reacted at specific times in history (mainly WW II and the civil rights movement). It was good and it was really long!
Reading with my feet up. Put my girls down to bed a little early since they were cranky from no naps 🤦🏻♀️ so hubby and I are reading in our little library #couplesgoals
#read #readtogether #bookstagrammer #bookgram #bookobsessed #bookhoarder #bookstagram #ashsbookmarks #forsale
(This was a bookmark I made for Valentines, I love it so much!)
My little reading corner on the couch 🛋 so I can be close to the fam but still in a different world 🥰 I got the lamp from Costco. I loved it so much that I bought another one for the other side of the couch 😍
#readingcorner #readingnook #grey #read #bookstagrammer #bookobsessed #bookhoarder #bookstagram #bookish #bookishlove #costcofinds
Oh....hello....you get me!!! 🥰 (Golf mag is my husband‘s....I hate golf!)
#ihategolf #bookstagrammer #bookobsessed #bookhoarder #bookstagram #books #book #reader #bookish #bookishlove #bookworm #wordporn
Starting this tonight!!
I‘ve heard the pace is pretty slow to begin with, so hopefully this won‘t disappoint. I‘ve adjusted my expectations down so hopefully that helps.
#currentlyreading #librarybook
so-soThis novel was my least favorite book out of the barnes and noble . It took me about halfway through the book to get into it. Once i got into it was better. I really enjoyed the time jumps and the history of this novel.
Wine Monday? I‘ll take it! Enjoying some outside time at the vineyard
I am starting this tonight for the BN Book Club. Anyone else reading it for the book club?
It‘s really too cold to be reading outside but I don‘t care! The sun is finally out and I‘m celebrating wine Wednesday! So excited to be able to go to the B&N book club meeting next week, I have to get ready!
