ATreeGrowsinBrooklynBuddyRead

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A super belated review—I read this thanks to @CoffeeNBooks hosting #ATreeGrowsInBrooklynBuddyRead in January. Although it‘s slow-paced, I loved seeing turn-of-the-century Brooklyn through Francie‘s eyes as she grows up. The writing is gorgeous—beautiful descriptions of small beauties, and threads woven throughout to come full circle in the end. The depth & vividness of the characters made me understand & love them all in their own unique ways.

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Daisey

The Unwomanly Face of War: An Oral History of Women in World War II | Svetlana Alexievich

I had a fantastic reading month to start off this year. Of course I loved the reread of The Fellowship of the Ring, and my favorite new reads for the month were both Litsy readalongs as well. I also read a higher than average number of Mt. TBR books and 4 #1001books.

#ReadingStats #MonthlyStats
#FellowshipofTolkien #ATreeGrowsInBrooklynBuddyRead

tdrosebud WTG!! 4y

DareOduale Whoa!!! 👏👏👏 16 books in a month??? 4y

Daisey @tdrosebud @DareOduale Thanks! It was a really good month with some snow days that gave me lots of extra reading time. 4y

66 likes3 comments

MatchlessMarie

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn | Betty Smith

I feel like a symptom of reading this book is that I keep finding darker bread to eat. 😜 I know I‘m a few days behind the #ATreeGrowsInBrooklynBuddyRead but I should finish today. I have enjoyed reading the discussion even if I didn‘t chime in myself.

CoffeeNBooks

rubyslippersreads Do you also pour your coffee down the sink? 😂 4y

MatchlessMarie @rubyslippersreads 😆 I don‘t but lately I have been appreciating the smell more than the taste since I‘ve been cutting back on caffeine 🤪 4y

48 likes2 comments

CoffeeNBooks

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn | Betty Smith

Thanks to all of you who read this with me this month! I enjoyed the discussions each week! #ATreeGrowsInBrooklynBuddyRead

Chab256 Thanks for hosting! I enjoyed my first buddy read experience and the book! 4y

catiewithac Well, I‘m totally and forever in love with Johnnie Nolan. He stole my heart. 🖤 4y

dariazeoli Thanks for hosting! This was a great book to start the new decade with! 4y

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Hooked_on_books Thanks for hosting! The book ultimately wasn‘t for me, but I definitely made it further in than I would have if I had read it alone. 4y

Scochrane26 Thanks for hosting! @CoffeeNBooks 4y

catiewithac This was my first time reading ATGIB and my first Litsy buddy read! Thanks for making this such a great experience! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4y

mrp27 Thanks for hosting, it finally got me to read my copy that has been languishing on my shelf for years. It's a five star read for me and a new addition to my favorite list. 4y

OriginalCyn620 Thanks for hosting @CoffeeNBooks! I liked the book and am glad to have another American classic under my belt! 4y

Readswithcoffee Thanks for hosting. 4y

sheshedbooks Thank you for hosting! I mostly lurked, though. 4y

rubyslippersreads Thanks for hosting, @CoffeeNBooks ! I loved revisiting an old friend. 😊 And I‘d still recommend the 1945 movie; one of the interesting things is that James Dunn, who played Johnny, overcame his own alcoholism long enough to win an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. And Peggy Ann Garner is wonderful as Francie. 4y

rubyslippersreads Here‘s the link to the movie: https://youtu.be/p8F9VNkXbqA 4y

CoffeeNBooks @rubyslippersreads Thank you for this! Also, I see that we have the same birthday!! 4y

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CoffeeNBooks

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn | Betty Smith

#ATreeGrowsInBrooklynBuddyRead

Scochrane26 I really liked this book. Francie & her family become your friends. I wanted Francie to get over the “first love”, hopefully she did & was able to experience the world & her options. 4y

Chab256 @Scochrane26 Each time I picked it up to read, it felt like I was visiting an old friend... 4y

catiewithac I liked the commentary of how society was changing. The war, electricity, automobiles, women‘s suffrage...it was an exciting time. The moment Francie set her memory of the start of the war was so powerful. It‘s like Proust but also not. 4y

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dariazeoli I agree, Francie felt like a friend after reading about her over so many years. It was nice to see her on her way to new beginnings. 4y

Daisey I‘m so glad I finally made time to read this. I loved the description and the discussion. Thanks again, @CoffeeNBooks! 4y

mrp27 I'm not a Brooklyn girl but I've spent the better half of my life in Brooklyn with family and I loved how she explains that Brooklyn is not just a place but a feeling, so true. There's no other place in the world like it and it's hard describing it to people who haven't experienced it. 4y

OriginalCyn620 I‘m glad I finally read this and agree that reading about Francie and her formative years was like spending time with a friend. 4y

rubyslippersreads I‘m so happy that so many of you loved this book as much as I do. 😊 4y

35 likes8 comments

CoffeeNBooks

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn | Betty Smith

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#ATreeGrowsInBrooklynBuddyRead

Scochrane26 I like that he waited for her, they both seemed to know early on that the relationship would happen. Glad Katie got to move up in the world. 4y

Chab256 I love that he waited for her all those years and that the family finally got some stability and happiness. 4y

dariazeoli I liked that they got a happy ending, but the marriage seemed so... transactional to me. 4y

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Daisey I liked the two of them together. I understand what @dariazeoli means, but I also think they have both felt a possible connection for a long time so there is more to it. 4y

mrp27 It was foreshadowed at the picnic so I wasn't overly surprised but I feel a twinge of it being a too perfect of an ending for Katie. 4y

OriginalCyn620 I agree with @dariazeoli ... I think there‘s respect there and mutual liking but love didn‘t seem to be a part of it, at least on Katie‘s part. But it‘s nice that Katie and the kids have a better situation. 4y

Readswithcoffee I‘m glad it worked out. Seems like a good situation for both of them. I think it is possible that love will grow over time. 4y

rubyslippersreads I agree with @dariazeoli that it was transactional (though I think McShane truly loves Katie), but it was difficult for women to survive at that time without that type of transaction. And Annie Laurie will have a much easier life than her siblings (if not as much fun. 😊) 4y

7 likes8 comments

CoffeeNBooks

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn | Betty Smith

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#ATreeGrowsInBrooklynBuddyRead

Scochrane26 Love it 4y

Chab256 Her determination was amazing and no doubt came in part from her watching her Mother through the years carry on with the same sort of determination. 4y

dariazeoli I think Francie‘s tenacity is impressive. 4y

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Daisey I loved this part. It seemed to make perfect sense as a way for her to continue her studies. 4y

mrp27 Francie has moxie, along with that Rommely steel and I love it. 4y

OriginalCyn620 I loved it! Like the other women in her family, she‘s strong and determined and made her own way. 4y

rubyslippersreads Francie is another strong Rommely woman. 4y

6 likes7 comments

CoffeeNBooks

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn | Betty Smith

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#ATreeGrowsInBrooklynBuddyRead

Scochrane26 It was an effective visual & true in the sense that each in the family would eventually go their own way. (edited) 4y

dariazeoli A powerful metaphor on a couple of levels. I guess many families break up that way. 4y

mrp27 Such a true metaphor for the ups and downs of family and life. 4y

OriginalCyn620 It‘s a great comparison and very powerful...it happens in many families. 4y

rubyslippersreads In spite of this, I think the family will stay together more than Francie thinks. 4y

8 likes5 comments

CoffeeNBooks

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn | Betty Smith

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#ATreeGrowsInBrooklynBuddyRead

Readswithcoffee It seemed extremely unfair to me. Katie seems to always be able to justify her actions using her own logic. 4y

Scochrane26 I was so upset about this. For some reason, Katie seems to think Francie is more capable of taking care of herself. Her logic that Francie would find a way, which she did. But, at the time, it was unfair. 4y

Chab256 I understood Katie's logic, but I am not sure I would have made the same choice. It was certainly unfair to Francie, but in the end it only made her stronger and heightened a fierce independent spirit in her. 4y

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catiewithac It worked out for Francie. She got a great education at the clippings job AND jumped right to college. Of course, it‘s not fair, but life ain‘t fair. 4y

dariazeoli It seems par for the course with Katie. She‘s so practical and it can be maddening. It‘s not fair to Francie. 4y

Daisey This seemed very unfair to me. I did somewhat understand the logic in Francie finding a way no matter what, but I didn‘t like it. 4y

mrp27 Made me angry and I thought it was so unfair but also typical of Katie. 4y

OriginalCyn620 Was not surprised at all. She didn‘t support Francie throughout the whole book. I‘m just glad it worked out for Francie. 4y

sheshedbooks Unfair. But, it really is true to her feelings. 4y

rubyslippersreads I wouldn‘t have expected Katie to do anything else. In a way she‘s right—Newley wouldn‘t go to school if she didn‘t make him, while Francie would find a way—but it‘s still so hurtful for Francie. 4y

7 likes10 comments

BarbaraJean

Momentous Events in the Life of a Cactus | Dusti Bowling

This week‘s #BookReport!

🌳I finished A Tree Grows in Brooklyn for the #ATreeGrowsInBrooklynBuddyRead—and I LOVED it.
🚪I MAY have devoured Come Tumbling Down in 2 days
⚓️I‘m almost 1/3 through Ship of Destiny (started last Saturday)
✅Kept up with daily Word by Word reading, and finished 3 more chapters in Wearing God
🌵I MAY have just read 200 pages of Momentous Events tonight
☹️I didn‘t read any of View from the Cheap Seats or Thirst this week

Cinfhen

Cinfhen Great week🥰👍🏻📚and wonderful use of emoji‘s 🙌🏻 4y

BarbaraJean @Cinfhen Thank you! I do enjoy theming my emojis appropriately. 😁 4y

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