FurrowedMiddlebrowClub

What an unpleasant family! Although living cheek by jowl with all of your in-laws would probably make most people cranky. 😏 And I did want to find out what happened, in spite of the unlikeable characters.

#FurrowedMiddleBrowClub

Tamra Yes! It would drive me batty to live with them if I didn‘t work outside the home to get away. The son who was the market grower had it best. 😜 2w

Ruthiella Agree, everyone was pretty terrible and yet I did want to know what would happen. 😂 Their social sphere was way too small. No wonder Mrs. Rockaby was dying to move back to London. 2w

Ruthiella P.S. Nice call back to Mr. George‘s hobby/book in your picture! 👍 2w

LeahBergen I was thinking the exact thing about living all together like that!!! 😬 2w

CarolynM It might not have been so bad if any of the other villagers had been people you could be friends with! 2w

43 likes5 comments

CarolynM

Family Ties: A Novel | Celia Buckmaster

pick

What a charmless lot these characters were! I had trouble feeling sympathy for any of them, except maybe Lavinia who seemed to be doing her best. #FurrowedMiddlebrowClub

rubyslippersreads, quietjenn, Jess_Read_This, Kimzey, erzascarletbookgasm, catebutler, LeahBergen, JenlovesJT47, Lizpixie, elkeOriginal, Gissy, Aimeesue, batsy, Tamra, bookandbedandtea, Teresereading, Sace, kwmg40, Cathythoughts, Ruthiella, Sparklemn, julieclair, willaful, MrsK

Ruthiella Lavinia and Mrs. Monsoon seemed OK. But the bar is very low! 😆 3w

LeahBergen ‘Charmless lot‘ is exactly right! 😂 3w

Tamra @LeahBergen 😂 great review & description! 3w

Centique Lovely flowers! 2w

rubyslippersreads I felt sympathy for the poor cat! 😾 2w

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Ruthiella

Family Ties: A Novel | Celia Buckmaster

pick

#FurrowedMiddlebrowClub

The middle and upper class of a small English village rub along together awkwardly in this novel. The eccentric Mr. Monsoon, the pretentious Mrs. Rockaby, the loony Lady Tyce, etc. There‘s no real plot nor any character to root for really, but I enjoyed it on the whole. It‘s often funny and has maybe a subtle feminist edge to it at times, but as @Tamra noted, much longer would have been too long.

rubyslippersreads, quietjenn, Jess_Read_This, Kimzey, erzascarletbookgasm, catebutler, CarolynM, LeahBergen, JenlovesJT47, Lizpixie, elkeOriginal, Gissy, Aimeesue, batsy, bookandbedandtea, Teresereading, Sace, kwmg40, Sparklemn, julieclair, willaful, MrsK

LeahBergen That ditch! 😂 3w

Tamra 😷😂 3w

Tamra I really expected more about Mrs. Tyce and her poison pen! That could have been a really fun storyline. (edited) 3w

See All 10 Comments

Ruthiella @LeahBergen The ditch is the only character that has a transformative arc! 😂 3w

Ruthiella @Tamra For sure! 3w

Tamra @Ruthiella 🤣 3w

CarolynM Perfect picture! 🤣 @LeahBergen 3w

Ruthiella @CarolynM You can almost smell it! 😷 3w

rubyslippersreads I‘m surprised someone didn‘t get thrown into that ditch! 🤣 2w

Ruthiella @rubyslippersreads Oh! That would have been quite something! I guess Mr. Monsoon winging his daughter-in-law was enough excitement. 😂 2w

75 likes10 comments

Ruthiella

Untitled | Unknown

#weekendreads

I have two lighter books on tap this weekend, which is a relief from other heavier reads.

One for #FurrowedMiddlebrowClub and one that will fit both the #serieslove2025 and #offmyshelf challenges.

I need to get back on track/catch up with #KLBR !

rachelsbrittain

rubyslippersreads I‘m in the same boat with #KLBR. 4w

Ruthiella @rubyslippersreads May we both get our groove back! 🤞 4w

57 likes2 comments

Tamra

Family Ties: A Novel | Celia Buckmaster

pick

“Yes”, Mr. Swan says to himself, “the human family. Yes.”

This is an observational study about how family members can love & drive one another crazy in equal measure. 😜

I really enjoyed it, but I‘m also glad it wrapped up when it did because family bickering doesn‘t provide much in the way of narrative drive.

#FurrowedMiddlebrowClub

Tamra In the end I sort of pitied Swan, despite being so rigid & insensitive to others. But, I suspect he‘s happier alone. (edited) 4w

Tamra Also, Amy???? On the one hand yay for her getting out of an unhappy situation, on the other I can‘t applaud her abandoning her children. (Maybe she still sees them.) But that was bold for a 1950‘s plotpoint - women taking control of their destiny. 4w

franciscopoppie Hi Tamra
I don‘t usually comment like this, but I must say, I‘m truly impressed by your profile and your personality. Your sense of humor really stands out too it's refreshing and inspiring 🌺❣. You can send me a message in my gmail: franciscopoppie@gmail.com

LeahBergen Swan is definitely cut out to be a “confirmed bachelor”. 😆 And I couldn‘t believe that Amy just up and left like that. I thought at first that her husband was just using fighting words when he accused her of not caring about the children. I guess he was right! 4w

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LeahBergen

Family Ties: A Novel | Celia Buckmaster

pick

A novel about the “impoverished semi-gentry of a country village, consisting of cantankerous parents and frustrated adult children… Each family quarrels with itself in the same laconic and polite way”. That quote from an early review sums up the plot perfectly. It seems to have a more wry feel to it than many of our other #FurrowedMiddlebrowClub reads (and one of the best descriptions of an awkward tea party ever 😆).

I enjoyed it!

rubyslippersreads, quietjenn, Jess_Read_This, Kimzey, erzascarletbookgasm, catebutler, CarolynM, LeahBergen, JenlovesJT47, Lizpixie, elkeOriginal, Gissy, Aimeesue, batsy, Tamra, bookandbedandtea, Teresereading, Sace, kwmg40, Cathythoughts, Ruthiella, Sparklemn, julieclair, willaful, MrsK

Ruthiella I‘ve not started yet, but based on your review and @Tamra ‘s comments, I‘m really going to like this one. 😊 1mo

Tamra Wry is the perfect adjective! I am loving how each family is perfectly imperfect in their own ways. 😊 (edited) 1mo

CarolynM It does seem to have a slightly different tone from many of the others - makes village life sound less appealing. 1mo

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Tamra @CarolynM village life always seems appealing until everyone can hear & comment on you sneezing. 🤧🤣 1mo

Cathythoughts I like the sound of this ‘Wry‘ one. Great review ❤️👍🏻 1mo

LeahBergen @Ruthiella I hope you like it! 🤞 4w

LeahBergen @CarolynM @Tamra Yeah, I‘m not so sure that I‘d be the best fit for village life 😆 4w

LeahBergen @Cathythoughts Thanks, Cathy! 😘 4w

Ruthiella About 80% read now. That tea party! 😆 4w

LeahBergen @Ruthiella Right? 😆 4w

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Tamra

Family Ties: A Novel | Celia Buckmaster

😂 Celia has planted so many witty barbs & slights in this novel! Throughly enjoying it! #FurrowedMiddlebrowClub

Ruthiella Oh good! I was hoping for that kind of sharp edge. 1mo

LeahBergen Mr Swan is quite something, isn‘t he? 😆 1mo

Tamra @LeahBergen 😜 quite the catch huh???? 1mo

Tamra @Ruthiella definitely! Makes it fun. 1mo

46 likes4 comments

Tamra

Family Ties: A Novel | Celia Buckmaster

🤨

#FurrowedMiddlebrowClub

rubyslippersreads I can‘t get past using a match for a bookmark! 😳 1mo

Tamra @rubyslippersreads in a library book no less!😆 1mo

LeahBergen Novel reading?? Gasp! 😆 1mo

Tamra @LeahBergen 😲 1mo

43 likes4 comments

LitsyEvents

Family Ties: A Novel | Celia Buckmaster

Repost for @Ruthiella

👋 Hello #FurrowedMiddlebrowClub members! This is a reminder that our bimonthly pick for July is the tagged title. I‘m looking forward to this novel about village life in the mid century… it‘s my catnip, one might say.

All are welcome to join this group read. Read at your own pace, but please do tag the group if you review or post on it so we all can like and comment.

Let @Ruthiella know if you want to be tagged/removed.

Ruthiella Thank you! 😊 1mo

28 likes1 comment

Ruthiella

Family Ties: A Novel | Celia Buckmaster

👋 Hello #FurrowedMiddlebrowClub members! This is a reminder that our bimonthly pick for July is the tagged title. I‘m looking forward to this novel about village life in the mid century…it‘s my catnip, one might say.

All are welcome to join this group read. Read at your own pace, but please do tag the group if you review or post on it so we all can like and comment.

If anyone wants to be tagged or be removed from the list, say the word. 😊

rubyslippersreads, quietjenn, Jess_Read_This, Kimzey, erzascarletbookgasm, catebutler, CarolynM, LeahBergen, JenlovesJT47, Lizpixie, elkeOriginal, Gissy, Aimeesue, batsy, Tamra, bookandbedandtea, Teresereading, Sace, kwmg40, Sparklemn, LitsyEvents, julieclair, willaful, MrsK

Tamra I can do this one! 😊 1mo

Ruthiella @Tamra Yahoo! 😃 1mo

willaful Sounds like a fun one. 1mo

See All 18 Comments

CarolynM Really looking forward to this one! 1mo

Kimzey Thank you! 1mo

catebutler Looking forward to this! 1mo

Ruthiella @willaful I agree. I think it‘s going to be amusing! 1mo

Ruthiella @CarolynM Me too! 1mo

Ruthiella @Kimzey You‘re welcome! 1mo

Ruthiella @catebutler I think it sounds delightful! 1mo

Sace Looking forward to this! 1mo

Ruthiella @Sace I have a good feeling about it. 🤞 1mo

Tamra Chapter 1 has me hooked! 1mo

Ruthiella @Tamra Fantastic! I will start later. I still have two books I want to finish in June. 1mo

LeahBergen Yayyyy! 👏 1mo

julieclair Catnip! Perfect way to describe books like this. 👍 Looking forward to it. 1mo

Ruthiella @LeahBergen Yippee! 🙌 1mo

Ruthiella @julieclair Yup! We all have our sub-sub-sub-genre sweet spots! 😅 1mo

57 likes2 stack adds18 comments

Welcome to Litsy!

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