Who is ready for another book share? The summer book, Vinegar Girl, has made it’s way home to me. The Fall book, The Double Bind, has reached the last reader in the group and should be on it’s way home to me soon. I think that means it is time for the third round!
If you aren’t familiar with this activity, I select a book that I have read and think people will enjoy. If interested, you sign up by leaving a comment (first come, first served) and we share the book. I mail it off to the first person on the list with three fat quarters that I relate back to the book in some fashion. Once that person is done reading it, a note is written in the front cover of the book for others to read. We usually just share a couple of sentences describing our thoughts about the book and then forward it on with a new set of fat quarters for the next person to enjoy. This has been a lot of fun and I enjoy hearing other’s opinions of the book.
For this round, I selected a book by Elizabeth Berg. She is one of my very favorite authors. A prolific author, Ms. Berg has never disappointed me. I believe I have read all of her books except for the most recent one. (Only because it hasn’t been available at the library when I have checked!) The book I selected, Open House, is wonderful. So much so, that this is the second time I read it. This novel is about a woman dealing with divorce. It is a heartwarming story of the process that the main character, Samantha, goes through as she grieves the dissolution of her marriage and figures out how to heal and become whole again. One thing she does is open her home to boarders so that she can afford to stay in her house.
Elizabeth Berg has the ability to develop characters that the reader easily relates to. I usually come to love the protagonist and almost always feel just a little sad when the book comes to an end. Berg writes about real people dealing with real life situations. Her stories are not deep or complicated but they are genuine. In this book, she does a good job of developing the secondary characters (the boarders and Samantha’s friends) and I enjoyed each of them. My only criticism is that the happy ending for Sam might have been better served if it hadn’t involved a man. She got to the other side of her divorce a much stronger person and not just because of her new relationship. This is a quick read and one that I am happy to share. This book is not a long one which will be good for the group. It takes a while to get the book to each reader so I thought it might be nice to choose a book that was on the shorter side.
Ope House is an older book which was published in 2000. I find it interesting that this was actually Berg’s first novel. After writing it, she decided she didn’t like it and went on to write another one. Later she pulled it out and worked it over, publishing it as Open House. It is often the case that we make something and feel disappointed in it, only to shove it back in the closet somewhere. Then we bring it back out another time, change it up a bit, and give it new life. There is usually value in our work – it just doesn’t always become apparent at the very beginning.
Books are such a great escape for me. Ray and I both read quite a bit and I am pleased that our children enjoy reading as well. Here is a picture of Julia a few years back. I found her in her room, looking over her stash of books and somehow she ended up balancing a stack of them on her legs. It made me smile to see this! (Granted, the photo isn’t the greatest quality – I snapped it with my phone.)
I will be out of touch for a week or so. My son is getting married next weekend. We are traveling to Toronto,Ontario for the wedding. Things will be back to normal in a week or ten days. Until then, be creative and make something you love. 🙂
Post Update: sign ups for this book share are closed- Sorry to disappoint anyone. Let me know if you wanted in and I will give you a heads up when I post the book for the Spring Book Share.
Hi Bernie….this sounds like a wonderful book and I’d love to “share” it with you and others. I thought about you yesterday and wondered how the weather was in your part of California….we have snow here in the mountains of southern West Virginia with temps in the single digits and wind chills of 20 below. Brrrrrrr….and good book and a mug of something hot sounds really good today!
Hi Kathy, so nice to hear from you. We haven’t ‘chatted’ in a while. 🙂 I’m happy to hear you are going to join this book share – fabric and fiction make for a great combination! Will you email your address to me? Once I have the group together, I will send out a schedule. Also let me know whether you are willing/able to send the book internationally – in case anyone signs up that is outside the US.
Weather is absolutely crazy!! After four years of awful drought, we are having such a rainy season. Which is good, we need it. However the current storm is really intense and there are flood warnings up until Wednesday. Our creek that runs through the property is up to the brim and there is a six acre pond which is partially on our property which is close to the top as well. There is a well engineered dam on the pond so hopefully it all stays structurally sound. Our property up in the mountains is likely to take on water this weekend as well. Ray went up yesterday to work on moving anything valuable from the downstairs to the upstairs. Now we sort of wait and see. Mother Nature is certainly the boss and there is no getting around her. Wow.
I hope you had a great holiday season. We really enjoyed the season and now we are preparing for my son’s wedding next weekend. Fun times!
Hi Bernie, I’d love to join in… Really interesting combination of 2 of my favourite things: reading and quilting :-). Enjoy Toronto: I am not too far away in Montréal.
Hi Nicole, Happy to have you in this circle of readers! You actually live so much closer to my sons than I do. I have one in Vermont and one in Toronto! The Vermont kids go up to Montreal quite often.
If you would send me your address via email, that would be great. When I get the group together I will send out a schedule. Have a lovely day!
Can I join in on this one? I’ve not read any of Elizabeth Berg’s writing, but have always wanted to!
Absolutely- I bet you will become a fan and read lots more if her books after this one! If you are on Facebook you might check out her feed- she writes the best posts. They are like heartwarming essays on regular life. I love it❤
Hi Bernie! I’d love to join this Winter book read! Oh do enjoy the wedding and congratulations!!!
Thank you Val and welcome to the group! Please send me your mailing address and when the group is complete I will send out a schedule – we are almost at six readers already!
HI Bernie..hope ya don’t mind that I highlighted your Fiction and Fabric post at Tuesday Archives this week. It’s just such a fun idea!!
No problem! I am happy you shared the post. 🙂
HI Bernie, I’d love to join your group too. This sounds like such a fun way to connect and enjoy some of my favorite things.
Hello Chiska! Welcome to the group. So happy you want to join in. Would you please send me your address? I will send out schedule soon. ??
Bernie, I noticed that you follow Elizabeth Berg on Facebook. Now I’ll pay closer attention. I haven’t read any of her books (yet). Have a delightful time at the wedding! I wish you safe travels (and decent weather).
Thank you Janine. I suspect if you read a few of Elizabeth’s posts, you will be hooked. Sometimes they are plugging her events of course but more often than not, she posts the sweetest essays. I really enjoy her feed.
I loved Open House! Great pick! Elizabeth Berg is one of my favorites, too. Have a great time at the wedding, Bernie!
I loved, “The Art of Mending,” by Elizabeth Berg. In 2004, I was in an online book group about this book, sponsored by Barnes & Noble. Sadly, they don’t do those anymore. Many people would read the book and weigh in with thoughts and questions. We were living in Almonte, Ontario, Canada at the time.
I quilt and am a part-time public Librarian. I haven’t read this one by Elizabeth Berg, but it’s now on my 2017 list. I’m so happy I found your blog. Enjoy the wedding!! Congratulations!!
I loved The Art of Mending! Another huge favorite of mine was A Year of Pleasures. Have you read that one? It is about the grieving process of a widow who suddenly lost her husband at a rather young age. I totally related to this book as I lost my first husband suddenly at the age of 33 (he was 36 years old) Anyway, I was so taken by Berg’s ability to really get in the head of a grieving widow, I figured it must have really happened to her as well at some point in time. But no, she was not widowed (to my knowledge). This just shows how she is able to develop her characters and storyline with rich detail. I loved that book. (hmm.. maybe I should read that one again too!)
I am glad you stopped by Anne. Keep in touch!
This is a new author for me but it sounds like something I would enjoy. I would love to participate but I wonder if I can cheat….when the book gets to me I will need to get an audio version. I rarely have time to sit and read so I read with my ears more than anything. If this is a problem I completely understand.
Hi Rhonda: I am not a huge one for lots of rules. 🙂 If you want to get the audio book, that is fine. Do you want to receive the fabric and book and then send the book on? You would write your thoughts about the novel and include three fat quarters for the next person. Does that sound good to you? If so, send me a note with your mailing address. Welcome to our reading circle!
I’d like to participate if there is still space. I need to get back to reading again and this sounds like the perfect book. And regardless of quality, I love that photo of your daughter with the books. It captures her love of reading perfectly.
Diana, glad to have you! You are the last person to join. Closing it off now. Will you email you address to me please? Thanks☺
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This sounds like a fun book club.
Hi Crystal:
I am happy you are interested in the Fiction & Fabric events. It is pretty fun! I will be announcing the next one in a few weeks. Check back to see if it is a book you might want to share with us. Take care! B.