With the beginning of Spring this week, I want to introduce the book we will be sharing for this round of Fiction and Fabric. I have really enjoyed each of these book sharing events. Just in case you haven’t participated, you can read more about them here and here. In a nutshell, I select a book that I would like to share. Those interested sign up (very quickly) in the comments. We then start reading it (the same copy) one after the other. I send the book with three fat quarters of fabric that I tie to the book in some way to the first person. Once that person has read the book, she makes a little note in the front cover saying what she liked (or didn’t like) about the book and sends it to the next person with three fat quarters that she chooses, again based on the book.
It has been great fun to hear the thoughts of the other readers as well as seeing what fabric they send. Beginning with this round, if you are on Instagram, please share a picture of the book and the fat quarters you receive. Let’s tag it #fictionandfabric. I don’t always get to see the other fabrics people select and it would be nice to see the different choices. Remember that if you sign up, please don’t keep the book for too long – try to read it within three weeks and have it sent off to the next reader. If you choose “media mail” for shipping it is much less expensive (though it may take a bit longer to arrive). For this round, I am only opening it to readers in the US. We have had people in the UK and Canada participating but the book takes such a long time to get there and it is fairly expensive for the person that has to mail it out of the country as well as the international reader when she mails it back into the states. I am sorry about this. If anyone has suggestions on making it more feasible, please let me know in the comments.
More about the book!! I first read The Book of Bright Ideas when it was loaned to me by my good friend, and fellow book lover, MaryAnn. We meet for coffee each month (we used to work together) and often bring a book we think the other might enjoy. I loved the book. It is a coming of age story set in small town USA and told from the perspective of a young girl. She is living in a fairly dysfunctional family when two sisters move into town. They are free spirits with a very different approach to life. The story follows the friendship of the two young girls, Button and Winnalee, as well as the relationship that develops between older sister, Freeda, Button’s mother, and Aunt Verdella. The story is set in the 1960’s when women were becoming a bit more independent and wanting to experience more in life. As with many good stories, the ending took me by surprise. I read this one quickly because it held my interest throughout.
This is the first book I have read by Sandra Kring. Ms, Kring resides in northern Wisconsin and this is her second novel to be published. She tells us that the idea came to her as she watched two young girls playing dress up and she began to think about the importance of that first close friendship made between two people. From there the character of Button evolved and told the story of how this happened to her one summer. There is a sequel to this book, A Life of Bright Ideas, in which Sandra brings Button and Winnalee back together two years later as eighteen year old young women living in the 1970’s. I haven’t yet read it but I plan to. When the first book ended, I was left wanting to know what becomes of these two little girls. Luckily, I will be able to read about it. 🙂
I know you will enjoy it as much as I did. Sign up in the comments, first come first served. The group is limited to six people or it takes too long for the book to make its way through the group. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask. Have a wonderful weekend everyone.
Sign ups are closed. We will do another round of Fiction and Fabric in June!
Count me in!
Will do! Happy you are joining us. 🙂
I’m not signing up for round 4–I simply can’t commit the time to read an “actual” book right now, but I love that you do this. It sounds like a lot of fun! Maybe you can organize an audiobook edition of Fiction and Fabric in the future, if your readers are into those, too?!
That would be fun. I did have one person who participated by bought the audio book so she could listen to it while sewing. Good idea.
This book sounds wonderful! I would love to participate!
Great- welcome to the group ?
What a great idea! The book looks very interesting and I love the way you combine fabric and reading. Please count me in … 🙂 Mary Pat
Welcome to the group Mary Pat. I will send out an email with the details tomorrow. ?
I’d love to participate if there’s still room! I usually read a book a night, so I could pass it along pretty quickly.
Sounds great! Welcome to the group Nancy!
Yeah!
About international reading round robins…They would would if someone in each country offered to buy the book, set up the group through FB, and start the reading/mailing process just as you have, Bernie.
It sounds like a great book, but I can’t commit to it. I have a boatload of things that would keep me away from a book too much right now!
Please, please, I hope there’s room Bernie! It looks like loads of fun!
Yes, there is still room! Welcome to the group- I will send out an email with details tomorrow ?
This sounds like an interesting book, if there is a spot available please let me know.
Helene, you got the last spot!! I will send out an email tomorrow with a few more details. Welcome to the group!
Lovely idea Bernie – please report on the final outcome! 🙂
A few years ago I did this in a cooking forum. Several of us chose a cookbook to mail to a person that wanted to participate (seems like we called it the sisterhood of the traveling cookbook or some such) and we would pick a recipe from the book, make it, and post about it on the forum as well as write a comment somewhere in the book. Then we would send it on to the next person on the list and receive a cookbook in the mail from someone else. We eventually got our cookbooks back with nice comments from those that had tried things, and it was lots of fun. I cherish that cookbook!
I know your participants will enjoy. 🙂
Am I too late? I’d love to be in this round. V:)
Ok, you are in. Welcome Val, you’re the lucky 7th person. ☺
Are you stopping with 7 people? If not please count me in—-but it’s ok if you can’t. I thoroughly enjoyed the last go-round. I was johnny-on-the-spot then…..haven’t checked computer for a couple of days. Boo—that’ll teach me!
Hi Kathy, I closed the sign ups at seven people. Otherwise it takes too long for the last one or two people to get the book. I will do another one in June though. Hope you understand. I am glad you enjoyed the last round though!