The Correspondent by Virginia Evans{ a good epistolary book with great book suggestions}

The Correspondent by Virginia Evans was a 5 star buddy read with Susan at The Cue Card.   I loved this book and the epistolary style appealed to me.  From decades back I have been a letter writer.  You can create a history of your relationships through your letters, if you save them over the years.

You will meet our letter writer, Sybil Van Antwerp aged 73, and follow her through her from 2012 to 2021.  She writes to family, friends, authors and anyone she wants to share an opinion.  I love Sybil.  She has regrets as I'm sure we all do .  The themes of friendship, grief, love and growth are found within her tale.  Sybil is a strong woman and tries her best with some challenging situations.  I love her letters to Rosalie - her best friend and sister-in-law.  They usually end with "what are you reading, I am reading XX."

There are many characters so in the beginning I would write down the name and relationship so  wouldn't be confused.

I couldn't resist writing down all the books mentioned within her letters.  Some were letters to the authors expressing thoughts on the books and most of the others were a "I'm reading this, what are you reading" between friends.  Have you read any of these?

• Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
• Round House by Louise Erdrich
• Inferno by Dan Brown
• Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier
• The World Below by Sue Miller
• To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf
• Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
• State of Wonder by Ann Pachett
• Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
• Blue Nights by Joan Didion
• The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
• The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
• Never Let me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
• Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
• Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner
• The Orphan Master's Son by Adam Johnson
• Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie
• Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers
• Ulysses by James Joyce
• 84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff
• Travels with Charley by John Steinbeck
• Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
• Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry

Some I've read and some have been on my to-read list.  Maybe this is a good list to start for winter reading. Hmmm...

Please check out Susan's excellent review HERE.

FYI - This book is on sale for Kindle today for $1.99. Check here.

Sharing with Deb at Readerbuzz for Sunday Salon.

The Last Letter of Rachel Ellsworth and a book question

 Two woman who experienced tramatic events in their lives come together and travel.  It's more than that though.

It's about friendship, trust, facing the grief in your life and choosing to move forward. Mariah Ellsworth was an Olympic champion snowboarder and experienced a devasting injury.  Later in the book you'll find out how she was injured and why she's in physical therapy. It definitely wasn't what you would expect. She is also mourning her mother Rachel and decides to finish a book project Rachel started about Parsi tea houses in London, Marrakech, and India.  But she can't do it on her own. She needs physical help and a person who can speak fluent French.

Veronica answers the advert and applies for the position to travel with Mariah.  She is old enough to be Mariah's mother and that makes for an interesting relationship. Veronica needs the job and the money as her husband left for for a younger woman and continually tries to indercut her on alimony. Her adult children are whiny, they don't want mom to be away at Christmas time yet they don't plan to spend any time with her. They will be at a ski resort with dad.  Veronica is  in a bad place and this job and travel is exactly what she needs.

Definitely an armchair travel book.  I liked her book We Believed in Mermaids more than this one but I was never tempted to DNF this book.  If you like the settings in England this book has a bit in London.  The authors book The Lost Girls of Devon will immerse you in that part of England.

Trading Post / Here is  something I thought I'd throw out there and see if anyone has seen this book I am having a wee bit of trouble acquiring. 

The End of Seeing by Christy Collins - Can't find this one on Amazon and I am looking to find a used copy that doesn't cost me an arm and a leg.  Big ask.  If you happen to see it at a used bookstore, and it's not too expensive, I would happily trade you a book or paypal you the cost and postage.  Or point me toward a source I'm sure I don't know about and I can acquire. 

UPDATE- Thank you Deb, I bought it!  Just the right price too.

My book habit..... 🤷‍♀️

Upcoming is the nonfiction about Cornwall by du Maurier and The Correspondent review.

Sharing with Joy for British Isles Friday.

Weekly Update

My weekly update is a bit disjointed today so I'll just ramble on. I somehow strained my back and neck muscles. Probably the yard work we have tackled. It hurt to hold a Kindle or book up or for me to look down at the book, as I usually do.  No heating pad in the house so I ordered one from Amazon.  It is helping but if anyone has any ideas I'm all ears.

Question: Has anyone been in contact with Nan of Letters from a Hill Farm? I have not seen her post since March. I had a card to send her and realized I did not have her address.

Monday Mailbox - I'd not had many incoming books so have not been linking with Monday Mailbox hosted by Vicki.  I did receive this cookbook from awesome Jinjer and made a rice dish.  This week I am making a lentil soup.  

Also have the nonfiction by Daphne du Maurier Vanishing Cornwall. This is a memoir/history and myth and legend kinda book.  I've Cornwall but I love shows and book with the setting. 

Just finished a buddy read with Susan at The Cue Card - The Correspondent by Virginia Evans and loved it. Review coming up.

Sharing with:

Deb at Readerbuzz for Sunday Salon 

Joy's Book Blog for British Isles Friday.

Vicki for Monday Mailbox

Good reading and recipes this first week of September

The first week of September almost behind us and I sometimes marvel we have been in our "city" home for almost three months.  I love the quiet street we live on, talking to people who are walking or doing gardening, being close to the library, pizza, ammenities....and no more 25 mile trip to get to the grocery store. Bliss.

Books // This week I finished a Graham Norton book called Forever Home.  The setting is Ireland, as are most of his books, and the subject matter of dementia and relationships are the main themes.   I've read three of Graham Norton's books so far and can say I enjoyed the others more than this one. Most of the characters were believable and well described but there is a subplot about three quarters of the way in that's ridiculous, in my opinion. 3.5 stars

Here are previous Norton books which I enjoyed. Holding, Home Stretch and A Keeper.

For what it's worth I very much enjoyed Holding and could recommend that one for those interested in Irish village life and interactions with the community.

Currently reading The Correspondent as a buddy read with Susan at The Cue Card. The epistolary style is very appealing to me as I still like writing letters.  

What's for dinner //  Thank you to Jinjer for sending me a cookbook!  First recipe that grabbed me was the rice dish with mushrooms, onions and peas.  This rounded out the honeyed lemon chicken dish.  Recipe for the chicken here if interested.

This dish could be the main event for vegetarians (just swap out the chicken broth) or as a filling side.

Sharing with:

Deb at Readerbuzz for Sunday Salon 

Joy's Book Blog for British Isles Friday.