The Postmistress was somewhat of a dissappointment, I'm sorry to say. The payoff wasn't big enough at the end to justify the build up, so I wouldn't really call it commercial fiction. But the prose didn't really jump off of the page in a way that would break your heart or make you want to re-read sections again, so I wouldn't really call it literary fiction either. Sort of a middle ground. Either way, I found myself rushing through pages to get to something else. I picked up the book because of the endorsement on it from Kathryn Stockett (The Help), and I really wanted to like it. And while I wasn't crazy about it, I liked her writing well enough to want to read another of her books, Grange House. We'll see if that one flies.
I like biographies and this one is fascinating. I don't know a lot about the Captains of Industry who brought us U.S. Steel, Standard Oil and the like. Titan is quite readable and Chernow does an admirable job of making you see why JDR was both greedy and philanthropic.
This one is more like an act of praying for me. I am not a gardener but I would like to be. I think one of the problems for me is the ambitious nature that takes over when you go to the garden store in April and get all these fabulous ideas. You buy the stuff and then you realize you don't have the time to plant/care for all the things like you thought you would. This is my problem. I'm hoping to make a small foray into the gardening world with this idea of square foot gardening. From what I've read, it makes a lot of sense. If later this year, I'm able to post of picture here of a bunch of Swiss Chard, we'll know it turned out well.
Royal Flush is the third book of the series and I'm just now ready to crack it open. It's so much fun to read these. Rhys Bowen is so great at creating characters. Two of my favorite characters in the book are Binky (Georgie's brother) and his wife, Fig. They're so funny and uptight. I've already cast Colin Firth as Binky and Harriet Walter as Fig.
Tonight I have Cub Scouts so perhaps I can sneak in chapter one before bed time!
4 comments:
Rhys Bowen has another series? What's it about? I've read her before but didn't like that Irish series(Molly?) very much, so I gave up. I need to check this out!
Margaret, I loved the Molly Murphy series. The Royal Spyness series is about Lady Georgiana somethingorruther of Rannoch. She's technically royalty but has no money. Set in the 30's in London with a good supporting cast. check out the first one. It's great fun.
I suggest you keep reading the square foot gardening book! I raelly need fresh herbs and veggies this year and I'd much rather go to your house to get them!
DTL: yes, we need veggies for the tea menu! That's why I picked up the book in the first place. actually it's quite interesting and seems fairly doable IF I can find some time...
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