My Week in Review and the Best Book I've Read in Ages

The Best Book I've Read in Ages

You know that moment. When you start a book, and every word is just delicious. You wonder What is it that makes this book so wonderful? And why isn't EVERY book like this?

It's not as if I've only read bad books in recent memory. On the contrary, I've read quite a few good ones. But none of them hit me quite like The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. I couldn't put this one down. Just the right mix of fluff and substance, it was beyond delightful. It was incredible.

I can't help trying to figure out what made this book so incredibly perfect. What raised it above other books that are 'good' or even just 'okay'?

Was it the time period? It takes place in 1946, just after WWII, and within the last few weeks, I've become fascinated with this era.

Maybe it's the subject? It's about an author, trying to find the topic for her next book. I'm an author. I love books about authors.

The characters, the love story, the ever underlying theme of hope and friendship? Or was it just a good book that fell into my lap, at precisely the moment I wanted to read it? How strange if that's how all our favorite books are discovered, if it's only a matter of taste, reader's craving, and timing.

There are probably various answers as to why it is only every so often we encounter a book that we just can't get enough of. I don't know the hard and fast one. I only know that this book is incredible, and you really must give it a try.

Vocab Fab

• Vociferous: Vehement or clamorous speech
• Unctuous: Excessively or ingratiatingly flattering; oily

The Writing Corner

Progress on my revision of Rodney and the Gonjii is slow-moving, but moving nonetheless. The most difficult obstacle at the moment is re-organizing everything. I mentioned before that this novel has been in the works for seven years. This means I'm coming up against issues that are a direct result of my inexperience during my younger writing years, like a failure to pre-plot, think things through, or keep a written record. I kept pushing reorganization into a corner, preferring to focus on the writing, but I can't avoid it any longer.

This is going to be messy.

 

The Reading Nook

This week, I finished two books:

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows. I rated this 4 stars, and you can check out my video review of it right here.



The Convenient Marriage by Georgette Heyer (4 stars). This week's audiobook was one of those things I vowed never, ever to read. Abridged. What is the point of abridging a book I ask you?! Nevertheless, I was convinced to put aside my own feelings about the ruthless removal of print by one very important factor. This audiobook -a regency romance- is narrated by Richard Armitage. And it's wonderful. Not only is it RICHARD ARMITAGE, but he's also an excellent narrator.

I also started Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige, which is making it's rounds in the booktube community. This YA has a very interesting and gritty concept --a Homicidal Land of Oz and a Dorothy turned evil. Unfortunately, there was far too much swearing in it, and I didn't get far.

And what about YOU? What are you reading?