As soon as I started reading this book I knew I was going to love Lillian and this book. Lillian Boxfish is 85 it's New Year's Eve 1984 and she decides to take a walk around her beloved Manhattan. I thought having the map in front of the book was very helpful. She visits haunts of her past and we meet some interesting and sketchy characters along the way. Lillian is a bright, interesting and courageous woman who is not afraid of introspection. What I also really enjoyed was the historical background comparing the 1930s to the 1980s. The book is so well-written that I learned so much without realizing it. Lillian Boxfish is based on Margaret Fishback's life. Margaret Fishback was the highest paid female advert writer in the 30s. It so interesting to me how a woman back then could even be as big as she was in her occupation. Talk about the beginning of feminism and equal pay ! I would highly recommend this book and will probably read it again. It is to be savored.

I decided to read this book because I knew hardly anything about the Mitford sisters. It looked intriguing. I must admit, however, I found this book that should have been a scandalous, fun, adventure about real women ultimately boring, difficult to follow, and poorly organized. There was too much information presented at once, making each individual's story more of a chore to follow rather than something to be enjoyed. Though I am certain Thompson's knowledge about the Mitford sisters is extensive, the presentation of this book made her expertise unclear and unsatisfactory.

The premise of this book is interesting. I really wanted to see how the author fleshed out the two brothers and sisters in law living in a two flat.But they seemed like caricatures. Easy going fun loving brother and the stern, angry bitter brother. Of course the sisters-in-law get along better than the brothers. Something had to be cohesive regarding the families. I have to say that I immediately disliked Mort and got very tired, very quickly of his character. The big "Secret" was no secret at all. I knew right from the beginning what was going on. It's better to show than tell. The decline of one of the sisters in law was not dealt with very well as it didn't delve into the pathology of what was going on with her enough. The other side story seem to be an add-on. I know some people love this book but I wasn't one of them.

What if you could see the alternate life you could have lived just by changing one thing you've done? This book offers easy-to-read, parallel stories with likable characters that are fairly benign and a little boring. There aren't many surprises, it's all fairly obvious, but I did want to see how it ended. I truthfully thought the author was going to tie it up differently and I was a wee disappointed. Very good book for the summer. Too shallow for discussion.

Small Blessings is a delightful, sweet story about Tom Putnam, a kind and gentle college professor. He is married to a woman who is mentally unstable. He has taken care of her through their whole marriage with the help of her irascible mother-in-law Agnes. Welcome rootless Rose and a young, trusting 6 year old boy Henry and get ready for second chances. The story is simple and obvious, but has enough "drama" to keep it moving. Definitely a good summer read.

This book was a pretty easy, fast read. I'm glad I finished it. When it began I was very inclined to stop reading. I didn't like where the story was headed. I found it repugnant actually. But I sensed there was more to it so I kept on. I'm glad I did as the second half explained the realities of the first half. That being said, I thought the book was a bit unbelievable and shallow. Wrapped up all tidy. It wasn't a horrible book but I don't know how I would recommend it without giving away the first part to convince reader to read last part.

I was so happy to be chosen to read Louise Penny's latest Armand Gamache mystery. I was excited to see what had happened in Three Pines since the last time we visited. Mysteries are usually heavily plot driven but Penny pays keen attention to the characters too. She fleshes them out so well! She also layers plots on top of plots and makes the scenes sparkle. I couldn't put this book down. If you haven't read her other books I highly recommend that you do. It'll give you a better background on what is going on.
This is not your mother's mysteries!

I was very interested in reading this book. A "ripped from the headlines" tale. The premise is intriguing. Boy kidnapped from his family, returned and then the aftermath. Unfortunately I expected so much more. The first problem I had was with the unlikeable mother, Marlene. She jaded my reading experience. I kept waiting for it to get better, hook me in. I just never got there. I had to re-read portions because my mind kept wandering. Maybe it'll grab me at another time...if I give it another chance which is unlikely.