Sarah Coller (Contributor of Candid Conversations)

Sarah Coller rated a book it was ok Vera by Elizabeth von Arnim	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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May 18, 2026 04:44PM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Vera by Elizabeth von Arnim. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Vera by Elizabeth von Arnim <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Sarah Coller rated a book it was ok The Medieval Housewife: & Other Women of the Middle Ages by Toni Mount (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
While I was introduced to quite a few contemporary writings I'd not seen before, a lot of this is pretty shallow and made to tickle ears, I think. It reminded me of the kinds of stories told at tourist sites by volunteers who are trying to keep the a ...more
May 04, 2026 08:36PM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Medieval Housewife by Toni Mount. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Medieval Housewife by Toni Mount <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Sarah Coller rated a book really liked it The Black Death and the Transformation of the West by David Herlihy	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
This was a quick morning read that I thought was very thoughtfully done. Herlihy presents many interesting perspectives that I'd not considered. I found a lot of his conclusions regarding how societies "leveled up" by the "lesser" classes stepping in ...more
May 02, 2026 12:21PM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Black Death and the Transformation of the West by David Herlihy. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Black Death and the Transformation of the West by David Herlihy <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Sarah Coller rated a book really liked it In Search of the Dark Ages: A History of Anglo-Saxon England by Michael Wood	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
I read this very slowly over the last four months and overall, I enjoyed it. I have read through H.E. Marshall's, Our Island Story, with my kids countless times. This book was a super detailed adult version of those simple stories I know well so it w ...more
May 02, 2026 11:53AM · like · see review
Sarah Coller rated a book it was ok The Magician's Nephew (Chronicles of Narnia, #6) by C.S. Lewis	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
The first two paragraphs of this book were beautiful; the last two pages of this book were beautiful. The in-between was just meh. I will reserve further judgmental comments until I've finished the series as I know how special it is to so many people ...more
Apr 20, 2026 08:29PM · like · see review
Sarah Coller rated a book it was amazing The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
2026: What a difference a shift of perspective makes! That's really what this story is all about and it's what happened with me when I decided to reread with a different perspective. As I stated in my review below, the first time I read this I focuse ...more
Apr 18, 2026 11:42AM · 3 likes · like · see review
Sarah Coller rated a book it was amazing Magic Elizabeth by Norma Kassirer	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
2026: I decided to reread this for my Spring Into Classics challenge and the Read Happy challenge for April. As I read it this time, I realized how much of my nostalgia of this book is infused with memories of my own childhood. The doll, Elizabeth, i ...more
Apr 11, 2026 08:07AM · 5 likes · like · see review
Sarah Coller rated a book it was ok Miss Austen by Gill Hornby (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
I really didn't enjoy this, which is par for the course for me and fictionalized Austen stories. Overall, it wasn't super compelling and I found myself bored and wanting to finish quickly. I was unmoved by Jane's death at the end; perhaps because I'v ...more
Apr 10, 2026 07:30PM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Miss Austen by Gill Hornby. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Miss Austen by Gill Hornby <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Sarah Coller rated a book really liked it Wormwood Abbey (The Secrets of Ormdale, #1) by Christina Baehr (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
April 2026: I heard such good things about this that I decided to give it another try. I am SOO glad I did! I must have just been in a mood last time because I didn't even notice most of the things that bugged me before and I just loved this story SO ...more
Apr 01, 2026 04:49PM · 4 likes · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Wormwood Abbey by Christina Baehr. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Wormwood Abbey by Christina Baehr <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Sarah Coller rated a book it was ok Glass Town: The Secret World of the Bronte Children by Michael Bedard	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
2026: I'd not remembered reading this but it was just weeks after my father died so that's probably why. I still very much agree with my thoughts from 2022. Not a children's book, by any means, but ok if you're a fan. 2022: The illustrations were beau ...more
Mar 30, 2026 08:03PM · like · see review

Sarah Coller rated a book it was ok

Vera
by Elizabeth von Arnim

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Sarah Coller rated a book it was ok

The Medieval Housewife: & Other Women of the Middle Ages
by Toni Mount (Goodreads Author)

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While I was introduced to quite a few contemporary writings I'd not seen before, a lot of this is pretty shallow and made to tickle ears, I think. It reminded me of the kinds of stories told at tourist sites by volunteers who are trying to keep the a While I was introduced to quite a few contemporary writings I'd not seen before, a lot of this is pretty shallow and made to tickle ears, I think. It reminded me of the kinds of stories told at tourist sites by volunteers who are trying to keep the attention of tour groups --- anecdotal info without a lot of depth. And that's fine, really. I bought it at the gift shop at the Great Hall in Winchester and think it's meant to be an extension of an experience -- a few interesting bits and then one moves on from the experience, keeping the book as a record that they were there. It's by no means meant to be a scholarly work.

I was frustrated with how much it jumped around in subject matter. It seemed very disorganized and repeated topics throughout which could have been organized together for a smoother reading experience. I think my biggest frustration with the info given is that the author talks a lot about the people's response to religion without understanding religion herself. The conclusions she jumps to, in many cases, are ignorant and wouldn't have come from a person of faith. For instance, she repeatedly talks about people's philanthropy and offerings to the church (in their wills and otherwise) as their way of keeping themselves from God's negative judgement. In closing she says, "alms for the poor were also considered a good investment to ensure the safe passage of the deceased's soul through Purgatory;" as if one wouldn't have been genuine about wanting to help those less fortunate or donate to God's work.

She finally puts a stop to the disjointedness with the oddest ending ever: a couple of tongue-in-cheek digs at those keeping Sabbath, implying that the punishment they received for breaking this command was ridiculous in its severity. Thing is, the breaking of fellowship with one who refuses to obey God's commands actually is a part of His instructions and to mock that shows her ignorant bias. I think it would have been better had the author steered herself away from matters of religion as she was clearly not able to handle them objectively. ...more

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The Black Death and the Transformation of the West
by David Herlihy

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This was a quick morning read that I thought was very thoughtfully done. Herlihy presents many interesting perspectives that I'd not considered. I found a lot of his conclusions regarding how societies "leveled up" by the "lesser" classes stepping in ...more

Sarah Coller rated a book really liked it

In Search of the Dark Ages by Michael Wood

In Search of the Dark Ages: A History of Anglo-Saxon England
by Michael Wood

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I read this very slowly over the last four months and overall, I enjoyed it. I have read through H.E. Marshall's, Our Island Story, with my kids countless times. This book was a super detailed adult version of those simple stories I know well so it w ...more

Sarah Coller rated a book it was ok

The Magician's Nephew (Chronicles of Narnia, #6)
by C.S. Lewis

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The first two paragraphs of this book were beautiful; the last two pages of this book were beautiful. The in-between was just meh. I will reserve further judgmental comments until I've finished the series as I know how special it is to so many people ...more

Sarah Coller rated a book it was amazing

The Enchanted April
by Elizabeth von Arnim

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2026: What a difference a shift of perspective makes! That's really what this story is all about and it's what happened with me when I decided to reread with a different perspective. As I stated in my review below, the first time I read this I focuse 2026: What a difference a shift of perspective makes! That's really what this story is all about and it's what happened with me when I decided to reread with a different perspective. As I stated in my review below, the first time I read this I focused so much on the things I couldn't stand about the women of this story. So this time around, I decided to give all the women the benefit of the doubt and read it as if I was trying to see them in the best light. I got so. much. more. out of the whole thing doing it that way; and, funnily enough, I spent most of the story hating the men instead! Haha!

This story has several great themes: watering your own grass, letting dead things be dead, and cultivating what is alive so you can come alive, too.

I talk about this much more on my youtube channel. I hope you'll visit me there!

2024: I hated this book. For 330 pages, I absolutely despised it.

But then, at the top of page 331, everything changed with one word: security.

I’ve not felt such strong feelings about a story in a long time—-and that’s exactly the point of this novel: what happens to us when we allow ourselves to feel.

Rather than write out a review of all its merits, because you truly do have to read it through to appreciate it, let me instead take you on a journey through my notes.

"75 pages in and it’s time for a rant. 75 pages. It took 75 pages for two women to read a newspaper article, discuss whether they should take a vacation, decide to take it, tell their husbands, and get there. Three paragraphs would have summed this up and we could get the story going. Thing is, that’s not the story so far. So far this story is not about two women deciding to take a vacation. Oh no, first we must have the fact established that men are EVIL. 75 pages were needed to show the reader how two ladies in their 30s have never taken time for themselves to go do something fun that they want to do. They’ve never made the choice to take a restful vacation somewhere without their husbands or kids or other responsibilities and just chat and laugh and sleep and read and look out the window. Therefore, men are evil. Pages and pages and pages of passively and not so passively blaming men… They both have their own money they’re saving for something important. They both have the freedom to go. They both also apparently have husbands who have something else to do besides entertain their every little whims — therefore, men are evil. Men are evil because they “get” to go be writers in London or they “get” to decide to fill their free time with whatever they want, guilt free. 75 pages we are set up for how these poor women make such a bold choice to go “anyway”. To spend the money “anyway”. Oh my goodness, they told their husbands they were taking a vacation alone; and what happened? One said, “bye, have fun!” One was grumpy. And then…. They went. No one stopped them. Because they could have this whole time. Because, in the Western world, just as much then as now, most men aren’t evil; and, in all but the rarest of cases, women are oppressed only in their minds. Those of us who were raised by 1960s-70s Feminist family members or teachers were told how oppressive men were before women WON THEIR FREEDOM! In high school I believed it. In my 20s, I parroted it. In my 30s, I questioned it. Now that I’m half way through my 40s, I’ve read broadly enough to form my own opinions on the subject and, historically, I see a whole lot more women stifling women for the sake of propriety than I ever see men doing the same.

Mrs. Wilkins wakes up and thinks about how glorious it was to pull the blankets if she wants to. Listen, if you need blankets at night and your husband is hogging them, pull them! Why feel the need to tiptoe. In all those previous 75 pages of waa waa, you never once made me see how your husband would lose his mind and go psychopath on you if you pulled the blankets… Big reason my generation is starting to not take Feminism seriously is because they don’t seem to be able to tell the difference between real abuse and entitled simpering. If you go all this time in your marriage without laying alone in a bed and enjoying that feeling, you have only yourself to blame. No one is stopping you from doing these things. No need to blame men… just go do the things! She talks about how she’s being so unselfish now, yet her husband is home being angry. No, you’ve got this wrong, dear. To not engage in regular acts of self care IS selfish to those around you. It makes you eventually breakout and do stuff like this vacation and instead of enjoying it with a pure heart, you’re treating it like an act of rebellion. You have become bitter… not because of the actions of others, but because of your own inaction.

How great it would be if this story ends with these women, feeling refreshed, resolve to go home and be happy wives with emotional boundaries. Motivated wives who take on hobbies and personal education goals so they can be interesting to themselves and others. Attentive wives who get to know their husbands as more than financial providers and rule makers so they might have equal friendships with them.

Pg 107…this kind of reads like a horror story…

Pg 203… I get it that there are supposed to be a couple of unlikeable characters in this story but I SO MUCH DESPISE a couple of these women. Ugh.

Pg 229 Lotty’s husband is a jerk too… He can only find value in her because someone he admires values her. Therefore she must be valuable. Disgusting. why are so many people jerks? I hate this novel.

The back of the book promised this novel will “sweep you into wisteria and sunshine”. Others imply it is carefree and relaxing. WHAT???!!! This novel has stressed me out so badly that I’ve set aside a whole day just to finish the dang thing so I can be rid of it!

Pg 331— I’m cheering! Sobbing and cheering! Finally something redeeming!
Top of 333 proves my point… a man wants a partner, a friend, a co-conspirator
Pg 344 the author has made me adore her. She completely sees my point. Well done!

Hahahahaha!!!!

I've never cared for the writing style of the women of this period, but this was a story that satisfied. Eventually.

With all that ranting, maybe it's me who needs the vacation now! ...more

Sarah Coller rated a book it was amazing

Magic Elizabeth
by Norma Kassirer

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2026: I decided to reread this for my Spring Into Classics challenge and the Read Happy challenge for April. As I read it this time, I realized how much of my nostalgia of this book is infused with memories of my own childhood. The doll, Elizabeth, i 2026: I decided to reread this for my Spring Into Classics challenge and the Read Happy challenge for April. As I read it this time, I realized how much of my nostalgia of this book is infused with memories of my own childhood. The doll, Elizabeth, is Debbie Baby with black hair; Sally's hollyhock dolls remind me of the day my grandmother showed me how to make a hollyhock doll at my great-grandmother's house; Sally's miniature tea sets were just like the ones my mom bought me; the names Sarah and Elizabeth are my own names...

I also thought about some of the details of this story... the furnishings of the home, for example. The stair-post angel is one of those unique things you’d have to have your own memory of in order to include in the story. Same with some of the furniture illustrations. The author and illustrator of this book likely had their own Victorian family member memories to pull from. What a great historical time capsule.

My slightly cynical adult brain did find it a bit hard to believe that a grumpy old lady would give her newly met 10 year old grandniece free reign of her home full of antiques and even invite her to rummage around in the attic without supervision. But, I suppose she was planning to sell everything so she didn't care as much.

Lovely story --- I'm so glad I reread!

2021: Just finished reading this with my youngest daughter who is now also 8. She got her own copy, as well. Such a sweet and special story!

2020: This was one of my very favorite books as a child---given to me by my mom who owned it as a child. I just finished reading it with my 8 year old daughter and gave her her own copy---which prompted hysterical tears of joy. Ha!

The story is still as magical as ever. Reading it, I was reminded that this book is what made it so special when my Dad came home with an angel dolly for the top of our tree. I was just like Sally (my name is Sarah, too!) putting my angel dolly on top the tree...and I still do every year, with the help of my husband! ...more

Sarah Coller rated a book it was ok

Miss Austen
by Gill Hornby (Goodreads Author)

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I really didn't enjoy this, which is par for the course for me and fictionalized Austen stories. Overall, it wasn't super compelling and I found myself bored and wanting to finish quickly. I was unmoved by Jane's death at the end; perhaps because I'v ...more

Sarah Coller rated a book really liked it

Wormwood Abbey (The Secrets of Ormdale, #1)
by Christina Baehr (Goodreads Author)

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April 2026: I heard such good things about this that I decided to give it another try. I am SOO glad I did! I must have just been in a mood last time because I didn't even notice most of the things that bugged me before and I just loved this story SO ...more

Sarah Coller rated a book it was ok

Glass Town: The Secret World of the Bronte Children
by Michael Bedard

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2026: I'd not remembered reading this but it was just weeks after my father died so that's probably why. I still very much agree with my thoughts from 2022. Not a children's book, by any means, but ok if you're a fan.

2022: The illustrations were beau ...more

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