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The Anglophile's Notebook

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How many ways does the past haunt the present? Can it give you the courage to finally follow your heart? Part literary mystery, part how-to-reinvent-your-life, and 100% delicious, Sunday Taylor's entrancing novel about Charlotte Brontë will have you captivated from page one. Get ready to put the outside world on hold. You don’t just read this book, you live it.

356 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 4, 2020

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Sunday Taylor

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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
Profile Image for Kara Marks.
435 reviews79 followers
June 25, 2021
This is such a lovely book—I didn’t want it to end. The story is good, but what I really enjoyed was the descriptive prose. I was transported to England and I know it’s an idealized version of it, but it’s truly a gentle escape. The end of a marriage is always sad for me, but Claire bravely faces her new life and finds a wonderful new life. I recommend this sweet book. I was provided a complementary copy of it, but these opinions are my own.
8 reviews
October 8, 2020
This was a really lovely comforting book. Great for fans of the Brontes. I especially enjoyed the excerpts from their famous books. I've read all the Bronte books apart from 'The Professor' and this book has made me want to read that next. It was obvious that the author had a passion for the Brontes and Haworth. A few minor issues with the language - a few words that an English person wouldn't have used which were obviously American, but that didn't detract from the story for me.
3,181 reviews30 followers
June 13, 2021
The Anglophile's Notebook was written by Sunday Taylor. In her premiere novel, Taylor establishes herself as a true Anglophile from her prodigious use of the Bronte's lives to appropriate quotes of a myriad of other English authors. The story is a simple one. 40ish Claire has come to London to do an interview for an article she is writing for the magazine for which she has been employed for the past decade. Next on her agenda is some research for the book she intends to write on why so many people are drawn to the writings of the Bronte's and how it affects them. In the course of this research she meets, John, the owner of the lovely Victorian Bookshop, and someone who will take on great meaning to as she writes this book. Jane, the sister she left behind in Los Angeles, calls to tell her that she had seen Claire's husband, Ben, in a Santa Barbara bar, drunk, and with another woman. The feelings she had had recently solidified and Clair knew her marriage was over.

This story was about the incredible amount of growth a woman could manage in the course of a year. Claire is a strong woman who has cherished her marriage, despite the fact it is over. She had felt the rumblings of its demise and so was not completely taken by surprise. Her inability to get pregnant, was past of the problem. The death of her mother, with whom she had had a rocky relationship, was another cause. One of the things her mother had left her with was the profound desire to interact with the Brontes as much as possible. Her mother had trained as an English Literature professor and cherished a deep love for their writings. Along her journey Claire made some amazing people, people who would prove to her just how small the world really is. This is a lovely story, written with a careful hand, which displays the deep roots of the author's Anglophilia. I felt honored to read it and hope it gains a wide readership.

I was invited to read a free ARC of The Anglophiles's Notebook by the Review Crew. All thoughts and opinions are mine.
Profile Image for Shomeret.
1,123 reviews256 followers
May 8, 2021
I was asked to review The Anglophile's Notebook, the first novel by Sunday Taylor. I was expecting it to have more of a central focus on Charlotte Bronte, but it's primarily about fictional protagonist Claire Easton. Claire intended to write a book about people fascinated with the Brontes and how this obsession impacts their lives. I would be interested in reading about that topic, but The Anglophile's Notebook isn't really about Claire's book. It's predominately about her life, and the lives of other characters in her orbit.

Claire continued to hold my interest because I felt that we shared some traits and common concerns. So I was willing to read about Claire's marriage problems and her personal history even though I found these details unremarkable.

I did continue to wish that there had been more about the Brontes than about Claire. An old friend of mine used to say "us beggar types cannot be chooser types". This is another way of saying that readers can't dictate to authors about what they will include in a novel. Yet a reviewer can state a preference.

For my complete review see https://shomeretmasked.blogspot.com/2...
Profile Image for Kimberlee.
245 reviews54 followers
August 5, 2021
I was truly to surprised to realize that "The Anglophile's Notebook" was a debut novel. It was incredibly well-written, both style-wise and editing-wise. Many authors who have been publishing for years can't come close to this standard, and I wish Sunday Taylor the long and lasting literary career she deserves.

The story was wonderful. It centers on Claire, a woman facing the end of her marriage. She travels to England to do some research for a book she is writing. While she is there, she learns a lot about herself, her life, and what is truly important for her. I found following along on Claire's personal growth journey to be both interesting and inspirational. You can simply enjoy it as a good story; if you're in the right frame of mind, you can also walk away with some valuable life lessons.

The writing stye is also beautiful. I loved reading all the descriptions of places and mood. I've never been to England, but after reading this book, I feel like I've "seen" certain parts of it. I definitely have some specific places I'd like to visit if I ever do make the trip in real life.

Plenty of good historical information is also included in this book, both about the Bronte family and other aspects of English history. I learned some new things, and was fascinated the entire time. This lovely book is one that I will add to my permanent collection to revisit in the future.

Five out of five perfect slices of Swiss cheese!
Profile Image for Gilion Dumas.
152 reviews6 followers
April 14, 2021
Claire is a 40-year old writer and magazine editor who goes to London on assignment for her travel magazine and with a plan to research a book on her favorite author, Charlotte Brontë. A couple of lucky breaks put her on the trail of a Brontë discovery and a new romance.

The story takes place over Claire’s first year in England, against the backdrop of a cozy, literary England of independent bookshops, homey flats, chats in small museums, lunches in Covent Garden cafes, ancient pubs, and charming villages. Don’t come to this book looking for trauma and anguish. The Anglophile’s Notebook is all about the romantic ideal of starting over at 40 and having all the pieces tumble into place.
Profile Image for Annette.
905 reviews26 followers
May 22, 2021
My Thoughts:

There are things I like about the book and a few things I do not like about the book.

What I like:
1. Claire Easton is a character who is down to earth and easy for me to identify with. She is a regular gal. She is someone I could be friends with. She is a believable character who has positive and negative human traits. Claire is a reader, bibliophile, writer, blogger, book reviewer, and gardener. These interests are the same as mine. Her background and environment might have created a celebrity status type person. Instead, she is a person who is kindhearted, unselfish, long-suffering; and, she’s also a little innocent and vulnerable. I am glad Claire is a mature woman of 42. She has lived long enough to understand a bit about life and how to make wise decisions. Lastly, Claire is a character who has a transformation. This is always a positive experience for me to read a character who has a remarkable change.
2. Charlotte Brontë is the pleasant fixation for Claire. Claire plans to write a book about Charlotte Brontë . The story centers around Claire’s research of the Brontë books, manuscripts, letters, and the town they lived in. Charlotte is the main emphasis, but the other Brontë family members are apart of The Anglophile’s Notebook.
3. The Anglophile’s Notebook is a travel book. For most of the book Claire is in England. She travels back to California a couple of times. While in England she visits museums, bookshops, art and book collections, estates, and the scenery of the Yorkshire Moors. I enjoyed her descriptions and experiences.
4. Claire is close to her only sibling, a sister named, Jane. Their mother died. There is unanswered questions about their mother. There is not a reconciling of the relationship. One of the reasons I continued to read this book is I wanted to know what happened? Claire dreams of her mother. The memories and feelings about her mother are always present for Claire. Claire is still experiencing grief. Grieving takes as long as it takes. There is no time limit. And, because there are unanswered questions, there remains a mystery about their mother. These issues helped to keep me reading.
5. Jane is a praying person. She acknowledges when a prayer is positively answered. However, it is never specifically stated who Jane prays to.
6. I love the secondary characters in the book. It is a lengthy list. It is a diverse list.
7. The conflicts in the story are internal.
8. The main plot is simple.
9. The story is told in chronological or linear form.

What I do not like about the story:
1. The story has a long list of high functioning words and local dialect sayings. I don’t mind a couple of words that I need to look up in a dictionary, but the list grew and grew. The average reader is not going to like this. When a reader has to pause too much to look up a word in the dictionary it breaks the flow of reading. For example, farcical and raconteur.
2. Ben is Claire’s husband. If he were cut completely from the story would it matter? No. He is actually a weight in the story that is not needed because the story is busy with other things going on. When a story is too busy, well it is just too busy, and the reader (me) is worn-out by the heavy traffic.
3. At this time in my life (or in my reading life), I have become bored with much of the romance that is weaved in a story. I don’t have the data that will back up how other readers feel about this topic. I know how I feel. If Claire had focused all her attention on the Brontë research, the traveling, and the mystery surrounding her mother, this book would be remarkable enough. But, Claire’s personal life became a weight and additional plots for the story. Bottom line for me is there are too many things going on in this one book. Just a few would be wonderful.

Themes:
Death and dying, loyalty, self-worth, honesty, redemption, acceptance, kindness, romance, innocence, guilt, wisdom, hope, grief, temptation, empowerment, dreams, and trust.

Source: I received a complimentary paperback copy from Sunday Taylor. I am not required to write a positive review.
Audience: Contemporary fiction/romance readers.
Rating: Good.
181 reviews6 followers
July 12, 2021
Claire Easton, a journalist, flies to England on a work assignment. She plans to spend part of the time conducting research for a book she wants to write about Charlotte Bronte, of whom she is an ardent admirer. Unexpected opportunities arise that give Claire exposure to materials helpful to her endeavor. During Claire's time in England, she is also dealing with personal challenges in life. Her marriage is teetering on the rocks, and she finds herself drawn to bookshop owner, John Spencer. Is Claire’s marriage beyond repair and/or will her new friendship with John turn into a more serious relationship? Will personal setbacks hinder Claire from penning a story that she wants to share?

The Anglophile’s Notebook, which flows seamlessly from start to finish, is heavily focused on Charlotte Bronte and rare memorabilia related to her writings. Sunday Taylor does an excellent job of describing the engaging characters and the awesome real-world locations. The story encompasses heartache, emotional resilience in the face of uncertainty, physical adversity, close-knit family relationships, supportive friendships, unanticipated discoveries, theft and destruction of property, and life experiences that lead to personal growth.

Taylor has written a terrific novel that will hold your interest from the first page until the last. It is easy for readers not only to make meaningful connections with the characters as they deal with difficult and unforeseen circumstances, but readers will also gain some insights into Charlotte Bronte's style of writing and why she became a novelist and poet. I enjoyed every minute of my time reading the book.
Profile Image for Gaili Schoen.
Author 17 books3 followers
November 2, 2020
"She was an optimist at heart and viewed travel as transformative, a coming together of life and poetry."

The Anglophile's Notebook by Sunday Taylor offers a taste of everything that makes a reader fall in love with a book: it is mostly set in the cozy fall/winter ambience of an 18th century Yorkshire country house on the English moors and it is filled with fascinating historical details about the lives of the Brontë family (you will enjoy these stories even if you haven't read the Brontës), and sympathetic characters that feel like they could be your friends. Its delicious details made the bibliophile, the Anglophile and the foodie in me swoon. Taylor notably develops her characters slowly and beautifully with a few mysteries and a couple of sweet second-chance-at-love stories.

Claire Easton is an American writer who writes a magazine column called "The Anglophile's Notebook." She travels to England to do research for her book about Charlotte Brontë. She has been in a painful marriage with few friends in the US, and along with her literary discoveries, she finds new love, friendships and unexpected family in England.

Highly recommended!
Profile Image for Julie.
1,471 reviews134 followers
May 10, 2021
This novel had so much promise, but alas, there were too many flaws to make it enjoyable. I was initially drawn to the topic of the Brontes, as the main character Claire is researching them for a book she’s writing. And with the promise of the atmospheric English countryside, I was intrigued. But…

Everything was too neat, too coincidental, too contrived. It was quaint at first, but then I found myself rolling my eyes every other page. Conveniently, everyone in Claire’s inner circle lives very comfortably in their well-appointed, book-filled homes and they all are gardeners or painters or chefs/bakers. Taylor spends pages describing cozy interiors, lush gardens, and London locales, but that doesn’t add much substance to the story. Also, I found Claire to be a bit judgmental and quick to interfere in others’ personal business.

And then there’s the lack of editing. Authors can rarely pull off spelling accents phonetically and it’s as if the English dialogue was written as a caricature of itself. The Britishisms are overdone, like when John shows Claire’s sister to a guest room, he says, “I do hope you’ll be in your cups here.” Either he’s encouraging her to get drunk or the phrase was misused. Everything about this expression bothered me: “…like an Elizabethan queen draped in wedding finery.” And there are no hummingbirds in England.

So there you have it. Not even Charlotte, Emily, or Anne Bronte could have saved this book.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author.
Profile Image for Cathy Rusch.
1 review
May 9, 2021
I was transported and found myself in a world of beauty and intrigue. Life seemed simple for Claire and yet she was clearly yearning for something more. Something just for her.
The mystery of her relationships wrapped me and held me. The author has such a beautiful descriptive talent. I could picture the hillsides, plane ride, the homes, her clothing.

The intrigue stayed with me. I wanted to know where she would explore next, what would happen with her marriage, would she find contentment, answers, love? I am really that corny.

I needed this book to tell its story, paint its picture, and take me on a journey. This is why I read. Sunday Taylor did that for me.
11 reviews
April 7, 2021
The enigmatic lives of the Bronte sisters, interwoven with an intriguing tale of self-discovery, make this a must for your "to-read" list. You will find many cozy spots to settle into as you go with Claire into bookshops, libraries and tea shops. You'll step back into history, and experience the moors of the Brontes, unearthing a mystery here and there. And you will cheer Claire on in her quest to find her true self. Collect your tea and scones, and get comfy as you enjoy The Anglophile's Notebook.
1 review
December 29, 2020
This book was the escape I needed for these non-travel days. Wonderful, intriguing characters and storyline, with vivid descriptions of everything an Anglophile loves. Taylor takes the reader to charming bookstores, beautiful gardens, historical sights, all with a literary emphasis that Clare, the main character, provides. Some were familiar, but many I noted for my next trip to England. A delightful read that you won't want to end.
Profile Image for G.P. Gottlieb.
Author 4 books72 followers
March 8, 2022
Californian Claire Easton, who writes a magazine column called “The Anglophile’s Notebook,” travels to England to do research for a book about Charlotte Brontë. While connecting with people who can help her research, she manages to solve some mysterious goings on, connect her new friends to each other, rebuild her life, and fall in love with the man who might publish her as yet unwritten book.

Here's my interview with Sunday Taylor: https://newbooksnetwork.com/the-anglo...
1 review
October 30, 2020
This book was exactly what I needed. The Anglophile's Notebook soothed my poor constrained travel bug while following Claire through England as well as the travails of her relationships, none the least her constant love of the Bronte's. I felt so transported to the beautiful and lesser known spots in London, Yorkshire and Haworth where the Bronte's lived.
I highly recommend it!
1 review
October 7, 2021
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Sunday Taylor’s debut novel. Claire’s journey had me hooked from the beginning. The vivid descriptive images left me wanting to visit London and wanting to learn more about the Brontes. The story line was very heartfelt. Truly a lovely cozy book especially during these uncertain times. Highly recommend!
1 review
Read
November 19, 2020
This is a pure delight especially for the reader that has a Brit bent. Mystery, travelogue and love story is part of this tale. My book group had a wonderful discussion and as well as journey to the Moors.
1 review
May 24, 2021
I loved reading this book. It's a cozy mystery and romance that will whisk you away to literary London and the beautifully wild countryside of Yorkshire, home of the Bronte sisters.

Profile Image for Sheryl Fleischer.
2 reviews
November 3, 2020
A well written book with a great story about Claire Easton, a modern day editor for a travel magazine, with a passion for Charlotte Bronte and the legendary parsonage where the Bronte family, lived, wrote and roamed the mystical moors. It's elegantly written with beautiful descriptions of literary figures, period décor and English gardens. Claire's own story is compelling as she comes to grips with a failed marriage and a courageous journey in finding herself and affirming her dreams.
Taylor's style of writing is well crafted and eloquent in evoking the mid-nineteenth century period of the Bronte's authentic prose while simultaneously giving the reader a glimpse into a modern woman trying to make sense of her life and purpose.
Profile Image for Emily.
290 reviews16 followers
November 14, 2021
I really enjoyed reading The Anglophile's Notebook, and appreciate the author and The Review Crew providing me with a copy. This is the story of Claire, who is spending time in England researching a book about Charlotte Bronte. Lots of interesting information about the Brontes (especially Charlotte) is shared with the reader during the course of Claire's research.

In the process, Claire meets bookstore owner John, and spends time getting to know him. I enjoyed Claire's character-growth arc throughout the book. The story of Claire's research project (and life in England) kept me eager to see what happened next. The author writes with a beautiful style, and I liked the many descriptions that made me feel like I was experiencing everything along with the main character. Both main characters were very well-written, with detailed, distinct personalities. I felt like they were real people I was getting to know as I read.

Basically, I loved everything about this story: the characters, the setting and descriptions, the research quest, the relationships....this is SUCH a good book. I recommend it without reservation to anyone who enjoys quality literature.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews

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