You'll love this one...!! A book club & more discussion

Grainne and I are planning to read Chocolat by Joanne Harris in early January, if anyone would like to join us!

Ooh I’d be interested in the next book in the series also, Grainne - maybe we can fit it into the annual challenge.

Although I’m guessing this would be in the five book series category due to the prequel so we’d have to find the right constellation for that unless it fits some other way?

The Girl with No Shadow

ETA - IF you’re interested, Grainne, I’m open to continuing. No worries if not! I heard the Girl is a little bit darker than the other books….

Oh! Chocolat is one of the books that completely sparked my adult reading addiction. I read The Lollipop Shoes on holidays in 2016, but I have Peaches for Monsieur le Curé ready to go and very much waiting. If you get there!

I am tempted to read the first book again, yet sometimes it is better to leave the past the past.

I'm interested in reading Vianne since I've read all the books in the series.

Ooh I’d like to ask you both: Did you feel like the second book was darker?

It would be fun to read the series next year! I’ve only read Chocolat and the prequel but I love her writing and magical realism is my happy place these days.

Janice - For the annual challenge, I’m wondering if it would be considered a five-book series, with the prequel? I need to find the right constellation if so.

And re Vianne, Janice, if you’ve enjoyed the series I really think you’d love the prequel. And the audiobook was done by the author who did a fantastic job with it. Can’t go wrong with print or audio.

I hope we’ll enjoy the read/reread for me of Chocolat, and I think anyone who enjoyed Vianne would like Chocolat too but I’ll be curious how I find it on the second go-round. I was able to get the author’s narration of it from Audible and the first time I think there was no audio I could get at all so that will change it, more than likely for the better bc she is a great narrator!

Looking forward to this. Thx again for suggesting it Grainne.

Laura wrote: "Ooh I’d like to ask you both: Did you feel like the second book was darker?

It would be fun to read the series next year! I’ve only read Chocolat and the prequel but I love her writing and magica..."


For series, we go by the primary works listed on the series page. this series says 4 primary works, but with Vianne, it's actually 5, Maybe a librarian didn't update the page. For now, it would fall under a 4 series prompt - each constellation has a series prompt and there is one for a 4 series read.

Ok thx for the clarification Janice.

Grainne, are you still up for starting this one in early January?

Or as you say, we could start whenever and mark spoilers. I’m still hoping for this one to be my first book of the year 🤞🏼 (My copy is around 325pp in softback, I think. )

Sounds good. Looking forward to it!

All are welcome to join us!

I'm planning to read Vianne for the 2026 challenge. I read Chocolat years ago and enjoyed it - my only quibble was that the author did the narration. I really prefer a good voice actor. She's doing the reading for Vianne too.

Enjoy 😉

Thanks, Margo. I thought she did a wonderful job with Vianne and I’m one who usually hates when authors try to narrate. When I read Chocolat the first time, I had no available audio but I really enjoyed the audio to Vianne. For what it’s worth.

Margo wrote: "I'm planning to read Vianne for the 2026 challenge. I read Chocolat years ago and enjoyed it - my only quibble was that the author did the narration. I really prefe..."

Which task are you reading it for? I'd be interested in reading it too,

Janice wrote: "Margo wrote: "I'm planning to read Vianne for the 2026 challenge. I read Chocolat years ago and enjoyed it - my only quibble was that the author did the narration. ..."

Hoping it will fit "orange book" but tineye still not working for me. It looks very orange but there is a lot og text on the cover:

Margo wrote: "Janice wrote: "Margo wrote: "I'm planning to read Vianne for the 2026 challenge. I read Chocolat years ago and enjoyed it - my only quibble was that the author did ..."

Buddy read?

Laura wrote: "Thanks, Margo. I thought she did a wonderful job with Vianne and I’m one who usually hates when authors try to narrate. When I read Chocolat the first time, I had no available audio but I really en..."

Yes, she seems to have improved over time.

I’m looking forward to this. I bought the Audible a month or so ago and was listening to a few minutes of it last night. Felt good to fall back into that world again and I hope you’ll enjoy it too, Grainne.

I may continue on with the series as I’ve never read past Chocolat. I believe Audible has Harris’s narrations for all. The only thing bugging me is I heard that the second book has a dark side that may not be good for my mood and it may take some maneuvering / a delay to make The Girl with No Shadow work in the annual challenge. (Virgo Task 5! “Girl” in title)

Grainne, were you thinking about reading on with the series this year or are you waiting to see how Chocolat is first?

ETA I may start on New Year’s Day as I’ll have some time to read (with any luck)!

Margo wrote: "Janice wrote: "Margo wrote: "I'm planning to read Vianne for the 2026 challenge. I read Chocolat years ago and enjoyed it - my only quibble was that the author did ..."

If you turn off "exclude background colours", you get more the 75% orange, so you can use it for the orange task.

I'm going to have to put it on hold. It's only accessible to me as hardcover ($37.95) or paperback ($31.42). There is no kindle edition listed. Nor is there an audiobook. Must be regional restrictions.

Bummer! I picked the audio in the recent UK 2 for 1 sale. I'll never understand why books in your part of the world are so expensive. HC here is 21 euro and the PB is 12 e.

Re: tineye - I haven't been able to pull up a cover using my laptop since before xmas. I must try the app.

Grainne, I’m really hoping to have a mostly reading day tomorrow and would like to cover a decent amount of ground in this one. It’s been awhile but I’ve read it before and I’ve also seen the film. Not sure if you’ve seen it. As I recall, the film stays reasonably true to the book.

Anyway I’ll be marking spoilers but I’m hoping you may find time to read the new year in as well 😃📚❤️

Ah, ok. You read much faster than me, too. Either way, we’ll be marking spoilers. I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I did the first time around. We both recently read the prequel, so it should be fun!

Grainne, are you working all weekend too?

Ok I can adjust too, so we can stay more together. I’m also reading Geraldine Verne's Red Suitcase starting tomorrow, and can switch off if that works better.

ETA I go back to work Monday, and then my available time will greatly diminish lol.

Happy New Year, Grainne (and all!)

GR is apparently limiting comments for now so I’m going to try and post once for each chapter but if they limit me, I’ll go back and edit prior comments. 🙄

I’ve read through chapter 6, which is only 32pp of my PB book. I have this edition:

Chapter 1:

(view spoiler)[I find it amusing that the church is ‘aggressively whitewashed’ now that we know the priest is described as ‘a black figure’ with a ‘rigid stance’ and ‘cold, light eyes’ with a ‘measuring, feline look’

I already love Anouk; she’s a sensitive soul, describing their living area as a dark place that ‘smells so sad’. I love how the author describes the smell as ‘like daylight trapped for years until it has gone sour and rancid….’ and it resonates to her as a place where ‘no one has laughed for years’.

I love how they drove the sadness out too! (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 2:

(view spoiler)[Not sure if I’m misunderstanding this but it sounds like the top of the church spire has a weathervane with the grim reaper in it?! I had to read this twice to be sure I wasn’t seeing things lol. I realize there’s a graveyard but it seems strange to put the grim reaper on the weathervane lol.

I don’t like how the priest assumes she’s a churchgoer who was just to busy to come to Mass.

And once again he has ‘cold, light eyes’. I find that interesting, the same description within pp of each other. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 3:

(view spoiler)[ if there was any question why we don’t like the priest, it’s been put to rest at this point that he’s definitely not the kind you want. The comatose(?) man in the bed seems like the kind type of priest you’d want, and apparently the villagers love him while they only fear and respect the new one, which makes sense.

Interesting they change fonts for the chapters where Fr. Francis visits the ill priest.

I don’t like the “I see everything” line. It’s one thing to say that about God, but Fr Francis seems to have a pretty inflated view of himself. You’d think it would really bother him that one of his parishioners is beating his wife. It feels like anyone normal would try and intercede for his wife, instead of mentioning that she steals. Yike, this guy really should not be a priest, I feel sorry for his parishioners. At least he states flat out that he is not kind lol. Ya think?

I also find it interesting that the “good priest” can’t speak, but must listen in silence to the ignorance of the current, healthy one who looks to a man who can’t speak to teach him communication. And hope.

(hide spoiler)]

I’m going to take a break and get some exercise in. Hopefully when I come back, GR will let me post more comments 😂

Chapter 4:


(view spoiler)[

Haha the man who bought three identical boxes without knowing what was inside must be the guy having affairs with three women 😂

It’s a shame the other ladies don’t associate with Josephine. Someone needs to help her. I don’t like the smoke and bloody knuckle in the images Vianne saw coming from her either. Also wondering if J might be pregnant 😬. It’s nice V didn’t get mad when J stole the box….instead she gave her a larger one. (The priest should be learning from behavior like this!) (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 5:


(view spoiler)[

I think Celeste means heavenly and if so, that’s pretty interesting - La Celeste Praline in contrast to the church led by a mean priest and topped with a grim reaper weathervane lol.

If I ever went to see this priest I’d never go back. Hard to believe anyone “wants” to be treated brutally (p23).

And why does it seem like he expects everyone to observe Lent? Not sure what year this is (maybe Vianne would give us an idea), but this guy is stuck back in the dark ages. “Tomorrow I’ll make them pay.”

He’s got under my skin but there are so many great characters in here too. I really like V and Anouk! And the man with the sad dog. Guillaume. (hide spoiler)]

Ch 6:

(view spoiler)[

I like Mme. Voizin too. It takes a witch to know a witch!

There are many “characters” in here.

Not sure I fully understand the point here: at the very end - “Set a church clock wrong ti fool the devil, my mother always told me. But in this case I suspect the devil is not fooled. Not for a minute.”

Is she trying to say that Fr. Francis is … known to the devil, as an associate?! Or something else. (hide spoiler)]

Insomnia can be good in some ways. Got a little reading in in the middle of the night.

I’ve read thru ch 13 which ends on p 85 in my book. The chapters are usually pretty short.

Ch 13

(view spoiler)[ so this book was written in 1999, over 25 yrs ago and look at the attitude here. Half of his words could be in any news article about immigration in the states right now. Will be so glad when ppl like this are far from power. Especially when they cloak their ideas in religion. This is v far from any type of normal religion. Faith, any faith imo should be about helping ppl, not hating them bc of how they are perceived to be, usually based on their appearance. /rant

So the priest is the dark man that she and her mother were always running from. Or he symbolizes him. I’m wondering how this guy (I’m guessing it’s him or at least he shares his name) features in the title of the third book in the series. Peaches for Father Francis is the US title, I think Rus had mentioned a different one (or two). Is he the perpetual villain or has he experienced growth. Hopefully he grows or I wouldn’t want to read the rest of the series. (hide spoiler)]

Grainne, I hope all is well on your end. I was going to shuffle in one of the group reads with this one but looking at the comments I’m not sure if it will work with my current mood. This one is a reread for me, and for that reason I’m pretty sure that it will so I may stick with this.

This is a very fast read with short chapters so I’m feeling like you will breeze through it. I hope you’ll enjoy it!

Ch 21

(view spoiler)[

It’s so good to see Luc and Armande having such a good relationship. Seems like they’re each just what the other one needs. (hide spoiler)]

Grainne I don’t read as fast as you, so no worries there. I have about 100 pp to go.

Sorry we got our wires crossed! I did mean early January, as I wanted to read this before returning fully to work on Monday 😕. I also planned to double book with a book I’m not sure is good for my mood now and not sure how to handle that as I interlibrary loaned it. So I will have to decide or maybe try it at some point and see if it works out. Or pick another book for the challenge.

But at this point I’m still plugging along on this. I was helped out a bit again with insomnia listening so I am in chapter 27 now. It’s also helping that I’ve read this before and know what to expect.

Have you started yet?

I had to make a bunch of food this morning and been listening to this. It makes all the kitchen time a little more enjoyable.

It has 39 chapters and I’m into chapter 33. Page 249 of 306 in my PB copy from library. I do have some more time on this so I should still have the book when you start reading.

I do hope you’ll enjoy this; I’ll be curious what you’ll think of it.

(view spoiler)[ I’m not seeing a whole lot to discuss as I get toward the end. The priest keeps acting like someone who isn’t at all religious, and Vianne keeps being the kind one who’s trying to help and shelter ppl, as you’d expect the Fr. to do.

I’m v glad Josephine left her husband even tho Fr criticized her for it (once again showing that he really has no clue), but there’s no way we’ve seen the last of him.

It’s a shame that it feels to me that men like him never really pay for their crimes. Usually he’s managed to scare so many ppl close to him that they’re afraid of retribution. Which is a shame bc they’ll just go on and continue to harm others.

Anyway. Still really liking all of the characters I mentioned earlier. I’m not seeing a ton of growth anywhere but I still feel like I’d like to continue with this series and I’m wondering how you feel about that. Would be nice if we could coordinate it better. I’ve tried to leave enough notes that when you start reading, I’ll remember enough to go on with (this is where the insomnia leaves holes in my brain at times lol).

Busy period at work for me is now through April and then it should slow down. Not sure if the second book will fit any task other than the second of a series or girl in title from Virgo constellation. I think in Europe tho it has a different title.

Anyway I’m enjoying it, not dying to read it, but liking it enough and it’s good for insomnia bc it’s not a thriller so I usually skip backward a couple of chapters and I can fall asleep pretty well to it. (hide spoiler)]

So sorry to hear this, Grainne! I hope you feel better soon and can get as much rest as possible. Barely sleeping is tough when you’re not feeling well 🤧

Feel better soon Grainne.

Ending (view spoiler)[

It’s nice Armande was able to go out as she wanted. Since she knew she’d lose her sight, and at her age, it feels understandable. And she was able to reconnect with Luc, which was so important to both of them.

Not sure how I feel about Vianne and Roux getting together when they both knew he and Josephine were interested in each other. I guess the author is trying to setup the rest of the series though, and a second child for V and there was really no other guy in her age range (other than the priest 🤣😅).

I liked it better the second time than the first, but I think the priest possibly annoyed me more this time, probably bc he reminded me of news stories I’d rather not think about now.

I’m very interested to see how in the world this priest winds up in the title of the third book. You’d think he’d be written out of the series completely after this book. So maybe he grows? I guess anything is possible? He seems pretty far gone, but maybe he has some type of crisis which changes him?

Would be nice to do another buddy read when our schedules jive better, and we’re both feeling well. I do have the library book until nearly the end of January so hopefully we’ll still be able to have a good discussion. I tried to leave a few good notes. I do have to say I’m glad to turn the last p of this. I need a break from J’s husband and the priest! (hide spoiler)]

Grainne, when you feel better, we’ll discuss. I think we both loved the prequel, Vianne, and I’ll be really curious what you think of this. I split between the audiobook narrated by the author and a very well-loved library book. I’ll keep this checked out so that we can discuss when you’re ready. I hope you’re sleeping now. Take care of yourself. 🤗🙏🏻

Grainne, I really hope you’ll have a chance to rest when you’re home, and that you’re feeling better soon. Maybe next week will be slower? Fingers crossed.

I read this book faster than normal bc I’ve been on vacation but I go back to work Monday, and won’t have as much time to read. Also I had read this before and knew what to expect, which helped.

It would be nice if you wanted to go on with the series, because I definitely do. And if so, maybe we could plan a read where hopefully our schedules match better. I think the second book is a bit darker, which has me hesitating a bit but I do love her writing, and would like to see where the characters go from here.

Sorry to hear that, Grainne. Better luck with your next one. And I hope you feel better soon!