Reader's Ink discussion

Question #1: How did you like the book, and why?

I really loved loved loved this book. It grabbed me within the first 10 pages. Perhaps because I'm a hopeless romantic, and this one sucked me right in.

I gave it a 5.

The characters, young and old were the types that I would want in my own life, and in fact do have some, and they can stay such important friends and loved ones. Was so sad when we lost Evelyn. I liked her spunk and fight.

The dynamics with the "men" in the book was interesting. Some I like, and others not so much. I could very much enjoy some of the those yummy home cooked meals that were so pleasant sounding. I liked her description of the island too. Made we want to go there. We've read other books with Islands that draw the reader in. I may add more later. Good pick Nancy!!!

Huh. I really didn’t like it. I’m way short on time today, so maybe I’ll get a chance to elaborate at some point, but here are my gripes: It was unimaginative, the writing was utterly generic and uninspired, the dialogue was uninteresting and blah, and Emily had zero depth to her.

I couldn’t buy her “absorption” by the story in the diary (which, by the way, is written in the exact same bland voice as Emily’s so-called voice) because I didn’t think it was well-written. Or interesting.

Finally, the Pacific Northwest has such a unique persona and feel to it, especially in March, and Jio completely failed to give the area its due as far as its weird beauty. Overall, the novel came across as an amateurish effort to be deep and poetic but ended up just being sort of like a Lifetime movie.

Wow, I’m a Negative Nellie today. Where’s my other literary pessimist? Lauren? Are you out there?

I gave it a 3.5/4. I enjoyed reading it as a light-hearted fun read. Couldn't really say it was much more than that.

I think I had high hopes for it from the beginning- I could feel sort of a magical sense of the island, which in a way reminded me of The Girl Who Chased The Moon (Sarah Addison Allen) which I loved. However, the warm fuzzy feeling I got about the island in the beginning wasn't sustained. Maybe that was intentional as the dark history of the past unfolded.

Also- it kind of bugged me how the current characters were in the diary, but with different names. When we found out who was who, I had trouble piecing it back together in my mind.

I enjoyed it as a light read, I would give it a 3. It didn't really make me do any deep thinking. The fact that the names were different in the diary was confusing and how the diary even ended up in the room at all was weird. It did make me a bit homesick for Washington though. My favorite character was probably the Aunt because of how quirky she was. I also loved the relationship the Aunt and Evelyn shared. It sounded like a friendship I would love to have in my old age.

Sybil, YES! Exactly HOW did that diary end up in her room??

Ahem. The group pessimist would like to point out the following:

IT'S NOT PESSIMISTIC TO POINT OUT A POOR WRITTEN BOOK IS POORLY WRITTEN.

I'm not going to give a bad book a gold star for effort - I find it insulting to well-written, well-developed books. Authors who put the time and effort into crafting good characters, smart plots, and strong writing deserve praise. Authors who phone it in with books that read like rough drafts deserve nothing of the sort.

I have to get going for now, but I will say this: I want to visit Bainbridge Island despite this book. Even Ms. Jio couldn't fumble describing the island's loveliness, so I fully expect it to be much, much better than her ham-fisted efforts.

That might be the nicest thing I have to say about this book. If nothing else, it does succeed as a tourism brochure for Bainbridge.

So does this make me the group optimist?

Perhaps my own personal life has been hard enough that I'm looking for joy and things pleasant in different aspects of life. Didn't I read that the book was placed in her room by one of the gentlemen. I'm going to do some hunting again to see if I can find that point.

I'm almost finished with my book pick for September called "The Luncheon of the Boating Party" by Vreeland. I wanted to read it before sending it out to you all, and the author has done a masterful job of research that really makes the book come alive.

For the quilters in the group, I'm taking my very first quilting class. I've tied bunches and bunches, but this one is the first one with a pattern called a Jelly Roll Jacket. It's really turning out pretty, and for my first attempt, not bad. In April, I'm taking a class on T-Shirt quilts, and Alisha you said "not hard." I talked to the guy who is going to teach it, and he said we can use Sweatshirts, denim, blue jeans, etc., so could be a wide diverse "look" when done.

Carol- that's awesome about your quilting class. Let us know how it goes! I should try to figure out how to post a picture on here of the quilt I did last summer. Though be warned- if your husband knows you can quilt he will expect you to make them for him :) (at least that's true for me). Though to be fair, my husband makes wood projects for me, so I guess it evens out!

Carol- It was quickly explained that a very old gentleman snuck in the house somehow and placed the book in her room...
I did enjoy the setting a lot-made me miss Washington.

Optimists are a good thing-balances out the pessimists. ;)

Well, this book was my pick for January, and I must admit I could have done a better job at selection. That being said, I didn't totally dislike the book, but like Ashley pointed out, it sounded like a Lifetime movie. With C-list soap actors. But sometimes, I don't mind a little "bubble gum for the eyes." I just don't want to have to have a tablet close by to keep track of all the different characters, past and present. It's probably more of my forgetfulness than anything, but if the characters were memorable, I'd probably remember them a bit better. The local Bainbridge Island setting was the best part of the book! And the closely held family secrets are, I think, more common with that generation because people in the 1940's were just more private for various reasons: shame, embarrassment, the moral code of that era. Let's face it. Reality TV leaves nothing to the imagination. Sometimes less really is more. I give the book a 2.5 out of 5. Ho hum.

Sorry for being gone for a bit. Work consumes most of my waking hours. I was threatened with detention from the moderator if I didn't chime in, so I'm chiming!

I love this book! I loved that it had 3 stories intertwined with a mystery in the center of it all. Clever! Simply Clever! :D
The Esther and Elliot story reminds me of a re-telling of "Anna Karenina". I will probably give this book 4 to 4.5 stars. I'm almost to the end.

I JUST FINISHED THE BOOK, AND I'M NOT FAN. NANNY, I CAN SEE WHY YOU CHOSE THIS, SET IN THE GREAT NORTHWEST AND ALL, BUT YOU ARE RIGHT ABOUT THE SOAP CHARACTERS. BRENT COULD PLAY THE AGING ELLIOT! I RATE IT A 2. NO DEPTH AND UTTERLY PREDICTABLE. SORRY. IT SAVING GRACE WAS THAT IT WAS MERCIFULLY SHORT.