Hello, hello!
As some of you will be able to tell without my saying so, this is my first attempt at blogging, so please have patience :)
In theory this blog is supposed to be an assemblage of book reviews, news about my favorite authors, and my own thoughts about reading and writing. Hopefully that keeps you all entertained, and if not, comments and suggestions (though constructive ones, please) are always welcome :) So, without any further ado, onto the topic of today's post!
Lately I've been buying most of my books either online, at Friends of the Library sales, or at Borders. So since I was in town, I decided to stop by the library to borrow some instead. Now, every book lover has his or her own way of finding the right book(s): some make a straight beeline for their favorite authors (God help the innocent browsers that dare to stand in their way), while others peruse the New Releases section, or refer to the various Recommendation pamphlets sprinkled throughout the library. My personal method for detecting delightful books? I sniff them out. Literally.
Each book has its own scent, no matter how long it's been sitting on the shelf collecting layers and layers of dust. Sure, old books smell dingy. But if you bury your nose in them for long enough, you'll discover that the scent is really made up of the story and all its little nuances.
My nose is what led me to my latest discovery (which I finished last night, during my breaks from getting this blog up and running): The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows. I absolutely loved it! I found myself reading slowly as I got closer and closer to the end because I didn't want it to stop; I was completely engrossed in the lives of the characters and felt like I could have read it for years and years.
This paragraph will have some of the synopsis (but don't worry, I won't give anything away!) so feel free to skip it. It does contain more of my thoughts on the book, though, which is written in a series of letters, telegrams, and cables (the book, not my thoughts) and taking place just after World War II in 1946 London. One of the reasons I liked this book is that although it takes place during a turbulent time, the tone of the novel is lighthearted and uplifting. This isn't to say that it doesn't discuss the events of the war--it does (sometimes in graphic detail)--but such occasions are interspersed throughout the book and aren't meant to be the entire point of the story. It's refreshing to read about WW2 in a different perspective: from the eyes of those living on the Channel Islands.
I would guess that one hurdle for something with letter-format would be to keep each character's voice distinctly its owner's. That's the second reason I liked this book: it manages to do that and more. Not only can the reader keep up with the different personalities, but can also imagine what the characters might act/look like based on their letters. Each have unique personalities and voices that commingle throughout the novel.
I highly recommend this book to everybody; not to just those who love historical themes (like me!) or to readers whose favorite book titles are the type that are quirky and require immediate exploring (also me!). Give it a go and let me know how much in love with it you are also :)
