What I'm Reading

The strawberry shortcake
happened BEFORE my diet

I've stated before in my blog that my favorite author is Maeve Binchy.  I've read everything she's written since Tara Road, but I hadn't read all of her earliest works.  We have a program in our church called Angels of Grace that others might call Secret Sisters.  I was chosen this year by a very attentive lady who regularly showers me with cards and special gifts.  Throughout the quarantine, she has left packages on my front porch.  Yes, I've seen her making the deliveries, but I've pretended like I haven't.  Anyway, for my birthday in June, she included Maeve Binchy's first work, Light a Penny Candle.  I was so excited because I had never read it!  The book was fabulous, all the way until the end.  It seems like Binchy just didn't know how to wrap it up.  It kind of started to drag on, and I think she realized it was getting boring.  So she had a couple of the main people do things that were completely out of character and very dramatic.  The book ended sort of abruptly and left me with a bad taste in my mouth.  Because the rest of the book was so very good, I think I would still give it 4 out of 5 stars.  Just be prepared, if you read it, the ending is kind of weird.  

Experiencing another Binchy book for the first time made me excited for more.  Amazon was no help; I didn't want to pay full price for a book.  I tried eBay, which I haven't visited in probably a decade.  You can get used books for $4.99 or less, with free shipping.  If you buy 3 or more items, you get an extra 15% off!  So I received 3 hardcover books in the mail for a great price!  They were all in good condition and I had no complaints.  The seller was discover-books.

The first book I opened was actually a compilation of 3 of Binchy's books.  They are all earlier works and I hadn't read any of them.  I started with The Lilac Bus.  If you don't know Binchy's writing style, she uses a lot of characters.  At times, it seems overwhelming.  But she has a knack for bringing them all together in the end.  When they all start interacting and fitting together, you have that Aha! moment and that's when the story gets really good.  Sadly, that's not what The Lilac Bus was.  The beginning was amazing.  Binchy's storytelling abilities are incredible.  I kept waiting for the first characters to come back, but they never did.  I googled the title of the book and realized that the different sections of the book are actually a collection of short stories.  I must admit, I was a little disappointed.  Had I known that in advance, I would have enjoyed the stories so much more; they were extremely well written.  Once again, I would recommend this book, but keep in mind that each section does not relate to the last.

This goes to prove that Binchy's writing abilities progressed tremendously throughout her life.  I still attest to the fact that her greatest work is Tara Road.  Circle of Friends is my second favorite, with Evening Class coming in third.        

I took a break from reading to accomplish a few other things around here, including painting.  My next venture will be Firefly Summer, the second story in the book of 3.  Hopefully this one doesn't have any disappointments.