Super Fantastic Reading Group

Jane Austen

My sister and I have been reading Jane Austen's collected works. (Re-reading for her, but most of it was for the first time for me.) If you enjoyed the Pride & Prejudice movie, you should definitely read the book. You would also likely enjoy Persuasion. I liked Mansfield Park, but not quite as much as those two, and it is really long! I am moving on to Northanger Abbey soon. It has taken a few weeks to get the BBC production of Northanger Abbey out of my head. It was awful! Under no circumstances should you be tempted to watch it.

The Saving Graces by Patricia Gaffney

This weekend, I read a book that had been on my Amazon Wish List since I met the author two years ago. I finally received it last Christmas and finally started it on Saturday. I recommend The Saving Graces by Patricia Gaffney to the group. I enjoyed it but it didn't blow me away.

The book is about four women who have been close friend for ten years and all the things that their friendships go through during that time. There are romances in the book, but they aren't the focus. All of the characters are likable and I think that Patricia Gaffney did a good job of keeping their voices distinct, except for the fact that two different characters used the word "callow" in their thoughts. If I had to look it up, I don't think the word is in common enough usage to have more than one character use it so naturally, but it was a minor point and maybe just a personal peeve. If you do read this book, you should be prepared for the waterworks that will accompany the last 1-2 hours of reading.