Journal Entry 1 by SmilingSun from Westchester, Illinois USA on Sunday, April 04, 2004

A very well-written debut novel by Julia Glass. Good character development. This is a story about the lives of members of a Scottish family and their experiences with "love in all it's guises." It is poignant, profound, and relevant to the times, without being melodramatic.

I recommend it. 

Journal Entry 2 by SmilingSun from Westchester, Illinois USA on Sunday, April 04, 2004

Starting a new bookring for this novel. Please pm me with your address and shipping preferences (US and or international). Thanks!

SmilingSun 

Journal Entry 3 by SmilingSun from Westchester, Illinois USA on Tuesday, April 06, 2004

This Book Ring is now CLOSED! Thanks to everyone who signed up for my first bookring~

Please follow these rules:

(Admission: I must admit here that I have borrowed these rules from someone else's bookring, but modified them for mine....!)

* Journal when you’ve received the book (so we know it’s not lost).

* PM the person next in line to let them know you've received the book, and ask for their mailing addy so you can send it out as soon as you've finished it.

* Journal when you’ve finished the book (let us know what you thought).

* Make a journal entry to let us know it's been sent to the next ring participant.

* PLEASE do not hold onto the book longer than 30 days! If you feel that you can't read it within a timely manner.....just send it on it's way!

I think that's it! Enjoy reading this book. I look forward to reading your comments on it.

You may feel free to write your BCID and state or country on inside cover.

Final Mailing Order:


Casperette - MN, USA

BlueAmazon - IL, USA

Sissyrun - CA, USA

Spaceystacey - NJ, USA

MoonDancer - TX, USA

Metropolitan - BRAZIL

Prplec - GA, USA

Brewster13 - CANADA

Lauraloo29 - CANADA

Allbookedup - AUSTRIA

Urpfi - SWITZERLAND

Mlbish - IL, USA

SmilingSun - IL, USA (back to me)

 

Journal Entry 4 by SmilingSun from Westchester, Illinois USA on Wednesday, April 07, 2004

Mailed to Casperette this morning~ 

Journal Entry 5 by Casperette from Brainerd, Minnesota USA on Monday, April 12, 2004

Arrived in todays mail from Smilingsun. This looks good! It is a bookring so it will hit the top of the pile. I have to finish my bookclub one for our meeting tomorrow "yipes" but then this one will be next! : ) 

Journal Entry 6 by Casperette from Brainerd, Minnesota USA on Friday, April 16, 2004

I found this to be more difficult read than I had anticipated. I just couldn't seem to get the language to flow so smoothly that I didn't notice it. The story line was good and I did get through the book. I will now pass it on to the next person on this bookring: BlueAmazon. Mailing out today. 

Journal Entry 7 by BlueAmazon from Gaithersburg, Maryland USA on Monday, April 19, 2004

My turn for the ring. Will begin now! 

Journal Entry 8 by BlueAmazon from Gaithersburg, Maryland USA on Wednesday, April 21, 2004

So far, I'm bored with this book and haven't gotten into the story at all. I've asked sissyrun for an address, and if I don't get more engaged, I'm going to just send the ring on. I thought I'd be more enchanted by the book. There isn't anything particularly wrong with it, but I just don't really care about anyone... 

Journal Entry 9 by BlueAmazon from Gaithersburg, Maryland USA on Friday, April 23, 2004

I just wasn't engaged at all, so I've passed this on to the next in the ring. 

Journal Entry 10 by Sissyrun from Modesto, California USA on Friday, April 30, 2004

Received in the mail today. Perfect timing, nothing to read . 

Journal Entry 11 by Sissyrun from Modesto, California USA on Friday, May 14, 2004

Looks like BlueAmazon and I are on the same page about this book. And I was really excited to read it. I've heard a lot of good things. The problem I had was with the switching back and forth between the past and present. Paul & Fern, Paul & Maureen. Just when I thought I had a handle on the characters, the timeline changed. Sorry, I too am passing this on without getting past Part One. Waiting for SpaceyStacey's address. Well, SpaceyStacey bought the book, so I PM'd Moondancer. Twice. She responded that she already read the book. Now I'm waiting for Metropolitan's address. Hang in there folks. 

Journal Entry 12 by Sissyrun at Postal Release in USPS, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- USA on Wednesday, June 02, 2004

Released on Wednesday, June 02, 2004 at Postal Release in USPS, postal release USA.

Woo-Hoo!!! Finally someone PM'd me with their address. This book is on its way to Brazil. Happy trails....... 

Journal Entry 13 by Metropolitan from São Paulo, São Paulo Brazil on Friday, June 18, 2004

The book arrived today. I'll start reading as soon as I finish another ring book.
Thanks, SmilingSun!

June 21st
When I read the previous journal entries, I almost gave up on this book. After all, someone has to pay int'l postage to send to me, and I have to pay int'l postage to send it ahead. Anyway, I decided to give it a try - and am I glad I did! Maybe I was in the right mood for this book, but for me it was a smooth, flowing read, and the end was moving! As soon as I finish re-reading the last pages I'll send it on to prplpec. 

Journal Entry 14 by Metropolitan from São Paulo, São Paulo Brazil on Sunday, June 27, 2004

Mailing to prplpec on June 28.
Thanks for sharing SmilingSun! 

Journal Entry 15 by prplpec from Kennesaw, Georgia USA on Sunday, July 11, 2004

Just arrived in today's mail. Hope to get it back in the mail in about three or four weeks, due to other
bookrings and a vacation. 

Journal Entry 16 by prplpec from Kennesaw, Georgia USA on Monday, July 26, 2004

I LOVED THIS BOOK!!! I'm amazed that other people didn't love it, too. Maybe I found it immediately engaging because I'm closer in age to the first main character, Paul, and could relate to his
situation. I loved the second part--I liked Fenno a lot, and I really disliked him in the first part. And the last part did make Tony a little more understandable, if not likeable. I would have liked the book to go on and on, and wish I could have read about Fern's and Stavros's reunion, and Fern's and Fenno's continuing friendship. And did they ever realize that Fern had met Fenno's father, Paul? A wonderful book! Thanks for sharing it, SmilingSun! :)
Just PM'd brewster13 for the address. Sorry I didn't do that when I got the book--I was out of town and out of my usual routine! Will send the book on as soon as I get the address.
 

Journal Entry 17 by brewster13 from Calgary, Alberta Canada on Sunday, August 15, 2004

This book was in my mailbox when I got home from vacation - along with 2 other bookrings. I am not sure what order I'll read these books in yet, so will update when I begin to read this one (still in the midst of an earlier bookring).

Thanks SmilingSun for sharing - and thank you prplec for the stickers.

UPDATE Sept 7: I started to read this book last night ... so far so good. Will post again when I finish.
UPDATE Sept 14: I am about halfway through and enjoying this book. Due to travel and house guests over the last few weeks, I'm holding this book for longer than I'd like, but should be finished and in the mail within a week. 

Journal Entry 18 by brewster13 from Calgary, Alberta Canada on Tuesday, September 21, 2004

This book was ok ... I didn't find it to be earth-shatteringly wonderful, but I did want to read all of it. I enjoyed the beginning of the book more than the end (so for those that gave up on the book early on, that may be a relief that you didn't keep struggling on :-D ).
I don't know what it was (or wasn't) about this book ... the beginning was good. But I didn't find the third section focusing on Fern to be - relevant? Logical? I'm unsure.
In any case, this book has been with me too long, so I'm off to mail it right away to Lauraloo29. I hope you enjoy it!

Brew 

Journal Entry 19 by lauraloo29 from Edmonton, Alberta Canada on Friday, September 24, 2004

This was the very first bookring that I signed up for. So happy to see it! I do have an awful pile of rings/rays going. I am on vacation this week and will get as much reading done as possible. :) 

Journal Entry 20 by lauraloo29 from Edmonton, Alberta Canada on Wednesday, October 06, 2004

I had a difficult time with this. I think one of the problems with a bookring is that at the time you register you are ready for the book, but sadly by the time it gets to you, you may not be.

It took me 20 pages to realize that Jack was the tour guide guy! I also found the flipping back and forth from the present to the past difficult. I don't mind that style of writing, I just need a bit more warning/notice. I found I had to reread sections over to figure out what I had missed.

Not to worry! I'm glad I had a chance to read it. I'll pass it on as quickly as possible. Thank you for sharing! 

Journal Entry 21 by allbookedup from Wien Bezirk 21 - Floridsdorf, Wien Austria on Sunday, November 21, 2004

Thanks!
I received the book 2 days ago, sorry I couldn't journal any sooner, but I am without internet access at home at the moment and can only go online at work or at my family's place.
Anyway, I'll start reading ASAP and I'll keep you updated... 

Journal Entry 22 by allbookedup from Wien Bezirk 21 - Floridsdorf, Wien Austria on Friday, December 17, 2004

I finished the book a few days ago, but decided to keep it until January. I hope everbody is OK with that decision. A few friends told me that the postal service might be a bit chaotic around Xmas and that the risk of a book/letter getting lost is higher according to their experience.
I will write another journal entry as soon as the book is sent off to Urpfi in Switzerland in January!
 

Journal Entry 23 by allbookedup from Wien Bezirk 21 - Floridsdorf, Wien Austria on Monday, January 03, 2005

Sent off to Urpfi in Switzerland today! 

Journal Entry 24 by urpfi from Basel, Basel-Stadt Switzerland on Monday, January 17, 2005

The book has arrived safely in Switzerland today. Hope to read it asap. Got to finish another book first...
Thanks allbookedup for sending it to me. 

Journal Entry 25 by urpfi from Basel, Basel-Stadt Switzerland on Tuesday, February 15, 2005

I cannot give any comment to this book. It was definitely not time for it now... I tried several times to start reading , but never got into the story... Thus, I decided that the book will travel on... I'll send it to Mlbish as soon as I got the address.. 

Journal Entry 26 by mlbish from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania USA on Thursday, March 17, 2005

Caught. I've been looking forward to reading this book. It's been on my wishlist for a while. I am a little backed up with books at my house owing to the fact that I just finished defending and submitting my dissertation, but I'm all done now, so I will work hard on getting caught up.

Thank you for sharing it! 

Journal Entry 27 by mlbish from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania USA on Tuesday, August 02, 2005

Probably contains spoilers. You may want to skip it if you're worried.

A lovely family saga. The book started out a little slow, I thought, which is not surprising considering that it's a novel whose focus is character development and family relationships rather than action or situations. But it was worth the initial effort.

Getting to know Paul and learning about his family was a pleasure. I enjoyed the first section well enough. According to amazon, it won an award as a stand-alone novella. I wish I’d heard that before I read it because I might have entered it with a different mindset.

The second section was my favorite and definitely the most fleshed-out. Fenno, who was not all that likeable in the opening bit, becomes a much better character when his life is described. It was interesting to compare Paul's perceptions of his son Fenno's life and relationship with Mal with the real story. Mal was such a fascinating character. I was intrigued when the author hinted at the possibility of a non-platonic relationship for the two. I wish she had explored that a little further. It seems there is a lot of grey area between friendship and romantic relationships between some people and I would have loved to read about that though Fenno and Mal's eyes.

I was surprised that Fenno had so much trouble deciding whether to donate sperm to David and Lil. I realize that there are some things to think through and that not everyone is alike, but for me there would have been no decision at all. My brother and his wife need sperm? Done (well, if that were possible). Need a host uterus? Done. Need a kidney? Done. I suppose, though, that with some families or people it might be more complicated.

I was slightly disappointed in the third and final section. I assumed that it would be told from another MacLeod's point of view and was thrown off by the reappearance of Fern. Finally I realized who she was and her connection to the MacLeod family. I'm not sure I understand why the story diverged so greatly from the MacLeods at this point. Because Julia Glass is a great writer, I became interested in Fern's life and wanted to know more about her marriage and her relationship with Stavros. But the book was about a different family, so I found myself questioning the relevance of Fern's situation to the novel. I wish the author had made the connection between Paul and Fern and Fenno and Dennis known to the characters and explored that. That would have been fine. As it was, it was somewhat of a letdown.

One more thing: I had to laugh at the weird synchronicity between my life and the book. At about the same time that Fenno and Dennis (I think it was) were picking through bags and bags of garbage to find their lost "item", I was doing the same thing! Something relatively important (though certainly not on the same scale) was thrown away in our move and I sorted through five smelly bags of garbage looking for it. Unfortunately, I never found it, and I hope the landfill appreciates what it's been given! But when I mentioned this odd coincidence to MrBish we had a chuckle (see we're not too crushed about the loss so don't worry).

This was a great story about the ups and downs of a family. You'd think since we all have our own to worry about, we'd tire of reading about other people's relatives. But somehow, I never do.

Thank you, smilingsun, for sharing this book. It will go zipping back to you ASAP. 

Journal Entry 28 by mlbish at bookring in bookring, Bookring -- Controlled Releases on Wednesday, August 03, 2005

Released 6 yrs ago (8/3/2005 UTC) at bookring in bookring, Bookring -- Controlled Releases

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

RELEASE NOTES:

This little book is coming home! Thank you, SmilingSun, for sharing.