This was a really good book!

It's about a college senior who is pinching pennies to finish school while supporting her expensive studio apartment that she shares with a roommate. She takes a job as a nanny and gets wrapped up in the family's crazy life. The father is having a secret affair, the wife doesn't work, cook, clean, or raise her own child. It's the nanny's job to make sure this woman has a smooth day (paraphrase of the back cover).

The observations from the nanny's point of view are very insightful and moved me to give give both my kids an extra hug today.

This book was a very pleasant surprise.

Bookray order at this time:

Teenie Beanie-complete
Brookler-complete
chich-complete
Hellie-complete
Dinkie-arrived!

Mailed to TeenieBeanie 9/25/05

I received this book on Friday, Oct 7th and forgot to journal it. I was very busy with my Thanksgiving plans. I have started to read it and will pass on to Brookler when I have finished. So far it's a great book.

Thank you heartsong2 for the card and postcard that were included.

I have finally finished this book. It took me a while to read it cause I received several other bookring/ray books at the same time! I have so many to read at the moment I don't know where to start.

I thought this was a good book, I only had one problem. I felt the ending was rushed to a halt and then just cut off. We don't get to find out what happens to the characters (Grayer or H.H) I think it could have gone on for a few more chapters. Other than that I thought it was a good read.

I will be mailing out to Brookler this week.

RELEASE NOTES:

I forgot to add the release notes when I mailed this to Brookler. It should be there soon!

This book arrived Nov 17, just before I had to rush away for a weekend conference in Vancouver. I took it with me and had plenty of time to get into it when my flight was delayed and then cancelled because of fog.

I'm almost halfway done now. The beginning was a bit boring, but I'm finding it interesting now, though not as funny as I expected.

This is a good book, though somewhat depressing. (And I thought it was going to be funny!)

The authors obviously have lots of experience with children. As someone who has worked with preschoolers most of the last 30 years or so, I found her portrayal of Grayer and the others very accurate and insightful. The chilling part for me was how closely this story resembled a job I had in the 1970's in the ritzy English part of Montreal as a "maid", whose duties included spending major time with their children, especially their three year old son.

I haven't thought of that dysfunctional family and their superior attitude towards me for a long, long time. This book took me right back there. I agree with TeenieBeanie about the abrupt ending. When Nanny leaves without offering any explanation or goodbyes to Grayer, it broke my heart.

This book is off today to chich in France. (If only I could take it there in person!) Enjoy!

Book received today, thanks Brookler for passing it on!

And thank you for the beautiful postcard (which can be seen here, journal entry #16), it makes me want to visit British Columbia

I thought this would be just another 'chick lit' type book but it wasn't at all and was a surprisingly good, interesting read!

I agree with Brookler when she says the story was somewhat depressing when it was supposed to be funny: I felt really bad for poor Grayer because of the way his parents completely ignored him; and when I think of all the 'poor little rich kids' out there, it just breaks my heart to think of how lonely they must feel...I know this is just a book but I'm pretty sure it pictures life in those circles fairly accurately (that's the scary thing about it actually!).

The ending is a bit abrupt but it didn't bother me that much, I felt it added reality to the book by avoiding an "all's well that ends well" type ending.

Thanks a lot for sharing heartsong2!

Updated January 18: book sent to Hellie today.

Received today - many thanks, had very eventful day, form not being well to attending compltely the wrong course for work this afternoon! Couple of rings ahead of it, will get to it asap!!

update: 05/02/06 started reading last night, am already over 1/3 way through, enjoying so far....

update: 07.02.06

Finished book. Enjoyed it, though I didn't find it funny save for a couple of small parts.
I found the X es (stupid name may I add) very annoying and selfish, and little Grayer quite adorable once he came round, clearly he and Nanny became very close.
The ending was sudden and I felt so much for her, but I guess life doesn't give us neatly tied up loose ends does it?
And what's with her name? Calling a nanny Nanny? That irritated the HELL out of me!
The children seemd well written, being a primary teacherk, and having lots of friends with children...
Overall I enjoyed it, it just wasn't what it claimed to be...maybe if you didn;t work with children the children scenes would be funnier?

Thanks for sharing

RELEASE NOTES:

coffee shop upstairs at meet.

caught at the meet up, wow, how many books were there last night and how many did I bring home.
Saw this is actually a ray, so i'll take it back next month in case dinkie wants it

Great book, glad I'm not a Nanny, will take it to the next meet up for dinkie

Picked it up at the meet will read it asap.