Journal Entry 1 by momx3lovesbooks on Tuesday, November 29, 2005

Read this for the First Look Program.

St. Oswald is a British boys school. A young outsider, Snyde, whose father is St. Oswald's porter, goes to another lower class school. Snyde sneaks into St. Oswald school under the alias "Julian Pinchbeck" and blends in with the other students. Fifteen years later, Snyde returns, plotting revenge.

WOW!! Fantastic!! Top 5 book for me for the year!

Im sending this out as a bookray. Here are my little rules! :)

1-Journal immediately when you get it and also immediately PM the next person in line to get their address (then we're not waiting for an address for days/weeks with the book sitting in your home not being read).
2-Have it read within 1 month of receiving.
3-Journal when you finish it with your final .02.

Here's the mailing list so far
sqdancer
kfp10596
ladilee24
onefinetabby
shellheap
suefitz
mmeclinton
azuki

Book left my house on 12/12/05 

Journal Entry 2 by sqdancer on Wednesday, January 11, 2006

Arrived safe and sound. Thank you for sharing!

 

Journal Entry 3 by sqdancer on Monday, January 30, 2006

I agree - wow! I don't want to say too much or I'll spoil it for the others. Thank you, momx3lovesbooks, for letting it travel up to Canada!

Sent today via surface mail.

 

Journal Entry 4 by AnonymousFinder on Wednesday, March 08, 2006

I need to read it yet.

CAUGHT IN FLORISSANT MO USA 

Journal Entry 5 by ladilee24 from Newark, Delaware USA on Thursday, March 30, 2006

Just arrived today. I've got one bookray book going already, so then this will follow. 

Journal Entry 6 by ladilee24 from Newark, Delaware USA on Friday, April 07, 2006

Great book here. I've enjoyed other books by Joanne Harris and this is just as good or better. You travel back and forth from past to present in this book, and hear the story from both Snyde's voice, and from the the Classics Master, Straightly. But there's no confusion, just great building detail as the story unfolds. Each character is well written and there's plenty of tension as Snyde's plans for revenge unfold. I really enjoyed this, thanks for starting a ring, momx3lovesbooks!

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Shipping tomorrow, 4/8/06 to onefinetabby. 

Journal Entry 7 by onefinetabby on Tuesday, May 09, 2006

This is exactly the kind of mystery/thriller I like; where things are NOT as they seem. Any book that can makek me exclaim outloud when I realize what the author has been keeping from me is a 10/10 book.

I will pm shellheap for the next address.
Thanks so much momx3 

Journal Entry 8 by onefinetabby on Wednesday, May 10, 2006

On it's way to shellheap, mailed today. Enjoy!
 

Journal Entry 9 by shellheap from Dover, New Hampshire USA on Monday, May 15, 2006

Got in the mail from onefinetabby. Reviews sound great and I can't wait to read it! 

Journal Entry 10 by shellheap from Dover, New Hampshire USA on Tuesday, May 23, 2006

Contacted suefitz for address. 

Journal Entry 11 by shellheap from Dover, New Hampshire USA on Thursday, June 01, 2006

Slow to start, lots of characters to keep track of. The last quarter or so riveted me, but it took a long time to get there! 

Journal Entry 12 by shellheap from Dover, New Hampshire USA on Thursday, June 01, 2006

Sent to suefitz. Enjoy! 

Journal Entry 13 by Suefitz from Saratoga, California USA on Thursday, June 15, 2006

Arrived safely - boy do I have my work cut out for me. This is about the 6th ring that has arrived.

I'm reading as fast as I can and only rings. 

Journal Entry 14 by Suefitz from Saratoga, California USA on Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Sorry for the delay - lost my job in late June and kind of quit communications with the world. Have finished the book and will be sending shortly. 

Journal Entry 15 by Suefitz from Saratoga, California USA on Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Sorry for the delay - lost my job in late June and kind of quit communications with the world. Have finished the book and will be sending shortly. 

Journal Entry 16 by Suefitz at Bookring in Bookring, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases on Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Released 4 yrs ago (10/9/2007 UTC) at Bookring in Bookring, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

RELEASE NOTES:

Releasing to MmeClinton who is next in line. 

Journal Entry 17 by MmeClinton from South Berwick, Maine USA on Saturday, October 20, 2007

I have received the book safe and sound; two others ahead of it, but I will have it read and out in a couple of weeks! I have always loved Joanne Harris' books (including her cookbook called My French Kitchen)... so look forward to it! 

Journal Entry 18 by azuki from Miami, Florida USA on Tuesday, January 08, 2008

You know... I was at home tonight when I found out, a hour too late, that Joanne Harris actually has a signing session tonight at a local bookstore. I was so looking forward to getting this and my other Joanne Harris books signed but was so idiotic I missed the date... : ( 

Journal Entry 19 by azuki from Miami, Florida USA on Thursday, February 07, 2008

This is the second Joanne Harris book I read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It's this year's best read so far, although being in early February this doesn't say much.

I can't help comparing it to Five Quarters of an Orange, the other book I've read. Both are about a person returning to a place with haunting childhood memories. A diabolical child who did something unspeakable. Both are excellent stories. I like this book better as the story keeps getting more and more interesting and surprises keeps popping up at every turn till my breath is totally taken away.

Thanks so much for sharing this excellent book, which I will duly pass on to the next person. 

Journal Entry 20 by azuki from Miami, Florida USA on Saturday, March 08, 2008

kelwood has her pm feature turned off, and both makita21 and rosiewhippet have read the book already.
I am letting this book travel on to mitziyah who has it on her wishlist. 

Journal Entry 21 by mitziyah from Seattle, Washington USA on Thursday, April 03, 2008

woohoo for finding books in ones mailbox. Thanks ever so much for this RABCK. Currently I'm swamped, but I can't wait to read this. *smile* 

Journal Entry 22 by mitziyah from Seattle, Washington USA on Wednesday, April 23, 2008

This was great fun! Being an "advanced reader copy" is the reason, I'm guessing, that there were some mistakes throughout it. Needed a little bit more editing for both grammatical and flow reasons. Sometimes the same descriptive phrase would be used in back-to-back paragraphs, or an event we just read about in detail was summarized in 3 or 4 sentences in the very next paragraph. Also, a few times the white chess piece/black chess piece that started each chapter (as a VERY clever way to introduce each narrator) was mixed up.

Still, a thoroughly enjoyable read. Entertaining characters, a fast moving plot (even if I did figure it out pretty early on, it still kept me second-guessing myself), and an easy flow to the narrative. Harris was brilliant at interweaving the stories, and the past and present events, as well as a multitude of characters. Straightly completely cracked me up as a character. He was so wonderfully wholly formed. Also loved all his snide observations of his fellow teachers and students. Great stuff.

I'm going to lend this to my mom when she gets back in town. She's normally complaining that the books I loan her are "homework," so I think she'll really appreciate this page-turner.

Thanks for the wishlist fulfillment. Woot!! 

Journal Entry 23 by Alana1951 from Bothell, Washington USA on Saturday, June 21, 2008

Caught this book from my daughter. What a thoroughly entertaining mystery novel. Joanne Harris weaves her story dropping clues, leading you on with snippets of information. There are twists and turns and just when you think you've got it figured out she throws you a curve ball. Some of the characters are endearing, some menacing, just as you'd expect from a murder mystery. All in all a delightfully good read!
I'm giving the book back to my daughter now to set it free.