Journal Entry 1 by andthings from Worksop, Nottinghamshire United Kingdom on Monday, April 17, 2006

After seeing the adverts on the tube for this book it has caught my attention. I ended up being heckeled by the Checkout guy at Tesco when I bought it who thought it was written in Ukrainian and couldn't understand why they were selling such a book. He thought maybe a nice book about trains would be better - we shall see.  

Journal Entry 2 by andthings from Worksop, Nottinghamshire United Kingdom on Sunday, April 30, 2006

I'm pleased to say this book didn't disappoint and I ended up staying up late finishing it.

This mainly tells the story of the father of 2 estrained sisters who somehow ends up marrying a woman 20+ years his junior, and how the sisters reunite in trying to get rid of the new step mother.

It is very entertaining and well written, you can really feel for all the different characters that they each think their lives is the most important. 

Journal Entry 3 by andthings from Worksop, Nottinghamshire United Kingdom on Monday, May 01, 2006

Bookring instructions (Thank you Catsalive)
1. SIGN UP for this bookring by sending me a Private Message. Order of participants will be juggled between geography, date of request and shipping limitations. Late additions may be added to the end of the list.
2. When the person before you on the list finishes reading the book, they will send you a Private Message for your postal address. If you no longer wish to read it or want your place in the list moved, let them (and me!) know and I will move you down/off the list.
3. WHEN YOU RECEIVE THE BOOK please make a journal entry so everyone knows it has safely arrived.
4. WHEN YOU FINISH THE BOOK, make another journal entry telling us what you thought - did you like it? Did you think it was well-written?
5. CONTINUE THE BOOKRING by sending a Private Message to the person after you on the bookring list and request their postal address. Please check back here for the latest distribution list. If the person doesn't respond within 7-10 days (use your judgement), please PM the next person, and then me, so I can update the bookring list.
6. END OF THE RING, Back to me

Here is the order for the bookring: red = finished, green = yet to read, blue = reading.


mrspopoff - uk - uk
arturogrande - uk - int
chocdrop - uk - int
wubbaducky - uk - eu
angellica - uk - int
Robmonster - uk - int
j4neyo - uk - int
aava - finland - EU
katyan - finland - EU
Semming - finland - int
Icila - france -int
ajsmom - canada - int
Kimmi - canada- int
KarenZero - us - us
Joanthro - US - int
indygo88 - us - us
bookishbunny - us - us
fsr44 - us - int
jaglvr - us - int
RDWirral - uk - uk

 

Journal Entry 4 by mrspopoff from Nottingham, not specified not specified on Thursday, May 04, 2006

received book today - hurrah I'm first on a book list for once! Have wanted to read this for ages, so looking forward to getting started at the weekend. 

Journal Entry 5 by mrspopoff from Nottingham, not specified not specified on Sunday, May 14, 2006

Although this book is funny in parts, I did struggle to get into this and probably wouldn't read again. 

Journal Entry 6 by mrspopoff from Nottingham, not specified not specified on Sunday, May 14, 2006

On it's way to arturogrande now - happy reading! 

Journal Entry 7 by arturogrande from Coalville, Leicestershire United Kingdom on Sunday, May 21, 2006

Thanks very much - I've got a couple of rings ahead of it, but I'll gt to it as soon as possible. 

Journal Entry 8 by arturogrande from Coalville, Leicestershire United Kingdom on Sunday, July 09, 2006

I enjoyed this book a lot, but I'm not sure why it is being marketed as 'comic fiction'. Although there is humour in the writing, it is very dark and certainly a long way from being 'laugh out loud funny'.

The themes covered include elder abuse, wartime atrocities and bereavement - hardly the stuff of comedy.

I really felt for 84-year-old Nikolai and his feelings towards the busty 36-year-old Valentina, who was looking for nothing more from their marriage than the chance to stay in Britain. Nikolai, on the other hand, throught all his Christmases had come at once.

The interaction between all the characters was very believable, and the way the family secrets slowly leaked out was very well done.

The book is quite sad in parts, but ends on a note of hope, for which I was quite glad.

Thanks for starting the ring, andthings - it's now on its way to chocdrop.
 

Journal Entry 9 by chocdrop from Derby, Derbyshire United Kingdom on Wednesday, July 12, 2006

This book arrived in the post today. Thanks, arturogrande.

It's brilliant timing as I finished a book this morning, so I'll be able to start it straight away. 

Journal Entry 10 by chocdrop from Derby, Derbyshire United Kingdom on Sunday, July 16, 2006

I really enjoyed this book. It's a quick and easy read with a light-hearted feel which disguises the underlying darkness of the story.

Thanks to andthings for sharing this book.

I will be posting to wubbaducky tomorrow. 

Journal Entry 11 by wubbaducky from not specified, not specified not specified on Wednesday, July 19, 2006

Got back from my graduation to find not one but two bookring books lying on my doorstep - what a nice surprise! I shall get onto this as soon as possible! 

Journal Entry 12 by wubbaducky from not specified, not specified not specified on Sunday, July 23, 2006

I'm a little bit undecided as to how I feel about this book. On the one hand, I liked it. It was easy to read and the characters were interesting. On the other hand, I found it quite disturbing in Valentina's casual attitude towards abuse and the way the girls viewed their father. I'm not entirely sure I'm comfortable with these things but perhaps if it is provoking thought, it is doing its job. This book came up briefly at the Wendover Woods meet yesterday where other people said that it didn't live up to expectation. I didn't really have any expectations of it before I read it (other than thinking it had a rather curious cover) but it isn't an entirely comfortable read and I wasn't particularly taken by the extracts about tractors. Nevertheless, I'm glad that I read it and thank you to andthings for sharing this book as a ring. I already have angellica's address so will be sending this book on this week. 

Journal Entry 13 by wubbaducky from not specified, not specified not specified on Wednesday, July 26, 2006

Posted out to Angellica today! 

Journal Entry 14 by angellica from Worksop, Nottinghamshire United Kingdom on Saturday, July 29, 2006

Arrived safely today! Thanks for sharing. 

Journal Entry 15 by angellica from Worksop, Nottinghamshire United Kingdom on Tuesday, December 05, 2006

Like previous readers, I can't decide if I enjoyed this book or not. In some ways, I kept reading to see what other secrets would be revealled.

I am not sure it lived up to expectations really.

Thanks for sharing. I have PM'd robmonster for an address and I'll get this moving asap 

Journal Entry 16 by angellica from Worksop, Nottinghamshire United Kingdom on Wednesday, December 06, 2006

Robmonster has already read this, so am posting to j4neyo today 

Journal Entry 17 by j4neyo from Whitchurch, Shropshire United Kingdom on Sunday, December 10, 2006

Arrived safely in the post. Many thanks to angellica! 

Journal Entry 18 by j4neyo from Whitchurch, Shropshire United Kingdom on Friday, January 05, 2007

I enjoyed reading this book - it wasn't as I was expecting at all.

 

Journal Entry 19 by j4neyo at BOOKRING in Controlled release, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- United Kingdom on Saturday, January 20, 2007

Released 5 yrs ago (1/20/2007 UTC) at BOOKRING in Controlled release, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- United Kingdom

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

RELEASE NOTES:

No response from aava so the book is going to katyan. 

Journal Entry 20 by katyan from Detroit, Michigan USA on Tuesday, January 23, 2007

This book arrived to Finland, thank you for sharing it! Thank you also for the funny post card that came with it! I'm looking forward of reading it soon. 

Journal Entry 21 by katyan from Detroit, Michigan USA on Sunday, February 11, 2007

Mmm... I really liked the first half of this book , I found it funny and easy to read. But after a while I felt it was too much a repetition of all the jokes and somehow the theme was rather sad than amusing. Well, anyway it was an interesting story, and worth of reading. Thank you for sharing it, I'll send it soon to the next participant. 

Journal Entry 22 by Semming from Helsinki, Uusimaa Finland on Wednesday, February 21, 2007

Arrived today, thank you. I just love the look of this book. 

Journal Entry 23 by Semming from Helsinki, Uusimaa Finland on Monday, March 12, 2007

This was a decent book, well written and fluent, but I guess I was expecting more. I don't think it was "extremely funny" or "delightful" as the cover promised, although I still love the cover art. Couldn't quite grasp the tractor aspect and the behaviour of the characters was too repetitive, but overall this was an ok reading experience. 

Journal Entry 24 by Semming from Helsinki, Uusimaa Finland on Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Mailed today to France! 

Journal Entry 25 by Icila from Nantes, Pays de la Loire France on Friday, March 30, 2007

I received the book this morning. Thank you semming for the beautiful stamps ! :) 

Journal Entry 26 by Icila from Nantes, Pays de la Loire France on Wednesday, April 25, 2007

The title is great ! I didn't guess what the book was about. ;)
I enjoyed it. Writing a funny story from the dark past of these families was a big deal.
I love the cover too.

Thanks for sharing.

I PM ajsmom 

Journal Entry 27 by Icila from Nantes, Pays de la Loire France on Wednesday, April 25, 2007

Ajmom asks to be skipped, I pm Kimmi. 

Journal Entry 28 by Kimmi from Kelowna, British Columbia Canada on Sunday, May 13, 2007

This arrived Friday but I have been sick in bed the last couple of days and couldn't journal its arrival. I am almost done my current read so will get to this later this week. Thanks andthings for sharing! 

Journal Entry 29 by Kimmi from Kelowna, British Columbia Canada on Tuesday, May 15, 2007

I'm torn between an 6 and a 7...

I agree that it was not "extremely funny" or "delightful" as the cover states. It was a quick read and well written but I wasn't taken by the story. I wouldn't recommend it to others.

Thanks for sharing andthings! I was curious and did want to read it so I'm glad I did!

I have KarenZero's address and will send this off this afternoon. 

Journal Entry 30 by KarenZero from Brooklyn, New York USA on Saturday, May 19, 2007

Received safely. Will read ASAP! 

Journal Entry 31 by KarenZero from Brooklyn, New York USA on Saturday, May 26, 2007

I enjoyed this book. It was a quick, entertaining read that I breezed through. In some ways, it felt very personal and much like a memoir.
Thanks for sharing it! 

Journal Entry 32 by KarenZero at Controlled Release in Controlled Release, --by post or by hand (ie ring, ray, RABCK, trade) -- Controlled Releases on Saturday, May 26, 2007

Released 5 yrs ago (5/25/2007 UTC) at Controlled Release in Controlled Release, --by post or by hand (ie ring, ray, RABCK, trade) -- Controlled Releases

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

RELEASE NOTES:

 

Journal Entry 33 by Joanthro from Denver, Colorado USA on Wednesday, May 30, 2007

The book has arrived safely in Denver. I am looking forward to reading it. 

Journal Entry 34 by Joanthro from Denver, Colorado USA on Sunday, July 08, 2007

First, let me apologize for keeping the book so long. I have been in bed for two weeks with the flu.

I must admit, I have mixed feelings about this book. Like others ahead of me on this ring, I found the book more disturbing than funny. I found myself wishing the story would hurry and end several times - I just couldn't bear any more abuse and disfunction. I actually found the tractor parts to be the most interesting and definately the least distressing. That being said, I am glad to have read the book and know what it is about. Thanks andthings for making this book available!

Mailed to indygo88 earlier today. 

Journal Entry 35 by indygo88 from Lafayette, Indiana USA on Friday, July 13, 2007

Arrived in my mailbox yesterday! I'm way backed up w/ bookrings currently, so I apologize ahead of time, as I know I'll be keeping this a bit longer than is typical for me. Rest assured, it will get read & passed along....

8/26/07 -- Starting book today. Sorry for the wait! 

Journal Entry 36 by indygo88 from Lafayette, Indiana USA on Monday, September 03, 2007

An interesting blend of humor and seriousness. Not exactly sure it was what I was expecting, but then again, I'm not sure what I was expecting with a title like this! I do wonder how autobiographical it was, considering that the blurb about the author inside the back cover seemed to closely resemble some of the characters, if not the storyline. Not my typical type of read, but it wasn't bad & it was a nice quick read, which is sometimes nice. :')

Thanks to andthings for organizing the ring! Sorry for keeping the book as long as I did. I already have bookishbunny's address & this will be going out in tomorrow's mail. 

Journal Entry 37 by bookishbunny from Columbia, South Carolina USA on Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Got is a couple weeks ago. Sorry I'm late journaling it. I'll be reading it soon! 

Journal Entry 38 by bookishbunny from Columbia, South Carolina USA on Wednesday, December 26, 2007

It is finished and soon to be on its way.

I found it hard to get into this book at first. I couldn't really relate to the characters. About half-way through, it picked up pace. I thought it was worth reading, though I'm thankful it wasn't a very long book.