Journal Entry 1 by livrecache from Hobart, Tasmania Australia on Tuesday, February 20, 2007

Journal Entry 2 by livrecache at Mailed at local postoffice in Melbourne, Australia, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases on Saturday, May 05, 2007

Released 5 yrs ago (5/6/2007 UTC) at Mailed at local postoffice in Melbourne, Australia, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases

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Sending to the bookring's first participant, ukcanaus. 

Journal Entry 3 by ukcanaus from Melbourne, Victoria Australia on Wednesday, May 09, 2007

Books arrived safely (livrecache has also included The Survivor by Thomas Keneally) - looking forward to reading both! 

Journal Entry 4 by ukcanaus from Melbourne, Victoria Australia on Tuesday, May 22, 2007

An elderly man marries a much younger woman to the horror of his daughters and the Ukrainian community. However this event allows the two estranged sisters to be reunited, not just in their efforts to rid their father of the 'fluffy pink grenade'. Nadia, the younger sister who narrates the story, learns what really happened to her family before they fled to England and then views her sister differently - this is the more serious and grounding element to the novel.

An easy read, which is very amusing at times (for example, I now know how apples can provide iron as well as vitamin C ;) ). Have PMed leeny37 for address. 

Journal Entry 5 by ukcanaus from Melbourne, Victoria Australia on Friday, May 25, 2007

Posted to leeny37 this morning (Saturday 26 May). Thanks very much for sharing this book, livrecache. 

Journal Entry 6 by leeny37 from Melbourne, Victoria Australia on Monday, May 28, 2007

Received safely today! 

Journal Entry 7 by leeny37 from Melbourne, Victoria Australia on Thursday, June 21, 2007

Wow, I really enjoyed reading this! When I first read the blurb on the back cover, I thought I would be in for a hilarious ride, and I was, but it was also so much more. I was imagining sitcom-like catfights and various dramas, and the book certainly had those moments, but the author does a great job of weaving in tender moments between the main characters, even the "villianess", Valentina. I loved reading about the family's past and their place in history, as well as the tractor chapters from the book that Nikolai was writing. I think this is written remarkably well and it's credit to the author for making this so much more than a comedy about a scheming gold digger and a hapless (not forgetting crazy!) old man. What a wonderful debut novel; thanks, livrecache, for the opportunity to read this! I will send this on once I get an address from bargainqueen. 

Journal Entry 8 by leeny37 at Post office: Mailed to another bookcrosser in Australia, Bookring -- Controlled Releases on Thursday, June 21, 2007

Released 4 yrs ago (6/21/2007 UTC) at Post office: Mailed to another bookcrosser in Australia, Bookring -- Controlled Releases

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Mailed on to bargainqueen via a prepaid Express Post satchel, tracking #: MV6908691. Enjoy! :) 

Journal Entry 9 by bargainqueen from North Nowra, New South Wales Australia on Monday, June 25, 2007

Arrived safely and well packaged today, thank you. Just need to finish my current read and will then get stuck into this, as have been wanting to read this for ages! 

Journal Entry 10 by bargainqueen from North Nowra, New South Wales Australia on Sunday, July 08, 2007

I finished this just now and am not sure what to think. I guess I was expecting something a bit more chicklitty and less formal - however I still thoroughly enjoyed the more serious aspects of the novel, and the fact that I learnt something about a very random topic (tractors, of course!).
I loved the way Nadia's father spoke, I could hear the thick broken accented English in my head, what a treasure.
I will pm akashafamily now and send this on asap.
Thanks for sharing!

Edit: Posted on 10/07/2007 

Journal Entry 11 by akashafamily from Lithgow, New South Wales Australia on Monday, July 16, 2007

Arrived safely today, thank you bargainqueen and livrecache. I am in the middle of 2 bookrings ahead of this one at the moment, but I should get to it very soon. 

Journal Entry 12 by akashafamily from Lithgow, New South Wales Australia on Sunday, September 09, 2007

An amazing novel. Starts off light and fun but really has a deep message. This is one of those novels you just don't want to put down. The story is very captivating and I found myself comparing this family to my own.

I have DrCris's address so I will get it in the post today. Thanks for sharing this book with me livrecache. 

Journal Entry 13 by DrCris from Templestowe, Victoria Australia on Thursday, September 13, 2007

Arrived safely yesterday. Horrible day, so just got the chance to journal it this morning. I joined this ring because I had heard so many people raving about this book. Seems like it has affected the previous readers in the same way. I have a few books I am reading at the moment, so I won't get to start this straight-away, but it will be soon. 

Journal Entry 14 by DrCris from Templestowe, Victoria Australia on Thursday, September 27, 2007

I loved this book! What a delightful character (the father). He was simply gorgeous. The main characters had such distinct, tabloid personalities, even down to their accents. I loved the punctuation, with paragraph snippets. I loved the language of the book that was unique to the book eg "Crap car," "Toshiba apples," "me Bebe."

I almost gave this a ten, and definitely will get a copy for my PC. However, I got a bit irritated when the story flipped from narration to 3rd person (sometimes she was relating stories her father had told her, but not always). I also really would have liked to know the age difference between the sisters earlier, as it gave a huge insight into their relationship. For those reasons only, a point off.

I will send this on as soon as I get an address.
 

Journal Entry 15 by DrCris from Templestowe, Victoria Australia on Friday, September 28, 2007

In the post today. 

Journal Entry 16 by piemunga from Marrickville, New South Wales Australia on Tuesday, October 02, 2007

received yesterday in the post. thank you!!

i'll start it tomorrow :) 

Journal Entry 17 by piemunga from Marrickville, New South Wales Australia on Wednesday, October 10, 2007

fantastic! i loved this. i sympathised with all the characters at some point in the book - it was well written.

i apologise for the red marks on the cover - it was sharing my satchel with a raspberry tart and obviously they hadn't sealed it's packaging as well as i'd hoped.

sorry!

posting off to freelunch as soon as i have an address 

Journal Entry 18 by piemunga at postal release in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia -- Controlled Releases on Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Released 4 yrs ago (10/10/2007 UTC) at postal release in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia -- Controlled Releases

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posting off to freelunch today! 

Journal Entry 19 by freelunch from Cairns, Queensland Australia on Monday, October 15, 2007

received today, thanks piemunga - and thanks livrecache for organizing this bookring.

there's no denying I am unbearably slow at passing on bookrings at the moment - this one is going in at #9 in my books-I-gotta-read list. If I take too long feel free to nag a bit (or a lot if nexessary) 

Journal Entry 20 by freelunch from Cairns, Queensland Australia on Friday, November 30, 2007

this was a great read - and yet another bookring book I now need to buy to share with others.

I have BellaMack's address so I'll send it on later today. 

Journal Entry 21 by BellaMack from St Helens, Tasmania Australia on Monday, December 10, 2007

Have a few before this but will get to it asap. Many thanks freelunch and livrecache 

Journal Entry 22 by BellaMack from St Helens, Tasmania Australia on Tuesday, January 01, 2008

I have no hope of reading this book, too many other things happening so I will pm the next reader for an address and send it on. 

Journal Entry 23 by BellaMack from St Helens, Tasmania Australia on Friday, March 14, 2008

My apologies livrecache and Sherlockfan, I have just found this book which I thought I had posted some time ago. Will post it off on Monday. 

Journal Entry 24 by Sherlockfan from Upper Hutt, Wellington Province New Zealand on Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Finally arrived here,16 April. I know the mail across the Tasman is notoriously slow but this one must be a record.
Luckily I finished a book last night so I'll be starting on this one right away.
I'll pm Freepages for an address so it can move on quite quickly.

Thanks to all concerned to date. 

Journal Entry 25 by Sherlockfan from Upper Hutt, Wellington Province New Zealand on Wednesday, April 16, 2008

I've just heard from Freepages that she has already found a copy of this book so I've sent a message to blue1236 so make sure that she still wants it.

Have started it already and thoroughly enjoying it.

"Squishy squashy; flippy floppy" What a hoot! Maybe the marketers so keen on selling Cialis could use that expression to advertise their product - or would a Standards Board pull them up on that? 

Journal Entry 26 by Sherlockfan from Upper Hutt, Wellington Province New Zealand on Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Seemed initially a tale of a remarkably disfunctional family. Can well imagine the horror of the daughters when their father's plan was revealed. What a sucker he was to fall prey to that blood-sucking large breasted woman. I'm commenting more on the story than the writing, sorry.
I enjoyed the book and developed a great respect for Nikolai - loved the word picture at the end. Plenty of interesting historical facts about the development of tractors with many well know brands, familiar to New Zealand farming practices.
Slotting in the earlier family was specially pleasing for this genealogist.

I've heard from blue1236 and will send the book off a.s.a.p.

Thanks livrecache for adding me to this bookring. I love BookCrossing and specially bookrings that introduce me to books that are not solely crime stories. 

Journal Entry 27 by Sherlockfan at To the next participant in By mail, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases on Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Released 4 yrs ago (4/23/2008 UTC) at To the next participant in By mail, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases

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Posting this off this afternoon to blue1236 in Vic. I'm guessing that means Australia. Will have to check her Bookshelf once again. 

Journal Entry 28 by blue1236 from Melbourne, Victoria Australia on Wednesday, May 07, 2008

Arrived in the mail today - thanks so much Sherlockfan and livrecache. I'm hoping to get on to this one in the next week or so. 

Journal Entry 29 by blue1236 from Melbourne, Victoria Australia on Thursday, June 05, 2008

Finished this recently but have been without internet access (oh the drama!). =) I really enjoyed this - I loved the characters and the way they related to each other - especially the sisters. Posting back to livrecache. Thanks for letting me join the ring. =) 

Journal Entry 30 by livrecache from Hobart, Tasmania Australia on Wednesday, June 11, 2008

This book arrived home safely today, wonderfully well travelled. Thanks to everyone who took part. I love hearing everyone's comments. BellaMack, if you get the chance, acquire a copy of it one day. I'm sure you'll like it. It obviously came to you at a bad time.