Journal Entry 1 by fee_gee from Glasgow, Scotland United Kingdom on Friday, October 08, 2010

lovely book... really made my cry at times and the ending was just heartbreakingly sad! 

Journal Entry 2 by fee_gee at Glasgow, Scotland United Kingdom on Tuesday, October 12, 2010

on it's way to portugal now... hope you enjoy it as much as i did x 

Journal Entry 3 by fee_gee at unknown, -- Por correio / mão própria -- Portugal on Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Released 2 yrs ago (10/12/2010 UTC) at unknown, -- Por correio / mão própria -- Portugal

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on its way to Libera13 :0) 

Journal Entry 4 by Libera13 at RABCK, RABCK -- Controlled Releases on Monday, October 25, 2010

Opened today!

And why, do you wonder, didn't I say "received"? First of all, fee_gee, I'm sorry I took so long to journal the book (I don't know for how long it has been here but I hope it hasn't been much) but, I have no idea why, my mother decided to punish me in a friendly way by hiding the book! I found it this morning when I was looking for envelopes for a school project. Ahh, families... we can't live with them but we can't also live without them. Once again, I'm very sorry :/

As for the book, thanks a LOT for having sent it to me! I really appreciated the gesture, it was very kind of you :) I hope you had fun registering your books with the labels.

So, I'll JE again once I finish reading. This sounds to me like a good read...

EDIT: 25/Nov/2010 Started reading last night. I've read the first chapter and so far I'm really liking it! I feel it won't take long until I finish it :) 

Journal Entry 5 by Libera13 at Vila Nova da Barquinha, Santarém Portugal on Sunday, December 05, 2010

Finished yesterday night! I had to stay awake until quite late because I couldn't put the book down!
I just loved this story. Beatrice Colin is a true master of storytelling. I loved how she would introduce each chapter with a one-page narrative about the cultural environment in Berlin. I loved how she introduced us to a fact about the plot or characters, just to later discover that fact was the point of view of a character, and not the whole truth, showing us what other character thought and changin our mind completely (she did it quite notoriously with Eva and Ilya). I loved how she described "present" situations with quotes of Lilly's later interviews, and how she started writing about something happening in the story's future just to connect it to the "present" again. It was a flawless writing, very soft but deep, never joyful but not depressing. It feels like it was a true story, and Lily is there right in front of us, guiding us ghosts of the future through the story of her life (pretty much like Scrooge in Christmas :P).

I knew from the beggining that "Luminous Life" could only be something ironical. How can an orphan have a luminous life? They can if they live in Berlin in the beggining of the XX century. The descriptions were in the right ammount. The title couldn't be more suitable!

The end was very very heartbreaking... I should have suspected it, however, but ended up very surprised. Quite theatrical and dramatic. I can't remember the last time I cried this much with the end of a book. Maybe because this time I was quite fond of the characters - my favourites were Sister August, Ilya and, of course, Lilly.

10* most deserved rating stars! Thank you so much for sharing fee_gee! 

Journal Entry 6 by Libera13 at Vila Nova da Barquinha, Santarém Portugal on Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Journal Entry 7 by Libera13 at by post, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases on Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Released 2 yrs ago (1/19/2011 UTC) at by post, A Bookring -- Controlled Releases

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*drum roll* And the ring has started!
Sent off to WollatonReader this afternoon.
I hope you all enjoy it :) 

Journal Entry 8 by WollatonReader at Wollaton, Nottinghamshire United Kingdom on Sunday, January 23, 2011

Arrived safely, thanks Libera13. Next on my TBR.

Beatrice Colin is a Goodreads author:
Beatrice Colin on Goodreads  

Journal Entry 9 by WollatonReader at Wollaton, Nottinghamshire United Kingdom on Friday, February 04, 2011

A very well researched book, the author says that she had a relative living in Germany between the wars & gave her the idea.
I think there was perhaps a bit too much misery for me, Lilly was deceived by many people especially Eva. A good read though & I'd probably read other books by this author.
I liked the photos at the start of every chapter.
Thanks for sharing Libera13.
I've got the address for emmmersss & I'll post it soon. 

Journal Entry 10 by WollatonReader at Wollaton, Nottinghamshire United Kingdom on Monday, February 07, 2011

Posted on 5th Feb 

Journal Entry 11 by emmmersss at Coachella, California USA on Thursday, February 10, 2011

Received today! Thank you! I'll be starting on it tonight! (: 

Journal Entry 12 by emmmersss at Coachella, California USA on Friday, February 25, 2011

Really loved this book, the writing was so detailed and intimate I couldn't help but be able to feel as though I was really there. Best book I've read in a while.

On its way to KiwiinEngland! Sent it out this morning. 

Journal Entry 13 by KiwiinEngland at Dublin, Co. Dublin Ireland on Tuesday, March 01, 2011

Safely arrived in Ireland, thanks so much for sending it across the ocean emmmersss, and to Libera13 for starting the ring. 

Journal Entry 14 by KiwiinEngland at Dublin, Co. Dublin Ireland on Friday, April 01, 2011

I enjoyed this book enormously. The era written about (early part of the 20th Century in Germany) is fascinating.

I think the book described well how difficult life is if you are alone, Lily, Hanna, Eva and Stefan were trying to figure out how to interact in a world with ever changing rules without guidance. I was most annoyed at Ilya, whose determination to hold onto a promise with the tenacity of a toddler after sweets made me want to shake him. 

Journal Entry 15 by KiwiinEngland at Manchester, Greater Manchester United Kingdom on Friday, April 01, 2011

Released 2 yrs ago (4/2/2011 UTC) at Manchester, Greater Manchester United Kingdom

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Posting to the next person in the ring - enjoy. 

Journal Entry 16 by karen07814 at Colchester, Essex United Kingdom on Tuesday, April 05, 2011

my turn, thanks for posting on
 

Journal Entry 17 by karen07814 at Colchester, Essex United Kingdom on Saturday, April 09, 2011

Atmospheric romp through pre first war Germany to mid second war. Convincing in it's portrayal of the city of Berlin in those times and the hardships endured. Well written story.

Now on it's way back to Portugal 

Journal Entry 18 by silvia-pco at Murtosa, Aveiro Portugal on Wednesday, April 13, 2011

And here it is! Mount TBR is quite big at the time, but I'll keep everyone posted on my progress.  

Journal Entry 19 by silvia-pco at Murtosa, Aveiro Portugal on Wednesday, January 04, 2012

First of all, I'm sorry I've been keeping this for so long! I've been struggling with my TBR pile, but I finally managed to read this one :)

This is a very dark book that tells a heavy story. You can see that the author put a lot of dedication and effort into it, as it is very well researched and gives the reader a feel of how hard life was duirng the era described.

The characters are so well put together, I truly liked to read about each and one of them. About the plot in itself, I have to agree with WollatonReader about there being so much misery, almost too much... Lily just walks out of one bad moment into another.

The ending was indeed heartbreaking, but I guess it was to be expected, and any other ending wouldn't "match" with the rest of the book... It was a suitable ending for this kind of story.

All in all, it was a good read. I can't say that it touched me as much as it touched other readers, but it was a different kind of book to read.

Thank you so much for sharing! The book's already on its way to CityofLakesGirl in Canada! Enjoy :) 

Journal Entry 20 by CityofLakesGirl at Covehead, Prince Edward Island Canada on Thursday, January 19, 2012

Rec'd in the mail today. I have one ahead of this one-but will try to move it along as fast as I can! Thanks for sharing! 

Journal Entry 21 by CityofLakesGirl at Covehead, Prince Edward Island Canada on Friday, April 20, 2012

This one is finally ready to go, once I have an address will be in the mail next week. Sorry for having it this long! Great read, thanks so much for sharing! 

Journal Entry 22 by CityofLakesGirl at Covehead, Prince Edward Island Canada on Saturday, May 05, 2012

This is in the mail! Post office said it can take up to 2 months to arrive in NZ...so expect a summer arrival! Sorry about that, but the cost to send by air mail was 3x what surface was. Thanks for sharing this one! 

Journal Entry 23 by Sherlockfan at Upper Hutt, Wellington Province New Zealand on Monday, September 10, 2012

It is now with me, Sherlockfan. I can't be sure how long it took to travel to NZ. It had not arrived when we left on the 19th July so even that would mean that the book took longer than generally expected. I've only just arrived back but have already read it.
Although the book was about a lot of unfortunate happenings for almost all of the characters I did enjoy it. It was the first book I've read about Berlin during war years, either of the major wars, because I generally avoid war books. The book is very well written, thoroughly researched, and most informative. The privations the residents meet in a country at war are truly horrible - I seem able to read about these aspects in a detached sort of way without really being able to feel how it would be.
Unlike some of the other writers herein I wasn't touched quite so much by the heartbreak for the main characters because the general awful feelings for the situation in a country at war were so awful that the effect on individuals was all part of the whole for me. Does that make sense? Maybe not.
Perhaps the strongest feeling for me was that this was a biography; so much of the references to Lilly as her career developed seemed so authentic that I was surprised to find it was 'just a novel'.
There were great and memorable characters for me, Sister August and Lilly being my favourites. Try as I might I couldn't warm to Ilya. Much preferred Stefan and was really cross with Eva for the way she interfered with the potential relationship between Lilly and Stefan.
I've rated it 9. It was engaging and quite un-putdownable for me. 

Journal Entry 24 by Sherlockfan at Upper Hutt, Wellington Province New Zealand on Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Released 9 mos ago (9/12/2012 UTC) at Upper Hutt, Wellington Province New Zealand

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Posting later today if the rain stops, otherwise tomorrow morning to next on the list, FrancesinSA, i.e. in South Africa. 

Journal Entry 25 by FrancesinSA at Sasolburg, Free State South Africa on Monday, October 08, 2012

This book arrived today! Thank you for sending it to me, Sherlockfan.
Thanks also for the nice note written on note paper decorated with New Zealand birds.  

Journal Entry 26 by FrancesinSA at Sasolburg, Free State South Africa on Thursday, November 22, 2012

This book was ok but I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would based on reviews that I had read about it. 

Journal Entry 27 by FrancesinSA at Sasolburg, Free State South Africa on Thursday, November 22, 2012

Released 6 mos ago (11/22/2012 UTC) at Sasolburg, Free State South Africa

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I did not receive any reply to my PMs sent to blueblack so I am posting this today to the next reader, Pell in Italy. 

Journal Entry 28 by Pell at Canino, Lazio Italy on Friday, January 04, 2013

Thank you FrancesinSA book arrived today, I have just started another book so I hope thats ok, I read rather slow but will try. I cant wait to read this Ive waited for a long time to do so. So thank you Libera for starting the ring 

Journal Entry 29 by Pell at Canino, Lazio Italy on Thursday, March 07, 2013

i loved most of the book, a good story, well researched, but felt the author was a little depressed and felt that she lost interest towards the end and wanted to finish it quickly. But I kind of enjoyed it. I have written to amme1980 for her forwarding address, but Ive not yet recieved any info. I will try again today