Journal Entry 1 by lisa1301 from Desborough, Northamptonshire United Kingdom on Monday, March 14, 2011

Synopsis -- Adrift in a rapidly changing world, The Bevan family cling to tradition while wrestling with taxes, tree blight and the need to keep the family skeleton firmly in the cupboard.

The Earl and Countess of Bevan - charming, mad and emotionally abbreviated.

Daniel, their eldest on - funny, intelligent but a hopeless alcoholic.

Rory, his younger brother - sometimes moody, often cross, but mostly furious.

Enter Maggie, an opinionated and occasionally ferocious American journalist for CBS's hard-hitting current affairs show, "Newsletter". Far happier sending back dispatches from the trenches of war torn anywhere, Maggie is none too pleased at being forced to research a documentary on the decline and fall of England's upper classes.

When these too worlds collide no one is prepared for the fallout.
 

Journal Entry 2 by lisa1301 at Droitwich, Worcestershire United Kingdom on Saturday, March 19, 2011

Released 2 yrs ago (3/19/2011 UTC) at Droitwich, Worcestershire United Kingdom

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This book is now on it's way around the world. First stop is Worcestershire UK. Hope everyone enjoys it. Don't forget your journal entries and your thoughts on the book in the little notebook accompanying it. 

Journal Entry 3 by 24-7-365Reader at Droitwich, Worcestershire United Kingdom on Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Book arrived on Monday, thanks for sharing, I can make a start on it straight away 

Journal Entry 4 by 24-7-365Reader at Droitwich, Worcestershire United Kingdom on Tuesday, April 19, 2011

A nice easy read - perfect for sunny afternoons in the garden (which we have had a few of recently :) ) It was a perfect mix of characters and made me laugh in places. I will message the next person on the list and send this book on asap.

Thanks for sharing :)

 

Journal Entry 5 by raeliz64 at Leicester, Leicestershire United Kingdom on Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Received today - thanks very much :-) 

Journal Entry 6 by raeliz64 at Leicester, Leicestershire United Kingdom on Saturday, May 28, 2011

An enjoyable read. 

Journal Entry 7 by raeliz64 at Leicester, Leicestershire United Kingdom on Friday, June 03, 2011

Posted to Icila today. 

Journal Entry 8 by Icila at Nantes, Pays de la Loire France on Friday, June 10, 2011

The book was waiting for me at home. Thanks !
 

Journal Entry 9 by Icila at Nantes, Pays de la Loire France on Tuesday, June 14, 2011

A tender view of the dying english aristocracy. 

Journal Entry 10 by Icila at La Chapelle-sur-Erdre, Pays de la Loire France on Monday, June 20, 2011

Released 1 yr ago (6/20/2011 UTC) at La Chapelle-sur-Erdre, Pays de la Loire France

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On its way to The Netherlands. 

Journal Entry 11 by Weeltje at Sint Odiliënberg, Limburg Netherlands on Saturday, July 16, 2011

received the book today!
verry happy with it.
Just by the sight of it i.m already loving it. Those yellowy pages, the beatiful cover end the nice paper smell.
For the next few days i think this book is going to be my new friend.
Thanks for sharing it. 

Journal Entry 12 by Weeltje at Fountain Valley, California USA on Tuesday, October 04, 2011

Released 1 yr ago (9/30/2011 UTC) at Fountain Valley, California USA

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i'm verry sorry for keeping the book for such a long time!!!
Cause of me moving, and al lot of other ring books it took me a while to read it and to.. finaly send it.
The book now continues its journey to 'SeamonkeyofTVCH'


About the book:
It was very nice to read, though I really expeted a complete diferent type of book.
I do hope to read it again one day if I could lay a hand on a copy of it.
I found the book verry bittersweet (one of my favorite feelings to read and write about. Sometimes it even was kind of humoristic.

 

Journal Entry 13 by SeamonkeyofTVCH at Fountain Valley, California USA on Tuesday, November 08, 2011

Book arrived safely in today's mail. Looks very interesting. Will start reading soon, at least at home (Kindle comes with me outside the house) and then pass it along to the next on the list.

11.24.2011 Update.. it seems I had to finish reading Steve Jobs but then started this book and finished early today.

I have the address info now from the next reader and probably after the Am Thanksgiving holiday weekend here will send it on its way to Canada.. from not particularly warm and sunny Southern California up to Alberta.

I think the book was probably better than it seemed to me; but just not my usual genre. I spend most of the time wanting to smack some sense into Maggie, for any number of reasons. I liked Rory. And lucky for each of them that they had a "wingman" who urged them to take some chances.

I appreciate being able to share this book in a ring, so thanks much for starting it.

I would have liked it if the book had been edited so that the chapters narrated by Maggie had been done using American spelling and terms.. would have added to the authenticity, if, for instance, Daniel said "kerb" and Maggie said "curb". But of course the author is from UK, and perhaps didn't think about the oddity of Maggie using British idiom and spelling.

(or I'm overthinking things and should just accept that perhaps Maggie was narrating after she'd settled in the UK for awhile and adopted local spelling and such. But my dream for them is that after Rory gets his trees planted, he might be off into the world of archeological digs, with Maggie joining him and perhaps documenting the process for Nat Geo. 

Journal Entry 14 by SeamonkeyofTVCH at Santa Ana, California USA on Tuesday, December 06, 2011

Released 1 yr ago (12/5/2011 UTC) at Santa Ana, California USA

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Mailed off to Canada (Lauraloo) from the Santa Ana Post Office. First Clas Parcel. Customs form LC181254221US.  

Journal Entry 15 by lauraloo29 at Edmonton, Alberta Canada on Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Arrived safe and sound yesterday. Love the bookmarks and pencil. :)

I am reading a book at the moment, but this will be next. Thank you! 

Journal Entry 16 by lauraloo29 at Edmonton, Alberta Canada on Saturday, January 07, 2012

A nice read. Although I too wanted to smack some sense into Maggie at times. :) I do feel like I missed the initial connection between Maggie and Rory. It may have been too subtle for me. :)

lisa1301 doesn't want the book back. I'm hoping to start a ray with it.

Thank you for sharing! 

Journal Entry 17 by lisa1301 at Desborough, Northamptonshire United Kingdom on Sunday, January 08, 2012

Nice to see this has travelled across the globe with mixed opinions all around. I hope that on the whole this book was enjoyed.
As LauraLoo says, I am not wanting this book back and am happy for it to be passed on.

Happy New Year everyone and Happy reading. x 

Journal Entry 18 by lauraloo29 at Edmonton, Alberta Canada on Monday, January 16, 2012

I am sending this out as a bookray. The last person if free to release as they wish.

1. lunatum - Finland (Intl)
2. Jo_an_a - Finland (Intl)
3. Tsjara - Netherlands (Europe)
4. Originalmulli - UK
5. 

Journal Entry 19 by lunatum at Savukoski, Lappi Finland on Saturday, February 04, 2012

I was on my holiday this week and when I got home, the book was waiting for me. I have many ring books ahead of this. 

Journal Entry 20 by lunatum at Savukoski, Lappi Finland on Thursday, March 08, 2012

Released 1 yr ago (3/8/2012 UTC) at Savukoski, Lappi Finland

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I've been so busy with my new job that I had to send this forward without reading this. 

Journal Entry 21 by jo_an_a at Helsinki, Uusimaa Finland on Thursday, March 22, 2012

Arrived safely, I am well excited start reading this!

--

I quite liked the characters and the dialogue, and overall I found the book quite funny. However, it was a slow read for me, and at times I had to sort of force myself to keep reading...

I will send this now to Tsjara in Netherlands, happy reading! :) 

Journal Entry 22 by jo_an_a at Helsinki, Uusimaa Finland on Wednesday, May 02, 2012

Released 1 yr ago (5/2/2012 UTC) at Helsinki, Uusimaa Finland

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I will post this to Tsjara today. :) 

Journal Entry 23 by Tsjara at Assendelft, Noord-Holland Netherlands on Friday, May 11, 2012

Arrived here safely. Thanks for sending Jo_an_a! Looking forward to read this, though I have a couple bookrings in front, so it will have to wait a bit. Thanks for organizing the bookray Lauraloo29! :)


Update June 20th: Just thought I'd let you know that I'm about 1/3 into the book. Hopefully I'll be able to finish and mail it on in a week or so. 

Journal Entry 24 by Tsjara at Assendelft, Noord-Holland Netherlands on Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Finally finished reading this. I found it rather slow going and almost gave up on it a couple times.. maybe it was the way of storytelling or the tone, but it didn't really grab me. Maggie kind of annoyed me, though the secondary characters were likeable and fun. And the romance bit did seem a bit sudden to me.
But there were some nice observations and funny bits, especially the part about the rabbit.

Excerpt near the end of the book which made me think of Bookcrossing (Maggie is packing her suitcase):
"I searched the loft for some books to throw in as well. I always seem to take more books than clothes and leave them wherever they get finished. It's nice to drop a well-thumbed paperback in places you've been. It feels a little like carving your name onto a tree."


Will mail the book to Originalmulli tomorrow. 

Journal Entry 25 by Tsjara at Assendelft, Noord-Holland Netherlands on Thursday, June 28, 2012

Released 10 mos ago (6/28/2012 UTC) at Assendelft, Noord-Holland Netherlands

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Off to Originalmulli in the UK.
Happy reading! :) 

Journal Entry 26 by Originalmulli at Llandyfriog, Wales United Kingdom on Tuesday, July 03, 2012

Arrived today - thank you Tsjara for the lovely postcard! I'm glad to see I'm currently last in the ring as I just started something else very fat, but I'll look forward to getting to this as soon as I can! It looks right up my street. :) 

Journal Entry 27 by Originalmulli at Llandyfriog, Wales United Kingdom on Wednesday, July 18, 2012

I really enjoyed this as a lighthearted read, although it was a bit predictable. I thought it was well done - the twist at the very beginning is clever, and I thought (in contrast to some earlier readers) that Maggie's language and idiom was indeed American rather than British - she says cell, pants, Kleenex, ass, etc. :) And the change in tone between the two narrators was very marked and I thought demonstrated their personalities well - Maggie always stressed, rushed, and uncomfortable in her current surroundings; Daniel blase that he can always get away with what he knows to be bad behaviour. Very poignant at certain moments.