Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
I really enjoyed this book because of its bittersweetness. There's the constant cloud of WWII looming above mixed with Livvy's inner turmoil mixed with a quiet and slow boiling romance. It's simply a good read and one that I'll probably revisit over the years.
Lovely book and well worth the read (or listen in my case). The slow moving pace of the story fits the title perfectly. Excellent example of the joy and magic that comes through moving through a life full of ordinary days - although it’s set at the end of WW2 which is difficult and heartbreaking and not ordinary. Interesting perspective of this time through the eyes of a farmers wife in Colorado. My only complaint is that the ending is too abrupt and I wanted another couple of chapters to experience the magic after the magic.
3.75★
POST READ:
I have a lot of feeling about this book, I’m mostly shocked that, in my opinion, the movie was better than the book version.
The movie was sweeter, more romantic and the leads had better chemistry (MMC also isn’t balding in the movie, I know I’m terrible for even making that a factor *hangs head in shame).
Once I tried to get over the comparison between the two, I really did begin to love this book in its own right. It was more realistic in terms of the FMCs struggle with what’s happened to her and adjusting to her new, very different, life on the farm.
I read a few reviews that hate the FMC because of how ‘self absorbed’ she seemed, but I really didn’t see it like that. I mean yes she was absorbed, but into her grief not only over the death of her mother, but over the betrayal of her lover and the loss of all her dreams ; she had been confined to a future so different from what she had wanted, and in all that she still managed to eventually adjust to her new life.
The MMC was just the sweetest and for a lot of the book my heart broke for him (mostly because he was balding, jks). But in all seriousness, he loved the FMC with such sweet, innocent gentleness that I found my heart aching for him and couldn’t wait for her to love him back. His awe and love of her made sense to me, especially because he hadn’t ever encountered a woman of her class before.
I did debate on giving this book 4★ despite the slightly hollow ending that felt a bit rushed, just based on the feels I got concluding their story, but for most of the book it felt more like a 3-3.5★. And the beginning (which more felt like 2★ ) started off a bit rocky, with her constant inner monologues about random historical tidbits at the most inappropriate times! Like, in the middle of an ongoing dialogue. Now, I can’t say if she stopped or I just got used to it, but the more I went on the better I found the book. And by the end I loved the book, and I had that great feeling of falling in book love.
I don’t know should I give it 4★, despite all the flaws. I’m so torn?
I’ll have to re-read and decide at a later date.
——————————
Pre- read:
I DIDN’T KNOW THIS WAS A BOOK! I should’ve known; in my experience all great movies come from books. And, I so loved the movie version of this!
I hope I’ll love this too!
POST READ:
I have a lot of feeling about this book, I’m mostly shocked that, in my opinion, the movie was better than the book version.
The movie was sweeter, more romantic and the leads had better chemistry (MMC also isn’t balding in the movie, I know I’m terrible for even making that a factor *hangs head in shame).
Once I tried to get over the comparison between the two, I really did begin to love this book in its own right. It was more realistic in terms of the FMCs struggle with what’s happened to her and adjusting to her new, very different, life on the farm.
I read a few reviews that hate the FMC because of how ‘self absorbed’ she seemed, but I really didn’t see it like that. I mean yes she was absorbed, but into her grief not only over the death of her mother, but over the betrayal of her lover and the loss of all her dreams ; she had been confined to a future so different from what she had wanted, and in all that she still managed to eventually adjust to her new life.
The MMC was just the sweetest and for a lot of the book my heart broke for him (mostly because he was balding, jks). But in all seriousness, he loved the FMC with such sweet, innocent gentleness that I found my heart aching for him and couldn’t wait for her to love him back. His awe and love of her made sense to me, especially because he hadn’t ever encountered a woman of her class before.
I did debate on giving this book 4★ despite the slightly hollow ending that felt a bit rushed, just based on the feels I got concluding their story, but for most of the book it felt more like a 3-3.5★. And the beginning (which more felt like 2★ ) started off a bit rocky, with her constant inner monologues about random historical tidbits at the most inappropriate times! Like, in the middle of an ongoing dialogue. Now, I can’t say if she stopped or I just got used to it, but the more I went on the better I found the book. And by the end I loved the book, and I had that great feeling of falling in book love.
I don’t know should I give it 4★, despite all the flaws. I’m so torn?
I’ll have to re-read and decide at a later date.
——————————
Pre- read:
I DIDN’T KNOW THIS WAS A BOOK! I should’ve known; in my experience all great movies come from books. And, I so loved the movie version of this!
I hope I’ll love this too!
My book club’s book of the month, so not my typical genre. I was very bored by this and didn’t feel like I got drawn into the characters as much as I wished.
I'll admit it, I read the book because I loved the movie. And this seems to be one of those few exceptions where the movie is better than the book. Sigh.
The beginning of the book rambled wherever Livvy's thoughts went and I kind of wanted out of her mind! The writing felt out of focus. That being said, the writing did tighten up as the book progressed.
I enjoyed getting a bigger peak into Livvy and Ray's developing relationship. Part of me loved seeing the imperfections of love and this book felt pretty realistic in that way. Albeit, most women nowadays marry men with more common interests than Livvy and Ray had. (I liked how the movie showed Livvy and Ray trying to develop interests in what the other one liked.)
The ending ruined the book a little for me. Rose and Lorelei's story was most unsatisfying. (Hate to be a parrot, but the movie did it better!) Everything just wasn't wrapped up enough for me. I felt like the author needed a final chapter to tie the story together and really get her message across.
3 Stars.
The beginning of the book rambled wherever Livvy's thoughts went and I kind of wanted out of her mind! The writing felt out of focus. That being said, the writing did tighten up as the book progressed.
I enjoyed getting a bigger peak into Livvy and Ray's developing relationship. Part of me loved seeing the imperfections of love and this book felt pretty realistic in that way. Albeit, most women nowadays marry men with more common interests than Livvy and Ray had. (I liked how the movie showed Livvy and Ray trying to develop interests in what the other one liked.)
The ending ruined the book a little for me. Rose and Lorelei's story was most unsatisfying. (Hate to be a parrot, but the movie did it better!) Everything just wasn't wrapped up enough for me. I felt like the author needed a final chapter to tie the story together and really get her message across.
3 Stars.
"Highly satisfying," as it says on the cover. Would have enjoyed it even more if I hadn't seen the movie.
Trust, true love, knowing one's self; these are all issues discussed in The Magic of Ordinary Days. The main character, Olivia, must decide where she belongs and whom she should love. Well-written, thought provoking, and with decidedly descriptive language, this novel stays with the one who reads it,
This was a nice, sweet and quiet love story. I really enjoyed this book.
I liked this book well enough but was disappointed that the story ended as soon as the main character realized she was in love. Life isn't a fairy tale, people. I would have liked to have seen the story continue--how did the community react when she had her baby? Truthfully, I guess romances just don't normally cut it for me.
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced