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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Happy Friday, My Lovelies! After last week's literary disappointment, a friend recommended a cozy little chick lit book entitled Little Beach Street Bakery by Jenny Colgan. This book is a very fun lake/beach read, and it even has a few fantastic recipes in the back which is another plus!
What would you do if everything in your life went to hell in a hand basket: You lose your company, you lose your upscale apartment, you are forced to declare bankruptcy, and your boyfriend and business partner runs home to his mommie?
Jenny Colgan states in her blurb about the book that the story isn't simply about a girl who opens a bakery. To her, this book is really about "being brave; about striking out on your own when everything's against you. It's about daring to drop out of the rat race; about the satisfaction of making things by hand; of sharing with friends and neighbors; and how a simple creative act with a touch of flour and yeast can produce something quite magical."
I rarely quote a book's jacket cover description in my posts, but Colgan really sums up the book quite nicely in hers. Polly is brave. Not only does she set out on her own to get her life back in order, but she moves far away from the support of family and friends to a tidal island named Mount Polbearne off the coast of Cornwall. Residents of the island must plan their outings to the mainland around the tides because the causeway is covered twice daily
Polly leaves Plymouth behind and rents a drafty apartment above an abandoned bakery in Mount Polbourne because that's all she can afford. Her friends think she's daft, and several do try to be supportive of her dire circumstances after the bankruptcy and liquidation of all assets. Her boyfriend Chris has become withdrawn and abandons her. Soon she gets into a routine on the island not strictly based on the tides, but on baking. Polly loves to bake, and the local fishermen love her creations. Unfortunately her landlord Gillian Manse owns the only working bakery on the island, and her bread is as nasty as her personality. Mrs. Manse hates the competition, and she strives to make Polly even more miserable than she already is. Out of the pot and into the fire! I love Polly's personality, and I found myself pulling for her even though she isn't perfect and makes mistakes.
This cute little book isn't quite your typical chick lit book. It does have tragedy, romance, quirky characters, and a magical setting. But it also has a pet puffin named Neil and as I mentioned before recipes that the author has tried and some are family favorites. Colgan also recommends music:
The Fisherman's Blues by The Waterboys
Yesterday I promised to share one of Jenny Colgan's recipes from the book with you, but since this post is already so long I'll share it next Thursday along with another recipe from the sequel (which I started last night).
You can read my entire review on my blog here:
http://ricki-treleaven.blogspot.com/2015/06/literary-friday-little-beach-street.html
What would you do if everything in your life went to hell in a hand basket: You lose your company, you lose your upscale apartment, you are forced to declare bankruptcy, and your boyfriend and business partner runs home to his mommie?
Jenny Colgan states in her blurb about the book that the story isn't simply about a girl who opens a bakery. To her, this book is really about "being brave; about striking out on your own when everything's against you. It's about daring to drop out of the rat race; about the satisfaction of making things by hand; of sharing with friends and neighbors; and how a simple creative act with a touch of flour and yeast can produce something quite magical."
I rarely quote a book's jacket cover description in my posts, but Colgan really sums up the book quite nicely in hers. Polly is brave. Not only does she set out on her own to get her life back in order, but she moves far away from the support of family and friends to a tidal island named Mount Polbearne off the coast of Cornwall. Residents of the island must plan their outings to the mainland around the tides because the causeway is covered twice daily
Polly leaves Plymouth behind and rents a drafty apartment above an abandoned bakery in Mount Polbourne because that's all she can afford. Her friends think she's daft, and several do try to be supportive of her dire circumstances after the bankruptcy and liquidation of all assets. Her boyfriend Chris has become withdrawn and abandons her. Soon she gets into a routine on the island not strictly based on the tides, but on baking. Polly loves to bake, and the local fishermen love her creations. Unfortunately her landlord Gillian Manse owns the only working bakery on the island, and her bread is as nasty as her personality. Mrs. Manse hates the competition, and she strives to make Polly even more miserable than she already is. Out of the pot and into the fire! I love Polly's personality, and I found myself pulling for her even though she isn't perfect and makes mistakes.
This cute little book isn't quite your typical chick lit book. It does have tragedy, romance, quirky characters, and a magical setting. But it also has a pet puffin named Neil and as I mentioned before recipes that the author has tried and some are family favorites. Colgan also recommends music:
The Fisherman's Blues by The Waterboys
Yesterday I promised to share one of Jenny Colgan's recipes from the book with you, but since this post is already so long I'll share it next Thursday along with another recipe from the sequel (which I started last night).
You can read my entire review on my blog here:
http://ricki-treleaven.blogspot.com/2015/06/literary-friday-little-beach-street.html
This was a charming, "chick-lit" novel. Some pretty fantastic food writing--basically torture for a Celiac like myself. The audio version was a bit meh for me. The woman who narrated it made everyone male sound really gravely, and therefore really old. For that reason, I might have been more into the romance if I had read this one versus listen to it. It is funny how the format of the read will really influence one's opinion of it.
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A fun and fluffy book that will leave you craving bread and wanting a pet puffin.
For my star rating, I was torn between a 2 (It was OK) and 3 (I liked it) because most of the book I liked (descriptions of the baking, Polly's spunkiness, the funny dialog, all the characters and a PET PUFFIN), but other parts (romance out of nowhere...no credibility, no description of why, just "Oy, I love you." "Oy! Huh, me, too."). But since the romance was only a small part of the book, I will let the 3 rating take precedence.
For my star rating, I was torn between a 2 (It was OK) and 3 (I liked it) because most of the book I liked (descriptions of the baking, Polly's spunkiness, the funny dialog, all the characters and a PET PUFFIN), but other parts (romance out of nowhere...no credibility, no description of why, just "Oy, I love you." "Oy! Huh, me, too."). But since the romance was only a small part of the book, I will let the 3 rating take precedence.
This author is someone I started reading just recently and I'm enjoying catching up on her books :)
Polly has to start over when she breaks up with her long term boyfriend, they lose their business and have to sell their house. In her search to find an affordable place to rent, she finds the small town of Mount Polbearne.
She remembers from a field trip as a child but never pictured living there.
It's basically closed off from the outside world when the tide changes.
And the house Polly can afford to rent is in terrible shape. But it had a nice little set up for cooking and Polly has always found baking bread to be comforting.
This book honestly had me totally sold on it when they introduced the baby Puffin. I (rightfully) felt that I could trust this author to keep the puffin safe.
Does that sound silly? Maybe. But if there's an animal in a book I'm reading, even though it's fictional, I need that animal to be ok :)
Highlights:
Puffin
Descriptions of bread baking
Cute quaint little town
Fun cast of characters
I like the quirky towns people and I like how I can't predict at the beginning of the book who the character is going to wind up with.
My favorite by this author, so far, is The Cafe by the Sea. Given that it's her latest book, I think that's a good sign.
Polly has to start over when she breaks up with her long term boyfriend, they lose their business and have to sell their house. In her search to find an affordable place to rent, she finds the small town of Mount Polbearne.
She remembers from a field trip as a child but never pictured living there.
It's basically closed off from the outside world when the tide changes.
And the house Polly can afford to rent is in terrible shape. But it had a nice little set up for cooking and Polly has always found baking bread to be comforting.
This book honestly had me totally sold on it when they introduced the baby Puffin. I (rightfully) felt that I could trust this author to keep the puffin safe.
Does that sound silly? Maybe. But if there's an animal in a book I'm reading, even though it's fictional, I need that animal to be ok :)
Highlights:
Puffin
Descriptions of bread baking
Cute quaint little town
Fun cast of characters
I like the quirky towns people and I like how I can't predict at the beginning of the book who the character is going to wind up with.
My favorite by this author, so far, is The Cafe by the Sea. Given that it's her latest book, I think that's a good sign.