Pen pals with a happy ending
582389
Isabel Atunes has been writing a pen pal in England since she was in 9th grade as Amelie.
Simon Ackerly has been writing a pen pal in Lisbon since he was in 9th grade as Elliott.
Now Simon comes to Lisbon to work and in hopes of finding Amelie. Isabel works at an English school in Lisbon. Simon comes to the school to work. Part of his job is a secret from everyone except the director.
Simon manages to hit Isabel while he is out on a bike and during the interaction sees a letter he sent Amelie. So her knows that Isabel is Amelie, but Isabel has no clue that Simon is Elliott. Isabel is suspicious of Simon and thinks at least at first that he has been hired to replace her.
They are both members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Isabel joined to please her grandmother who has recently passed away, so she is struggling with going to church and with learning to pray.
The story is told in a mixture of the everyday interactions and the emails they send back and forth.
I felt drawn to the story and the characters and I love happy endings where both main characters grow. That happened in this book. It is lovely.
3640369
The gift of caring, loving, and sharing are given to the reader just as the two main characters enjoy each other. It takes a talented writer to keep his reader involved from the very beginning to the very end.
1323531
I love a writer who can make me feel like I'm chatting with a pal...and make me chuckle out loud to boot! I enjoyed reading about his experiences abroad and admire his ability to learn Swedish. In spite of the hardships, it is apparent what an impact the two year mission made in his life. i thank him for sharing.
4632317
This book is a great gifting opportunity to cultivate friendships. The authors have reminded us of everyday wisdom used to cultivate friendships in a smart and amusing manner. The authors hail from a life of celebrity and their related stories are tasty candy. While they do run in circles most of us never connect with, their advice is suitable for the "ordinary" person. Indeed, they make the point that "folks" are "folks" however high their reach. The book itself has an excellent binding and heavy semi-gloss paper stock. The color scheme and graphic design are very pleasing to the eye, and it is reasonably priced as a stocking stuffer for your future friend.
3821008
I enjoyed their banter with each other.  Remaining friends after the war, sharing their ordeal with 101st, Market Garden, Battle of the Bulge, etc.
713598
This well written little gem celebrates humanity and relationships.  Well developed,  quirky characters who you keep as friends even after the novel has come to an end. A lovely little read.
931570
What a wonderful concept of novel. Pen pals during wartime. Each character brings tears, laughter, knowledge of life. I would highly recommend this novel. We would all be richer with a pen pal. This is second novel I have read by Suzanne Hayes and look forward to the next.
323909
She's getting a hip replacement in two weeks, so she can use a feel-good book with a happy ending. As other reader reviewers noted, the book is a soap opera, but there's a time and place for soap operas, and I think a hospital bed is one. Along with long plane flights and beaches.

Lest that sounds as if I didn't enjoy the book, I did, very much, starting it on a recent cross-country plane trip. What I particularly liked was its celebration of women's friendship. In fact, as did two of the book's characters, my friend and I met in a childbirth class when we were pregnant with our first kids. They're 41 now, and we're still close friends!

I'm updating this review, which I originally posted January 4, 2006, to note that my friend -- now fully recovered -- agreed with the reader reviewers who couldn't get into the book or keep track of the characters. Maybe it's the coincidence of a friendship beginning at a childbirth class that appealed to me so much. (In my own novel, A Departure from the Script -- a comic novel about a Jewish mom coping with her daughter's desire for a lesbian wedding -- I found myself inspired by our long friendship. My protagonist and her three closest friends meet monthly for lunch; all four met at a similar class years earlier.)

At any rate, like several other reader reviewers, I find myself "reviewing" the characters' relationships rather than Noble's literary style.  That's because friendship is one of the main elements of the storyline in The Reading Group. Boyfriends come and go, feelings for husbands fluctuate, parents die, but the five women who form the reading group become closer and more supportive of each other with each passing month -- even after Claire has moved physically out of reach of the group's meetings. This rings very true to me, perhaps because I'm a member of a writing critique group with five women and similar dynamics. Over the years, we've spent as much time supporting each other through job searches, infertility, care of aging parents and marital difficulties as we have critiquing each other's writing and discussing literary agents. We're not all in the same location now -- but we stay in constant touch through the miracle of email. And when we're able to all meet in person we add the miracle of chocolate.

So I liked the depiction of the reading group very much, and became absorbed in their various problems, even though, as several other reviewers wrote, I had to keep referring back to the list of characters through the first few chapters. But it seemed to me that the various dilemmas were resolved a bit too easily, a tad too tidily.  I'm a fan of happy endings -- my own novels end on an upbeat note -- but the various resolutions in The Reading Group fall into place awfully smoothly.

In particular, I found the relationships between daughters and mothers too idealized. Mother-daughter conflicts are a common theme in American novels, as well as in the lives of many women I know. Maybe British culture is different, but it struck me as less than believable that not one woman had a resentful thought or unkind thing to say about her "Mum."

That said, Elizabeth Noble has written a lively, entertaining women's novel, with the plus of structuring it around the book club's discussions of a diverse reading list. I enjoyed the discussions and have added a few of the books I haven't yet read to my "to read" list. This is a book you will want to share with a friend.
506466
It's the Holiday Update Letter we would all like to send out. Monica McInerney offers readers a glimpse into family life that is humorous and touching. Her novel reads easily and fairly quickly. The characters are quirky and interesting, the situations well portrayed, and the premise is carried out well. Settings are wonderfully detailed in this lovely fun book.  I would love to read more form the author.
*I received my copy from NetGalley.com in exchnage for an honest review.
454385
The story begins by introducing the reader to Guido Morris and Vincent Cardworthy, third cousins and best friends.

A little history of their lives thus far is woven into a tale that soon shows the reader some of their romantic escapades and then, finally, settles into how they eventually pick their marital partners and begin their "real lives."

Not really a romance,&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Happy-All-the-Time-Vintage-Contemporaries/dp/0307474402/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Happy All the Time (Vintage Contemporaries)</a>&nbsp;is instead a peek into the lives of four people:  Holly, who seems perfect on the surface and who marries Guido, but who needs little retreats every now and then to maintain her composure; then there is Misty, who is something of a chaotic personality, with pessimism a guiding force; when she ends up with optimistic Vincent, one would think that they would be a mismatch.  But the opposite turns out to be true.  These four people find one another and discover that "happiness is an art form that requires energy, discipline, and talent."

This novel is described as a "delightful comedy of manners and morals...about romantic friendship, romantic marriage and romantic love."

I found myself smiling a lot as I read this story that shared the wonderful details of daily life, with all the challenges of living with a partner.  The characters were drawn in such a way that I could visualize them completely.  It has been awhile since I've read anything by this author, but I thoroughly enjoyed this one.  I liked the theme of happiness, with its underlying promise that one can actually create happiness with the right attitude.  Four stars.
1550371
I love this theme - Mail Order Brides.  Such a fun way to meet.  I enjoyed that one of the books was out of the ordinary in that the woman was looking for a husband via mail.  I really enjoyed each of the books.  My only complaint is that I want to spend more time with the characters.  Such good books that end way too soon.  I love that they are all clean romances.  I can enjoy the books without worrying about anything past kissing.  Great job to all writers in this anthology.
465219
Perfect for a seasonal touch for a short note to those people with whom you want to keep in touch but don't need to write to very often.
3625445
This exchange of letters between a writer in New York and the employee(s) of a book shop in London is beguiling and ever so charming. A quick read but nonetheless one of my favourites.
3894411
Write Back Soon is a generous, warm, charming, uplifting, and deeply useful book. It is a book about connection. Karen Benke, with heart and playfulness, invites us to step out of our hurried lives, slow down time, and connect with people we love and people wed like to know better through letters, notes, and postcards written by hand. Over the past several weeks, I have gratefully started my morning with a 1-2 page chapter from this lovely book. There are imaginative and simple writing prompts, a recipe for homemade invisible ink, a list of interesting objects to send through the mail (I once received a coconut from Hawaii), a field trip to find the perfect pen, and notes passed to you from writers ranging from Wendy Mass to Gary Snyder. May you feel the world grow closer, cozier, and friendlier, she writes. Think of this book as a long letter Ive written to you. I have loved being welcomed in to Karen Benkes world.
989926
The people in book are great,they are  best friends, they pull together. They enjoy their time together. Enjoyed the support they have to each other.
2497124
Disclaimer:  I received a copy of Postmark from the Past from Vickie Phelps for an honest review.

Whats not to love about mysterious letters from the past, song dedications by a friend you haven't seen in twenty-one years and an abandoned little girl?

Nothing.  You are right there with Emily as her past comes rushing back with each letter she receives.  The emotions she feels at each new revelation of betrayal are real and easily identified with.  Plus, they are well written.  Not once did I feel like rolling my eyes and saying grow up. (From me, thats high praise.)

Postmark from the Past is. . . .  Sweet is not the right word, too gooey.  Neither is nice, too bland.  Warm and cuddly doesnt do it, either.  Good (overused, I know) but it is just that; a good book that leaves you satisfied.  An easy read that leaves you smiling.
3531569
Pen pals from outer space? What a cool idea 12-year old friends Carlos and Indiana discover when surfing the Internet. They sign up and both receive emails from pen pals on Jupiter. Though they are very excited about the connection, they don't belive their parents will understand so only share the project with Professor Haggarty.

All goes well as the four young people exchange information about themselves, their homes, schools, and planets. It becomes more exciting when the alien spaceship lands on the adjoining New Mexico ranches so that Monnie and Koosie can meet their earthling friends. Professor Haggarty calls NASA...and they call the military. All involved are caught up in a crisis no one expected.

Author Celine Rose Mariotti offers an excellent teaching tool with this book. The fast-paced adventure will appeal to today's young adults (as well as this adult) with her knowledge of computers, history, geography--and kids. Readers will definitely want to read more from this author.