Excellent slice of life
583498
I whole-heartedly relate.  Weaving familial stories, wisdom gleaned during ever-changing times, personal hopes and failures, all into the tapestry of one`s own life is hard work. Making sense of it all and thriving in spite of or because of it all is a remarkable victory. Cary seems to have done just that. I`m still learning.
3621716
There is so much to enjoy about this novel, and it will especially resonate with anyone who has trotted the globe in support of a spouse's career, though the storyline and the recipes within have a universal appeal.  I found especially poignant the hard choices/situations faced by two of the main characters -- the leaving behind of career and the "need" to cram every day full of activities just to make sure there is no unscheduled time in which depression or self-questionning might infiltrate.  The prose is fluid and engaging and the recipes sound fabulous and make one who generally runs screaming from the kitchen interested in perhaps donning an apron?  Finally, this is the first book I have read that is set in Dubai, and I found the descriptions of the desert and the lifestyle very interesting.  Highly recommended.
3429575
If you want a slice-of-life movie that's also charmingly heartwarming, and if you speak French (and possibly Spanish) this movie is an utter delight. It is at its deepest level an affectionate portrayal of fundamental human values and we end up sympathizing with almost every character, which is quite an accomplishment. No Hollywood simplification or slapstick; just gentle comedy of observation nicely done with some excellent acting and unobtrusive camerawork.
4325052
This is a very well written short story. The economic conditions, the conditions of the human spirit, the hope that doesnt quite go away... everything comes together and offers a lovely slice of life. I would have loved if this had been longer.
2377219
Beautifully written slice of life that brings a racism issue to the forefront.  This could happen to any of us or anyone we know.  Handled exceptionally well.
3971185
This is really a great read.  Right from the jump it is engaging, charming, heartwarming, and even, yes, sweet.  For those of us who are the right demographic, it is also highly nostalgic.  The story is a look back over several years of the life of the protagonist, using popular culture as mileposts along the journey.  In addition to capturing the feel of the times, the author also manages to poignantly capture the feeling of good friends drifting away,  the sense of inevitability that often goes along with it, and the overall experience and effects of time on relationships.  The characters are quite deep and believable, and vividly read like real people.  The relationship between the protagonist and the "gang" at the arcade also resonates quite realistically.

I swallowed this one whole, and thoroughly enjoyed it.

There are, however, some fairly serious flaws in execution.  This book could really have used the help of a good editor.  There are occasional awkward sentences, some of the dialogue could use another pass, and some of the details change at various points in the book (things like high scores, which are set, and then seem to vary as the story is told).  This can be somewhat distracting in some places.

Some other reviewers have mentioned things like timeline issues, and occasional inaccuracies with the actual play mechanics of some of the games, but those really didn't bother me.

Having said that, the story, the pacing, the imagery, the characters and the thematic content are so strong that it is easy to overlook the technical flaws.  On the other hand, it's a little frustrating to imagine how absolutely amazing this work could have been with just a little more attention to detail and polish.

I'll be remembering this one!
2179036
I think the best way for me to describe this books is: IF you enjoy watching "slice of life" anime, then you will definitely like/appreciate this book. It comes from Grace's perspective as an American expat living in Tokyo/Ibaraki, Japan, who's just living her pretty-chill lifestyle with her Japanese husband, Ryosuke. I find the book interesting and occasionally, educational (i.e. "haruichiban", that was nice - more of this type of content please!), with "blogs post" writing scattered minimally throughout the book as well. I do admit though, having followed her blog, I miss getting the few sentences or paragraphs after each comic - that was always an opportunity to learn something new or hear more about Grace's personal opinion on the subject, which I find relatable and endearing. But that's ok, because you can just follow her blog at www.howibecametexan.com! :)

It's a cute book that is "good enough" to satisfy the curious mind of those intrigued by Japanese society/language and issues pertaining to an interracial marriage/relationship between a young American woman and a young Japanese man. In comic form.

Buy the book, read/follow her blog, and support Grace, a seemingly very nice young woman whom I'm sure would really appreciate your support in any form.

Special thanks to Grace for being gutsy and providing me with a free copy of her e-book in exchange for being her "book ambassador". Look forward to seeing/reading more good stuff from you in the future ;)
3101493
Author David Slone creates a wonderful slice of summer life in New England. The plot and characters are carefully woven together in a story told across the lifetime of a woman at odds with her past and her future. All of the main and subordinate characters are developed appropriately and comfortably. Perhaps the most intriguing "character" is the summer community itself. The seasonal neighborhood becomes the grounding force of memories, both good and bad, and reminds us all of our summer experiences throughout life, wherever they may have been.
3705300
Wonderful word picture of American life in a small Midwest town. After the first 25 pages I had a hard time putting it down. The characters are an interesting assortment of people trying together, mostly, to make their lives a little happier in the face of opposition. Also a nice example of what fear and loneliness can prompt someone to do stupid things while redemption is still possible.
1016428
If you are busy and do not have the opportunity to travel, this book reminded me of how simple life can be when one is stripped of luxuries, privileges, and amenities that are deemed to be civilized. After reading this, I was reminded of how I fell in love with another country's culture, food, and way of life. Social status, race, and one's gender did not matter. It is truly about being human, testing one's abilities and determination to adapt to new and harsh environments, finding one's self, and being able to become accepted, live, and respect one another within a culture other than one's own.
1637255
A quiet slice of life novel that takes place in small town/rural Colorado. At first I was bored by what seemed like a lack of plot, but the lives of the characters slowly snuck up on me and I found myself really caring for them.  Lovely and understated.
4430281
Excellent read!  Pope presents a slice in the life of two families colliding with sophisticated physical and emotional train wreck consequences.  He creates real people and develops them in the first half until you believe and care about them.  In the second half he takes them individually through serious travails as their lives unwind - all the while making them both tragic and sympathetic figures.  Recommended!
1411889
This is a lovely story very reminiscent in style to R.F. Delderfield, and in theme to Dorothy Evelyn Smith's The Lovely Day and Margaret Kennedy's The Feast. It's a "slice of life" tale set in a small village in the Midlands some years after WW1. The village is picking up the pieces, sadly depleted of it's fine men, and people's lives and businesses are topsy turvy. Those who were wealthy gentry before the war find themselves struggling to pay their bills, and conversely, some everyday Joe Shmoes are rolling in money as a result of businesses (such as munitions) which thrived during the war.

As with many 'slice of life' books, no one character is given more attention to others, in fact its difficult to find a main character at all, but in this book you can almost do it in the form of Miles Ombersley who has just inherited his father's ancestral estate...complete with debt.

It's a story of everyday people and how life changes them from the inside out. You will see how some are ruined through bad choices (otherwise termed "bad luck") and become less likeable, while others actually mature and flourish under tests of character.

FBY's descriptions are a delight to the senses. They make you step back and say, Now why didn't I think of that! I'll give you an example:

One character, while driving into town on business, notices the growth of traffic on the roads and muses to himself how the brightly painted motor vehicles glide slowly and smoothly like newly hatched butterflies in every color, making his Silver Ghost seem so old fashioned by comparison...

I also liked his tongue in cheek humor. For instance when an old woman is lying prone, dying, the doctor calls for her next of kin and privately begs the good lady to brace herself for the shock in her sister's appearance. "Oh,Laura was never a beauty", she replied blandly.

 Or when said old lady recovers, she is told how the doctor saved her life her response was "his charges were certainly moderate. His bill for the whole of my illness was less than three pounds..."

I just love that!

One other thing I enjoyed near the beginning of the book was the minister complaining to the doctor about how difficult it was to rouse the village to camaraderie. He says,"It isn't that I want to improve them, I want them to enjoy themselves without being self conscious, I want to give them more fun!"

"Merry England and all that? No, Vicar, that hobby won't gallop. You see, England isn't merry by nature, and I doubt if it ever was. We have no abandon. We're stiff Northerners, self conscious and reserved. You can't make us unbutton...We English people are such individualists. Our homes are our castles; we're always on the defensive. Five hundred years ago we jolly well had to be. Then our lives, though you'd hardly believe it, are tremendously full and as different from another as -what shall I say- our cottage gardens. We hate what you call "being organized"- unless we're convinced that it's absolutely necessary for some specific reason. A war, for instance...and even then, though we take it like lambs, we like to pretend that our organization is voluntary...."

It's been too long since Ive read Francis Brett Young. His books are so well worthwhile. If you dislike Hardyesque descriptions you probably won't have the patience for this but I drank in every word. It's brilliant!

CONTENT:
SEX: None (past indiscretions of town characters mentioned)
VIOLENCE: Mild (a car crash)
PROFANTY: Very Mild

MY RATING: G
619886
Goodbye Bombay is an extremely well-written "slice of life" kind of story with plenty of plot to drive the story onward. What you find in these pages are several love interests and extremely interesting details to go along with each one. Along with the romantic elements are challenges that the main character, Christine, faces as she fails to and even resists integrating into the Indian culture. Before reading Goodbye Bombay, I'd only been exposed to a few books relating to India and never before was I interested in the land so much. Gry sparked an interest in me by showing the difference between European customs and those of the people of India. This was a much better vehicle to explain India than by simply stating how the culture works.

Aside from the interesting story that takes place in India and the struggles Christine endures as her husband is obviously cheating on her and far more invested in his work than his family, there is an entirely separate plot that takes place in the present. Christine's tale is told by her to her friend Phoebe who is comforting her after a tragedy has struck someone in Christine's life (I don't want to give things away so won't be explaining everything in this review). There is a contrast between how Christine acts in her tale and how she does in the present, showing how her experiences that the reader doesn't know all about until they read through to the end has changed her. Phoebe is also a unique character and Christine shows that through her internal thoughts and their conversation.

All in all, this is a great tale that is relatable to people through the shared experiences the characters have with us. There is romance, passion, betrayal, humor, and a great ending, making for an awesome read. Take a chance on this book and you'll feel educated through interesting experiences and drawn to the characters as they struggle to discover love and relate to their surroundings.
4059565
Great slice of life with a little mystery thrown in to add tension...i think you'll love it!  Her characters are so wonderful.
1842062
This novel is a fascinating dive into the life of a small girl in a very rough life in a city. Beautifully drawn, funny and crushingly sad at the same time. I adored it. Take the time to slide your focus over every page, take it slow, and make it last. Its worth it.
1380919
The episodic nature of this book--selected weekly columns from a small town paper--lends itself well to reading in bits and pieces. It really pulled me in. Having grown up in a small Minnesota town about half a generation later, it was easy to picture the kinds of people, places and events that McIntosh describes. After a while, it was almost as though I was a member of the community, experiencing WWII on the home front as it unfolded. I found myself "recognizing" recurring characters and worrying about how things were going to turn out for various families and individuals. McIntosh's story gets closure--I'd love to see a follow-up book that revisits some of the folks and families prominently featured in here in order to find out how their stories turned out as well.