Thursday, April 26, 2018

HOLY MACKEREL - WHAT A BOOK!

It's been a year and a half since I last gave a book a 4.0+.  It was Rachael Herron's Splinters of Light. And before that it was July of 2015 when I gave my first 4.0+.  That one was Goodnight June, by Sarah Jio.  I've also got 12-4.5s and 13-4.25s (the link is on the bottom of this post, in case you want/care to see those).  Well, I've got another 4.0+, which now makes a total of 28 all-time favorites.  This one shouldn't be a big surprise because I've just read 2 other books by this author, and they were both 4/4!  But it was a surprise to me because it was published in 2012, before the other 2 hit the bookshelves.  In case you haven't figured it out yet, it's Kristin Harmel.  And it's called The Sweetness of Forgetting.  I just absolutely loved this book.

Are you ready for the blurb?  Well, I'm not giving it to you.  Why, you ask?  Have I become (even more) curmudgeonly in my advancing age? Maybe.  But that's not the reason I'm holding off this time.  There are so many different elements to this book that I want you to experience them the way I did - cold turkey.  It just so happens that I never read the synopsis of a book before I read it.  I want to be surprised.  But as you also know, I usually post the recap in my reviews.  And I certainly can't prevent you from checking it out before you start reading.  In this case, I hope you would consider trusting me that the less you know beforehand, the greater the impact will be.

So is that the end of the review?  One in which I have told you nothing? Okay, I will throw you a bone or two.  Here are a few hints as to what you will read about in Sweetness:

1.    Family-owned bakery (with recipes)
2.    Alzheimers
3.    Germany-occupied France in WWII
4.    Divorce
5.    True Love
6.    Romance (different from true love)
7.    4 generations
8.    Emotional lock-down
9.    Religious collaboration
10.  Discovery - of all kinds

This doesn't take into account the enormous amount of tears (real ones, not baby ones), chills, head-shaking, shoulder-slumping, eye-opening, expletive-yelling, and even some laughing, that I exhibited throughout. It also doesn't factor in just how gosh-darn well the book is written. Some of the passages are flat-out amazing.

What I am hoping will happen is that this blog post will open up a discussion about the book.  Maybe we can do an online something (I am not too tech-savvy).  Or maybe we can exchange comments.  But even if none of that happens, I do hope you will read The Sweetness of Forgetting.  I can't begin to tell you how glad I am that I did.



Here's that link I was telling you about:  

Top 24 (Actually 27) All-Time



12 comments:

  1. So glad you loved this one. I cried from it too!

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    1. What would I do without you? Hepworth, Harmel, and countless others.

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  2. I've never read this author but it sounds like I sure need to!

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    1. Kathy, this one, along with The Room on Rue Amelie and The Life Intended, are all really terrific. I don't think I have ever given an author 3 out of 3 4.0s other than Ken Follett. And they are all different.

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  3. Wow! Do you still have a copy I could steal? Never read this author.

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    1. No. But as of yesterday I have a copy of this one and one of her others on my book shelf. If you can get over there tomorrow from 9-12, you can use my Recycle credit to pick one (or both) up.

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  4. You are playing your cards very close to your chest these days, but I think you've succeeded in making me curious by doing so. Of course, I have to know how those 10 topics are handled and I want the recipes!

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  5. Funny, I just brought this book up from the basement where it's been for a while. I featured it in 2-12 but have not read it as yet. Seems like a good one for summer.

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  6. I'm enjoying these mini-reviews!

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