the read feed

All the Way Home by David Giffels

All the Way Home: Building a Family in a Falling Down House by David Giffels

A memoir that reads like anecdotes from a good friend during dinner about his adventures restoring an old house, while starting a family.  It confirms that sometimes if you know what you are getting into, you probably wouldn't do it, or in this case would stubbornly forge ahead. And how finding the perfect home is different for everyone, but the feeling that "this is it" is one that we share. And how the joys and sorrows in life don't necessarily wait for indoor plumbing.

This book has a similar tone to Love is a Mix Tape -  with a kind of 30 something hipness. Another enjoyable memoir. Easy, quick, and fun - if you have ever driven by a dilapidated house and wondered who is going to take that on...this book is for you.

4 stars.

The End

Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict by Laurie Viera Rigler

Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict by Laurie Viera Rigler

In a market completely saturated with Jane Austen spinoffs, sequels, and modern day Elizabeth Darcys, this book just doesn't stand out. A self-professed Jane addict wakes up to find that she is living inside an Austen novel, or rather as a patchwork of various Austen characters. The author does get the tone of the overbearing mom just right. It is light and fun and frivolous, so go ahead and take it to the beach this summer. But there's not much to talk about and I don't find it to be as memorable as Austenland (still light, but well written). Or it could just be that I read Austenland first, so whichever one you get to may be your favorite. Otherwise, the whole heap of Austen-lite just runs together.

On an amusing side note, the author belongs to The Jane Austen Society of North America - so she's a trekkie, Jane style. Who knew?

And that's what my two star reviews look like. Not too grim, I hope.

The End.