Sample Saturday is when I wade through the eleventy billion samples I have downloaded on my Kindle. I’m slowly chipping away and deciding whether it’s buy or bye.
Happenstance by Carol Shields
Why I have it: Spotted in Margaret’s Six Degrees chain.
Summary: Story of a marriage from two perspectives (the wife and the husband).
I’m thinking: Yes.
The Naturalist by Thom Conroy
Why I have it: Spotted in Lisa’s Six Degrees chain.
Summary: Historical novel based on the real life of Dr Ernst Dieffenbach: scientist, explorer, revolutionary, outcast.
I’m thinking: Maybe.
Louis & Louise by Julie Cohen
Why I have it: Spotted on Cathy’s Six Degrees chain.
Summary: One life, lived different ways (being born male or female). Louis and Louise are the same in many ways – same best friends, same parents, same dream of being a writer. But because of their gender, everything looks different.
I’m thinking: Yes.
Cool! I’m so glad that books from this lovely meme are getting on people’s TBR lists!
I think when I see books linked to others I’ve enjoyed, they grab my interest.
YES to Carol Shields! I love her work.
I haven’t read any Shields (!) so this seems a good place to start.
The Republic of Love is an all time favourite.
How interesting that Happenstance and Louis and Louise share that dual perspective, male vs. female. I’ve enjoyed all the Shields novels I’ve read and would like to revisit this one; I DNFed the Cohen, but perhaps you’ll get on better with it.
Yes, I didn’t realise that when I grouped them together! One day I’ll put together a whole post on ‘sliding doors’ kind of novels (I think my favourite though is The Versions of Us by Laura Barnett).
I loved The Versions of Us!
all such gorgeous books! <3
And the cover of The Naturalist – gorgeous!
*pout* Only maybe for Thom Conroy? I must be losing my powers of persuasion…
The fact that it would allow me to tick off New Zealand in my Around the World reading challenge does tip the balance…
I’m voting for Carol Shields even though I don’t know this particular novel, I’m going on past experience of her work
I loved Happenstance. My edition is bound with the wife’s and husband’s story top to tail.
Happenstance is brilliant. 😀
I read Happenstance years ago & I can’t remember much but I do remember enjoying it and thinking the dual perspective worked well. Depending on how you get on, it may be time for a re-read!
I finished Happenstance earlier this year and very much enjoyed it. It was the male/female perspectives that made it. Enough so that I wanted to check that Louis and Louise was already on my TBR list.
In the paperback copy I read of Happenstance, the parts started on opposite sides of the book (and therefore upside down). Very clever – and one had to choose which to read first. I read it in the order of publication. The Husband’s Story was first published in Canada by McGraw-Hill Ryerson in 1980. Happenstance, The Wife’s Story was first published as A Fairly Conventional Woman in Canada by Macmillan of Canada 1982. The combined copy I read was first published in Great Britain by Fourth Estate Limited 1991 .
The need for publishing info constructs the [paperback] book so that most will start with the wife’s story. I read in order of publication (ie husband first). Glad I did, although I suspect I would have enjoyed the other way ’round as well.