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.
Peyton Place by Grace Metalious
Why I have it: Seems like a ‘classic’ I’ve missed.
Summary: The passions, lies and cruelties that simmer beneath the surface of a postcard-perfect town.
I’m thinking: Maybe… the sample was an introduction to the edition.
The Hive by Gill Hornby
Why I have it: No idea.
Summary: There’s only room for one Queen Bee – what goes on in the social world of school mothers when alliances shift.
I’m thinking: No. I’m over mum-lit.
One Summer by Bill Bryson
Why I have it: I’ve always enjoyed Bryson’s books and it’s been ages since I read one.
Summary: The summer of 1927 began with one of the signature events of the twentieth century: Charles Lindbergh became the first man to cross the Atlantic by plane nonstop. Meanwhile, Babe Ruth, Herbert Hoover, Al Capone, and Al Jolson also made history.
I’m thinking: Maybe – I’m sensing a lot of aviation history…
The movie version of Peyton Place was quite the scandal in my early childhood. It’s probably very tame by today’s standards.
Can’t help you with any of these!
My husband loves Byson. He can be fun to read, even when he’s writing about history. He’s convinced me to read his book Shakespeare. Why not, right?
I don’t know the first two, but Bill Bryson rarely fails to entertain me.
I’ve read another of Gill Hornby’s novels – the recent one about Jane Austen and her sister. She’s a local author to me and I was meant to go see her speak about the local connections last month, alas!
I generally love Bryson, but I gave that one a miss after trying a chapter; I’m just not keen enough on the history. Whereas I’m interested enough in science and medicine to read his books on those topics.
I’ve missed Peyton Place too. I don’t know why, it sounds tempting.
I haven’t read any of these but I think I’d give Peyton Place a chance.
I read Peyton Place when I snuck it off my mum’s bookshelf as a young teen. It was deliciously naughty but I remember very little else about it. Might be fun to read again one day. It was banned for a while, so it might fill your banned book box, if you play those bingo cards.
The other 2 I do not know much about. My former boss loved One Summer
My mum was a great source of Jilly Cooper 😀 I wonder how much e-readers are stifling teens’ wide-reading?!