Hosted at Book Journey.

Knit Two by Kate Jacobs

This is a sequel to The Friday Night Knitting Club.  It is five years later and the club members are all having major changes.  Darwin is having twins.  Peri is starting a line of designer purses.  Anita is getting married over the objections of her grown children.  Luci’s career as a director is taking off.  Catherine is trying to define herself without a man.  Dakota is starting college in a major she hates to please her father.

The characters started out whiny and annoying but they got some good personal growth going until near the end when they all reverted.  I was yelling at my car stereo for them to grow up and get a life.  I enjoyed it until that part though.

Bill Bryson’s African Diary

This is a little book about a week he spent in Kenya with CARE.  The proceeds were donated to their relief efforts.

The only thing I don’t like about his books in when they are over so I was sad that this one was little and didn’t have a lot more info.  I hope he goes back to Africa at some point and does a more in depth book.

Three Bags Full: A Sheep Detective Story by Leonie Swann

The shepherd of a flock of Irish sheep is found murdered in his pasture.  He was a good shepherd and often read books to his sheep so they are very smart sheep.  They decide that they will solve the mystery themselves.

The premise was very cute.  Seeing the world and humans from a sheep’s point of view was very interesting.  The central mystery did drag a bit.  But I was entertained by the little pictures in the corner of the pages.  If you flipped them fast it was a cartoon of a sheep jumping.  That amused me over and over because I am simple.  I also had Graham Chapman’s voice in my head saying, “the most dangerous of animals, a clever sheep” from one of my favorite Monty Python sketches ever.

Hotel Vendome by Danielle Steel

This is the story of a man who buys a small hotel in NYC and raises his daughter there.

The daughter in this story was meant to be a good hearted person but she turned into a stark raving madwoman any time she thought she wasn’t the center of anyone’s world. Strange.

Knit One Pearl One by Gil McNeil

Jo is balancing 3 kids, a knitting shop, and a sometimes boyfriend when her youngest child’s father reappears in her life.

I don’t know why I have multiple knitting books this week. It was a cute story. It seems to be part of a series but I haven’t read the others.

Haiti Noir by Edwidge Danticat

This is an anthology of short stories that take place in Haiti. It was just as completely depressing as you might imagine it being.

Sonoma Rose by Jennifer Chiaverini

This takes place in her Elm Creek Quilts universe but it is a historical novel. Rosa flees from her abusive husband in 1920s California. Her children are sick and he refuses to let her seek medical attention even after the deaths of several of them. Eventually she ends up in Sonoma County working for vineyards trying to hang on during Prohibition.

I like this author’s historical books much more than her contemporary ones. I didn’t know much about how the vineyards tried to stay active when they couldn’t sell wine.