Release Day! Last Circle of Love: A Novel by Lorna Landvik ~ My Thoughts #LastCircleOfLove

Happy Release Day!

Congrats Lorna

on the release today of

Last Circle of Love!

Last Circle of Love: A Novel by Lorna Landvik 

Contemporary Fiction, 288 pages

Published December 6, by Lake Union Publishing

A funny, heartwarming story about a feisty group of women who shake, spice, and heat things up with a “recipe” book for romance, from the bestselling author of Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons.

Newly installed at All Souls Lutheran, Mallory “Pastor Pete” Peterson soon realizes that her church isn’t merely going through turbulent waters, but is a sinking ship. With the help of five loyal members of the Naomi Circle, the young, bold minister brainstorms fundraising ideas. They all agree that the usual recipe book won’t add much to the parish coffers, but maybe one with all the ingredients on how to heat up relationships rather than casseroles will…

Pastor Pete has her doubts about the project, but it turns out the group of postmenopausal women has a lot to say on the subject of romance. While Charlene, the youngest member at fifty-two, struggles with the assignment, baker-extraordinaire Marlys, elegantly bohemian Bunny, I’m-always-right Velda, and ebullient Edie take up their contributions enthusiastically. After all, their book is really about cooking up love in all its forms.

But not everyone in the congregation is on board with this “scandalous” project. As the voices of opposition grow louder, Pastor Pete and these intrepid women will have to decide how hard they’re willing to fight for this book and the powerful stories within—stories of discovery, softened hearts, and changed lives.

My thoughts about Last Circle of Love ~~

(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first lines.)

First lines—"Let it be known, there was resistance—and bodily injury. But Edie, understanding that her bloody nose was not due to any maliciousness on her friend's part, accepted Marlys's apology."

I've been a fan of Lorna Landvik's books ever since I read Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons. Love that title! Last Circle of Love reminded me of that book of hers—a group of women who come together to fill a need in their lives. And oh, what a ride those crazy women take the reader on. 

I loved all of the characters in this story. They're mostly older women, who as you may or may not know, sometimes lose their filters. That's where the fun comes in! They decide they want to 'spice up' their traditional fundraising church cookbook. 

I'm pretty sure I read this entire book with a smile on my face, as I so enjoyed the antics of this group of church ladies. I could totally see myself being a part of this hilarious pack. What a hoot!

Give Last Circle of Love a try for an fun, entertaining, and uplifting time. You will not be disappointed. 

I received Last Circle of Love via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion of the book.

About the author

Lorna Landvik is a mother of two and wife of one. She is the author of eight novels, including the best-selling Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons, Patty Jane's House of Curl and Oh My Stars. 

Also an actor and playwright, Lorna has appeared in many stage productions. She is a new and passionate neophyte to the practice of yoga, which is a fine antidote to her long established practice of lounging. ~ Goodreads

Connect with Lorna

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Amazon

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Be sure to check the sidebar for all of my current giveaways!

Book Spotlight #Giveaway! Chronicles of a Radical Hag by Lorna Landvik #ChroniclesOfARadicalHag

I have sooooo many books! The Book Spotlight Giveaway feature that I post every Saturday is a way for me to clear my shelves and to share some of the many books I have. This feature is a way for my to cull my collection and to give someone else the opportunity to enjoy these treasures.

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I read Chronicles of a Radical Hag recently and posted my review here. I love the wisdom and humor of this author. I hope you'll enjoy it too.  

Good luck and be sure to stop back next week!

Chronicles of a Radical Hag

Chronicles of a Radical Hag (with Recipes) by Lorna Landvik
Hardcover, 320 pages
Published March 26th 2019 by University of Minnesota Press

A bittersweet, seriously funny novel of a life, a small town, and a key to our troubled times traced through a newspaper columnist’s half-century of taking in, and taking on, the world.

The curmudgeon who wrote the column “Ramblin’s by Walt” in the Granite Creek Gazette dismissed his successor as “puking on paper.” But when Haze Evans first appeared in the small-town newspaper, she earned fans by writing a story about her bachelor uncle who brought a Queen of the Rodeo to Thanksgiving dinner. Now, fifty years later, when the beloved columnist suffers a massive stroke and falls into a coma, publisher Susan McGrath fills the void (temporarily, she hopes) with Haze’s past columns, along with the occasional reprinted responses from readers. Most letters were favorable, although Haze did have her trolls; one Joseph Snell in particular dubbed her “liberal” ideas the “chronicles of a radical hag.” Never censoring herself, Haze chose to mollify her critics with homey recipes—recognizing, in her constantly practical approach to the world and her community, that buttery Almond Crescents will certainly “melt away any misdirected anger.”

Framed by news stories of half a century and annotated with the town’s chorus of voices, Haze’s story unfolds, as do those of others touched by the Granite Creek Gazette, including Susan, struggling with her troubled marriage, and her teenage son Sam, who—much to his surprise—enjoys his summer job reading the paper archives and discovers secrets that have been locked in the files for decades, along with sad and surprising truths about Haze’s past.

With her customary warmth and wit, Lorna Landvik summons a lifetime at once lost and recovered, a complicated past that speaks with knowing eloquence to a confused present. Her topical but timeless Chronicles of a Radical Hag reminds us—sometimes with a subtle touch, sometimes with gobsmacking humor—of the power of words and of silence, as well as the wonder of finding in each other what we never even knew we were missing.

About the author

Lorna Landvik is a mother of two and wife of one. She is the author of eight novels, including the best-selling ANGRY HOUSEWIVES EATING BON BONS, PATTY JANE'S HOUSE OF CURL and OH MY STARS. Also an actor and playwright, Lorna has appeared in many stage productions. She is a new and passionate neophyte to the practice of yoga, which is a fine antidote to her long established practice of lounging. ~ Goodreads

Connect with Lorna

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Amazon

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Be sure to check the sidebar for all of my current giveaways!

Chronicles of a Radical Hag (with Recipes) by Lorna Landvik ~ My Thoughts #ChroniclesOfARadicalHag

Chronicles of a Radical Hag (with Recipes) by Lorna Landvik
Hardcover, 320 pages
Published March 26th 2019 by University of Minnesota Press

A bittersweet, seriously funny novel of a life, a small town, and a key to our troubled times traced through a newspaper columnist’s half-century of taking in, and taking on, the world.

The curmudgeon who wrote the column “Ramblin’s by Walt” in the Granite Creek Gazette dismissed his successor as “puking on paper.” But when Haze Evans first appeared in the small-town newspaper, she earned fans by writing a story about her bachelor uncle who brought a Queen of the Rodeo to Thanksgiving dinner. Now, fifty years later, when the beloved columnist suffers a massive stroke and falls into a coma, publisher Susan McGrath fills the void (temporarily, she hopes) with Haze’s past columns, along with the occasional reprinted responses from readers. Most letters were favorable, although Haze did have her trolls; one Joseph Snell in particular dubbed her “liberal” ideas the “chronicles of a radical hag.” Never censoring herself, Haze chose to mollify her critics with homey recipes—recognizing, in her constantly practical approach to the world and her community, that buttery Almond Crescents will certainly “melt away any misdirected anger.”

Framed by news stories of half a century and annotated with the town’s chorus of voices, Haze’s story unfolds, as do those of others touched by the Granite Creek Gazette, including Susan, struggling with her troubled marriage, and her teenage son Sam, who—much to his surprise—enjoys his summer job reading the paper archives and discovers secrets that have been locked in the files for decades, along with sad and surprising truths about Haze’s past.

With her customary warmth and wit, Lorna Landvik summons a lifetime at once lost and recovered, a complicated past that speaks with knowing eloquence to a confused present. Her topical but timeless Chronicles of a Radical Hag reminds us—sometimes with a subtle touch, sometimes with gobsmacking humor—of the power of words and of silence, as well as the wonder of finding in each other what we never even knew we were missing.

   

My thoughts about Chronicles of a Radical Hag (with Recipes) ~~

(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first line.)

First line—"Minus what that vicious lying mirror tells me, and the knees that crackle like kindling every time I take the stairs, and the ear canals that have muddied with silt of late, eighty-one feels an awful lot like twenty-nine. Okay, maybe fifty-three."

Chronicles of a Radical Hag is a wonderful story that focuses on an older woman—a very wise woman—one who imparts that wisdom through her newspaper column. Not everyone agrees with her snippets of wisdom and that's where the fun comes in. As Haze Evans lies in a hospital bed after a stroke, the paper reprints some of her columns. Once again, her wisdom is shared and touches peoples lives.

Lorna Landvik writes a meaningful, thought-provoking story filled with her wonderful sense of humor and wit. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Chronicles of a Radical Hag, learning from Haze, and watching the people whose lives she touched change for the better. 

I received a copy of Chronicles of a Radical Hag (with Recipes) from BookishFirst and this is my honest review.

About the author

Lorna Landvik is a mother of two and wife of one. She is the author of eight novels, including the best-selling ANGRY HOUSEWIVES EATING BON BONS, PATTY JANE'S HOUSE OF CURL and OH MY STARS. Also an actor and playwright, Lorna has appeared in many stage productions. She is a new and passionate neophyte to the practice of yoga, which is a fine antidote to her long established practice of lounging. ~ Goodreads

Connect with Lorna

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Amazon

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Be sure to check the sidebar for all of my current giveaways!