Books are Always a Great Christmas Gift

One of my "inherited" granddaughters has turned into my little reader. A book or two is always included in Christmas or birthday gifting.

For her 9th birthday, I gave her what were my favorite books at that age, " A Little Princess", "The Witch of Blackbird Pond", and "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn ". I hope she loves them as much as I did (and still do).
 
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I'm not a reader of Fiction any more.. but this book has attracted my attention. It's called The Keeper of secrets - Sally Page... and the basis of the book is made up of short stories...

one reviewer wrote this

It’s a book that starts off gently enough, following cleaner Janice who loves to hear stories about all kinds of people. She believes that everyone has a story and likes to collect and file them in her mind. Janice herself is a wonderful character. She’s totally believable as a woman who lives a quiet, somewhat unfulfilling life, putting up with quite frankly a pig of a husband and always doing her best for her clients who rely on her as an exceptional cleaner. When one of her least favourite clients, Mrs Yeahyeahyeah (not her real name!), pretty much guilt trips her into taking on her mother-in-law Mrs B as a client, she has no idea how it will change her life.

Mrs B has had quite an extraordinary life and although she reveals some of her story to Janice, I’m sure there is much more we could hear. Perhaps we might hear more about her in a future book? I do hope so. Connections are made between some of Janice’s clients often through the dog she walks for Mrs Yeahyeahyeah. Decius is a foul-mouthed fox terrier – yes really – and even though I’m not really a dog lover, he was just as brilliant a character as the others and made me laugh a lot.

I loved hearing the various characters’ stories which were sometimes everyday, sometimes remarkable and often rather moving. All through the book, I was aware that Janice was keeping her own story safely locked away but she should have known more that most that stories won’t stay locked up for ever. Holding onto past guilt was making her unhappy and as Mrs B wisely says to her at one point “… if there is ever a woman who deserves to be happy, it is you. Do not pass this opportunity by because of a misplaced feeling of guilt.”

I adored every page of The Keeper of Stories and it’s one I will remember for a long time. I was quite fascinated to read that many of the characters’ stories in the book are true or based on truth and were in turn collected by the author. I highly recommend this heart-warming, wise and often funny book. It’s one of my favourite books of the year!

At 384 pages.. and altho' only available for kindle or Paperback.. but very cheap at only £3.00 ..I'm going to buy it...
 
hollydolly said:
I'm not a reader of Fiction any more.. but this book has attracted my attention. It's called The Keeper of secrets - Sally Page... and the basis of the book is made up of short stories...

one reviewer wrote this

It’s a book that starts off gently enough, following cleaner Janice who loves to hear stories about all kinds of people. She believes that everyone has a story and likes to collect and file them in her mind. Janice herself is a wonderful character. She’s totally believable as a woman who lives a quiet, somewhat unfulfilling life, putting up with quite frankly a pig of a husband and always doing her best for her clients who rely on her as an exceptional cleaner. When one of her least favourite clients, Mrs Yeahyeahyeah (not her real name!), pretty much guilt trips her into taking on her mother-in-law Mrs B as a client, she has no idea how it will change her life.

Mrs B has had quite an extraordinary life and although she reveals some of her story to Janice, I’m sure there is much more we could hear. Perhaps we might hear more about her in a future book? I do hope so. Connections are made between some of Janice’s clients often through the dog she walks for Mrs Yeahyeahyeah. Decius is a foul-mouthed fox terrier – yes really – and even though I’m not really a dog lover, he was just as brilliant a character as the others and made me laugh a lot.

I loved hearing the various characters’ stories which were sometimes everyday, sometimes remarkable and often rather moving. All through the book, I was aware that Janice was keeping her own story safely locked away but she should have known more that most that stories won’t stay locked up for ever. Holding onto past guilt was making her unhappy and as Mrs B wisely says to her at one point “… if there is ever a woman who deserves to be happy, it is you. Do not pass this opportunity by because of a misplaced feeling of guilt.”

I adored every page of The Keeper of Stories and it’s one I will remember for a long time. I was quite fascinated to read that many of the characters’ stories in the book are true or based on truth and were in turn collected by the author. I highly recommend this heart-warming, wise and often funny book. It’s one of my favourite books of the year!

At 384 pages.. and altho' only available for kindle or Paperback.. but very cheap at only £3.00 ..I'm going to buy it...
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Thanks for sharing!
 
SeniorBen said:
I prefer audiobooks to text in my advanced years because my eyes are so bad and I have to strain so much that I can't read for more than 1/2 an hour without getting tired.
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You might want to consider an e-book, like a Kindle. The print size and style can be selected, and if you wish, extremely large. Background illumination can also be whatever works for you. My wife and I both read using e-books. she has some vision problems, has tweaked her Kindle to work with her vision, and reads more than I do.
 
ElCastor said:
You might want to consider an e-book, like a Kindle. The print size and style can be selected, and if you wish, extremely large. Background illumination can also be whatever works for you. My wife and I both read using e-books. she has some vision problems, has tweaked her Kindle to work with her vision, and reads more than I do.
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Yeah, that does make it easier, but it's still work for me.

I listen to audiobooks while doing chores. I have ADD, so concentrating is a challenge when I'm reading text, but if I listen to audiobooks while engaging in another task, I seem to be able to concentrate more easily. It makes repetitive tasks like sanding and mowing the lawn enjoyable.
 
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