This is one of those books that I've felt I "should" read, jsut because I've been hearing about it for so long. Some of the writing was beautiful. However, I couldn't quite get over how condescending she was to her neighbors.
Some of this was certainly a racist thing. I always have mental battles when this occurs in books of the period when that was generally more accepted. On the one hand, it's a time capsule. But I can never completely remove my own views on all of this. It's really come down (at least in my mind) to whether or not the racism effects the flavor of the whole book. And in this case, it did.
I also thought the organization of the book was difficult and I found myself wanting more about how she came to Cross Creek, the writing process (order, etc) and just more about her life.
Overall, some pleasant moments, but it was a struggle to get through.

Recently reading [b:Water for Elephants|43641|Water for Elephants|Sara Gruen|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170161179s/43641.jpg|3441236] made this book a little bit more fun. It wasn't amazing, and it wasn't terrible. And I never could quite get over the fact that the main female character's name was Santa. What the ???? Some fun details about circus life, and I did like the way the kids grew up over the course of the story.
Keeping it, simply because my copy is an older edition with a fabulous dust jacket.

Meh. A quick read, but not as good as some of the others in the series. A few plot points seriously bothered me, and I though the resolution was a let-down. Plus, a key figure was just left dangling. Try some of the earlier ones, but skip this one.

A slight, fun book about the summer of 1945 in NYC. There were some truly fun stories--I especially enjoyed the chapter about celebrating VJ Day in Times Square. And it was a marvelous snapshot of life. However, I was left wanting more. Depth, maybe? More insight into life as a working girl? These were the first women to work on the floor of Tiffany's and they were dirt poor. But she didn't really talk about it much or reflect on it.
It went down like ice cream, but really, there wasn't much substance to it.

In a word: amazing. Probably one of the best books I've read in quite some time.
A mixture of memoir and history, Tyson tells the story of a murder in small-town North Carolina--how it changed (and didn't change the town) and more importantly, changed him. It's a meditation on faith and race and politics. It is most definitely not a typical history book, and the personal connection to the story and its aftermath makes for a very gripping read.
I'm normally a very quiet, non-emotional reader (rarely laugh or cry at a book). This book had me gasping, chuckling, crying and cursing. It's one of those books that I want to force everyone to read. Highly recommended without reservations.

A lovely set-up for a book, but the characters never felt real. Somehow all the ages felt off--Batty talked like someone much older than 4, I had to keep reminding myeslf that Rosalind was only 12, and Mrs. Tifton seemed like she was in her 50s, not early 30s. I just never fell in love with the characters. It was trying too hard to be sweet and charming.
I did like Hound though.

June selection for museum's book club
If the rest of the book holds up to the promise of the first 25 pages, we're in for a treat--and a great discussion. . .

The rest of the book did indeed hold up. While some of the descriptions of the various weaving equipment confused me, the personalities involved with the early textile industry were fascinating. MUch of it felt very familiar, especially once we got to slavery and sharecropping, but the last two chapters on modern farming, nano-technology and pesticides blew me away.

Lots of good history with some humor thrown in. You'll have new respect for the shirt on your back.