Summertime

Rating:
Summary: A great, relaxing read.
Review: I highly recommend this book as a follow-up to Hens Dancing (see my longer review under that book).

Rating:
Summary: Didn't want it to end!
Review: I read this book in 2 days, and wish it took longer because I didn't want it to end! The story revolves around diary entries made by a single mother named Venetia living in Norfolk England with her three children two boys 9& 10--Giles and Felix, and a three year old girl that the author refers to only as The Beauty. Venetia is supported by a fun cast of wacky characters, from her flower power sixties mother to her lovestruck brother I just opened this book and wanted to be part of their world. What I really enjoyed about this book was that they left in all the british words for things, like nappies (diapers) and instead of darn it she would say bugger...etc. For an anglophile like myself I loved that. If you like Bridget Jones's Diary your sure to like Summertime, though it is not a knock-off, but a completely authentic work in its own right. As soon as I finished the book I found out there was a previous book by Mrs. Barker called Hens Dancing, which also features Venetia and the same cast of characters. Just ordered it, and I can't wait for it to arrive!

Rating:
Summary: when is summer going to get here?
Review: This book was quite a book to get through. I'm a younger reader, probably too young to understand the material and feel the feelings the writer was protraying. The book was extremely slow for me from the beginning to the end. A single mother grieves and gets through every day with a grudge, supporting three children. Venita's boyfriend David is gone which makes things worse. She calls him and e-mails him to keep in touch, but the feeling isn't the same.

Venitia goes through the troubles of raising her three kids. She has to take them to church, deal with car problems, raise The Beauty, deal with her mother and occuring weddings.

Lonely as ever, Venitia does get to meet a man Hedley. He asks her to marry him and she agrees. The thing is, her heart has been given to David. She does not truly love Hedley with her heart and soul, and soon with help she realizes the man who she's destined to be with.

The book was set in a depressed mood which made it boring to read. Definately not a fun read.