It’s been really busy lately; not much time for reading, which is not an excuse or a slump, it’s a season. And it happens.
We all have seasons in our reading life. What I tend to do is stick to easy reading, especially easy reading series. What do you do?
Many years ago I read all of the Mitford books and loved them. Now when I was catching up on these last two instalments, I was not as impressed as I was then. Did the series change or did I?
These books felt cliché to me now. I found the characters were too many without being necessary to the plot. The small town antics also seemed to be less humorous and more tiresome. I’m not a fan of Christian fiction, but this series always felt a bit different–better written and offering glimpses of faith rather than a conversion agenda. That hasn’t changed, but these did fall flat.
The Mitford series features Episcopal priest Father Tim Kavanagh. The series deals with stuff in the lives of ordinary people in an ordinary town, and showcases the importance of faith in everyday life. The books have always included humour, wit, and wisdom. For a complete series list, click here.
‘Come Rain or Come Shine’ by Jan Karon (Mitford # 13)
Over the course of ten Mitford novels, fans have kept a special place in their hearts for Dooley Kavanagh, first seen in At Home in Mitford as a barefoot, freckle-faced boy in filthy overalls. Now, Father Tim Kavanagh’s adopted son has graduated from vet school and opened his own animal clinic. Since money will be tight for a while, maybe he and Lace Harper, his once and future soul mate, should keep their wedding simple. So the plan is to eliminate the cost of catering and do potluck. Ought to be fun. An old friend offers to bring his well-known country band. Gratis. And once mucked out, the barn works as a perfect venue for seating family and friends. Piece of cake, right?
‘To Be Where You Are’ by Jan Karon (Mitford # 14)
Father Tim Kavanagh struggles to find meaning in retirement, while newlyweds Dooley and Lace face a crisis that drains their bank account, and four-year-old Jack Tyler looks forward to the biggest day of his young life.
It was fun to see Father Tim and Cynthia invest in an RV and see Lacey’s art work take off, but I lost the plot a few times with this last book and ended up skimming a bit.
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