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Miss Cecily's Recipes for Exceptional Ladies
Miss Cecily's Recipes for Exceptional Ladies: A Novel | Vicky Zimmerman
14 posts | 11 read | 15 to read
Breakfast with a Hangover Dinner for a Charming Stranger Tea for a Crochety Aunt Food for feasting, friends are for savoring, and the way to a man's heart is...irrelevant When her life falls apart on the eve of her 40th birthday, Kate Parker finds herself volunteering at the Lauderdale House for Exceptional Ladies. There she meets 97-year-old Cecily Finn. Cecily's tongue is as sharp as her mind, but she's fed up with pretty much everything. Having no patience with Kate's choices, Cecily prescribes her a self-help book with a difference. Food for Thought: a charming 1950s cookbook high on enthusiasm, featuring menus for anything life can throw at the "easily dismayed." So begins an unlikely friendship between two lonely and stubborn soulsone at the end of her life, one stuck in the middlewho discover one big life lesson: never be ashamed to ask for more.
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review
julieclair
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Pickpick

I loved this heartwarming story about the transformative power of an unlikely friendship. I didn‘t like either of the main characters at first, one was arrogant, grumpy and rude, and the other was weak and spineless. But as their friendship grew, they each also grew in positive and satisfying ways. By the end, I was cheering for both of them. Tip - Don‘t miss the author‘s note at the end!
#AcquiredViaLitsy #ReadYourTBR #2024Challenge #HappyFiction

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 4w
mabell I‘m so far behind on this one 🙃 But everyone agreed it was a good choice! 4w
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MatchlessMarie Awesome!! Does the book include any actual recipes? 🍋😋 4w
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks This looks good! 😊 4w
julieclair @MatchlessMarie I‘m out of town so I finished it on audio. I‘ll check the back of the actual book when I get home. All the descriptions of food & meals sounded delicious! 4w
julieclair @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks I think you would really enjoy it! 4w
39 likes2 stack adds7 comments
review
Chrissyreadit
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Pickpick

It‘s #hyggehour but i just finished my book… i wish Litsy had a “it‘s complicated” rating. It really took me a while to care about the characters of the book. But i love the book within a book theme- even though there are all animal based dishes and some vegan mocking- i could get to the gist and enjoy the idea. I did ultimately enjoy the characters by the end and am glad i read it. Good choice @julieclair

julieclair Glad you ended up liking it. I‘m not quite finished yet, but I agree that it took awhile for the characters to grow on me. 1mo
TheAromaofBooks I obviously had some mixed feelings as well 😂 Are we still on for Powder & Patch in March? Would you like to set up the Readalong on SG? 1mo
Chrissyreadit @TheAromaofBooks I‘m in for March. Still have to add to Story Graph for discussion. I‘m getting used to it- but am still adjusting to format. It has its advantages. what does everyone think? @julieclair @mabell 1mo
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julieclair I think I like the old LMPBC format better. I miss seeing everyone‘s handwritten comments in the margins. Plus, I love getting book mail. 📚💙📚 But if everyone else prefers this format, I‘m fine with that too. I love our group, no matter how we connect! @mabell @TheAromaofBooks 1mo
Chrissyreadit @julieclair as long as there is no stress if i‘m a week or 2 late sometimes mailing i like mail too- but i realize i‘m often not timely 1mo
mabell I‘m fine with either format. I‘ll get the read along set up for Powder and Patch. @julieclair @Chrissyreadit @TheAromaofBooks 1mo
mabell @julieclair @TheAromaofBooks @Chrissyreadit I should have asked first if everyone would like to switch back to a physical book rather than finish this round using the readalongs. If so, I can read this and send it on and Sarah could read Wind in the Willows and pass it on? 1mo
TheAromaofBooks Sorry @mabell for some reason I was thinking P&P was Chrissy's book!! I enjoy both formats for different reasons - it's fun to be able to read comments and interact with them, but I end up getting a more choppy reading experience because I have to stop reading every time I want to make a note/comment, if that makes sense. So overall I think I do prefer mailing. However, if @julieclair and Chrissy are good with it, we could finish this round with ⬇ 1mo
TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) SG and then decide what we want to do for the next round? 1mo
julieclair I think we should finish this round with SG, and then decide what we want to do for the next round. @mabell @TheAromaofBooks @Chrissyreadit 1mo
Chrissyreadit @mabell @julieclair @TheAromaofBooks I‘m happy to finish this round on SG then go back to mail. 1mo
mabell @TheAromaofBooks No problem! Two Heyer books this time, and our SG rotation is different 😊 1mo
71 likes14 comments
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Chrissyreadit
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reading tagged book on my couch covered in cozy blankets….#hyggehour #naturalitsy #hyggehourreadathon

AmyG Hi Miss Chrissy….hope you are well. 😘 1mo
Chrissyreadit @AmyG I‘m ok friend! You have been on my mind- I just mentioned you in a conversation with my mom. If i get my act together this week you may even get a letter 🤣 How are you? 1mo
AmyG I am well. In San Francisco with my daughter. She fell, broke 2 fingers and had surgery to set them. All went well and of course it‘s her right hand. 😘😘😘 (edited) 1mo
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Chrissyreadit @AmyG I‘m so glad you can be there! 1mo
AllDebooks Super cosy ✨️ 1mo
kspenmoll Sounds lovely! 1mo
kspenmoll @AmyG I hope your daughter heals quickly. So sorry it‘s her right hand! Glad you can be there for her! 💚💜 1mo
AmyG Thank you so much, @kspenmoll ….tomorrow the bandage comes off and she will be so happy. 1mo
44 likes8 comments
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julieclair
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Oh my goodness, @Chrissyreadit ! My #jolabokaflod swap box was beyond all expectations! Thank you so much!!! I am SO excited! 🥰📚📚🥰
Thanks to @MaleficentBookDragon for hosting this fun swap!

Chrissyreadit 😘😘😘😘 3mo
Chrissyreadit I am glad you like it! 3mo
41 likes1 stack add2 comments
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DebinHawaii
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Pickpick

Finished in January for my virtual foodie blogger book club. Although the MC Kate annoyed me & I would the 97-year old Cecily too gruff & grumpy to like at first, they both won me over & I ended up enjoying the book. I was going to make a carbonara as my book-inspired dish but ended up throwing together a quick Shrimp Scampi with garlicky, buttery pasta after work one night & ate it on the couch with chopsticks because it was that kind of month.⬇️

batsy That looks so good! 🍤🍝 14mo
julieclair Great review and recipe. Added. 📚Thanks! 14mo
54 likes2 stack adds3 comments
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SW-T
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Pickpick

Kate‘s life isn‘t going at all as planned, but thanks to meeting Miss Cecily and working her way through a very special cookbook, things begin to slowly turn around and Kate starts to see her life with fresh eyes. As her self worth grows, so do her expectations for herself and her own life.

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BookishMarginalia
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Pickpick

I think this sums up the takeaway from this delightful novel. I quite enjoyed it. The audiobook is lovely as well.

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BookishMarginalia
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97-year-old Cecily on why a 40-year-old youngster 😏 should be a very happy camper 🤓

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BookishMarginalia
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Currently #ImmersionReading 👍🏼

80 likes4 stack adds
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robinb
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@Louise Thank you for the bright ray of ☀️ in my mailbox today!! 💛 You always have the neatest, most unique wrapping paper. 😊 I was happy to hear from you and get caught up with you in your letter. I owe you one real soon.

I‘m looking forward to reading this fun-sounding book. The cover alone is a real spirit lifter!

Thanks again so much sweet #LitsyPenPal . 💕😘

LeahBergen How pretty! 3y
robinb @LeahBergen Puts a smile on your face. 😊 3y
Louise So glad it brought some cheer into your day! Yes, I have a thing for interesting wrapping paper. It makes gifting even more fun. Enjoy your reading! 3y
robinb @Louise 😊😊💕💕 3y
51 likes4 comments
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Jody3
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Pickpick

It is a heartwarming story of an almost 40 year-old woman in denial of her love life and life itself meets a 97 year-old woman facing her last days and together build a friendship that changes both of them. I didn‘t want it to end. An amazing story of food, love, and finding ones self. Miss Cecily is a hoot, and I loved her. A very touching read.

robinb I just received this one as a gift and am looking forward to reading it. Glad to hear you enjoyed it! 3y
12 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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britt_brooke
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Mehso-so

⭐️⭐️⭐️ Kate, teetering on 40, is stuck in pretty much every aspect of life. For a much-needed distraction, she starts volunteering at an elderly ladies‘ home and meets Ms. Finn - a blunt, lonely 97 year old. I think you see where this is going. Utterly predictable with a satisfying outcome, but about 100 pages too long. The quirky cookbook references saved this for me. And I wish the Author‘s Note had been an Introduction instead. #bookclub

Cinfhen Super cute photo 🧡 3y
95 likes2 comments
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britt_brooke
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It‘s that time of year! Back to living at the soccer complex. ⚽️😂

#bookclub #bookclubbook

LeslieO I feel you! I was a soccer girlfriend, soccer wife (my husband was a professional player in the early 1980s) and a soccer mom until my son graduated from college. I kinda miss it! 3y
britt_brooke @LeslieO Oh, how cool! I hope my boys continue to play as long as possible. I love being out here! 3y
theokiereader I‘m constantly reading at some sports field. 😂😂 Lacrosse season is about to start, and this year I have BOTH kids enrolled. I hate when other parents give you the side eye for reading when your kid is resting on the sideline. 😉 3y
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britt_brooke @theokiereader 😂 Both of my guys play soccer, so I feel ya! It‘s impossible for me to read at games, but sometimes I read through entire practices. It‘s my “I don‘t wanna chat with other parents tonight” shield. 😅🙅🏼‍♀️ (edited) 3y
Mtroiano My two just started soccer this year but I got roped into coaching the preschool team so no time to read 😩 3y
britt_brooke @Mtroiano Aw! You‘re a good mom! I‘m the manager of my 7 year old‘s team, but all that entails is sending welcome emails to newbies and answering parents‘ questions - of which there are many - but it‘s pretty easy. Hope you all have a fun season! 3y
Mtroiano @britt_brooke thanks! Y‘all too! 3y
101 likes7 comments
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britt_brooke
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📚✉️: Miss Celicy is my IRL book club‘s March selection and the Marvel-Verse comics are for my boys. They are slim collections of famous/relevant comics focusing on a central character. Very cool! My 8 year old immediately cracked open Iron Man.

#bookmail #bookhaul #bookclub #raisingreaders