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review
Tamra
Mrs. Bridge | Evan Connell
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Pickpick

Mrs. Bridge encapsulates the ennui of a 1930‘s-40‘s upper middle class housewife in Kansas City. There are some really laugh out loud moments, like when she finds a nude magazine in her son‘s dresser drawer and thinks it can‘t be because those have been legislated against. 😂

Mrs. Bridge‘s primary concern in life is what other people will think or say. Tip: Don‘t leave home without a purse!

Tamra Don‘t expect a plot in this novel, it‘s really a series of vignettes. It is also surprising Connell does not grow the character much - Mrs. Bridge is who she is, which is a product of her time & place. (edited) 2mo
BarbaraBB I enjoyed this one a lot! Did you know that there‘s also a 2mo
Tamra @BarbaraBB yes! I am going to look to see if my library has the audio. Did you read it? 2mo
See All 8 Comments
Ruthiella “What will other people think” is also definitely a concept that I was raised with. 2mo
Tamra @Ruthiella it can be a difficult attitude to overcome. It gets easier with age! 2mo
BarbaraBB Yes I did and it‘s as good! 2mo
LeahBergen Great review! I‘ve had a copy of this (and Mr) on my shelves for ages. 2mo
jlhammar I‘ve been meaning to try this for years. Sounds like a fun one! 2mo
48 likes8 comments
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gpangel
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This is one of those emotional, feel-good stories that will stay with you for a long time! We need more people like Mrs. Kip and more books like this one!

I‘m looking forward to reading more books by this author! 💖💖

2 likes1 stack add
review
CrystalE02
Bachelor Girl | Roger Lea MacBride
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Pickpick

I enjoyed reading this book and series. I rated this book a 4 out of 5 stars.

review
bridge12
Deep End | Julie Mulhern
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Pickpick

I really enjoyed this book and looking forward to reading the rest! Being a KC native myself I loved the backdrop and Ellison was such a fun character to get to know. 4⭐️

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TheBookgeekFrau
One Night LP | Debbie Macomber
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Quirky fun-loving Carrie and serious, disapproving Kyle don't mix well until their manager threatens to fire them both if they can't find a way to get along.

Day 2 #Loveathon #EnemiestoLovers

Clwojick I love Debbie Macomber! 1y
25 likes2 comments
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MaureenMc
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Thank you so much @TheAromaofBooks ! Looking forward to reading it this fall. 😊

TheAromaofBooks Yay!! I hope you enjoy it!! 2y
33 likes1 comment
review
TheAromaofBooks
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Pickpick

This one is a little difficult to describe. Clara Kip is 79 and had just found out that not only does she have cancer, it is so advanced that she only has a week or two to live. With no living relatives, she enters hospice care. Meanwhile, 22-yr-old Aidyn Kelley is a cub reporter for the Kansas City Star, wanting to do more than fluff pieces and research for the senior reporters. When she makes a mistake, she's "punished" by being sent to ⬇️

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) interview Mrs. Kip and write her obituary. But there is more to Mrs. Kip than meets the eye, and for a seemingly normal elderly woman, she has lived a very full life, including helping refugees from the Vietnam War.

If you aren't a Christian, this book may not be the best match for you. A lot of the story revolves around Mrs. Kip's faith, and how her beliefs inspired her to live the way that she lived. Her faith is also what is giving ⬇
2y
TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) her confidence and comfort as she rapidly approaches death. For me, Mrs. Kip rode the line between inspiring and sounding fake, but I think that Brunsvold overall pulled it off. There is obviously a lot of conversation about death and dying in this book, including discussions about how our bodies shut down as we approach our final hours, so if that makes you uncomfortable, be aware. It's handled SO well, though, and I genuinely ⬇ 2y
TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) appreciated the way this book reminded us of the care and dignity everyone deserves during their final days.

While this wasn't a book that I'll read again and again, I did enjoy it, and honestly it made me cry in the end. I loved these thoughts from Aidyn about Mrs. Kip -
2y
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TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) “A woman who hadn't fought a war or influenced the law of the land or won a major game, but rather, with quiet courage and immeasurable compassion, had helped ensure that refugees were not left to their own devices. The everyday woman who befriended and loved complete strangers, who stood in the gap between two clashing cultures not ready to wholly trust each other.“

Sometimes, we are called to serve exactly where we are, for the ⬇
2y
TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) people next to us, and Mrs. Kip's life illustrates how powerful it can be when we accept that and wholeheartedly pursue the opportunities around us to help the people around us. 2y
TheAromaofBooks @MaureenMc - Hey!! I saw you stacked this one... if you live here in the States, I would be happy to mail you my copy now that I'm done reading it!! 2y
MaureenMc @TheAromaofBooks That‘s so kind of you! Based on your review, this book sounds right up my alley. 😊 Yep, I live in the ol‘ US of A. 😄 2y
TheAromaofBooks @MaureenMc - If you're comfortable giving me your address, just email me at itsthegoodlife15 at gmail and I'll pop it in the mail sometime soonish!! 😁 2y
MaureenMc @TheAromaofBooks Will do! Thanks so much! 2y
57 likes2 stack adds9 comments
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TheAromaofBooks
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#BookReport is a little weak this week 😂 As anticipated, orchard work is going a bit crazy, plus my niece is in town (staying at my parents') for only two weeks so my days off have been full of family shenanigans. I DNF'd two of my Kindle books for the #22booksin22 challenge - I may have to check and see, but I'm pretty sure I've DNF'd almost all my books for this challenge so far, which means I was really bad at picking out free Kindle books ⬇

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) circa 2016 😆

I also finished the Percy Jackson series!! Another series actually COMPLETED for #SeriesRead2022 instead of started!! I did enjoy these books, but not enough to jump right into the spinoff series. Maybe someday. Or not lol

Currently, I'm reading five books at a chapter-a-day-ish pace, which hogs up a lot of my daily reading time. I'm also reading the tagged book, which is a bit odd but not bad. Today, husband and I are ⬇
2y
TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) both recovering from insanely busy work-weeks, so I'm planning to get in some reading time and hopefully a nap!! It's been SO HOT all week, plus random thunderstorms all over the place, and I'm definitely ready for a little rest time. Supper is already in the crockpot, so the rest of this day is set up for CHILL 😂

@Cinfhen @jb72 @TheSpineView
2y
ShelleyBooksie Hope you get some relaxation in :) 2y
See All 9 Comments
TheAromaofBooks @ShelleyBooksie - Thank you!!! So far, so good! 😁 2y
Cinfhen Hahaha 🤣 My track record with those free kindle books isn‘t very good either 😆 2y
Cinfhen Windowsill is looking more manageable than I imagined 💗🙌🏻 2y
jb72 😂 hey at least the DNF books are now off the list! And that‘s a step in the right direction. It‘s been raining here in KY like a monsoon. Many places are flooded. 2y
TheSpineView Way to go! 2y
TheAromaofBooks @jb72 - I'm honestly sometimes excited about DNFs - off the list with a lot less fuss 😂 We are getting the northern edge of your Kentucky storms here in central Ohio - hopefully you aren't in any of the major flooding areas. Friends of ours have relatives in those areas who have lost everything - SO scary! 2y
60 likes9 comments
review
EadieB
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Pickpick

#TheExtraordinaryDeathsofMrsKip #SaraBrunsvold #BookSpinBingo

Aidyn Kelley agrees to help a hospice patient prepare her obituary. Clara Kip has some incredible stories. Some surprises promise to make this throwaway assignment a life-changing one. This was an incredible read. Clara told Aidyn about her husband who died 8 months after they were married. Aidyn wondered why she hadn't married again.

EadieB While attempting to read about his death, Aidyn found out that he was Laotian and was in a car accident. Clara Kip asked Aidyn to make her obituary sound like something extraordinary. Aidyn did an investigation and found out that the Laotian refugee resettlement effort in 1975 brought about the immigration of Laotian people into America. 2y
EadieB Though the resettlement effort is long over, many organizations today carry on the legacy of caring for the physical, spiritual and educational needs of refugees and immigrants in Kansas City. After Clara died, they did a special party for her on the grass and read her obituary. It was a special tribute to Clara Kip and a good time for all. I would like to thank LibraryThing Early Reviewer and Revell Publishing for a copy for an honest review. 2y
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 2y
53 likes3 stack adds3 comments
blurb
KellyK
Mr Bridge | Evan S. Connell
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1. I love Mr. Bridge and the companion Mrs. Bridge - maybe because we lived in Kansas City and I always enjoy books with familiar places in them.

2. If in KC, I‘d suggest a trip to The City Market and a stop at Planters, the best garden store, and also the rose garden at Loose Park. If in St. Louis, spend time on The Hill - especially if you love Italian food.

#RoadtripUSA2022 @megnews

Bklover Zia‘s on the Hill followed by dessert at Missouri Baking Company. Yum!!! 🇮🇹 2y
KellyK @Bklover - I ❤️❤️ Zia‘s! 2y
megnews I just ate at Charlie Gitto‘s the other day!! Delicious!! 2y
KellyK @megnews - lucky you! 😋 2y
18 likes4 comments