Paperback of the year

  
      The Times WH Smith Paperback of the Year is the most excellent and delightful The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer. That book was one of my Cornflower Blues last year, and was every bit as good on a recent re-read.

Comments

[abs]

I thought this book would fit into my 'chewing gum for holidays' category of reading but actually it deserves far, far better than this. I LOVED it and cannot reccomend it highly enough.

abs

[Simon T]

Hurrah!

[The Literary Stew]

Excellent! I loved that book. It was truly wonderful.

[Ruth M.]

I read a library copy of this book last summer, then promptly ordered my own hardcopy edition. Some books you just have to hold solidly in your own hands.

[Elaine]

I think this was one of the most terrific books I had read for a long time and delighted to see that it has won this award. When I first started reading it I thought it was witty, fun and delightful but as you get further into the book you realise it is more than this. And Ruth M - you are right, some books you just have to hold in your own hands, and this is one of them

[Julie Fredericksen]

I have to agree with you about the most excellent and delightful "The Guernsey..." I chose it for my book club to read in October. I also found a copy of "Lying With The Enemy" by Tim Binder. Here's what I wrote about it in my book blog: "Lying With the Enemy" tells about the German occupation of the British Island of Guernsey during WWII. I was particularly interested to get this book when I found it in The Owl bookstore, because I have read the bestseller, "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society." Although both books deal with the same subject, Lying is a much more somber book than Potato Peel, which is far lighter in tone. Altough Potato Peel touches on the privations of the islanders, it very often does so with humor. Not so with Lying. We see the starvation, the cruelty of the German invaders, and in particular, the fraternization of the Guernsey women with the German troops. I found this book difficult to get into, but then it became a page turner as an island policeman tries to discover who murdered one of these women - a rich socialite who was once his lover.

In contrast with you, I sadly neglect my book blog. I had pledged to do better with "reviewing" books, but right now I have 10 recently-read books that I need to talk about! I admire you for writing in Cornflower Books every day or nearly every day.

[Sandy]

What a great book! Thanks from this newcomer to Cornflower for the article - now I am definitely hooked here.

The technique used to allow the Islanders to tell their stories was so effective that many of these extraordinary details have found a permanent place in my memories. At first, it seemed light entertainment but it turned into a very satisfying & emotional read.

[Alchemilla]

True! Really a precious literary jewel.