Books I read in February....

 I said I was reading books written by Jane Austen during the month of February.

I started the month with Sense and Sensibility

This is what the introduction says about Jane.

I struggled with the first third of this book, I think it was the way she wrote.  However, by the time I started the second part it started making sense and the story came together.  I do admit to skimming over some sentences, but overall I did enjoy the second and third part of the book.

Luckily on Britbox was the movie of  Sense and Sensibility, staring Emma Thompson, Kate Winslet and Hugh Grant among others, which I decided to watch after I had read the book.  I wanted to make sure I had understood the book I read.

I preferred the book over the movie despite the great cast, as I found the movie left out a lot of details that were key to the actual story.  

The Jury by Fern Michaels

The women of the Sisterhood know life isn’t fair, but that doesn’t mean they have to like it—or let it pass. Instead, these best friends share their joys, troubles, triumphs, heartaches and one collective mission: to right wrongs and bring justice where it is desperately needed. Even reeling from loss of one of their own, the Sisterhood is always prepared to rally behind a new friend.

For years, Paula Woodley has suffered the broken bones and shattered self-esteem caused by an abusive marriage. But what can she do? Her high-profile, Washington powerbroker husband is not a man to be crossed. Or so he thinks. The Sisterhood may not be an organization found in any of his memos, but he’s about to take a meeting with them—and they’ll be setting the agenda . . .

I bought this book at the dollar store for $3.  It is part of The Sisterhood series, but you can read it as a stand alone book as well.  The one thing I will say is that after reading the above synopsis on the book, I had to keep checking back to make sure it wasn't from another book, as the Paula Woodley storyline doesn't come into play until at least half way through the book.

Now not to say you weren't entertained for the first part of the book, there was plenty of things going on, I just thought it was a bit odd.  I will say when the sisterhood dishes out their style of punishment even I raised my eyebrows.  What got me was the narrative going on between the ladies while they were doing it.  It was comical in places, even I was smiling.........not that I condone violence.......but!

I will say this book made me want to read the rest of the series, so will look out for them.

Counting Lost Stars by Kim Van Alkemade

1960, New York City: College student Rita Klein is a pioneering woman in the new field of computer programming—until she unexpectedly becomes pregnant. At the Hudson Home for Unwed Mothers, social workers pressure her into surrendering her baby for adoption. Rita is struggling to get on with her life when she meets Jacob Nassy, a charming yet troubled man from the Netherlands who is traumatized by his childhood experience of being separated from his mother during the Holocaust. When Rita learns that Hitler’s Final Solution was organized using Hollerith punch-card computers, she sets out to find the answers that will help Jacob heal.

1941, The Hague: Cornelia Vogel is working as a punch-card operator at the Ministry of Information when a census of Holland’s population is ordered by the Germans. After the Ministry acquires a Hollerith computer made in America, Cornelia is tasked with translating its instructions from English into Dutch. She seeks help from her fascinating Jewish neighbor, Leah Blom, an unconventional young woman whose mother was born in New York. When Cornelia learns the census is being used to persecute Holland’s Jews, she risks everything to help Leah escape.

After Rita uncovers a connection between Cornelia Vogel and Jacob’s mother, long-buried secrets come to light. Will shocking revelations tear them apart, or will learning the truth about the past enable Rita and Jacob to face the future together?

This was a good book but, the backstory took too long to read through.  I know an author has to bring in some background to a story, but this was excessive to my mind.  One story is set in 1960, whereas the other is set in 1941, it made no sense at all why one was related to the other until you were quite a ways through the book.

Although I am neither a math whiz nor a computer whiz, I did enjoy the information on the Hollerith computer and the detail it did go into.  There were a couple of twists that I didn't see coming; one where the pit of my stomach just dropped.

The ending of the book seemed to be too clean cut.  I guess if an author wants a happy ending to a horrific story it's their book they can what they want.  Glad I read the book and I did learn something new.

"Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen

Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy: two perfectly suited lovers who, at first, find each other insufferable. Despite Elizabeth’s negative feelings about Darcy, fate seems determined to throw this pair together, and Darcy, almost in spite of himself, will make revelations that end up causing Elizabeth to question everything she believes.

Set in a time when marrying well was a woman’s only way to secure a comfortable future, Pride and Prejudice is arguably the forerunner of all romantic comedies and certainly one of the best-loved novels of all time.

I again struggled wit the first chapter of this book, but the further I got into it the more I enjoyed it.  Are Jane Austen books an easy read for me? In one word no, I find them long winded and drawn out.

I need to see if I can find the movie on one of the channels to watch to see how much it follows the story.

Onto Mansfield Park next.............