Sandy Gingras

I didn’t mean to read this; it just happened. I was flipping through it, and it was so delightful, that before I knew it, I was at the end. So it’s very short. It’s also quite uplifting. If ever someone has asked you, “Why are you so cheerful all the time?” this book has 100 answers. Conversely, if you are feeling alone and less than cheerful, this book has 100 gentle reminders about nice things in life. Most of these are easily obtainable, such as enjoying hot tea, reading a book, show more listening to rain, smelling flowers, etc. Some of them are more complicated, but what they all have in common is a sense of peace, that no matter how crazy life gets, there is still something good to be found. I need that, and I think most other people do, too. Five stars. What a gem. show less

I didn’t mean to read this; it just happened. I was flipping through it, and it was so delightful, that before I knew it, I was at the end. So it’s very short. It’s also quite uplifting. If ever someone has asked you, “Why are you so cheerful all the time?” this book has 100 answers. Conversely, if you are feeling alone and less than cheerful, this book has 100 gentle reminders about nice things in life. Most of these are easily obtainable, such as enjoying hot tea, reading a book, show more listening to rain, smelling flowers, etc. Some of them are more complicated, but what they all have in common is a sense of peace, that no matter how crazy life gets, there is still something good to be found. I need that, and I think most other people do, too. Five stars. What a gem. show less

As I did with Evenings at Five, I came across this book on our shelves today and thought, "Hey, it's a beautiful day, we live on the coast, let's pull this one down again. The illustrations are fun, frivolous, and they're the reason this book exists. That said, I like this: "Many people live or vacation on islands because they're in search of a simpler life. But sometimes the trip to simplicity becomes a complicated one -- just think of what most people pack! And it's often a long journey show more (especially with traffic). What always helped me as a kid when we were going on summer vacation was rolling the windows down. Then I'd notice everything I could see, and I'd just breathe. These things still help me to get to simplicity. If you're going, maybe they'll help you too." show less

I was a little worried when I picked this one up. I seem a bit off with romance right now and I wasn't sure how this one would fit. Imagine my surprise when I was completely swept away!

I like the varying POV and their different points in their life. I found Mary a bit. . .boring in the beginning but once she started making some big decisions and growing in to herself, finding herself again, I liked her a lot more.
I started out with hearts in my eyes for Daniel as his story broke my heart AND show more he had a 3 legged dog named Tripod (I loved this!)

I found the side characters (daughter, granddaughter, Ollie and others) interesting and nice additions to the story we needed to see it all clearly. Maybe it was the hustle bustle of the season, but I loved this little Christmas time read and the journey Mary went on!

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book. show less