A Good Yarn

I am surprised that I am continuing with a series because I usually give some time break between books. Debbie Macomber's characters feel like real women to me. I can see each one of them, and I'd love to know them. She makes you feel like you could stroll right into that yarn shop.
Macomber doesn’t simply tell you a story about her characters; she invites you into their lives through the pages of her novel. Each one came to life differently for me. I loved how I got to know them as individuals. The different trials that they went through brought me closer to each of them. Even if I didn’t quite love them at the beginning of the novel, by the end, we were fast friends.
This novel covers a span of a year and is very sweet and show more predictable ~~ but just warm and fuzzy as can be. Having a fairy godfather near the end helps make this book an even more cozy read. I don't know anything about Macomber's books to know if this is typical of her books, but after reading this one, I plan to read her others as well. show less

3.75 stars

Lydia runs a knitting shop in Seattle and has decided to start a class. Three people sign up. Elise is retired and dealing with a class action lawsuit to get back some of the money she paid for a house; in the meantime, she is living with her daughter and her family. Courtney is a teenager and has moved in with her grandmother for her senior year of high school; she knows no one and wants to lose weight before school starts in the fall. Bethanne has just discovered her husband has been cheating for two years and he is leaving her with her two teenage children to raise on her own; she has no idea how to support herself, as she hasn't worked outside the home in almost 20 years.

I quite enjoyed this! I read the first in the series show more a number of years ago, and probably never knew that it was a series and had forgotten about it. I liked the women and was interested to see where things would lead for them (though I have to admit I wasn't necessarily happy with the ending of the book for a couple of them). It was a nice, light read. As an aside, a couple of the main characters from the first book were very minor characters in this one, too. I likely will continue the series. show less

Cancer survivor Lydia Hoffman's shop "A Good Yarn" has thrived since she opened it a year ago. She decides to teach a class on how to knit socks and three people sign up for it.

Elise Beaumont is a retired librarian who has recently suffered a financial setback and was forced to move in with her daughter's family. Elise has been divorced for many years but never stopped loving her ex-husband, "Maverick", whose gambling ruined their marriage. Elise is not pleased when she finds out that Maverick is coming to stay at their daughter's house - she's afraid of getting hurt again.

Bethanne Hamlin is also divorced, although much more recently. The divorce came out of the blue; she had no idea that her marriage was in trouble until her husband show more told her on Valentine's Day that he was leaving her for a younger woman. The divorce left Bethanne demoralized; she needs to find a job but is convinced she's a failure. Her teenage children, Annie and Andrew, are also affected by the divorce, especially Annie who keeps acting out in her pain.

Courtney Pulanski is also a troubled teenager. Her mother died in a car accident four years ago and Courtney is still mourning her death. With two kids in college and Courtney a senior in high school, her father needs money and takes a well-paying job building bridges in Brazil and Courtney is forced to move in with her grandmother and spend her senior year in a strange high school. Courtney is overweight and self-conscious about her looks and is convinced that her senior year will be miserable.

Lydia has problems of her own; her sister Margaret has financial worries and may lose her house and is miserable to be around. Lydia is in love with UPS driver Brad, but he will soon deliver devastating news that threatens their relationship. Her mother's health is deteriorating and Lydia worries about her well being. All four women will find more comfort than they could possibly believe while learning how to knit socks.

"A Good Yarn" is a great book for someone looking for a sweet, unchallenging read. The characters are all likable and believable, except perhaps for Maverick who is a bit of a cliché. Debbie Macomber is a good writer who makes you care for her characters in such a way that you will want to keep reading the book to find out what happens to each woman, yet you'll be sorry when the book is finally over. I do wish she had shown Courtney at her senior prom, but that's a minor quibble. Macomber ties everything up neatly at the end (and is to be commended for not having each woman find happiness only through a romantic relationship) and I loved the fairy godfather touch at the end.

This is a perfect book for reading at the beach or on a rainy day. show less

I enjoyed this book, although I'm not sure quite why. The characters seemed very unrealistic, especially the ending. I'm not one who has to have realistic reads all the time, but the ending was so "that would never happen" that I found myself rolling eyes at points. I suppose that I really like the character of the shop owner, Lydia, and that is what will keep bringing me back to read more about the Good Yarn shop. Plus they are easy reads that don't take too much brain power.

sunday afternoon special. this is the story of several women woven togeter throught their attendance at a class to knit socks. the sory was easy to read and entirly belivable, nothing so major happened as would be reported in even the local press but it was mojor in the lives of these women. I would reccomend this for someone who wanted a comforatble and easy read

In the year since it opened, 'A Good Yarn' has thrived and so has Lydia Hoffman, the owner. A lot of that is due to Brad Goetz. But when Brad's ex-wife reappears, Lydia is suddenly afraid to trust her newfound happiness.
Elise Beaumont joins one of Lydia's popular knitting classes. Living with her daughter, Aurora, Elise learns that her onetime husband plans to visit and that Aurora wants a relationship with her father, regardless of how Elise feels about him.
Bethanne Hamlin is facing the fallout from a divorce and joins the knitting class as the first step in her effort to recover a sense of dignity and hope.
Courtney Pulanski is a depressed and overweight teenager. She's staying with her grandmother, who's trying to help by taking her show more to the knitting class at 'A Good Yarn.'
Four women, brought together by the craft of knitting, find companionship and comfort in each other. Who would've thought that knitting socks could change your life? show less

This one was as good as the first one, if not better. My only complaint is that the chapters about Lydia, which are the only ones in first person, tend to be repetitive with just a little more information added. I let that go in the first chapter, because I thought it would be helpful for those who hadn't read the first book, but then it kept happening.
I will keep reading them, though. And maybe try knitting again, but I'm not ready for socks yet.