The Children's Book

pick

5⭐️

This is an extraordinary novel that depicts the entangled lives of the Wellwood, Fluud, and Cain families at the end of the 19th and into the 20th century. Byatt is remarkable in her descriptions of the Kentish countryside during the halcyon days of childhood.
I was reading this for the WWI prompt for #BookedinTime I'm not sure it counts as the war only appears in the last few chapters. However, by giving us such a detailed, prolonged

Cont

AllDebooks Glimpse into the characters' lives makes it all the more emotional knowing what is on the horizon. This is the 1st time I have cried over a book for a very long time. Byatt also catalogues the rapid changes in idealisms, technologies, and social advances that occurred on the Edwardian period by placing her characters in the midst of it all. 5mo

AllDebooks I was enthralled with the Arts and Crafts movement, literary salons and creativity surging through the text. I'm utterly obsessed with Lalique's dragonfly brooch. 5mo

AllDebooks @thegirlwhotriestowriteaboutart/dragonfly-woman-by-rene-lalique-10cba3ffe410" rel="nofollow" target="_top">https://medium.com/@thegirlwhotriestowriteaboutart/dragonfly-woman-by-rene-laliq... 5mo

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Texreader Lovely review 5mo

AllDebooks @Cuilin @dabbe 5mo

AllDebooks @Texreader thank you 😊 5mo

dabbe On the spreadsheet! 🤩 5mo

Cuilin I just found this book secondhand and after your beautiful review, it‘s moving to the top of the TBR. ✅🎉🩷 5mo

AllDebooks @dabbe 💚 5mo

AllDebooks @Cuilin I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. 💚📖💚 5mo

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AllDebooks

The Children's Book | A. S. Byatt

Sunday came around fast!
Are you planning on joining our Sunday #HyggeHour readathon? What will you be reading/doing?

We have the Euro finals tonight, so I'll probably be moving my #Hyggehour to an earlier time. Come on, England ⚽️

@TheBookHippie @Chrissyreadit

30 likes

deirdrebeecher

The Children's Book | A. S. Byatt

#7covers7days my favourite cover with a lalique art nouveau dragonfly.

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CarolynM

The Children's Book | A. S. Byatt

1. Back to Burgundy - I know I saw that one this year because it was just a few weeks ago, it's hard for me to remember what I saw when
2. A meal in a nice restaurant - it gives you plenty of time to talk.
3. I really don't have one
4. Tagged book is my most recent bail
5. Will do👍🙂

#Friyayintro

howjessicareads

Cathythoughts I‘ve never heard of Back To Burgandy. Must look out for it. 6y

CarolynM @Cathythoughts It's a French language film about a winemaker who returns to his family's winery in Burgundy after working overseas (including in Australia which is kind of interesting to us) and what happens there over the course of a year. Good family drama, nice scenery and lots of fascinating stuff about the winemaking process. I'd definitely recommend it. 6y

44 likes2 comments

CarolynM

The Children's Book | A. S. Byatt

bailed

OK, I am officially bailing on this one. I didn't hate it, it just didn't hold my attention enough to make me prioritise getting back to it over all the other things I want to read.

TrishB I bailed on this one too. 6y

Leftcoastzen Sometimes I think there should be a Litsy “Most Bailed “ list .I‘ve read that Little Dorrit” is the most bailed on Dickens 6y

BarbaraBB I finished, but I can completely understand that you bailed. 6y

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scripturient Same here. 🙌🏻 6y

batsy I forgot that I read this 😳 I don't know what it is, something about this book just doesn't *stick*... 6y

Soozee Same here 6y

Jeg I felt the same. 6y

readordierachel Yeah...I stopped about halfway through and haven't been able to make myself go back to it either. 6y

Cathythoughts Good to know... 👍🏻lot of bailing going on here 😮. I‘m all for bailing out when necessary 6y

52 likes9 comments

Aloisi_tribe

The Children's Book | A S Byatt

Our library is switching over to the bookstore model of cataloging and one of the major changes is how we “shelve” our children‘s books. Today, our new book bins came in so the afternoon was spent removing the old, government shelving and transferring all the picture books to our new book bins. Time will tell how difficult it will be for those of us that work at the library to find a particular book but the patrons are already loving it.

Zelma We had this style of shelving for picture books at one of my previous libraries. Finding a specific title sucked, but browsing was a lot more fun for patrons. Shelving is definitely quicker. My only other complaint was oversized books that were too wide for the bins. I had a permanent oversized collection on a shelf with bookends to solve that problem. (edited) 6y

Aloisi_tribe @Zelma we ended up with a small stack of books that didn‘t fit in the bins. I know looking for a specific book is going to be a pain. We have weekly story time during the school year with a different theme each week. Pulling the books for that is going to be a lot more time consuming come September. 6y

LibrarianRyan I loved our bin shelving when we had it installed. But we had to do a yearly inventory and shelf reading day, when summer was over to put everything back in order. 6y

21 likes3 comments

arubabookwoman

The Children's Book | A S Byatt

so-so

As I read this I felt it to be more a vehicle for the author to show off her erudition and the breadth and depth of her knowledge. When I thought about it afterwards, I realized she had created some compelling characters and intriguing story-lines (although these sometimes got lost in the fact recitals). Esoteric facts about the writers, artists, political figures, thinkers, and the various cultural and political movements of the Edwardians 👇🏻

arubabookwoman got in the way of the narrative. Still, if you don‘t mind googling every few pages, you‘re interested in this era, and don‘t mind chunksters, I can recommend this book. Byatt is a gorgeous writer. 7y

BarbaraBB I felt the same. 7y

CarolynM I still haven't got back to this one but I really want to pick it up again rather than just bail on it @BarbaraBB 7y

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BarbaraBB @CarolynM I finished it but was glad when it was over. It seems hard to me to get back to it after putting it aside for a while - all those characters and storylines! 7y

RidgewayGirl I adored this book, but if we all liked the same books, how boring the book world would be. 7y

Centique @RidgewayGirl I loved it too but you‘re so right, we bookworms vary widely! I‘m sure the mood I‘m in plays a part too 🙂🙃 7y

17 likes6 comments

arubabookwoman

The Children's Book | A S Byatt

I believe that (more than 100 years after the time depicted in this book) this is a fairly accurate description of the majolica “refreshment room” at the Victoria and Albert?

CarolynM Yes! Brought back some happy memories. 7y

17 likes1 comment

arubabookwoman

The Children's Book | A S Byatt

Finished this a while back and will review soon. I liked the quote above about reading.

20 likes

JenP

The Children's Book | A. S. Byatt

so-so

I have very mixed feelings about this book. THis was my 4th attempt at reading it and I was bored still by the first half but then it turned a corner for me and there were parts I found wonderful and engaging mixed in with the dreary parts. I do think it was a clever book in the way she captured an era. The scope and focus on the period made it hard to connect to any one character but the book gives the reader an in-depth view of the times.

JenP Thanks to @BarbaraBB for hosting this buddy read. I probably wouldn‘t have made it without the group read. #childrensbook 7y

BarbaraBB I am glad you made it. I am glad we made it. It has been hard working for all of us! And what a cool cover do you have, I have never seen that one before. Thanks for joining! 😘 7y

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Simona

The Children's Book | A. S. Byatt

so-so

The center of the story are two families, both dedicated to art, creativity ... and to dark secrets. Extremely thoughtful story has excellent rich, detailed descriptive prose - elements that make this story compelling, and in some segments even magical. Very knowledgeable story, driven by social changes is filled with the ideas... and those are the same reasons for my almost completely indifference. To many ideas in very encyclopedic manner.

Simona Thank you @BarbaraBB for organizing this #child buddy-read, it was interesting reading choice 😘 7y

BarbaraBB It is striking how we (almost) all think alike about this book while it received such great reviews when it was published! 7y

JenP Good review. I feel similarly 7y

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Simona Thank you @JenP The catch with this book is, well at least for me, that I do think that is a great story, incredibly well researched ... but I missed more cohesive plot. 7y

batsy I feel the same, Simona. Great story, great amount of research; I would have love to have loved it! Alas, it just never came together. 7y

Simona @batsy After I realized (somewhere on the half) that this story will never come together, I was quite sad 😔 7y

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AnneCecilie

The Children's Book | A. S. Byatt

pick

I bought this novel back in 2011 when it first came out and was translated, forgetting that I already had an other of her novels on my shelf, "Possession. A Romance". Unfortunately for me I read this "Possession" first and to be honest I'm not a fan and #children stood unread on my shelves, until now. And now I'm wondering why I didn't read this sooner. This one is absolutely amazing. I was completely hooked from the first page. (cont. below)

AnneCecilie In this novel we meet The Weelwoods, The Cains and The Fludds. The parents in the families are creative people working as novelists, in museums and as ceramists. And we meet most of the children in their early teens, as they meet the expectations of society, but not everyone follow them. 7y

AnneCecilie There is Tom who never adjusted to boarding school, Dorothy who becomes a doctor, Hedda who from an early age is an feminist, Philip who is a ceramist. And as I read this I thought about how much I own to the young women in this novel who paved the way for future women to study and have other options than just marriage. I also liked the way Byatt put social history into the novel, the Fabian, the socialist and the anarchist. 7y

AnneCecilie And how sometimes certain ideologies are best left in the discussions. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I really connected with this story. I will post some thoughts on the ending in spoiler. @BarbaraBB @batsy @Tamra (edited) 7y

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AnneCecilie For me the ending shows a peaceful scene after the war, and in one scene it shows most of the kids now grown-ups that survived the war. And hinting at the happiness to come and they all ended up with the person they loved. 7y

BarbaraBB Your review makes me understand why you liked it. I wish I could have read it the way you did, but I was so distracted by the style and the bits of storylines that I couldn‘t get involved the way you were able to. Glad you liked it so much though 😘 7y

Centique I really liked this too - though I read it years ago. 😍 It felt like time travel in many ways, seeing so many angles of this piece of the world in colourful detail. I‘m glad you enjoyed it too! 7y

batsy Such a brilliant review! ❤️ Reading your review made me sad that I couldn't appreciate it the same way, but I love seeing this book from your eyes. I appreciate the social history aspect too and you make a great point about the women who paved the way for us. 7y

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Tamra

The Children's Book | A S Byatt

pan

I really enjoyed the first few chapters and was excited about the potential. I also enjoyed the short fantasy stories, which is unusual for me. But then the numerous characters and what plot there was spiraled out of control so there didn‘t seem to be hardly any cohesion. And the end? I laughed because I swiped the page forward on my Kjndle expecting there to be more. A forgettable read - I don‘t even remember the characters‘ names now.

scripturient I‘ve started this book three times and never made it past page 50. Such a pity! It is a beautiful book though and looks awesome on my shelf. 😉😁 7y

BarbaraBB I didn‘t even mind the ending, I was so relieved it was over... 🙈 7y

Tamra @BarbaraBB 👍🏾😂 7y

Owlizabeth Okay, now I don‘t feel so bad bailing on this one multiple times 😂 7y

Tamra @Owlizabeth definitely not! I don‘t ever feel guilty bailing. 😽 7y

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batsy

The Children's Book | A. S. Byatt

so-so

I feel bad giving this a so-so. I loved Possession & foolishly expected another Possession. I'm in awe of the scope & ambition of this book, covering a particular time in British history ahead of WWI. Fabianism, the Arts & Crafts movement, socialism, women's suffrage, the vibrance of children's lit at the time—fascinating. But there was too much & too many characters; it felt crowded & I couldn't find a way *in* to feel much about any of them.

batsy Generally a book works for me when I feel like I can find myself into it in some way, connect on any level & I wanted to feel that with this one so much but it didn't happen. I felt like I was standing outside, watching the characters being moved around on the stage of history. But I'm glad this is a book I own that I've knocked off the TBR, so thank you for organising this buddy read, @BarbaraBB ! 7y

BarbaraBB You are right. We kept standing outside without being able to make more of the story than Byatt gave us. Thank you for joining! 😘 7y

MicheleinPhilly I‘m totally considering putting this in the Little Free Library. I had a feeling I wouldn‘t read it without a buddy read and seeing as how I failed miserably with that... @BarbaraBB 7y

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batsy @MicheleinPhilly 😆 I see on Goodreads that a lot of people did love this one, if that helps! Having read the whole thing I think you can get a sense of the book from the first chapter (there are many chapters, but they're short). If that doesn't grab you, then I think the rest of the book won't... 😉 7y

Tamra What was that ending??? I was like, what??? I waded thru all all those tangents and this is the end? I laughed out loud because I didn‘t realize it was the end until I flipped the page on my Kindle. 7y

Tamra @batsy I really liked the first couple of chapters and then it spiraled out of control. There wasn‘t enough to hold onto in order to make it cohesive for me. 7y

batsy @Tamra I agree. In the end the sum of its parts didn't add up, although like you I did find some sections promising. But on the whole the effect was just strange. All I keep thinking is that it felt crowded. No room, no air, no space. 7y

BarbaraBB @MicheleinPhilly I am not a good one to judge (so subjective). I know @AnneCecilie is liking it a lot. It is worth hearing what she thinks. 7y

BarbaraBB @Tamra that ending indeed. Like Byatt had enough of her characters as well 😉 7y

RaimeyGallant Nice review. 7y

LeahBergen You all are making me feel better about missing the buddy read now. 😆 7y

Tamra @BarbaraBB ha! Probably! 7y

CarolynM I still haven't picked this up again. Will try this week 7y

Centique Don‘t feel bad about a so-so! I went on a mixed ride with this book but for some reason big chunks of it have stayed with me through the years. I think I connected with Tom and his family and then also got drawn in and obsessed by all the details of the World Exhibition. 7y

batsy @BarbaraBB Yes, it does feel like it! 😆 7y

batsy @RaimeyGallant Thank you! 7y

batsy @LeahBergen Hahaha! We're always happy to help 😂💜 7y

batsy @Centique I know what you mean! I was actually riveted by those bits of history, art, politics and I also found Olive's stories quite chilling. I wish there were more of her stories. I wanted to know Tom better, but considering what happens I wonder if Tom was depicted as unknowable because of that... Like he was never really cut out for this world 😔 And I would have loved to know more about Violet, Elsie, Imogen, & poor Hedda, Phyllis, & Pomona 7y

Centique Yes! I wanted more of Olive‘s stories too. I remember feeling wrung out at the end of the book, but feel more positive in hindsight. Funny how that happens! 7y

BarbaraBB I wanted to know more about a lot of the characters and the World Expo too. In different books, that is 😘 7y

batsy @BarbaraBB 😂 7y

Suet624 I grabbed the book from the library in order to participate in the read along. I opened it and immediately felt a physical reaction that suggested to me I shouldn‘t attempt this book. Strangest thing I‘ve experienced in a long time. 7y

batsy @Suet624 Ooh, interesting! Book serendipity and instinct with books... Might sound hokey but maybe sometimes our bodies know before our minds do whether something is right for us at that particular time or not... 7y

Suet624 I know that I have a spirit that knows what‘s right for me. I don‘t always listen so sometimes it has to shake me a bit with a physical reaction. 😀 7y

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AnneCecilie

The Children's Book | A S Byatt

Ready to start next week's reading for #children

So the clocks ticks on for #13inThree

BarbaraBB, Samplergal

BarbaraBB You are really enjoying it, aren‘t you? I am happy for you! 7y

AnneCecilie @BarbaraBB that‘s right. I‘m really sorry that you‘re not feeling the same about as I do. 7y

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BarbaraBB

The Children's Book | A. S. Byatt

pan

I didn't care for this book at all. There are so many characters and storylines (why??), all are potentially interesting. However because of the quantity, none is really well worked out. All subjects (war, art, politics) are being only touched upon. On me this had the effect that I ended up not being interested in any of the subjects or the characters. I really wonder what point Byatt wants to make with this book.

#children #1001books

Simona, JenP, CarolynM, AnneCecilie, readordierachel, batsy, Tamra, arubabookwoman

Cinfhen It‘s a gorgeous cover, if nothing more 7y

BarbaraBB @Cinfhen Good you mention that! I wanted to use it for #Booked2018 #Flowers! Okay, plants, but I hope it counts! That would make it worth the read! @BarbaraTheBibliophage @4thhouseontheleft 🤞 (edited) 7y

Cinfhen Yes! Fauna is floral in my eyes 😁 7y

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BarbaraBB @Cinfhen Thank you 😘 7y

TrishB I couldn‘t get into this either - I didn‘t finish it! 7y

Simona I'm still reading it, and I hope to finish it by the end of next week... I agree with your review, although I find the story in some way ‘charming‘. 7y

BarbaraBB @Simona It is, but each time I became engrossed, the storyline was cut short 7y

Lindy It‘s been a long time since I read this, but I remember liking it quite a bit, almost as much

Possession

BarbaraBB @Lindy I read Possession a long time ago and I did like that one. 7y

batsy @BarbaraBB I have the exact same reaction. It always feels like I'm being cut off and moved on to another set of characters when I've just started to care for a particular storyline 😬 7y

Liz_M Sorry you didn't enjoy the read. I didn't care for it much eitherwhen I read it . I only finished because I had read all the other books I brought to the lake. 😁 7y

readordierachel I'm still plodding along. I'm enjoying it overall, but I agree with there being too many characters and it jumping around between them too much. I was hoping the narratives would satisfyingly converge toward the end, but it sounds like they don't. All the little historical tidbits are interesting, but you're right, she's not exploring them, they're just for flavor I guess. 7y

BarbaraBB @Liz_M I thought you were one of the fans! It must be one of the others in the 1001 group on LT then (Annamorphic?) (edited) 7y

BarbaraBB @ReadOrDieRachel Plodding along 😀! She want to tell so/too much I guess. 7y

KateFulfordAuthor Something to make up for it? If you like quirky narrative and well developed characters, may I recommend my debut to you? 7y

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JenP

The Children's Book | A. S. Byatt

I‘m almost caught up with the group #childrensbook

I think I‘ll probably finish it this time around thanks to @BarbaraBB and the buddy read. I am still finding it tedious. I simply don‘t care what happens to any of them. There are moments I find engaging but for the most part I‘m just going through the motions to finish it

Tamra I‘m done, but waiting for others to chime in. 7y

BarbaraBB Exactly my thoughts! I am so looking forward to your thoughts, @Tamra ! I am almost finished as well. I want to have it out of my way. 7y

52 likes2 comments

readordierachel

The Children's Book | A. S. Byatt

Pretty #audiowalk to work this morning.
It's been a little slow going, but overall I'm really enjoying this book. Only at the halfway point, but I'm getting more and more invested. Not sure I'd be able to focus on this in print right now.

batsy I admire this book; the construction of its fictional world and its use of history/politics/art is quite stunning. But it's only when I got to around page 400 or so that I started to feel like there was a way "in" to knowing and feeling these characters... It's a bit of a challenge for me, in that sense. 7y

sudi Lovely picture 🌷 7y

readordierachel @batsy Agree! The level of research/detail and the quality of the writing are so impressive. But, yes, it wasn't til around the time they got to the Great Exhibition----when I think we started getting more of the internal thoughts of the characters maybe?----that I felt like I "knew" anyone enough. It's so sprawling, which isn't bad, just work. It was probably a mistake to take this one while concurrently reading Middlemarch... 7y

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readordierachel @sudi 😊😊 7y

Suet624 Beautiful photo! 7y

readordierachel @Suet624 Thanks! ☺ 7y

RadicalReader @ReadOrDieRachel love your username!! Also love the flowers you photographed there is something so perfect about the picture quality camera take now 7y

batsy I agree! And definitely a lot to take in while reading Middlemarch! I hope you're enjoying that one too ☺️ 7y

readordierachel @RadicalReader Thank you! 😊 Yes, phone cameras take amazing pictures these days. 7y

RohitSawant Love how vibrant this picture is! 7y

readordierachel @rohit-sawant They were so colorful, I just had to take a picture! 7y

96 likes11 comments

AnneCecilie

The Children's Book | A S Byatt

A list of some of the children books being published around 1900. The list continues onto the next page as well. More than one of these have survived the test of time.

#children

BarbaraBB

BarbaraBB That is really cool! I am not yet there in the book but I am eager to! (edited) 7y

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AnneCecilie

The Children's Book | A. S. Byatt

I love this description of memory at the start of chapter 26. It rings so true, how we remember certain things and how even them might change through time.

#children

30 likes

BarbaraBB

The Children's Book | A S Byatt

I am having such a hard time with this book. I am not able to read it in one go and each time I pick it up again I am fighting to stay focussed. And that while I enjoy some of the storylines, the art references and the political-historical facts. If I didn‘t organize this readalong myself I might have bailed. For now I am not and keep hoping the struggle will be worth it in the end! #childrensbook #maylovesclassics #children

Bambolina_81, Sarah83

MicheleinPhilly Oh no. See this is why I wanted to do this readalong - I feel like I will never actually read this book. Of course, then I forgot to participate. 🤦🏻‍♀️ 7y

BarbaraBB @MicheleinPhilly Exactly! Without the readalong I would never read it 😉. 7y

JenP Yup. I‘m struggling along but not enjoying it. This is my fourth attempt but I‘m almost past where I gave up last time 😬 7y

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batsy Yes! This is exactly how I feel. It doesn't help that this is a terrible month, reading-wise. So hard to focus and I feel like this is a book that one needs to delve into and marinate in, not read in short bursts. 7y

BarbaraBB @JenP @batsy I just finished this week‘s chapters and I must say I feel hopeful, at least I read quicker now! 7y

AnneCecilie I'm really enjoying this so far, especially now that I'm not overwhelmed by all the characters. I really like the art and Paris references. (edited) 7y

BarbaraBB @AnneCecilie I am happy you at least like it. But I have to admit I start liking it! 7y

arubabookwoman I finished because my copy had to go back to the library. I found it a very difficult read and had to force myself to keep reading (and I‘ve liked everything else I‘ve read by Byatt). Won‘t say anything else til others finish. 7y

BarbaraBB @arubabookwoman You read it real fast! I am looking forward to your review and to discussing it later on! 7y

Tamra I finished early because I have a hard time reading multiple books at once. I haven‘t wanted to say anything here yet. 😉 (edited) 7y

60 likes10 comments

AnneCecilie

The Children's Book | A. S. Byatt

After reading about Paris, I just had to google it. And I found this picture from the Exposition Universelle 1900 on Wikipedia. The Eiffel Tour was already built for an earlier exposition.

#children

BarbaraBB

Cathythoughts Beautiful ❤️ 7y

Reviewsbylola 😍😍😍 7y

BarbaraBB This is so great!! 7y

57 likes3 comments

JenP

The Children's Book | A. S. Byatt

4th time‘s the charm? I doubt it - I‘m already bored. Must keep going...

#childrens #readalong

BarbaraBB

jhod Ha! 7y

BookwormM I really enjoyed this one 🤣🤣 7y

Liz_M Oh dear, four tries! I admit I only found this one ok. Time to move on perhaps? 7y

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JenP @Liz_M I‘m doing a buddyread this time so determined to make it through it 7y

BarbaraBB I am not convinced I will like it either... 250 pages in 😬 7y

BarbaraBB @Liz_M Allison on LT loved it, which was a big encouragement for me... 7y

AnneCecilie I'm really loving this so far. 7y

Kristelh I have not read this author, I want too, but you all scare me! 7y

59 likes8 comments

Book_Gnome

The Children's Book | A. S. Byatt

“Two boys stood in the Prince Consort Gallery, and looked down on a third.”

#openingline #bookcover #1of365 #bookgnome #dumbledwarf

18 likes

batsy

The Children's Book | A. S. Byatt

I started a little late on the #children readalong so it's early days for me, but I am drawn in and entranced by these people's lives. I can see that @Centique was right in describing it as rich in lush detail. I find myself stopping to look up every art and politics reference. Just now I lost almost a half hour looking up Minton porcelain and trying to understand why William Morris considered it an "abomination" ? @BarbaraBB

saresmoore Oh, this sounds like something I‘d really enjoy, tangents included! 7y

Centique Thanks for thinking of me @batsy Byatt is a master isn‘t she? And it‘s such a fascinating period. 😍 Gorgeous photo! 7y

batsy @saresmoore It's too early for me to say maybe, but I think you would, Sara! A rich, dense book to sink into. 7y

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batsy @Centique Yes, she is! And it was! Just the way art and politics merged with private life... Nothing like life as we mostly know it now... 7y

emilyhaldi This looks dark 🖤 I like it!! I wish I could swing this readalong but I'm afraid I might have too many 😅 7y

readordierachel I started this yesterday! I'm really loving it so far. There's so much atmosphere and so many interesting historical tidbits. I can see why it keeps sending you down the rabbit hole! 7y

erzascarletbookgasm I‘ve been curious about this book, and author. Look forward to hear more of your thoughts 😊 7y

BarbaraBB I also just started and am losing myself in all the details and the created atmosphere. So promising and I have no idea where it all will lead! @batsy @ReadOrDieRachel 7y

LeahBergen Dang. I have a backlog of reading (book club, etc) and can‘t join this buddy read after all. 😟 7y

batsy @emilyhaldi Aww, I understand! I would be joining Villette readalong if I don't already have a bunch and some other chunksters to read this year 😅 7y

batsy @ReadOrDieRachel @BarbaraBB It's just so rich, like a tapestry 💙 In a not-smart move of mood reading, I started Dan Simmons' The Terror on the last few days of April, and it's close to 800 pages and historical and dense 😂 I'm hoping to finish that soon so I can completely concentrate on this one. 7y

batsy @erzascarletbookgasm I definitely recommend Possession if you haven't already; I think you'd really appreciate it 💕 7y

batsy @LeahBergen Oh no! Will miss you on this buddy read but I totally get it. It's not fun to squeeze in Byatt among other books—you definitely need the time for her intricate worlds ❤️ 7y

BarbaraBB @LeahBergen Too bad, but it is quite the chunkster so I can imagine you don‘t have time for it! 7y

GatheringBooks i own a copy of this book. started it a few years back, stopped in the beginning because i knew that i had to invest a great deal of time in it. hopefully i get back to it soon and stay on. :) 7y

LeahBergen @batsy @BarbaraBB I know! 😫 I loved Possession so much that I really don‘t want to hurry with this one. I‘ll be following your posts to see how you both are liking it. 😘 7y

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AnneCecilie

The Children's Book | A. S. Byatt

First day of the #children readalong and so far so good. I'm really enjoying this so far, maybe too many characters have been introduced, but I hope to get them sorted out as I read further. Other than that, this book as sucked me in.

BarbaraBB

BarbaraBB I found this list of characters. It might help: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Children%27s_Book (edited) 7y

AnneCecilie @BarbaraBB thank you for the tip. I will definitely check that one out. 7y

37 likes2 comments

Simona

The Children's Book | A S Byatt

My #MayTBR is quite predictable - two books for buddy reading: Grapes of Wrath (host is @Tove_Reads ) and The Children‘s Book (host is @BarbaraBB ), The Secret Life of Bees for #LMPBC (host is @suvata ), Notes from the Hyena‘s Belly for #ReadAroundTheWorld (host is @JenP )

#ReadingResolutions

Jess7

BarbaraBB Good month ahead! I‘ll start soon with #children as well. Thanks for sharing 😘 7y

Reviewsbylola 😍😍😍 7y

arubabookwoman I have it from the library in book form. I own the Audible version, but I think I prefer to read this one. 7y

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Simona @BarbaraBB You are welcome 😘 7y

Simona @arubabookwoman I prefer nonfiction books as audiobooks, I don‘t have enough concentration for fiction, especially if it‘s demanding story, and I think that this one is one of them. 7y

Centique I hope you enjoy the AS Byatt. It is huge and it does cover lots of characters but it‘s SO memorable even years later. 👍👍👍 Good luck and enjoy! 7y

Simona @Centique Thank you 😘 This is my first book by her, and I‘m starting today with the reading. 7y

BookishMe Will look forward to review of Hyena's Belly. Not available at the library here but plot sounds interesting 7y

Simona @BookishMe I have read few pages, and the beginning is interesting. If you use Scribd - I found it there. 7y

BookishMe @Simona thanks for the tip. I don't find Scribd interface easy to use ;(( 7y

Simona @BookishMe That‘s true, but I found there a quite a lot interesting older and newer books ... and unlimited access is for me extra bonus. 7y

BookishMe 👍🏽Yay for you 👍🏽 7y

80 likes12 comments

swishandflick

The Children's Book | A. S. Byatt

Ooh, this is interesting! Was poking around the career page on #BOTM's site and came across this tidbit - there's going to be a soft launch for a Children's Book of the Month Club membership in May! Not that I personally need or read children's books, but thought some of you parents/teachers might find it interesting! 😄

saresmoore Awesome! 7y

laundry_piles Love this! 7y

obviateit Thanks for sharing! 7y

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RunningMommyCrazy I wonder what the pricing will look like on this. I saw one but it was outrageously priced. 🤔 7y

swishandflick @RunningMommyCrazy That I have no idea! But I can't imagine it'll cost more than their traditional BOTM membership, which is pretty reasonable. And if anything it seems like it's be cheaper. But again, that's complete speculation! 7y

BucklingBookshelves I am soooo intrigued by this! 7y

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Kshakal

The Children's Book | A. S. Byatt

My best friend just started selling Usborne books... uh oh, this could be very bad!!!

28 likes

Centique

The Children's Book | A. S. Byatt

#septembowie #underground

The mother in this book is a fairytale writer who writes a book for each of her children. Her book for her son Tom is called "Tom Underground" about a boy that gets lost underground looking for his lost shadow. Lots of imagery about being underground so I thought of it immediately!
A huge, difficult but rewarding book that is hard to describe so I've added in a bit from an LA Times book review to help!

Cinfhen, Marchpane

Cinfhen What a gorgeous book cover! Well played😗you are just rockin this challenge 🤘🏼🤘🏼 7y

Centique @Cinfhen thank you 😊 I think it's that my bookshelf is highly eclectic! 7y

batsy I have this and still haven't read it 🙈 7y

Centique @batsy that's ok! You need to be in the right space for it. Lots of layers, I think it needs time. But it's lush with turn of the century detail. You'll like it when you get there! 7y

batsy @Centique Thank you :) Detailed and lush, sounds promising. Can't go wrong with Byatt, I think! 7y

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islandstorygirl

The Children's Book | A. S. Byatt

I came across this at a relative's home in Aklan, but I had no time to borrow it. I love A.S. Byatt and wish I could read this!

Chachic Gorgeous cover! 7y

Centique I love this book so much. It's a bit of a commitment though! 7y

islandstorygirl @Centique Thanks for letting me know! I'm bad at reading digital copies of some books, and I know this is one of those that I need to have a print copy of to enjoy! Looking forward to finding one soon! 7y

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Nat_Reads

The Children's Book | A S Byatt

Airport reading after being out of country! Looking forward to catching up with all of you! This book, by the way, is capturing me with the same intensity as Possession!

LeahBergen It is? I loved Possession. 💗 7y

MicheleinPhilly This is one of the books that has sat on my shelf unread the longest. I think I bought it 7 years ago. 😬 @LeahBergen 7y

LeahBergen @MicheleinPhilly Only 7 years? I have some that have been on mine longer than that - and stare at me all judgily every day. 😂 7y

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ReadingEnvy I liked this one and still haven't made it through Possession (which is on my shelf.) 7y

Nat_Reads @LeahBergen I'm not too far in, but I love this world! 7y

JenP I've tried to read this at least four times. I make it a little further each time. 7y

Nat_Reads @ReadingEnvy Possession is one of my favorite books! 7y

Nat_Reads @JenP It takes a minute to get into, I think. Have you read Possession? 7y

JenP @Nat_Reads yes, I liked Possession. I have read at least a few hundred pages in to this one but for some reason have never been able to get hooked enough to finish. Rare for me because I almost never bail on books. I do plan to try again in the future 7y

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Redwritinghood

The Children's Book | A. S. Byatt

#BLUEDABADE Pretty blue cover on this one.

Liberty

Cinfhen That is a lovely cover 💙 8y

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Jas16

The Children's Book | A. S. Byatt

I love this #bluecover. Now I just need to get around to reading the words inside. #17rainbowbooks

howjessicareads

MicheleinPhilly I have had this for YEARS. Still haven't read it. 8y

41 likes1 comment

KtheBookwyrm

The Children's Book | A S Byatt

Went to the library to return some movies and had to browse the carts of books. Grabbed this illustrated Edgar Allan Poe and then picked up the children's book, which I've never heard of but the cover was interesting and I do like historical fiction.

Anybody read this?

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SharonGoforth

The Children's Book | A. S. Byatt

Stopped by the library to pick up a hold, and found these on the sale shelf!! It has been crazy at work, so this was much needed therapy 😊. 📚📚📚📚📚 #nosuchthingastoomanybooks #bookhaul

LeahBergen Nice! 👍🏼 8y

Libby1 The Oscar Wilde Series by Gyles Brandreth is great fun!

Oscar Wilde and the Vatican Murders: A Mystery

SharonGoforth @LeahBergen 😁 8y

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CoffeeBooksRepeat Great choices! 8y

SharonGoforth @Libby1 Good to know! I've not read any of these but I thought it looked good 😊 8y

SharonGoforth @GeraldineReads Thanks!! 8y

RealLifeReading Book buying is the best therapy 8y

SharonGoforth @RealLifeReading Totally agree!! 8y

DebinHawaii A great haul! 📚👍 8y

SharonGoforth @DebinHawaii Thanks!! 8y

CherylDeFranceschi Excellent finds! 8y

SharonGoforth @CherylDeFranceschi Thanks 😊 8y

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Balibee146

The Children's Book | A S Byatt

Which book has been your best recent second hand find?
I got a beautiful copy of The Children's Book for pennies at the book fair on the Southbank on my last trip to London.

Kitta A new Murakami I haven't read before! 8y

10 likes1 comment

scripturient

The Children's Book | A. S. Byatt

pick

It's #Recommendsday and I would like to introduce you to this beauty here. Losely modelled on the life of E. Nesbit, it's a story about reading and writing, family, loss, war and the bohemian lifestyle. And don't you just adore this cover???? 😍😍

KarenUK The cover is gorgeous! 8y

Soubhiville Yes the cover is beautiful! 8y

Gulfsidemusing Yes, I do!💕 8y

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scripturient

The Children's Book | A. S. Byatt

pick