Another easy but entertaining read from Ms Fforde! This story is filled with characters who reside in a world far removed from my life, but I still managed to feel some connection with them and cared for them through their life journey. Worth a look for a sunlounger book! ( )

Perdita's husband left her for another woman and in the intervening years, she has made a life and business for herself. Then that self same man comes back into her life. On the surface this is the classic love-hate romantic arc, but underlying it is the idea of growing up and coming of age, of discovering that the things that drew them together were still there. I really liked Perdita and enjoyed her relationship with Kitty. The process of losing Kitty hit close to home for me. ( )

Eine junge Gärtnerin und ihr Exmann, mittlerweile Sternekoch, treffen und finden sich wieder. Unrealistisch, mäßig spannend. ( )

When I drive, I like to listen to NPR radio or audio books that I don't have to think too much about. You know -- the ones that I won't want to go back and savor the words, re-reading a particular passage to marvel at how it was crafted or what it said. I usually pick books that are cozy mysteries (thrillers make me speed) or some of the lighter, whimsical (rather than whimsicle, as used on www.regretsy.com, one of my other online indulgences.), sometimes even grabbing something that could fit as chick lit or the dreaded "women's fiction". (Note: I also have been known to listen to audio books for big, heavy books that would be awkward to hold, or books that I haven't been able to get into when reading, but that are highly recommended. Sometimes a good reader can get me through those, and I come out liking them at the end.) This book fits one of those categories -- you be the judge.

The story is pretty straightforward. Perdita finally has her life on track after having her heart broken and her marriage dissolved. She runs a small organic gardening business, has faithful clients and good friends, including her dear octogenarian friend and mentor, Kitty (who is more family to Perdita than her actual family.) Everything is thrown out of kilter when her ex-husband Lucas appears on the scene. He, too has reshaped his life and is a world class chef. Somehow, even though they antagonize the crap out of each other, they are paired in a television cooking show. Into this mix, add Kitty's declining health and this book is born.

First off, I have to say that Divina Porter, the performer of the audio addition I listened to is marvelous. I intend to seek out more books read by her (I've heard her before in some other series, already, and thoroughly appreciated her remarkable talents.) Had I not been listening to this on audio, with such a skilled actor, this might have been very hard for me to bear. The interplay between characters was good, but as Kitty began to decline, it was all too easy to remember my own experiences. Fforde got inside my head and almost, but not quite, lived my life, British style. But it all was so beautifully done, and Porter read it all so eloquently, that I kept on.

And as for my criteria of audio books where I wouldn't want to capture a quote, well that was shot to hell. I had to pull over to the side of the road a couple of times to write things down. Gems like, "the difference between solitude and loneliness is that you choose solitude." Or "don't cry over things that can't cry over you" (said when a china teacup broke), which I don't entirely agree with, but I did like none-the-less.

Fforde created a world that I was glad to visit, with vibrant, distinct, characters. There was only one scene I didn't like (has to do with lust in the kitchen, if you really want to know), but it's just because it was just a little to rough for my tastes and experiences. Her characters evolve in a realistic manner, and I was glad for the glimpse into their world.

(I think this book goes under a different title, Thyme Out, in the UK.)

(More on Davina Porter here.) ( )

This is a fairly harmless chick-lit romance story. The plot is fairly guessable, but it's still enjoyable watching it unfold. ( )