Play Book Tag discussion

BooknBlues and I are both reading the Snow Gypsy this month for Spain. Actually, I already finished, but due to the Jewish Holidays have neither wrote a review or read a page or two of my next book. I am a little behinds. We don't know if anyone decided to join us, or is still looking for a Spain book - but we are opening a little chit chat here.

Short of writing my review, I will say that I enjoyed it, but it was not a not to be missed. I think I was so looking forward to it, and that I would have enjoyed it more had I wanted to read it a little less. Long anticipation can do funny things to a person. For that reason, i am really curious to see what BnB thinks. There were some interesting themes in there. Loss by Holocaust, versus what happened to the Gypsy population during the Spanish War. And some horrible things that were continuing to happen long after the war was over. The story actually centers around two women, who of course converge, and a little girl. Lots of loss, lots of desire, and lots of dancing.....That was the cultural part that I enjoyed the most - was getting feel of the Gypsy culture from our Spanish Gypsy dancer, and how the music moved within her. But for her it was also a vehicle out. The other woman was more lost, lost in the past, and she literally felt out of place. Both culturally and within the book. Feels like I have written most of a review - and yet not. Bnb and I may share some thoughts here - feel free to jump in. Or lurk about...

Hijacking my own thread for a moment, it occurs to me that I have moved from reading the Snow Gypsy with BnB to reading the Witches of St Petersburg with Joanne. Although here we are reversed. She is ready to go, about half way through the book, while I cannot seem to get past pg 22. She appears to be really enjoying it, and it was a good October Fall Flurry Pick for her. Its right up my alley, but naturally, reading has been completely suspended. So I am early for BnB, but behind for Joanne. What I can say, is that my refrigerator contains the most delicious food, overstocked with all the best goodies a Jewish Family might want. The holidays were particularly special this year, although probably I feel that way every single year. Fall is upon us for sure, and with it, changes of all kinds. From the trees to our souls. This is my favorite season, and my prayer for us all, amongst other prayers equally important, at least for the moment just after midnight, is that we all stop and savor. Just simply pause to appreciate, and then dive into whatever feels like it matters most. Be well everyone, health, happiness, joy, and a soulful meaningful new year to us all!

I'm not reading The Snow Gypsy for the tag. I have a great crime fiction series I read set in Spain and I'm finishing that up today. I do have to read The Snow Gypsy by the end of the year for another group so I'm hoping to get to it this month and be part of the group read. It's been on my TBR since the beginning of the year but, so far, I haven't been really enthused to start it. I do think it has a beautiful cover.......

Not quite halfway through yet-but I am enjoying The Witches of St. Petersburg-again Amy steers me towards a book I would never pick up without a little nudging!

I would like to drop by for some of those leftovers! So glad your holidays were joyous-wishing you peace!

I'm also reading The Snow Gypsy for Horizons this month.

I'm just a little ways into the book, and not sure yet how much I'm going to like it. I'm enjoying the story, but the writing just seems a little stilted and plodding to me. Not sure yet if that's fair since I'm not that deep into the book yet.

I'll come back when I've read more of the story.

See? It’s great that BnB convinced me to make an actual thread! Yeah, I also thought it wasn’t brilliant writing, and as BnB has already said to me personally, It does feel like many of the plat strokes are laid out pretty quickly in the beginning. Plodding was a good word to describe it. But I also enjoyed the ride. Glad to hear four of us are reading it. But I must say, I also enjoyed this year active getting a book I had really wanted to read off my TBR. There is great joy in getting to complete a list you wanted to complete. Can’t wait to hear everyone’s thoughts and to write my own.

I own a copy of The Snow Gypsy, so if I get done with my other commitments, and have time, I will read it with you guys.

The writing isn't spectacular, but I like the story line, even though I think a few things are given away very quickly.

I think though it does have quite a few things to offer both culturally and historically. The area in Spain where it is set is quite beautiful from pictures which I have seen.

I am also hoping to read Granada: A Pomegranate in the Hand of God, which is a nonfiction in the same region of Spain.

I've finished The Snow Gypsy by Lyndsay Ashford and I have to say that I liked it more than I thought I would when I first started it. It was not quite as predictable as I thought it would be . I like that the character Rosa was modeled after a real woman, Juliette de Bairacli Levy who lived from 1912 to 2009.

Juliette was a very dynamic interesting woman who lived life by being true her own beliefs. Here is a short biography:

https://theherbalacademy.com/juliette...

She was also a very profuse author,Spanish Mountain Life is one of the books she wrote and it is about the part of Spain described in The Snow Gypsy.

Amy, I would love to discuss this book with you with spoiler alerts.

This book was one of the Amazon Firsts I chose and like most, it is good but not great.

Nicole R. , I know how you love finding dynamic intelligent women, so I think you would like this book, especially because it tells some about the Spanish Civil War which we read about last year.

Here's my review...

Although there is mass murder in the past and the air of current kidnapping, nothing about this felt to me to truly fit Crime fiction. It is however a perfect Spain and Spanish Culture read. Cross posted to Horizons, general feed, and Buddy read discussion.

I enjoyed this one, and it has stayed with me since I read it. Not because the writing was spectacular, or because the plot was so intricate. I think it was something about being swept up in the music, the gypsy culture, and watching the two women's lives intersect. One who lost her family to the holocaust, and one who was suffering the remaining prejudice of the Spanish War at the same time. At the center of it is a little girl. I found it really interesting, and I enjoyed that the plot didn't quite go as expected. It was in fact an eye into another world. I am really glad others are reading it right now, because in fact, I'm looking forward to talking about it. It was a very interesting look at Spain at a quite interesting time. I do love historical fiction, especially with a Jewish twist. I do love Dance and voice, and I loved learning about the Gypsy culture. And it was very easy to root for these three. True resilient women survivors quite before their time.

BnB, I too want to talk more about it. I find it has stayed with me, and I have been curious to talk more. I can read the spoiler alerts on my laptop, but I don't know how to create them. We can talk privately too about the more detailed things. I too liked that it didn't go exactly as predicted, but that there were links nonetheless. There was a true appreciation for both loss and love, and what linked them, and made their situations different, which I appreciated. It wasn't "neat and tidy". It had depth to it. I liked that I liked both women - not always the case. It definitely drew me in.

Amy, if you click on the right corner in the comment box which says some html is ok it tells you how it is basically <>your coment> and inside of these brackets<> you write spoiler.

Here are some of my thoughts:
There are a couple of points, I have been thinking about (view spoiler)[So here are some of the things that bothered me a bit:

I really hated that bit about Lola chewing through Nieve's umbilical chord. It seemed so gruesome and frankly unnecessary as a plot device.

I disliked that Rosa's second lover turned out to be a Nazi. I know that some Nazi's seemed nice, as we can see in our present climate today, but I dislike including him as a character.

When I started reading that one of the characters was based on a real person, I expected it to be Lola.

Juliette de Bairacli Levy was an amazing person and I would love to read a biography about her. She had children so I do wonder about her significant others. (hide spoiler)]

I just borrowed Snow Gypsy from the library but am still a week away from starting it since im already into two others.

Barbara wrote: "I just borrowed Snow Gypsy from the library but am still a week away from starting it since im already into two others."

Whenever you get to it, we will be happy to discuss.

I just finished this book and have mixed feelings. There are certain aspects I liked, such as the friendship between two women and the various customs of the Romany in different parts of the world. I thought the focus on a woman veterinarian using herbal remedies on animals was interesting.

But.... it seems like another "historical fiction" that doesn't quite capture the spirit of the era. It seems modern in its approach to relationships (especially with Rose and her male romantic interests).

I liked parts of it and didn't like others, so this is going to be a 3-star for me.

You know I can see that. I felt a tad deflated too, though there were things I liked about it. i can say that I liked it more as time wore on, and probably because we have been talking about it... That always raises it for me.

Amy, I find I enjoy books more when I discuss them, too. I liked the book quite a bit as I read it. For me, how a book ends is so important. I thought the author decided to employ the trendy idea of inserting lots of "twists and turns" at the end, and I am learning that I am not a fan of this trend.

I just finished this one as well. I did end up liking the overall story, but I thought it was just a little too slow.

There were scenes where there should have been tension and suspense, but I just didn't feel it. I think the writing was just a little too flat.

Joy, I agree with you about Rosa and her relationships.

I know that Juliette de Bairacli Levy did have children and I haven't read anything about her spouse online, but that doesn't mean that she wasn't married.

Juliette and her child really did have typhus in Spain, but there were bits about the ending that I would have liked to see done differently. (view spoiler)[ I did like the very end where they went back for the interment of those killed in the Spanish Civil War. I imagine that is historically accurate. (hide spoiler)]

Olivermagnus wrote: "I'm not reading The Snow Gypsy for the tag. I have a great crime fiction series I read set in Spain and I'm finishing that up today. I do have to read The Snow Gypsy..."

Which crime series are you reading?

NancyJ wrote: " Olivermagnus wrote: "I'm not reading The Snow Gypsy for the tag. I have a great crime fiction series I read set in Spain and I'm finishing that up today. I do have to read "

Jason Webster writes a series set in Spain featuring Chief Inspector Max Camara. I just finished #4 Blood Med. The first one is Or the Bull Kills You. The characters are very interesting and there's lots of Spanish culture featured. The last one I read was set in LaMancha and I learned quite a bit about the Spanish Civil war and real saffron for paella.