Do you prefer books about “real” life or sugarcoated stories? Summer of Joy

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Disclosure: I received this book to review. The opinions shared here are 100% mine. The post contains affiliate links; if you purchase through them, Savings in Seconds receives a small commission.

My husband laughs at me because I like to read what I call “mind candy.” While the occasional thriller or mystery are fun to read, my preference is usually the type of books that have a happy ending.  A fairytale ending isn’t necessary, but I get enough of real life thankyouverymuch.  It’s nice to have a dose of candy land every once in a while.  Generally my favorite books have a sigh-worthy ending, the kind that makes me close the book and smile.  I mean, really, what was the likelihood that Bella would come out of that fight with the Volturi completely unscathed?  Zero.  But that’s the way I like it.  Do you prefer books about “real” life or those with a sugarcoated feel? 

Photo credit: Amazon

Photo credit: Amazon

Recently as I read Summer of Joy by Ann H. Gabhart, I realized how jaded my viewpoint toward books can be.  This is a perfectly good story with very “real” characters.  Living in smalltown Kentucky during the 1960’s wasn’t likely to be very thrilling.  The book isn’t either, but that’s probably the point.  The book is the third in the Hollyhill series and it’s the first of the series that I’ve read.  Although it’s suggested as a standalone, I strongly recommend reading the first books if you want to get a feel for the characters.  While the background story is given, I never fell in love with the family the way I wanted to.  Most family books grab me from the start, but I never had a connection with the characters in this story.  Gabhart gives a true picture of what life was like to be a PK (preacher’s kid) back in the day.  Her descriptions were spot-on as she wrote of small engagement rings, clumsy middle-aged men, and kids getting frustrated with unfair teachers.  Maybe sometime I’ll go back and read the other Hollyhill stories.  For now, though, I think I’ll stick with my shiny happy books that can’t possibly be real.

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Comments

  1. Sherry Compton says

    My family and I, while we go for the occasional true story, we don’t read or watch movies for reality. We get enough of that and need the escape. I do read true crime and mystery books but I am not into a lot of non-fiction or deep literary reads. Whatever I am reading or watching, I want a definite ending.

  2. I appreciate your honest review of this book. I suppose we all have different experiences and what grabs you might not grab another and vice versa. I just ran in to that last night at book club where I didn’t care for a book and found it boring whereas another person said it was in their top 20 list.

  3. I really want to find a novel I can connect with. Unfortunately it’s so hard for me! I haven’t actually finished a fiction book in probably years because I get so bored or frustrated. Even things like a character with a stupid name will really bug me. Haha!

  4. Sounds like an interesting read. I would want to read this, but thanks for the heads up about how you felt about the characters.

  5. Sherry Compton says

    Mostly I want a good story. I have been reading more books on de-cluttering and the Bible. So it’s good to have some non-fiction, but my general go-to are fiction. My son wasn’t much of a reader but liked non-fiction better when he had to. My daughter loved to read, anything she could get her hands on, but she liked fiction. To each their own; happy reading!

Trackbacks

  1. […] likely go into it expecting that finale.  After all, who wants to read a romance where the probable “real life” ending actually happens?  Not I.  My favorite story of this collection was “One Little […]

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