| Archive for Crafty Threads 'n' Yarns The Friendly UK Board that invites Knitters, Crocheters, Dressmakers, Quilters, Patchworkers, Jewellery makers and Paper Crafters to join in our chat about Craft |
| pictish |
Debbie Macomber Blossom Street booksHas anybody tried these? I just picked up a couple in Tescos on offer - they are about a group of women who own/visit a yarn shop and the power of knitting to change lives (I think!!). They seem to be very popular and you can even get books that go along with them with the patterns mentioned in each one for you to knit along
I'm not normally a chicklit person but thought I'd give them a go since they were on offer!! |
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| cazzie |
I havent but have looked at them a few times on Amazon - let us know how you get on with them 
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| pictish |
I will do!!! I enjoyed the Friday Night Knitting Club which is a similar type of book tho a bit sad at times 
There are also some knitting murder mysteries aren't there but can't think what they're called 
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| slowasasnail |
I've just finished the first one last night. Got it from the staff room windowsill...Enjoyed it and now want to read the next one. | ||
| malteser |
I've read three of these and enjoyed the first two but by the third the formula had got a bit repetitive. | ||
| Anna |
I read the first one and enjoyed it a lot. My mum bought another (fron Tesco!) but I haven't read it yet. | ||
| Fi |
Read all of them so far, needing to get the latest one Summer on Blossom Street.
Quite like them for an easy put down chick lit, great for hols. |
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| pictish |
Great thanks!!! 
I got the first one - £3 or 2 for £5 - in Tescos and the newest one - £3.86 in Tescos. They had a couple of other ones of hers on the 2 for £5 shelf too!! They also had the new Friday Night Knitting Club one too - called Knit Two I think. |
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| modelwidow |
I love the Blossom street books, I've read the first 3 and got the 4th ready.
DD has just bought the Second Friday Night knitting club book in Tescos (yes it is called Knit Two and is set 5 years after the last one) She really enjoyed the first one even though she isn't a knitter, and bought this herself (she's 16) as she thought we could both read it. |
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| malteser |
I got Knit Two from the library and really enjoyed it. There was not much knitting in it though. | ||
| YarnAddict |
I've read all the Blossom Street books apart form the new one which I'm planning to order this week. I loved them and so did my friend who's not a knitter but I'm working on persuading her. LOL.
I've also read both Friday night knitting club books and Divas don't knit and the sequel which I don't remember the name of. Loved them both but 'Divas...' and sequel the constant swearing and blasphemy annoyed me a lot. |
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| pictish |
That's a good recommendation
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| pictish |
Wow!! I loved the first one of this series  I started it at 1pm yesterday and I just could not put it down - finished it at 11pm last night  I just loved it - have just ordered the next this morning and wish I'd gone into town to get it cos I'm missing the characters
Not my usual style at all and was a bit put off at first by all the problems the characters had but you just get so drawn in and it's definitely not a depressing book - very positive in fact!! Great as Fi said for a nice light and quick read - and the knitting is real seemng IYKWIM - I think the author has a real yarn shop and there is a Debbie Macomber group on Rav
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| modelwidow |
I know what you mean pictish, I had a little gap waiting for the next one to arrive, and when it did it was like meeting up with old friends again.
Debbie Macomber is definitely a knitter herself (I remember reading it on her website) and I've just discovered the 5th book in the series was published in May... she says nipping off to amazon |
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| Fi |
Well I read the latest summer on blossom street on hols.
In a bout a day as usual, perfect for hols. I do like these books. |
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| pictish |
According to Fantastic Fiction there are 6 MW I had 4 of them and have ordered the 2nd one which I was missing (A Good Yarn) - then I have 3, 5 and 6 so need to look out for 4 This is the list from the Fantastic Fiction site.
Knitting Books 1. The Shop on Blossom Street (2004) 2. A Good Yarn (2005) 3. Susannah's Garden (2006) aka Old Boyfriends 4. Back On Blossom Street (2007) aka Wednesdays at Four 4. Christmas Letters (2007) (in Christmas Wishes) 5. Twenty Wishes (2008) 6. Summer On Blossom Street (2009) Just realised there are two 4s  so there are in fact 7 altogether.
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| cazzie |
I'm going to have to look out for these Havent read a book for ages.
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| modelwidow |
I got all excited there pictish, but unfortunately Old Boyfriends isn't in the 'Yarn shop' series  though I have got that one, and reading about Christmas letters/wishes on Amazon, I don't think that is either - oh well, thanks anyway.
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| pictish |
Is it not??? Never mind - that means I need to order another . It's so hard working out which is in which series.
ETA yep on the Debbie Macomber site there are just the five
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| lillybee |
I stopped reading books about 3-4 years ago, was ill and had a lot of upset. I have read the Harry Potter set but thats it. I used to love Stephen King, Patricia Cornell, Karin Slaughter and all things gruesome. Nowadays I can't cope with sad or miserable or creepy, strange I know. So I struggle to find a book. Not keen on the silly chick lit. like confessions of a shopaholic type. But I do like something a bit light and uplifting. I might try the Blossom Street series. I nearly got Friday Noight Knitting Club but read somewhere it has sad bits | ||
| pictish |
Liz I found Friday Night Knitting Club very sad  so wouldn't maybe recommend that - I can't read sad/gruesome/spooky/scary these days either and tend to read gentle books, usually historical.
These are very uplifting - each 'problem' is worked through IYKWIM. And the characters are very real and rounded. Have a look in the library for them or try a charity shop then if you don't get on with it it's no money lost if you find it's not your thing. |
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| lillybee |
Thanks for that Ali I am glad I didn't get it now. I will try these books though having read such positive reviews. For me at the minute I don't need to be depressed, we all have spells we can do without that
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| pictish |
I couldn't agree more - I'm the same with films too!!! | ||
| modelwidow |
Whilst I found Friday Night Knitting club to be a fantastic book (and so did DD a non-knitter) I completely agree with pictish - it was a jolly good job I read one particular bit at home and not at work in my lunch hour as usual, because I actually had tears running down my cheeks.
The Blossom street series however, is enjoyable and a 'they all live happily ever after' type of book. Another couple of books with knitting connections that I enjoyed were Diva's don't knit, and Needles and Pearls by Gill McNeil - in fact I read the second straight after the first - unusual for me, I generally like a break in a series. |
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| pictish |
Haven't tried those - will maybe get those too MW - thanks!!
I really liked Friday Night Knitting Club but I couldn't believe how it ended
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| Aknita |
I couldn't believe how much I enjoyed The Friday Night Knitting Club. It was a gift from a lovely forum person otherwise I might have missed it, and like you Ali I couldn't believe how it ended either It made me cry too Liz, so perhaps not a good book for you.
Although not novels, Stephanie Pearl McPhee's books are fun to read. You might like those if you want to read something again. Maeve Binchy's books are usually very good too, although her last couple were a bit off her usual standard. |
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| malteser |
I read the end of Friday Night Knitting Club on a train with dd and her friend, and was sniffing very loudly at the end.
I have found Divas don't Knit and Needles and Pearl laugh out loud funny in places. I didn't mind the swearing in them at all. |
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| lillybee |
There's plenty to choose from thank you for all the suggestions. I am definitely going to try some of them, mind you it's finding time between jobs and knitting | ||
| lillybee |
I have been on Amazon and ordered the first Blossom Street story, Diva's Don't Knit and the first of the No1 Ladies Detevtive Agency. All 3 books cost 41 pence plus about £6 in postage. 2 are new and 1 is used in really good condition. I got a bargain
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| Aknita |
Oh you will LOVE the No1 Ladies Detective Agency 
Charity shops such as Oxfam are a good source of second hand books. |
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| pictish |
Fantastic!!! I must read the Ladies Detective series - we have most of them and DH said they are lovely gentle books. I have read 3 of his others and liked them. They are funny and quirky
I'm halfway through the 2nd Blossom Street at the moment. I'm going to try a Maeve Binchy soon and look for those knitting mystery ones as well. |
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| YarnAddict |
Just finished reading the last Blossom Street book, the one with hte 'Knit to Quit' club. I really liked it. Will be passing it on to a non-knitting friend. She's read the other Blossom Street books, the Friday Night knitting club books. I keep passing them on to her hoping it might inspire her to get knitting. No luck so far. | ||
| pictish |
Well I've read 4 of these now in the last fortnight I just love them They are very much feel good books and maybe a bit 'romantic' but who cares - they are very well written and leave you with a lovely warm feeling. And the characters seem so real you miss them and wonder what they're getting up to when you've finished the book
Debbie Macomber has a real yarn shop (not online though ) plus tea room and book shop in the town where she lives (Port Orchard). I would really love to visit
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| modelwidow |
That's exactly how I feel about the books, Pictish.
I didn't realise Debbie Macomber had a real yarn shop, perhaps we should organise a forum outing (well if some people can go to New York for a weekends christmas shopping........)
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| pictish |
It's here MW There's a nice free scarf pattern there which I fancy doing!! A trip would be lovely wouldn't it
I'm going to get the Cedar Cove series next - there are 8 of those apparently and a ninth due out soon and they have characters that knit too!! |
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| malteser |
I read a book by Debbie Macomber before I read the knitting novels. It was a very similar format about a group of women who met every week in a coffee shop. It's UK title was Thursdays at Eight and I really enjoyed it. | ||
| pictish |
I have that one as well Anne as Tescos had it on offer and I mistakenly thought it was a Blossom Street one . I also have one called Old Boyfriends I got at the same time.
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| modelwidow |
That's a lovely scarf pattern, thanks for the link. What a shame the shop isn't nearer
I'll be interested to hear what you think of the Cedar Cove series. I have Old Boyfriends, picked it up in a Readitswapit swap, haven't got round to reading it yet though. |
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| pictish |
I've got a bit of my Amazon birthday voucher left MW so might order the first 3 Cedar Cove with that next week . I just finished Twenty Wishes last night and though I planned to wait a bit before I started Summer on Blossom Street, I can't  so am going make a pot of tea in a minute and start it
ETA meant to say Audible have them too!!! |
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| lillybee |
I bought the first shop on Blossom Street and am part way through. It is a nice feel good story, will probably get some more. Just bought my first audio book so I can listen while I knit, I got a Georgette Heyer, The Black Moth I think it's called how embarrassing is that. I read her books years ago, must be getting nostalgic or warped in my old age
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| pictish |
I think we're going through the same phase Liz I've read loads of Jean Plaidy again this year and got a couple of Georgette Heyer books in a charity shop though I haven't tried them yet so not sure how I'll find them.
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