Nights of Rain and Stars (Maeve Binchy)

I've made reference to Nights of Rain and Stars in a past post, so I thought it was about time to write a description and brief review of this novel by Maeve Binchy. 

Four strangers from different countries end up in a Greek village.  They have all ended up here, trying to escape from the realities of their own lives.  Tragedy strikes the town and the stories of these four individuals begin to intertwine.  Through the experiences, tales, and advice from some older and wiser individuals in Aghia Anna, the four strangers begin to face their problems and find solutions to the questions they have been asking themselves. 

I enjoyed this book... It took me a while to get into, but once I got to know the characters, I really started to feel for them and started to create the endings that I wanted to happen.  (Isn't that one of the things that happens when you're reading?  I often think I have the perfect ending, but sometimes what I want to happen isn't what happens in the end...)

Maeve Binchy has a long list of novels, and I will definitely keep her on my "to read" Reading List.

The Beach House (Jane Green)

At the end of the summer, I was looking for an "end of summer" book and I found The Beach House by Jane Green. 

This was the first Jane Green book that I'd read.  In fact, I ran across her book at Chapters when I was looking for a 4th book for my "Buy 3, Get 1 Free" deal. 

This book is about a house in Nantucket, owned by Nan.  She's an "eccentric" lady who suddenly realizes that her funds are decreasing and she needs to do something about it.  Since the last thing she wants to do is sell her beach house, she decides she's going to rent out rooms in her home. 

Meet the characters:  Daff is a single mother who just needs to get away, Daniel is a father with a deep secret he's been hiding his whole life, and Michael (Nan's son) is back home for the summer after a failed relationship or two. 

This book reminded me of:  Maeve Binchy's "Nights of Rain and Stars" because it's the story of how some strangers meet and end up changing each others lives. (Blog post about this one to come, I guess!)

The Beach House was an easy read and was fairly entertaining.  While you can predict some of the outcomes, there are a few surprising events to keep you interested.  It was a slice of life since the characters in the novel were all dealing with real issues.  I found myself glued to this book at times, needing to know what was going to happen.  I would definitely read another Jane Green novel in the future. 

Some memorable quotes:

"'But if I can impart some wisdom, a little of which I seem to have learned at my ripe old age, I do think,' she says gently, 'that nothing in this world happens without a reason.  That we are all exactly where we are supposed to be, and that the pieces of the puzzle have a tendency to come together when you least expect it.'" (p. 181)

"She wants to say: you will find your way through this, you will find a way forward because you are all good.  You are goodness and kindness and perhaps the best man I have ever met.  You can trust me because I trust you.  Because even though I barely know you I would place my life in your hands.  I know you would look after it."  (p. 311)