Weekend Book Friends #32

Posted June 3, 2022 by elzaread in Weekend Book Friends / 33 Comments

Greetings you guys! The day has finally arrived! This is the date that all our renovations should be done. The fact that it is not done, is completely irrelevant and it’s only 08:00 here in SA now. So a miracle might still be in the works here.

And if it’s not, we really, really don’t care. If my Mommy comes home from school today, she is going to do nothing but read her book. We are busy with such an intriguing read:

Weekend Book Friends #32The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan
Genres: Fiction
Pages: 336
Format: Paperback
Source: Book Club
Goodreads

'We have your daughter'

Frida Liu is a struggling mother. She remembers taking Harriet from her cot and changing her nappy. She remembers giving her a morning bottle. They'd been up since four am.

Frida just had to finish the article in front of her. But she'd left a file on her desk at work. What would happen if she retrieved it and came back in an hour? She was so sure it would be okay.

Now, the state has decided that Frida is not fit to care for her daughter. That she must be re-trained. Soon, mothers everywhere will be re-educated. Will their mistakes cost them everything?

The School for Good Mothers is an explosive and thrilling novel about love and the pressures of perfectionism, parenthood and privilege.

We did find the opening a bit slow, but it sure is taking off at speed now and I can’t wait for Mommy to come home and we can continue reading.

We are quickly going to say hi to @ Reading is my Super Power for First Line Friday and to Gilion @ Rose City Reader for Book Beginnings.  Every Friday you can link up and share the first sentence of your current read (or the one you plan to devour over the weekend), as well as your initial thoughts and impressions.

“WE HAVE YOUR DAUGHTER.’

It’s the first Tuesday in September, the afternoon of her one very bad day and Frida is trying to stay on the road. On the voice mail, the officer tells her to come to the station immediately. She pauses the message, puts down her phone. It’s 2:46pm. She meant to get home an hour and a half ago. She pulls onto the first side street off Grays Ferry and double-parks. She calls back and begins apologizing, explaining that she lost track of time.

Quite a bit off track you went there, Frida. But does it deserve the punishment?

Our next stop will be to Freda’s Voice who hosts the Friday 56. Don’t show up empty handed though!

  • Grab a book (Yes, any book. But it might get you to your other Friday activities a bit quicker if you just grab the book you are currently reading)
  • Turn to page 56 or 56% on your e-reader
  • Find a sentence or two (your other Friday activities might determine this)
  • Post it!
  • Remember to post your link on Freda’s Voice and to visit the other guys in the linky.
  • And  last but not least, don’t forget to list the title of the book and the author as well.

We are passed page 56 already and I for one found the scene very sad:

The social worker ignores the request. Harriet won’t apologize. She wants more hugging. “C’mon, bub, we need to play. Ms. Torres needs to see us play. Mommy doesn’t have much time left.”

The social worker lowers her camera and sweetens her voice. “Harriet, can we see some playing? With your mother, okay?”

No, kids and cats don’t want to play if they miss their mommies and just want to be held.We are not far enough with this book to know where it’s leading, but it does keep us on the edge of our seat for now.

Have you read The School for Good Mothers?

Friendly Fill-Ins

Just because it’s Friday and we love having fun, let’s join Friday Fill-Ins for a few fun furry questions.  Friendly Fill-Ins is hosted by 15 and Meowing and Four-Legged Furballs. They come up with a couple of sentences, and then you have to fill in the blanks. I think it’s a great way to get to know each other better as well.

This week’s questions and my answers in bold:

1. Did you know that it takes 800 grapes to fill one bottle of wine? Ha, see why it’s important to be the world’s foremost feline reader? Books make you clever. 
2. My plans for June include climatizing to the cold weather and preparing for school holidays starting on the 24th.
3. When I need to cheer myself up, I snuggle with my Mommy. Or scratch the couch and watch her yell at me just to cuddle me 5 minutes later.
4. I could teach an entire course on getting away with scratching the couch and stealing the whole king size, extra length bed.

 

What are your weekend plans? What are you reading?

 

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33 responses to “Weekend Book Friends #32

  1. Happy Friday!
    I’m currently reading Turn to Me by Becky Wade. It’s outstanding!
    “Immediately after Finley woke from her coma, Luke had promised her that she’d be ok. It was proving harder to convince himself of that.”
    I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

  2. I’m not sure if this one is for me but it sounds like a fast paced read and I hope you love it! Have a wonderful weekend and fingers crossed on the renovations!

    • Hi Katherine,

      No, I don’t think it’s for you. I probably wouldn’t have bought it for myself either, it landed in our Book Club and I was just completely intrigued. It’s a heavy and thought provoking read. No idea how it’s going to end!

      I hope you and Will are enjoying a good weekend!

  3. Paula Shreckhise

    My first lines today are from Midnight’s Budding Morrow by Carolyn Miller
    Yorkshire 1811
    “Oh, Sarah, please. please? What would it take for you to reconsider?”

  4. That looks like a good book. Thank you for participating in the fill-ins, great answers. I did not know that, I should have as my hubby makes wine. Have a wonderful weekend on your king sized bed. 🙂 XO

    • Hi Ellen!

      It’s a strange book, but quite captivating.

      Oh wow! Your hubby makes wine? That’s really cool. I hope you get to be the taster.

      Luckily Elza prefers to snuggle more on Max’s side, body heat I think, and I’m not very big, so yes! I at least get to sleep comfortably in my corner!