Sunday, August 31, 2014

A new Jan Karon book!

I am on Goodreads, though I don’t write reviews or even comment on my friends’ reviews very often. I like using it as a kind of notebook to keep track of what I want to read. The other day I got an email from them which said:

#1 New York Times—bestselling author Jan Karon returns—and invites you to join her again in Mitford in Somewhere Safe with Somebody Good, on sale September 2. Here’s a special message from Jan to you, her loyal readers:


Dear reader,

Here's hoping that you will be moved to much laughter—and a few tears—as I surely was when writing Somewhere Safe with Somebody Good. My characters are flesh and blood to me; I regard even the worst of them with love, and believe this is how God thinks of us, his own wayward, restless, comic, striving and endearing characters.

Of the twenty-three titles of my books, this is my favorite. I believe it expresses in just five words what we all long for.

Warmly, 
Jan Karon


I am incredibly happy about this. I love the Mitford series. I love the characters, the locale, the stories. Recently I’ve been thinking about the books, and how nobody talks about them anymore. For those who don’t know, they were HUGE in the 1990s into the 2000s. Anywhere people were talking about books, you would hear or read Jan Karon’s name. They had a religious basis, but not in a pushy, ‘i am right’ sort of way. Her main character, Father Tim is an Episcopalian priest, and try as the Episcopal church might we are just not really good at evangelizing; at drawing attention to ourselves. In general, we are a humble bunch which probably goes a long way in explaining why we aren’t such a powerful force, or a big church, in this country. I haven’t gone to church in a long time, and I do have other beliefs besides Christianity, but still I am, as they say, a ‘cradle Episcopalian’ and the church is in my heart and soul and mind, even as I don’t attend services. 

Anyhow, I am just so thrilled there is a new book coming out. I've missed this town and these people.

16 comments:

  1. Have all her books, Nan. I enjoyed them too. Loved Barnabas the dog! I did not get this email from Goodreads, so I'm glad you shared it with us.

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  2. I've missed "this town and these people", too! And what a charming title. I'm already tearing up...

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  3. Thanks for the update. I will look forward to reading it. Happy Labor Day.

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  4. Thanks for letting us know about Jan Karon's new book. I'm on Goodreads too but I hardly ever use it except as reference. (I always mean to, but I never do.) I use Pinterest to pin books I'm interested in reading or have read or am just vaguely thinking about reading. Very handy and much easier to manage than anything else. I guess I'm just lazy. :) I used to keep a written record in small journals but now I just keep a list on my blog of books read and use Pinterest very actively.

    I read all of Jan Karon's books except, maybe the very last few. I have a stack of them and won't give them away. I guess maybe at some time I might re-read them all. I loved these books - so different from what I usually read. I can't remember how I got into them in the first place, but I'm so glad I did. I'm adding this new one to my Pinterest board.

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    1. I spend hardly any time at G and less than that at P. I just don't have time.

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  5. Thanks for this head's up. I just ordered it for my Mom, who is a huge fan.

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  6. I am currently listening to the Mitford books on audio for about the fourth time and have read all of the books several times. They are some of my very favorite stories and characters, and I am so glad there is a new one coming out! Can't wait to read it.
    Paula

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    1. It is so wonderful that she went back to Mitford!

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  7. I was actually just thinking about re-reading the first few books in this series when I unpacked the new book on Tuesday morning. I can't wait to re-visit this folks!

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    1. I thought you weren't that wild for them. Am I remembering wrong?????

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  8. No, you're right. I did enjoy them. Just didn't love them the way so many other readers did. Maybe I'll just read the first!

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  9. That's just about what I thought.

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