The New Year's Quilt (Elm Creek Quilts #11) by Jennifer Chiaverini

★★★

An Elm Creek Quilts novel that focuses on Sylvia's trip with her new husband Andrew to visit Andrew's children and tell them of their marriage.  There a a lot of flashbacks to different New Year's in Sylvia's past at Elm Creek Manor.

The Quilter's Homecoming (Elm Creek Quilts #10) by Jennifer Chiaverini

★★★ 1/2

An Elm Creek Quilts novel telling the story of Elizabeth Nelson - Sylvia's cousin - and her journey out West of California with her husband.

The Circle of Quilters (Elm Creek Quilts #9) by Jennifer Chiaverini

★★★

An Elm Creek Quilt novel with 5 different parts - each one telling the story of a different character, their background in quilting and how they applied for an instructor position at Elm Creek Quilt Camp.  The last part focused on the current Elm Creek Quilters.

The Christmas Quilt (Elm Creek Quilts #8) by Jennifer Chiaverini

★★★

Another Elm Creek Quilt novel - this one goes back and forth between Sylvia and Sarah in the present preparing for Christmas at Elm Creek Manor and a variety of Christmas's from Sylvia's past.

The Sugar Camp Quilt (Elm Creek Quilts #7) by Jennifer Chiaverini

★★★ 1/2

The seventh book the the "Elm Creek Series" takes place in pre-Civil War Pennsylvania.  It focuses on Dorothea - who later became involved with Sylvia's family - and her role in the Underground Railroad and building a library for what eventually becomes Elm Creek.

Novel Living: Collecting, Decorating, and Crafting with Books by Lisa Occhipinti

★★★★

I've been trying to fit some non-fiction books into my reading list lately and picked this up after a patron had returned it to my public library.  I read it over my lunch break over a few days and found it extremely interesting.  The book was divided into four sections: collecting books, creating a library, preserving and conserving, and crafting with books.  It gave a lot of really great ideas about each topic and I appreciated the author's insight, photographs, personal examples in each area.  My favorite section was the one on different craft projects and decorating ideas using books and I am looking forward to reading the authors first book on this topic, The Repurposed Library.

The Master Quilter (Elm Creek Quilts #6) by Jennifer Chaverini (audio)

★★★★

Let me just start by saying that I am really enjoying this series!!  I kept hearing good things about them at the public library and picked up the first book, The Quilter's Apprentice, about a month ago and have been hooked ever since.  I usually don't read series books - mostly because there are so many books out there that I have a hard time committing the quickly declining reading time that I have unless the series is really, really good.  I also usually like to find books with a bit more substance, but I love listening to these books on playaway and find myself drawn to the various characters and storylines.  I have a little over a half-an-hour drive to and from work everyday and they are the perfect books to listen to in the car (and sometimes in the driveway to finish a really good chapter!)  

Sometimes after reading a lot of heavier and more complex books, I need to unwind with something a big more low-key.  Sometimes I just want to read about real people doing real things and not have to think too much about why or how they are doing them.  Sometimes I just need a break from thinking for awhile.  

And these books just aren't just mind-numbing click-lit type books either.  Even though they don't have that literary quality that I usually look for, there is a substantial amount of historical detail throughout a majority of the books and I am really enjoying learning about quilting!!

This story is a bit different from the previous novels.  It is completely set in the present and comes back to the original Elm Creek quilters as they prepare a bridal quilt for Sylvia.  As usual they all have secrets and problems of there own that are sorted out through the story.  The book is unique in that each chapter is told from the view point of one of the different characters and overlaps in the time span of the story (about four or five months - I think).  I don't remember ever reading a book that was done this way before and I thought it was done very well.  As each chapter unfolds, readers learn more and more about how each of the characters are dealing with specific situations mentioned and why they are acting the way they are.  Even though I missed having a historical aspect of the story, it was still interesting and I enjoyed how the author went more in depth about each of the main characters and showcased their lives and personalities.

I am going to give this series a break for awhile.  I read somewhere that this was originally where Chaverini was going to end the Elm Creek Quilts book, so I figured it would be a good place to stop.  I have grown to really enjoy these books, but I don't want to end up listening to them all in a few months - there are 20 total - even though I easily could.  Plus I have a extremely huge and ever-growing list of "to-read" books at the moment (thank you to my new job at the public library as an adult services librarian!)  There are a few holiday books coming up in the series and I am planning on coming back to them towards Christmas this year - can't wait, but it will be nice to explore some other titles and authors and are sitting on my desk as well!  And perhaps I can also find sometime to learn how to quilt :)

The Quilter's Legacy (Elm Creek Quilts #5) by Jennifer Chaverini (audio)

★★★★

The fifth novel in Chiaverini's Elm Creek Quilt series focus's on Sylvia's quest to find five of her mother's cherished quilts.  Sylvia's mother died when she was a child and Slyvia has fond memories of learning how to quilt and making her own quilts.  After the estate feel into debt, Sylvia's sister sold the quilts to pay for living expenses.  After learning of this, Slyvia journeys across the country with her finance, Andrew, to try to find the lost quilts.  The story was a little farfetched (to say the least), but I loved the historical details and the story.  Slyvia's mother was such an interesting character and I enjoyed learning more about her life and how she came to live at Elm Creek Manor.

Slyvia's Mother's New York Beauty Quilt from the author's website

The Runaway Quilt (Elm Creek Quilts #4) by Jennifer Chiaverini (audio)

★★★★

The fourth book in the Elm Creek Quilts series focus's on Sylvia's search for information about her family's history.  When she finds an old journal and quilt in the attic of Elm Creek Manor, readers are taken back to the time of the Civil War and learn how Sylvia's ancestor's became one of the greatest horse breeders of the era.  I loved the historical aspects of this novel and was completely absorbed in the story.  The book includes lots of detail, history, stories of family, friendship, and trial - and, of course, plenty of quilting!   I was surprised by the unique ending to the book and also enjoyed learning a bit more about Sylvia and Andrew and their relationship as they travel.

The Runaway Quilt from the author's website

The Cross-Country Quilters (Elm Creek Quilts #3) by Jennifer Chiaverini (audio)

★★★

This novel, the third in Chiaverini's Elm Quilt Series, is a bit different than the first two books.  I tells the stories for five different characters - Grace, Julie, Donna, Megan, and Vinnie - that meet at the Elm Creek Quilt camp for a week of quilting away from their busy lives.  Each women is struggling with some aspect of their lives - whether it be motherhood, their health or keeping up with their career.  The women form a strong bond of friendship that lasts them long after the week at quilt camp ends.  They decide to make a challenge quilt - a project that they all agree to start after they have addressed a problem in their lives.  The novel follows the five women through the next year and concludes with a reunion at quilt camp a year later.  

The book was a little slow at the beginning and very predictable, but I generally enjoyed it.  I missed hearing more about the original Elm Creek quilters, but it was interesting to hear about the quilt camp from the perspective of actual campers - and some original characters did make a few appearances throughout the book.

Challenge Quilt from the author's website

Round Robin (Elm Creek Quilts #2) by Jennifer Chiaverini (audio)

★★★ 1/2

The second books in the Elm Creek Quilts series follows the Elm Creek Quilters - Sarah, Sylvia, Angus, Diane, Bonnie, Gwen, Summer, and Judy - as the continue to follow their dream of hosting a weekly quilting camp at Sylvia's home.  The group plans to make a round robin quilt to for Sylvia to hang in the front entrance of the Elm Creek Manor.  As they pass around the quilt and add to it, readers learn more about the lesser known characters as they struggle with family, marriage, careers, and friendships.

I generally enjoyed learning more about each of the characters that were mentioned briefly in the first book in the series.  It wasn't quite as interesting as the first book, but I loved learning more about quilting and how quilt camp was run.  Another easy read by Chiaverini.

Round Robin quilt from the author's website

The Quilter's Apprentice (Elm Creek Quilts #1) by Jennifer Chiaverini (audio)

★★★★

"Sometimes the most ordinary things are the ones we learn to miss the most."

When Sarah McClure moves to the small college town of Waterford, Pennsylvania for her husband Matt's job, she struggles to find a job and a life of her own.  While looking to find work, she agrees to temporarily help seventy-five-year old Sylvia Compson get her estate, Elm Creek Manor, ready to sell.  Sylvia is a bit offsetting at first, but the two become friends and Sylvia teachers Sarah to quilt and slowly tells her the story of her family's troubled past that left the manor in disgrace during World War II.  Sarah also meets some other local quilters and attends their weekly quilting meetings. When Sarah learns the truth about the manor's sale, she is determined to find a way to keep Sylvia and the manor in Waterford.

The Elm Creek Quilt novels is one of those series that I kept hearing about but never got the chance to read.  There are a lot of books in the series - 20 in all - and that's a big commitment.  I read Chiaverini's The Spymistress a few months ago and didn't really like it.  My usual rule before I give up on an author is three books, so I was still determined to give this book a try.  I checked it out on playaway from my library and had every intention of just listening to the first one and calling it a day.  I ended up getting completely sucked in and am currently on the sixth book after a little over a month - and counting.

This book (and series) is exactly what I needed.  After reading a lot of heavier books lately, The Quilter's Apprentice was the perfect contrast.  It was a quick read and, to be honest, the book was fairly predictable.  There wasn't a whole lot to the storyline, but the characters were so charming that I couldn't stop reading and routing for the ending - even though it was to wrapped up in a way-to-perfect package.  I enjoyed the contemporary storyline, but what really kept my interest was Sylvia's tragic story of her family's past.  I also loved the focus of quilting throughout the novel.  Sarah's quilting lessons with Sylvia and the making of a quilt sampler provided a great introduction to the intriguing and complex world of quilting.  Now I need to learn how to quilt.  I will report back soon on my progress - hopefully soon!

Sarah's Sampler quilt from the author's webiste