I was quite disappointed by this book. I had seen the film a long time ago, and remembered I liked it very much. So, naturally, I assumed I would like the book as well, if not even more so since that is usually the way things go with me. And, let's face it, how can a book revolving around chocolate not be good? I wanted to like this book SO BAD! But unfortunately, it just didn't do it for me. Maybe my expectations were too high, or maybe I just wasn't in the right mood for this story, but I just feel that it was kind of a meh read.

Of course, there were some positives to it. Some of the characters were designed quite well, which made them really interesting to follow. Vianne, in particular, is very engaging and I really liked the fact that she was haunted by her past yet was willing to move forward from it, to fight her personal demons for her daughter's sake. She's a smart, funny and independent woman, and just the kind of character I wish I could be friends with. Seriously, she knows what you're feeling just by looking at you, always knows how to make you feel better and makes incredible chocolate treats! I also liked the fact that the book alternated the POV of Vianne and Reynaud in the narration, as it helped me to understand them more, as well as the reasons behind their behaviour.

Yet, I still had serious difficulties in being fully invested in the story. Both these characters had some pretty bad experiences in the past which seriously affected the way they behave. While at the beginning I was really curious and eager to find out all about the characters' backstory, the events were introduced very vaguely and confusedly referenced so many times throughout the book, that when the big revelations finally came, I just no longer cared about them. I had also serious difficulties in really bringing myself to care about any of the other characters. I couldn't quite point to one single factor, but there was something that just made them not work for me.

I might try to re-read this book at some point in the future to see if my feelings towards it change, but for now I'll just make up for my sadness with A LOT of chocolate.

Originally posted on Book For Thought. ( )

Chocolat is, on the surface, about tempatation but is more about need.[return][return]Vianne arrives in a french village, opening up her decadant Chocolatierie just as Lent is beginning, much to the annoyance of the local parish priest, who is attempting to preach about sacrifice and penance.[return][return]However Vianne has a knack of knowing what people need even if they dont necessarily want it - so ensuring that the grandmother is in the sho when her grandson (who she hasnt see in ages due to be estranged from the boy's mother) arrives to do drawing; playing a little matchmaking between to village elders; making an abusive husband mend his ways to ensure that his wife returns (with a little help from the priest). Meanwhile she is attempting to escape her past, something made more difficult by the arrival of the travellers on the edge of town...[return][return]The book has a "lost in time" or old world feel, so that I thought it had been set in the 1950s. However, the sequel "The lollipop shoes" is set very much in the present day (with many of the same characters), so placing it very much in a time and space. I think I preferred Chocolat in not having a specified timeframe, thereby adding to the mysticism..

I thought i’d take a break away from the Vic Lit and dive into something a little more contemporary, and i wasn’t disappointed.

This one has only been sat in the ‘To Read’ folder for just 4 months, so it’s jumped the queue by quite a bit (the other books will undoubtedly be feeling a little annoyed). Someone posted a review of this on Instagram and i took that as a message that it was time to read it – can you think of a better way of choosing what to read next when you’re looking through your ever expanding ‘To Read’ folder?

So yeah, where to start with a review. Well, the obvious one is, don’t read this if you’re a devout catholic. There’s a fair bit of catholic bashing in this book – which one might say is well deserved.

Mostly, this book is a criticism of the old ways of the catholic church and the sanctimonious, holier than though hypocrites, who sit in self appointed, holy judgement over us heathens. And i must say, Joanne does a wonderful job of it, and some might say, a much needed job considering the recent past.

All in all, a delightful story set in a small French village whose inhabitants were in desperate need of some good chocolate and an alternative view on life, other than the miserable one being suffered at the behest of aforementioned, sanctimonious crowd and their church and priest. And what better way of telling that story than setting up a chocolaterie directly opposite the parish church in the centre of the village.

I especially enjoyed the way Joanne alternates throughout between 2 completely separate protagonists’ narratives from 2 very different opposing protagonists, the chocolatier and the priest, and she makes that work really well, although it does make you pause a little when they swap over on occasion.

At the end though, am i going to read the next books in this series? As soon as Bookbub tells me they’re on a good deal at Amazon i’ll definitely be adding them to my ever expanding ‘To Read’ pile. What hope is there when i read a book off my ‘To Read’ pile and all it does is inspire me to add more books to it?

Did the book inspire to consume more cocoa products? No, i already consume too much already. #chocolatelove

Too many good writers and never enough reading time – or chocolate. All good fun though! 😀 ( )

BOOK MADE INTO THE FILM . A LOT OF FUN.

The thing I like most about this book is the style in which it's written. It would be hard to tell if you'll like it or not in advance; but I would strongly recommend getting a copy and trying the first few chapters.

If you are familiar with the film, the book is sufficiently familiar to be comfortable, yet tells a story distinct enough to make it worth the read. ( )