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    The Avalon Ladies Scrapbooking Society
    The Avalon Ladies Scrapbooking Society
    The Avalon Ladies Scrapbooking Society
    Audiobook14 hours

    The Avalon Ladies Scrapbooking Society

    Written by Darien Gee

    Narrated by Tanya Eby

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    At Madeline's Tea Salon, the cozy hub of the Avalon community, local residents scrapbook their memories and make new ones. But across town, other Avalonians are struggling to free themselves of the past: Isabel Kidd is fixing up her ramshackle house while sorting through the complications of her late husband's affair. Ava Catalina is mourning the love of her life and helping her young son grow up without his father. Local plumber Yvonne Tate is smart, beautiful, and new to Avalon, but finds that despite a decade of living life on her own terms, the past has a way of catching up-no matter where she goes. And Frances Latham, mother to a boisterous brood of boys, eagerly anticipates the arrival of a little girl from China-unprepared for the emotional roller coaster of foreign adoption.

    Enter Bettie Shelton, the irascible founder of the Avalon Ladies Scrapbooking Society. Under Bettie's guidance, even the most reluctant of Avalon's residents come to terms with their past and make bold decisions about their future. But when the group receives unexpected news about their steadfast leader, they must pull together to create something truly memorable.

    By turns humorous, wise, and deeply moving, The Avalon Ladies Scrapbooking Society is a luminous reminder that the things we hold most dear will last a lifetime.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTantor Media, Inc
    Release dateApr 8, 2013
    ISBN9781452682570
    The Avalon Ladies Scrapbooking Society

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    Reviews for The Avalon Ladies Scrapbooking Society

    4/5

    29 ratings28 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Last year I read Darien Gee's charming debut novelFriendship Bread, where the simple anonymous gift of Amish Friendship Bread starter unexpectedly unites three women, Julia, Hannah and Madeline together in friendship, and a community in time of crisis. The Avalon Ladies Scrapbooking Society resurrects the small Illinois town and it's residents in this independent sequel.Just as with friendship Bread, this novel is a celebration of friendship, family and community. While familiar characters wander in and out of the frame, this story features a new cast of women. Isabelle is is still wallowing in bitterness and misery after her husband left her for his dental assistant. His death just a few months later left Ava, the aforementioned dental assistant, to struggle alone as a single mother to their son. Yvonne has just moved to Avalon, determined to make a success of her plumbing business having turned her back on her family's wealth and power long ago. Frances is joyfully waiting for the day their daughter, a toddler from China, can finally join their family only to be devastated by a setback in the process. As these women struggle to leave their past behind and reimagine their futures, they are drawn together by Bettie, a long time resident of the town and the president of the Avalon Ladies Scrapbooking Society who reminds them that each moment of the present is precious.I think it helps to be familiar with Friendship Bread before embarking on this follow up, though it isn't strictly necessary. The large cast of characters can be a little overwhelming initially but the distinct personalities and issues amongst the women featured quickly emerge. The plot is not entirely predictable though it's progression is not unexpected as the characters cycle through emotional highs and lows. The pace is leisurely but as you take the townspeople into your heart you will find yourself reluctant to put the book down.Written with heart, humor and simple wisdom, The Avalon Ladies Scrapbooking Society is a sweetly engaging novel. And as a bonus you will find delicious recipes in the last few pages - I am determined to try Madeline's Apple Dumplings with lemonade!
    • 5/5
      Read from April 30 to May 01, 2013Read/Listened for Review (Edelweiss /Tantor)Overall Rating 4.50Story Rating 4.25Character Rating 4.75Audio Rating 3.50 (not part of the overall rating)First Thought when Finished: I really enjoyed revisiting Avalon and learning about a whole new set of women in the town! Also, loved seeing some old familiar faces.Speed Date ReviewFirst Date: Stepping back into the town of Avalon made me feel like I had gone visiting old friends. The town is wonderfully simple while they people that live there are complex. I loved scrapbooking being the center of the story for this one!Second Date: Wayward goats, bottle cap jewelry, starter packs, and even some friendship bread makes this book feel really homey. The characters are all going through some really tough things (some brought on themselves) and there are a few I want to hug, a few I want to be snotty with, and one that I think is going to break my heart!Third Date: I loved how everything came together in the end. Was it perfect? No! Was it a work in progress (like life)? YES! I will say that Bettie's storyline is the one that hit me hardest because my grandmother went through the same thing. It was tough to read and pulled at my emotional heartstrings!Audio Date: Narrated by Tanya Eby /Running Time 14 hrs and 16 minsI love Tanya's female voices! I have listened to her do several audiobooks. Her pacing is wonderful, her emotions pitch perfect, and her rhythms spot on. I would say the only thing that gets me with her are the male voices but in this book those were few and far between. Overall, I really enjoyed this one on audio!Relationship Status: Still going strong after 2 books! This is one of the few women's fiction series that I adore.
    • 5/5
      This book brings us back to Avalon IL, and our friends from Friendship Bread and Madeline's Tea Room. How great to be able to spend time again with these remarkable women. We also meet some of the other residents of this great town.Bette has done with scrap booking what friendship bread did for the community in the last book. Although, loaves of this amazing starter keep showing up.Bette is an awesome, sweet, elderly lady, that runs a scrap booking business. She is suffering from a form of dementia, and the sweet soul is actually quite funny. She gives away a lot of her supplies, and makes each and everyone feel special. She has been gifted with a talent to help one find their inner self.Isabelle is Bette's neighbor, and don't think she ever knew when and where Bette would appear. We find a gruff exterior in Isabelle as the book opens, but I never expected what would happen.Madeline is still running the tea shop, and Connie still lives with her, now including a goat named Serena...keeping them on their toes!This story comes at you from a lot of directions, some have lost love ones because of deceit, others from divorce, and others from death. We have couple of stories of adoption, and the heart ache both good and bad that comes with it. We enjoy life with adorable Max, a precocious three year old!Don't miss this one, would recommend you read the first book, but this can stand alone. We end with an epilogue, which I loved! Also included are some great tips for Scrap Booking, and then some recipes that were used in the book!!I received this book through Net Galley and Random House Publishing, and was not required to give a positive review.
    • 4/5
      3-1/2 StarsI really enjoyed the small town atmosphere of Avalon and the quirky characters. Though this book is not fast paced and at times a bit too slow.... overall it was a very enjoyable read. I'm a mood reader and there are times when I prefer a slower paced book over a fast paced thriller. My only complaint was there seemed to be too many characters introduced all at once. I had a difficult time keeping everyone straight during the first half. I haven't read the first book in this series, 'Friendship Bread'; so perhaps it would have helped if I had read it first and already been introduced to some of the characters. Once I had the all the characters sorted out and could keep them straight, I found myself drawn into their lives and I hated to see the book end.
    • 4/5
      Author Darien Gee has assembled a broad cast of characters in "The Avalon Ladies Scrapbooking Society." But, Bettie Shelton, the town scrapbooking maven, brings them all together. Though a bit abrasive, Bettie believes everyone should scrapbook to create lasting family memories.Many of the characters of Gee's "Friendship Bread" return in this novel. I think readers should probably read "Friendship Bread" first as Gee jumps right in with lots of characters. "The Avalon Ladies Scrapbooking Society" is a heart-warming tale of friendship, food and scrapbooking. I will definitely be reading more of Gee's work.
    • 5/5
      As a fan of Ms. Gee’s first book ‘Friendship Bread’ as well as being a scrapbooker, I knew that this would be the perfect book for me to read. I was so right! As soon as I opened up this book I was immediately taken back to the small town of Avalon and to the wonderful and interesting people that live there. Just like in real life everyone there has their own unique voice and story. Not everyone has a happy life and nor do they make the right choices but with this kind of novel you get a chance to see why people do what they do. How love and friendship is so important to us all. Why showing kindness to someone my just change their life. This book can be read as a standalone but I do recommend that you read ‘Friendship Bread’ first. Some of the characters that are in the first book are in this one and I feel it would deepen your love for them if you know and understand what their background story is. If you happen to pick this one up first don’t worry, just enjoy!
    • 3/5
      Bettie Shelton is determined that anything wrong in a person's life can be fixed by making a unique personal scrapbook. She tricks some of the people into doing just what she wants all the while smiling as if keeping a secret. And, the secret is that she is slowly losing touch with reality due to vascular dementia. It isn't until several characters in the book notice her doing odd things (naked on her front porch, burning down her house) that they all begin to really worry about her. I have not read the previous book, so at least each of these characters were introduced. You know somehow they are all going to tie in together somehow. Scrapbooks seem to be a way to help Bettie remember the past, and the other characters to figure out the present and future.
    • 4/5
      Darien Gee revisits the town of Avalon in her follow-up to Friendship Bread but this time takes the action out of the kitchen. In The Avalon Ladies Scrapbooking Society,self appointed busybody Bettie Shelton actively encourages her friends,neighbors and anyone she happens to run into to join in her scrapbook club.This group and their involved hobby includes Yvonne,a plumber with a heartbroken past,Isobel,a widow still not over the adultery of her late husband and Frances,a mother of a pack of boys who longs to adopt a baby girl with health problems. These ladies and many others find a renewed interest in life,not to mention some new friendships along the way.Even if,like me,you haven't read Friendship Bread yet,this charming novel will entice you into it's engaging world. Thanks to Library Thing,I'm enjoying ALSS right now and getting convinced that just about any experience can make for acceptable scrapbook material.
    • 4/5
      “Scrapbooking” is an active hobby, with several million women in the United States and worldwide participating. Not only does it have sentimental appeal, it is driven commercially.Clubs have formed, where women come together to share ideas, exchange opinions, also supporting each other in other ways. In some ways, it is like the quilting bees of past generations.In this heartwarming book, Bettie of Avalon, Illinois, starts a “scrapbooking society”. Her goal is to form a women’s group of common bonds and interests, while preserving memories.The women who join the scrapbooking club however, may have other things that lead them there. Yvonne has a past that is chasing her. Ava Catalina is a single mother still in mourning. Frances is a young mother of boys, trying to adopt a foreign-born daughter. Isabel is trying to fix a past, including her that of her late father.Together, with the obvious help of Bettie, each woman finds the courage and support to deal with past and create a future. When tragedy strikes, the group must pull together creating some very unexpected, special things.This novel reminds us of the importance of preserving memories, and also of making them. This is a beautiful novel of friendship.
    • 4/5
      I loved 'The Avalon Ladies Scrapbooking Society by Darien Gee. I was so happy to go back to the little town of Avalon, Illinois, the town that the Friendship Bread was centered on. If Darien writes a third book based in this town, I know that I definitely invite myself back for more stories of families and friends. I really like having the familiar characters developed even more and reading the poignant story of a nosy but friendly woman, Bettie Shelton, the founder of the society. In this book, she starts suffering from a dementia that has similarities to Alzheimer’s disease. She has no relatives. What will become her? How will Avalon deal with this? Each character in this book has a story to discover just like in real life and when you read about them you feel almost like you are reading about your own relatives. I advise reading Friendship Bread first as many of the characters continue on in this book. Also there are new characters to meet and it may seem like too many characters to keep track of first but just hang on until you get immersed into the story. If you are like me, you won't want to lay this book down at all.I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading about friends and family. I enjoyed reading this story immensely.I received this book from the Amazon Vine Program and that in now way influenced my review.
    • 4/5
      Fan's of Debbie Macomber's Blossom Street series are sure to enjoy The Avalon Ladies Scrapbooking Society. I loved getting to know the people of Avalon and the book certainly centers on individuals and how their stories impact those around them. I was a little concerned when I started reading that I would feel that I was missing pieces of the story because I haven't read Friendship Bread but that wasn't the case at all. I was given exactly enough detail about each character and their history to become immersed in their current story line. I loved the between the chapters sections that gave us even more details about characters who weren't the focus of this book but had a smaller role to play in influencing events.I do not scrapbook but the way Bettie describes scrapbooking makes me want to start! The scrapbooking wasn't the focus of the story but gave the women a reason to gather and share the events of their lives. Gee included enough scrapbooking detail and terminology for an authentic experience but not so much that it is overwhelming to people like me.I greatly enjoyed The Avalon Ladies Scrapbooking Society and look forward to reading Friendship Bread. I hope Gee plans to return to Avalon in the future as there are certainly many more stories to be told.
    • 4/5
      I also read "Friendship Bread" and really enjoyed it, so I was looking forward to reading "The Avalon Ladies Scrapbooking Society. It is about a group of ladies who scrapbook together. We learn about several women in the group who are led by the eccentric Bettie. All the ladies are struggling with different things but they work it all out together and come up with some great solutions.I enjoyed the book and the story, but there are alot of characters and stories to keep up with. I really liked Yvonne. I felt for Isabel and and Ava and understood their complicated relationship. A very warm story, very enjoyable.
    • 4/5
      This might be the only book with a kidnapped goat, a female plumber, an out of country adoption, a naked gardener, an unexpected house fire, a busy tea salon, and scrapbooking. Somehow it all adds up to a wonderful story with characters that you could picture as your own friends. I am looking forward to the next one by Gee. The recipes and scrapbooking tips were a nice added bonus.
    • 3/5
      I was lucky enough to win an ARC. I loved the characters, especially Bette, and all the storylines all wove together well. I enjoyed reading this and appreciate the chance to read it.
    • 5/5
      I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I loved seeing how the characters developed as individuals and as a group. I look forward to reading more books by this author, Darien Gee. I will definitely be recommending this book to all my fellow readers, i even plan on trying some of the recipes included.
    • 4/5
      This story takes place in the town of Avalon. The characters are quirky and all joined together in some way by Bettie Shelton and avid scrapbooker or keeper of memories. For the most part I enjoyed this book. I did feel there were a lot of characters to keep sorted out at first. I enjoyed Yvonne, Isabel, and Ava the most and found myself wanting to skip ahead to see what was happening with them instead of reading the rest of the book. I am going to recommend this book to some friends I know who will enjoy it.
    • 3/5
      I find these kinds of books kind of boring at times. It wasn't that the stories were disinteresting, rather that when you are following so many connected stories, you never truly relate to one character. Some of the characters were a bit shallow but this is one for a pool side read. I ended up skipping the last few chapters, I needed to return the book to the library and I wasn't so involved that I felt the need to find out what happened in the end. The most interesting part of the book was the way scrapbooking was used to bring all of the characters together and served to tie in the theme of friendship and love.
    • 4/5
      In the little town of Avalon, there are all kinds of stories living out their lives, and one lady seems to bump into them all- Bettie, the head of the Scrapbooking Society. She seems to manipulate and cajole everyone into her meetings and they find a place for their memories. Over the course of the book, several individual story lines weave in and out and create a beautiful novel. The emotional balance of the book is touching, but light and there's something for everyone. I look forward to reading more from Gee. I received this book as an early reviewer.
    • 5/5
      Author Darien Gee continues her tales from Avalon, Illinois that she began in her book Friendship Bread. Some of the same characters appear in both books. This book covers a gamut of issues and situations, from a lost goat to vascular dementia to international adoption of special needs children. The book has very humorous moments throughout as well as a few tear-jerking ones, too. Only one thing bothers me a bit about these books, and it is that they are written in third-person singular. It takes me about 200 pages or so to get used to hearing that voice constantly. After that, I'm fine with it, but up to that point I find it a bit annoying. It is certainly a distinctive writing style for the author, but I'm just as glad that other authors choose not to use it on a regular basis. Anyway, pick this up for a look at small-town life in modern American. Enjoy your trip!
    • 5/5
      The Avalon Ladies Scrapbooking Society by Darien Gee is a story that sticks with you long after you’ve finished the last page. Even if you haven’t read Friendship Bread you can jump right into this story and get to know the residents of Avalon Gee spotlights in this book. If you love to scrapbook you will appreciate the way the love for the craft is woven throughout the book and how it helps create memories and a community.
    • 4/5
      The ladies of Avalon, IL are all dealing with their own particular concerns, but they all come together when resident Bettie Shelton, the local scrapbooking Queen, runs into trouble. I should not have liked this book. It was everything I turn my nose up at: present tense voices, happy endings for everyone, a scrapbooking party line (don't get me wrong; I like to scrapbook. But I don't think scrapbooking and Amish Friendship Bread will solve the world's problems). But I did like it. It was well-written, the characters were (mostly) likeable, there was genuine drama and human interest. So for me, it maybe rates lower, but if you're a fan of these kinds of books, I suspect you will love it.
    • 5/5
      Author Darien Gee continues her tales from Avalon, Illinois that she began in her book Friendship Bread. Some of the same characters appear in both books. This book covers a gamut of issues and situations, from a lost goat to vascular dementia to international adoption of special needs children. The book has very humorous moments throughout as well as a few tear-jerking ones, too. Only one thing bothers me a bit about these books, and it is that they are written in third-person singular. It takes me about 200 pages or so to get used to hearing that voice constantly. After that, I'm fine with it, but up to that point I find it a bit annoying. It is certainly a distinctive writing style for the author, but I'm just as glad that other authors choose not to use it on a regular basis. Anyway, pick this up for a look at small-town life in modern American. Enjoy your trip!
    • 3/5
      I'll begin this by saying I received an unsolicited review copy of this novel in the mail. As soon as I saw it, I knew it was something I would never have picked up on my own, but since it fell in to my hands, so to speak, I decided to go ahead and read it. The Avalon Ladies Scrapbooking Society is about a group of women living in the small town of Avalon, Illinois. The book loosely centers around 77-year-old Bettie, who runs a scrapbooking club. The plot describes the ups and downs and friendships formed among the club members. The characters, I must say, were not particularly believable, and their actions often left me saying, "Really?" For example, next door neighbor Isabel does not like Bettie. When Bettie has a plumbing emergency, she commandeers Isabel's entire home and schedules a scrapbook club meeting there. Isabel returns home in the evening surprised to find a house full of uninvited scrapbookers, asks them to leave, and they ignore her. So Isabel rolls her eyes, sits down, and just waits for the meeting to end. Really? There's also Isabel's relationship with Ava. Ava has an affair with Isabel's husband, Bill, and becomes pregnant. Just before Bill leaves Isabel to marry Ava, he dies in a car crash. In the following four years, although Ava is a lovely person, she hadn't made a single friend in town and she longs to be best buddies with Isabel. Really? As you can see, I found the book a little silly. Darien Gee's writing is competent, however, so the book is easy to read. The endings are predictable but happy, every single young woman finds herself a man, and if you like Romance novels and are looking for a mindless beach read, this may just be the ticket.
    • 4/5
      This story returns us to the lovely town of Avalon, Illinois. Once again we can sip tea and eat Friendship bread at Madeline's tea salon. There are familiar faces in town, and some we don't know. Yvonne, a beautiful, young woman with a plumber's license is trying to get her business going. Isabel, a widow, who is still reeling from the misadventures of her husband. Frances, the mother of a bunch of boys who is hoping to adopt a daughter from China. And Bettie, the head of the Avalon Ladies Scrapbooking Society and town busybody. By being drawn into the scrapbooking by Bettie, these women become interconnected and their personal stories revealed. And they begin to find out that their lives are about to change. Ms. Gee writes a warm story in the tradition of Debbie Macomber. The character become your friends and you become a part of the community. I look forward to more stories from her.
    • 4/5
      Darien Gee has a wonderful ability to tell a story that sticks with you long after you are finished reading. The Avalon Ladies Scrapbooking Society follows the residents of Avalon, Illinois. I read Ms. Gee's first book Friendship Bread and was glad to see she used the same small town that was followed in that book. While the books can be read independently of one another I do recommend picking up the other sometime, as it gives more history on some of the residents. This story was not one I cold rush through and I found places that got a bit confusing with so many characters to follow. At times I felt like the book didn't have to be quite so long or so full of character detail, but as I got further and further I realized that I needed that level of detail to bring the story to life in my own imagination. I slowly became invested in several characters and their journey's. I loved the way a community came together to support a long time resident. I am not a scrapbooker, but the book is more about memories and everyone has those, both good and bad. The story follows Bettie Shelton, the town busybody. Each resident has a memory of something Bettie has done to or for them, but it takes something bad happening for them to realize just how much Bettie has done for everyone in the town. I gave the book 3 1/2 stars because the story was good, but a little long.
    • 3/5
      A pleasant read about some of the female residents in Avalon, Illinois. All of the main characters' story lines have one charater in common; Bettie Shelton, the town fussbudget who is the self proclaimed president of the Avalon Scrapbooking Society. Bettie, in her abrasive and meddling way gets people involved in preserving memories through scrapbooking. Over the years, Bettie has touched many lives and when her life starts to spin out of control, the town rallies around her to help her preserve her past.The beginning of the book felt a little choppy as character after character was introduced. It all started to sort itself out in no time as I got more invested in the individual lives of each main character. The themes of friendship, family and memory preservation were well done and I enjoyed the book.
    • 4/5
      Another outing with the ladies of Avalon, Illinois. Darien Gee’s books are chick lit at its most charming. Getting to know her ladies is a pleasure. I look forward to more from this author.
    • 3/5
      Bettie Shelton, president of the Avalon Scrapbooking Society, takes an interest in everyone's life in Avalon IL. She will order people who are not interested in participating in scrapbooking to come to meetings, host meetings, pick up supplies. Other characters in this novel, are somewhat one dimensional or placed in the scenario for a specific purpose. The Tea shop which hosts several events has an owner and manager that also kowtow to Bettie's demands while at the same time as they are handling their own emotional issues. But Bettie is the central character who supposedly ties everyone together but the connection often falls short.When I started this book I saw many similarities between this book and Laura Childs Tea Shoppe mysteries and Scrapbooking mysteries. However, the comparison is not favorable to ALSS. There is no flow that takes the reader from one character's tale and back again even though Bettie is the link. The relationships appear very disjointed and contrived.