What is Throwback Thursday?

I’ve noticed several of these meme on a few book blogs. For example, Susan Loves Books does one, which is (or was originally) hosted by Renee@It’s Book Talk. I also noticed that another fellow blogger, Lorrea @ What ‘Cha Readin’?, was doing this as a monthly meme for her blog. Then there’s Reading Maria who is doing something called “Last Year I Was Reading” where she compares what she’s reading now to what she read a year ago. Finally, recently I noticed that Susan Osborn over at A Life in Books is doing a series of posts called “Blasts from the Past“. In most instances, they use this to share one of their favorite reads or older reviews. Lorrea is doing it for books she enjoyed over the last decade. I also just noticed that Lisa @ Bookshelf Fantasies was doing what she calls Flashback Friday, and I hope she’s still doing them! UPDATE: another blogger, Kristin Craves Books just started what she calls #ThrowbookThursday, which I thought would be about books I’d like to throw against the wall, but is actually just back list books! There’s also Susan @ A Life In Books, with her Blast from the Past posts, which are reviews of books read and loved, from before she started blogging.

I really like all of these ideas and am essentially stealing it from ALL of them, but with my own twists.

My Twists/Instructions:

• The Chocolate Lady’s #ThrowbackThursday takes place on the Thursday before the first Saturday of every month (i.e., the Thursday before my monthly #6Degrees post).
• My posts will highlight one of my previously published book reviews, and I encourage other participants to do the same.
• If you want to participate but have a new blog that doesn’t have old reviews to highlight, you are encouraged to write a post about anything old that strikes your fancy!
• If you want to tweet or share this post, or someone else’s post, or the reviews being highlighted, please use #ThrowbackThursday!
• Please add the link to your post to the link party, below.
• Please link back to this page on your post.

So… with no further ado, I give you…

The Chocolate Lady’s Throwback Thursday Book Review #35

The Eves of Winter Stories

My Book Review for “A Snow Garden & Other Stories” by Rachel Joyce.

Well, it is the new year, and that means people in the northern hemisphere are in the middle of winter. That’s what made me think of this book!

My review starts thusly: “In this collection, Rachel Joyce connects seven stories spanning from just before Christmas Eve through New Year’s Eve. Joyce not only arranges these tales chronologically, she also links them with other elements. The stories here are:

• Faraway Smell of Lemon – Binny wasn’t interested in preparing for Christmas when she steps into a shop to avoid one of her neighbors (reviewed previously, here).
• The Marriage Manual – where the perfect couple assembles their son’s new bicycle as their marriage falls apart.
• Christmas Day at the Airport – chaos ensues when the computers go down at the airport and a woman goes into early labor.
• The Boxing Day Ball – set in the 1960s, Maureen steps out and finds herself on her way towards her own future
• A Snow Garden – Henry is still fragile after his breakdown, but insists he’s ready to take care of his teenage boys while his ex-wife is away on vacation.
• I’ll be Home for Christmas – Sylvia’s son comes back to his humble home for a short break from his hectic life of stardom.
• Trees – on New Year’s Eve, Oliver’s father insists on planting trees in strategic spots.

Click here to read the rest of this review!

If you like this idea, and want to do your own Throwback Thursday post, please put the link in the comments below.

If you have your own Throwback Thursday or any other type of nostalgia post, you can let me know about your blog post in this link party below. (You can also just post a link to an old review you want us to look at, without making a separate post.) I’ll keep this link party open until my next #ThrowbackThursday post (scheduled for February 2, 2023).