I discovered your WONDERFUL channel yesterday and I ABSOLUTELY love it, not to mention your book club, of course I am looking forward to joining next discussion meeting!! You and your mum are a JOY!!! Thank you for your delicate and marvellous videos, in this time you two and your videos (including the sweet readers who participate in the discussions) are like a peaceful retreat in a chaotic world. God bless you!!!!!!
Hi Miranda! I listened to the Diary of a Provincial Lady vlog and ordered a copy of the book minutes afterwards! What a wonderful diary! I could relate to the bulbs she was hoping would bloom. A dear friend of mine always gifts me with an Amaryllis bulbs which is supposed to bloom at Christmas...and they never do 😢! Thank you for making the Comfort Club possible, along with your great choice of books!
Hi Miranda and Donna, thank you for another lovely discussion about the Comfort Book Club choice. Donna your new hair cut looks so pretty. I love how Delafield perfectly captures children and one of my favourite passages is when Robin, Henry and Vicky appear playing dressing up and Vicky is clad in nothing but a small pair of green silk knickerbockers wearing Jahsper's black felt hat (the addition of that H is pure genius) but my most favourite description is when Henry and a Pankerton nephew (Noah/Noel) are outside the Post Office and are kicking one another's shins because when I'm faced with horrid people I often imagine myself as Henry and dealing them a few kicks on their shins!! I thoroughly enjoyed hearing your viewers recordings and am looking forward to more Comfort Book Club reads with you. Happy reading, Teresa 🦵📚
I love those descriptions too, Teresa! Yes, I so agree the addition of the ‘h’ is brilliant and I too love the way she writes children. Thank you for your lovely comment!
I just love your Comfort Book Club reviews. I actually have book on order which I am expecting next week. Both of you look lovely, but Donna's new hair cut is just lovely and so becoming. I love when you chat and laugh, and your comments and generosity.
Another lovely meeting of The Comfort Book Club.I have read Diary of a Provincial Lady many times it always transports me to a different place and time funny smart a joy to read.Loved hearing you both talk about it and looking forward to reading your new selections.📚💕
This was such a fun read and wonderful discussion--thank you! I adore the inner monologues, how they highlight, with such accuracy and humor, the tension between your essential and your social selves. And they draw the reader in like a confidante and friend. You just know that the Provincial Lady would have loved the Comfort Book Club! ❤
I smiled all the way through this Comfort Book Club discussion, thank you so much, Miranda and Donna, I'm sure these videos are a lot of work to produce, but honestly, they really are much appreciated! I so enjoyed re-reading the P Lady, it's hilarious, but never inconsequential, which is I think what makes it so enduring. Looking forward to reading The Country Child, which I purchased after your recommendation, and have not yet read. Now I have a deadline! Always a good prompt. Donna, love your new hairstyle, really flattering and a great length. X
This was such a delightful bookclub! This month I was prepared and enjoyed it with a (generous) slice of leftover Thanksgiving pumpkin pie.:-) Loved, loved, loved this book and am reluctant to return it to the library. I felt such an affection for the Provincial Lady, want Rose as a friend (and would like to take a vacation with them in the south of France) in addition to giving Robert a bit of a "talking to." At the end of the book, when Robert states that the diary is a "waste of time" and the Provincial Lady leaves the decision to "Posterity" - the fact that an online, international book club is reading, enjoying and discussing this book in 2021 - "Posterity" has given it's answer. "Brief Encounter" is a favorite movie of mine, so would like to read "The Way Things Are." Am excited about the next selection of books. Donna, I am glad you are continuing with the book club (and your new haircut is lovely). Hope you both have a fantastic weekend!!
Oh a delicious accompaniment! Thank you so much for your lovely words, Nancy! So glad you enjoyed the book. And feel the same about Robert! Enjoy the weekend xxx
Thank you again for another great book club discussion. I so enjoy spending time with you both, and Donna I love your hairstyle! I'm looking forward to sitting down with you again next month and hope you have lovely rest of your weekend.
Hello Miranda and Donna....Miranda I LOVED “DIARY OF A PROVINCIAL LADY” I laughed out loud so many times...this was my first time reading E.M. DELAFIELD... I look forward to reading more from her,,,I couldn’t resist reading along with the audio which made it so!!!! Fun, one of my favorite entries was July 26th when she was vacationing with Rose in the South of France and attempted to swim to a distant rock with the Viscountess and she says “Long before we are halfway there, I know that I shall never reach it, and hope that Robert’s second wife will be kind to the children,” Miranda tell Donna she’s Adorable, I love her hair cut 🥰...and can we just say that Helen Wills is an awesome name for a cat 🥰😂😂 Thank you so much 😊
Thank you so much, Kiki! So happy you enjoyed the book! I love that scene in France too 😂 I booked my mum in at the hair salon as an early Christmas present (for both of us - my nerves couldn’t take cutting it myself again 😂) and agree she looks gorgeous! Have a wonderful weekend ❤️
This shows the power of the book club as this is a book I would normally walk past in a bookshop so thank you to you and your mum for choosing it! I was surprised how much I enjoyed it but it had me laughing and such a fantastic group of characters. I have recommended it to several friends now. Very much looking forward to the next few choices :)
Thank you both for the insightful and warm discussion. The CBC in drawing readers from far and away together is like a joyful reply to the Provincial Lady herself that this diary is posterity oriented. Best wishes from NZ.
Miranda and Donna, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this little gem of a book! My favorite character has to be "Mademoiselle" and her drop- the-mic comments. There are so many favorite entries. My copy is littered with "LOL" throughout. One that has become stuck in my head is the April 20th entry simply because of Robert's comment that " We are All Making a Great Fuss about Very Little" as measles overtakes the house. This IS my husband, so I had a big chuckle over that. The queries are thought provoking and have aged well. But Valentine's Meat Juice sounds terrifying. Great haircut, Donna!! Miranda, congrats on 10,000 subscribers 🎉 You have built up a very special channel and community. I feel so lucky to have found you by accident about a year ago.
After being busy with Thanksgiving celebrations, I have finally managed to listen to the comfort book club discussion, while ironing, of course, because life is life and servants are scarce ;) It was a treat as usual. Thank you!
I needed a CBC discussion today and this one was wonderful. Donna and Miranda's beauty overflows inside and out. I have to read this book, i mean all the laughter.. that's what i need. I love your mother-daughter friendship, you are so lucky. My mom raised us in that 'modern mother' don't dote on your children. So it's very heart warming to see a mother-daughter friendship like you have! And lucky you have such a deep love of books and reading in common.
This was a wonderful discussion Miranda and Donna. I am loving the Comfort Bool Club so much. I was nodding my head as you were talking about the Provincial Lady - such a funny book. I loved the line where she was talking to the widow and says how nice it must be to be a widow with no children. She clearly loves her family but also has some gentle snarky-ness in her language towards them. I did find the staccato writing style a bit tricky at first, until I settled in with it. I just bought my book on kindle for next month, see you later!
The way you seamlessly weaved in the views of the other readers into the conversation was very expertly done. Haven't read the book, but after listening to this discussion, I plan to. Thank you.
As I read Diary of a Provincial Lady (for the first time) I rolled my eyes and chuckled in equal measure. I agree about illustrations in books - wish there were more. Donna, your hair looks lovely. Thank you both for the discussion.
I loved the group discussion. Jason’s comments were on point. In the book, the appreciation of daily moments made this book an inspiring read. Thank you for a good book choice!! Can’t wait for the next.
Another wonderful book club pick! I enjoyed being able to dip in and out while reading this book. It lends itself to being read for a few minutes here and there. So many bits had me giggling to myself. The Provincial Lady's husband who is so often silent or falling asleep behind the paper reminded me so much of my father! The only difference is instead of the paper it would be a Bible and magnifying glass in hand. I think this is a very good example of how relatable the characters are in this book. I've certainly known some Lady B's! I was convinced this was E.M. Delafield's actual diary until I learned otherwise. I'm so enjoying these discussions and hearing other readers' impressions in the voicemail messages is such a joy. Looking very much forward to next month. Hopefully, I'll be able to carve out some time to watch it on the release day. Much love to you both, Miranda and Donna.
I loved this book! I laughed and chuckled so many times, even when I thought maybe I shouldn’t (the massacre of the innocents)😂 I will reread this I know as well as more from EM Delafield. I am enjoying the books in the Comfort Book Club so much and I’m thrilled with all the new to me authors you’re introducing me to. I love Donna’s hairstyle, it’s so becoming. And the chocolate shape looks delicious 💕
"Answer comes there none" has been my internal answer to internal "queries" ever since reading this book the first time many years ago! Great pick for book club! Thanks!
When I began reading this book I was so disappointed because it had been on my to-read list forever and I was finding it tedious. I wondered if I would have enjoyed it more as it was published originally, in serial form. But the next day I picked it up again and found it delightful and so funny! Was it my own mood that had changed? I like to imagine that my brain mulled it over while I was sleeping and the book itself had cheered up my gloomy subconscious. On behalf of my mental health, thank you so much for selecting Diary of a Provincial Lady and hosting the Comfort Book Club.
I've only just come across your channel today and have been absorbed in your many fine videos for hours. Thank you for sharing your hard work and creativity, your knowledge of literature, your sensibility and delightful attention to detail. I look forward to following your channel.
Fantastic talk about the book, thanks to both of you and the participants, I'm looking forward to reading The Country Child in December. By the way, Donna looks gorgeous with that haircut. You, Miranda, you always are, that's why I don't tell you anything haha.. xxx
I loved the opportunity to re-visit this favourite read, as you and others commented it’s like an old friend. Thanks for the great suggestion, Miranda and Donna. So much to enjoy. I did love the many references to other books and writers, her comment on Orlando made me laugh, even if you don’t share the response to that book, I think we’ve all encountered books that we feel we should like but find ourselves “unfortunately unable to understand any of it”. I was also reading the November chapter of Miss Read’s Village Diary and enjoyed the happy synchronicity of her reference to the Provincial Lady and her comments on husbands: the importance of “a satisfactory banking account and sound teeth”!!
Thoroughly enjoyed re reading The Diary of a Provisional Lady, a real friend that I may have neglected of late but I'm sure she is so forgiving 🥰. Thank you for reminding me what a little gem this book is . Best wishes to you and your mum
This was my first time I read "The Diary of the Provencial Lady and I absolutely enjoyed reading this book. What a lovely book. I have never read a book like this one. It was so funny. Enjoy you day ladies!
This was an enjoyable and comprehensive discussion- there are so many aspects to the life and works of this quietly brilliant and ground-breaking writer, so modestly leading here with wit and self-deprecating charm. I so enjoyed the re-read, and expanding my knowledge by looking at other works, and dipping into the biography. Whatever the delicate state of the family bank account, she is truly a woman of substance! I look forward to Alison Uttley.
It's such a delight seeing the two of you together. I didn't have the chance to read the book, but I am definitely going to, thank you for all of your feedback. I am looking for that specific edition, live those books!
Wonderful book club discussion, Miranda and Donna! I so enjoyed reading Diary of a Provincial Lady this summer and have happy memories of reading some hilarious bits to my daughter (age 23) while we were squished together reading in a hammock in my yard! Thank you for introducing me to this wonderful author! I recently read and loved Dear Mrs Bird and wondered if her use of capitalizing words in certain phrases for emphasis were inspired by E M Delafield; I thought that device really added humor to both books. What do you think? Thank you for this delightful book club! 📚🇬🇧🥰
So glad you enjoyed it, thank you! I always assumed the use of capital letters in phrases in Dear Mrs Bird was to emphasise Emmy’s identity as a journalist and that she Thought In Headlines, but I also agree that there’s definitely a bit of an EM Delafield touch to A J Pearce’s writing - perhaps not a coincidence she has the same style of author name with the first two initials?! 📚❤️
Absolutely loved this book! I think nearly every page made me laugh out loud. Of course it is very much of its time but much is still relevant today. Although we may not have met a member of the aristocracy, I think many of us know a Lady B! One of my favourite extracts is June 23rd (the Tennis Party) which isn’t going well until the guests bond due to their mutual dislike of Lady B and thereafter the Provincial Lady’s tennis dramatically improves! Also loved her speaking tour of the WIs - particularly the stay with Lady Magdalen Crimp! This will certainly be a book I re-read, particularly when I’m in need of something to cheer me up. Hope you both have a lovely weekend 😀
Oh my, ladies, you were torturing me with that delicious dessert. I'm on the treadmill walking while watching. Now I'm so hungry. LOL This was such a joy. Thank you. Also, the flowers in your vase are gorgeous!
I enjoyed this book very much. I made it to the age of 63 before reading it. I had a daughter and son in my second marriage, (plus a son from my first) and although the children were quite different personalities from my children, I still found things in common. With the husband even more so! 😉 Great read; thanks for getting me to pick it up after having that little pocket version on my shelf for a number of years.
I think this book was brilliant. It easily will be in my top reads this year. I laughed a lot with the Provincial Ladys sarcastic thoughts. Her queries were so relatable. Like on February 22nd being asked for good hotel and she wanted to recommend a good dentist instead. Or her hoping that Roberts second wife (when convinced she was going to drown) would be kind to the children. "Query : is this a Judgement? ". My favorite query was on December 16th. So many passages through out the book I could relate to the feelings, the emotions in life's awkward moments. I would have liked to have been her friend. Which says a lot about her writing. Anyways, I loved the discussion. Well done ladies. My very best wishes to you both. 📚💕💕
Thank you for introducing me to more British authors! In the US I can get them as ebooks. Some of the editions I may order from Waterstones. I love that you include titles from Persephone Books. When I was in England 3 years ago, I picked up 5 of their titles. I would love to see you do a video on your favorite Persephone titles.
I can’t believe I have never read this before, especially as it was one of my mother’s favourite books. She was a child in the 1920’s and 30’s in a household very like the provincial ladie’s and so I read this whilst remembering tales of my grandmother’s “ disappearing pearls” which my mother mused “ only ever happened after Mummy’s trips to the city” and her desperate attempts to “ hang onto cook”. What a different world!
Thank you for such a great discussion, Miranda and Donna. I loved it all - from Donna's cameo brooch and new haircut to the cappuccino cream (I'm a tea drinker like you but absolutely love coffee flavoured things and they're getting hard to find! Any chance of the recipe?!) to the discussion about the book itself. I didn't notice the Jane Austen comparison while reading it and have no idea why, as the minute you said this, I thought, "Of course!" It is plain to see. I thought it was hilarious and so interesting to gain insight of that period too. I have the Penguin Modern Classics edition but I didn't read all the diaries. I felt it was too much to read them all in one go, despite enjoying the Provincial Lady so much, but I intend to read the others later. I appreciated all the comments and I am now really looking forward to The Country Child (I loved the Little Grey Rabbit books as a child!). I am also excited about the new choices. I don't know any of them and I'm interested in March's choice as I have all the No 1 Ladies Detective Agency books. I can see a new "must-buy-the-latest-one-as-soon-as-it-comes-out" series on the horizon... Thank you!
Thanks so much, Ruth! We used the Delia Smith recipe which is linked in the description box. I’m happy you’re looking forward to reading along with us in 2022 too. I loved the Little Grey Rabbit as well!
Another great CBC episode, so pleased that your Mum is going to join us again - and her hair looks fabulous! I have to admit that although I am enjoying “The Diary of a Provincial Lady”, it is a book that for me is one to dip into rather than to read as a whole. It could be just my mood right now. I love the Alison Uttley, it is already on a small shelf of seasonal Christmas reads, I’ve never done this before but you’re not an influencer for nothing Miranda!
I know this is 2 years old but I'd like to say how glamorous you both look.❤ I read this a couple of months ago after having it on my shelf for a few years and I loved it. I wish it had been longer.
Congratulations on 10K subscribers. And I love your Mum’s hair-it looks so good. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I think the provincial lady would have despaired in our social media age, she would have posted she was reading the latest Booker winner but was probably reading and loving something much less intellectual.
Although I didn't read along this time I do love this book and it was lovely to listen to yours and other readers thoughts and observations. Love your choices for the next few months. Dinner with Edward has been in my 'waiting to be read books pile' for a few months now, so I am especially looking forward to that one.
My favorite query is the one after she was saved from self perceived certain death (swimming to the rocks),on why she was given a second chance. Such a profound, eternal question after such a hilarious paragraph. Quite a delight to read this book, I kept chuckling while reading, especially to certain observations that are relevant no matter the times or social background. I know French, so I quite enjoyed Mademoiselle' reflections but was wondering if I would have enjoyed them as much if they were in German or any other language. Did it bother readers who are not familiar with French? Donna, please, you need to remain part of this club, you're the one that started it all by influencing young Miranda, and love your new hairstyle. Thank you Miranda for the suggestion, I will be reading the rest in the series and The Way Things Are.
Donna, your hair looks great! I am enjoying your book discussions so much, although my husband has commented as to the number of book deliveries lately. 🙂
I first discovered EM Delafield about three years ago. She is a wonder. I have listened to the audiobooks as well; Georgina Sutton is a highly skilled narrator and brings a lot to the character.
Loving the Comfort Book Club so much, Miranda! Really happy that Donna will be joining again for the next few months. Yay! Rereading The Diary of a Provincial Lady was such a treat and I think I enjoyed it even more the second time. I wish my edition had the amusing illustrations! I think I'll have to get that same edition - those little books are so sweet. I have these editions for my Jane Austen collection. Can't wait to continue with the book club and read more comforting books. Mrs. Miniver is one of my favorites, as well as Miss Buncle's Book. The others sound wonderful, too. Thank you so much, Miranda. Your videos and the book club bring so much happiness to my life! xoxo :D P.S. Donna, your new haircut is so attractive on you! :D
Thanks Gina. Mrs Miniver isn’t one of the Comfort Book Club choices - you may want to rewatch / watch that part of the video. Hope you enjoy the ones we have chosen, though! Xx
I ended up reading this book through our library computer site so I put it on my Kindle and could look up the French phrases as I read along. I couldn't look up the whole phrase but I could look up key words so got an idea of what was being said. We all probably know a Lady B. ( I secretly hope I am not one of them)
I so love this and you ladies are so classy. Thank you for giving RUclips a gift of a channel that is intelligent and lovely to watch. Do you exchange Christmas cards and if so I would love to exchange one with you and your mom?
Your haircut looks so great Donna!
Please tell your mom that her new haircut makes her look so beautiful and younger, even! Love this book club!
Speaking of illustrations in adult books, I love to see a village map inside the cover and a little sketch for each new chapter !
Oh yes, I adore details like that too ❤️
Me too like Milly Molly Mandy Wind in the Willows illustrated by EH Shepherd edition
I discovered your WONDERFUL channel yesterday and I ABSOLUTELY love it, not to mention your book club, of course I am looking forward to joining next discussion meeting!! You and your mum are a JOY!!! Thank you for your delicate and marvellous videos, in this time you two and your videos (including the sweet readers who participate in the discussions) are like a peaceful retreat in a chaotic world. God bless you!!!!!!
Thank you so much for your lovely words! Xxx
@@MirandaMillsOhhh what va wonderful surprise!!! Thank YOU❤️🥰
It’s a lovely channel, so kind, welcoming and relaxing.
Hi Miranda! I listened to the Diary of a Provincial Lady vlog and ordered a copy of the book minutes afterwards! What a wonderful diary! I could relate to the bulbs she was hoping would bloom. A dear friend of mine always gifts me with an Amaryllis bulbs which is supposed to bloom at Christmas...and they never do 😢!
Thank you for making the Comfort Club possible, along with your great choice of books!
I love Donna’s new haircut! I am just getting to watch this. Just love all your videos❤️
So interesting to watch the book club video. Your mother look so pretty, the new hair style is perfect, she looks spectacular!👌❤️❤️❤️
Hi Miranda and Donna, thank you for another lovely discussion about the Comfort Book Club choice. Donna your new hair cut looks so pretty. I love how Delafield perfectly captures children and one of my favourite passages is when Robin, Henry and Vicky appear playing dressing up and Vicky is clad in nothing but a small pair of green silk knickerbockers wearing Jahsper's black felt hat (the addition of that H is pure genius) but my most favourite description is when Henry and a Pankerton nephew (Noah/Noel) are outside the Post Office and are kicking one another's shins because when I'm faced with horrid people I often imagine myself as Henry and dealing them a few kicks on their shins!! I thoroughly enjoyed hearing your viewers recordings and am looking forward to more Comfort Book Club reads with you. Happy reading, Teresa 🦵📚
I love those descriptions too, Teresa! Yes, I so agree the addition of the ‘h’ is brilliant and I too love the way she writes children. Thank you for your lovely comment!
Thank you for the Comfort Book Club discussion, it was lovely to watch and listen and to hear comments from others. best wishes
Thank you very much! So glad you enjoyed it! 😊📚❤️
I just love your Comfort Book Club reviews. I actually have book on order which I am expecting next week. Both of you look lovely, but Donna's new hair cut is just lovely and so becoming. I love when you chat and laugh, and your comments and generosity.
Thanks so much! Hope you enjoy the book when you read it xxx
Another lovely meeting of The Comfort Book Club.I have read Diary of a Provincial Lady many times it always transports me to a different place and time funny smart a joy to read.Loved hearing you both talk about it and looking forward to reading your new selections.📚💕
Thank you very much, Rhonda! So glad you're another Provincial Lady fan! xxx
Has Donna had a new hairdo - looks really lovely! Thanks for reminding me about this wonderful book.
You’re very welcome! It’s such a gem!
This was such a fun read and wonderful discussion--thank you! I adore the inner monologues, how they highlight, with such accuracy and humor, the tension between your essential and your social selves. And they draw the reader in like a confidante and friend. You just know that the Provincial Lady would have loved the Comfort Book Club! ❤
I love to think that she would have enjoyed it, Pamela! Really enjoyed reading your thoughts - thank you ❤️📚
I smiled all the way through this Comfort Book Club discussion, thank you so much, Miranda and Donna, I'm sure these videos are a lot of work to produce, but honestly, they really are much appreciated!
I so enjoyed re-reading the P Lady, it's hilarious, but never inconsequential, which is I think what makes it so enduring.
Looking forward to reading The Country Child, which I purchased after your recommendation, and have not yet read. Now I have a deadline! Always a good prompt.
Donna, love your new hairstyle, really flattering and a great length. X
Thanks so much for your lovely comment, Penny! 😊❤️
This was such a delightful bookclub! This month I was prepared and enjoyed it with a (generous) slice of leftover Thanksgiving pumpkin pie.:-) Loved, loved, loved this book and am reluctant to return it to the library. I felt such an affection for the Provincial Lady, want Rose as a friend (and would like to take a vacation with them in the south of France) in addition to giving Robert a bit of a "talking to." At the end of the book, when Robert states that the diary is a "waste of time" and the Provincial Lady leaves the decision to "Posterity" - the fact that an online, international book club is reading, enjoying and discussing this book in 2021 - "Posterity" has given it's answer. "Brief Encounter" is a favorite movie of mine, so would like to read "The Way Things Are."
Am excited about the next selection of books. Donna, I am glad you are continuing with the book club (and your new haircut is lovely). Hope you both have a fantastic weekend!!
Oh a delicious accompaniment! Thank you so much for your lovely words, Nancy! So glad you enjoyed the book. And feel the same about Robert! Enjoy the weekend xxx
Thank you again for another great book club discussion. I so enjoy spending time with you both, and Donna I love your hairstyle! I'm looking forward to sitting down with you again next month and hope you have lovely rest of your weekend.
Thanks so much, Brenda! You too 😊
Hello Miranda and Donna....Miranda I LOVED “DIARY OF A PROVINCIAL LADY” I laughed out loud so many times...this was my first time reading E.M. DELAFIELD... I look forward to reading more from her,,,I couldn’t resist reading along with the audio which made it so!!!! Fun, one of my favorite entries was July 26th when she was vacationing with Rose in the South of France and attempted to swim to a distant rock with the Viscountess and she says “Long before we are halfway there, I know that I shall never reach it, and hope that Robert’s second wife will be kind to the children,” Miranda tell Donna she’s Adorable, I love her hair cut 🥰...and can we just say that Helen Wills is an awesome name for a cat 🥰😂😂 Thank you so much 😊
Thank you so much, Kiki! So happy you enjoyed the book! I love that scene in France too 😂 I booked my mum in at the hair salon as an early Christmas present (for both of us - my nerves couldn’t take cutting it myself again 😂) and agree she looks gorgeous! Have a wonderful weekend ❤️
Well, the link is there! Under ‘links’
This shows the power of the book club as this is a book I would normally walk past in a bookshop so thank you to you and your mum for choosing it! I was surprised how much I enjoyed it but it had me laughing and such a fantastic group of characters. I have recommended it to several friends now. Very much looking forward to the next few choices :)
So glad you enjoyed it 😊❤️📚
Thank you both for the insightful and warm discussion. The CBC in drawing readers from far and away together is like a joyful reply to the Provincial Lady herself that this diary is posterity oriented. Best wishes from NZ.
Thank you so much for contributing such a fabulous comment to our discussion, Jason! 😊📚💫
Miranda and Donna, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this little gem of a book! My favorite character has to be "Mademoiselle" and her drop- the-mic comments. There are so many favorite entries. My copy is littered with "LOL" throughout. One that has become stuck in my head is the April 20th entry simply because of Robert's comment that " We are All Making a Great Fuss about Very Little" as measles overtakes the house. This IS my husband, so I had a big chuckle over that. The queries are thought provoking and have aged well. But Valentine's Meat Juice sounds terrifying.
Great haircut, Donna!!
Miranda, congrats on 10,000 subscribers 🎉 You have built up a very special channel and community. I feel so lucky to have found you by accident about a year ago.
Thank you so much for your lovely comments and congratulations, Faith! I’m so happy you enjoyed Provincial Lady!
Hi Miranda and Donna, I love that I haven’t read any of your book club choices and thus can discover new gems. Thank you!
I hope you enjoy them, Nadine. Thank you very much!
After being busy with Thanksgiving celebrations, I have finally managed to listen to the comfort book club discussion, while ironing, of course, because life is life and servants are scarce ;) It was a treat as usual. Thank you!
So glad you enjoyed it! Thank you xxx
I needed a CBC discussion today and this one was wonderful. Donna and Miranda's beauty overflows inside and out. I have to read this book, i mean all the laughter.. that's what i need. I love your mother-daughter friendship, you are so lucky. My mom raised us in that 'modern mother' don't dote on your children. So it's very heart warming to see a mother-daughter friendship like you have! And lucky you have such a deep love of books and reading in common.
This was a wonderful discussion Miranda and Donna. I am loving the Comfort Bool Club so much.
I was nodding my head as you were talking about the Provincial Lady - such a funny book. I loved the line where she was talking to the widow and says how nice it must be to be a widow with no children. She clearly loves her family but also has some gentle snarky-ness in her language towards them. I did find the staccato writing style a bit tricky at first, until I settled in with it.
I just bought my book on kindle for next month, see you later!
Thanks so much, Gina! Really glad you’re enjoying the Comfort Book Club 😊📚❤️
Miranda Mills congratulations on 10k!!!! 🎉🍾
I just finished this book on audio and really enjoyed it. :) Donna, I love your new hairstyle.
It's a really fun one to listen to as well as read! So glad you enjoyed it xxx
@@MirandaMills And I am glad you suggested it for I have never heard of it, thank you. :)
This is such a delightful video, thank you. I’ve loved this book for many years, it was super to see it shared so well.
Thank you! So glad you enjoyed it!
I didn't get a chance to read it yet but I just want to say that I love Mom's new haircut - very elegant!!!
The way you seamlessly weaved in the views of the other readers into the conversation was very expertly done. Haven't read the book, but after listening to this discussion, I plan to. Thank you.
Thank you! I Definitely recommend reading it! xxx
As I read Diary of a Provincial Lady (for the first time) I rolled my eyes and chuckled in equal measure. I agree about illustrations in books - wish there were more. Donna, your hair looks lovely. Thank you both for the discussion.
I loved the group discussion. Jason’s comments were on point. In the book, the appreciation of daily moments made this book an inspiring read. Thank you for a good book choice!! Can’t wait for the next.
Thanks so much, Shanne! xxx
Another wonderful book club pick! I enjoyed being able to dip in and out while reading this book. It lends itself to being read for a few minutes here and there. So many bits had me giggling to myself. The Provincial Lady's husband who is so often silent or falling asleep behind the paper reminded me so much of my father! The only difference is instead of the paper it would be a Bible and magnifying glass in hand. I think this is a very good example of how relatable the characters are in this book. I've certainly known some Lady B's! I was convinced this was E.M. Delafield's actual diary until I learned otherwise. I'm so enjoying these discussions and hearing other readers' impressions in the voicemail messages is such a joy. Looking very much forward to next month. Hopefully, I'll be able to carve out some time to watch it on the release day. Much love to you both, Miranda and Donna.
I loved this book! I laughed and chuckled so many times, even when I thought maybe I shouldn’t (the massacre of the innocents)😂 I will reread this I know as well as more from EM Delafield. I am enjoying the books in the Comfort Book Club so much and I’m thrilled with all the new to me authors you’re introducing me to. I love Donna’s hairstyle, it’s so becoming. And the chocolate shape looks delicious 💕
Thanks so much for your lovely comment, Sandy, and I'm so glad you enjoyed this book! xxx
"Answer comes there none" has been my internal answer to internal "queries" ever since reading this book the first time many years ago! Great pick for book club! Thanks!
Same 😂
When I began reading this book I was so disappointed because it had been on my to-read list forever and I was finding it tedious. I wondered if I would have enjoyed it more as it was published originally, in serial form. But the next day I picked it up again and found it delightful and so funny! Was it my own mood that had changed? I like to imagine that my brain mulled it over while I was sleeping and the book itself had cheered up my gloomy subconscious. On behalf of my mental health, thank you so much for selecting Diary of a Provincial Lady and hosting the Comfort Book Club.
So glad you ended up enjoying the book and that it brightened your mood 😊❤️📚
I've only just come across your channel today and have been absorbed in your many fine videos for hours. Thank you for sharing your hard work and creativity, your knowledge of literature, your sensibility and delightful attention to detail. I look forward to following your channel.
Thank you so much for your lovely words! So glad you found my channel 😊📚❤️
Fantastic talk about the book, thanks to both of you and the participants, I'm looking forward to reading The Country Child in December. By the way, Donna looks gorgeous with that haircut. You, Miranda, you always are, that's why I don't tell you anything haha.. xxx
Haha! Thanks so much, and I agree my Mum looks lovely! Xx
I loved the opportunity to re-visit this favourite read, as you and others commented it’s like an old friend. Thanks for the great suggestion, Miranda and Donna. So much to enjoy. I did love the many references to other books and writers, her comment on Orlando made me laugh, even if you don’t share the response to that book, I think we’ve all encountered books that we feel we should like but find ourselves “unfortunately unable to understand any of it”. I was also reading the November chapter of Miss Read’s Village Diary and enjoyed the happy synchronicity of her reference to the Provincial Lady and her comments on husbands: the importance of “a satisfactory banking account and sound teeth”!!
Oh that is a fun moment of literary serendipity! I loved all the allusions to other books of the time too!
Thoroughly enjoyed re reading The Diary of a Provisional Lady, a real friend that I may have neglected of late but I'm sure she is so forgiving 🥰. Thank you for reminding me what a little gem this book is . Best wishes to you and your mum
So glad you enjoyed it, Elizabeth! Thank you! xxx
This was my first time I read "The Diary of the Provencial Lady and I absolutely enjoyed reading this book. What a lovely book. I have never read a book like this one. It was so funny.
Enjoy you day ladies!
So glad you enjoyed it! 😊
This was an enjoyable and comprehensive discussion- there are so many aspects to the life and works of this quietly brilliant and ground-breaking writer, so modestly leading here with wit and self-deprecating charm. I so enjoyed the re-read, and expanding my knowledge by looking at other works, and dipping into the biography. Whatever the delicate state of the family bank account, she is truly a woman of substance! I look forward to Alison Uttley.
Thank you! So glad you enjoyed the discussion & hope you like The Country Child ❤️📚
It's such a delight seeing the two of you together. I didn't have the chance to read the book, but I am definitely going to, thank you for all of your feedback. I am looking for that specific edition, live those books!
Wonderful book club discussion, Miranda and Donna! I so enjoyed reading Diary of a Provincial Lady this summer and have happy memories of reading some hilarious bits to my daughter (age 23) while we were squished together reading in a hammock in my yard! Thank you for introducing me to this wonderful author! I recently read and loved Dear Mrs Bird and wondered if her use of capitalizing words in certain phrases for emphasis were inspired by E M Delafield; I thought that device really added humor to both books. What do you think? Thank you for this delightful book club! 📚🇬🇧🥰
So glad you enjoyed it, thank you! I always assumed the use of capital letters in phrases in Dear Mrs Bird was to emphasise Emmy’s identity as a journalist and that she Thought In Headlines, but I also agree that there’s definitely a bit of an EM Delafield touch to A J Pearce’s writing - perhaps not a coincidence she has the same style of author name with the first two initials?! 📚❤️
That makes perfect sense! Thank you for that insight. 🥰
Absolutely loved this book! I think nearly every page made me laugh out loud. Of course it is very much of its time but much is still relevant today. Although we may not have met a member of the aristocracy, I think many of us know a Lady B! One of my favourite extracts is June 23rd (the Tennis Party) which isn’t going well until the guests bond due to their mutual dislike of Lady B and thereafter the Provincial Lady’s tennis dramatically improves! Also loved her speaking tour of the WIs - particularly the stay with Lady Magdalen Crimp! This will certainly be a book I re-read, particularly when I’m in need of something to cheer me up. Hope you both have a lovely weekend 😀
Those are all such funny scenes! Enjoy your weekend too, Lucy! Xxx
Thanks so much for including me! What a great discussion!
Thank you so much for your fabulous voice message, Marjorie 😊❤️
Oh my, ladies, you were torturing me with that delicious dessert. I'm on the treadmill walking while watching. Now I'm so hungry. LOL This was such a joy. Thank you. Also, the flowers in your vase are gorgeous!
Haha! Oh dear. At least you can feel very virtuous 😉
@@MirandaMills well that's not nearly as delicious is it? LOL Until I fit into my old clothes. 😁🤣
This book is one of my favourites... I didn't re read it but was lovely to hear you both discuss it :) Your mum's hair looks really nice!
I enjoyed this book very much. I made it to the age of 63 before reading it. I had a daughter and son in my second marriage, (plus a son from my first) and although the children were quite different personalities from my children, I still found things in common. With the husband even more so! 😉 Great read; thanks for getting me to pick it up after having that little pocket version on my shelf for a number of years.
So glad you enjoyed it, Laura!
I think this book was brilliant. It easily will be in my top reads this year. I laughed a lot with the Provincial Ladys sarcastic thoughts. Her queries were so relatable. Like on February 22nd being asked for good hotel and she wanted to recommend a good dentist instead. Or her hoping that Roberts second wife (when convinced she was going to drown) would be kind to the children. "Query : is this a Judgement? ". My favorite query was on December 16th. So many passages through out the book I could relate to the feelings, the emotions in life's awkward moments. I would have liked to have been her friend. Which says a lot about her writing. Anyways, I loved the discussion. Well done ladies. My very best wishes to you both. 📚💕💕
Thank you so much, Diane! Loved reading your thoughts on the book & am so glad you enjoyed it! 📚❤️😊
Thank you for introducing me to more British authors! In the US I can get them as ebooks. Some of the editions I may order from Waterstones. I love that you include titles from Persephone Books. When I was in England 3 years ago, I picked up 5 of their titles. I would love to see you do a video on your favorite Persephone titles.
That’s great! I have actually done a video on my favourite Persephone books. You can watch it here: m.ruclips.net/video/DPFPJ6xevSo/видео.html
Thank you. I will definitely watch it.
This is wonderful, thank you
So glad you enjoyed it! Happy weekend!
I can’t believe I have never read this before, especially as it was one of my mother’s favourite books. She was a child in the 1920’s and 30’s in a household very like the provincial ladie’s and so I read this whilst remembering tales of my grandmother’s “ disappearing pearls” which my mother mused “ only ever happened after Mummy’s trips to the city” and her desperate attempts to “ hang onto cook”. What a different world!
Haha how funny!
Thank you for such a great discussion, Miranda and Donna. I loved it all - from Donna's cameo brooch and new haircut to the cappuccino cream (I'm a tea drinker like you but absolutely love coffee flavoured things and they're getting hard to find! Any chance of the recipe?!) to the discussion about the book itself. I didn't notice the Jane Austen comparison while reading it and have no idea why, as the minute you said this, I thought, "Of course!" It is plain to see. I thought it was hilarious and so interesting to gain insight of that period too. I have the Penguin Modern Classics edition but I didn't read all the diaries. I felt it was too much to read them all in one go, despite enjoying the Provincial Lady so much, but I intend to read the others later. I appreciated all the comments and I am now really looking forward to The Country Child (I loved the Little Grey Rabbit books as a child!). I am also excited about the new choices. I don't know any of them and I'm interested in March's choice as I have all the No 1 Ladies Detective Agency books. I can see a new "must-buy-the-latest-one-as-soon-as-it-comes-out" series on the horizon...
Thank you!
Thanks so much, Ruth! We used the Delia Smith recipe which is linked in the description box. I’m happy you’re looking forward to reading along with us in 2022 too. I loved the Little Grey Rabbit as well!
Another great CBC episode, so pleased that your Mum is going to join us again - and her hair looks fabulous! I have to admit that although I am enjoying “The Diary of a Provincial Lady”, it is a book that for me is one to dip into rather than to read as a whole. It could be just my mood right now. I love the Alison Uttley, it is already on a small shelf of seasonal Christmas reads, I’ve never done this before but you’re not an influencer for nothing Miranda!
So amazing👌🏾
Life is indeed almost always like that LOL - thank goodness for a sense of humour. Love you ladies 💕💕💕💕
Loved the discussion today. Donna: what a fabulous new hair cut! Haven't seen you lately, and you have been mised!
I know this is 2 years old but I'd like to say how glamorous you both look.❤ I read this a couple of months ago after having it on my shelf for a few years and I loved it. I wish it had been longer.
Congratulations on 10K subscribers. And I love your Mum’s hair-it looks so good. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I think the provincial lady would have despaired in our social media age, she would have posted she was reading the latest Booker winner but was probably reading and loving something much less intellectual.
Thank you so much! Haha yes it is quite funny to think what she’d make of the social media world!! Xxx
I got this book as a secondhand Folio edition. Still haven’t read it yet!
Hope you do at some point!
Although I didn't read along this time I do love this book and it was lovely to listen to yours and other readers thoughts and observations. Love your choices for the next few months. Dinner with Edward has been in my 'waiting to be read books pile' for a few months now, so I am especially looking forward to that one.
Fantastic ! Thank you Miranda and Donna
🙏🏼💯
I read this many years ago, and have thoroughly enjoyed revisiting it, this time an audible version read brilliantly by Georgina Sutton.
Oh wonderful! I love listening to this as an audiobook too 😊📚❤️
My favorite query is the one after she was saved from self perceived certain death (swimming to the rocks),on why she was given a second chance. Such a profound, eternal question after such a hilarious paragraph. Quite a delight to read this book, I kept chuckling while reading, especially to certain observations that are relevant no matter the times or social background. I know French, so I quite enjoyed Mademoiselle' reflections but was wondering if I would have enjoyed them as much if they were in German or any other language. Did it bother readers who are not familiar with French? Donna, please, you need to remain part of this club, you're the one that started it all by influencing young Miranda, and love your new hairstyle. Thank you Miranda for the suggestion, I will be reading the rest in the series and The Way Things Are.
I absolutely enjoyed reading this book. Thank you so much for great book discussion!
Donna, your hair looks great! I am enjoying your book discussions so much, although my husband has commented as to the number of book deliveries lately. 🙂
I first discovered EM Delafield about three years ago. She is a wonder. I have listened to the audiobooks as well; Georgina Sutton is a highly skilled narrator and brings a lot to the character.
Loving the Comfort Book Club so much, Miranda! Really happy that Donna will be joining again for the next few months. Yay! Rereading The Diary of a Provincial Lady was such a treat and I think I enjoyed it even more the second time. I wish my edition had the amusing illustrations! I think I'll have to get that same edition - those little books are so sweet. I have these editions for my Jane Austen collection.
Can't wait to continue with the book club and read more comforting books. Mrs. Miniver is one of my favorites, as well as Miss Buncle's Book. The others sound wonderful, too. Thank you so much, Miranda. Your videos and the book club bring so much happiness to my life! xoxo :D
P.S. Donna, your new haircut is so attractive on you! :D
Thanks Gina. Mrs Miniver isn’t one of the Comfort Book Club choices - you may want to rewatch / watch that part of the video. Hope you enjoy the ones we have chosen, though! Xx
I ended up reading this book through our library computer site so I put it on my Kindle and could look up the French phrases as I read along. I couldn't look up the whole phrase but I could look up key words so got an idea of what was being said. We all probably know a Lady B. ( I secretly hope I am not one of them)
I was so thankful to have found an affordable collection by EM Delafield. Hard to believe, my library didn’t have any Delafield!
To be honest, I'm struggling with this book. It maybe a bit too comic for me. However, I appreciate trying book that is different. Thank-you Miranda
It sounds like it’s not one for you. Have a good weekend xx
Thanks!
You both are soooo cute and nice !. Thank you for your vídeos
I enjoyed this discussion very much :)
I've only just realised she is nameless in the book...How did I not see that? 😮
I so love this and you ladies are so classy. Thank you for giving RUclips a gift of a channel that is intelligent and lovely to watch. Do you exchange Christmas cards and if so I would love to exchange one with you and your mom?
Thanks so much, but no we do not give out our address. Glad you enjoyed the book club discussion!
@@MirandaMills So sorry, I thought you had a post office box.
I didnt know there were sequels to this book
I think I’ve come to the conclusion that you are me LOL!
Are you welsh?
Thank you❤so much for introducing me to this authoress. I now have my second hand copy to read.