The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper

This has easily been one of the best books I have ever read. In The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper we see a glimpse into a full life. This book touches on so many raw human emotions and experiences. I cried a few times throughout this book, and I'm going to check out more works by Phaedra Patrick. They write people and their experiences so realistically. This novel was like listening to my great grandparents tell me stories of their lives, something I desperately needed.

What a CUTE BOOK oh my gosh! Sometimes I like to just wander through my library suggestions and see what they have on offer. Especially lately, since I've been so poor at keeping up with new releases. I crave seeing what else I missed from before. I am so very glad that this book popped up on my radar. It was exactly the kind of bittersweet, poignant and charming book that I needed. Yes friends, pun definitely intended.

Arthur Pepper is very set in his ways, especially since the loss of the love of his life. His days are held together by the familiar, mundane tasks that he sets out for himself. Not a bad existence, to be sure. However the reader quickly realizes that Arthur isn't happy in this little routine. It's comfortable, but not exciting. It's easy to follow, but not fulfilling. Lucky for him, one little charm bracelet is all it takes to set him off on a wild adventure.

The writing style here is just so easy to read, and following along with Arthur on his madcap adventures is honestly a blast. I giggled as he met new people and learned new things. I sobbed a bit as he shared stories about his old life, and his lovely wife. Most of all though, I found myself smiling at the fact that this story gave the reader so much to love about this man. I love character growth, and this book is absolutely chock full of it. While some of it feels a little out there in terms of plausibility, it's so charming that I just accepted it and enjoyed it.

Highly recommend this if you're looking for a read that is cozy and sweet, with a character who feels like they could be your best friend. It was a delight to read this, and I'll be looking for more from Phaedra Patrick!

This had all kinds of alarm bells of “it will be a rip off of Harold Fry or Captain Pettigrew “ two other very similar “elderly men coming of age” in gentle middle class England. But it does work on its own merits. Yes it covers all the expected chestnuts in therms of characters but it was a perfect book to listen to on a long car journey

A wonderful book about family, love, grief, and adventure. A happy book.

This was an emotional book for me that I expected to be a lot more lighthearted than it was. It's an adventure story of a man that recently lost his wife in his old age. He finds a charm bracelet of hers that he never saw before that sparks a journey to seek out what each charm meant to his wife. The joys and pains in that journey stretch his perspective on life and gives him courage to do new things even being an older gentleman. It was beautiful. It was fun. It was sad, and disheartening as well as joy-filled and enlightening. It was a very good book that I would recommend to anyone needing a change of pace.

Nice little fiction book. Not as fluffy as others that I've read. That was refreshing. A good break from all the other books I've been reading.

Lovely. A real feel-good story. Just what I needed.

Sweet and fun

Cute book, similar to A Man Called Ove, but not quite as stirring.

Another book to satisfy me while I'm in light reading mode–Arthur Pepper fits in well with the happy folks in Laurie Colwin novels. I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. It's a little predictable, but well-written, and the quirky characters are not annoyingly so.

Next, Knausgaard #4, which I'm betting will not be so light at all.