topic Re: Jan Karon - The Mitford Series in Book Club

Jan Karon - The Mitford Series

CountryMusicGal — Sat, 19 Mar 2016 17:08:45 GMT

Hello -- I only just discovered this forum. I love to read so it should be interesting. Have any of you read the Mitford Series by Jan Karon? At present, I think there are about 13 books in the series, starting with "At Home In Mitford". I read them all, one after the other. They are charming; about life in a small town where a 37-year old Episcopal priest embarks upon marriage, and all the other people who inhabit the town. There is also a Mitford cookbook, which is quite lovely. Her books are readily available at the library.

Re: Jan Karon - The Mitford Series

151949 — Sat, 19 Mar 2016 17:24:26 GMT

When we moved to Florida I donated my entire series to our community library. They were very pleased to get them. It is so much better to donate or give away to a friend a good book instead of putting it on a shelf.

Re: Jan Karon - The Mitford Series

wonderfulworld — Sat, 19 Mar 2016 18:40:48 GMT

I could not agree with you more. Recently I was laid up for a while and reread the entire series( from the Library) and it was very comforting. Such a gentle journey with inspiring messages.

Re: Jan Karon - The Mitford Series

wonderfulworld — Sat, 19 Mar 2016 18:43:50 GMT

To add:the book about Fr. Tim's childhood, his parents and half brother certainly went in a slightly different direction. I think this was called the Fr. Tim series, not Mitford.

Re: Jan Karon - The Mitford Series

3cupcakes — Sat, 19 Mar 2016 20:23:35 GMT

I too love this series; I read it w/my mum. She'd read a book, then I would & could chat about it.

Tho I have always wanted to bake one of those prized orange marmalade cakes!!

Years ago, Jan Karon wrote a short story for a magazine & they did a cake recipe to go w/it. I've got it "some where". 🙂

Re: Jan Karon - The Mitford Series

GingerPeach — Sat, 19 Mar 2016 22:31:32 GMT

@3cupcakes

I remember that magazine recipe, too, and it was published in Victoria magazine when Jan Karon was writer-in-residence for 1998. It makes me glad I saved all my old Victorias.

Here is the link to the recipe in the magazine (it's not quite the same as it is in the Mitford Cookbook, interestingly enough) and is the first time the cake recipe was actually created and published.

http://www.talkofthehouse.com/loving-mitford-orange-marmalade-cake/

(I trust everyone knows Victoria magazine is NOT Victoria's Secret catalog. They are two completely different things.)

(I just now discovered the Talk of the House blog while searching for the recipe. It's a very nice blog.)

Re: Jan Karon - The Mitford Series

3cupcakes — Sun, 20 Mar 2016 12:53:54 GMT

@GingerPeach wrote:
@3cupcakes
I remember that magazine recipe, too, and it was published in Victoria magazine when Jan Karon was writer-in-residence for 1998. It makes me glad I saved all my old Victorias.

Here is the link to the recipe in the magazine (it's not quite the same as it is in the Mitford Cookbook, interestingly enough) and is the first time the cake recipe was actually created and published.

http://www.talkofthehouse.com/loving-mitford-orange-marmalade-cake/

(I trust everyone knows Victoria magazine is NOT Victoria's Secret catalog. They are two completely different things.)

(I just now discovered the Talk of the House blog while searching for the recipe. It's a very nice blog.)

Good morning, @GingerPeach! Yay! You remembered about the magazine article! My brains were scrambled yesterday & I just couldn't remember "Victoria" magazine. It was/is a lovely magazine, tho I did like the older issues better.

what a lovely blog "Talk of the house" is. She's right......that cake really was a character all of its own in the stories!😋 I'll be going back to read to more of her blog too.

Thank you for the link w/the recipe & also for your book tip of the "Dismas Hardy series from a couple months ago. I just ordered no. 1, "Dead Irish".

one day I'm going to make that cake. 😊

Re: Jan Karon - The Mitford Series

GingerPeach — Sun, 20 Mar 2016 22:24:38 GMT

Hi @3cupcakes

Well, let's see, 2016 subtract 1998 = 18 years.

It's been 18 years since it was published in Victoria, and I haven't made the cake yet either! Plus, I also own the Mitford cookbook.

I'm with you - someday for sure.

I hope you will enjoy the Dismas Hardy series. I found, once I got into them, it might help to read them in order, although it's not a hard-and-fast rule.

Re: Jan Karon - The Mitford Series

3cupcakes — Sun, 20 Mar 2016 22:43:34 GMT

Zowie, @GingerPeach! That 18 years sure seems to have gone fast for me! 😃

time flies.........Gee, I sound just like my 89 year old mum! LOL

Yes, I agree, if possible, it's nice to read a series in order & was thrilled to find Amazon sent me an "in order" listing of the "Dismas Hardy" series a few days after I had been looking thru several of them on-line. What a big help.

i'm in the middle of "The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend" by Katarina Bivald & enjoying it so far.

Re: Jan Karon - The Mitford Series

Judaline — Mon, 21 Mar 2016 12:25:39 GMT

@wonderfulworld I didn't like the Fr. Tim series nearly as well.

Re: Jan Karon - The Mitford Series

beckyb1012 — Mon, 21 Mar 2016 13:31:29 GMT

@Judaline wrote:
@wonderfulworld I didn't like the Fr. Tim series nearly as well.

I agree The Mitford series is the best. I just reread the first one last week since I was missing them. Never get tired of reading about the lives of Mitford.

Father Tim series is nice to continue on but not as good.

Re: Jan Karon - The Mitford Series

gonnab — Mon, 21 Mar 2016 13:38:35 GMT

A timely thread! I read this series years ago and a couple of weeks ago, decided to revisit them! What a nice read - I had forgotten how good it was! Although I admit, I don't think I realized that there were 13 books! Does anyone have the list of them in order?

Re: Jan Karon - The Mitford Series

beckyb1012 — Mon, 21 Mar 2016 14:49:32 GMT

The below will help also her web site is really good too.

Enjoy.

https://www.goodreads.com/series/44044-mitford-years

http://www.mitfordbooks.com/

Re: Jan Karon - The Mitford Series

3cupcakes — Tue, 22 Mar 2016 00:04:56 GMT

@gonnab wrote:
A timely thread! I read this series years ago and a couple of weeks ago, decided to revisit them! What a nice read - I had forgotten how good it was! Although I admit, I don't think I realized that there were 13 books! Does anyone have the list of them in order?

hi, @gonnab, i hope this will help & happy reading!

Listed in order: 9 total of the "continuting story" Mitford series

1- At Home in Mitford

2- A Light in the Window

3-These High Green Hills

4-Out to Canaan

5-A New Song

6-A Common Life

7-In This Mountain

8-Shepherds Abiding

9-Light From Heaven

there are also some "free standing" Mitford books (related to, but not necessary to read in the continuing Mitford story):

1-The Mitford Bedside Companion"

2- Mitford Cookbook and Kitchen Reader"

3-The Mitford Snowmen

4-Esther's Gift

there might be one more "free standing", but i just can't remember it. perhaps one of the other posters might.

edited to add ps: "Home to Holly Springs" is the first of the "Father Tim" series.

Re: Jan Karon - The Mitford Series

MESPal — Wed, 23 Mar 2016 00:58:47 GMT

@3cupcakes wrote:
@gonnab wrote:
A timely thread! I read this series years ago and a couple of weeks ago, decided to revisit them! What a nice read - I had forgotten how good it was! Although I admit, I don't think I realized that there were 13 books! Does anyone have the list of them in order?

hi, @gonnab, i hope this will help & happy reading!

Listed in order: 9 total of the "continuting story" Mitford series
1- At Home in Mitford
2- A Light in the Window
3-These High Green Hills
4-Out to Canaan
5-A New Song
6-A Common Life
7-In This Mountain
8-Shepherds Abiding
9-Light From Heaven

there are also some "free standing" Mitford books (related to, but not necessary to read in the continuing Mitford story):
1-The Mitford Bedside Companion"
2- Mitford Cookbook and Kitchen Reader"
3-The Mitford Snowmen
4-Esther's Gift

there might be one more "free standing", but i just can't remember it. perhaps one of the other posters might.

edited to add ps: "Home to Holly Springs" is the first of the "Father Tim" series.

Thank you so much for the list. Sometimes I need to check the order if it's been a while since I read the last one.

Re: Jan Karon - The Mitford Series

wonderfulworld — Sat, 26 Mar 2016 01:37:13 GMT

@Judaline wrote:
@wonderfulworld I didn't like the Fr. Tim series nearly as well.

Me either, too dark.

Re: Jan Karon - The Mitford Series

RainyDayGal — Tue, 29 Mar 2016 21:47:53 GMT

I've read the entire series 3 times now. I will never give away my books! These are my feel good books and I never grow tired of them.

Re: Jan Karon - The Mitford Series

software — Sun, 26 Jun 2016 16:11:53 GMT

I'm not much of a novel reader and I'm not sentimental but there was something so compelling & sweet about this series. Very addictive. And like potato chips, you just can't have one.

I read mostly non-fiction, biographies & history.

Re: Jan Karon - The Mitford Series

beckyb1012 — Tue, 28 Jun 2016 13:21:31 GMT

@software wrote:
I'm not much of a novel reader and I'm not sentimental but there was something so compelling & sweet about this series. Very addictive. And like potato chips, you just can't have one.

I read mostly non-fiction, biographies & history.

Now you need to start on the Cape Light Series by Thomas Kincaid and Katherine Spencer. She is continuing on without him. You will love them and there are about 14 of the Cape Light and about 4 of the spin off Angel Island Series

Re: Jan Karon - The Mitford Series

PamelaSue72 — Thu, 21 Jul 2016 11:55:22 GMT

I've made the cake several times and it truly is decadent. It's just delicious.

My MIL is a big Mitford fan and we used to give her a book for her birthday. And for her birthday dinner, I will make her whatever she wants. One year, she asked for "The Mitford Cake" as she calls it. It really is delicious. Since then, she has asked me to bake it for her several times. It's a wee bit of a hassle to make, but the results are truly well worth it. And it makes her happy.

A few years ago, we gave her the Mitford cookbook. I have it now and just looked through it again the other day. It's a nice book, with the recipes from the various books as well as stories about the recipes. Interesting.