I'm oh so close to finishing up Between, Geogia by Joshilyn Jackson and it is wonderful.

I'm getting next to no work done today because I keep picking it up to read. If you liked Gods in Alabama, you'll like Between, Georgia.

If you are interested, post here or PM me with shipping preferences.

1 - Chronicbooker (Canada or US)
2 - Breeze144
3 - candieb (US only)
4 - tranq1 (US only)
5 - chambejd (US only)
6 - Bibliocrates
7 - msjoanna - en route to
8 - starbrightxx
9 - sarradee
10 - rebeccaljames
11 - luckaye (last so book can go to azuki for Mbag)




Between, Georgia by Joshilyn Jackson

From The Washington Post's Book World/washingtonpost.com

There's "no such thing as a town smaller than Between," Joshilyn Jackson writes about the setting of her new Southern novel. It's not awfully far from Athens, Ga.; it's surrounded by pines and threatened by kudzu. Its major attraction is a museum devoted to porcelain dolls and butterfly farming: "a must-stop spot for the kind of people who liked to pack up a camper and go see freakishly large balls of tinfoil."
Between is also the home of the Fretts and the Crabtrees, who are like the Montagues and the Capulets, only more eccentric. The Fretts are "meticulous to the point of mental illness," Jackson writes. If they ever cuss, they use only cuss-words that appear in the Bible. They have money; they create order. The Crabtrees, meanwhile, live in squalor and chaos, sloping in and out of common-law unions and borderline felonies. The primal Crabtree landscape is a helter-skelter vision of "rusted-out bodies of cars and partial cars, heaps of old lawn mowers, fridges, gas stoves, and chunks of various engines." Crabtree men don't ask for dessert; they holler, "Baby Jesus, but I [expletive] need some pie."

A faithful summary of Between, Georgia would have to go on for pages to honor its enormous cast of quirky characters and its breathlessly intricate plot. But what you need to know is that the narrator, a spirited young woman named Nonny, was born a Crabtree and raised as a Frett. Her adoptive mother and aunts, in their tidy print dresses and orthopedic shoes, are naturally at odds with her Crabtree grandmother and a slew of redneck Crabtree cousins. But an attack by a vicious Crabtree dog brings the families together and sets the action going.

There's also Nonny's husband, Jonno, physically irresistible and ethically deficient, from whom she'll be divorced as soon as they can stop having "goodbye sex" and get to their court date in Athens. Jonno plays in a rock band called X. Machina -- as in deus ex machina, an ancient Greek plot-resolving device that comes in handy when this book reaches full gallop.

Jackson, whose first novel was gods in Alabama, has a gift for juggling a zillion movable parts. Adept at the kind of farce that requires characters to hide from each other in the bushes, she's also good at poignancy and at darker scenes of mayhem. There's so much back-story that it takes the reader a while to get oriented, but once you've got it straight, Jackson produces an astringently humorous performance.

Though Between hasn't the emotional depth that occasionally enriched gods in Alabama, it's equally dotted with Southern "characters." A favorite: the airhead virago Amber DeClue. Please let Scarlett Johansson play her if there's a movie so she can deliver the line: "I have to go iron my hair."

I just blew off work for an hour because I absolutely had to finish this book. It was fabulous!

I would like to read this book and if at all possible I would like to ship Canada or USA this time.

I have to give a big thumbs up to this book. I loved it. Come on people, sign up for this bookring!

I would love to join. It is on my wishlist. Thank you for doing this. I prefer to ship to the US only.

We are going to the Bahamas on our sailboat and will be sailing until the beginning of April. Therefore, I need to be at least third on the list.

I'd love to join!!! And Chronic and I can hand-off in person! ;)

I'm in Austin, TX, prefer to ship to the US (lazy bum doesn't like actually waiting in line at the post office ya know!), but will ship anywhere.

I've listened to the audiobook, very good! I liked her first one better, but I cannot wait to read this one, I always take away something different if I read it after listening!

Yes thats right me and breeze can share ;) :D

Sending off to chronicbooker3 today :bananadance:

Registered my copy today:

Between, Georgia

I placed tranq1 last because she'll be travelling. This ray is still open if anyone else want's to join.

I'll keep my eyes open for it :bananadance: :kiss:

I received the book today. I am the last one in the ray. Does anyone else want to be added to the ray?

I would like to read this if you don't mind. I grew up in a small town (less than 500 people) in rural Georgia so this will be an interesting read for me I'm sure!

I prefer to ship in the US.

I mailed the book out to you this morning.

I would like to join! I just read Gods in Alabama and I LOVED it! Is this the same as BookCrossing rings? I can only ship in the US.

P.S. What are reveals?

This is a ray. It is the same as bookcrossing rays. I know it says bookring at the top of this post but it is journaled as a ray. I checked with alsgal and she wants it to be a ray. Just to clarify a ray is the same as a ring except that the book does not go back to the originator.

Reveals are used on this site in swaps (not for rings/rays). Here is a link to the FAQ for swaps which explains. everything. swap FAQ

So, I've got this book and just wanted to confirm that I am last on the ray...

I originally started the ray and I think you are last, unless chamjd added anyone

Nope, I didn't add anyone! Looks like you are it, unless anyone else here wants to read it... :whistle:

FYI - I'm also currently reading Gods in Alabama by the same author as part of a ring in case anyone is looking to read it. I'm guessing the organizer would add anyone who is interested.

Actually, if you don't mind passing it to me when you're finished, I'd be very interested in reading this one.

But I'm sure that I can find another copy if you already made plans for it.

I'm also waiting for Gods in Alabama from a ring.

I'll gladly send it to you when I'm done, if you live in the US. I read Gods in Alabama and I LOVED it! I happen to live in Alabama, but am not originally from here so I thought what she had to say about it was funny, and true!

Ms Joanna do you mind if I read it after you?

Don't mind at all, but I don't have it yet... :D

Would anyone mind if I asked to be added onto the end? I didn't sign up when Alsgal first started the ray because I was absolutely swamped with "required reading". I loved Gods in Alabama and this book sounds so appealing, I'm regretting that decision.

I'd like to read this book too! I am in Australia but I have a mbag organised by Azuki. I guess I would have to be last due to the fact I don't know when the mbag will be sent :)

The book is finally on its way to msjoanna...

Thanks for sharing alsgal!