The Full Cupboard of Life has rightfully earned a spot on my favourites shelf. Readers will want to devour this book in one sitting. This story brims with warmth and wit. Smith has a deep understanding about human nature and all its eccentricities, and writes with tenderness and humour - a formidable trait in a writer! 5 stars.

I am only half-way through this book now, but I am really enjoying it. I think Mma Ramotswe and Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni are the sweetest couple. I'd say it's more a literary fiction novel than a mystery, but I don't mind. I love the voices of all the characters, but especially the one belonging to Mma Ramotswe. One of my favorite quotes from her is:"Traditional Botswana men like ladies who are more traditionally shaped. You and I, Mma. We remind men of how things used to be in Botswana before these

This was such a gentle and pleasant read; Precious Ramotswe is dealing with a case where a rich entrepreneur asks her to vet the four suitors she has short-listed. On the personal front, things are happy but a little uncertain for while she is engaged to Mr J.L.B Matekoni, he hasn't raised the issue of marriage. Grace Makutsi her secretary meanwhile is doing well for herself and moving to a better house. Mr J.L.M Matekoni however is having troubles of his own--he has been manipulated into undert...

With each book that goes by, the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series seems to feel more confident, more assured and somehow more relaxed. By this stage, the author has an almost perfect grasp of his background and characters, and there is so little to add about the situation that he has plenty of time for ruminations on various aspects of modern life. It's a story full of digression, but the digression is what makes this book so endearing.Once again this is an ode to the beauty of Botswana, pe...

I´ve read these all because they are absolutely charming, laid-back atmosphere stories. McCall Smith is one of those who have a rare ability to write as if he was a woman. His stories influenced me to become a regular rooibos drinker.

Another charming book from the series of #1 ladies detective agency. Better than its previous one, Mma Ramotswe and her band of piers continue enjoying each other, get in and out of stressful commitments, cherish their land and it's cattle, contemplate the virtues of men, women and proper behavior, and of course, a cup of tea on a hot day.

I cannot get enough from this series. It prompted us to actually go to Botswana. It is as fabulous as Smith describes it.This book is simple in structure, which at first may make one think it is a children's or young adult book. In essence, it can be enjoyed by all age groups. It is culturally rich, bring the values and landscape so close to the reader's senses, you can see, feel, and admire the people of Botswana. Fall in love with Botswana.To thoroughly enjoy the book, start with The Number On...

This series generally serves me well as brain candy interspersed among my more serious reads. Though they are generally rather similar, they are always entertaining.However, for some reason the author has decided in this book he needs to summarize all the preceeding storyline in greater detail. I found I had to skim many pages to get past it, and get on with THIS book. I found this summary rather odd and out of place, given that the other books seem to provide the "catch up" in only a few senten...

***Fourth read***I've run out of things to say about this series. I've never run into a series I feel about the way I do this one. I could read these books over and over and always enjoy them. I don't know them by heart yet. They still make me laugh and smile and wonder, sometimes. Reading Alexander McCall Smith is like opening a window into a part of myself I haven't yet fully explored, and it makes me so happy every time I do. I don't know any better way to describe it than that. This man is p...

I really like this series. It’s a mystery that is short on mystery, but McCall Smith write so lovingly about these characters that it is difficult not to fall for them. It’s a light read, and sometimes one just needs a light read. I have to say though, I didn’t see that ending coming, but it’s a good one.

I enjoyed it, as I've enjoyed the previous books in the series. As for the storyline in this one, all I'm going to say is - "Finally!!!"

I love this series, the people, the setting, everything. I did this mostly on audio which was a fun new experience to the story but I also so love reading these little hb books.

The secret to reading the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series is to realize that nothing much is going to happen and to accept that it doesn't matter. Nothing much happens in this particular book, The Full Cupboard of Life, that is until the plot picks up steam toward the end, but the characters are still captivating and the depiction of life in Botswana draws the reader in. Andrew McCall Smith gives sweet-natured characters flaws, a smart move on his part. Otherwise, Precious Ramotswe and Mr....

I read books 1-4 in this series years ago and didn't continue on. If I recall correctly, I didn't enjoy book #4 (The Kalahari Typing School for Men) in comparison to the others. Recently, I felt the need to find some lighter reading, noticed book #5 was available through the library and decided to borrow it. I am glad I did. She paused. “But would you pour me more of that tea, Mma? It is very fine tea and I am thirsty again.” “It is bush tea,” said Mma Ramotswe as she reached for the tea-pot. “M...

Mma Rwatse continues to wonder why her fiancée is so reluctant to tie the knot, while taking on a case for a rich woman who wants Precious to check out several beaus to see who is after her money and who is honest. Matekoni is tricked by the head of the orphanage into agreeing to skydive as a way of raising money for the children. One can feel the series beginning to run out of steam. How many times can the author laud the benefits of a traditional culture before it sounds a bit like a broken re...

Sad to say that this book fell a bit flat on all fronts and it appears that the author at this point in the series is floundering. I know there are a lot more books to go, but things just seem to have stagnated in the series. It takes almost 1/3 of the book before we even get into a detective case and that is well and good in a 350-400 page book, but when they are a mere 200 pages it shows that the cases are really on the back burner of the book. We continue to learn about Botswana, but the time...

One of the best parts of Alexander McCall Smith’s series is that each book improves in terms of character definition and advancing the plot. Book 5 integrates Precious Ramotswe with the other characters in a more realistic and intriguing way. The author hints at the distinctions we must draw between manipulation and persuasion (in the character of Mma Potokwane), fear and caution (with Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni’s never-ending engagement to Mma Ramotswe), and speaking one’s mind and biting one’s tongu...

Precious Ramatswe is still not a married woman? Much of the suspense in this fifth addition to the series surrounds how and when the ceremony will actually happen. Would it work to trick Mr. J.L.B. Matakoni into putting on a suit and just haul him over to the church for a surprise wedding? Along the way there is a proposed skydiving event to benefit the orphan farm, Precious assists a woman with multiple suitors, and Mma Makutsi moves into a house of her own. Filled with humor and heart snf Bost...

This is the fifth entry in this gentle series. Mma Ramotswe channels Mma Potokwani’s initiative and drive to both her and Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni’s benefit which was both amusing and satisfying for anyone reading this series since book one. The mystery aspect of it is almost non-existent. A wealthy client engages the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency to help her choose between five suitors for her hand. In the meantime, Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni runs into trouble with a rival, less ethical car repair garage.

What a lovely time I had during this visit with my friends in Botswana this week. This audio is just one of the best, with the best narrator in Lisette Lecat. This is no big, dark, mystery like some detective books. It is a gentle, human interest story filled with wonderful characters. I'm totally hooked on this but spread the stories out so I won't finish them too quickly, I want to savor them.As I saw that the book was coming to a close, I wondered how there was enough time to finish the story...