The Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Gilbraith (JK Rowling) (migrated from bookblogger)

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

This is a fun read!

   Cormoran Strike, an endearingly flawed private detective with a complicated past, is hired by a lawyer named John Bristow, to investigate his sister’s death, which had been ruled a suicide.  Bristow, distraught over his supermodel sister’s death, does not believe the suicide theory and convinces Strike to pursue the real killer.

   In usual JK Rowling form, the writing is crisp, witty, and engaging and each of the characters is so genuine.  Strike, in particular, evokes such sympathy, affection, and respect, as he goes about his cleverly conducted inquiry with a Columbo-like air of feigned innocence.  In going into Strike’s own story, Rowling makes the mystery almost personal and gives it much deeper dimension.

   And of course, as it is a mystery, the story itself runs through twists and turns and occasionally takes the reader completely by surprise.  It actually made me wonder why I don’t read mysteries more often!

   I’d hurry and read this one — it’s a great summer read and it’s already the end of July!

Ladies Night by Mary Kay Andrews (migrated from bookblogger)

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

Another fun book to add to your list of lighter, summer fare!  When Grace finds her husband having sex with her personal assistant and in her fury drives his very expensive sports car into their pool, she is sentenced by the judge to a “divorce recovery group.”  It is here that she meets her new allies who really do support her through the unfamiliar terrain of going through a divorce and landing back on her own two feet.

What makes this book fun is really the multiple lines of the story.  There are different relationships that develop among the characters who I felt I came to really like, there is an illegal scam to be uncovered, and of course, a romance that is budding even from the group itself.  And the outrageous behaviors of ex-spouses taking revenge also add a sometimes comedic/sometimes tragic note to this story.  In any case, there were a number of times I had to exclaim out loud at this book!

If you’re on your way to the beach be sure to pack this book next to your towel!

The One and Only by Emily Griffin (migrated from bookblogger)

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

Shea is a football fanatic in a small town in Texas, who has found herself stuck in a small-time job , with a small-town relationship. Her best friend’s father, the coach of the local college football team whom she has idolized, suggests to her that she needs to get out of her rut.  In the process of making some needed changes, she sort of comes full circle in discovering what she really wants in her life.

With her usual uncanny ability, Griffin scooped me right up with this very engaging story.  Her characters are smart and sassy and there is a lot of humanity in them as well.  There are real conflicts with real layers just as in real life, but there’s just enough glamor mixed in to make it fun to read.  And even though I know nothing about football -it’s got to be one of my least favorite sports! – I still was able to follow the gist of what was going on.

Basically a great summer read – perfect for the beach, which exactly where I read it!

The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert (migrated from bookblogger)

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

This gorgeously written novel is the story of Alma Whittaker, the physically and intellectually imposing daughter of a self-made botanist/pharmacist, who has a forceful need to understand their world.   Circumstances of her childhood, such as the adoption of a second daughter by her parents, and the development of her only friendship as a child, prove to have an enormous impact on the course of Alma’s life and shape the woman and scientist she grows to be.  Her life experiences take Alma and the reader to fascinating places with unusual characters and lead to some extraordinary ideas on Alma’s part.

It’s the elegant use of language that really makes this book stand out.  The imagery is stark and beautiful.  The characters are colorful and the settings often exotic. Alma is an extremely sympathetic character, in spite of all her awkwardness, and I felt myself rooting for her almost out loud at certain moments.  There is also some very interesting historical fiction and quite a bit of science to the plot and I never felt bogged down by it.

This book is smart and interesting and altogether unique. Try it!

Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

If you’re looking for a vacation/beach book, this is it.  It’s not fine literature but it’s a fun, suspenseful read.  Kate, the single, hard-working lawyer mom of Amelia, a sophomore at an elite Brooklyn high school, gets a call to come to school immediately because her daughter is in trouble.  In fact, her daughter is dead.  As Kate recovers from the shock of losing her daughter to what has been deemed a suicide, the suspicion that her daughter was not suicidal grows in Kate’s mind.  Triggered by an anonymous text, she is spurred on to discover an intricate cover-up of sorority-like hazing/bullying in which both she and her daughter have been victims.

Again, this is not high literature.  There is not exactly deep character development. There are some cheesy scenes and some dead-end story lines.  But you are still taken in by the plot and through the whole story you are itching to know what happens.

Definitely pack this is in your suitcase next to your toiletry bag!

Body Surfing by Anita Shreve (migrated from bookblogger)

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

I am not sure why, but I am bothered by the writing of novels in the present tense.  I guess that when someone is telling a story, by definition, it’s happened already, so why tell it as if it’s happening RIGHT NOW?   I do usually get past it and just get into the story, but I think that it took me an inordinate amount of time to get past it in this particular book.  It may be that it just took a bit of time to get into this story in the first place, but I’m not sure.

Anyway, this story is about a young woman, Sydney, who is living with a family at their beach house because she’s tutoring their 18 year old daughter, Julia, to prepare her for the SAT’s.   During the course of the summer, Sydney is introduced to Julia’s two older brothers, one of whom she becomes romantically involved and the other becomes alienated from the family.  There are interesting twists of events that bring the family closer and tear them apart and Sydney becomes very entwined in these events.

I think what finally drew me in is the relationships that develop among the different characters.  Julia’s father and Sydney, for example, grow to have a very warm, mutually respectful relationship and there are a few very tender moments between the two of them.

 

Bottom line:  in my opinion, it’s an interesting story but if you don’t have a lot of time to read, I wouldn’t put this as a priority.

 

Where’d You Go, Bernadette? (migrated from bookblogger)

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Where’d You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple

This book was surprisingly fun to read!  It is written by an author who has written for Mad About You, Ellen and Arrested Development, so you can guess that the humor in it was sharp and utterly sarcastic. The story is about a teenage girl, Bee, who has done so well in school over the year that her parents agree to take her on her dream trip — to Antarctica.  The problem is that Bee’s mom, Bernadette, has become something of a recluse and does what she can to avoid going out of their house and seeing people.  Because of a number of crazy incidents, including a dispute with the neighbor gone haywire and the use of an online assistant, to accomplish the simplest of tasks, by Bernadette, Bee’s father becomes concerned that Bernadette really has lost it.  The story sort of takes flight and goes so much further than you expect it to.  Maybe some of it is even just a little too out there, but I have to admit that it is still just fun!

What I like also about this book is the various voices that are utilized.  It is mainly told from the perspective of Bee, the daughter.  However, there are also letters and emails and even police reports that piece together the story.  Each one gives the reader a fresh view of the characters and it really enhances the telling of the story.

This is certainly not going to be on the reading list of a classics English course, by any means, but it’s definitely good for a few giggles and a happy read!

Heartburn (migrated from bookblogger)

Posted on by marjorieseidenfeld

Heartburn by Nora Ephron

This is true vintage Nora Ephron, a book where not much happens, but she has you laughing through much of what she has written.  The story, such as it is, is about a woman who is 7 months pregnant with her second child and discovers that her husband is cheating on her.  This is, of course, her second husband and it feels as if everyone she’s surrounded by is cheating or has been cheating as well.  In addition, she happens to be an author of cook books, and so interspersed with the story are recipes.  It’s a bit of a bizarre story, but it is cute.  (Evidently, it was also made into a movie awhile ago as well.)

Not exactly high literature, but it was a light, quick read on the beach!

I Still Dream About You (migrated from bookblogger)

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I Still Dream About You by Fannie Flagg

Eh.  Not my favorite…  This slightly weird story is about a woman in her 60’s who is planning to kill herself.  She is a former Miss Alabama and has had some disappointments in her life that have brought her to a place where she’s decided that the pro’s of living do not outweigh the cons.  However, her plan keeps getting interrupted by the various goings on in her work life.  Between the possible sale of her dream estate by her arch rival realtor and her best friend possibly having a heart attack, her plans get derailed.  But of course, she learns that things happen for a reason — and a good one at that.

In my opinion, Flagg (remember her?  Hollywood Squares…) is a very mediocre writer and the story is trite.  It’s a light read, though, and somewhat engaging and I guess if you are looking for an easy summer read, this fits the bill.  Better to look elsewhere, though…

Wedding Night (migrated from bookblogger)

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Wedding Night by Sophie Kinsella

I love Sophie Kinsella!  She can always be counted on to supply a light-hearted, fun read with a convoluted plot line that gradually untwists into an utterly happy ending.  And Wedding Night does not disappoint!

Fliss, Lottie’s older sister, cannot sit by and watch Lottie commit yet another “Unfortunate Choice,” Fliss’s name for the extreme reactions Lottie’s had after previous bad break-ups.  Unfortunately, Fliss seems to be having her own severe reaction, to the point where she’s orchestrating disaster on Lottie’s honeymoon in order to protect her.

There’s a lot of wincing and “oh, no’s” while you are reading this, but a lot of giggling as well.  It’s not Shakespeare, but it is great fun.  Perfect for the beach this summer!