The Summer Getaway by Susan Mallery, adult fiction, 2022
The Summer Getaway is a relationship-driven story about Robyn and the family that revolves around her. They all have their issues and decisions to make about what's next for their lives. Eventually, everyone ends up in a mansion on the California coast to work things out.
This is an easy read, and perfect if you don't want to read about anything serious. Nothing horrible happens, but there are definitely problems.
While the book was very readable, I grew tired of the constant yearning Robyn and her new friend, Mason, had for each other. The story would have been just as compelling without focusing so much on that.
Also, there is explicit sex in the book--a little more than I think was necessary. However, I recall a talk by a romance author where she said that her editors always told her to add more sex. I guess they knew what sells.
Even though Susan Mallery has written well over 100 books, this is the first one of hers I've read. I will probably read another one, but not anytime soon.
The Superteacher Project by Gordon Korman, children's fiction (ages 9-12), 2023
Gordon Korman is one of my favorite children's authors, so when I was looking for some not-too-serious reading at bedtime, I picked up this book.
The Superteacher Project follows the same formula as many of his other books. It takes place in middle school, with the story told from the different perspectives of the various characters, including an oddball teacher. Sometimes when chapters alternate among characters, they can be hard to follow, but not this time.
The story begins with a new 7th-grade teacher at Brightling Middle School, Mr. Aidact, who happens to be a robot. He is part of an experiment from the Department of Education. The other teachers know about "him", but the students and parents do not. Mr. Aidact is very realistic, and no one suspects that he's different for a while. Eventually, the secret is out, and things don't go well.
The book starts out slowly, but it is building the foundation for the later parts of the book. I didn't like some of the characters, but they were important to the story. (And let's face it. Middle school is not the most likable age, in general.) I found it very interesting to see how Mr. Aidact was learning and adapting from the circumstances around him. The last third of the book is a compelling read as the story culminates in a very satisfying ending.
The book raises some important questions about how fine the line between humans and robots can be.
I recommend this book. It was the perfect bedtime reading for me.
The Case of the Missing Marquess by Nancy Springer, children's mystery (middle grades), 2006
The Case of the Missing Marquess is the first in a nine-book series about Enola Holmes, the much younger sister of Sherlock Holmes. In this first book, Enola's mother goes missing, and she contacts her older brothers, Mycroft and Sherlock, for help. They are much older, and she has not seen them for 10 years. The last time was when she was four years old, after their father died.
When it becomes evident that Enola has been raised without the proper graces of the upper class, her brothers decide that she will be sent to boarding school. Enola does not want to go, so she runs away to look for her mother. Along the way, she encounters a marquess who is assumed to be kidnapped.
The book takes place in London during Victorian times and fully describes the deplorable conditions that existed in the East End at the time. These might be too much to read about for a sensitive, younger reader. It also points out the difficulties that women had then, which Enola and her mother were rebelling against.
It turns out that Enola has excellent deduction skills like her brother, Sherlock, and uses them to look for her mother and maneuver her way through the various situations she finds herself in. There are ciphers to solve, flower meanings, and logical lists that the reader is a part of.
In both the movie and the book, Enola is a clever, independent, sensible girl and a very likable character. The book got very good reviews and won several awards. Ward, who wanted a break from the grittier adult mysteries he was reading, liked the book and has read four in the series so far. We both recommend this book.
BTW, the movies deviate from the book about 1/3 of the time, but the essence of the characters remains the same. I also recommend the movies.
The Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan, adult nonfiction, autobiography, 2024
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| Tan did all the illustrations for the book, including the cover art. |
A friend got me this book for my birthday, coincidentally just after someone told me that their book club was reading it. The Backyard Bird Chronicles was a New York Times #1 bestseller with rave reviews. However, it was somehow not on my radar. I'm so glad that I received it as a gift and got to read it.
Amy Tan is a very successful fiction writer, most notably for The Joy Luck Club. However, this book was a departure from her usual fiction fare. In 2016, Tan was upset with the direction of things in our country and turned to her backyard for solace. She has always liked nature from early on, so this seemed like a natural thing to do. She became obsessed (her words) with the birds there and started nature journaling. The book is based on entries from her journals. As part of her nature journaling, she drew pencil sketches of what she was seeing and also became an accomplished bird artist.
Her observations are detailed, curious, and at times sad. As she puzzles out what she is seeing, her storytelling gifts come out. I learned alongside her as she discovered new things about the birds and found this excellent book fascinating, funny, and moving. I highly recommend it even if you are not a bird or nature lover.
Until next time...
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