Vacation Reading

I recently took a cruise with two good friends. True to form for my reader self, I brought several books to read while I lounged around on the cruise ship. Little did I know my two friends were so active, cramming activities into every minute of our lives on board and on shore. In spite of the numerous activities, I managed to get through a few of the books and start a few more. So here is what I read late at night on this ship:

Bertie's Guide to Life and Mothers by Alexander McCall Smith

One of my favorite series is the 44 Scotland Street series by Smith. This is Book 9 of the 10 books in this series and somehow I missed it along the way. I love the interconnected stories of those who live in the apartment building on Scotland Street, but I especially love Bertie who suffers the indignity of his overbearing mother with grace and ingenuity. This is the book that made me laugh out loud while lying in my bunk late at night.

A Manual for Cleaning Women: Selected Stories by Lucia Berlin 

Lucia Berlin has written short stories for the last half century or more and this was my first encounter with her work. Her stories have many autobiographical elements, but she has done so many things in her life, including being a cleaning lady, that they are all over the place. Often told in first person, the stories explore relationships, motherhood and dealing with alcoholics, both within yourself and with others that you know. I laughed and cringed at the stories in this book and hope to find other stories by Berlin, although they will have to be previously published as she is no longer with us. A true storyteller who found her calling.

Booked by Kwame Alexander 

 

Following his Newbery award winner about basketball players, Alexander now turns to soccer. A young player is dealing with his parents separation, trying to keep up with his studies at school and playing on a travel soccer team. Written in free verse, as was Crossover, this YA book is perfect to show that not all African Americans live in poverty in the inner city. Nick’s problems, including dealing with his English professor father, are much closer to the typical upper middle class student, giving us an insight into the life of an educated Black family.

Looking for Alaska by John Green

I have read a few John Green novels, the hot author of YA fare. Some have seemed unusually saccharine, but this is not within that ilk. Miles goes off to boarding school to find the “great perhaps.” He discovers friendship, love plenty of teenage angst. But, there is a death and there is a great deal of effort put into finding out if this death was or was not a suicide. In either case, Green delves into the lives of teens, exploring why they might want to commit suicide. AS the narrator, Miles is both likable and repulsive. It is easy to see why Green is an acclaimed YA writer.

The Weight of Blood by Laura McHugh

A typical thriller set in a small Alabama town tells the story of Lucy Bane whose mother disappeared when she was a baby. Now, as a teen, one of her friends has disappeared, only to be discovered a year later, body dismembered and stuffed in a tree stump. Lucy cannot let go of these mysteries and spends the summer between her junior and senior year trying to solve these two mysteries in her life. Of course, she is confronted at the end by the killer, giving the readers a moment of suspense: will she survive? Spoiler alert: of course she survives!

Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brash

I am always open to new books and ideas, but I will not seek out any additional works by Brash. While I did not love this book, I did read it to the end. She writes mostly through pictures and the art work is quirky to say the least. While I could relate to some of the stories and while she made depression more understandable, I was not pulled into this book or her life as I was with many of the other reads I took on this trip. If you are in your 20s and love dogs, you may find this more compelling than I did.