Book Talk

I think a few people still stop by this blog for book recs, and I've got some good ones!  All of these are great summer pool/beach/vacation/lazy weekend reads. 

 My sister recommended The Perfume Collector. It's after the war in London, and Grace is fortunate to be running in an important social circle. She is trying to be content with this life when she mysteriously finds herself the lone heir to an inheritance from someone she doesn't know. Grace heads to Paris to unravel what she thinks must be a mistake, and finds that maybe she's ended up where she was supposed to be all along. In order to understand what was happening with Grace in 1950's Paris, much of the story is told in 1920's New York, too - such neat time periods and, for the crowds in the story, full of glitz and glamour.

 The Book of Essie follows a very strict, straight-laced, religious reality TV family who have made millions (of dollars and fans) putting their perfection in front of the camera. Behind the scenes there's a different story, though, and when teenage Essie becomes pregnant, her mom and the show's producers will go to any length to keep the pregnancy from damaging ratings. Super scandalous, and can't help but make you think of what else happens behind the scenes on all the those TLC reality shows we know and love! It didn't necessarily end exactly the way I wanted it to, but super good nonetheless.

 I can't remember if Ghosted was recommended or if it just popped up and looked interesting.  Sarah and Eddie have a whirlwind week filled with laughter and falling in love. Their time together is to briefly end while Eddie goes on a previously-planned trip, but without warning, Eddie seems to completely fall off the face of the earth. Sarah believes there is a reason he's not calling, and she digs to the point that even she thinks she's a little crazy (after her friends and his have hinted at this). She comes to discover that there is a reason he's disappeared, though, and they both have to come to terms with an event from their past in order to move forward. Great combo of love and mystery!

I kept seeing Adequate Yearly Progress on Twitter, and I had to get it - AYP is the term for how our schools are measured in Texas. I would love to say this book was entirely satire, but there was a lot of ugly truth in it (even amongst some extreme exaggeration). It follows a group of teachers at one high school where everyone is just trying to do the best job they can, but with initiative after initiative piled on (without any real purpose), it's easy to lose sight of why the staff entered the profession at all. Couple that with a superintendent who is just out for fame and a variety of relationships that provide an undertone at the school, the book is definitely entertaining even if it hit close to home.  To someone outside of public education, I'm sure the book would seem totally ridiculous - that thought occurred to me multiple times while reading. Either way, I think it could be enjoyed by any audience.

"The world was hers for the reading."

-Betty Smith