Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple

 This was on the bookshelf at the Cancer Center, and the cover looked amusing, and the blurbs promised hilarity, so I decided to give it a try. It was a good and interesting choice. 

The story is set in Seattle. The mom is a genius architect who is socially inept, the daughter is brilliant, and the father is a genius who works for Microsoft. The humor is a little dark, but so very clever. The story ends in Antarctica, and the various aspects of travel there are fascinating. Also fascinating is the description of Bernadette's (the mother) career and the way she approached design. The digs on private schools, on the Pacific North West, and Microsoft are so dang clever and engaging, and the story veers into very unexpected places.

There is some struggle with being a "Christian" and some interesting spritual experiences. It was gratifying to see the crazy neighbor come good. The Yoko Ono admin -- hilarious reference in itself--was an unfortunate affair; I was hoping Elgie (the dad) would have better character. All in all, though, it was an amazing story that was quite enjoyable...There were lots of references I probably didn't get, but there were plenty that I did. There was an occasional F-bomb, but overall the language was okay. 

I'm pondering sending this on to Leslie Polson. She likes humor, but I'm not sure if this is quite her style of humor....

Beachcombers by Nancy Thayer

So glad I didn't buy this book, but picked it up at the Cancer Center... I had just returned from Rapid City, and Len and I went to the hospital for his radiation treatment, and I browsed the loaner bookcase because I had nothing to read at home. This one sounded like a good light, summer read. 

And it was, but it was also frustrating in its inanity! I mean, really, who lives like this? The author obviously enjoys life on her beloved Nantucket Island and wants to share all her inside knowledge of cute places to go... that was okay. And she idealized her characters who were not believable on any level, but she dressed them well...and they did unrealistic things....the three sisters each had romances that were shallow and somewhat sexy... I don't know, it was a fun to read when it wasn't frustrating! Not worth the paper it's printed on, but it was fun to read when I was tired this weekend. And there were some cozy family scenes and dinners. This author likes food and likes describing how to cook it... So, not a total waste, but pretty close!

 

The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave

 This was another find at the Cancer Center Lending bookcase at the hospital. I was looking for a good read for my trip to Rapid City. I love to read on airplanes, and I love to read at night after those exhausting, wonderful days with the kids!

This was an interesting romp into a very scary story; this woman's husband disappears and is accused of stealing from his company, and she is left to protect and raise her unlikeable teenage step-daughter. This story had a lot to say about trust in a relationship. There were lots of flashbacks to red flags that the main character had ignored when she was dating her husband. They weren't married for long when he disappeared. The twists and turns about who he was, his past, and his present were very interesting, and read like a mystery novel. I enjoyed the Sausalito and Austin, TX settings. I also enjoyed the way the main character struggled to build a relationship with her step-daughter. It isn't a great novel, but it held my interest and definitely got me to sleep all week in Rapid City. I looked forward to seeing the next twist in the story...well done, and with a very unexpected but satisfying ending. 

Love Warrior by Glennon Doyle Melton

     I have always admired the guts and vulnerability of Glennon Doyle, and I heard her, years ago, be interviewed about this book. The interviewer was pointing out how this book was a testament to Doyle's commitment to making a hard marriage work. Maybe it's more accurate to say that it shows how hard work and courage can build a strong marriage. It intrigued me then, and I resolved it would be worth reading. In the intervening years, though, she did eventually divorce this husband and is now married to a woman, a famous soccer player. 

I had kind of forgotten about this book until I was waiting for Len at the Cancer Center at the St. George Hospital, awaiting radiation for prostate cancer. They have a big bookcase of books to borrow from, and this one caught my eye. I'm glad I read it; it was engaging and painful and hopeful...Glennon is an amazing, open, and vulnerable person. I wondered about the wisdom of sharing so much, especially when there are children in the marriage. Yet it's instructive to know how her mind works and I appreciated her honesty and her struggle to live with integrity. It gave me some new understanding to get a glimpse of someone who had stellar parents, and yet she still struggled and fought and rebelled... Her obsession with her appearance, her bullemia, her therapy...all of it was fascinating reading. It was a gift to get such an intimate look into someone else's life. 

West with Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge

 Leslie Polson surprised me by mailing me this book. She thought I would enjoy it, because she did, although she mentioned she got a little bit tired of the long trip along the road. I did enjoy it, and never once thought it was too long along the road! Every challenge that met this amazing transport seemed insurmountable, but somehow, they made it through.

The main character, Woody Nickel, tells the story from his point of view. It's really interesting to read his thoughts as an orphan, a criminal, a juvenile, later an adult of 18, a dustbowl victim, a child abuse survivor, and a growing young man. We get to see his skewed thinking processes, relate to his temptations, and always want him to catch a break. His Old Man, the zoo guy who accompanies the giraffes and eventually hires Woody to drive them is a colorful and unpredictable character, as is Red, the "reporter" who comes in and out of the story. 

It's an amazing peek into this period of American history; post dustbowl, and to read about all of the itinerant people who try to steal the giraffes, bribe Woody, and otherwise create mayhem. The writing is so descriptive and, at times, stunning. It was a great book to retreat to near the end of this very hot summer. I really looked forward to reading it when it was too hot to go outside, and when I was ready to do nothing but VEGE out. The writing is so good though, it never felt like I was avoiding life or wasting my time, which I sometimes do when I'm on a reading binge. This was a very, very good book!

It has also given me something to talk about with Linda Terry and some of the other women in our ward because they read it for their book club recently--before I joined. They all liked it too, and were also amazed by the story and how it unfolded. In some ways it's like a mystery as we learn about Woody's and Red's pasts. It also inspired me to learn more about this "Grapes of Wrath" period...such a despressing time. I've always been captivated by the old black and white photos of this era, and now I'm curious to learn more. I read the Grapes in eighth grade, I think, and I'm sure I've seen the movie, but sure don't remember when. Henry Fonda... Maybe it's time to see it again.