This was NOT a stellar month for reading. I bought some books at the Dollar Store – and didn’t stop there – I downloaded free books too. So, I feel as if I got sucked into some kind of a void and was reading just to do something. So, I vow in June, I am going to read things that will make me think, teach me, and inspire me. Here are the books I read in May (and if I wasn’t keeping track of them on Book Reads, I might not have remembered them!
SLEEP TIGHT by Rachel Abbott: This is a page turner, about a woman that is missing along with her children. However, the investigator recognizes the name of the missing women from prior investigations. This is written by an English author and contained a fair amount of British slang that took some getting used to. There are a few twists and turns that I didn’t anticipate, but it was just okay. It was worth the price, a free download, complete with a few typos!
ONE LAST GREAT WICKEDNESS by David Stansfield: I read this while on an art retreat, no internet and no television. So – I stayed up reading this until 2A! At times I found the book very good, at times I felt it was contrived. The main character’s father committed suicide when he was thirteen. Now finding family letters, he begins investigating his family’s past, and learns things he never suspected. In fact, he discovers an almost parallel universe. The ending was surprising, but somewhat oontrived.
LONG GONE by Alafair Burke It started out promising with Alice Humphrey landing a dream job in a gallery in New York. She is the daughter of a privileged family, she has a chance encounter with Drew Campbell. Campbell claims to represent a wealthy anonymous patron of the arts who wants to open a gallery, and Campbell believes that Alice, given her background, would be the perfect person to manage it. Sounding a little too good to be true, she finds Drew murdered in the gallery – and Alice is the primary suspect. She begins to believe she has been set up. I read this in one sitting – it is a little improbable, with characters making somewhat silly choices. In fact, I knew she was being set up long before it dawned on her!
THE WIDOW’S DAUGHTER by Nicholas Edlin: Peter Sokol is an artist in San Diego, but he was a doctor in World War II stationed in New Zealand. The book shifts in time from WWII to California during Viet Nam. What happened in New Zealand is revealed bit by bit. This was a piece of history I was unaware of. I found it interesting!
THE FAMILY FANG by Kevin Wilson: The first two sentences hooked me – “The parents called it art. Their children called is mischief”. This is the story performance artists Caleb and Camille Fang – who are totally dedicated to their art. Their two children – known as cihild A and B (Annie and Buster) unwillingly become part of their art. To get away Annie becomes an actress, Buster an author. But, they are forced to return home. his book isn’t for everybody, but I liked it and enjoyed my time reading it. I felt like I was reading a Wes Anderson movie. In fact, the reviews on Good Reads are somewhat entertaining, they go from hating and not understanding it – to sublime! There are several good points made about that age old question “What is Art?”
Any surprising finds for you lately?