The Book of Speculation by Erika Swyler was on a number of “must-read” books for the summer. The premise sounded interesting – a multi-generational story of women who are able to hold their breath for many minutes underwater who then mysteriously drown. The story toggles back and forth between present day, when Simon receives a mysterious book about these mermaids, and the past tale of the traveling show that employed the mermaid. The book felt like an Alice Hoffman, but didn’t really grab me the way Hoffman most often does. I almost abandoned the book multiple times, but finally rode it out. I am not sorry that I read this one, but I didn’t enjoy it very much. I didn’t really like any of the characters, and the story itself was just a little too far-fetched.