I plowed through At the Bottom of Everything by Ben Dolnick. It was a compelling story, but I felt like I had read a similar story before. Thomas wasn’t a character I liked and I never really did feel like I understood why Thomas and Adam were friends, but it was a quick and satisfying read. Good for the beach.

I read a number of positive reviews of Alena by Rachel Pastan. It was on the shelf at the library, so I eagerly grabbed it. Unfortunately, the best part of this book was the cover. Those lovely paint swatches feel like real paint. Otherwise, I found the book lacking. It was tedious to get through until the last 50 pages where all the action happened. I liked finding out what had happened to Alena (who mysteriously disappears before the book begins), but I could have left this one on the shelf. Here’s hoping that the next selection is better.

Well, I gave this one a few days and about 1/3 of the way into it, I said, forget it. Big Brother by Lionel Shriver has an interesting premise – sister sees her brother for the first time after a few years and he has gained 100s of pounds. She and her husband are becoming increasingly estranged and the large brother wedges them apart even further. I just couldn’t get into this book and it took too long for the explanation for the enormous weight gain to happen. While I wanted to find out, summer’s too short and I didn’t care enough to continue. It’s not that surprising, at the end of the day, since I also gave up on Shriver’s We Need to Talk About Kevin. So, onto the next one, Alena…

I was so excited to find a bunch of books on my “to read” list at the little library in Kill Devil Hills, NC. Small town libraries are so much fun and so nice when out of towners don’t know about them. I thoroughly enjoyed Loving Frank and was excited to read Under the Wide and Starry Sky, the newest book by Nancy Horan. I fell immediately into this story. I suspect that, if I had read it during the school year, at home, I might have abandoned this one. Not that the story wasn’t fascinating, and not that it wasn’t well-written, but because it was a bit long and dragged in parts. However, being at the beach and having more devoted time to read both at night and during the day, I thoroughly enjoyed this book about Robert Louis Stevenson. Like Loving Frank, it provided a fascinating glimpse into the life of a man I knew very little about. I recommend this one if you have time on your hands. It’s a good one.

My book group recently chose The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown. I was excited that it was immediately available at the library. And, halfway through, I was glad I hadn’t paid anything for it. I slogged through most of the story. The characters weren’t very likable and I couldn’t really figure out why they didn’t like each other either. In the last 25%, however, it picked up and I found myself wanting to find out what was going to happen to the girls and their mother. It got better, but not better enough for me to recommend it. Perhaps it’s because I’m an only child and I can’t quite get the sibling thing. But, even with that, the story was just lacking. I didn’t care enough and it was painful to get to the end.

I was excited to read Sweet Water by Christina Baker Kline, because I had so loved Orphan Train. But, it was as if these two books were written by entirely different people. Sweet Water was trite, simplistic, and predictable. And, the mystery was not even that interesting once you found out what it was. The characters weren’t well developed, and there was a great deal missing in this story, which had potential, but fell flat. I had to reread the last pages twice and then I was convinced that there was something wrong with my Kindle since it ended so abruptly – it seemed like a mistake. I wouldn’t bother with this selection or I would save it as a beach read. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

When I Found You was a great read. It was quick and didn’t require much mental energy. Just what I was looking for at the end of a busy school year. The other nice thing was that this title was only $3.99 from the Kindle store or free for Amazon Prime members. Can’t beat that. Was it predictable? A little. Could it be sappy and a little too neatly tied up at the end? Yes, but it was just right for this time for me and I enjoyed the premise and the characters (mostly). I would recommend if you are looking for something not too deep or something for the beach.

I received a free excerpt of The Storied Life of A J Fikry and read it in the dentist’s office. And, I was hooked. This was a wonderful story, filled with good characters, who I liked, and a great storyline. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would highly recommend it. It’s nothing deep, but it’s a delightful story about a bookstore and the people who surround it. A real treat is found on these pages.

A Tale for the Time Being is another book that had been on my list for a long time. I am not sure where the recommendation came from, but I began the book feeling like it was a great one. As the book wore on, however, I grew increasingly disappointed with the story. I loved the idea of the diary from Japan washing up on the shore of a remote island and found by an author who becomes intertwined with the writer, but it dragged midway through until the end. And, the ending was really disappointing. Surely, Ruth, who had invested so much time and energy into the story would have wanted to find the author and/or her father and make sure they were all right. And the epilogue, after all that writing, was a cop-out, I thought. I was sorry this book didn’t meet my expectations and glad to be finished reading it.

The Night Guest, by Fiona McFarlane was on the shelf at the library and I recognized the cover as one I had on my list (My book list of “want to read” books comes from a variety of sources, blogs, Oprah, booklists, etc., so I never know from where I have found the recommendation. I do always know that what I have read about the book intrigues me enough to want to add it to the list.). I am so glad I picked this one up. It was a short read, but a compelling and fascinating one. I am so very sad for Ruth that she ended up in the situation she was in and so angry with Frida. I wish the book had had a different ending, but this one worked. It’s an enjoyable book and I would recommend it.