My Grandmother Asked Me To Tell You She’s Sorry by Fredrik Backman came up at the NC library too. And, since I have read Bachman’s other two and enjoyed them, I thought, why not? I have the rest of my life to read the ones from my shelf. This story centers around Elsa and the imaginary life she and her grandmother create to avoid dealing with reality and Elsa’s difficulties. When Elsa’s grandmother dies, Elsa is lost and, in carrying out her grandmother’s final wishes, really grows up. Backman’s other characters (Britt-Marie for one) appear as well. Initially, and most of the way through, to be honest, I thought this was Backman’s weakest. However, as the characters all begin to be explained, it’s a more enjoyable read. I still preferred his other two, but this one is worth a read.

I continue to enjoy the wonderful East Albemarle library and not tackle the piles and piles of books I was going to take on this summer. Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly has been on my reading wishlist for a while and I was excited to find it on the library shelf. It was a delightful treat. While depressing and about World War II, in many ways, it was uplifting too. Three intersecting stories, one in New York City, one in Poland, and one in Germany weave together as do the lives of three women affected by the war. It was fascinating and I was surprised to find at the end that it was based on a true story. I highly recommend.

Vanishing Girls by Lauren Oliver was another book in the box I got from Harper Collins. I don’t know that I would have picked this up if it hadn’t arrived on my doorstep. YA is not usually my thing. It’s about two sisters whose parents get divorced and who get into a car accident and become estranged after being best friends. Simultaneously there is a thread about a missing girl. “Before” and “After” chapters center around the accident and piece together what happened. The story, unfortunately, was too shallow for my liking – I was in a hurry to finish it. This wasn’t my cup of tea, but it was a quick read.

I received an advance readers copy of The Widow by Fiona Barton a few months ago in a box of books related to our book club skyping with John Searles, however, I never got around to reading it until now. The book opens with Jean Taylor’s husband being hit by a bus and dying. Turns out, this was a good thing, since he possibly murdered a little girl and did other terrible things. Did his widow cover up for him? Was she unaware of all the awful things he had done? While the story was interesting and moved quickly, ultimately, I found the Widow to be a disappointment. It could have been much for suspenseful and engaging with not much effort on the author’s part.

Like The Big House (reviewed here), The Brothers K by David James Duncan was recommended at the St. Patrick’s book fair by a staff member (the same one, in fact). So, I had to give this one a try too. And, while I would love to say I adored it as much as The Big House, I can’t. In fact, I slogged through it, taking the whole week to read it (which is unheard of from me, especially at the beach), and dragging my feet the entire way. The only reason I finished it is because of the fondness and respect I have for the recommender. Perhaps it would have been better if I had read The Brothers Karamozov? And, while the last 100 or so pages were MUCH better than the other 540, nevertheless, I can’t say I recommend this one.

I picked up Heat and Light by Jennifer Haigh at my favorite library (Kill Devil Hills, NC) even though I promised myself I would clear off my home bookshelf this summer. It’s hard to resist a new book when it is sitting right on the shelf begging you to check it out. I had added this to my “to read” list because of Haigh’s other books and even though the premise (Big Energy’s feeding frenzy) wasn’t too appealing, I thought I would give it a try anyway. It was only OK for me. Kept me reading, but I felt there were too many loose ends and not enough story to really enjoy.

I’ve had The Big House by George Howe Colt on my shelf for a long time. It was a selection chosen by a St. Patrick’s staff member a few years ago at the book fair. And, while I wish I had read it earlier, it was a perfect summer choice. At its simplest, it’s about a house and the family who is unable to afford its upkeep even though they have owned it for 100 years. But, it’s also about relationships and history and land. It was a wonderful read that I thoroughly enjoyed. An added bonus was that it was written by Anne Fadiman (who I adore)’s husband who is a cousin of one of Dan’s friends. Dan’s friend, Russell, was featured somewhat prominently in the family story.

The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend was another impulse pick up from the NC library. I had read about it at some point and thought there was no reason not to grab it. You fall right into the story from the first page. And, while it lagged a little about 200 pages in, I’m glad I didn’t throw in the towel – I ended up staying up late to finish it. It’s a cute story about Sara, from Sweden, who has been penpals (writing primarily about favorite books) with Amy, from Iowa, for two years. Amy convinces Sara to come to visit her tiny town, but when Sara arrives, she finds that Amy has died just days earlier. Sara stays in town anyway and learns just how interesting small town life can be. This is a simple, yet charming story and a nice summer read.

I have had A Girl Named Zippy on my shelf forever. I’m glad I picked it up. It was a simple memoir about a girl growing up in small town Indiana with some laugh-out-loud funny parts. I was constantly interrupted while reading it, and it was still enjoyable.

Looking for a fun, light, and quick summer read? The Assistants is it. Tina is an assistant to the CEO of a media conglomerate. While she’s good at her job, the pay is terrible, and her student loans continue to make it challenging for her to remain financially solvent. When a mistake with the expense reports gives Tina the chance to pay off her entire student loan debt, she hesitates and then takes the plunge. Subsequently, she is blackmailed and ends up with a problem on her hands and worries that she will go to jail. Simultaneously, she falls in love with a lawyer at work. The story is a fun and entertaining one, and is well worth putting on your summer reading list.