Book #34

The First Affair by Nicola Kraus and Emma McLaughlin

(239 pages)

This was the cheesy book I expected it to be. Kraus and McLaughlin were the authors behind The Nanny Diaries, which I quite enjoyed many years ago.

Jamie finds herself as an overworked D.C. intern when the government furlough gives her added responsibilities. In an accidental run-in with the president during a vulnerable time, Jamie soon finds herself wrapped up in a full-blown affair with the president of the United States.

As everything begins to unravel around her, Jamie has discovered she has actually committed some major government crimes. She is now facing serious jail time, on top of the press hounding her every move.

Although this book was a thinly-veiled book about the Monica Lewinsky scandal, it was interesting to read about all the government and police interference after the affair was out in the open.

I needed a quick read that required little thinking. That's exactly what this was.

Next up: Bad Monkey by Carl Hiassen

Book #33

The Pearl by John Steinbeck

(87 pages)

I've said John Steinbeck is my favorite author since I read East of Eden back in 2010 (?). Man, I loved that story! I've also enjoyed many others of his since then.

I had never picked up one of his favorite novellas, The Pearl, until a few days ago. I read it furiously. Wow! What a powerful story about the dangers of greed and wealth.

This is a retelling of a Mexican folk tale about a simple man in a village who finds a massive pearl during his pearl-finding work. Before he can sell it, he has ideas and dreams about how he and his wife will spend the money to provide a better life for their young son. But with this great pearl comes great danger for the family. Others are jealous of their good fortune, and others want to profit off their good fortunes themselves.

I read this short story in two sittings. It will stick with me for awhile.

Next up: The First Affair by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus

 

Book #32

The House of Tomorrow by Peter Bognonni

(368 pages)

 

 

 

Sebastian lives with his grandmother in a futuristic geodesic dome on the edge of their Iowa town. When a mother and son come to tour the dome, Sebastian's grandmother suffers a stroke. After the good Samaritan work the mother provided for Sebastian in a time of need, Sebastian then strikes up a friendship with her son, Jared.

 

Jared is a chain-smoking, punk-listening 15 year old heart transplant patient. He is fed up with his mother's church youth group and his sister sneaking around with boys he goes to school with. He is mostly sick of everyone tip-toeing around him thinking he is going to break.

 

Sebastian is too socially awkward to be bothered by Jared's heart condition. Instead, Sebastian sees everything else about Jared. As Sebastian's grandmother's condition worsens and in a fit of rage throws him out of the house, Sebastian goes to live with Jared and his dysfunctional family.

 

The rest is perfection.

 

I loved this book from the moment I started it. I didn't want it to end.

 

If I've learned anything on this journey to 50 books, it's that young adult fiction is alive and well! Great book!

 

Next up: The Pearl by John Steinbeck 

Book #31

Where'd You Go Bernadette by Maria Semple

(330 pages)

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I have not had internet or cable for 8 days. It finally got fixed today. Only plus side of having nothing to do -- I read 3 books in 8 days! Wow!

The first one I started BTO (before the outage). I was reading slowly at first, but quickly picked up speed as it became apparent I would be Facebook-less and Teen Mom-less for quite some time.

At first, I was not gelling with Where'd You Go Bernadette. I was confused on the layout of the story (the book is largely told through documents, like e-mails or school flyer notices, from and to many, many different characters). I wasn't too interested in the story.

And then, just like that, it all made sense to me. It started to come together. And although I felt like the ending was extremely rushed, it all wrapped it up in a pretty satisfying way. This satire about parents, schools, families, mothers and daughters, and everything in between clicked with me.

Bernadette is caught in the middle of the elitists moms at her daughter Bee's school and the elitist Microsoft culture that her husband works for. Soon, the two intertwine and leave Bernadette in a frenzy.

A good, quick read.

Next up: The House of Tomorrow by Peter Bognonni

 

Book #30

(Book #30!! I'm very excited for this!!)

 

You Must Remember This: Life and Style in Hollywood's Golden Age by Robert J. Wagner

272 pages

 

 

 

This is a book I bet I would have enjoyed more if I had listened to the audio version of it instead of reading it. The book is snippets of stories about the people, places and times in Hollywood from the 1930s and the 1950s. Instead of going chronologically in order, Wagner chooses sections of Hollywood life to talk about at a time, like "Houses and Hotels" or "Nightlife" and covers all decades pertaining to that subject in that chapter.

 

This reads like an old man tell stories of his life and memories (which, it mostly is). And while that can be entertaining, it can also make it easy to be lost when it comes to reading the sections. There were many names mentioned I recognized (Clark Gables, James Dean, Jean Harlow, Fred Astaire to name a few) but many more I was unfamiliar with. I'm sure someone with a much more in-depth knowledge of old Hollywood would pick up on quips and jokes along the way that I did not.

 

For now, I'm taking a break from non-fiction! I'm non-fictioned out!!! Hoping to find some good fiction reads in the next few I've selected.

 

Next up: Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple