Friday Reads

Hello again!
I hope you all had a lovely, restful holiday. Things were crazy as usual in our household, but much fun was had by all!

Fortunately, I was able to spend some time reading over Christmas and New Year's, and I finished a rather interesting book by Sarah Winman called When God Was a Rabbit. Truthfully, my reading tastes tend toward genre fiction (fantasy, sci-fi, romance, etc.) rather than literary projects, but I always find myself intrigued by the occasional title that causes a stir in whichever circles. I usually find these books difficult to read because the characters are so broken and damaged, or are put through such horrible events that they remind me too much of real-world events. I prefer a healthy dose of escapism with my fiction, thank you!

Regardless of all that, the one thing that happens with these stories is I find myself thinking about them at random moments, long after the cover has been closed. So it can't be said that these books don't have an effect!

This story recounts Elly's childhood in '70s England and the way she, her brother Joe, and her friend Jenny Penny deal with various traumatic events and secrets that lie just beneath the surface of their lives. They navigate a path through a world full of loss and heartache, the dark and damaging side of love and sex, and the ties -- however twisted sometimes -- that bind a family together. The characters' actions sometimes frustrated or confused me, but people in real life don't always act the way we want them to, either. I can't say I liked or disliked the book, only that it left me feeling somewhat ambivalent. I did find myself at times unable to put the book down, which is a good thing, and the characters were quite well drawn. I can't quite put my finger on what I would have liked done differently, however.

If you like coming-of-age stories that are slightly askew, this one is for you.

Have you read When God Was a Rabbit? What did you think of it?

Friday Reads

I'm starting a new series of posts on what I'm reading. On Fridays I'll talk about my current book (as applicable -- I don't read as much as I used to, thanks to my growing family), and I hope you'll tell me what's on your nightstand!

My ten-year-old and I have been reading the 39 Clues series together, and we've both really enjoyed it. We came in late to the series so we were able to do a good glut of the books as we got caught up to the publishing schedule. The most recent one we just completed was The Medusa Complex, which is the first book in a subsequent series called Cahills vs. Vespers (sounds horribly complicated, doesn't it?). There are 11 books in the original series, and thus far two in the second series. (Wikipedia shows slots for a total of six books in series two. Careful with that link! Spoilers abound!)

Siblings Amy and Dan Cahill inherit a mystery and a challenge: find the 39 clues before any other branches of their large family do.

I like to think of these books as Clive Cussler or John LeCarre lite. They're packed full of adventure (there tends to be quite a bit of disbelief suspension here, but they are kids' books, after all!) and the main characters are very likeable. There are a couple of deaths that take place in the first series (not graphically), as well as some rather scary moments, so I'd hesitate on giving them to readers much younger than 9 or 10. In some ways the books are much like a literary version of the TV show, The Amazing Race. The families (teams) must race from location to location, solving puzzles to find clues. The pace is screaming-fast, but the books are short so that's not really a surprise.

For adults, they're very easy reading, so most will be able to finish these within a couple of days. If you're looking for something fun to share with your child, these will fit the bill as well. Highly recommended!