Hello everyone! Summer break is finally here! I am looking forward to lots of lazy afternoons reading a book. Also, I had gum surgery (blech), which has forced me to slow down even more and spend time reading and doing slow hobbies instead of running around trying to do all the things. Which is great, but I wish this forced slow down just wasn’t so painful.
On to the books! As a side note, I am fully aware that I am not stingy with my five star reviews. I know some book reviewers are, and good for them. I give five star reviews if I really liked the book and I think it did a good job of what it set out to do. Simple as that.
‘The Sunlit Man’ by Brandon Sanderson
5 out of 5 stars.
I really enjoyed this book, I think in part because it was my first foray back into epic fantasy in a while. While most of my reading as an adult has been filled with other genres, I still love epic fantasy. Something about getting drawn into another world is magical. Apparently, this fantasy novel takes many cues from classic western movies, something I did not know until I read the acknowledgments. I guess I haven’t read or watched enough of it to recognize those genre beats. Still, I enjoyed the book, all about a traveler who comes from a different world and gets caught up in the local conflict. I liked how the main character not only fights for the local people, but they also learn how to stand up for themselves. In the end, the day is won when the people realize they don’t have to suffer this anymore, they have a choice to walk away and begin again. I enjoyed that end of the story. Also, there are quite a few ties to ‘The Stormlight Archive.’ Fun easter eggs if you know the series, but you can absolutely read the story on its own, you don’t have to have read ‘The Stormlight Archive’ to understand the story.
‘Meet Me at the Museum’ by Anne Youngson.
4 out of 5 stars.
This book is an epistolary novel, which I usually like. I like the constraint of the letters on the story, it usually gives any story a unique twist. Also, I feel like I always get to the know the characters better in an epistolary novel. There is something so personal in writing letters to other people, and we see a very personal side to those characters when they do write letters. The novel is character focused, mostly about the characters interior growth as they heal after great loss. Both characters are middle aged, they describe themselves as having more life to remember than life to live. As they heal from their losses, the characters wonder what life will look like now. Is it too late to change? To go back and try again? Or are they stuck forever in the life they chose? The only problem I have with the book is the end. I don’t particularly like open ended novels, and this one is very, very open ended. I would like everything wrapped up with a pretty bow on top, thank you very much. But that is a personal preference, other than that I love the writing style, and the characters in this book and would recommend it to anyone who likes epistolary novels.
‘Partials’ by Dan Wells.
3 1/2 out of 5 stars.
I have been meaning to pick up a Dan Wells book for a long time now, and this one seemed like a good introduction to the author. (though, it is the first of a series, so maybe not)
The book is your average dystopian young adult novel. The world has gone to pieces, and now some teenagers must save the world. To be fair, this one is a much more interesting premise than many other dystopian novels, in my opinion. It doesn’t feel like a copy of ‘The Hunger Games’ or ‘Divergent’, rather it is its own self with its own ideas. Basically, AI in the form of human robots and a virus killed most of the human population. Now there are only a few thousand left, trying to survive in the ruins of civilization. I thought the setting was really interesting, with ruined buildings slowly being taken over by plants, and vast interstates crumbling, only occasionally used by horses and carts. What I most appreciated about the book is it is the first dystopian novel I have read where the inevitable clash between one generation and the next made sense. The older generation is scared, they watched the world end. The younger generation is hopeful, they watched the world begin again. Those two perspectives are at odds with each other throughout the whole story, and it didn’t just feel like rebellious kids getting mad at their parents, but an ideological battle over whether we should cling to the past or stride forward into the future.
‘Meet the Austins’ by Madeleine L’Engle.
5 out of 5 stars.
This book was just fun. I loved reading about a this family and all the little adventures they have. The book is a little bit of a coming of age novel for the narrator and main character, as she slowly enters a world different from her idyllic childhood. I found her to be relatable, in that she doesn’t quite feel like she fits in anywhere, and has yet to find her place in the grand scheme of things. She tries hard to do what is right, but slips up sometimes and has to make amends for her actions. I liked the tumultuous relationship she has with her siblings, which were similar to my own experiences. They drive you crazy, but you will still do anything for them. For once, we had parents who were kind, loving, and smart in a young adult novel. They didn’t get divorced, they didn’t scream at each other, they are just nice people doing their best to raise a family. All in all, the book was a fun, light hearted read perfect for making you smile.
‘The Secret Knowledge of Water’ by Craig Childs.
5 out of 5 stars.
This was my favorite read of the month. It is a nonfiction book about a man who travels the desert in search of water. There is more water hidden in the desert than you could dream of, you just have to know where to look. He talks about pools in barren stone as big as a swimming pool, streams full of fish and animals that only flow at night, they disappear when the sun rises, and of flash floods that simultaneously destroy and create ecosystems. I learned a lot about the place that I call home, and it gave me a deeper appreciation for the world just beyond the irrigation lines.
‘Making Space, Clutter Free’ by Tracy Mccubbin.
5 out of 5 stars.
Yes, yes, another decluttering/organizing book. They are like comfort reads, I can pick them up no matter what mood I am in and enjoy the read.
This one has a perspective on clutter I have rarely heard of. The author focuses more on the emotional barriers we have to getting rid of our stuff, and why it piles up in the first place. She tells story after story of people who come to life changing realizations as they declutter, not just because they were getting rid of stuff, but because in going through their stuff they are forced to confront the deeper issue in their lives, the reason they are clinging to so much stuff.
What has stuck with me the most is the stories she told of people who declutter and change their lives because of what they learn about themselves during the process. It has helped me to look at my own things and patterns of clutter in a whole new way.
‘Our Town’ by Thornton Wilder.
4 1/2 out of 5 stars.
I have never seen the play, but I have heard of it. My sisters watched it a long time ago and their (bad) review of the play piqued my interest. I have kept my eye out for it ever since, and was able to snag it at a book giveaway recently. Someday, I hope for a chance to watch it in person.
I don’t think plays should be read first, they are made to be watched, and I think some of the magic and beauty of the story gets lots when you read the play before you watch it. I think if you read the play later, with the plot and characters squared away in your head, you can fully appreciate the dialogue and word play of the story.
That being said, I did enjoy reading this play. I found it interesting to read the stage directions, so much of the setting and props of the play are imaginary. Like imaginary books and imaginary pails of milk. The simplicity of the scenery allows the characters to shine through and allows the theme of the story to be the most striking thing about the story. I would say the theme dominates the entire story, it itself is the purpose of the play, not the characters or the plot. The entire play exists to explain the theme. Which you may say is the point of any story, but most stories do not do so as bluntly as this play.
It is a story that will make you think, its end is very melancholy, and it invites you to take stock of your own life and truly think about what it means to live this very short life we have been given.
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I hope the beginning of your summer is full of flowers and sunshine and growing things.
Have a beautiful day,
Shaina Merrick
The Beauty of a Story 