Julie's Journal : What I've Been Reading

As usual, I have been reading quite a bit this fall.  I generally have been reaching for comfortable, escapist reads.  The news has been generally depressing this year, so I want happiness and fun in my reading. 

I'm still working on reading the J.D. Robb In Death series, which are futuristic murder mysteries.  While there's nothing profound about J.D. Robb/Nora Robert's writing, I enjoy her way of developing a story and characters.  She's a formulaic author, but I enjoy her formula, so I don't mind.  I'm also slowly working my way through Jan Karon's Mitford series.  The Mitford books are about a small town in North Carolina, its aging pastor, and the many dramas of the townspeople.  There's no huge excitement, no major events, but the stories are sweet and wholesome and uplifting.  I've finished the first four and have the fifth checked out to read soon. 

I also recently read "Upstairs at the White House" by J.B. West after my mother recommended it.  I  enjoyed this non-fiction account of Mr. West's career as the chief usher at the White House.  He worked mainly with First Ladies and coordinated the domestic side of life in the White House.  He was in charge of the day-to-day operations and well as big events, such as state dinners, weddings, and funerals.  His insider look at the personal lives of the presidential families he served was fascinating.  He served from the time of Franklin D. Roosevelt through Richard Nixon.  This is an older book, published in 1973, but I was able to borrow it for my Kindle.  If you can get a hold of a copy, I highly recommend it.

As far as more recent books, I find that I have been disappointed as often as I have enjoyed a new book.  I read "The Witch Elm," which has had rave reviews, but I found the main character, Toby, whiny and unlikable.  Nicholas Sparks is usually a sure bet, but his newest book, "Every Breath" was a disappointment for me.  I didn't find the whirlwind love story at the beginning of the book believable, so I was never invested in how the rest of the story turned out.  I looked forward to Kate Morton's "The Clockmaker's Daughter" as I have enjoyed all her previous books, but this time the story didn't work for me.  I felt like there were too many story lines, and as soon as I started getting a feeling for one character the point of view changed and I was lost again.  I didn't feel like Ms. Morton brought all the story lines to a satisfying end and the ending was very abrupt.

I have read a few new things I've liked.  Australian author, Liane Moriarty's new book "Nine Perfect Strangers" was different.  Nine people from different walks of life all sign up for a ten day retreat at a remote resort.  At first it seems okay.  There's at least one custom smoothie every day, a full service spa, meditation, and exercise.  The only thing unusual is that the first five days are spent in silence.  About halfway through the book, the story took a turn I wasn't expecting.  As a result, the tranquil atmosphere of the retreat is shattered and the attendees deal with the fallout in different ways.

"Look Alive Twenty-Five" is Janet Evanovich's next installment in her Stephanie Plum series.  Stephanie is a somewhat bumbling bounty hunter and with the help of her two love interests, she eventually, usually, gets her man.  Her sidekick Lula adds a comedic flare.  Quick and fun and light, I recommend Stephanie and Lula for any time you need a laugh!

I saw lots of advertising for Delia Owens' "Where the Crawdads Sing".  Sometimes I'm a little leery of books that are heavily hyped, but I enjoyed this one.  Kya is a young girl who falls through the cracks of her family and child services and ends up living in the swamp of North Carolina alone at about 10 years old.  She becomes something of a legend in the nearby town and the boys torment her by daring one another to approach her.  This game eventually leads to tragedy.  Very intelligent, Kya is taught to read by a boy she meets in the swamp.  She eventually becomes  a respected naturalist.  She remains reclusive and strange her whole life, never really fitting into society, but does eventually find love and a sense of family.  I found the story thought provoking.

I've also just started John Grisham's new book, "The Reckoning".  Have you read it?  What did you think?