My Week In Books - Time on the Beach

I’ve spent the past week beach-side with a book in my hands most of the time. If I’m being honest, I’m a little disappointed that I only read five books over the week, which is several less than previous trips. On the upside, because I bought so many for the trip, I now have a healthy stack of books to work my way through!Life After Life by Jill McCorkle
This novel focuses on the lives of different people living in, working at and visiting a retirement facility. Although not exactly the happiest of books to pick up on vacation, McCorkle presents a loving perspective on the passing of life and the responsibility of those of us left behind to honor the memories of the dead.

Stella Bain by Anita Shreve
In the midst of World War I, an American woman shows up at a medical facility for soldiers with no clues as to her identity. I’ve found books by Anita Shreve to be consistently good and this one didn’t disappoint. I loved learning about the identity of Stella Bain (the injured woman) as well as her reasons for being amidst the fighting overseas.

Sisterland by Curtis Sittenfeld
Several of my friends have read Sisterland with pretty mediocre feedback, but I was interested anyway. As one of four children, I’m aware of how complicated the relationships between siblings can be and think Sittenfeld presented that well with the interactions of Kate and Violet.

Where’d You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple
I was supposed to read this book for book club one month but life got in the way. I’m glad I saved it for when I did because it made for the perfect beach / summer read. It’s quirky and funny and easy to pick up and put down in between dips in the pool. I could tell you more but I think knowing much about this book beforehand would only ruin the fun of it.

Modigliani Scandal by Ken Follett
I have strong opinions on books by Jodi Picoult – I think they’re mindless fluff and little more. I used to really enjoy them until they all started seeming the same. What I will give Picoult credit for is that her books are consistently entertaining. I might forget everything I just read as soon as I put down the book, but during the reading, I like it. That’s also how I’ve started to feel about Ken Follett. His Pillars of the Earth series and Century Trilogy are so good but I now see that they (especially the Century books) are a culmination of all of his previous books. Modigliani Scandal is no different than most of the Picoult books I’ve read in that I can’t really tell you much of what it’s about, although I did enjoy it while reading it. I have a few more of his novels on my bookshelf waiting for me, but after that I think I’ll need to be taking a break.