Books that I read on vacation

While at the beach I managed to read quite a few books *whispers* and quite a lot of fanfic. My totally unsolicited book reviews.

Sloppy Firsts and Second Helpings by Megan McCafferty. I've read them before, but they deserved another go. I love the narrator/pov character in this series. These are generally billed as YA, but I could only have hoped to be this savvy when I was a teenager. I was very excited to learn that a third installment is being published next spring.

The Mulberry Tree by Jude Deveraux. Picked it up at the Friends sale for a buck. Summertime reading for sure. Okay, but ultimately forgettable.

Ava's Man by Rick Bragg. A biography of sorts of the author's maternal grandfather, a working class Southerner in the first half of the 20th century. An excellent book. I remember men like this from my own childhood in the South. I also loved Bragg's previous All Over But the Shoutin' which was about the author's mother.

Plain Truth by Jodi Picoult. A story centered around a supposed infanticide in modern Amish country and the resultant culture clash. Picoult always writes atmospheric, thought provoking books and this was no exception.

I also started and got about halfway through The Great Influenza: The Epic Story of the Greatest Plague in History by John M. Barry. Gripping nonfiction. I knew that there had been an influenza pandemic in 1918-1919, but I had absolutely no idea of the scope. Very gripping reading and the science is fascinating as well.

With the exception of the Jude Deveraux I'd recommend them all.

Anyone have any recommendations for me?

Books that I read on vacation

While at the beach I managed to read quite a few books *whispers* and quite a lot of fanfic. My totally unsolicited book reviews.

Sloppy Firsts and Second Helpings by Megan McCafferty. I've read them before, but they deserved another go. I love the narrator/pov character in this series. These are generally billed as YA, but I could only have hoped to be this savvy when I was a teenager. I was very excited to learn that a third installment is being published next spring.

The Mulberry Tree by Jude Deveraux. Picked it up at the Friends sale for a buck. Summertime reading for sure. Okay, but ultimately forgettable.

Ava's Man by Rick Bragg. A biography of sorts of the author's maternal grandfather, a working class Southerner in the first half of the 20th century. An excellent book. I remember men like this from my own childhood in the South. I also loved Bragg's previous All Over But the Shoutin' which was about the author's mother.

Plain Truth by Jodi Picoult. A story centered around a supposed infanticide in modern Amish country and the resultant culture clash. Picoult always writes atmospheric, thought provoking books and this was no exception.

I also started and got about halfway through The Great Influenza: The Epic Story of the Greatest Plague in History by John M. Barry. Gripping nonfiction. I knew that there had been an influenza pandemic in 1918-1919, but I had absolutely no idea of the scope. Very gripping reading and the science is fascinating as well.

With the exception of the Jude Deveraux I'd recommend them all.

Anyone have any recommendations for me?