Summer Reading...

I have come to believe that the phrase "lazy days of summer" is utter b-s. The last couple of months have careened by, leaving in their wake the usual quantities of dust, dirty dishes and epic laundry piles thus making August pretty much the same as February--heck, we've even had some rain.  Despite this, I have managed to sneak in some pleasure reading. No time for lengthy reviews but I'd like to give a shout-out to two titles here:

Allen Zadoff's first installment of his Unknown Assassin series does not disappoint. He has created a post-millenial teenage James Bond who weaves through issues of attraction, teen angst and lost parents as he simultaneously completes missions that would make superagents thrice his age quake in their Converse sneakers. Pick it up--you won't put it down until the last page. If you're like me, reading the paperback, you'll keep going through the teaser for Book 2 which, luckily, pubs this fall!

 You read a grown-up book? You seem surprised. After having several folks recommend this to me, I felt I had to give it a go. Set in Seattle (my current stomping grounds), this send-up of Microsoft and PacNW culture has you laughing then pausing to look ruefully in the mirror. It is scarily spot-on in so many ways I hesitate to recommend it to my book group because it might hit too close to home for some of us. That said, I enjoyed the fresh form of the novel which is largely epistolary (scathing emails, school memos, various letters). And, as a musing on the notion of human creativity as a process, a means of self-valuation, and a legacy, it is an interesting book.

Here are the last two SOUND OF LETTING GO Blog Tour stops 

and a link to the rafflecopter:

August 18th – Book Chic

August 25th – Candace’s Book Blog

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Bookanistas: MY LIFE, THE THEATER & OTHER DISASTERS by Allen Zadoff

Plot without spoilers...Adam Zeigler is a techie. He helps run lights for the high school drama club actors who are preparing for their spring production of A Midsummer Night's Dream.  Still mourning the death of his father and struggling to find a way to relate to his away-at-college big brother, Adam is content to operate in the shadows, following the school adage that "techies and actors don't mix." Then, a girl named Summer, an egomaniacal student designer named Derek, a quirky best friend named Reach, and a hilarious drama teacher named Mr. Apple can help Derek find his own way into the light.

Of literary interest...Shakespearean chapter titles add a delightful layer to this behind-the-scenes drama. Adam's memories of his dad looking at a Rothko painting, describing the light in his workshop, and dissecting a glow stick in the woods give readers insight into the person Derek can become if he allows his own talents to shine.

Finally, just gotta say...As a complete Gleek, I love a good drama tale and this one is special, not just because of its unique "techie" point-of-view.  While filled with lighthearted, humorous moments, MY LIFE, THE THEATRE, AND OTHER TRAGEDIES is, at its core, an honest high school story about a young artist-in-the-making.

What are the other Bookanistas applauding this week...?

Elana Johnson and Scott Tracey find wonder in The Near Witch


LiLa Roecker sings out about Where She Went

Christine Fonseca adores A Scary Scene in a Scary Movie

Corrine Jackson delights in The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer

Veronica Rossi is wild about Wildefire