Summer Reading

I have recently read three books (all fiction) that I thought were good, so I thought I’d share them. Each book was written in a different style, none of them a straightforward narrative novel.

The first is Whitethorn Woods, by Maeve Binchy. This was written as a series of short stories all tied together through the characters’ connection with a small town in Ireland. There are a couple of themes running through some of the different stories. It’s a very effective device and keeps the book from being just another novel. I have read other books by Maeve Binchy, and I think this is my favorite.

Next is The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows. This book is written in the form of letters sent to and from the various characters. It takes place just after World War II in the British Channel Islands (between England and France), which had been occupied by the Germans during the war. There is a story line going on in real time, as well as memories being shared of the German occupation. Very interesting. Paddy is reading it now, so it will be interesting to get his take on it.

And finally is Change of Heart, by Jodi Picoult. This one is told as first-person narratives by four different characters. It is about a man convicted of two murders (of a police officer and his stepdaughter), and he is facing the death penalty. He wants to donate his heart to the young daughter of one of the murder victims when he is put to death – not as simple as one might think. Jodi Picoult has written several popular novels, and I believe this is the second one that I have read. I liked the book and recommend it.

BTW, just for the record, I finally got to see the movie Australia. It seemed like they took two relatively short movies and jumbled them into one long movie. Not bad, but not as good as I had hoped it would be . . .