"But she had to know words. She had to know everything." - Eva Ibbotson
I thought I would read a ton this month, with a cumulative 16 hours on a plane and 72 hours to myself in London, but that wasn't the case...too busy to fall into my usual antisocial habits! That said, there were some winners and some serious duds this month....
Loved:
Wallflower at the Orgy, Nora Ephron: I love everything any Ephron touches, and this was no exception. A collection of short stories and pieces she published over her newswriting/editorial career, Wallflower kept me laughing even at hour 6 of my London flight.
Enjoyed:
For the Right Reasons, Sean Lowe: SHAMELESS member of Bachelor Nation, y'all, and as soon as I realized Sean Lowe had actually collaborated on a book I had to read it. It was pretty insipid, but some of the "behind the scenes" stuff really made me happy because I'm stupid-into that show like every other basic white girl in America.
The Tutor, Andrea Chapin: What if Shakespeare had been a grammar-school teacher? Chapin re-imagines his early days as a writer and reframes the success of some of his poetry as being inspired by a very not-Renaissance woman. It was a quick read, but the endless hand-wringing and emotional drama felt a bit flat to me.
Tolerated:
Little Women and Me, Lauren Baratz-Logsted: A young woman accidentally ends up IN "Little Women," and decides to make sure (SPOILER ALERT) that Beth doesn't die and that Jo ends up with Laurie. I have problems with all of this because Beth has to die for emotional development. I also take umbrage with how mean the narrator was about Meg because Meg has secretly always been my favorite. Do not recommend, FYI, unless you agree with the author that Jo and Laurie would totally not have needed "Celebrity Couple's Therapy" after less than five years.
Re-reads:
The Royal We, Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan: I had this on my iPad, and it seemed appropriate to pick it up in St. James's Park, spitting distance from Buckingham Palace, to kill a little time on my London weekend before the V&A opened. I completely adore this book. It's a romantic comedy that hits all the right notes AND satisfies my inner craving for a good princess/Cinderella story.
Kate: The Future Queen, Katie Nicholl: Again, it was in my iBooks library, I was at Kensington, and it's something I've read enough times that it was quick and mindless on trains, the Tube, and planes. Good read for those who share my sad, over-the-top case of Middleton Mania.
Magic Flutes, Eva Ibbotson: Funny story, I just proofread this post and realized I had typed "Magic Glutes," and now I'm all like "SIGN ME UP." Anyway, I adore Eva Ibbotson and this is one of her harder-to-find books...but Amazon has it in Kindle now and I plowed through it yesterday and love it so, so much...especially after having just seen "The Magic Flute" in London!