August was awesome. How on earth did it go so fast? There was so much going on I totally dropped of the blogwagon but that’s
okay because I was out enjoying. In all my August goodness reading took the back burner.
Well, reading new books that is.
But I did reread some tried and trues because
that’s just the kind of girl I am. Including Family Baggage by Monica
McInerney--an old staple of mine. I pick it up several times a year. It is engaging
and interesting. There’s a lot going on in the story complete with flashbacks
but they seem like real people in a real family. Even if the plot is a little
farfetched to actually happen I enjoy it.
The basic overview is that this Australian family along with
a close family friend owns a travel agency. The MAJOR storyline takes place as
Harriet, the youngest, goes on her first tour after a mental breakdown. (I can’t
come up with another term that’s better and while mental breakdown makes it
seem really ridiculous it truly isn’t.) Harriet’s is leading a bunch of
senior citizens on a tour themed for an old English television show, and the
senior citizens are the most endearing bunch of characters I’ve read in a long
time. I wish they’d jump right off the page and knit me a sweater and keep me
company. There’s a lot going on with the family but it all revolves around this
one tour.
I can’t honestly say this book will change your life or even
make you think but I definitely enjoy it and I keep picking it up over a lot of
other books I own so that may be saying something. But it could also be saying
I have odd taste in novels and I should probably read something new. I am
hoping to jump back on the reading train this week as I settle into unofficial
fall. I got a few books from the library so I am hopeful.
Family Baggage definitely sounds like something I would like. Have you read The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz? Same crazy family setting, but the family business in this case is a private investigation firm. Very funny!
ReplyDeleteFamily Baggage sounds intriguing. And I like to read my tried and true faves over and over as well! (ISometimes, I'd just rather re-read something I adore than take a chance on a new book.) Some of them are classics, like Pride and Prejudice and To Kill a Mockingbird; but others are newer novels, like David Nicholls' One Day and Ian McEwan's Atonement. Am I crazy, or is One Day one of the best reads around these days?
ReplyDeleteI really enjoy it when you do book posts, I always am looking for new and interesting books! I had not heard of this one, I will have to look it up at the library.
ReplyDeleteAnd on a separate book related topic - albeit one that potentially you hate...did you post a comment over at Calah's blog about Thomas the Train. If it was you, I laughed, and thought...ohh, that is probably why she didn't comment on my last blog post! :)
Honestly, I must be one of the most oblivious people because I read that blog post and was like "WTH"...are we watching different shows, reading different books? All of that Commie stuff flew past me and I thought she was writing a satire piece and then I realized...oh wait, she isn't.
Can we still be friends?