Chapter 35 - Tell Me

One of my blog readers asked me which of the summer books I'd identified as interests have I read and, the follow up, what did I think of them.

Earlier this summer I posted about five books that sounded interesting to me. They were as follows:

Do Tell by Lindsay Lynch

A Good House For Children by Kate Collins

One Summer in Savannah by Terah Shelton Harris

The Librarianist by Patrick DeWitt

Crook Manifesto by Colson Whitehead

I did order and read them and hear is my honest assessment of each.

Do Tell by Lindsay Lynch - I have to say I was disappointed with this book. I love old school Hollywood and this story of a B-list actress turned gossip columnist was intriguing to me in summary. Sadly, it had so much potential and didn't materialize into the book I was hoping to see. My good friend, Claudia, observed that she didn't care about any of the characters and I have to agree. The ending also seemed contrived and very in keeping with current literary trends. It was a thumbs down for me.

A Good House For Children by Kate Collins - This was a very good book, not great. The premise is a family who moves to the country (Dorset) to give their children a place to grow up away from London. Of course, a beautiful and inexpensive estate must come with some baggage and boy does this one. It was a good Gothic tale with a twisty ending. I'd give this one 4 thumbs up, if I had 4 thumbs!

One Summer in Savannah by Terah Shelton Harris - I loved this book! The story is about a woman who suffered sexual assault as a teen, left her hometown in Savannah, and must return home to help her ailing father. With her she brings her 8 year old daughter, who is like her attacker in many ways. It was a quick and well constructed read along with a very believable story. I recommend this book highly, 5 thumbs up for me.

The Librarianist by Patrick de Witt - This was also a very good book. It is the story of a retired librarian who gets involved with the local retirement home after rescuing an older lady in a convenience store. As Bob Comet becomes more involved with the people in the home, the reader finds out more details about his past. For those who enjoy a good older protagonist, this book is for you. This was a 4 thumbs up for me.

Crook Manifesto by Colson Whitehead - I have loved every book I've read by Whitehead and when he was awarded the Pulitzer twice in a row (The Underground Railroad and The Nickel Boys) I was in total support. Crook Manifesto is a continuation of the story started in Harlem Shuffle. Honestly, this has been just okay for me. It was a fast start and has slowed as I continue to read. As I've not finished with it yet, I'm hoping it gets better because it is number two in a planned trilogy. It is definitely a good social snapshot of the time period, though.

So that is my roundup on the summer books I decided to read. Let me know if you have read any or if you've read Crook Manifesto, what did you think? Happy reading until next time!