However, I had such a busy weekend that I didn't read as much as I thought I would. When I only have a little time, a novella comes in handy, so here are three short - but satisfying - reads:
by Alan Bennett
A quirky-fun tale that imagines what would happen if the Queen of England couldn't put her book down, something I sympathize with. It begins with Herself stumbling upon the bookmobile outside the palace kitchens and leads on to her growing interest in books - and her waning interest in government. Full of laughs and inside-the-castle glimpses, The Uncommon Reader manages to end with a twist you won't see coming, all in 128 pages. (2008 - Picador)
by Jay Nussbaum
As we grow older, we ask ourselves why we are here, what meaning life has for us, and what meaning we have for life. Blue Road is an allegorical tale that offers an unlikely hero, a huge marlin named Old Fish, who asks himself the same questions. He is outrunning a deadly red tide in a quest to save the sea, but he's also examining his long life in the process. With both an environmental message and an encouragement to swim against the current, this small book contains a powerful and thoughtful punch in 158 pages. (2002- Grand Central Publishing)
Grayson
by Lynne Cox
This is the true story of long-distance swimmer Lynne Cox and the most exciting workout of her life. As she started an early-morning swim in the dark California waters, Lynne felt something brush up against her. Her immediate fear was that it was a shark, but nervousness turned to shock when she realized it was a 50-foot baby gray whale following her. The baby (dubbed Grayson by Lynne) was searching for his mother and the pod that had been migrating north. The longest of my favorite short reads at 170 pages, Grayson will make you hold your breath as the baby whale and Lynne search for his mother in the big blue sea. (2008 - Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
I remember "Blue Road to Atlantis" from when I was younger. Great book, and great for young people to read as they are growing up.
ReplyDelete