Cannery Row by John Steinbeck

Steinbeck rules my reading for the next few weeks this summer. I am taking a Steinbeck course that will include a visit to Steinbeck country in Salinas California next month. Cannery Row is a great little book. I would call it a series of vignettes that show the lives of the listless on Cannery Row in Monterey California. I enjoyed it immensely until I realized that I had six pages of fill in the blank questions to complete for my coursework.

The Bright Forever by Lee Martin

I saw an ad for this book in the New Yorker and it was described as another The Lovely Bones. What an appropriate comparison. I read this book in one day on the shores of Lake Erie - the first day of summer. Although you know that tragedy awaits on the first page, the multiple narrators keep the story moving and gripping until the end. I loved it.

The Wonder Spot by Melissa Bank

I really enjoyed Melissa Bank's Girl's Guide to Hunting and Fishing, so when I began reading the mixed reviews of her new novel, I was curious enough to get the book from the library and give it a try. It is written in separate secions, each revolving around a different man in the main character's life. Although the title refers to a restaurant, it doesn't come in to play until the last few pages. It was a fun read.

Zorro by Isabel Allende

I am a huge Isabel Allende fan, so I had to run out and buy this book as soon as it was available. It was a fun read. I didn't know that much about the Zorro story, but the beauty is always her language and craft of storytelling. Another engaging Allende novel, although not my favorite.

Oyster by John Bigeunet

While scoring AP Literature essays in Daytona Beach this week, teachers were treated to a reading by John Biguenet. He read the first chapter of this novel and I was hooked. This is a powerful story of a rivalry between two shrimping families in Lousiana. I finished it on the plane on the way home and would recommend it as a fun summer read.