Monday, May 29, 2017

The Murderer's Daughters by Randy Susan Meyers

Summary:

Lulu and Merry’s childhood was never ideal, but on the day before Lulu’s tenth birthday their father drives them into a nightmare. He’s always hungered for the love of the girl’s self-obsessed mother; after she throws him out, their troubles turn deadly.

My take: 3.5 looks

When your father kills your mother, tries to kill your younger sister, and himself, how does a 10-year-old girl handle the shock waves that reverberate through her life, especially now that she is all that her recovering sister has?

Dad is in jail, in serious denial of what he has done to his daughters. Meanwhile, years go by while family members shun the "murder girls", orphanage children torment them, and a wealthy family finally takes them in out of pity.

It is an easy and compelling read, perfect for those afternoons by the pool. While it is a bit formulaic and predictable, it is not high art, and the story, characters, and conclusions were all satisfying.

Recommended.


Monday, May 22, 2017

Behold the Reading Slump

I have been in a serious reading slump lately. Work is busy, yes. I am traveling more, yes. There are family events happening, yes. However, none of that has ever stopped me from reading before.

But, ALAS! It has! I looked over the blog and found that I had a slump in 2013, then again in 2015. So, it stands to reason that, after the cursory two years, it is time for another one.

I have tried to read "The Pillars of the Earth" by Ken Follett, "Mrs. Poe" by Lynn Cullen, "I'm Thinking of Ending Things" by Iain Reid, "Beartown" by Fredrik Backman, and I never finished the tome "4321" by Paul Auster.

So, I am going to read as I feel like it. There is a reason my brain wants to take a reading break, and I am not going to fight my subconscious by entertaining the myriad of articles on how to overcome a reading slump.

Embrace the slump!