Books #26- #28

#26- A Tree Grows in Brooklyn- Need Author- This was my last New York inspired book. I wanted to have it finished before we left but actually ended up finishing it on the plane ride back to Texas. It is the story of a girl growing up and seeing the world for the first time as an adult. It broke my heart a little each time that she faced something without the magic of childhood in her eyes. I’m not sure if it was a slow read because of the storyline or because of everything I was trying to do before the trip. I liked the character and her family well enough. It gives you a glimpse into what poverty looked like (maybe still looks like) in Brooklyn many years ago. I would have liked an epilogue but maybe the author wanted you to create the ending. Overall: recommend.

#27- The All-Girl Filling Station’s Last Reunion by Fannie Flagg- I truly enjoyed this book. I would classify it more on the fiction side of historical fiction but it was still full of history. It goes back and forth in time and place (which might be my favorite kind of book). It crosses states that do not seem to have much in common. It also talks about the WASPs, a group of women pilots in World War II. There is an entire museum in Sweetwater (which I passed every time I drove to Lubbock) that I had no idea about. These women moved planes from the factories to the bases for the men to take to Europe. I truly love this book and the characters, both the past and the present. The grandmother reminded me of Steel Magnolias which never hurts a book’s chances either. Definitely recommend.

#28- Look at Me by Jennifer Egan- This book started off ok. It seemed you knew who was crazy and who wasn't. The vocabulary was pretty intense considering the content. By the halfway point, I was lost and unsure why I was still reading besides the fact that I had already commited to 200 or so pages. The plot has huge holes in it, including the ending. It has storylines that are entwined but everyone is apparently crazy so there is no point. Please do not waste your time on this book.