We'll See the Bright and Hollow Sky. We'll See the Stars That Shine So Bright.

It's time for another traveling through books post. This time it's for the month of June.

I read seven books last month. Since I'm in Summer reading mode, I tried not to read anything too intense. I like to save those Russian type novels for January and February.

1.) The first book trip I went on was "American War" by Omar Akkad. It is a futuristic story about the second US civil war that is to be fought over the US government trying to outlaw fossil fueled vehicles. That seemed pretty believable to me, actually. It was dark and sad and violent, but I liked the story. I just don't think I want to travel to the South during the second coming of the civil war again anytime soon.

2.) The second book trip I went on was "The Pisces", by Melissa Broder. It was bizarre. It was uncomfortable and hard to read at some points as well, but it made me glad that I am in my 50's in 2019, and not in my twenties.  The whole idea of Tinder makes me a little sick. Anyway, the point of this book was to make people uncomfortable, so it succeeded there. It was mostly about a  young woman's very unhealthy need to fill her life with love/romance/ a man. Also, there is a merman in it and he's not Ethel. It did take me to Venice Beach again, and I did like that.

3.) "There There" by Tommy Orange took me to a Pow Wow in Oakland, California. I loved this book. I loved all of the back stories and the characters and how the ending was a little ambiguous.



4.) My next trip was a short story collection called "Florida", by Lauren Groff". Guess where it took me? You got it - Florida. I liked some of the stories more than others, but they were creepy and weird and suspenseful and great Summer reading.

5.) Next I went to Hawaii with Sarah Vowell and "Unfamiliar Fishes". This was a non-fiction account of the colonization of Hawaii. It was very interesting and of course, sad. I hope to go to Hawaii for real one of these days too.

6.) My sixth book trip was charming and sweet. I'm sure I read "The Wind in the Willows" by Kenneth Grahame as a kid, but I don't remember it. I'm glad I read it again, because it was a sweet little trip to the woods with quirky animals and their zany adventures.

7.) My last journey of the month was one of my favorites. "Anything is Possible", by Elizabeth Strout was very well written and gave different perspectives of people from a small town in Illinois. It was thoughtful and very realistic.

This month I am going on a real, live, trip, so I may not take as many book vacations. I think it's a good trade.