Favorite September Reads Part 1

I am here and all is well. Life has been bananas. I'll give a better update soon.

I did find some time for reading last month. September will be a double post.

Enjoy!

Night of the Moonjellies by Mark Shasha (picture book)

This is such a warm, inviting story. I think I was a little bit more enamored with everything that went into working a day at a hot dog stand than I was with the moonjellies bit of the story. The illustrations are magnificent, kind of like getting a hug from a book.

Why My Cat is More Impressive than Your Baby by Matthew Inman (Adult nonfiction/comics)

I don't have a baby or a cat but still think this is one of the funniest books ever. I can't imagine it getting any funnier, but if you have a cat and/or baby, it's possible you may never stop laughing. It's definitely crude and full of offensive images, language, and ideas, but if none of that bothers you, I highly recommend it. I'm trying to think of a favorite moment and it's just so tough, because nearly every page was a favorite moment. I think I relate the most to the "how to hold a cat when you are not used to holding cats" page. Basically the advice is don't do it. Do not pick up the cat. I am definitely the person in the comic who has picked up the cat and is trying to escape a suddenly unhappy and possibly murderous monster who did not want to be picked up.

The Secret of Everything by Barbara O'Neal (Adult Fiction)

Tessa is a hiking guide/photographer who survives a tragic hiking accident. After healing at home - her father's house in California - she decides to travel to a place in New Mexico, Las Ladronas, that she thinks will be the next great hiking tour spot. It also happens to be the town where she spent the first few years of her childhood. She falls in love with both Las Ladronas ( the people, food, beauty, hiking opportunities) and Vince, a search-and-rescue worker. She also discovers giant, life-altering secrets about her past. There is no question that there is A LOT going on in this novel. Even though there are lots of stories within stories, I never felt overwhelmed. I think O'Neal does a masterful job bringing everything together (except for one ghostly character) in the end. I adored, I mean absolutely adored the attention to detail. O'Neal writes like an artist. Because of Tessa's passion for photography, she notices everything. O'Neal takes this a step further and describes in beautiful detail everything that catches Tessa's eye. My only small gripe with this novel are the love scenes, which are a little over-the-top, rather forced, and unnecessary. It feels a bit like O'Neal realized there wasn't enough romance so she threw a bunch of scenes in at the last minute without checking to make sure the words weren't on the romance no-no list of words. But the multi-layered story, rich details of food and New Mexico, and the relationships developed between the characters make this an excellent read that I highly recommend.