Past Tense by Lee Child

Reviewed by: Becky Houghton, Reference Assistant

Genre: Mystery, Thriller

Suggested Age: Adult

What the book is about: Walking at a steady speed of 4 miles per hour and occasionally hitching a ride, Jack Reacher begins a late summer journey from Maine to San Diego, CA. At the same time, a young Canadian couple, Shorty Fleck and Patty Sundstrom are relocating from their home in St. Leonard, New Brunswick to Florida via a planned stop in New York City. The couple is driving an ancient, and apparently poorly maintained Honda.  Reacher spots a sign at a fork in the road for Laconia, New Hampshire which sparks a memory of his father’s stories of growing up in Laconia.  Patty and Shorty experience car trouble and spot a motel sign in the woods approaching Laconia.  Lee Child builds a gripping, suspense filled tale from this simple beginning adding detail, humor and a Stephen King-like anticipation into his 22^nd novel featuring ex-military MP, Jack Reacher.

My review:  I enjoy and have read all 22 Jack Reacher novels by Lee Child.  Child has a narrative style that draws me into the thought processes of the characters, especially the main character, Jack Reacher. Suspense builds through the use of detail and unique situations.  In Past Tense, Reacher is on a genealogical search with surprising results and unusual adversity. As Reacher would say, “It either works out, or it doesn’t.” I was engrossed by this book and finished it very quickly.

Three Words That Describe This Book: Intriguing, Suspenseful, Frightening

Give This a Try if You Like:  Lee Child’s previous novels or the mysteries by Robert Crais.

Rating: 5/5

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About FDL Reads

FDL Reads is a series of weekly book reviews from Fondulac District Library.

What If? Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions  By Randall Munroe

Reviewed by: Melissa Friedlund, Reference Assistant

Genre: Scientific Humor

Suggested Age: Teens, Adults

What is the book about?  Randall Munroe, the author behind the webcomic “xkcd,” has compiled a wide array of wacky questions that have been submitted to his website…questions that need scientifically based answers. From trying to figure out if a Lego bridge across the Atlantic Ocean is feasible to envisioning the consequences of all of Earth’s water travelling through an interdimensional porthole to the surface of Mars, the situations posited are sometimes as outlandish as the answers. Have you ever had a kid ask you why or how something in the universe is the way it is?  Did you stammer trying to come up with something plausible or just say, “I don’t know?” This book could help you be ready for next time…maybe.

My Review: I listened to the e-audiobook on Hoopla, but this is also available in print and CD audiobook form.  I found it amusing and a whimsical way to pass the time while listening and driving. The print form has Munroe’s comic drawings to help the reader visualize the situations that are being described. The audiobook is read by Wil Wheaton, whom I enjoy listening to. I envisioned this book would be filled with questions and answers that would mirror some of my conversations with my middle-school aged son. Not quite. Most of these predicaments were a few grade levels higher than he’s ready for, but he still liked the Lego bridge scenario.  The effort and research into the answers Munroe has compiled are an order of magnitude beyond anything I would have ever bothered to delve into.  Can you say ultra-nerd? But, it’s all in fun. I’ve run across the “xkcd” webcomic a few times in the past but am not a regular reader. I’m sure a diehard fan would be thrilled with this book.

 Three Words That Describe This Book: Cerebral, Quirky, Silly

Give This a Try if You Like…www.xkcd.com, Astrophysics for People in a Hurry, A Short History of Nearly Everything

Rating: 4/5

Find it at the library!

About FDL Reads

FDL Reads is a series of weekly book reviews from Fondulac District Library.

Bringing Up Bebe: One American Mother Discovers the Wisdom of French Parenting  by Pamela Druckerman

Reviewed by: Susie Rivera, Reference Specialist

Genre: Nonfiction

Suggested Age: Adult

What is the book about?:  Pamela Druckerman marries a British journalist and they make their home in France.  When she becomes pregnant with her first child, she begins to notice how pregnancy in France as well as French children are different than in America.  For example, pregnant French women seem to sip wine without remorse and French children are well-behaved. They are even able to sit in a restaurant during a multi-course meal without parents having to give them an iPad.  What are the secrets behind these phenomenons? Druckerman has done the research to find out why French parents are less stressed and why French children are so cultured and mindful.

My Review:  I was drawn to this book after my son was born. My husband and I had just visited France, and I had noticed how well-behaved some of the children seemed in public.  The insights Druckerman describes were fascinating to me as well as humorous.   Though some of the pointers she gives regarding parenting seem like universal common sense, I learned a few new things that I tried right away with my baby.  I listened to the e-audio version of this book and really enjoyed the narrator’s casual tone.  Listening to her talk was like having lunch with a friend each day.

Three Words That Describe This Book: Interesting, funny, realistic

Give This a Try if You Like…French Women Don’t Get Fat, French Kids Eat Everything, Cultural differences

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About FDL Reads

FDL Reads is a series of weekly book reviews from Fondulac District Library.

Unto Us a Son Is Given by Donna Leon

Reviewed by: Dawn Dickey, Library Volunteer

Genre: Mystery

Suggested Age: Adult

What is the book about?: The central character of Donna Leon’s Venetian series, Commissario Guido Brunetti, is asked by his wealthy, elderly father-in-law, Count Orazio Falier, to intervene in a proposed adoption. Falier’s longtime friend, retired art gallery owner Gonzalo – unofficial uncle to Brunetti’s wife – is poised to ease the loneliness of his retirement by adopting an adult man to be his son. This adoption would prevent Gonzalo’s sister and brothers – his current heirs – from inheriting Gonzalo’s massive estate when he dies. Brunetti is unwillingly drawn into looking into the adoptee, and matters soon take a serious turn.

My Review:  Donna Leon is a master at character development. I haven’t read every book in the series, but picking up a new one is like greeting a loved family member that you haven’t seen in a long time. The culture and setting play a big role in this book, yet a reader can identify with the problems that are thoughtfully considered within the plot. For example: How can Brunetti possibly refuse his wealthy father-in-law’s request, or how can he refuse his supervisor’s request to intervene in a problem with the supervisor’s neighbors? Brunetti is intriguingly, perennially caught between duty to family and work, navigating delicate family and work matters as easily (or with as much difficulty) as he navigates the streets and canals of Venice. You will enjoy this highly interesting mystery!

Three Words That Describe This Book: Venice, surprising, families

Give This a Try if You Like… mysteries set in countries outside the U.S.; books by Magdalen Nabb or Christobel Kent

Rating: 5/5

Find it at the library!

About FDL Reads

FDL Reads is a series of weekly book reviews from Fondulac District Library.