The First Three Books of Summer...

I became a librarian because I love to read. Unfortunately, being a librarian often keeps me too busy to read for pleasure (insert irony here.) However, the summer presents more opportunity for recreational reading and the following are what I have read (and enjoyed) so far:

• The Sign of the Book: A Cliff Janeway Bookman novel by John Dunning: The latest in a mystery series with a retired policeman/book dealer as hero, Cliff Janeway sleuths and lurks among autographed copies, with lots of satisfying twists and turns.
• The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd: I loved the Secret Life of Bees for its beautiful language and poignant insight. This book has too little of those qualities and while interesting, veered a little too closely to the romance novel category for my taste.
• Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowell: I absolutely adore Sarah Vowell and her droll political commentary. In this book, she visits the locations, shrines, museums, plaques, and parks associated with the assassinations of Presidents Lincoln, Garfield, and McKinley. Doesn't sound too humorous so far? Trust me, the connections she makes and the historical trivia invoked are reported with tremendous wit and great feeling. Did you know that Robert Todd Lincoln was on hand for all three assassinations? Or that Edwin Booth, the brother of Lincoln assassin John Wilkes Booth, once saved Robert Todd Lincoln's life?