Recent Reads

5. Ask The Passengers
Astrid Jones is 17, and lives in a small town with a controlling Mother who works at home (dressed in a suit and heels), a stoner Dad, and a hockey playing younger sister. Since she connects with no-one at home, Astrid spends a lot of time lying on a picnic bench in her backyard, looking up at planes and sending the passengers her love. And she thinks she might be gay. But as she learns from Socrates, why put yourself in a box and label yourself in a way that makes it easier for other people? This YA book explores important themes, but I found there was a glass wall through which I was reading this story. It lacked the emotional depth that would have really sucked me in. Rating: 3 stars.

6. Breakfast with Buddha
Sometimes a book clicks, and sometimes it does not. I listened to the audio version, which was really well narrated by Sean Runnette, but found my interest in the story waning as it continued. The story, a mid-life crisis, slash road trip, slash spiritual awakending of an upper-middle-class white American man left me rather cold. In the midst of the navel gazing, I did find the section where he tries meditation and yoga for the first time hilarious. Rating: 2 stars.

7. The Language of Flowers
I am conflicted about how to review this book. I want to give it more stars, but find that I cannot. 

I guess I loved the idea of the book more than the book itself. Before reading this book, and listening to the author talk, I had not really thought about what happens to kids in the foster care system who simply age out at 18. What happens to these kids? How has the system, and society as a whole failed them? What are the reprecussions of that failure? Are there kids who age out, and live a successful life? Use whatever defintion of success you like here. Are there? 

Then there is the language of flowers. Delightful. Who knew that there are such detailed messages one could send with flowers?

Even though these two themes got me thinking, I found the story itself did not pull me in. I expected more emotional depth than I got out of the characters. That being said, I expect to have an interesting book club discussion on the topics raised in the book. Rating: 2 stars.