Book Review: The Shark Club

Well it still feels like summer out there. Today the car thermostat said 92-degrees as I was driving to work. And since it still feels like summer, why not read a beach novel? 

The Shark Club, by Ann Kidd Taylor is a fun adventure to a quirky beach hotel. Run by Perri, an eccentric grandmother who loves books, each room in the hotel is dedicated to a different author. She hosts book club getaways and even a yearly costume party where the guests dress as their favorite literary character. 

Perri raised her grandchildren, Maeve and Robin after they tragically lost their parents at the age of six. Though they are twins, both children turned out very differently. As an adult, Robin seems lost and unable to find his own path. Maeve on the other hand is incredibly focused and has a distinguished career as a marine biologist. 

Maeve is a leading expert on sharks. She has traveled all over the world to research different species. On one such research project, she meets Nicolas, a fellow biologist, and there is a definite spark. Unfortunately, Nicolas has a messy divorce to deal with, and Maeve needs to face her feelings for her first love, Daniel. 

The Shark Club is a great book thta will get you thinking about what parts of your life need closure. Is there really such a thing as meant to be? Or does everything happen for a reason, but we just need to possess the maturity that comes with time in order to see how things work out for the best? 

Let me know what you think of the book, and what your favorite beach novel is. 

Until next time, 

Kristie

Book Review: A Tortoise for the Queen of Tonga

The kids are back in school, which means I have more time to read than I have during the summer. YAY!!!!! I usually get about 2 hours to read/relax in the morning while the baby and my husband take a nap. (He takes the early shift so I can sleep before work.) In the past week, I have finished two and a half books.

The first book I managed to finish was A Tortoise for the Queen of Tonga by Julia Whitty. I am not normally a fan of short stories, because I feel like there is never enough meat to the story for me to become attached, or have any real feelings for the characters. This collection appealed to me though, because I am a huge fan of fantasy worlds, and was hoping for some light reading. 

I was very wrong. This book is dark; not quite Edgar Allen Poe dark, but definitely not a Disney fairy tale. The title story, A Tortoise for the Queen of Tonga, tells the story of the life of a tortoise who was kidnapped from her home, abused on a ship and then traded to the royal family on the island of Tonga. The tortoise's life isn't bad per se, but it is still sad. The underlying message about how humans impact the environment and force other species to adapt or become endangered and extinct is clear, yet heartbreaking. Facts become mere legend and the humans go on as if nothing has really changed. 

There are 10 other stories in this novel. They have a moral or lesson to be learned. Whether it is the cruelty of places like Sea World, or the dangers of egos and guns, you will not finish any of these stories without looking at life a little differently. 

Definitely a good read, especially if you like to think. 

Tell me about you favorite short story in the book and let's discuss our views. 

Thanks for stopping by, 

Kristie