A Good Read

I recently picked up a book at Barnes & Noble on a whim.  

I do this quite frequently, and sometimes it works out better than others.  I don't know what it is about being in a place with so many books - it almost puts me into a frenzy.  (Don't worry, it's a quiet, internal frenzy - I'm quite safe to take along to a bookstore.)

People always talk about going to a bookshop to relax, but I find myself wanting to touch and look at as many books as possible.  Maybe it's my indecisive nature - or my perfectionism manifesting itself in a weird way - but I want to be certain that I'm taking home something really good.  Something that will draw me in and just absorb me into another world.

This one did exactly that.

This is a story about family, friendship and love - and how all three can get mixed up together and create something rather lovely but a bit muddy.  It's a story about summer, and all the social norms and traditions that come along with / fall away during that glorious season.  It's a story about the intersection of past and future, and the pull that both exert on you in separate directions.

Ann Brashares gently and eloquently explores family dynamics, social and economic status, and tragedy without making any of them the focus of this novel.  I was swept away by her ability to express emotion and deep, personal thoughts in a natural and powerful way without sounding trite.  

But be warned - if you're anything like me, you'll cry.

And then you'll feel better.