Stay- or vacation reads
Summertime! Millions of people have embarked on the traditional American vacation.
Does anyone else re- member piling up in a station wagon in your PJs, sleeping in the back with no seat belts and riding to Florida and back with just fold-up maps? We still laugh about some of those wonderful days and the good, bad, hilarious and unforgettable memories.
Everybody has a story of a vacation that messed up: a flat tire, a missed connection, a week of rain at the beach or something crazy that happened. Those are the stories that we tell the kids and grandkids, and the reason we bother with all the expense and hassle of travel.
If you don’t want to bother, you can always reach for a beach book. They’re perfect for dozing under the sun, on the beach, or in the back yard. However, books about not-sogreat escapes are good for keeping readers up all night, and we have some good ones to read at home, or to take on your next adventure.
Safaris are expected to be a fantastic adventure, but like anywhere else, you never know what can happen when you mix people and wild animals. Just read Chris Bohjalian’s “The Lioness” to see how easy it is for things to unravel on safari. Being organized and going on a civilized adventure means nothing in the wild, even if you’re a Hollywood actress and her glamourous entourage. Expecting to be catered to as they viewed the wonders of the Serengeti, this pampered group has no idea what’s waiting for them.
“Bad Karma” by Paul Wilson is the stuff of a parent’s nightmare because it’s a true story. Back in the late 1970s, the author had a chance to go on a surfing trip to Mexico. Dying to go but having no funds, 21-year-old Paul did something he later regretted — and he had to wait years before he could legally tell his story without repercussions.
A surfing trip in a ragged bus is one thing, but no one expects a luxury cruise to come apart. Certainly not the parents in “Do Not Become Alarmed” by Maile Meloy. It was a great idea that very quickly went downhill. But when moms Liv and Nora planned their families’ getaway, a cruise seemed like a ticket to paradise. Even the kids were on board: sunshine, non-stop food and fun. But in a stunning twist, the security and control of their world turns upside down, and chaos takes the wheel.
Even more horrifying: What if you were on a cruise and saw someone thrown overboard, but no one believed you or acknowledged that anything had happened? In a twisted mystery worthy of Agatha Christie, Ruth Ware introduces us to “The Woman in Cabin 10.”
Travel writer Lo is trying to move up in her job at a travel magazine when she’s assigned to cover a story about a new luxury cruise ship. Lo’s already shaken up when she arrives at her swanky stateroom, since she’s trying to get over not only a breakup with her boyfriend, but a scary break-in at her home. But in such elegant surroundings, she’s about to shake off her woes and anticipates a week of fun and the chance to write an excellent article. Also on the ship are a variety of characters that you probably wouldn’t want to travel with but have some interesting stories to tell — and all of them have a secret or two.
Back on land, sometimes luxury accommodations aren’t available
and you have to make do. When the Addison family runs into a snowstorm during their road trip, they’re forced to stop in a semi-abandoned town with an old, run-down hotel. But nothing is normal soon after they arrive: Things start to fall apart, in the family as well as reality. Anyone who was looking for a “Travelers’ Rest” is certain to be disappointed, but if you want to read all night you’re in luck with Keith Lee Morris’s novel.
It’s time to pack! I’m planning a vacation and just trying to decide which one of these I’ll be taking with me. See you in the library when I get back!