LibraryReads Hall of Fame

Both of these titles were included in the LibraryReads Hall of Fame and received some positive reviews. Sadly, I was not excited by either one. Read one or both and decide for yourself:

MURDER TAKES A VACATION by Laura Lippman, a best-selling author, was a disappointing surprise to me. I had high expectations for a fun read after noting that this new title had received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Library Journal (“a warm and cozy romp”) and appeared in the LibraryReads Hall of Fame for June. While I agree that business class travel can be disorienting if one is not used to it, why would an older woman traveling alone trust a seatmate enough to go with him to a hotel, upending her own travel plans on the advice of someone she has just met? That is exactly what the widowed Mrs. Blossom does in the opening chapters of this mystery story. Eventually, she reunites with her tour group and heads to Paris and the cruise on the Seine, but her decision-making is still poor when she does not correct another, much younger, man she just met as he tells the police he is her son. I can understand why the subtle humor and slightly awkward character might appeal to fans of Richard Osman or Nita Prose, but I missed something here -- there are so many other excellent mysteries to enjoy instead. 

WORTH FIGHTING FOR by Jesse Q. Sutanto was also a LibraryReads Hall of Fame selection for June. Part of a five book series (Meant to Be) about Disney heroines by different authors, it is a rather obvious retelling of Disney’s Mulan set in the present-day financial world. I had an extremely hard time accepting that the main character, Mulan, would be both a well-respected member at her firm and willing to let her cousin/assistant style her hair and choose her clothes when meeting with potential clients. That was a big disconnect although it clearly added some humor and pushed the story along. This title could work as a very light beach read if one is willing to overlook the repetitive nature of Mulan’s musings about her various roles, combatting toxic masculinity, and raging hormones. My suggestion is to look for Vera Wong mysteries by this author instead. I also saw a preview of a 20 page Book Club Kit for WORTH FIGHTING FOR which included an author interview, printable bookmarks, and discussion questions. Apparently designed for adults (the “Bites & Sips” section references a cocktail made with bourbon and banana liqueur), I am surprised that an adult book group would choose a title like this, especially when they could read a classic like The Woman Warrior by Maxine Hong Kingston or Lady Tan’s Circle of Women by Lisa See or even immigrant stories like Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan or Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok (or maybe, if the book club wanted an adventure with a more young adult feel, Spin the Dawn or Flame in the Mist or Divine Rivals) instead.