Ashland Books@Noon December 2018 Picks

Our friend Ahna contributed this title from afar: Just finished How to Behave in a Crowd by Camille Bordas Found myself closing this book and wondering why I'm reading this, then opening it again and again. The POV is from a 12-year old boy living in Paris with his Mom and six siblings, all extremely quirky, self-involved high academic achievers and sometimes present father (referred to as The Father). So the question posed is this: just how is a young boy in a 'strange' household atmosphere get his grounding on how to act... with potential buddies, girls, the town's elderly icon. His household is certainly of no help. The author had a steady hand in writing this book (thankfully) and here is a short sample: "For the new version of me, I tried to single out a kid who, were he to suddenly disappear from the playground, would go unnoticed. I realize it might sound a little dramatic to sum things up this way, but I really thought back then and with no particular bitterness, that nothing would be disrupted if I were to disintegrate. (ouch from this reader!). I'd never been part of a group, or willing to join one (try and fail: that's when you got singled out for loserdom), and I was fine with that."

Kristin mentioned that she had read this and liked it. Pat made a face because she didn't. While this is definitely a Tana French book, it's removal from the Dublin Murder Squad series may mean it's not for everyone. One could argue that the whole thing was maybe one or two plot twists too long, but it reminded Kristin of the things she loved about French's The Likeness.

...except for Claudia who voted for this title!

Bonnie loved this very funny travelogue of Australia. She particularly liked the bits about poisonous critters and the game of cricket.

Wendy found this book about reconciling cultures fascinating. A really interesting treatment of how Hmong culture struggled to reconcile with traditional medicine in Merced, California.

Rad loved the language in the book so much he read it a little at a time because he didn't want it to end!