Zazoo

I think this is technically a young adult book, but I thought it was a bit more sophisticated than the usual YA fare. I actually think this could make a good (and easy) book club pick.

The book is about Zazoo, a 14 year old Vietnamese girl who was adopted when she was 2 by an old French man who raises her as his granddaughter in central France. Together, they run their tiny village's locks on the canal. Zazoo meets a young French boy on a bike near her canal one morning and over the course of their budding relationship, you get to watch her relationship with her aging Grandfather develop as well. Her Grandfather's stories of WWII come out of the woodwork and other characters in the village get involved in the story and it turned out to be a really beautiful, touching and sad book.

I think because of the YA factor, it stops short of being a major cry fest, and perhaps things are tied up a little neatly at the end, but I still thought it was a seriously enjoyable book.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

This book hit the spot for airplane reading. The story and style were better suited for a trip to the Oregon Coast or something similar, but I made do with the airplane ride to DC.

I’d heard good things about it from a fair number of people, and it delivered. It’s not epic or anything, but it’s sweet, sad and slightly romantic. The whole book is made up of letters written to and from the main character, Juliet and the various members of the GL&PPPS. The Society started during World War II on Guernsey Island, located amongst the Channel Islands between England and France. Through the letters they share their love of reading and their war stories. The society members are eclectic and their stories are told with such personality, that it’s easy to stay engaged despite the letter format of the book.

It’s a short little book and didn’t take me long to read, so I don’t have much insight to provide. Plus, I’m pretty sure everyone’s already read this book as I got more than two, “You haven’t read that yet??” responses from people who saw me reading it.