A Tale of Two Hot Tubs

It's been a while since I blogged because this month has been a doozy. I was already feeling burned out, and then I started a new role at work. And then our nanny stopped showing up. I've been strung out and in survival mode. Weekdays have been nonstop, but of course I've still been staying up way past my bedtime and reading every night. My two most recent books are reviewed below, the only common thread being naked people in hot tubs. Enjoy.

The Gifted School
This novel is an easy read. Well-written and reminiscent of Liane Moriarty's work, it tells the story of friends in a fictional Colorado town, raising their privileged kids and dealing with their own ambitions. Clever and entertaining. Grab a copy for upcoming beach days.

Leave the World Behind
This novel is NOT an easy read if you're at all sensitive, a worrier, or maybe a bit anxious about the state of the world... This book is very well-written and smart. Unfortunately, it's also torture to get through. I did finish it. I was naively hoping for some sort of redeeming, even happy, ending. But alas... no. If you want to ruminate about every potential worst case scenario in modern life, by all means pick up this doomsday story. I, myself, was duped. I read the blurb mentioning a young family in the Hamptons. I was enticed. And the book did keep me wanting for more. Unfortunately the "more" was pretty disturbing. This novel made me cringe, squirm and have Dave Matthews Band's When the World Ends in my head every night. At least I'll always love DMB, unlike this book.

AES