Two Short Book Reviews

Sunsets and Shooting Stars: A Cape Cod Memoir is a light-hearted and sentimental collection of memories of visits to Cape Cod by Rick Seidel. Seidel uses nice descriptive language to put you in the back of the family’s rusty truck on the way out to the cape and his characters are three dimensional enough, but I couldn’t help but feel I was reading a book written for those who were there. As an outsider who doesn’t know the region or the people, I wasn’t engaged enough to stick with it. And as a person who doesn’t do boating and fishing, the stories weren’t compelling – and hey, I read The Perfect Storm all the way through. It’s a sweet book and full of affection for Siedel’s past, but not inviting enough for me to stick it out and read it all the way through.

The White Mary alternates between being completely riveting and hopelessly predictable. Journalist Kira Salak’s first novel is about reporter Marika Vecera’s search for her hero, a fellow journalist who disappeared. Was it suicide or something else? The adventurous sections of the book that detail Marika’s travels through Papua New Guinea with her understated, mystified – and mystic – guide are terrific, full of engaging details and edgy situations that are real enough to make my heart beat a little faster. But her stateside romance with a wealthy, handsome, tormented academic? Boring. What a mixed bag!

Salak is a well respected journalist  and an amazing adventurer. Her writing shines when she’s taking you with Marika through the jungles and interacting with the natives. If nothing else, the book has enticed me to crack more of her nonfiction work. Maybe White Mary is what more skilled reviewers than I would call a “promising first novel.” I hope she writes more – I’d love to tag along on her next written adventure.

Disclaimer: I recieived review copies from the pubishers of both books.