The Black Island by Herge
Tintin books are a great source of simple criminal machinations and adventure. This particular book adds a fair amount of slapstick comedy to the mix (including a two page spread involving the fire brigade and a missing key). While it's not my favorite Tintin book, it's a good one to end my 24 hours of reading.
A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking
Full disclosure: I understood very little of this book, but then I didn't really expect to understand it. Had I planned my readathon list in advance, this would not have been the audio book I'd have selected. I soldiered through for two reasons. 1) It was an ideal length. 2) It was already on my phone. All that to say, I'll probably revisit this book at least two more times in future. What I gleaned from it this time is that very little in physics can be cleanly and definitively stated and Dr. Hawking was not only brilliant but funny.
The Long-Lost Secret Diary of the World's Worst Pirate by Tim Collins
Given the title and the cover art, I was expecting a more humorous story. While I can appreciate using a story to teach, I didn't find the plot particularly enjoyable or believable.
Chasing Augustus by Kimberly Newton Fusco
Just a few pages of this book and I realized the inherent risk of reading it at this point in a readathon. When is a dog book not an emotional read? I wasn't sure I would be emotionally stable enough to read a dog book while sleep-deprived. I was pleased to discover, then, that this is not a sob-fest. Really, it's more about accepting change and forming bonds with people than coping with loss.
Trolled by Bruce Coville
My capacity for reading heavy, contemplative fiction is definitely waning, so this book came up in my list at the perfect time. It's light-hearted, easily followed, and quick paced. That last element is largely due to the mixed format, told in journal entries, short articles, letters, and text exchanges. While Trolled is technically third in a series, the story stands easily on its own.
The Lives of Desperate Girls by MacKenzie Common
Common draws some intriguing parallel in this book between a girl rejected by her peers and one rejected by society on the whole, both based on circumstances beyond their control. This is an exploration that is likely to be uncomfortable for most, delving as it does into racism and rape culture and the damage they inflict on young lives. It would be fascinating to discuss this book with a book club, especially to list out all of the titular Desperate Girls.
The Stars Beneath Our Feet by David Barclay Moore
Portrayals of grief tend to follow prescribed paths, usually centering on one of the famed stages of grief. Unsurprisingly, this book focuses on anger. What is surprising is the nature of that anger. It's non-specific, more of a general anger at the world. And the conclusion of the novel does not explicitly address that anger. We're not told how to let go of or manage anger. It's simply a fact of Lolly's reality, just as gangs and social pressure are. A subtle exploration.
