#21 [2025/CBR17] In a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson

CBR17Bingo: Migrant (because Australia is a country of migrants--beginning with the Aboriginals and their mysterious journey by ship thousands of years ago, to the first European migrants, to the current migrants [almost half of the population of Sydney was born overseas]).

My husband and I began a tradition at our first anniversary of finding a book that relates to something we did during the year, and then we both read it. We haven't been married very long, but we generally choose books about somewhere we traveled to that year. The first year was Florida, and the second year was Italy. Now our third anniversary is coming up. We were lucky enough to go on vacation in Australia earlier this year. Generally, we pick a book and then both read it, but we did things a little backwards this year.

My husband found In a Sunburned Country (2000) by Bill Bryson and listened to it while we were on vacation. Because he liked it so much, I listened to it, too. So, when it came time to choose a book for our anniversary, we weren't sure we were going to find anything more fitting than In a Sunburned Country. Even though we'd both already listened to it, I bought a paperback copy to add to our "anniversary bookshelf."

I've read a number of books by Bill Bryson, but his personal travel/adventure books are definitely my favorite. I really enjoyed In a Sunburned Country. Not only did he describe all the places my husband and I had just visited, but he also explored many places in the country we did not have time for. He also discussed the history of Australia, the Aboriginal people, and the many, many things that can kill you.

My husband and I only had time to visit Sydney, Cairns, and Melbourne. I remember getting out of the airport after our seventeen hour flight and being confused by how at home I felt. Everyone spoke English, the cars and street signs were familiar, and parts of the city felt like my hometown. At the same time, everyone spoke with a cool accent, there was beautiful water everywhere, it was so hot, and there were crazy animals everywhere--even giant bats in the middle of Sydney.

Bryson hit upon this feeling in his book. It was fun to listen to him experience many of the same things that we did and his self-deprecating style was very funny. I also appreciated that Bryson was able to see so much more of the country. He traveled all along the eastern coast of Australia, he traveled through the vast nothingness of the center on the train, he made it to the West coast, and he even saw Uhuru.

Originally, I was a little concerned how Bryson would write about the Aboriginal people. I listened to his book At Home and was frustrated that he went on and on about the cotton gin in the South and didn't even mention slavery. Although Bryson's main focus was certainly on Australia since it was populated by Europeans, he did discuss the role Aboriginals play in Australia today, how horribly they were treated throughout the years, and as much history as he could find on where they came from originally.

My husband and I don't know where we might end up next year, but our anniversary book is now a pretty firmly established tradition.

#20 [2025/CBR17] The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren

CBR17Bingo: Green (for the green cover)

By now I've read a number of books by Christina Lauren*, and they've been a little hit or miss for me. But it hasn't stopped me from continuing to read their novels--always hoping for the best. The Paradise Problem (2024) wasn't my absolute favorite book from them, but it's up there and I had a good time.

When Anna Green was pre-med in college, she was desperate for housing. A friend of hers hooked her up with Liam "West" Weston. If they got married, they could live in subsidized student, married housing, which would help them both. It was all in name only, the two had opposite schedules, and they barely saw each other. When Liam moved on after graduating, Anna did not think much about the marriage or Liam.

But four years later, Liam gets back in touch--and Anna happens to be at a new low. She decided to pursue art rather than go to medical school. She's just been fired by the gross, teenage son of her bosses at the corner convenience store, and she's desperate for money. Liam tells Anna that they never actually got divorced (he didn't hide this, Anna was just remarkably unobservant and never looks at paper work). Now Liam's younger sister is getting married on a remote, exotic private island. His family thinks he's actually married to Anna, and she has to come to the wedding to keep up appearances. Most importantly, Liam is the heir to a giant supermarket franchise, but his grandfather put in this will that Liam can't get his inheritance until he's been married for five years. Thus, the two need to go to the festivities on the island and make it look like they're a real couple. Anna doesn't have much of a choice, and she agrees.

One of the most fun parts of this book was the wish fulfillment of getting all the clothes and pampering that was necessary to join insanely rich people on an amazing vacation. And then Anna gets to go on that vacation. It doesn't hurt that Anna and Liam--when they actually spend time together--are intensely attracted to each other. They can't deny each other for long.

There were other parts to the story, including how Anna fits in with a bunch of rich snobs, Liam's history with his family, as well as the growing relationship between Anna and Liam. Maybe the premise is a little crazy if you think about it for too long, but I really had fun with this one. Recommended.

*Christina Lauren are the two first names of two writers who write together.

#19 [2025/CBR17] The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center

CBR17Bingo: Red (for the red in the cover)

I can't remember now how I found The Rom-Commers (2024) by Katherine Center, but I was probably just browsing my library's catalog looking for an available Audiobook to listen to on my commute. This was an occasionally fun "rom-com" that played on some of the tropes of the genre for its own purposes. However, this wasn't one of my favorites because the relationship wasn't very memorable.

Emma Wheeler is a talented writer who lives in the Northwest and is the sole caretaker of her father after a climbing accident while her younger sister finishes school. She's pretty much given up on her dreams of becoming a famous screenwriter because of her circumstances.

But when an ex-boyfriend from high school (who is now gay) asks Emma to come to Los Angeles for six weeks to rewrite a romantic comedy screenplay, she might just have a second chance. Charlie Yates is a famous, celebrated screenwriter who has just written the aforementioned, terrible screenplay. Emma is one of his biggest fans, but once she reads the screenplay, she knows it needs a ton of work. In fact, she is horrified by all of it.

Unfortunately for both Emma and Charlie, Emma's ex-boyfriend didn't tell Charlie anything about bringing another writer in to help him with his screenplay--let alone warn Charlie that Emma would be staying at his house. Their meet cute involves Charlie being remarkably rude, and Emma storming off. Eventually, the two are convinced to work with each other. 

Emma is still not happy, though. Charlie doesn't even believe in love. He only wrote the screenplay as a vehicle for the studio head's mistress, so the studio head will greenlight a project he actually cares about. Emma takes it upon herself to teach Charlie about love. It's not surprising that after spending a lot of time together, the two start liking each other. It is definitely a slow burn.

In the end, Emma sucks it up and tells Charlie how she feels. I admire Emma here because she didn't pussyfoot around and allow misunderstandings and unspoken feelings to rule the day. Unfortunately, Charlie rudely rejects her. We find out later that it's because he thinks his cancer is back and doesn't want to force Emma into another caretaker role. I see where he's coming from, but honesty is more important here. I was also very annoyed at the author when I thought I read this whole, stupid book just to find out he has cancer at the end. (I should have known better. It was a false alarm.)

There were some fun parts in this novel. I enjoyed when Emma met Meryl Streep, and some of Hollywood glamour was interesting. On the whole, though, this one didn't really stick with me. But it was pleasant enough.

#18 [2025/CBR17] Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng

I've read a number of books by Celeste Ng, and I've even seen her in person at a book reading. I've enjoyed all of her books, and I usually end up reading her new books when I see they are out. However, Our Missing Hearts (2022) came out a while ago, and I somehow missed it until now. I thought Our Missing Hearts was interesting, powerful, and memorable. Because it takes place in a world not exactly like our own (although eerily familiar), it is also different from her previous books. It is probably best to go into this book knowing as little as possible. So, I don't recommend reading my review if you haven't already read the book or if you don't care about Spoilers.

Bird Gardner is twelve years old and lives alone with his father on the top floor of a student dorm. His father used to be a linguist, but now he shelves books at the University library. Bird's mother disappeared mysteriously when Bird was only nine years old, and Bird and his father never talk about her. The reader is dropped into this story and into Bird's world. At first, much like Bird who was too young when his mother left, we don't understand what happened to make her leave. But slowly we learn all that has occurred.

Bird's world is not exactly the United States that we know now. After a severe, global, economic depression, there is widespread violence and unrest. In response to this unrest, Congress passed the PACT (Preserving American Culture and Traditions) Act. This act pretty much requires patriotism and stifles dissent. But armed with the mandate to "protect children from environments espousing harmful views," it allows for children to be taken from anyone who dares to disagree with the government. This is generally done quietly, but it is a powerful tool for controlling any protester.

Bird's mom is a poet, and when one of her poems becomes an anthem of protest, she is perceived as a spokesperson in a conflict that she wanted no part of. All of a sudden her small, loving family is facing harassment, job insecurity, and the loss of their child. In desperation, they decide that Bird would be safer if she is out of the picture. And so she disappears. Birds mother was far from a radical rebel until her own life was so negatively impacted, and she could see how bad things really were.

Bird was quietly living his life until he received a mysterious note. He knows it's from his mother, and he is eventually able to decipher it and find her. He has very mixed feelings towards her because he loves her, but he also feels abandoned. 

Race plays an important part throughout this book. Birds mother is Chinese American and Bird is half Chinese. Because China was blamed for starting the recession, there is rampant anti-Asian discrimination in this book.

When I began reading, I didn't realize that this book was a little dystopian. So I actually googled PACT to see if it was real. It seemed like something that could be true, but I wasn't familiar with it. It turns out Ng made PACT up for the purposes of the book. However, it is not very farfetched, which makes this book feel very familiar and disturbing. It wasn't that long ago that Native American children were taken away from their families for a "better life" and Japanese Americans lost everything and were put in internment camps. In addition, anti-Asian sentiment increased just recently during COVID after China was blamed for the pandemic.

I really thought Ng did a masterful job in slowly unveiling what kind of world Bird was living in, and what his family was facing. The characterization of Bird, his parents, and even Bird's young friend who has lost her parents is fantastic. Ng does such a good job that I felt what each character was feeling, and it was often heartbreaking. Although I did not like the end of the book quite as much as the beginning, it is definitely still worth reading. Recommended.

#17 [2025/CBR17] Orbital by Samantha Harvey

I stumbled upon Chris Hadfield's Masterclass on space travel almost by accident. [Chris Hadfield is a Canadian test pilot and astronaut who has spent a considerable amount of time on the International Space Station.] I had a coworker who firmly believed the Earth was flat, and I firmly disagreed. But I also knew very little about space. So every time my coworker blurted out another random "fact" that he had picked up from the internet, I was baffled. Thus, Chris Hadfield's Masterclass on space travel to the rescue. Considering I wasn't especially interested in the topic, I found Hadfield's Masterclass fascinating--although not particularly helpful in dealing with my crazy coworker. After that class, as well as some Youtube videos featuring Hadfield, I really felt like I understood some of what it felt like to travel in space. And this book gave me a similar feeling.

Orbital (c)2023 by Samantha Harvey was one of Barack Obama's Favorite Books of 2024. It also won a bunch of prizes and awards, including the Booker Prize. It is a slim novel that follows six astronauts at the International Space Station for twenty four hours. The astronauts hail from America, Russia, Italy, Britain, and Japan. Because of the speed of the ISS as it orbits the Earth, they experience sixteen sunrises and sunsets throughout their twenty four hours.

This book is something of a quiet meditation. There is not much excitement or drama, just a single, uneventful day in the lives of six astronauts in space. We get to see the lives of each astronaut in turn as they complete their regimented schedules--taking time to look out the window on what is going down below them.

I have forgotten all the names now, but two storylines really stuck with me. First, the Japanese astronaut has recently learned that her mother has passed away down on Earth. She is dealing with her grief and isolation when she wants to be with her family. We even see the space station from her mother's point of view before she dies. Second, there is a hurricane building power and threatening Indonesia and the Philippines. The astronauts are tasked with taking pictures and relaying information back down to Earth whenever the hurricane is within view. But one of the astronauts made friends with a fisherman and his family in the area when they were scuba diving. He worries for his friend and his family, and he wonders what will happen to them as he sits up in space.

Although this book could be slow at times, it showed the Earth from a different perspective than we non-astronauts ever see. One beautiful planet with no obvious distinctions between countries. The clouds, storms, deserts, mountains, and majestic lakes on one giant ball that somehow supports all of humanity--except for those six astronauts out on their own. 

#16 [2025/CBR17] The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt

I'm not sure when I first heard of The Anxious Generation (2024) by Jonathan Haidt, but it sounded interesting. So, I listened to it on audiobook from my library. This book discusses how much damage phones and social media have done to children as they grow up. It goes on to make recommendations for healthy ways for young people to engage with social media. Finally, Haidt points out that kids are watched over too closely. They need independence and free play in order to gain confidence and figure out who they are.

Reading this book made me happy that I grew up before cell phones--and especially before smart phones. I can finally be grateful for being old[er]. I remember middle school being a harrowing journey with an immense amount of social stress. I didn't know who I was and wasn't comfortable in my body. I can only imagine how much worse that would be with the influence of social media.

Haidt looks at the numbers of adolescents, especially girls, suffering from depression and anxiety over the years. The numbers jumped precipitously soon after the debut of the iphone. Boys also faced downward trends in wellbeing, although phones and social media seemed to affect them differently.

I learned that the ages from 12-15 (or thereabouts) are a stage of great malleability and growth in the adolescent brain. It's the time when people really figure out who they are. Haidt uses the example of a child living abroad. If he grew up in Tokyo but lived in Los Angeles from 12-15, he will most likely feel more connected to L.A. than Tokyo. What this means in practice, though, is that endlessly scrolling on social media is significantly worse for adolescents than it is for adults. And it's not even remotely healthy for adults.

Haidt's recommendations seemed very reasonable to me. He also includes a website where he promises to post updates as new research comes out. He recommends that children under sixteen do not have access to a smart phone with apps like Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, etc. He also recommends in a significant amount of free play for children to find independence and confidence.

I do not have any children, but this seems like a book that would be helpful to parents. It also made me think about how addictive Instagram reels have become to me. After my husband read this book, he decided to do one day a week without any Twitter. Recommended.

#15 [2025/CBR17] Deep End by Ali Hazelwood

Ali Hazelwood is churning out her feminist STEM romance novels so fast, that I'm barely keeping up. As soon as I discover another one is out, then I join the long waitlist at the library. Deep End (2025) did not disappoint. I loved that the book took place at Stanford with student athletes. I thought the story was interesting, and the chemistry between the leads was great. Was it a perfect book? No, but I enjoyed reading it and would give it four out of five stars.

Scarlett Vandemeer, who goes by Vandy, is a diver at Stanford. She can be a little reclusive and awkward. Penelope is one of the stars of the diving team. She's gorgeous and seems to have everything--including Lukas, the Swedish superstar swimmer who already has Olympic medals. But when Penelope confides in Vandy that she wants to break up with Lukas because he's into BDSM, and she feels they're not compatible sexually, Vandy confesses that she's also into BDSM, and tries to advise Penelope.

Penelope and Lukas do break up. When Penelope is drunk at a party, she tells Lukas and Vandy they should hook up because they're both into the same things. At the time, this is just an awkward situation to work around, but neither Lukas nor Vandy forget. When they continue to find themselves together, their mutual attraction is undeniable.

Vandy really likes Lukas, but she does not want to hook up with her friend's ex-boyfriend. Eventually, she gives in to her attraction, but she's not comfortable telling Penelope about it. This continues while they both compete in swimming and diving and get even closer to each other. Vandy and Lukas are a very good couple. Their main problem is that Vandy keeps pushing him away because of Penelope. Eventually this all comes to a head, and everyone lives happily ever after. 

First, I enjoyed that the main characters in this novel were athletes. It felt a little different from Hazelwood's other books, and it was interesting to see what the life of an elite student athlete was like. Second, I thought Vandy and Lukas had great chemistry. I read some reviews on Goodreads that were complaining that the book was not very kinky after Hazelwood warned of kink at the beginning of the book. I would agree that it felt lightly kinky. But having read Hazelwood's other books, this felt like a natural progression after the mild introduction of control in Not in Love. On the whole, I enjoyed this book, and I'm looking forward to reading her next one.