In Which I Time Travel

 

    I have been on vacation on the west coast for the past ten days. The first seven days were with two of my adorable grandchildren (3 years and 8 months) in San Diego. Then Dear Husband and I returned to the Grand Canyon for a second time. The first time I went, I became sick and only saw the Grand Canyon clinic. This time was much better. 

    Between the three-hour time change--7 PM is now 10PM and 5 AM is now 8 AM--and playing with some cuties, I didn't read a single novel until the plane ride back. It was a glorious novel by Emma Straub entitled This Time Tomorrow. It's about one of my favorite sci-fi subjects, time travel. Alice turns a discontent forty, but wakes up the next day to find she's sixteen again. What's going to happen? Straub cleverly has Alice's father be a novelist who writes about time travel. The book, besides telling an enthralling story with great characters, also discusses time travel tropes (looper-time-travel-tropes) and referencing several movies, books, and shows that contain time travel plots. It explores the question: if you could do it again, what would you change in a fresh engaging way. The story is complex and heartwarming. This is the first Emma Straub book I've read, and I will be reading others.

    I was lamenting to Dear Husband that I hadn't read much this week, and he reminded me of this book that I read at least five times a day to my granddaughter: The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson with illustrations by Axel Sheffler. This wasn't a hardship because the text and the pictures are delightful. I enjoy a kid's book that has little surprises in the illustrations. It helps keep everyone interested. The story is in rhyme, but it's not annoying because it is well-done and adds to the enjoyment of the book. It is about a bright mouse in perilous situations at the bottom of the food chain so he makes up a tale of aterrible creature who wants to eat his preditors. If you have a little person in your life, I recommend highly this book. Donaldson's other book Room On A Broom is terrific as well. 

    Some of my sweetest memories of being a mom of young children is reading to them. Getting to read to my grandchildren is like traveling back in time. (See what I did there?) This Usborne book, Who's Making That Mess illustrated by Stephen Cartwright is one that I've owned for over 25 years. I brought it with me to San Diego and it was a hit. From the appealing animals, hidden ducks, and silly premise it is an excellent reread with new things discovered each time. Plus it has flaps!