Somethings in a Sequence

I have not been idle during my absence, just distracted.

Girl at sea, by Maureen Johnson.

This is a young adult book about broken people and how their jagged edges tear new wounds in those they love. (A summary for many books in this age group.) Clio is the daughter of an artist and a dreamer, who parted ways after the fallout of fame and fortune. It all started with a board game she created on a rainy vacation. Clio and her father were on the same brainwaves these days and the game took shape, culminating in a mainstream release that had a lot of success. Then her father signed an agent, who took off with all the rights and money. Clio's family fell apart and she lived with her mother in Philadelphia. Out of the blue, Clio's father announces that he is going to be in Italy for the summer and would like to have Clio join him. He bought a yacht and is spending the sunny days out on the water.

Clio is reluctant to leave - she had established a niche in Philly, and privately holds her father and his enthusiastic "Jump first, think later" attitude for losing their family's stability along with the savings. What her father neglected to mention was that aside for him and his business partner and family friend, Martin, he was bringing his new girlfriend. Julia is a research scientist and single mother to Elsa, a gorgeous Swede-English young lady, who sweetly and perkily warms up to Clio as a friend. Also, there is Aidan, Julia's assistant, who is privy to the real reason behind why Clio's dad is taking this trip. Clio catches on that there is something odd in the fact that this trip required so much computer gadgetry and yet no wi-fi available for her to communicate with anyone off-ship. (Coincidentally, that would make a great title for a post-apocalyptic novel, "The End of the World and no Wi-Fi..."). Clio is disgruntled with her father's position to call her from her American home and put her aboard a ship in the middle of nowhere. She determines to pry out the truth and what she discovers is a long lost tale of an 19th century girl and the ruins of Pompeii...

Summer Moonshine, P.G. Wodehouse.

An actual review of a Wodehouse book? Did I not say that to do so is to risk exposing the intricacies of the plot? I will endeavor to do so to the best of my ability. It all takes place in an English Manor, in which a tight-belted Sir Buckstone Abbott is forced to rent out his country estate in order to survive. His Manor is no ordinary country house, the original was burnt down mid last century and remodeled by his late ancestor during a fit of amateur architecture. Unfortunately, the styling of the exterior is a shade of salmon pink that is straining to the eyes.

Teddy is a lodger on the estate, and he has a problem - the love of his life received a mysterious package in the mail and refuses to tell him the contents. She happens to be the secretary of Sir Abbott, a straight-laced working girl who speaks with an oxford affection in her tone. The subsequent rift between her and Teddy causes her to file a suit against the foppish American for breach of contract in their engagement. She hires the brother-in-law of Mr. Abbott, who serves such notices in court. One of Abbott's guests is familiar with this man and his tenacity to his job. This Mr. Bulpitt brags that only one man escaped his pursuit for serving notices and that was for reasons of the old man dying.
Mr. Abbott's daughter, Jane, is an enterprising young woman. Teddy's brother, Joe Vanringham, falls hard for her during a chance visit in London. Where Teddy is soft and pudgy in thought and in action, his brother is lean and sharp as a whip. Joe got the boot out of the house shortly after reaching the age of responsibility. Joe has made it big by writing a play based loosely upon his own experiences with his mother. Teddy and Joe's mother is a social butterfly with razor sharp wings, known for her manner of marrying and divorcing multiple times, reaping the titles and wealth from her unfortunate victims. Her latest target is Adrian Peake, a detestable hanger-on of humanity, with a vulnerable appearance that brings out the nurturing instinct in all women. Teddy and Joe both hate him abstractly for who he is. Even worse, young Adrian is two-timing with the lovely Jane Abbott.
The book's climax deals with the arrival of the former Mrs. Vanringham, now through marriage known as the Princess Dwornitzchek, who intends to purchase the salmon pink estate of the Abbott's possession.
Will Teddy be outmaneuvered and served by Mr. Bulpitt?
Will Adrian Peake be exposed as a fraud or weasel his way out to his advantage?
Will that ugly Salmon Pink bricked house be sold through the chaos and complications of love, fear, and miscommunication?

Did not finish this, Why?
Life flows by like a river.
Will it ever catch me?

The longer I stall
The lesser I write at all
Streak beginning fail.

We shall see in time
Hope to carry on the blog
See you when I do.