Vacationland

 Vacationland

By John Hodgman

Some light-hearted reading for our road trip. This is a series of connected essays that basically tells the

story of John Hodgman's second homes. Strange. The first was a place in northwestern Mass inherited from his mother. The second is in Maine, a state with which Hodgman's has a strange love affair -- and which gives the book its title. 

I am writing this more than a month after finishing it, just as many of Kes' friends are heading to Maine on vacation, a destination that I find very strange. What appeal does Maine have for Vermonters? Their mountains have nothing on ours. And if it is coast you are seeking -- why not head to waters that are actually comfortable to swim in? Or go north to Canada, where you can actually get away from people and feel like your in Europe, what with all the French and whatnot?

Anyway, Hodgman is charmingly funny and just self-aware enough about his privilege to make this book readable. I can't say that much about it stuck with me, other than it was hard to believe that Hodgman was managing to make money off a story that is essentially about him having enough money to buy more than one house. Well done there. This is why I keep telling Erin to write a best-selling novel. 

As the Crow Flies

 As the Crow Flies

By Craig Johnson

I picked up this Walt Longmire mystery somewhere in our travels out west this summer.  Maybe Iowa?

Figured it'd be a good read while in that country, and I was certainly right. This Longmire adventure takes place on the reservation just across the Montana/Wyoming border -- out of Walt's jurisdiction, but within sight of the Big Horn Mountains.

This might be only my second Longmire book, but already there are tropes to recognize. His daughter always plays a role, making Walt feel guilty about being hyper-focused on his work but ultimately validating his commitment to justice. In this case, Walt is inexplicably charged with finding a wedding venue for his pregnant daughter, who is traveling from her new home in Philadelphia to marry the brother of his deputy. Given that his daughter is from the area, it is unclear to me why Walt is given this job, but what do I know? 

Then there is Henry Standing Bear, Walt's best friend, who has some pretty stereotypical superpowers, mainly being able to sneak up unseen on anyone at any time. He always comes to the rescue, and does several times here.

In this particular version of events, a young woman falls from some cliffs near a potential wedding venue. Is it suicide or murder? Since it happens in the first chapter of the book -- definitely murder. Though Walt is technically unable to work the case, he becomes embroiled when it becomes clear that neither the newly-minted tribal chief, who is suffering mentally from her time in Iraq, nor the FBI are up to the job. He mentors the young tribal officer, gets the FBI off her back, and, of course, solves the case. 

A great summer read. Perhaps the beginning of a tradition?