Always and Forever, Lara Jean; Dis Mem Ber; Crime Book; The Long Haul

I was so disappointed with Jenny Han's final book in the series about Lara Jean Song. I loved "P.S. I Still Love You" and "To All the Boys I've Loved Before" but this one left me cold. Lara Jean and Peter are still dating, seniors in high school, looking forward to attending the same college in the fall. But when Lara Jean doesn't get into UVA, it looks like their carefully made plans are going to fall apart. They work it out that Lara Jean will go to William & Mary and transfer to UVA after her first year. All of their friends and family think it's silly for them to assume they're going to be able to carry on their high school relationship into college (Peter's mom even tries to talk Lara Jean into breaking up with Peter), but they're determined. Lara Jean is having a tough time with it, though, really wanting to do what's best for her and she's not sure what to think. Not to spoil too much, but there's a scene that's completely unrealistic. Do you know when in real life teenage boys turn their girlfriends down for sex? The answer is, they don't. This only happens in fiction. At any rate, it was disappointing.

So was this collection of short stories by Joyce Carol Oates. They were all pretty forgettable. Not terrible, but not great.

I had a lot of fun with DK Publishing's "The Crime Book", though. It was full of vignettes about various crimes committed over the centuries, full of fun little facts and lots of pictures. It was interesting and quick, and covered some crimes I hadn't even heard of, which was impressive.

And finally, I really enjoyed Finn Murphy's funny and charming stories of life on the road as a long haul trucker. I picked this one up because my dad is a truck driver, although he doesn't do long hauls. I've grown up listening to his stories, though, and like Dad, Murphy has some good ones. People are just awful, as anyone who has ever worked in any service industry job can tell you. He had some real horror stories of how people have treated him. He also had some good tips on what you should and shouldn't do when you hire a moving company, something I will keep in mind the next time I move. It made me laugh, and he clearly loves what he does, which came through.