The Book Bucket List

In an attempt to travel the world stopping in at various decades and advancing through to the future on my minimal millennial budget, I have decided to take on the 52 week book challenge. Since it has been engraved in our minds that the Internet is permanent I have no excuse to miss a week throughout this challenge now that its being published. And now a quick word from billionaire fellow millennial Mark Zuckerberg "My challenge for 2015 is to read a new book every other week -- with an emphasis on learning about different cultures, beliefs, histories and technologies." My challenge may be two years after his but I still expect to come out of this with the mindset of a billionaire, possibly the bank account but with my need to taste, buy, and try all foods and activities that cross my path I won't hold my breathe on that one.

To kick off my book tour I have decided to start with something light and fluffy; "The Vacationers" by Emma Straub. This book caught my eye because its the same color as a Tiffany's jewelry box (however much cheaper) and it was also in the EXTREMELY underrated sale section of Barnes and Noble. As mentioned above the plan for this challenge was to travel the world on a minimal budget, which is done in "The Vacationers," so stop number one on my book trip is the beautiful island of Mallorca, Spain. Straub creates the fictional family vacation that everyone can relate to in some way or another. The Post family accompanied by their significant others and gay friends travel to Mallorca where Straub spares no expense in the description. Seriously I was mid chapter searching Mallorca Air BNB's thinking this book would be better read with the sun beating down on me on a beach in Palma than in my frigid New England home. Back to the book, when setting off on their vacation tensions are high, the Post family held together by Franny and Jim Post are experiencing some turmoil due to Jim loosing his job at the age of sixty for fornicating with an intern. Throughout the novel Franny juggles the two emotions of wanting to make Jim jealous, while also refraining from stabbing his eyes out.  Their daughter Sylvia has dramas of her own while coming into herself throughout the novel during her transition from high school to college (nothing riveting with her part, pretty much a coming of age). The main thing to focus on with Sylvia is that while in Spain her mom somehow orders her a hot boy her age to tutor her in Spanish, I personally just pictured Enrique Iglesias for his part. Meanwhile twenty-eight year old son Bobby has been carrying on with his life post college in Miami, where he dates forty year old cougar Carmen. Despite the fact that this is just a book Carmen may or may not be my idol, she shops for Jersey shore type clothing on vacation in Spain, is constantly working out, and decided to bring her own powdered proteins to Spain with her because apparently they don't have food? Throughout the novel Bobby and Carmen work through their relationship and despite dating for almost a decade finally learn who one another are while also learning about themselves. The most calm, cool and collected of the bunch was the gay couple who Franny invited to tag along on this fam vacay, Charles and Lawrence. Also a significant age gap between Charles and Lawrence, unclear as to why this is the recurring theme in the book, who are working to adopt their first son while dealing with the awkward silences and dramas that come along with being friends with the Post family. 

All and all I would say Yes this is a quick read, perfect to bring to the beach where you can pick it up, put it down, drop it in the sand, ocean, or spill your vodka soda on it. This book will definitely make you want to take a trip to Mallorca, so I would tip my hat if I were wearing one, which I'm not off to Emily Straub because mission accomplished you wrote and transported the reader to another land. I have officially added Mallorca to my travel bucket list.