I just finished
Pasadena by David Ebershoff. I never did finish
The World According to Garp, but it was drivel. I thoroughly enjoyed Pasadena. I live in Southern California, so it has a special significance to read about a fictional town that is largely based on my home town. It genuinely reflects the culture here, including the elite. They were land owners and successful ranchers, not blue bloods. Our culture here is so intwined with Mexican and Spanish culture. The story was compelling, mysterious, and tragic. But it was also a reminder that California offers so much opportunity for the deticated. It wasn't an easy place to live in the past and it isn't an easy place to live now...but if you work really hard, you can achieve anything.
