Some more reading

I waited a long time for my name to come up on the Hold List at our library for this book. It was well worth the wait. It took her 7 years to research and write this book. I honestly think if you are going to read one book this year, it should be this one. You won't regret it.

I'm too tired to do it any justice, so here's a synopsis I copied from the author's website...

On a May afternoon in 1943, an Army Air Forces bomber crashed into the Pacific Ocean and disappeared, leaving only a spray of debris and a slick of oil, gasoline, and blood.  Then, on the ocean surface, a face appeared. It was that of a young lieutenant, the plane’s bombardier, who was struggling to a life raft and pulling himself aboard.  So began one of the most extraordinary odysseys of the Second World War.

The lieutenant’s name was Louis Zamperini.  In boyhood, he’d been a cunning and incorrigible delinquent, breaking into houses, brawling, and fleeing his home to ride the rails.  As a teenager, he had channeled his defiance into running, discovering a prodigious talent that had carried him to the Berlin Olympics and within sight of the four-minute mile.  But when war had come, the athlete had become an airman, embarking on a journey that led to his doomed flight, a tiny raft, and a drift into the unknown.

Ahead of Zamperini lay thousands of miles of open ocean, leaping sharks, a foundering raft, thirst and starvation, enemy aircraft, and, beyond, a trial even greater.  Driven to the limits of endurance, Zamperini would answer desperation with ingenuity; suffering with hope, resolve, and humor; brutality with rebellion. His fate, whether triumph or tragedy, would be suspended on the fraying wire of his will.

Go get it now and read it!

Book Review!

I need to take a break from Vacation Photos and share something that I've loved! It has been a very long time since I've read a book. Sadly, I read to the boys every night, but find myself wasting hours on the internet or in front of the television! So, with 4 long flights and some time on my hands on vacation, I read three books! 

Let me preface this by saying- I haven't written a book review since high school and even then, I was forced to do it! I know I won't do these justice, but the last one, especially, is definitely worth reading!

First, there is my always favorite, easy to read, author- Nicholas Sparks. I usually read his books as soon as they come out, but this one has been waiting over a year for me. It was true to his style and a good fast read. I always feel like I'm watching a movie while I read his books. It's the story of a woman who is hiding from a past life and struggling to start a new one. It's got love, suspense, romance, and is probably going to me a movie someday (just like his other books!)

Next, came Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, by Amy Chua. It is an autobiography of a chinese-american mom who describes her ways of raising her two daughters. Oh My Gosh! If you want to feel a little better about your parenting approach, you should read this! I was really amazed at how much she shared and the struggles they had. Not my favorite book, but pretty good nonetheless.

Lastly, The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. This is by far the best book I've ever read. It's over 500 pages and I couldn't put it down. I read it in record time and every night I am sad that I'm done with it. It's a story of a young girl who lives in a poor neighborhood in Munich, Germany during the reign of Hitler. She doesn't have much, but her most prized possessions are her books, many stolen, some gifted to her. I've always enjoyed books (fiction and non-fiction) that covered this era in history. I really enjoyed the perspective from which he wrote this book. A fresh look at the struggle of the Jews and the Germans who didn't really buy into Hitler's propoganda. All in all, I was really sad when I finished the book. I know it will be on my "favorites list" for a long time to come.