I am so sorry to give this Two Stars, but it just didn't do it for me. I've read tons of Holocaust and WWII memoirs and this one just didn't measure ...moreI am so sorry to give this Two Stars, but it just didn't do it for me. I've read tons of Holocaust and WWII memoirs and this one just didn't measure up. It's written in a more scholarly, textbook fashion, and there were a lot of punctuation errors that made it hard to read. Hats off to the author for all her in-depth research, but skip this one. There are others out there.
I've mentioned this many times -- I like to read Holocaust and WWII memoirs because they show the beauty of man overcoming the ugly.
Well, ...moreI've mentioned this many times -- I like to read Holocaust and WWII memoirs because they show the beauty of man overcoming the ugly.
Well, this book is indeed about the ugly -- the ugliest I've ever read.
This is an unprecedented memoir of a man who ends up being a prisoner at Aushwitz as a crematorium worker. He managed to smuggle out plans of the crematoria and the camps and seeing them in detail is more than sobering. He also gives detailed, intense commentary on exactly what went on in selections, details that many could never even dream of or imagine.
He talks about the progression of extermination of Jews -- how the SS figured out they needed the prisoners to undress BEFORE being gassed so as to save their clothing -- previously, prisoners had to undress every corpse. He explains the trickery the SS used, implementing the crematorium workers to fool the prisoners into thinking they really WERE going to have a shower and return to get their clothes back. He speaks about digging enormous ditches and how the SS burned bodies in these pits when the chimneys needed repair.
This is not an easy book to read.
However, it's a necessary book to be in the world, because no one should ever forget how quickly and easily so many people can die. It's also a testament to how quickly humans can turn into demons when a leader paves the way for them.
Diana Gabaldon's "Outlander" series is hands down my favorite set of books ever.
A related but separate branch of the Outlander b...moreDiana Gabaldon's "Outlander" series is hands down my favorite set of books ever.
A related but separate branch of the Outlander books, the Lord John series, has been good, but not the same as a book with Jamie and Claire. THIS book, however, is a wonderful addition to BOTH series as it ties in to the time right before "Voyager". It also goes into detail about Jamie's time at Helwater. The book fleshes out Jamie's relationship with both his son and Lord John and adds a new adventure to the mix.
I loved it. Now I can't wait for the last "Outlander" book, which I'm told should be out at the end of the year.
I absolutely adore old books. I feel like I'm rescuing them from obscurity, and I regularly drag home bags of books from a local used book store. ...moreI absolutely adore old books. I feel like I'm rescuing them from obscurity, and I regularly drag home bags of books from a local used book store.
This book is about the things that are left behind inside of the books -- photos, letters, and random bits of ephemera. I already love the author's blog, so the book was a great treat.
Pick the book up -- and take a quick look and see if someone left something in it!
This was actually written for the older child/teen market. It covers true stories of children who survived the Holocaust against all odds, using inge...moreThis was actually written for the older child/teen market. It covers true stories of children who survived the Holocaust against all odds, using ingenuity, skill, and often, sheer luck. It's a very interesting read, but I'd read it first before letting your child read it. There are some pretty intense scenes in there, but I do think it's important that everyone not forget this part of history.
Oh boy. This is a truly sobering read. Twins were Mengele's favorite subject, and his experiments were truly horrific. What's interesting about thi...moreOh boy. This is a truly sobering read. Twins were Mengele's favorite subject, and his experiments were truly horrific. What's interesting about this book is through the words of the surviving twins, we learn how some of them grew to trust Mengele, in large part because he kept them from the crematoriums. It's also an interesting insight into Mengele himself, how he grew up, and how he handled himself at the camps. The point of a finger, and he rules lives.
A friend recommended this gothic Victorian horror thriller. "Horror thriller" might seem a little slow for modern-day thriller readers, but...moreA friend recommended this gothic Victorian horror thriller. "Horror thriller" might seem a little slow for modern-day thriller readers, but this particular book was written in 1864.
The premise -- a young girl/teenager's father dies, leaving her a fortune. Her uncle, Uncle Silas, is the black sheep of the family, yet the girl's father sends Maud to live with Uncle Silas, in part to try to prove to high society that no, Uncle Silas was NOT involved in a murder later deemed a suicide in his home. Fun times.
Enter a nefarious French governess, a well-meaning relative who just never seems to get there in time, and the "did he or didn't he?" bit, and an ending that really races into the last pages, and you have a really good Victorian read. And it's free on Kindle!
I absolutely loved the first four books of this series -- devoured them, even. But I think the author made a critical mistake in splitting Book Four ...moreI absolutely loved the first four books of this series -- devoured them, even. But I think the author made a critical mistake in splitting Book Four and Book Five into separate books. Book Four and Book Five take place during the same time period, but each book ONLY focuses on certain characters. Book Four handled the happenings of some characters, and then whack, they were cut off and Book Five rarely, if ever, mentioned them.
I am fortunate I picked up this series when all five books were already published, but those poor people who have had to wait five and six years between books! How confusing!
I just could NOT get into this book. My favorite character, Tyrion, was in this portion, but his sections stumbled. And I really, really don't like the entire Daenerys. I get why she's important, but her world is so far removed from Westeros, where everything else takes place, that I can't get the two to come together. I'd compare it to England and the Middle East, and even in real history, with England and the Crusades, it has to be written just so -- and that's missing here.
I'll absolutely read the rest of the series (whenever Martin decides to write them!) but this book disappointed me.
First up is "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot. Skloot spent almost ten years researching Henrietta's family -- why, ...moreFirst up is "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot. Skloot spent almost ten years researching Henrietta's family -- why, you ask? Henrietta, while being treated for terminal cancer at Johns Hopkins in the '50s, had her cells taken and cultured by doctors, all unbeknownst to her. Her cells ended up being unique in that they were "immortal" cells -- they didn't die in culture and could be traded and eventually sold to doctors and companies worldwide. Named HeLa cells, they've been responsible for helping create the polio vaccine, develop in vitro fertilization, cloning, and gene mapping. They've been shot up with atom bombs and sent into space.
However, Henrietta's family didn't even know about it until years later, and have never received a dime for the miracles her cells created. Her family couldn't afford health care while the HeLa cells made millions for other people.
Something I found strikingly, unbelievably sad -- Henrietta is buried in a family plot, but her grave is unmarked. They didn't have the money for a tomb stone.
Even if you don't have interest in biology or cell science, the book is fabulous. I highly recommend it.
What can I say? It's Harry Bosch and it's Michael Connelly. Fans of police crime/murder mystery/suspense will love the Bosch series -- I just can't ...moreWhat can I say? It's Harry Bosch and it's Michael Connelly. Fans of police crime/murder mystery/suspense will love the Bosch series -- I just can't believe he's up to Book #16 already!
**spoiler alert** This is a story of how lives can change even ten years after the death of a loved one.
Glyn, widow of Kath, is a driven pr...more**spoiler alert** This is a story of how lives can change even ten years after the death of a loved one.
Glyn, widow of Kath, is a driven professor. Kath's sister is an equally driven landscape artist. Kath reads as a free-spirit. Ten years after Kath's death, a photograph found of her holding hands with her sister's husband.
The book hops chapter to chapter among various people. One chapter may focus on Glyn's relentless search to find out if Kath was unfaithful in other ways. (I despised Glyn, by the way. What a horrible husband.) Kath's sister struggles with her feelings of ennui with her husband Nick and uses this new revelation as a way to kick Nick out of the house.
As I read the book, I was struck by how little ANYONE knew Kath. She would reach out, but was increasingly left behind and alone by all the people who should have mattered to her. Ultimately, this strikingly beautiful free spirit commits suicide, but only after phoning and leaving a message to please call back - to her husband, and to her sister. Neither called until some ten hours later, showing once again, as throughout the book, how little Kath figured into any of their lives.
I read the book in a day, and while it's gotten some bad reviews, it resonated with me, and the way Lively uses words is reason enough to read it.
This short book reminded me quite a lot of "Girl, Interrupted" by Susanna Kaysen. In "Cut", the main character, Callie, is a "...moreThis short book reminded me quite a lot of "Girl, Interrupted" by Susanna Kaysen. In "Cut", the main character, Callie, is a "guest" at a mental hospital because she's a cutter. She cuts herself to feel in control, and it's a disorder far more common than people realize. She's exceptionally hard to treat, because while she is the one telling her story, she refuses to speak to anyone in the facility. Until, one day, she does.
This book is easily read in one sitting, and I personally understood a lot of where Callie was coming from. Those of us who have had rough pasts or battled demons will appreciate this book.
I had bought this book well before the movie was promoted. When I saw the movie trailers, of the burning World Trade Center towers, I knew I'd never ...moreI had bought this book well before the movie was promoted. When I saw the movie trailers, of the burning World Trade Center towers, I knew I'd never be able to see it. It's still too close to me to watch anything like that.
The book, however, I felt ok about. And after reading it, I wanted to start reading it all over again. I also wondered how the heck there could be a movie that would ever evoke the WORDS. Because this book is about the WORDS and how they're said and when. That doesn't make sense, perhaps, but if you read the book, you'll see.
I couldn't figure out if Oskar, the child, was a prodigy, had Asperger's, was an autistic savant, or what, but he's definitely unique, clever, hilarious, irritating at times, and poignant. He travels throughout NYC looking for the lock to a key he found in his father's closet -- his father who died in the Towers.
Intertwined in the book is also the story of Oskar's grandfather and his tumultuous relationship with his wife, and Oskar's many relationships with the people he meets as he looks for the lock. Sometimes it's hard to keep up, but you'll get it.
This book is full of very short horror stories. While I enjoyed them, I think there needs to be some tighter editing and I would have loved to see so...moreThis book is full of very short horror stories. While I enjoyed them, I think there needs to be some tighter editing and I would have loved to see some of the stories more fully fleshed out. A quick, fun read!
This is an amazing memoir, all told in graphic novel format. As I sat in the floor of the bookstore readi...more**spoiler alert** SPOILERS!!!
This is an amazing memoir, all told in graphic novel format. As I sat in the floor of the bookstore reading (I just couldn't wait) I felt tears in the pit of my stomach. I could empathize so much with what this child went through.
David's dad is a radiologist and X-rays David every time he has an illness, which is often because that's the only way David feels he can get any attention. His mother is an angry, bitter woman whose voice, David says, is slamming things.
His grandparents aren't much better. He enjoys his grandfather, but his grandmother scares the hell out of him and you can certainly see where his mother got her particular brand of animosity. Later in life, the grandmother locks the grandfather in the basement and sets the house on fire, then goes and dances in the street. She's carted off to a psychiatric hospital, which David later proudly says he kept away from.
The pivotal point in David's life is when one of his mother's friends notices a "growth" on the side of David's neck. The wife of a surgeon, she makes David's mother promise to take him to see her husband right away.
David's parents are furious -- at David. "Don't you know money doesn't grow on trees?" they scream, yet when they come into some money, rather than take David to the doctor, they buy a car and furniture.
Three years later, they finally take David to the hospital. He has an operation, only to come out of it hearing he has to have ANOTHER operation the next day. When he wakes again, he has a huge line of stitches down his neck, no thyroid, and half his vocal cords. For now, until he learns how to use it, he's lost his voice.
Life doesn't get any better. His parents don't really treat him any better, staying angry, bitter, and in a constant rage. One night when David can't sleep, he opens his mother's desk and discovers a letter she was writing to his grandmother -- David had had cancer.
Eventually David gets therapy, and he's finally able to find his voice and truly be heard.
The end -- he visits his mother in the hospital the day before she dies and, through the drawings, you can see a bit of closure. His father takes him out one night and explains in agony that back when he gave David all those X-rays, the radiation used was much higher than it is now and he's the one that gave David cancer.
This book was so incredibly moving. The drawings truly were perfect -- the expressions, the interpretation of dreams, the looks in people's eyes, couldn't have been conveyed with words. The words he DOES include in the book are exactly the right ones -- spare, and necessary.
It's a tough book to read, but I'd recommend it highly.
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