Just finished "Bad Things Happen" by Harry Dolan. This was his first novel and he's off to a great start.
One quote on the back cover of this book caught my eye, Stephan King showing his approval - "Great f***ing book, man. I was totally hooked." Like most of you, I've never actually met Stephan King, but that seems exactly like the sort of thing I imagine him saying. That aside, I completely agree with him.
This book is a mystery, but it doesn't follow that predictable pattern of many mysteries. The mystery isn't why I liked the book, though. I enjoyed Dolan's writing, and his main character, David Loogan, is so likable. Loogan is mysterious; the reader isn't quite sure what all Loogan is holding back, but there is surely something. In addition to mysterious, he's charming, even when he (apparently) is trying not to be. This story could take me anywhere and I'd still go along for the ride, just to learn more about this Loogan character. He is captivating.
The book is entertaining, and from page one, like Stephen King said, I was hooked. I really like Harry Dolan's style and will be reading more of his work. David Loogan is in Dolan's newest novel "Very Bad Men". Keep an eye out for a review of that, coming soon to a book review blog near you.
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Thursday, September 1, 2011
We Die Alone
When I picked up "We Die Alone" from the library I didn't remember anything about it. Couldn't help but wonder why I'd pick out (yet another) depressing book. The title is misleading - the meaning is without the help of others, we'll die alone. This book, a nonfiction account of a WWII survival story, proves that without question.
Honestly, this is one of the most incredible survival stories I've ever read, and I've read quite a few. At the start, the author, David Howarth, states that all he wrote really happened even though it's hard to believe and he's correct. It just amazed me all this solider endured.
OK, here's a quick summary. A small team of Norwegians return to German occupied Norway in March 1943. They arrive by boat in the far north, on the Arctic coast. The main character of the story, Jan Baalsrud, is 26 years old. He is not the leader of the team, but within minutes of arrival, he's on his own. Did I mention it was March? In the Arctic? It was cold and there is snow, lots and lots of snow. The challenges appear insurmountable.
Without his team and their gear, their goal is now impossible - they were going to recruit and train locals to help overthrow the Germans when the time came. So, alone, Jan decides the smartest plan is to head for neutral Sweden, where he can hopefully make his way back to London to begin again with a different team. The book is basically his journey.
While reading this book, time and time again, I'd think, "no one could survive that", and yet... The locals Jan meets along his way endanger their lives and the lives of their families to help him. The extremes these total strangers go to are no doubt how this book got it's name.
I think I've sufficiently demonstrated that I loved this book. This ranks near the top of survival book genre. If you enjoy such books, this is a must read. Highly recommended.
Honestly, this is one of the most incredible survival stories I've ever read, and I've read quite a few. At the start, the author, David Howarth, states that all he wrote really happened even though it's hard to believe and he's correct. It just amazed me all this solider endured.
OK, here's a quick summary. A small team of Norwegians return to German occupied Norway in March 1943. They arrive by boat in the far north, on the Arctic coast. The main character of the story, Jan Baalsrud, is 26 years old. He is not the leader of the team, but within minutes of arrival, he's on his own. Did I mention it was March? In the Arctic? It was cold and there is snow, lots and lots of snow. The challenges appear insurmountable.
Without his team and their gear, their goal is now impossible - they were going to recruit and train locals to help overthrow the Germans when the time came. So, alone, Jan decides the smartest plan is to head for neutral Sweden, where he can hopefully make his way back to London to begin again with a different team. The book is basically his journey.
While reading this book, time and time again, I'd think, "no one could survive that", and yet... The locals Jan meets along his way endanger their lives and the lives of their families to help him. The extremes these total strangers go to are no doubt how this book got it's name.
I think I've sufficiently demonstrated that I loved this book. This ranks near the top of survival book genre. If you enjoy such books, this is a must read. Highly recommended.
Friday, August 26, 2011
The Piano Teacher
I know we're not suppose to judge a book by its cover, but the cover on this one is so fine. The cover of Janice Y. K. Lee's "Piano Teacher" captured my attention and curiosity. It's rare that a cover has that pull on me. This one has such an air of mystery.
The Piano Teacher's setting was my favorite aspect of this novel. There are two intermingled stories in this book. Both are set in Hong Kong. One narrative begins in 1941, the other begins in 1952. Some of the characters are in both stories. In both, there are many English characters.
The earlier story is set around World War II. This is the first book I've read about the conditions in Hong Kong during this time period. It was very interesting, even if it was a fictional account.
The later narrative centers around newlywed Claire, a small-town, young English woman. The book begins with her story as she is the book's namesake piano teacher. There was much in these first few chapters that I found annoying - the arrogance of the English and their colonization of Hong Kong was hard to take. No doubt, this was the whole point. We're not meant to like these characters, at least not at first. Though, not surprisingly, young Claire changes her perspective and values as the story progresses.
It took me a while to read this novel. The story doesn't exactly drag, but it could have moved a bit faster. Still, I think Lee shows great promise and I'll definitely read more of her work.
The Piano Teacher's setting was my favorite aspect of this novel. There are two intermingled stories in this book. Both are set in Hong Kong. One narrative begins in 1941, the other begins in 1952. Some of the characters are in both stories. In both, there are many English characters.
The earlier story is set around World War II. This is the first book I've read about the conditions in Hong Kong during this time period. It was very interesting, even if it was a fictional account.
The later narrative centers around newlywed Claire, a small-town, young English woman. The book begins with her story as she is the book's namesake piano teacher. There was much in these first few chapters that I found annoying - the arrogance of the English and their colonization of Hong Kong was hard to take. No doubt, this was the whole point. We're not meant to like these characters, at least not at first. Though, not surprisingly, young Claire changes her perspective and values as the story progresses.
It took me a while to read this novel. The story doesn't exactly drag, but it could have moved a bit faster. Still, I think Lee shows great promise and I'll definitely read more of her work.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Summer Break
Been taking a break recently. I've still been reading, but not blogging.
In the last month I've read a host of books on dogs - planning to get a dog for the first time in my life. There are a surprising number of books about dogs and I've been racing through them. Interesting to me, but I'm not sure this is a topic of interest to others.
Currently reading a novel, though, so review to follow. Check back soon!
In the last month I've read a host of books on dogs - planning to get a dog for the first time in my life. There are a surprising number of books about dogs and I've been racing through them. Interesting to me, but I'm not sure this is a topic of interest to others.
Currently reading a novel, though, so review to follow. Check back soon!
Friday, July 8, 2011
Book Blog Hop
Since it's Friday, I thought I'd participate in the famous Book Blogger Hop. If you're not familiar with the Hop, it's a super cool way to discover your new favorite book blog. Hundreds of bloggers join in each week, so there are loads to choose from.
Welcome to Primo Reads! If you're new here, I cover a wide range of books, from current fiction to classics, to memoirs, to nonfiction. I'm currently reading "Unbroken - A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption", which is a terrific book. (Come back soon to read my review.) If you have a book blog, please leave your URL in the comments so I can return the visit!
Many thanks to Jen over at Crazy For Books for hosting! Hop over to her site to find lots of cool book blogs.
Friday, July 1, 2011
Children of Terror
Children of Terror is a nonfictional account of two women's experience in Nazi concentration camps. The women actually met many years later in the US and discovered they had quite a bit in common. As their conversations continued they decided to share their stories - this book is the result. As mentioned, these two had much in common, and yet, they also were opposites in other ways. These comparisons are part of what makes this book a worthwhile read.
These women were born only months apart in the year 1934. One was the daughter of Christian farmers in Poland. The other was an only-child of Jewish merchants in Germany. They were children of such different backgrounds, and yet, their stories are similar. Both were captured, along with their families, by the Nazis. Both families were placed in concentration camps when the girls were very young. And both girls were rescued from the camps at the early age of 10 years old.
The girls' childhood memories are not of playing, going to school, or other common childhood memories, but instead are of life in a camp. One thing about this book that simply amazed me was how both women were able to move on after the war without obvious anger or bitterness. Their stories are very moving.
These women were born only months apart in the year 1934. One was the daughter of Christian farmers in Poland. The other was an only-child of Jewish merchants in Germany. They were children of such different backgrounds, and yet, their stories are similar. Both were captured, along with their families, by the Nazis. Both families were placed in concentration camps when the girls were very young. And both girls were rescued from the camps at the early age of 10 years old.
The girls' childhood memories are not of playing, going to school, or other common childhood memories, but instead are of life in a camp. One thing about this book that simply amazed me was how both women were able to move on after the war without obvious anger or bitterness. Their stories are very moving.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
The Bridge of Sighs
Richard Russo's novel "The Bridge of Sighs" is an epic of sorts. It's over 500 pages and covers a lot of ground. Even though it's long, I loved this book.
The main character is Louis Charles Lynch, or as his kindergarten teacher called out his name on the first day of school, "Lou C Lynch". From that day forward, he would forever be known as Lucy.
As an adult, Lucy begins to write the story of his life. He starts from kindergarten and chronicles everything from that point onward. Even though it's heavy on the amount of detail, every last detail builds a clear picture of Lucy and all the people important in his life. I was pulled into Lucy's world in a way that I haven't been pulled into a novel in ages. I felt like his family was my family. His friends and foes? I know all their enduring and annoying habits, and I could anticipate their reactions to various events throughout the book.
I'm a big Russo fan, and like his other books, this one did not disappointment. The only thing that I don't like about Russo's books is that they have to end - I wished there was more. I am now left waiting for him to publish another book, since I've devoured all his other books.
The main character is Louis Charles Lynch, or as his kindergarten teacher called out his name on the first day of school, "Lou C Lynch". From that day forward, he would forever be known as Lucy.
As an adult, Lucy begins to write the story of his life. He starts from kindergarten and chronicles everything from that point onward. Even though it's heavy on the amount of detail, every last detail builds a clear picture of Lucy and all the people important in his life. I was pulled into Lucy's world in a way that I haven't been pulled into a novel in ages. I felt like his family was my family. His friends and foes? I know all their enduring and annoying habits, and I could anticipate their reactions to various events throughout the book.
I'm a big Russo fan, and like his other books, this one did not disappointment. The only thing that I don't like about Russo's books is that they have to end - I wished there was more. I am now left waiting for him to publish another book, since I've devoured all his other books.
Friday, June 10, 2011
The Bleeding Sky
I've been reading quite a few books about the Holocaust lately. I try to read a wide range of books, but recently Amazon's "you may also like" feature has pointed me toward other Holocaust books. This is how I came across "The Bleeding Sky" by Louis Brandsdorfer and I'm very glad I found it.
Currently this book appears only to be available on Kindle. It may be a self published book - it's not totally clear, at least, not to me. In the introduction, a woman writes that both her parents were Holocaust survivors. Her father had recently passed away, taking with him, his memories of the war. This prompted her to encourage her mother to record her memories. This book was the result, and I agree, these memories should most certainly be shared.
The main character is Mala, a young Jewish woman living in Poland. Mala's entire family (her parents and 6 bothers and sisters and their spouses) lived in nearby towns. Mala was married and had a young child at the start of the war. Flash forward to the end of the war and Mala's family then consisted of one sister - everyone else was killed. That fact alone is difficult to grasp, especially now, so many years after the war. Combine that with the hardships Mala endured during the war and the picture is nearly unimaginable.
At the start of the war, Mala and her daughter were separated from the rest of their family. They hid in various towns throughout Poland, sometimes staying one night in a barn, other times their stays were weeks in someone's attic. Eventually they ended up in the Jewish Ghetto in Warsaw, where Mala had a "job" (forced labor) retrieving items of value from Jews as they were brought into the Ghetto. Her young daughter lived in a children's home in the Ghetto since Mala spent the days working and couldn't look after her. One day the Nazis took away all the children in the home. Mala never saw her daughter again. After the war, she discovered that a transport (cattle car) took all of the children from the home straight to a gas chamber.
When the Nazis removed all the Jews from the Ghetto, Mala was shipped to a concentration camp. From that point onward, she was moved often, from one camp to another. (I was surprised how many times the Nazis moved her from camp to camp.) Her longest stretch was at Auschwitz. Since she was young and healthy, Mala was chosen for forced labor - this is how she managed to survive. At one camp she found two of her sisters, though both were ill and were sent to the gas chamber soon after she found them. At each camp, she would ask other prisoners about her husband, her siblings, her parents, hoping someone would have news. She was able to learn some detail about their fates, though the information was hardly reliable. At one camp, someone came up to her and called her by her sister's name. Mala and this particular sister looked alike and had, throughout their lives, been mistaken for one another. As it turns out, that sister was her only living relative by the end of the war.
This is a sobering story of survival. As with each WWII story that I've read, while reading it wasn't easy, I'm thankful that the story was shared. Acts of such unspeakable cruelty should not be forgotten or ignored. And as mentioned in the introduction, it's important that these stories not die with Holocaust survivors.
Currently this book appears only to be available on Kindle. It may be a self published book - it's not totally clear, at least, not to me. In the introduction, a woman writes that both her parents were Holocaust survivors. Her father had recently passed away, taking with him, his memories of the war. This prompted her to encourage her mother to record her memories. This book was the result, and I agree, these memories should most certainly be shared.
The main character is Mala, a young Jewish woman living in Poland. Mala's entire family (her parents and 6 bothers and sisters and their spouses) lived in nearby towns. Mala was married and had a young child at the start of the war. Flash forward to the end of the war and Mala's family then consisted of one sister - everyone else was killed. That fact alone is difficult to grasp, especially now, so many years after the war. Combine that with the hardships Mala endured during the war and the picture is nearly unimaginable.
At the start of the war, Mala and her daughter were separated from the rest of their family. They hid in various towns throughout Poland, sometimes staying one night in a barn, other times their stays were weeks in someone's attic. Eventually they ended up in the Jewish Ghetto in Warsaw, where Mala had a "job" (forced labor) retrieving items of value from Jews as they were brought into the Ghetto. Her young daughter lived in a children's home in the Ghetto since Mala spent the days working and couldn't look after her. One day the Nazis took away all the children in the home. Mala never saw her daughter again. After the war, she discovered that a transport (cattle car) took all of the children from the home straight to a gas chamber.
When the Nazis removed all the Jews from the Ghetto, Mala was shipped to a concentration camp. From that point onward, she was moved often, from one camp to another. (I was surprised how many times the Nazis moved her from camp to camp.) Her longest stretch was at Auschwitz. Since she was young and healthy, Mala was chosen for forced labor - this is how she managed to survive. At one camp she found two of her sisters, though both were ill and were sent to the gas chamber soon after she found them. At each camp, she would ask other prisoners about her husband, her siblings, her parents, hoping someone would have news. She was able to learn some detail about their fates, though the information was hardly reliable. At one camp, someone came up to her and called her by her sister's name. Mala and this particular sister looked alike and had, throughout their lives, been mistaken for one another. As it turns out, that sister was her only living relative by the end of the war.
This is a sobering story of survival. As with each WWII story that I've read, while reading it wasn't easy, I'm thankful that the story was shared. Acts of such unspeakable cruelty should not be forgotten or ignored. And as mentioned in the introduction, it's important that these stories not die with Holocaust survivors.
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Perfect Copy
Recently I came across a book by a fresh new author. “Perfect Copy” by Judith Gaines is an entertaining novel with a unique plot. Ms. Gaines employees a common, but effective, technique - short chapters that leave the reader in suspense. This novel is so difficult to put down that I read it in 2 sittings.
I enjoyed “Perfect Copy” and recommend it. It is currently available as an e-book, but hopefully soon will also be in print which would bring the larger audience it deserves. I’m looking forward to reading more of Ms. Gaines’ work.
If you’d like to read this book, you’re in luck! “Perfect Copy” is one of many books being featured in the Memorial Day Weekend Blog Tour de Troops. Visit Ms. Gaines’s site and leave her a comment – for your comment, free e-copies of the book will be sent to you and to a troop member as well.
“Perfect Copy” is set in the remote Appalachian Mountains, where the small group of characters, most of whom are scientists, live in a mountain retreat. The main character, Brina, was hired to care for four year old Roman. Young Roman is a special-needs child, though his needs are highly unusual and dynamic. Aside from Brina, the remaining characters are men, none of which she trusts. As the story unfolds, it soon becomes obvious that Brina’s instinct not to trust is founded. The plot evolves over only a couple of days; things progress quickly and the reader is brought along for the ride.
I enjoyed “Perfect Copy” and recommend it. It is currently available as an e-book, but hopefully soon will also be in print which would bring the larger audience it deserves. I’m looking forward to reading more of Ms. Gaines’ work.
If you’d like to read this book, you’re in luck! “Perfect Copy” is one of many books being featured in the Memorial Day Weekend Blog Tour de Troops. Visit Ms. Gaines’s site and leave her a comment – for your comment, free e-copies of the book will be sent to you and to a troop member as well.
Friday, May 27, 2011
The Secret Holocaust Diaries
"The Secret Holocaust Diaries" is one of many books I've read about the Holocaust. This is a nonfiction account of a young Russian girl's life during WWII. Nonna Bannister kept diaries throughout the war and the years that followed. She kept her diaries a secret, even from her husband and children, until the 1990's. This book was compiled from her translated diaries and, per her wishes, was not published until after her death.
Nonna and her family lived in Russia/Ukraine. They were Christians, members of the Russian Orthodox Church. Due to the war, as a young girl Nonna stopped attending school and went into hiding, first from the Russians and then from the Germans. Even without school, she still managed to become fluent in 7 languages. Her languages skills probably helped keep her alive.
This is an amazing story of Nonna's perseverance, but it's also a story of overwhelming loss. As a girl, she lost her entire family. In fact, many members of her family simply disappeared, never to be heard from again. One thing about this book that simply amazed me was that she didn't seem bitter. She says repeatedly how thankful she is to have met her wonderful husband in American after the war, how thankful she was to the nuns in Germany that protected her from the Nazis, how thankful she was to a young Jewish boy who saved her life. Even though she was young throughout the war, she faced great uncertainty and, for the most part, managed to keep a positive attitude.
Nonna and her family lived in Russia/Ukraine. They were Christians, members of the Russian Orthodox Church. Due to the war, as a young girl Nonna stopped attending school and went into hiding, first from the Russians and then from the Germans. Even without school, she still managed to become fluent in 7 languages. Her languages skills probably helped keep her alive.
This is an amazing story of Nonna's perseverance, but it's also a story of overwhelming loss. As a girl, she lost her entire family. In fact, many members of her family simply disappeared, never to be heard from again. One thing about this book that simply amazed me was that she didn't seem bitter. She says repeatedly how thankful she is to have met her wonderful husband in American after the war, how thankful she was to the nuns in Germany that protected her from the Nazis, how thankful she was to a young Jewish boy who saved her life. Even though she was young throughout the war, she faced great uncertainty and, for the most part, managed to keep a positive attitude.
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