A brief summary of what I’m currently reading or have recently finished, why I read it, and whether I’d recommend it. Although really, it’d have to be truly terrible for me to bother writing about a book I wouldn’t recommend……
The Lost Girls of Paris (Pam Jenoff) – If I have a “book type”, this is probably it:* historical fiction about female SOE (Special Operations Executive) operatives during World War II. It does feature a split timeline, of which I’m generally not in favor, but I can overlook it in this instance. It not only chronicles the stories of the operatives themselves, but also traces one woman’s post-war efforts to find those who had been captured.
Spoken From the Heart (Laura Bush) – You may recall that last month’s Recent Reads featured Michelle Obama’s autobiography. I followed it up with Laura Bush’s, and the juxtaposition of the two made for quite a contrast. Although G.W. Bush was president when I was a teenager, I knew next to nothing about his wife, and in her book found someone I could not just admire, but also genuinely like. Bonus: I listened to the audio version read by Laura herself, and I think that gave it some added character and meaning.
Murder of a Journalist (Thomas Crowl) – A few months ago, Z and I celebrated a friend’s 30th birthday by going to an escape room with our friend and his wife, along with some other friends. As we were waiting to begin, I read a couple of the newspaper articles and such on the wall, and learned that the room we were doing was based on the true life murder of Canton journalist Don Mellett in the 1920s. The article referenced this book, and it immediately went on my reading list. To be honest, it’s not the most well-written book I’ve ever read, but it was quite informative on what Canton was like during the ‘20s, and helped me better understand the city.
What They Meant for Evil (Rebecca Deng) – Most of us who remember the ‘90s have heard of the Lost Boys of Sudan, who were displaced and/or orphaned during the Sudanese civil war. (Technically, it was the second one, and it raged from 1987-2005.) Fewer of us have heard of the Lost Girls of Sudan, but Rebecca Deng is one of them. She tells the heartbreaking story of her displacement, orphanment, and eventual immigration to the US. Learning about the plights of those different from us is always worthwhile, but seeing the hope of the gospel woven throughout so much suffering makes it doubly so.
So there you have it: 4 books I’m reading right now or have recently finished. If you’ve read any of these (or decide to after reading this post), drop me a note and let me know what you thought of them! And let me know what you’re reading right now too.
*Ok, so the truth is that I have as many book types as I have interests, and that appears to be a lot. However, historical fiction and history, particularly World War II, probably top the list.
I have recently read “Omar Bradley General at war” by Jim DeFelice. It has some background on his upbringing but mostly his unrecognized value in dealing with Patton and Eisenhower and Montgomery during the most critical times of WWII. It reveals that his strategies of combining air, armor and infantry were key in advancing against the Germans. Very detailed yet some personal moments that make it true to life. I thought it was a good fast paced read.