The Last Five

I took a month off from blogging and still I don't feel that I have anything pressing to share with you.  Just to try to get back into the habit of posting, I am going to write about books again.  Since I last posted about my (always fascinating) reading list, I have finished five books.  Two were loaners, two I selected on my own, and one was recommended by a friend.  

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
I bought this book as a present for Ryan a few years ago.  He and our dad read and enjoyed Unbroken and Ryan then suggested that I read it.  He loves reading about World War II and I do not, so I repeatedly declined.  I am happy that Ryan finally convinced me to read this book, as the true story of Louie Zamperini was entertaining, inspiring, and almost unbelievable.  He was an Olympic runner who became a Japanese prisoner of war during World War II.  For a theatrical glimpse into Zamperini's life, you can view the trailer for the upcoming movie based on this book:

The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls by Anton DiSclafani
USteve loaned this book to me, remarking that the story of a young woman attending a Southern boarding school during the Great Depression included some spicy material.  I am sad to say that although this book was set at a women's school, it did not remind me of my Wellesley experience at all.  I now realize that I did not spend enough time riding horses or seducing administrators.  What a waste of four years.

The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom
This was a good but very dark book, which is not surprising as it takes place on a plantation in Virginia and depicts the brutality of slavery.  I enjoyed the characters that Grissom created, though I often felt frustrated by the lack of communication between them.

Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake by Anna Quindlen
I picked this book up thinking that it might be similar to Nora Ephron's I Feel Bad About My Neck.  Both books were written by successful and wealthy women "of a certain age", so the lives they explore are not entirely relatable to me.  (More because of wealth than age.)  This book lacked the humor of Ephron's work, and humor goes a long way with me.

Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore
A friend told me this was one of the funniest books she had ever read.  Thus I started reading Lamb with unreasonably high expectations and was disappointed.  This humorous reimagining of Jesus's life was only okay for me.  Ryan is reading my copy of Wonder and told me last night that I over-hyped the book so now it is a bit of a letdown.  Will this vicious cycle never end?