Surprising tale

 I picked this one up at Costco a few years ago because it was the right price and the cover intrigued me.  Not that I have read Seabiscuit, or seen the movie, but something about this book caught my eye.  Then it sat on the shelf, waiting for the right time.  Funny how some books are like that - some you can't wait to dive right in to, and others, well, you almost have to wait for that right time to take a go at it.

This is one that will stick with me, and I have already recommended to a few people.  This wasn't what I expected - it is more like non fiction, since it is based on the life of Louis Zamperinelli.  What a story of survival - I always say life comes down to attitude, and that is exactly what this book is about - courage in the face of absolute disaster.  This is a side of WWII I don't know as much about - the war in the pacific.  Louis is many things, and this book mainly tells of how WWII experiences as a gunner in a Liberator, his experiences getting shot down, surviving being adrift in the endless Pacific Ocean, surviving Japanese POW camps, a return to normalcy, and failure, and then forgiveness and moving forward.  Well worth picking up this book.  It is one that will stick with you and makes you wish you could sit down and just listen to this fellow tell stories, if he was so willing.

And now, something different

If I blazed a path through books at the beginning of the year, I certainly have not done so this fall.  To say that I have been busy, feeling overwhelmed at times, learned a lot, is an understatement to say the least.

I wish I would have read more of this book in fewer settings.  I was able to read the last 75 pages over the weekend, but it was weeks of reading a few pages here and there.  This is one I will want to read again when I have a  little more energy and less on my plate.  A totally "novel" concept.  A mystery that delves a bit in to the paranormal, and a real escape from the same old, same old.  Some of the characters were frustrating at times, but they were crafted that way.  If you are looking for something different, this is a good choice!

Hard luck story with Heart

The magic of looking over your shoulder and updating at least the books you have been reading with the touch of a few numbers in the date setting feature.

This was our book club book for the month of October.  Ironically enough, we are still somewhat on the circus theme, albeit on a different page.  I found that the first part of this book was harder to get through - it is a down-on-your-luck story to begin with, and a darker portrait of North America.  The story shifts and turns, and although it doesn't resolve in to a completely happy ending, this was a good book.