Unbroken

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand was recommended to me awhile back, and this month, it also happened to be my book club's book--so I finally got around to reading it.  The subtitle to the book gives a good synopsis: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption.  The book tells the true story of Louis Zamperini, an Olympic runner on track to run a 4-minute mile when WWII hits and the next Olympics are cancelled.  Louie becomes a part of the military, and when his plane crashes in the ocean, he and the other survivors become stranded on a raft, floating aimlessly for more than 30 days with virtually nothing to eat or drink.  When they amazingly survive, Louie then becomes a POW under the Japanese, abused and tortured in unimaginable ways.

This is a truly amazing book.  It was daunting to me at first, but somehow the author makes this long, historical, nonfiction book absolutely fascinating and hard to put down.  Louie's story enthralled me, and I just wanted to keep reading all the time.  It was so interesting to read about what took place during WWII and was completely appalling to realize the way that POWs were treated by many Japanese.  The book really opened my eyes to the suffering that took place during WWII as well as the suffering that continued for so many veterans after the war.  The author's dedication at the end of the book was one I completely agreed with: "I come away from this book with the deepest appreciation for what these men endured, and what they sacrificed, for the good of humanity. It is to them that this book is dedicated."  The book also included a powerful and inspirational message of forgiveness.*  I loved this book!

Rating: * * * (3/3 = Loved it)


*The book's explanation of unlikely forgiveness reminded me of another amazing book called The Hiding Place, the autobiography of Corrie ten Boom, a Holocaust survivor.  Highly recommended as well.

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane

The librarian also recommended The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo, while I'd somehow never read, even though I've read most of Kate DiCamillo's other books.  It's about a china rabbit named Edward Tulane who was owned and loved by a girl named Abilene.  Then one day, he becomes lost--and the book follows his journey from the ocean to a garbage dump to a home, from owner to owner to owner.  And, as the book jacket explains, "Along the way, we are shown a true miracle--that even a heart of the most breakable kind can learn to love, to lose, and to love again."

This is a really sweet book.  It's a quick read but is filled with lots of detail and emotion.  It was actually a pretty sad book at times but also inspiring to see how this rabbit toy could bring joy to the lives of so many during their time with him.  I thought it was a beautifully written book that make you want to keep reading the whole way through.

Rating: * * * (3/3 = Loved it)

The Diary of a Killer Cat

The librarian at a local elementary school recommended The Diary of a Killer Cat by Anne Fine to me as a book I'd enjoy--it's a super quick read (like, it took me 5 minutes).  It's about a cat named Tuffy who gets in trouble from his owners (little girl named Ellie and her parents) for killing a bird.  Ellie tries to convince Tuffy to change his ways, but when a dead rabbit is dragged in, Tuffy is blamed for its death.  The book is told from Tuffy's point of view.

This is a really cute, fun book.  It's such a fun story for younger kids (probably age 7 or so) who want to read a simple chapter book.  It was entertaining and engaging with a clever perspective.  It wasn't long enough for be to be involved enough to rate it 3 stars, but there's nothing I really didn't like about it.  Good book.

Rating: * * (2/3 = Liked it)