Totally off the subject, but....

The librarian in me wants you to know what I have been reading and what I might recommend.  It is extremely difficult to get affordable books in English here in Mexico, so my very last U.S. purchase was a kindle.  I love it.  Here are some recommendations:

Bloodlands: Europe between Hitler and Stalin by Timothy Snyder.  This is the kind of book that comes along once every ten years or so.  As I read it, I found myself imagining the incredible amount of research and work Snyder did to write this brilliant book.  I have always read about World War II, but this book tells what was going on in the years leading up to the war.  It is often very difficult to read due to the horror that these leaders inflicted upon so many millions of innocent people.  However, anyone who has an interest in European history should make this the next book to read.


Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand.  I have generally read about the war in Europe, but watching the HBO series "The Pacific" made me realize that I was ignoring some vital history.  This is the story of Louie Zamperini, a larger than life character.  He was one of the fastest runners in the United States, and made the U.S. Olympic team in 1936.  He met Hitler...stole a Nazi flag...and became a bombadier in the Pacific.  Then, sent on a rescue mission, the dilapidated plane Louie is in crashes.  You know he survives, but the tension never lets up as we follow Louie and Hillenbrand vividly portrays the agony he is in.  

These Things Hidden by Heather Gudenkauf.  Someone gets pregnant.  Someone delivers a newborn baby to a "safe haven". Someone adopts a child.  Someone goes to prison.  Told from various points of view, this story keeps you guessing.

Room: A Novel by Emma Donaghue.  I have long been a Donaghue fan, ever since reading her amazing book Slammerkin, which I also highly recommend.  Room has received a lot of attention and deservedly so.  It is the story of an abducted young woman who gives birth while in captivity and keeps both her son and herself sane because she is able to create an entire world within their prison room.  


I am currently reading Steve Martin's book about an art dealer, An Object of Beauty: A Novel.  I don't know why Steve or Emma both needed to tell us that their books were novels.  It must be something new.