When 17-year-old Lev is
captured by the German military and meets another young feisty prisoner, the
two are told the only way they will be freed is if they go on a quest to find a
dozen eggs to bring back for a German girl’s birthday cake. Set in Russia during
the scarce resource conditions of World War II, this coming of age story is
both hilarious and moving. A fun read with quirky characters that provides a
great picture of the freezing Russia of the 1940s. A fictionalized account of
the author’s grandfather’s true story.
The Song of Achilles – Madeline Miller
This is a fresh take on
the story of the Trojan War, from the point of view of Patroclus. The love
story of Patroclus and Achilles, wrought with drama, family loyalties, and the
trials of war, The Song of Achilles
is impossible to stop reading. The literary prose is beautiful and tangible.
Bel Canto – Ann Patchett
When terrorists,
planning to murder the president, invade a wealthy man’s home during his
birthday party, dozens of people are held hostage for weeks. The owner of the
home, a Japanese businessman, falls in love with the woman he hired to sing at
his party. Though at times it seems highly unrealistic, the likeability of the
characters makes it hard to put down.
Henderson the Rain King – Saul Bellow
I am highly intrigued
by African history and culture, and though this novel is completely fiction, I
found it fascinating. A man named Henderson takes a trip to Africa alone
because he is bored with the man he has become and is looking for a personality
or spiritual change. Moving is some parts and goofy in most, this book is an
enjoyable read.
When the Night – Cristina Comencini
Marina takes her young
son on a trip to the mountains, where she stays in a rented cabin for a few
weeks. The owner of the cabin, Manfred, is still coping with his divorce and is
incredibly judgmental of all women. When Marina’s son, who refuses to speak and
sleep, has a terrible accident, Marina and Manfred go head to head. I found
that the characters were not likeable at all in this book, Manfred being a
self-centered tough guy and Marina being a terribly self-conscious and terribly
awful mother, but the prose style made me keep reading and reading until I had
finished. Writers are always saying that it is difficult to make a character
likeable, but I believe (or maybe I’m just an optimist who comes to like
characters quite easily) it takes a lot of effort to make a reader dislike a
character so strongly. I didn’t find any redeeming qualities in either Marina
or Manfred, and yet this book is so enchanting I just had to continue reading.
