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Becoming Mrs. Lewis: The Improbable Love Story of Joy Davidman and C. S. Lewis by Patti Callahan is a chronicle of a love story, and it works, to that extent. But somehow, the magic of C.S. Lewis is lost in the book. About two thirds of the way through the…
White Russian, by Tom Bradby, is a book by a man for men. It has all the elements of an action movie, with plenty of exciting moments (everything but a chase scene, but there are scenes where the protagonist is being followed). Still, it lacked something: maybe heart. The books…
The Golden Peacock, by Lauren B. Grossman is billed as a story of the Holocaust, and the author calls it “faction” — a blend of history and fiction. It’s unclear how much of this story is true, and it would be interesting to find out, but it contains a good…
I waited a few days to review The Lost Queen, by Signe Pike. It’s a story of the Arthurian legend in sixth-century Scotland, and it’s told from the point of view of Langoureth, the “lost queen” who also happens to be the twin sister of the man who originated the…
Enemy at the Gates, a 1973 book by William Craig, is the story of the battle of Stalingrad, the bloodiest conflict in human history. I have searched high and low for a readable book about this battle, and, while it’s still dense in places, this book comes closest to describing…
Enemies: A War Story, by Kenneth Rosenberg is a fascinating, fictionalized account of a little-known, somewhat shameful interlude of incidents that took place in the United States during World War II. It’s the story of two young men, Herbie Haupt and Wolfgang Wergin. Both men were born in Germany but…
The Lighthouse Keeper’s Daughter, by Hazel Gaynor, is two stories in one: one in 1838, the other in 1938. They are the stories of Grace and Mathilda. The first is the daughter of a lighthouse keeper on an island off Britain, the second is a pregnant Irish immigrant to the…
In the Land of the Long White Cloud by Sarah Lark is the story of two women who make their way from London to New Zealand in the 1850s to find husbands. Both marry unhappily, the whole story is one long, big (700 pages) sorry mess. Sorry to the author,…
This post contains sponsored links. Writing this blog has made me much more aware of my preferences in reading, watching TV and movies than I used to be. While I’ve read constantly almost my entire life, I notice how my enthusiasm for reading waxes and wanes over a period of…
Without a Country, by Ayse Kulin, is the story of a Jewish couple who escape Germany in 1933 and move to Turkey, along with the story of their resultant family. I’m not sure if it was the translation(from the Turkish) or the book itself, but it leaves a lot to…
