8 books

My goal for 2013 was 20 books.  Sigh, I only read 19.  As I worked through the remaining eight, I realized the theme of children in turmoil continued, but I added to that genocide.  It was an uplifting year in books for me.  Here are the last eight books I read in 2013.

1.  The Sandcastle Girls, by: Chris Bohjalian

All about the Armenian genocide, this book travels between present day and the past as an ancestral mystery is unraveled.  It's a page turner, but it's also about the annihilation of a group of people, so parts can be challenging to read.    That said, it's about a chapter in our world's history that is little discussed.  I love a good historical fiction.  

2.  The Lost Wife, By: Alyson Richman

The Lost Wife is another book that travels between present day and the past.  Set in both New York and WWII Prague, the characters tell their story of losing love and family during the Nazi invasion.  I was hooked from the very fist page, where it is revealed that the elderly strangers, who meet by chance at a wedding, were once married over 40 years ago.  It is the story of the evolution of their relationship. How they met, loved, lost, and found each other again.

3.  The Book Thief, By: Markus Zusak

Guess what!!??  Another book about WWII.  Told from the point of view of Death, The Book Thief focuses on the happenings in a small rural town in Germany.  It's a WWII novel that talks more about what happened to German civilians than Jews.  Liesel, an orphan taken in by a bitter woman and her jovial husband, steals books to cope with the blows she's been dealt in life.  It was also just recently made into a movie.  Read it before you see it.  

4.  Wonder, By: R.J. Palacio

After a few books about major wars, I decided to head back to books about children being dealt the short end of the stick.  August is born with an intense facial deformation.  After years of homeschooling, it is time for him to join the mainstream.  We travel through August's first year of school, as told from the point of view of several of the characters.  He is ostracized, bullied, harassed, and ultimately accepted.  Although it is technically a young adult novel, there are messages for everyone.  

5.  Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness, By: Susannah Cahalan

Susannah begins to experience light sensitivity, obsessive behavior, intense mood swings, and delusions.  In her memoir, she writes about her experience with an unusual brain virus and her near death experience.  Susannah describes her experience through doctors reports, family diaries, hospital surveillance videos, and the minuscule memories she has of the ordeal.  Without a few dedicated doctors, Susannah's story may have ended very differently. After reading this book, I was basically convinced that everything I did was pointing to brain disease.  "Yikes, that light is really bright.  Brain virus?"  It's a quick and engaging read.

6.  I'm Down, By: Mishna Wolff

Mishna grows up in the Rainer Valley neighborhood of Seattle.  She spends her childhood trying to prove to her father that, despite the whiteness of her skin, she is in fact "down."  Her father, also white, is pretty much convinced that he is black.  Mishna finds that she doesn't quite fit into her black community, but when she starts attending a predominantly white private school, she finds that she doesn't really fit in there either.  Equal parts hilarious and devastating, Mishna remembers her childhood through vignettes.  

7.  Gulp: Adventures of the Alimentary Canal, By: Mary Roach

Ever wonder if you would be able to survive being swallowed by a whale?  Mary Roach examines the ins and outs of the digestive system.  She uses ancient and recent scientific experiments to explain the strangeness of the human, and animal, body.  If bodily functions don't make you feel squeamish, than go ahead and read.  

8.  Prince of Tides, By: Pat Conroy

And here is the reason why I only got though 19 books.  This last one is looooong.  Although engaging, this read is dense and slow going.  Tom, travels to New York City to speak with his twin sister's psychologist in order to help save her from depression and suicidal attempts.  Tom recounts their troubled childhood.  Born to violent parents in South Carolina, the siblings rely on each other to make it through.  Every detail is important, the tiniest one coming back to mean something large and life changing.   

Want more recommendations?  Here are the first 11 books I read.