The Silent Land

The Silent Land by Graham Joyce

Amazon description:

“When Jake and Zoe are buried under a flash avalanche while skiing in the French Pyrenees, they miraculously dig their way out from under the snow—only to discover the world they knew has been overtaken by an eerie and absolute silence. With their phones cut off, and the village evacuated of every living soul, the young married couple begin to witness strange, unsettling events neither one can ignore. And as the days wear on, they are forced to confront frightening possibilities as they attempt to survive and escape the silent land they now inhabit.”

My thoughts:

Was this supposed to be suspenseful? If so, it failed because I knew what was going on almost immediately. One good thing is that there are some thought provoking questions raised, however not enough to keep me engaged thoughout. This would be better cut down into a short story.

Overall, I wouldn’t recommend this.

882 1/2 Amazing Answers To Your Questions About the Titanic

882  ½ Amazing Answers To Your Questions About the Titanic by Hugh Brewster

Another historical read recommendation.

A concise book about the Titanic tragedy, good for the person just learning about this historical event or the child studying the tragedy.

A History of the Breast

A History of the Breast by Marilyn Yalom

Amazon Description:

“In this provocative, pioneering, and wholly engrossing cultural history, noted scholar Marilyn Yalom explores twenty-five thousand years of ideas, images, and perceptions of the female breast--in religion, psychology, politics, society, and the arts.Through the centuries, the breast has been laden with hugely powerful and contradictory meanings. There is the "good breast" of reverence and life, the breast that nourishes infants and entire communities, as depicted in ancient idols, fifteenth-century Italian Madonnas, and representations of equality in the French Revolution. Then there is the "bad breast" of Ezekiel's wanton harlots, Shakespeare's Lady Macbeth, and the torpedo-breasted dominatrix, symbolizing enticement and aggression. Yalom examines these contradictions--and illuminates the implications behind them.A fascinating, astute, and richly allusive journey from Paleolithic goddesses to modern day feminists, A History of the Breast is full of insight and surprises. As Yalom says, "I intend to make you think about women's breasts as you never have before." In this, she succeeds brilliantly.”

My thoughts:
I have some breasts. Why not read a history of them? Interesting book for the history buff or the breast fan.

Nicholas and Alexandra

Nicholas and Alexandra by Robert K. Massie

Amazon Description:
“The story of the love that ended an empire. In this commanding book, Pulitzer Prize–winning author Robert K. Massie sweeps readers back to the extraordinary world of Imperial Russia to tell the story of the Romanovs’ lives: Nicholas’s political naïveté, Alexandra’s obsession with the corrupt mystic Rasputin, and little Alexis’s brave struggle with hemophilia. Against a lavish backdrop of luxury and intrigue, Massie unfolds a powerful drama of passion and history—the story of a doomed empire and the death-marked royals who watched it crumble.”

My thoughts:
Simply amazing. Massie is a master of the historical.

Russian history is rich and intriguing. Nicholas was the last Tsar of Russia. He and his family are brought to life on the page. Although this is nonfiction, it reads like a novel.  

I started the book, knowing how it would end, but I was still emotionally impacted. Such an awful fate for this family; haunting. I will continue to read about the Romanov dynasty. After this particular book was published more information was revealed during the fall of Communism. Massie has a follow up with “The Romanov’s: The Final Chapter.”

A definite recommend for the historical reader.

Stiff

Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach

Amazon Description:

“Stiff is an oddly compelling, often hilarious exploration of the strange lives of our bodies postmortem. For two thousand years, cadavers—some willingly, some unwittingly—have been involved in science's boldest strides and weirdest undertakings. They've tested France's first guillotines, ridden the NASA Space Shuttle, been crucified in a Parisian laboratory to test the authenticity of the Shroud of Turin, and helped solve the mystery of TWA Flight 800. For every new surgical procedure, from heart transplants to gender reassignment surgery, cadavers have been there alongside surgeons, making history in their quiet way. In this fascinating, ennobling account, Mary Roach visits the good deeds of cadavers over the centuries—from the anatomy labs and human-sourced pharmacies of medieval and nineteenth-century Europe to a human decay research facility in Tennessee, to a plastic surgery practice lab, to a Scandinavian funeral directors' conference on human composting. In her droll, inimitable voice, Roach tells the engrossing story of our bodies when we are no longer with them.”

My thoughts:
I found this book to be very interesting and informative. I love to learn and this book was a brand new field for me. Roach explores the role of cadavers in science and the cycles that your body goes through following death. A bit creepy at times, but I couldn't stop reading.

A recommend for the science reader or the very curious.

To Kill a Mockingbird

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

In my effort to re-read classics, to my delight, To Kill a Mockingbird came up next on the reading list. I had fallen in love with this story as a child, and I find that I love it even more as an adult.

The first time I read this book I was around 10 years old. I was just learning about racial tensions and realizing that not everyone has good intentions in life. This book stirred within me feelings of discomfort, resentment, sadness and ultimately hope; hope that I would encounter more people in life with a strong sense of ethics, than people without. That is what makes this book a classic. The ability for the reader to live within the pages.

This seems to be a simple story, about a family in a small Southern town, but it is interwoven with strong issues of morality and character. Harper Lee is an elegant, beautiful storyteller. Narrator, Scout, is perfectly crafted. And Atticus Finch has become one of the most well known characters in American literature—he teaches respect and ethics to his children. What is more important?

I can’t wait to share this book with my own children, when they are ready to experience it!

Prague Winter

Prague Winter: A Personal Story of Remembrance and War by Madeline Albright

This is a compelling story, told by a remarkable woman. When I began to read, I was expecting a memoir that would touch briefly on World War II. However, Albright delivers a detailed history of the war, told from the perspective of Czechoslovakia. Her family history is woven into that history, which makes it more personal and compelling.

A unique historical perspective, I recommend for any history reader.