Charles Dickens is my all-time favorite author. I fell in love with his writing in the 8th grade when reading Oliver Twist in class and still try to read one of his books most years. We were in London last November, and I got to eat lunch at the Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese, a restaurant Dickens ate at himself. I even got to sit in his seat! We also watched A Christmas Carol at The Old Vic in the city where the story is set. It was an amazing trip for a Dickens fan!
To immerse myself in Dickens’ world before our trip, I started rereading David Copperfield. Of all his novels, it is the most autobiographical. Like his other books, you get to know an array of colorful characters who weave in and out of each other’s lives in a complex, engaging story. Aunt Betsey Trotwood wins my heart in this novel!
Now a major film directed by Armando Iannucci, starring Dev Patel, Tilda Swinton, Hugh Laurie, Peter Capaldi and Ben Whishaw
'The greatest achievement of the greatest of all novelists' Leo Tolstoy
In David Copperfield - the novel he described as his 'favourite child' - Dickens drew on his own experiences to create one of his most moving and enduringly popular works, filled with tragedy and comedy in equal measure. It is the story of a young man's adventures on his journey from an unhappy childhood to the discovery of his vocation as a novelist. Among the gloriously vivid cast of…
I found The Tattooist of Auschwitz on discount at an independent bookstore that was sadly going out of business. I had heard of the book but am always reluctant to read holocaust works as they are more emotionally heavy that I can handle sometimes. This one caught me as different though. On the cover, it says “based on the powerful true story of love and survival.” The book is not just about the horrific events of the holocaust but also a love story about a couple, who against all odds, met, fell in love, and survived during one of the worst times in human histories. Knowing that gives the reader courage to keep reading.
Lale Sokolov, a young Slovakian Jew, was imprisoned for more than two and half years in a concentration camp in the early 1940s. His personal story is not one to be missed! It will make you weep, laugh, scream, and rejoice ultimately.
One of the bestselling books of the 21st century with over 6 million copies sold.
Don't miss the conclusion to The Tattooist of Auschwitz Trilogy, Three Sisters. Available now.
I tattooed a number on her arm. She tattooed her name on my heart.
In 1942, Lale Sokolov arrived in Auschwitz-Birkenau. He was given the job of tattooing the prisoners marked for survival - scratching numbers into his fellow victims' arms in indelible ink to create what would become one of the most potent symbols of the Holocaust.
Waiting in line to be tattooed, terrified and shaking, was a young girl.…
World War II history fascinates me, and I often wonder what it was like to live through it. My grandparents have told me stories, and I learned a lot from their experiences, but have you ever wondered what it was like for the Churchill family and others living in London during the Blitz? I remember walking through London with one of my college professors and him pointing out bomb damage that can still be seen today.
In Larson’s book, you get a behind-the-scenes, intimate view of what life in London was like during that time. You also get to know the Churchills and their associates. Mary Churchill was only a teenager and navigated growing up with a world at war. Winston Churchill’s personal secretary, John Colville, was also young and struggled with his place in the war effort. Through both their diary writings, you see what the prime minister was really like behind his great speeches. You also read about his calculated interactions with President Roosevelt and learn about many other interesting persons and events, such as Nazi leader Rudolf Hess’s unbelievable, single-handled attempt to broker peace with England and Kenrick “Snakehips” Johnson’s last performance at the ill-fated Café de Paris.
Before reading this book, I never realized just how close Hitler was to winning it all, and it is scary to think about even now. I also never realized just how desperately England needed the United States to enter the war. The book is eye-opening! Sadly, in London alone, almost 29,000 people were killed, and 28,556 more were seriously injured during the Blitz between September 7, 1940 and May 11,1941. This is a view of World War II history that will give you a whole new perspective and appreciation for those who fought and lived through it!
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The author of The Devil in the White City and Dead Wake delivers an intimate chronicle of Winston Churchill and London during the Blitz—an inspiring portrait of courage and leadership in a time of unprecedented crisis
“One of [Erik Larson’s] best books yet . . . perfectly timed for the moment.”—Time • “A bravura performance by one of America’s greatest storytellers.”—NPR
NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The New York Times Book Review • Time • Vogue • NPR • The Washington Post • Chicago Tribune • The Globe &…
When the perils and social changes of World War II confront a small southern town, faith, family, and love sustain the lives of one young woman and her family. Can those left behind endure?
"I'm waiting for my life to begin. Waiting for the train to come in," Ava Stilwell, a young woman eager for life, sings a popular song with the big band that reflects her heart. In the midst of a world at war, Ava finds love, a passion for her music, and new opportunities, but the war still looms over her, threatening to take it all away.
It's 1943, and World War II has gripped the nation, including the Stilwell family in Jacksonville, Alabama. Rationing, bomb drills, patriotism, and a changing South barrage their way of life. Neighboring Fort McClellan has brought the world to their doorstep in the form of young soldiers from all over the country and German POWs from halfway around the globe.
Songbird is an inspirational, historical fiction novel, dealing with family, faith, strong women, and the American home front. It explores many historical elements of the World War II era, such as women's aid groups, the writings of Ernie Pyle, D-day, radio and music of the 1940s, and the death of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. It is the first book of The War Song Series.
